Chapter 13: Raven

Derek and I walked into the hall together.  His father was not at his podiuem, or anywhere in the room.

            "Come sit with us." I whispered. He took my had and intertwined his fingers into mine.

            "Won't your friends be a little…shocked?"

            "They'll get over it." He shrugged and followed me.  I saw Betty sitting alone.

            "Betty, why are you sitting alone? Where is everyone?" Today she wore a coral color dress with white (You guessed it) butterflies floating around on the fabric.  White sandles and little gold butterfly earrings complimented the outfit, along with a white bow that was placed in her hair to try and cover up the dark brown mess of her hair.  She probably had just gotten up.

            "No one was in your dorm room and I know Whitney's still in the infirmary. I don't really know if she's going to be here and I suspect Rhett was with her."

            "Flora as well." I mumbled. "We'll sit with you." I tried to give the best, cute smile ever. It must have failed because Derek coughed back a laugh. We sat down and I kicked him.  He wore a black and white plaid flannel shirt with jeans and a pair of black converse. We're matching.  His blue eagle iphone case was visible from his pocket and a chain that ended under his shirt sat proudly around his neck.

            "What's this?" I pulled the gold chain gently.  I peeked over at Betty who was texting someone. Oh s**t, it better not be about me."

            "It’s an eagle pendant. My father says it was my mothers.  My father gave it to me when my change happened. He said she always loved eagles."  I reached the end and a brilliant eagle hung there.  It was beautiful. 

            "Where is your mother?" I asked.  More students filed in, we still had time to talk.

            "She left when I was 5. She couldn't stand my father anymore so she just packed up and left.  I heard that a year or two later she was killed by a demon. What I don't understand is why she didn't take me with.  Father told me that she loved me to death and I don't understand why a mother wouldn't take her child with her."

            "Everything happens for a reason." I whispered and then Principal Williams cleared his throat in the podium. His eyes scanned the room until he saw his son and where he was sitting, sitting next to me. The man on the podium squinted his eyes in disgust. Derek would get hell for this.  

            "Students!" Williams began. "We've had a devastating loss last night. Leo Vanderwine was killed last night during the capture the flag game." Someone screamed. A girl.

            "NO! IT COULDN'T HAVE BEEN HIM!" She screamed bloody murder as she was dragged out of the room by a friend.

            "Poor Vanessa." Derek mourned quietly. Williams shuffled awkwardly as everyone could still here Vanessa scream her head off outside the grand oak doors.

            "It was her!" Someone else shouted in the eery silence. "It was that blond b***h Whitney!" Everyone turned their heads toward Bradon who stood on the table. 

            I stood up and countered him, "The hell it was!" Bradon looked around the room for his opponent and when he saw me, he just smirked and laughed.

            "I saw it go down with my own eyes. I saw her pounce on Leo and rake his guts out until he had nothing left unlike you who was probably making out in the bushes." My blood boiled in anger but I kept my composer on the outside.

            "Then why didn't you do anything to help him?!" I shouted. The school watched with intensity.  Bradon couldn't answer. "What color was the attacker's fur?" I shouted another question.  This would determine if he had actually seen it.

            "It was…it was…" Bradon stuttered.

            "You have no clue. You didn't see a thing so sit your a*s back down." Some students giggled at Bradon's embarrassment. He slunk back to his seat.

            "Sit down Ms. Sterling!" Williams boomed.  I glared at him and then sat back down on the bench.  Williams finished his speech about how he was going to be missed and that there was a memorial service for him. Then he announced this, "Ms. Sterling, Mr. Williams please come to my office now." With that, he dismissed the student body.  My fists clenched.

            "Let's just get this over with." I said through clenched teeth. We both walked stiffly toward his office.

            "I know what this is about." Derek told me. I didn't answer. I didn't need him to tell me. It was too obvious not to know. We slipped inside the office building.  Jan sat their typing away.

            "Hello Jan!" I said sarcastically. She rolled her eyes.

            "Just sit down and wait until I call you." She instructed harshly.  I would've annoyed the crap out of her but I knew I was seeing Big Daddy Williams for a different reason so I tried to act mature. Besides, I had promised Derek that I was going to change. Derek sat next to me, tapping a light beat with his finger. Seconds felt like minutes. Minutes felt like hours.

            There was a buzz from Jan's phone and Derek and I nearly jumped out of our seats.  My heart was pounding against my chest.  Blood stopped running to my head.  Jan noticed my squirming and smirked evilly as she listened into her phone, nodding her head.

            "Yes sir." She responded and set the phone down. "Principal Williams will now see you." Derek and I both got up clumsily and stiffly walked into the office. 

            Two plush chairs were placed neatly over by the shelves of books.  Williams desk had been pushed aside and his desk chair was placed ajasent from the two initial chairs. A lamp casted a soft glow to the room and a table set up with snacks and drinks sat untouched in the corner.  What was this?  A side door suddenly opened and Williams himself stepped inside the room.

            "Please sit." He gestured toward the two chairs. We did as we were told.  I sat myself down and tried to get comfortable, but under Principal William's glare, I just felt awkward that I couldn't sit still.

            "Are you thirsty?" Williams continued.  I looked at Derek and the look on his face was the same as mine.  Williams was acting differently.  We both declined kindly. Williams strolled over to the table where a tall crystal bottle sat holding amber looking liquor.  He poured it into a glass and sat in his chair in front of us, sipping the drink as he walked. It smelled like brandy.

            "So tell me what's really going on between you two?" He began.  The principal looked and sounded tired.

            "What do you mean?" Derek countered immedietly.

            Principal William rested his glass down with ease.  He did not look angry. "Son, you know very well what I mean."

            "Then you tell me what's going on." I responded, breaking my silence.

            Derek's dad cleared his throat. "Well, I feel you two are doing something behind my back that I should at least know about." Did he know about the investigation?

            "If you knew about it dad, then you would not approve."

            "That is very true." The man in front of me said very coy-like.

            "Don't give me that! I am not like you! I have a part of mom in me as well." Derek was now standing, his shoulders heaving up and down.  Williams stiffened, his coy-like manner was cracking.

            "That's enough Derek." He firmly said.

            "You are not going to separate us.  I will not allow it.  I love her too much."

            Williams lost it now.  His manner had cracked too far, "She's corrupting you! For all I know she could be the killer and you would be her next victim! I lost your mother, I will not lose you!"

            "Hey!" I blurted out. How dare he think I was the murderer. "I am not the killer!"

            "Then who is it?" Williams fired back.

            "A demon! I saw the glint of the red eyes after everyone cleared out!"

            Williams chuckled, "Demons cannot get in here. There is too much protection and besides, it wouldn't have gotten past the guards."

            "Unless a student traded their soul. You know it can happen."

            "No student here has traded their soul to the devil except you Raven.  You of all the people here would trade their soul to the devil. I 'm surprised that you haven't done it already." I stiffened by that awful comment.

            "I'm not like that anymore." I quietly said, gripping my arm so I wouldn't cry and let Williams have his victory.

            "Yet you are capable of it."

            "How dare you accuse her of being the murderer! You have no evidence that she has done it! She was with me the whole time anyway."

            "Doing what?" Williams pestered on.  This conversation couldn't get any worse.

            "We were…kissing." Derek muttered.  I clenched my jaw. The grip on my arm was getting tighter.

            Williams laughed harshly, "So this has been going on longer than I had suspected! Just wait, next week she'll be pregnant!"

            I blew up, "Don't tell me about that!" I screamed, "Just leave us alone! Its Derek's decision who he wants to date, not yours! You're not in this relationship!"

            The conversation then took a nosedive, "I'm putting you under house arrest until this mess is cleared up." Williams had downed his brandy by now and was walking strictly to his desk to give Jan the order. "Jan, get Harris and some of his men down here.  Tell him we have a student under house arrest."

            "Bullshit! I didn't do it! I don't deserve to go under house arrest!" I shrieked loudly. Williams turned to me and grabbed my wrist.

            "Stay away from my son." He snarled. I struggled in his grasp and for a second, I thought I saw a glint of red in his eyes.  Derek rammed his father in the side and Principal Williams stumbled into his desk.  I rubbed my red wrist.

            "Go to hell Williams." I spat and then took off through the window, not knowing where to go as the soldiers flooded the room.

 

                                   ***

            I had nowhere to go.  I had flew over the academy's boundries and was flying towards Helena.  I wasn't going to seek out anyone yet because I knew they would take me back where I would have to face house arrest. I wasn't going to let that happen.  I just wanted to delay it at least.   Then I remembered that Derek wanted me to check that park out.  I adjusted my wings and flew towards the forest, hoping it was the park I was looking for.

            I was right.  I spotted a thin cloud of smoke rising up from a clearing in the trees and decided to check it out.  By now, the sun was falling and I could use the shadows to my advantage.  When I reached the clearing, I circled the area to see what I had.

            There was a campfire ablaze with a couple tents nearby.  About 5 people, both male and female milled around, acting normal.  A short burnette girl a little older than myself had a pail and looked like she was going to collect water.  A tall blond guy was coming back with a stack of firewood in his arms.  I almost moved on because they looked too normal when I heard a scream.

            "Please! Let me go!" A young woman's voice pleaded. That caught my attention.  I landed in a nearby tree and hid in the shadows. I still had a good view of what was going on. Two men, both fairly young and hansome dragged a young girl around my age to their campsite.  The girl was beautiful and lanky with long, straight ginger hair.  She wore a flannel shirt, shorts and a pair of hiking boots on her feet.  She must have been camping nearby with her family.

            The burnette dropped her bucket and gathered everyone around.  "What is this Wyatt?"

            "Either food or a convert." The girl squirmed, but the two guys kept their grasp.  I had stumbled across the demon's camp.

            "Her? A convert?" the burnette scoffed.

            "Tanya, you never know. She may have potential." A brown haired guy with a muscular body structure said.  He placed his hand on her shoulder and she placed her hand on top of his.

            "She looks scrawny," The burnette said much quieter to the boy.  It was harder to pick up what they were saying.  The guy left Tanya and walked in front of the captive.

            "What's your name?" He asked kindly to her.

            "C-Caroline." She stammered.

            "Jase! Let's get this over with!" Tanya said, losing patience.  She placed her hands on her hips.

            Jase focused on Caroline.  He bent down on his knees like a father talking to his young daughter, "Caroline, you need to make a choice; a life or death choice."

            "I-I don't understand." She whimpered.

            "Do you want to be a demon or not?" Tanya spat out, tapping her foot on the dusty earth.

            "I-I just want to go home!" Caroline pleaded as she cried. "I have two little brother I have to take care of! My-My mother is a single mother! Please! She'll be looking for me!" The man named Wyatt let go of her arm and spun her around. He unsheived a dagger and began digging into Caroline's palm.  She screamed as she choked on her tears.  Jase backed up and stood next to Tanya, knowing that Wyatt was doing the deed for him.

            Wyatt drew three 6's in her palm as he chanted, "Human to Demon, Condem her soul as a sacrifice to the devil." He repeated the words over and over again until he had finished the three 6's.  The devil's number.  Blood pooled on her palm as Caroline stared at it with confusion and panic. She tried to pull her hand out of Wyatt's grasp, but it was firm on her wrist.

            "W-What are you doing?" She choked on tears.

            Wyatt looked into Caroline's teary eyes and whispered, "I'm so sorry." Then he bit her palm. She screamed in pain.  I stiffened. What is this ritual? Wyatt released his grasp on Caroline's hand and stepped back, wiping the blood off his mouth. 

            Caroline on the other hand, fell to the ground in a spasam as she screamed.  Her back hunched horribly as she tried to fight back, but the Devil was taking her soul away.  This was not trading a soul to become immortal, this was the Devil taking a soul without permission. This was a whole new ballgame. 

            Fight Caroline, Fight! I screamed in my head but I knew she couldn't hold onto sanity much longer. Her body heaved as it lashed out on itself.  The demons just watched quietly. Finally she stopped and the change happened to her.  She lost the battle.  The final stages were happening.  Fur grew over her skin.  She shrunk down as she changed to a cloud leopard.  The sides of the leopard heaved. Tanya smiled.  Caroline then let the change wash over her as she changed back to herself.  She was a demon now. Wyatt scooped the immortal girl up in his arms.

            "Why'd you do it Wyatt?" Someone called.

            "Didn't want her to go to waste." Was all he commented and then entered one of the tents. The other guy that had dragged Caroline picked the dagger up, wiped the blood off the tip and the shifted the dirt of any remnents of blood that was still there. He made it look like nothing happened. Everyone went back to what they were doing like nothing had happened.

            Tanya walked toward the fire as Jase followed like a puppy.  He draped his arms around her neck softly and Tanya grabbed onto his arms. Something was wrong with Tanya.

            "What's up sweetheart?" Jase purred.

            "Thought we'd have something to eat."

            "Well," He spun Tanya around to face her. "We'll have to get something for baby Caroline when she wakes up." Tanya grinned.

            "You think Wyatt imprinted on Caroline?"
            "Isn't that what I did to you?" Tanya blushed as she rested her head on Jase's chest. She suddenly pulled away.

            "What's wrong." His playful smile disappeared and he looked serious.

            "I smell a Raven." She purred as she cracked her wrists. Oh s**t. I had to leave now before I became demon food. As quietly as I could, I outstretched my wings and took off.  I heard Jase shout something and an animal roared but I was gone.

            I flew far away from the park until I found a convenience store.  I changed in the shadows and entered, disguising myself for a random girl shopping in case some nosy demons followed me.  I walked to the back of the store swiftly and dialed Derek's number.

            "Hello?" He drawled

            "Hey, its me." I whispered harshly.

            "Where the hell have you been?"

            "Investigating demons for you."

            "What did you find out?" he asked intently

            "They were there alright. They may be on the move though. They had a "convert" as they called it."

            "A convert?" Derek asked as he shuffled through something in the background.

            "Derek, they took a girl from the campsite and changed her to a demon. They gave her a choice but they did it anyway because she couldn't make a disision.  This is a step up from trading souls Derek, their taking souls without permission."

            "Holy s**t." He breathed. "How'd they do it?"

            "They carved three 6's in the girls palm, chanting something about giving her soul to the devil as a sacrifice and then the guy who did it bit her hand and she changed."

            "D****t. I don't like what happened."

            "Neither did I. Can I come back now? I think I might have some demons on my tail."

            "You can't come back yet." Derek said flatly.

            "Why not?" I questioned.

            "Because my father may have you executed for Leo's death."

 

Author's Note

ignore grammar