(*CHapter 12*)

Chapter 12

We sat there for a while. We didn't feel like talking, I guess. I mean we did just try to kill eachother.

"From the smell of your blood, you weren't born a werewolf. What made the big change?" I looked past her and saw a squirrel run up a tree. I wonder if I'll ever get an urge to chase it? "Whoo, hoo. Hey doggy. I'll give you a bone if you answer my question." I looked at her and laughed sarcasticly, "Ha ha. Well it happened at school. I saw a huge wolf and the next thing I knew it had scratched me and Dr.Cliffs told me I was turning into a werewolf. What about you? I hear that not many vampires are "born" one." She looked down and laughed to herself.

"Ya, well don't believe everything you hear. I was born into a family of mortals. I was born and when the doctor told my mom I had no blood, but was still alive, she freaked. It's very rare for a vampire to be born into a family of mortals. Yup, only happens every two hundred years. I was the lucky chosen child, but my mom didn't think so. She turned me over to foster care. When I was five I knew something was wrong with me. Instead of eating my steak, I would sip out the blood that was left. I would look at the other kids and see that I had bigger teeth, and sharper. I ran away when I was seven."

"Gosh, and I thought I had a story." We both laughed.

"So where is the guy who turned you into the big dog?" I looked down and stood up. I walked over to a tree and pounded my fist into it. It gave the big oak a crack right down the middle. "That's a weird way of marking territory."

"Ya, well I hope the guys who took him find it." She stood up and came over to me. She did something extremely weird. She hugged me. At first I thought she was trying to get the rest of the blood left on my arm. I pushed her away after a while. "Sorry. It's just that, I know what you mean. My boyfriend,Chance, was taken by a couple of guys about a year ago. I've been looking for him ever since. We were going to get married." She smiled down at her hand and I noticed the ring on it. It looked ancient. It was a bronze color and it had a big diamond, worn out of course, in the middle with two smaller diamonds on each side. She started playing with it and I walked towards the river. My arm was really starting to hurt.

I was almost there when Claudia popped out in front of me. "How did you?"

"Vampires have super speed. That is probably the only thing right in the books, and the fact we drink blood."

"How refreshing." I walked towards the river and jumped onto the bank. It's a good thing it was low tide. Claudia jumped right next to me. I was about to rip a part of my shirt off, but she handed me a hankerchief. "Thanks."

"Ya, your probably saying thanks for the reason of me giving it to you. When your finished I'm going to be the one saying thanks." She sat down on a wet rock and ended up slipping. I stood in the water confused.

"I'm a vampire, I gave you my hankerchief, which your using to clean your bloody arm. Get it now?" I stared at her in horror. "Be happy I didn't attack your arm." You had to admit it, it was better than that. I got it wet then started dabbing my arm. It stinged really bad. When I finished my arm was on fire and I was almost soaked. I walked over to where Claudia was sitting and handed her the now bloody hankerchief. She rolled it up and squeezed it over her mouth. "Ah, finally. I'm not starving anymore. Have any more bloody spots? Scabs that you can pick?" I looked at her then started getting up. "I'm kidding!" She started laughing and I sat back down, a few inches farther than before. Just to be safe.

"The boy that turned me into a werewolf,"

"Your boyfriend."

",Yah. Wait how'd you know that?"

"When you came running out the hostpital screaming "Jack!" I mean, you wouldn't do that for just a friend?"

"Well, I guess so, but before he got taken, he told me that vampires were extinct. With you here being a vampire, I don't really think there extinct."

She turned the hankerchief until she got two drops of bloody river water into her mouth, before turning to answer me. "Like I said, a vampire is "born" every two hundred years. I've been in hiding ever since I ran away. I know that soemthing would chase after me, so I kept a low profile." I started playing with an oyster. She answered my question, so I guess we would have another long silence, but she interrupted that. "I wasn't the last one. Remember the guy I was going to marry, Chance? Yeah, he was one." She started licking the hankerchief, so I decided to look away. "Sorry, It's a habit."

"Wow. It must have been really hard when they took him. You two probably the only two vampires on earth," I looked at her. She was giving me a very un-pleasant stare. "And I will shut up now."

"That would be very smart." She got up and headed for the water. She started to wash the hankerchief. I stayed where I was. I didn't want to get wetter than I was. "So did you see it happen? Did you see the guys?"

She kept cleaning the bloody rag. Dipping it in the water and twisting it.

"Yeah, I did. It was more of an attack than a kidnapping. We were on the road. He wanted to get married out in Washington DC. All of a sudden we were hit. He started screaming for me to run away. They already had a gun to his head. He kept screaming. The next thing I saw was him trying to get out. They threw him into a black car. One of the guys started towards me, so I ran." I had to stop listening. I already knew the end. It was exactly like my story.

"I think I can help you find him." She turned around. The wet rag in her hand, dripping on her black pants. She turned back around, smiling. "You can't help me, how could you possibly help me?" I walked over to the water. I put my hand on her shoulder, she shrugged it off. She turned around with wet eyes. "Why would you even say that? Your just making things worse. I've been trying to forget that day! The only thing I've been trying to focus on is trying to find him!" She was screaming in my face. I was about to start crying myself. I hated being yelled at, but don't like to yell back.

"Why don't you just leave. I don't want your help. You've only made things worst and distracted me." I started to back up. I crawled back into the woods. Before I started to leave I turned back around, "I said that becuase I was attacked the exact same way, and Jack was taken into the same black car and the same men. I want to find him, and you want to find your fiance'. I figured I could help." I ran fast into the woods. Before I knew it I was back where the hostpital used to be. I started walking and Claudia jumped down from a tree. I stood there and crossed my arms. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't know that happened to you too. All I want to do is get him back, and you want to get Jack back. I guess we can help each other. I'm sorry." I just stood there. I probably looked snobby, so I put my arms down. "Okay, but you have to promise me something."

"What?"

"Please don't yell at me." I smiled and started laughing. She joined in.

"I promise. Maybe next time I won't get so lucky."

"Huh?" I had no idea what she was talking about.

"You have a lot to learn." She walked over and grabbed my arm. The next thing I knew we were in a parking lot and she started walking to a fancy red car. "Well come on slow pants." I started running towards the car and jumped into the passenger seat. "I guess I get shot gun." She turned the key and the car started.

"You know Maggie."

"I know what?" She turned towards me with a big smile on her face.

"I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship." I smiled back and we started driving out of the parking lot.