SOMETHING ROAMS THE NIGHT...

TWENTY FIVE

"What were you thinking?" Ezra grabbed me roughly by the arm, making me cry out in pain. 

"What?" I yelled, jerking away from his grasp. 

"All that? About you fighting those creatures? And asking your family to leave town? Wha-Why would you even think about fighting them, Hale? Are you crazy?" Ezra was obviously furious.

"I just wanted to fight them with you!" I said. "I don't have to be a Kane to fight the reapers. I just want to protect this town, just like what you'd do."

"You can't, Hale," Ezra sighed, shaking his head. "We've been trained to fight them ever since we were born. You can't fight them, you'll die."

"They're after us, Ezra. And they're going to kill my entire family if we don't do anything about it."

"I won't let them," he said, training his intense eyes on me. "I promise you, I won't let anything happen to your family."

"Then I need you to help me with something," I said, taking a step towards him. "I want you to believe in me."

"What are you talking about, Hale? I've always believed in you."

"Then help me get my family out of town. Help me get them somewhere safe. I don't want to lose another family member," I choked on a sob at the thought of my grandmother. "Please, Ezra. That's all I ask of you."

"And what are you going to do? Stay here? Be the next victim? Haley, I want you to be with your family. You don't deserve this," Ezra placed both hands on my shoulders. "You have to get out of here too, out of this town. I believe that is the only way. All this is my fault, so I will be the one who has to stay and fight. You have nothing to do with this."

"No," I argued. "I want to stay. I want to stay and fight."

I knew I was being the stubborn girl I was, and it was getting on Ezra's nerves, but I just couldn't bear the thought of the reapers taking another human life. I wanted to stay, I wanted to be a hero for once. I wanted to prove that I wasn't just a normal girl. Now that this life chose me, I couldn't just run away from it.

"Why are you so stubborn?" Ezra's frown began to appear. "Do you know how much it will kill me if you get hurt? Why can't you just listen to me?"

"It's my choice," I said. "I choose to stay. So are you going to help me or not?"

"I can't," he put a hand in his hair. "I can't do this cause I care for you, Haley. I just want you to be safe. Why are you doing this? Why are you making this so hard for me?"

"Nothing will change my mind," I stood my ground. "Ezra, please, I'm begging you. Get my family out of town."

"Sh-," he swore. "Sh-, Haley," he cursed again. 

He was more than infuriated- I had never seen him like this before.

"You will regret this," he said gravely. "One day you will regret all of this."