Hunted

Chapter 25

... Elizabeth ...

Achy pains radiate from no specific area on me. It throbs and stings, but nothing is as bad as when I got staked. The next time I feel pain like that, is the day I die. And I have no idea when that's going to happen.

The darkness starts to lighten, but I don't want to wake up. At this thought, the light comes faster. Of course. The blackness becomes gray, and then red.

I open my eyes, but blurriness obscures everything. It eventually sharpens and everything becomes clear, and one. I'm staring into an oxygen mask that's pumping out fresh air, but it's not on me.

I lift my head up and look around. Mason and Isaac are here, and I feel Blaise against my back. Why am I here? They must have found me this morning by the tree.

"Wow, Blaise. You were off about three hours." Mason shakes his head at my cat.

She took a while to get out of the crossroads where subconscious and conscious meet. Blaise defends himself.

"Yeah, yeah." Mason waves him away.

"How do you feel?" Isaac leans over to me. I open my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. I try again, but the same thing happens. "Hey, you need to shift back." What? I look behind me, and I see a long, red body. I jump to my feet, but the furry body jumps up with me.

I look to Isaac for help, but he shrugs. Thanks for the help there, Isaac. Blaise, how do I shift back? I beg my cat.

I don't know. I don't shift. He apologizes.

But you know everything! I sigh, and concentrate on turning back. I just want to be human again! Well, Vampire.

Suddenly, I feel myself shifting, shrinking, and growing. It doesn't hurt as much as last time, but it still stings when my whiskers, fur, and claws grow in.

Exhaustion washes over me, and before I can do anything else, I fall asleep. Again.

...

"Lizzy, you need to wake up." Isaac's voice fills my mind. I groan and try to push it away.

"Come on, Ms. Keefe needs to talk to you." Mason adds. Grumpiness fills the pit of my stomach, and I finally open my eyes.

"What do you want? I'm tired." I mumble and close my eyes again.

"You need to talk to Ms. Keefe." I can almost see Isaac smile. I open my eyes again, and give them each a hard stare.

"Do I have to?"

"Yes. She can come in here, or you can go in there." Ugh, I don't want to go anywhere, but I swing my feet off the bed. I take out my IV and walk briskly out the door.

"You wanted to see me?" I open the door to Ms. Keefe's office. I look behind me for moral support from Isaac, but he's mysteriously disappeared.

Ms. Keefe is sitting at her desk, two students sitting in front of her. They are handcuffed to the chairs. They are the ones that staked me. "Hello, dear. I'm glad to see that you're feeling better."

"What are they doing here?" I hiss and my fangs snap in.

"You'll see. Now, please come sit down." She pats a chair that she's put next to her. Without looking at the two attempted murderers, I sit down in the chair. When I finally do look in the faces of the criminals, I almost pass out. Brad is staring ahead at me indignantly, but... Tracy looks at the floor, unable to meet my eyes. I gasp and glance at Ms. Keefe, but she's staring at the two.