A Girl in the Shadows

Chapter Eleven

I was in a dream—a quite amazing one, to be specific. Finally, I didn't find myself trapped in a horrible nightmare. There was this rock concert where the band had all those different colored laser lights. The crowd was going insane, bursting my eardrums. The only thing louder than the screaming young adults carrying beer and joints were the drums. The drummer was smashing down the mallets on a single drum in such a quick manner. I could swear he was calling my name as he played. "Taliah! Taliah!"

I turned over in my sheets, shielding my face from the fierce circular beam of sunlight coming in from the nearest window. A part of my dream was a reality. There was a rough banging, along with a muffled male voice calling my name. Kai was on the other side of the room, still bloody and curled in a ball. She hadn't moved all day. I tossed her my cloak and every blanket I had.

"This should be enough to shield you. Get up to the roof."

She shook her head. "I don't want to leave you."

The pounding was even harder. Anger started to form inside of me, but I let it settle. Chances are, this is important. Maybe you should get up and get to the door before you screw something else up? I jumped to my feet, holding my swollen nose with my hand. It seemed to be healed.

"Kai, get up there! Now!" I said as I grabbed her hand and pulled. The door flew open. "Go! Hurry!"

Kai scrambled up the ladder and to the roof. The second I turned, all the wind was knocked out of me. My ears rang from the gunshot and I fell onto the bed, gripping my abdomen. I coughed, looking up at three beings: two campus security guards aiming guns at me, and the dean. His face was ridden with hate. They're going to pull the triggers of those handguns again and shoot you in the head this time, so you're paralyzed, then they're going to take it off and kill you. My eyes moved to the rifle leaning against the wall. It's three against one Tali. Don't try it.

"Don't move," said the Dean.

I was surrounded. You have to give in. Put your hands up. I lowered my head and raised my hands, my entire body tensing up. Defeat was the worst thing I'd ever experienced.

"Well, look who came in to see me," I said, coughing. "What's the matter, Dean Beck? Need someone else to do your dirty work for you?"

The officers stepped a little closer to me and my body started to tremble. I'd been in a lot of sticky situations before...maybe this one is possible to get out of? I assessed what was before me. I have a balding dean and two overweight security guards. This would be easy.

"Let us handcuff you, or we'll shoot," one of them said through gritted teeth.

I put my hands behind my back as the other guard put the metal cuffs around my wrists. The two fatties then grabbed my arms and pulled me up to my folding chair. The dean was wearing a satisfied grin, his icy blue eyes gleaming with delight. I wished for him to come closer, so I could spit right into that mustached face of his. He did just that, and before I had time to gather the saliva in my mouth there was a sharp pain in the side of my head. A fist came in contact with my left temple. His fist. The blow left me bewildered. Black and purple spots were in the process of clouding my vision.

"You killed four of my students, and now this." A slap across my cheek. "You've ruined me. You've ruined my school, my reputation—"

"Molly...Fitzpatrick—" I said.

"I thought those hunters would take care of you for sure," he said. "But you always think you're one step ahead of me, don't you, Taliah? Tell me where she is!"