cast no shadow. (the lost boys).

Chapter Seventeen: The First Strike

Max had driven back to his house, but I didn't go inside with him. Instead, I rushed back to the cave, hoping the boys were there. All the tension and anger I felt with David the previous night had been replaced with fear. I knew something bad was going to happen soon.

I practically ran down the rickety steps once I reached the cave. Thankfully, the boys were there, just going about their usual business, and Laddie was fast asleep in his bed.

"Lizzie, I'm sorry-" David started to apologize.

"Shut up, I don't care," | cut him off, tension flowing through my body. "It's happening."

"What is?" Dwayne asked quietly, looking over at me.

"My visions," | replied, my voice shaking slightly. All their faces fell, and the silence was deafening.

"How do you know?" David asked, his face a mix of anger and shock.

"Because Max was supposed to have a date with Lucy, but I tagged along after overhearing Sam and the Frog Brothers talking about Michael being a half-vampire. They were there too, trying to catch Max out for being the head vampire. They failed, but their bathroom, the stereo, and the antlers were all the same as in my vision. It's all in their house," I explained, then turned to Marko. "I don't want them coming here and hurting you. I won't let them. I'm going to kill them all. I swear they're all dead."

"Angel-" Marko began, but I interrupted him just like I had with David.

"No, I know it's going to happen soon. I can practically feel it all over me." I started to panic, pacing around the cave.

"Lizzie, it's going to be okay. We're not going to let them hurt us," Dwayne assured me as he sat me down on the couch next to him.

"If you're not going to let them hurt you, then why the hell am I getting visions about them doing it?" I demanded.

"Forget that, why don't we just kill them now?" Paul suggested, starting to panic as well.

"We can't," David insisted, though he seemed as frustrated as the rest of us.

"Why not? Says who?" Paul pressed.

"You know who. Max. I want them gone too, but it's up to Max," David reasoned.

"I should've killed them all when I had the chance," I said flatly, staring off into space.

"We'll get them, okay?" David promised as he walked over to me, crouching down to my level and placing his gloved hand on my cheek. "But for now, we wait."

"Wait for what, David? For them to kill us? For all we know, it could happen tomorrow, or even in a few hours. I don't want to wait around for it to happen." I shook my head, sadness evident on my face.

"I won't let anything happen. You're safe. We all are," David promised.

The boys insisted I sleep with them in our bed that morning, worried about me being alone if anything did happen. After a lot of convincing, l agreed, and now I was lying in bed with the four of them.

I hadn't slept at all-partly because I didn't need to and partly because I was too paranoid. And it was a good thing I stayed awake, as my body shot up when I started hearing voices in the cave.

"What's that smell?" | heard someone ask in the distance.

"Vampires, my friend. Vampires," a familiar voice answered. Edgar. They were here. They were going to kill Marko. Fear coursed through me as I tried to wake David.

"David, wake up! They're here," I whispered urgently.

"Shh, it's still light out. Go back to sleep," David mumbled groggily.

"David, I'm serious. The Frog Brothers are here. Wake up," | demanded quietly.

David's eyes shot open as he sat up in bed, listening intently. His jaw clenched when he heard the voices. He stood up and walked over to the doorway. Dwayne had heard the conversation and the voices and was now standing beside David.

"What do we do?" Dwayne asked quietly.

"We still can't kill them yet, so..." David began, and started growling loudly, hoping to scare them away.
Dwayne joined in, letting out a deep, guttural growl. I heard the boys' heartbeats quicken, and it seemed to be working. The growling had woken Paul and Marko, who were confused and groggy.

"What's going on?" Paul grumbled, yawning.

Marko, however, could hear them in the cave. I moved over to him and held him close.

"If you think for a second I'm letting you go anywhere near them, you're wrong," I said to Marko, terrified of what I saw in my vision. "You're staying with me."

"I can't believe they actually have the balls to come here. I'm going to tear them limb from limb," Paul growled.

"Paul, shut up," I cut him off, not wanting them to hear us.

David and Dwayne's growls seemed to be working. David let out a loud, vicious roar, causing the intruders to scream in fear, their footsteps pounding as they ran out of the cave, yelling for someone to start the car.

"Laddie!" | gasped, letting go of Marko and rushing to the main area of the cave.

"Lizzie!" Marko shouted after me.

My heart sank when I saw Laddie's bed was empty. They had taken my little boy.

"They're all fucking dead," I said through gritted teeth, my tone deadly.

"Is he okay?" Dwayne asked worriedly when I returned to the room.

"They took him. I'm going to kill them all. I'm going to rip them to fucking shreds," | raged as Dwayne tensed up. "Why did they take him? What do they need him for? He's just a little boy."

"It'll be okay. We'll get him back," Dwayne said, pulling me into a tight hug.

"I promise you, once the sun goes down, we'll get him back. And if he's hurt, those bastards better pray for their lives," David vowed. "But for now, we need to sleep, okay?"

I nodded, sadness etched on my face as we all settled back into bed. If they had done anything to hurt Laddie, those idiots better be prepared for what's coming.