S.H.I.f.T

Hollow sounds

“Come on!” Collin yelled. His hand tightened around the thin wrist.

“I have stuff to do!” Nagisa wailed, trying, in vain, to stop the full vampire from dragging him away from his room.

“Yes you do!” Collin snarled. He stopped pulling on the boys' arm. Nagisa was about to dash back inside the dorm.

“Don’t make me call her!” Collin held the phone out. Nagisa saw Cami’s picture while he watched as Collin’s thumb hovered over the call button.

“Where are we going?” Nagisa asked reluctantly.

“That’s better.” Collin smirked, replacing his phone in his back pocket. He wrapped his arm around the smaller boys' shoulders.

“You have been mopey all weekend. You need to get out, have some fun!” Collin cried.

“But I have homework, orders to finish!” Nagisa complained.

“Not today.” Collin smirked.

He led the way into the woods. They walked fast through the trees. Collin kept a pace that the half vampire could easily follow. After what felt like forever, yet no time at all, as Nagisa was enjoying the brisk air, they came to a clearing. Collin stepped out first. Nagisa wasn’t looking to where they were.

He almost walked into the back of his cousin.  He paused, seeing that the full vampire had stopped. Nagisa tested the air with his other senses. Something was off. The wind was the only sound he could hear. He flicked his tongue over his fangs.

The strength swelled up inside him. He stretched his hearing out. He heard the soft intake of breath, the near silent shifting of weight. He knew it was more than one person out there. Nagisa spun, slamming his back against his cousin. He extended his arm. The dagger slipped into his grasp. His two toned eyes went to it.

“Coldar?” Collin called out. The only answer was a rustling of leaves.

It could have easily been caused by the wind. Neither boy believed that. Collin huffed. He lowered his voice so that the others couldn’t hear him.

“This wasn’t our plan.” He informed his cousin. His only response was to feel the half vampire at his back shift ever so slightly.

The sounds rose around them. They heard chuckling. Nagisa knew that voice. He closed his eyes. Mori stood before him in his mind.

“When your eyes deceive, use your other senses.”  He had explained. Of course, this meant he fought Nagisa while the younger boy was blindfolded.

Now Nagisa opened his eyes. The elf darted along the branches between two trees. The vampire tracked his motion. In a flash, he leapt up connecting to the elf’s body in midair. They both plummeted to the leafy ground. Leon chuckled.

“Time to wake you up.” He snarled tossing leaves at the vampire's eyes.

There was a tendril vine mixed within. It snagged itself around the wrist that Nagisa raised to protect his face. Nagisa felt the tug. He slashed out with the dagger still gripping in his other hand. The plants, the trees, anything that was green or could grow around here was Leon’s magic. He knew cutting it hurt the elf, but not enough to stop him.

The hiss of pain sounded above the vampire. Nagisa rolled out of the way. The elf landed where he had been. Nagisa was on his feet. He slid between the elf’s legs, punching up as he passed. Leon cried out, doubling over. Nagisa looked down at him.

“Why are you doing this?” he asked the elf. Leon’s pain filled face turned toward him.

“I want my friend back. What happened to you?” he demanded.