In Another Life: Book Two - Taming the Beast

Chapter Eighteen: Cry Havoc! (Part One)

Senna - February 17th, 7:24 am

Senna laughed joyously in an almost maniacal taunt, keeping the bulk of the newborn horde behind her. She knew there were stragglers, but it didn't matter because she was almost where she wanted to be. Hitting the clearing she dashed towards the opposite end and then stopped just before the tree line and turned around, her face twisting into a vicious smile. She watched as they poured into the space and pushed towards her like a living wave.

Then she vanished before their eyes causing cries of frustration and confusion as they all gathered in the clearing. From behind them they heard a whistle and upon turning they found her waving with that same almost playful vicious smile on her face. They rushed forward but she vanished again as they drew close. For several minutes the game continued where she would draw them to an edge of the forest only to disappear and reappear behind them, again and again and again until they were incredibly confused and no longer advancing towards her.

Then they realized something was wrong, as their numbers were disappearing at an alarming rate, within seconds a dozen had vanished as completely. Then like balloon popping the horde kept vanishing until there was barely a dozen left. A few tried to run, several more tried to position themselves back to back in an attempt to fight. Two, a brother and sister fell to their knees and began to beg for forgiveness.

The siblings shut their eyes waiting for death as all around them, one by one, their companions disappeared until they were all gone.

Then Senna reappeared and knelt down in front of them, "you want to live?" Her thick accent punctuated the silence of the moment, and neither of them knew how to react. Her dark red eyes examined them as they turned to look at one another and then back at her, before nodding emphatically.

"We never wanted to hurt anyone, but we didn't have a choice. Please don't kill us, or make us disappear." The boy begged.

"What are your names?" Her voice was strangely calming, and they somehow knew they could trust her despite the circumstances.

"This is my sister Helen, I'm Grady." Grady said hurriedly, trying to find some way to avoid the death sentence dangling above them like the sword of Damocles.

"Helen, do you agree with your brother? Do you want peace?" Senna asked gently.

"Yes, more than anything. We were taken from our home, our parents killed in front of us. Then they turned us into monsters. Please, I don't want to be like this anymore." Helen was almost beside herself with fear, but Senna could see a glimmer of hope in the girl's eyes. The eyes of a child, neither of them older than sixteen.

"You must understand I can only offer a choice, it isn't salvation or instant redemption, that comes from your own choices moving forward." Senna stood back up and examined them closely with a deadly serious look in her eyes.

The siblings glanced at each other again and turned to her and nodded in unison once more. Then as if waking from a dream the world around them faded and they found themselves sitting in the middle of a pile of bodies, the corpses of vampires who they had been grouped with as Zafrina released them from her gift.

"I am Senna, this is my sister Zafrina. We will take you to a new life, one where you do not have to kill to live." Despite the horror surrounding them, it felt like a relief for the fight to finally be over.

Laurent - February 17th - 7:25 am

Laurent continued to taunt those following him, zig zagging around trees and occasionally hooting in excitement. He hadn't had such fun since he ran with James and Victoria, no matter how he felt about them, they had their moments. His destination was close, a small dead man's canyon with walls made of a stone that even vampires would have a problem gripping into, the sheer walls made it almost perfect. He had spent time preparing the space for this moment, and felt his new heart beat once as he crossed the threshold he had set for his trap.