Till Forever is Ours

09.

I TOLD DEREK I HAD A LOT OF HOMEWORK TO do, and that I didn't want anything to eat. There was a basketball game on that he was excited about, though of course I had no idea what was special about it, so he wasn't aware of anything unusual in my face or tone.

Once in my room, I locked the door. I dug through my desk until I found my old headphones, and I plugged them into my little CD player. I picked up a CD that Derek had gotten me for Christmas. It was one of his favorite bands, but they used a little too much bass and shrieking for my taste.

I popped it into place and lay down on my bed. I put on the headphones, hit play, and turned up the volume until it hurt my ears. I closed my eyes, but the light still intruded, so I added a pillow over the top half of my face.

I concentrated very carefully on the music, trying to understand the lyrics, to unravel the complicated drum patterns. By the third time I'd listened through the CD, I knew all the words to the choruses, at least. I was surprised to find that I really liked the band after all, once I got past the blaring noise. I'd have to thank Derek again. And it worked. The shattering beats made it impossible for me to think— which was the whole purpose of the exercise. I listened to the CD again and again, until I was singing along with all the songs, until, finally, I fell asleep.

I opened my eyes to a familiar place. Aware in some corner of my consciousness that I was dreaming, I recognized the green light of the forest. I could hear the waves crashing against the rocks somewhere nearby. And I knew that if I found the ocean, I'd be able to see the sun. I was trying to follow the sound, but then Maya Lopez was there, tugging on my hand, pulling me back towards the blackest part of the forest.

"Maya? What's wrong?" I asked.

Her face was frightened as she yanked with all her effort against my resistance; I didn't want to go into the dark.

"Run, Kate, you have to run!" she whispered, terrified.

"This way, Kate!" I recognized Billie's voice calling out of the gloomy heart of the trees, but I couldn't see him.

"Why?" I asked, still pulling against Maya's grasp, desperate now to find the sun.

But Maya let go of my hand and yelped, suddenly shaking, falling to the dim forest floor. She twitched on the ground as I watched in horror.

"Maya!" I screamed. But she was gone. In her place was a large red-brown wolf with black eyes. The wolf faced away from me, pointing toward the shore, the hair on the back of her shoulders bristling, low growls issuing from between her exposed fangs.

"Kate, run!" Billie cried out again from behind me. But I didn't turn. I was watching a light coming toward me from the beach.

And then Yelena stepped out from the trees, her skin faintly glowing, her eyes black and dangerous. She held up one hand and beckoned me to come to her. The wolf growled at my feet.

I took a step forward, towards Yelena. She smiled then, and her teeth were sharp, pointed.

"Trust me," she purred.

I took another step.

The wolf launched herself across the space between me and the vampire, fangs aiming for the jugular.

"No!" I screamed, wrenching upright out of my bed.

My sudden caused the headphones to pull the CD player off the bedside table, and it clattered to the wooden floor. My light was still on, and I was sitting fully dressed on the bed, with my shoes on. I glanced, disoriented, at the clock on my dresser. It was five-thirty in the morning. I groaned, fell back, and rolled over onto my face, kicking off my shoes. I was too uncomfortable to get anywhere near sleep, though. I rolled back over and unbuttoned my jeans, yanking them off awkwardly as I tried to stay horizontal. I could feel the braid in my hair, an uncomfortable ridge along the back of my skull. I turned onto my side and ripped the rubber band out, quickly combing through the plaits with my fingers. I pulled the pillow back over my eyes.