Don't Say a Word

Nine

Nicolette waiting until she knew Nicholas was gone before gathering her things.

He had replaced her backpack, even though he said she wouldn't be needing it. She took as much as she could, even if she wouldn't wear some of it she could sell it for money for food.

She slipped into her yoga pants and a fitted tank top before sitting to tie her shoes. One last look around before she left.

She ran the opposite direction he had driven. She used her magic to cover her smell as best she could.

She had never been this far from Tampa since she was put into the system. Well not in this direction, they went to Orlando once. She thought of her last foster home and wondered if they even bothered looking for her.

She ran until mid morning. Only resting once the sun warmed her face. She stopped in the middle of a pasture and looked around.

It was beautiful here now that she stopped to admire her surroundings. People lived apart from each other. Fields of horses and cattle. But most importantly, it was quiet.

She rested under a large oak tree, surrounded by curious cows. Taking a moment to eat a sandwich she packed and down a bottle of water.

She settled into her spot and set an alarm on her iPod, she just needed to sleep for a little while.

Two hours was all she could afford. Without hitching she wouldn't get far enough away and he would find her by morning.

The alarm startled her and she jumped, startling all the cattle away. That made her giggle a little as she stuffed her trash in a pocket of her bag and started walking.

Within two hours she was at the main highway. She waved down a trucker getting gas. Asking for a ride as a mute can be interesting, but she managed to get her point across.

The drivers name was Justin, apparently Justin is on the road a lot and really missed his family. By the time they reached Gainesville she knew everything about them and had agreed to pray more and seek Jesus.

She parted way at Gainesville thanking him and accepting the bag of snacks and a small bible he offered. She knew Gainesville a little, it was where she was born. Though she hadn't been home in 6 years.

Gainesville is a college town. The neighborhoods around the school was mostly student apartments and rental houses.

She avoided Fraternity Row but needed to get past the stadium. Two blocks out she stopped infront of a small house. She seemed to hold her breath.

It wasn't the same house, but it was like they rebuilt the same house. Her home burned down years ago, but she couldn't help but feel as if it was all the same.

Would her Mom be cookng in the kitchen if she walked in the back door? She closed her eyes remembering the woman that brought her into this awful world.

"I knew you'd come here." Amber purred into her ear. "I had a feeling you would. Nicholas thought you'd return to that home in Tampa, but I knew better."

Nic jumped, turning and backing away from her. She shook her head. "I'm not going back....I'm not going back" she kept thinking over and over as she looked for an escape.

How do you escape from a vampire anyway? "If it was up to me I'd drain you dry and forget you by the time I got home, but Nicholas, well he has other plans and I don't feel like moving yet so you're coming with me."

Amber grabbed for Nic, but she turned and slipped fron her grip, spinning and kicking Amber in the gut. Amber groaned but didn't seem overly phased as she used her speed to get infront of Nic, catching her off guard.