Illusion

Chapter Four

Josh’s POV, flashback, during week three on the run

I glanced out the window, watching the snowflakes flutter down on the grass.

“I’ve never seen real snow before now.” Brooke said thoughtfully as she came to stand next to me. I put my arm around her shoulder as she leaned against me. “Somehow I figured it wouldn’t be so…mushy.” I glanced down at her with a smile. Her nose was scrunched up, and she continued to look out the window when she said, “Stop staring at me.”

My gaze snapped back to the snow, and then slowly slid back to meet hers. She stood on her toes and gave me a small kiss on the cheek.

“What are we going to do?” Brooke whispered, her bright blue eyes wide. “We can’t run forever.” She pointed out.

“I’ll figure something out. We just have to wait a while, just until we meet up with Kyle.”

“But he never even told us where he was going.” Brooke said with a small pout.

“It’s okay. He told us where to meet him in a few years.”

“That seems so far away, Josh. What if Kit finds us?” her voice shook. I frowned. I didn’t want to her to worry, not here in this remote wooden cabin in the woods. We were safe, and she should be happy.

“He won’t.” I assured her.

“But what if he does?” she insisted.

“I’ll get us away from him. I promise.”

She gave me a small smile, grabbing my hand and pulling me down to her height to plant a kiss on my lips. The kiss started small and sweet, but deepened nearly instantly. Her soft lips tasted of a tropical fruit, sweet and bold at the same time. Her hands reached up and tangled in my hair as my arms around her waist pulled her closer. Tired of tilting her head up to kiss me, she wrapped her legs around my waist and pulled herself up to my height with a giggle. Her yielding lips connected with mine with passion, something we’d been missing for a while after we had run from our home.

I turned to the side so her back was resting against the wall, my hands on either side of her face as her tongue slipped past my lips. The world melted away from beneath my feet, the universe revolving around her. Around us.

She pulled back. “Josh,” she whispered with a grin, “why haven’t we ever kissed like this before?” I silenced her with another kiss, thinking. Why had I waited? The sound of snow dancing across the roof met my ears.

“The time wasn’t right,” I murmured as her hands slipped under my shirt. “I wanted this to be perfect.”

“A kiss like this would be perfect at any time.” she said before she tilted her head and leaned into me with the deepest kiss yet. The smell of her, the scent of spring and sweet, sweet love surrounded me as she slipped her sweater off. She had an undershirt on underneath, a small tank top that hugged her in all the right places.

“You’re perfect, you know that?” I told her.

“Shut up and kiss me.” she sighed as she forcefully locked her lips with mine.

Masey’s POV, present day

I was trying to stay strong, for Jacob. Jacob wouldn’t want me to let these monsters get the best of me. He’d want me to stay strong. And I was trying. I really was. But it was hard.

The thirst for blood grew more and more potent, nearly consuming my thoughts and taking over me. I was keeping it at bay, straining to keep it from destroying me. In the scarce moments when I sleep, my nightmares revolve around blood, and murder. I know if I’m ever loosed around a human, I won’t be able to refrain from draining them completely. I had never killed somebody when I fed from them, but with a thirst this strong I won’t be able to stop myself.

Josh has yet to show signs of life. He’s silent and still. Thanks a lot, Josh. Leave all the planning to me.

I didn’t know what to do. I can barely think around the burn in my throat, but anything I come up with I forget. The pain is too much. Maybe I can just give up, and let myself die. Jacob would understand, wouldn’t he? It hurts. Why can’t I just let it all end?

Brooke’s POV

Kit came back today. He had a bunch of rope with him, which scared me. What was he planning? I stood up when he came near me, stepping backwards. The pain had faded since yesterday, and it was nearly gone. Did that mean this was almost over? Was I nearly one of them? A vampire?

He stood a few yards in front of me for a second, his eyes unreadable. He moved with a speed I wouldn’t have even seen before, but my eyes were able to follow every flash of motion as he came up behind me and twisted my wrists. I hissed as I felt the rope wrap around my hands, locking them together. It wasn’t any normal know either. It was detailed, from what I could tell. I felt it loop through and around the gaps between my fingers and he pulled it tight. When he stepped back from my hands I tried to pull them out of the tie, but it was too tight and too strong.

“Stop that.” He growled, shoving me backwards onto the floor. As my feet flew out from underneath me I wasn’t able to catch myself as my shoulder fell towards the floor. But at the last second he caught me by the arm. He put me down and pulled a set of cuffs from his belt. He latched my ankles with the metal bonds, the stretch of chain between them barely long enough to let me walk. I couldn’t run.

Kit yanked me back up. “We’re going hunting.” He told me, dragging me towards the door.

“What?” I asked in horror. I wasn’t going hunting with Kit! He’d make me watch as he killed people! And then, to expect me to do the same? I wouldn’t do that!

“Calm down, Brooke. It’s part of being a vampire.”

“I don’t want to be a vampire!” I cried as he pulled me out of the room I’d been held captive in for the past few months.

“Well that’s not really up for debate now, is it? You’re done turning. Can’t you tell? There’s no going back now!”

I felt the backs of my eyes burn, and I tried not to let him see what he’d done to me. I wasn’t going to be weak, not now. Then again, couldn’t that work to my advantage?

I let the tears flow, not hiding the soft sobs that choked through me. He was going to make me kill.

“I don’t want to be a murderer.” I whimpered as we neared what appeared to be the back door of the house.

“Murder is one human killing another, Brooke. You’re not human anymore.”

At this, I only cried harder.