In the Beginning

Chapter Nine

     I was more than reluctant to sleep that night. After the cabins had turned dark and the night was quiet, I got out my bed. I stood outside of the cabin, breathing in the cold night air. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement. I slowly turned my head to see the boy from the archery range, Quinn. I watched to see what he was doing. He was talking to someone. A girl about my age, maybe a bit older, I couldn't really tell. Her dark hair was familiar. Her pale skin looked like ice in the sharp moonlight. I could tell it was something serious they were discussing. I snuck around the back of the cabin to the edge of the woods as stealthily as I could manage. I leaned against a thick tree trunk when I was within hearing distance.

     "She could be trouble." The girl's voice.

     "Or she could be what we're looking for. Something that would give us exactly what we need." Quinn's voice didn't sound as friendly, he sounded like malignant, ready to destroy anything in his path.

     "I don't know, Quinn. It's risky. We could get killed, we could get them all killed."

     "Inez, are you in on this or not?" He made it sound like Inez didn't get much of a say in the matter. "You act like you care about this people, about what happens to them."

     "I do care about them!" Inez's voice was icy as if she were ready to snap Quinn's neck. "At least some of them...." I heard Quinn in unsheathe a knife.

     "Are you in or not?"

     "Are you trying to threaten me to get me to help because if that's the case then-" Quinn slammed Inez into the tree I was leaning against. He held the blade to her throat.

     "In. Or. Not?"

     "I'm...in." Quinn took the knife away and stepped back. I looked from behind the trunk at Quinn. He smiled, it was a cold smile, dangerous and deadly. He was no longer the boy I had seen at archery practice. I went back to my position of leaned against the redwood, not risking looking another second longer.

     "Starr." My blood turned to ice. "Come here." I didn't move. "Now." I clenched my fists, I was weaponless. I cursed myself for being so stupid. "Inez, would you help me out with this?" Inez grabbed my wrist, her hands were freezing, not just from being out in the cold night. She was stronger than I would've thought. Inez dragged me out from behind the tree and immediately put a dagger to my throat. I could feel the cold of the black metal against my throat sending shivers up my spine. She shoved me at Quinn, I finally got a good look at her face. Her eyes were pure white, they glittered with loathing. She smirked which casted shadows on her face making her look more menacing. Quinn held my hands behind my back. He whispered in my ear words I would never forget. "You're the start of the end of the world."