Marni Ashgrove

Chapter Four

Jayden walked me home from the bus stop, keeping up a light chat as we walked down the road. When we got to my doorstep we had the awkward moment that normally happens after a first date, not a first day of school.

"So, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then?" He says, brushing a hand through his hair and smiling at me.

"Yup, I guess so!" I rock backwards and forwards, hands in pockets. He reaches towards me and pulls me into his (rather muscled) arms. I take my hands out of my pockets, wrapping them around him and giving him a light squeeze.

"See ya." He whispers into my ear, causing a light shiver to run through my body. He pulls back and grins, turning around and whistling a hearty tune as he walks down the road.

I turn and walk into my house, giving Uncle a pointed look that basically said 'don't say anything'. Of course he completely ignores my psychic message and stands up from his spot on the couch, reaching forwards and enveloping me in a vicious hug.

"My little Marni is growing up!" He cries in a mock excited voice, swinging my body around like a bloody rag doll.

"Shut up you fat oaf." I say, trying to push myself away from him. He eventually lets go, putting on a relatively serious face.

"On a serious note, there's been a sighting of some vampires at the outskirts of the forest. If there ARE werewolves here, that could become an issue. So what we're gonna have to do is go and take out the vampires, so the werewolves - if they're here - stay relatively peaceful. Got it?" I nod and run up to my room, grabbing my little box of weapons out of my Hunter’s bag. I take out any weapon that won't take down a vampire so I don't get confused - as stupid as vampires are, if you shoot them with the wrong weapon - you're dead.

"MARNI HURRY UP! JESUS CHRIST WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" I jump, realising I'd been staring at my wooden bullet gun for the past five minutes.

"SORRY! I WAS JUST STARING!" I say as I run down the stairs, stake in bra and gun in belt.

"At what? Ugh I don't even care. We're walking since we live basically next to the woods anyway." I groan.

"But it's off Jayden's road! What if he sees me?" Uncle just stares at me and I huff. "Fine. You'd better be quiet or I'll shank you old man." He just laughs at me, opening the door and locking it behind us.

"JAYYDEENNN" He yells at the top of his voice.

"Oh my god you are dead." I whisper yell at him, grabbing my stake from my bra and (sort of) jokingly stabbing him in the arm with it.

"You are so damn violent." He rubs his arm, pouting at me.

"Man up." I continue walking, realising that we'd stopped in my arm stabbing ventures. Luckily it was getting dark, so we'd soon be covered by darkness. And then it hit me. "Shit! Jayden invited me to a party tonight! He's gonna pick me up in..." I check my watch, seeing that it was half six. "An hour! This had better be quick or I won't be ready in time." I glare at Uncle, and he just holds his arms up in a surrender position as we entered the forest.

"I'll try but I don't know how old these vamps are. Probably newbs since their layer is so close to the town." He says, holding his hand up as a 'Stop' symbol. I pause, glancing around and trying to pick up something with my enhanced hearing. For a while we stand there in complete silence, listening, and then we both hear it, movement from the tree above us. It definitely wasn't some squirrel - too big for that. We both nod to each other in agreement, before whipping out our guns and spinning to point at the vampire above us. It doesn't do anything, just stares at us, with... a smile on it's face. And then I notice something.