Innocence

Chapter Twenty-Seven

I ran through the woods blindly until I finally reached the forests end. I walked slowly to the front door and walked in, quietly going to my room. I shut the door behind me and sank to my knees, letting pain fill my body. Everything I knew, everything I loved, was gone.

"Mikeala?" a voice said behind me. I jumped up to my feet and stared at the small figure standing in the door.

"I heard you crying. What's wrong?" Ashley asked, stepping in the room and flicking on the lights, shutting the door behind her.

"Oh Ash!" I cried collapsing in her arms. "He left me. He left me."

"Who? Ethan? Oh god no! Oh Mikeala!" Ash gasped, wrapping her arms around me. We sat like that for hours. Me crying and Ash holding me. Finally Ashley fell asleep on the floor and I carefully picked her up, setting her on my bed. She sighed in her sleep and rolled over on her side. I laid down beside her and stared at the ceiling, finally falling into a fitfull sleep.

"Mikeala. Come to me." A vacant voice said. I ran through the woods frantically." Come to me." rang through my mind. Suddenly Shadow appeared in front of me.

"Come to me, Mikeala. I will be here."

I sat up in bed, sweat coating my face. "Just a dream." I mumbled to myself. It has been two weeks since I last saw Shadow, since...Ethan...left me. I got out of bed and looked out the widow at the woods. I pulled on a tank top and a pair of jeans. I snuck downstairs and out the front door, taking off towards the forest. I cleared the tree line and ran until my sides were heaving. I breathed in heavily and grimaced as sharp pains wracked my stomach.

"Shadow?" I breathed quietly.

"Hello, Mikeala." I jumped and spun around as a voice spoke behind me. Shadow stood in the dark. She smiled at me before motioning me to follow her. I trailed behind her as she led me farther into the woods.

"Why did you call me here?" I asked, breaking the silence. Shadow stopped walking, pausing before answering.

"Mikeala, you have vampire blood in you. We have watched you growing up, even stayed in plain site for most of your life." Shadow said. Suddenly it all came back to me.

"Shadow. You, you were Shadow?" I asked, referring to the dog that had grown up with me. My parents had told me she died when I was fourteen years old. Shadow nodded her head.

"I had to protect you. But it wasn't enough. The vampires out smarted us. They took you." Shadow said, becoming rigid.

"This whole time, it was you. The little girl I played with in the back yard, when my parents were gone. It was you. How did I not realize that?" I said in disbelief.

"Mikeala, your birthday is in two weeks. And when it gets here, you will change. Fully." Shadow said. Finally it all hit me. The nightmares I had as a baby. It was all linked together. I was the one vampires needed. I was the one to change the world.