Night After Day

Chapter 28: Take The Risk

The moments after the party were just a blur in the next few days. I remembered getting led away to my room by someone, and Riley being pushed away out the door. Even Jason tried to make his way over to me, only to be shoved against a wall by Cole. When we reached my room they locked the door and I was left in darkness.

So much for the escape plan.

***

It was three days later. The door still hadn't opened apart from each meal. As before, this seemingly temporary solitary confinement put me on edge to say the least. I paced up and down my room, taking hour long showers and reading every single book on the shelf until I had them memorized. Their stupid plan didn't work. It didn't WORK. I was going to be stuck here until I was thirty or until.... No, that wouldn't happen. Because I was a werewolf?

Something big in the darkness, something big and alive.

My dream. The one I had the morning it all happened. The morning I woke with a bloody mark on my arm.

Two huge red eyes loomed out of the darkness right in front of me.

Goosebumps rose on my arms and I grabbed a jumper, cuddling up on my bed and staring out at the window. The snow dropped slowly and the chill began to overtake the room. If I looked further down into the grounds I could see the guards that circled the mansion. More than usual. They would appear for a few minutes, only to receive the finger from me, and then continue their rounds.

I stood and crouched next to the fireplace. When it was finally crackling merrily in the background I sat down again in front of the window, holding my bow across my lap to give me some form of comfort.

As I ran my finger down the string I felt tears begin to fall down my face. A werewolf? Why wouldn't anything go right? Why did I have to be the one to go over to Angeline all those years ago and ask if she was okay? Why the HELL did this happen to ME.

I threw the vase that had been sitting harmlessly across from me on the coffee table into the wall where it shattered and fell to the ground. Water and smashed flowers littering the ground.

I stood there breathing heavily. I walked over, crouching next to the glass and picking a piece up. I hissed as it fell to the ground and watched in pain as the shard left a cut across the palm of my hand.

Sighing, I stood and walked over to the tissue box, grabbing a sheet and pressing it against the cut. After a moment I took it away and stared in amazement.

It was gone.

Had the poison finally worn off? Did that mean... That Riley was telling the truth? Healed in a matter of seconds. Wasn't there a bunch of myths about werewolves being able to do that? I touched the new skin. It felt normal. I looked over at the corner. Someone else would clean that shattered mess up.

Shattered mess.

I froze. Shattered mess. The gears in my mind began to turn more logically than they had in months and I quickly moved into action.

I needed something that would get Angeline away but make her panicked enough to forgot one important thing. To do that I had to use whatever I had. If no one was going to save me, then I was going to have to save myself.

I walked over to the window, grabbing my bow and peering down to make sure that there were no guards outside. I watched carefully as two came around the corner and continued away, then pulled a black shafted arrow from my quiver. I would only get one shot at this. I took a step back.

I breathed deeply, pulling back the arrow and aiming at the pane of my window, setting my bow to the right angle, trying to keep my breathing perfectly even.

I let loose of the arrow.

It shattered the brittle hundred year old glass with a smash and I watched as the arrow flew into the forest, never to be seen again.

I began to count down the seconds I had left until someone came to see what the noise was about and quickly put my bow aside, grabbing another arrow from my quiver. I hesitated. Was this part really necessary? I grimaced.

"Ahh fuck." I muttered to myself and then shoved the arrow deep into my side.

The pain didn't come for a second, but when it did it wasted no time in making itself known.

I yelled out and just as I hoped, through the daze of pain I saw the door fly open and just the person I wanted to see come hurling through. Angeline knelt down beside where I had fallen to the ground beside my bed.

The vampire's eyes went from the arrow in my side to the smashed window and I watched through the tears as her mind went to the obvious conclusion.

"Sound the alarm! We are under attack!!" I heard muffled footsteps hurry away from my door to raise the alarm and I tried to feel a bit of satisfaction, but stabbing yourself with an arrow was turning out to be more painful than I had bargained for.

"Hayden." She slapped my face, "Hayden, this is going to hurt."

I cried out as she gave a savage twist and the shaft of the arrow broke off, leaving the head of the arrow still in my body. "We'll deal with that later, ok?" She grabbed my towel off the ground and pressed it to the wound. "You have to stay here. I will come for you when it's all over. Don't let anyone through that door but me do you understand!?" Her eyes were bright with worry and I nodded, sinking further down.

She ran out the door and just before she shut it I heard. "Stay here!"

I waited more the sound of the lock turning but none came.

I laid there, trying to shake the daze of pain. I groaned as I sat up and then whimpered slightly as the blood seeped through the towel.

"Stay here my ass." I stood and limped towards the adjoining door to Angeline's room and opened it, leaning on the wall and probably leaving a large bloodstain. Taking a deep breath I lurched across the room and leaned heavily on her bedside table, rummaging through the draws until I found what I was searching for.

The keys.