Human

Chapter Twenty-One: A Haunting Game

Chapter Twenty-One: A Haunting Game

They emerged one by one from the forest. It was like my nightmare wasn't just that anymore. My nightmare had become real. The three vampires brought back the dream that I had tried to forget.

Looking around, I notice nothing wrong in the area. It was like I was completely alone.

The boat rocked, sending me to the side. Jerking around I saw a man on the bow, his skin pale white, his eyes are a sinister burgundy. He wasn't normal.

"H-how did you do that?" Fear gripped me as the question came out.

"Always the same insane questions." The male said, shaking his head.

Turning in hopes of finding a way to escape another figure appears, rocking the boat. Chaotic red hair filled with leaves, eyes that matched the other male, and just as pale skin.

Terrified I spin around to find a third male with glossy black hair, olive skin, was lounging on my boat seat. His eyes matched the other twos. Just what were they?

"What do you want?" The first male mocked.

"Why are you doing this?" The female mimicked next.

"James, must we?" The third male had a slight French accent.

I could see a wide predator like look appear on 'James' face. "The question should be, "will it hurt?"."

Jasper sensing my sudden heightened fear moved slightly in front of me, blocking their view all that more. He sent calmness to me, trying to lower my racing heart to a normal level so that it wouldn't be noticeable. A job that wasn't so easy to do.

"We thought we heard a game," the male with the slightest french accent called out. "I'm Laurent, these are Victoria and James." He gestured to the two with him.

"I'm Carlisle. This is my family, Emmett and Jasper, Rosalie and Renee, Esme and Alice, Edward and Bella." He pointed us out in groups, deliberately not calling attention to individuals.

I watched, wanting to get as far from the three as I possibly could.

"Do you have room for a few more players?" Laurent asked.

I wanted to say something but knew the risk that would come with it.

"Actually, we were finishing up. But we'd certainly be interested another time. Are you planning to stay in the area for long?" Carlisle asked, matching the other vampire friendly tone.

"We're headed north, in fact, but we were curious to see who was in the neighborhood. We haven't run into any company in a long time." Laurent explained.

"No, this region is usually empty except for us and the occasional visitor, like yourselves."

The tense atmosphere seemed to slowly subside into casual conversation.

"What's your hunting range?" It was a casually inquire.

"The Olympic Range here, up and down the Coast Ranges on occasion. We keep a permanent residence nearby. There's another permanent settlement like ours up near Denali." Carlisle answered, ignoring the assumption behind the inquiry.

"Permanent? How do you manage that?" My eyes moved to the red hair female, noticing how she stared at me.

"Why don't you come back to our home with us and we can talk comfortably?" Carlisle invited them. "It's a rather long story."