Blindfold-(Newscapecomics/crew)

(8) The Shred Squad

Ashlie's POV
We continued to run through the forest quickly, Uni and Nick leading as we ran. Nick seemed to know where he was going, and Uni was making sure that the vampires weren't near us. All of us were alert, and anxiety pricked at my stomach. I mean, I just met these guys a few hours ago, and i've already been kidnapped by vampires with them, and saved by one. Now im running with them, and a random vampire that decided to help us. I REALLY hope I can trust these guys! I thought nervously to myself.

Suddenly we ran out of the darkened forest, and I was met with a blinding light. The sun. We ran a few more feet, then Nick and Uni slowed down. Cory, Tommy, Jon, and I followed their lead. We slowed to a stop, all of us panting heavily. I smiled at the feeling of the sun an my skin. It had been cold and eerie in that forest, but now it was warm and welcoming. Tommy panting with his toungue out, while everyone else just breathed heavily. "A-Are you guys okay?" The vampire, Nick, suddenly asked. He seemed more shocked than tired. "Are you okay?" Tommy suddenly asked Nick, looking up at him. Nick looked at him confusedly. Tommy then spoke again, "I thought all vampires turned to dust in the sun." Tommy explained. Nick just shrugged, "Im not all vampires."

"Well, obviously." Cory murmured. Uni straightened up and looked in our direction. "I think we should get away from this god- forsaken forest." Uni said. We all agreed, and Uni began walking more into the brighter forest that we now stood in. I began following Uni, as did everyone else. Jon ran up, and began walking next to me, and smiled slightly. He's so cute... I thought to myself as I glanced at the shorter boy.

Nick sped up until he was walking beside Uni. He looked at him curiously, "How'd you know about that shortcut? Have you been in vampire territory before?" Nick questioned. Uni just shrugged, "I dunno, and I like to avoid vampire territory." Uni said simply. Nick raised an eyebrow, "Can you see anything out of that blindfold?" He pressed. Uni turned his head in the vampires direction, "Nope. How'd you guess?" Nick looked suprised. "How do you get around if you can't see?" Nick pressed. Uni shrugged, "I just kinda... Sense it I guess." Uni explained. Nick looked intently at him, "What are you?"

Uni slowed for a second, seeming confused. "Excuse me?" He questioned, looking in the vampires direction. Nick stared at him, "Ya know, what are you? Are you a warlock? Or can you manipulate rock? Or something like that." Uni seemed to think for a second, "Im a human." He then said simply. Nick looked suprised, "Impossible! I've seen blind men that can't even walk on their own! But you can walk alone, let alone run and make your way around!" Nick exclaimed. Uni just shrugged again, "When you're blind for 10 years you learn some things." He said simply. Nick just stared at him, then looked forward, only to trip on a log immediantly.

Uni chuckled, "I think that's lifes way of telling you to stop questioning me." Nick huffed in annoyance and quickly made his way back to his feet. Cory stopped walking, "I think that also might be lifes way of saying we should rest here." I looked around at the small clearing we stood in. "I agree." I murmured, and the others agreed. Almost immediantley Tommy flopped onto the ground with his legs crossed. "Nice to have a rest after nearly becoming a vampires' evening meal." Tommy sighed. Nick rubbed his neck nervously, "Y-Yeah, sorry about that." Nick stuttered. Tommy smiled lightly and shrugged. "Eh, it's fine. And if I heard correctly, you tried to convince them not to eat us." Nick just shrugged, then looked down sadly. "I always found it wrong eating people." Nick murmured. Tommy nodded, "You have a good heart, good. And it's Nick, Right?" Nick smiled, and nodded slightly, "Yeah...I don't think we've had a proper introduction yet."

We were all sitting on the ground near each other, introducing our- selves. "And im Ashlie." I said last. Nick nodded, "Nice to meet you all." He said with a small smile. I smiled back. "So, what's your story, Nick?" I questioned. Nick looked at me curiously, "What's your story?" He retorted. "No, no, no, I asked first." I said to him. He smiled, then sighed. "There isn't much to my story, honestly. I grew up with a clan of vampires that I didn't belong in. I was, wrongly, born from the lead vampire... And that just made it worse." Nick said. Tommy stared at him for a moment, "Wrongly?" He questioned. Nick frowned, "Im just not like the other vampires" he said simply. "So, how come you can get in the sun, but other vampires can't?" Tommy pressed. Nick glanced down in nervous embarassment, "I-I don't really know... The same reason I can do this I guess." Nick said. I wondered what he mean'y by that, then to my suprise he looked towards us, and his bright red eyes faded slowly to a chocolate brown color, giving him a more human-like appearance. I glanced at the others, and saw that they were all looking at Nick in amazement, except for Uni, who couldn't see Nicks eye color, and sat silently. Tommy was the one that caught my eye the most though. His mouth was opened slightly in amazement, and his ears were directly forward, right at Nick. I raised an eyebrow at hum, and he seemed to snap out of his trance and look at me. "What're you looking at, worm?" He said playfully. I was about to snap at him when Nick cut me off, "So, Ash, what's your story."