The Creatures: Amongst Us

Chapter 16

Scarlett woke up to a peaceful and bright weekend morning. She got up and stretched along with a yawn heading straight to the washroom. Still in her clothes from the day before, she walked downstairs following the trail of bacon and eggs.

"Mmm." she saw her mother laying out breakfast.

"Scarlett," her mother gasped. "what happened?"

Scarlett gave her a confused look, raising an eyebrow.

"Huh?"

"Honey your clothes." she came closer. "were you sleeping in mud last night?" she asked with all seriousness.

Scarlett looked down at herself and noticed that she was dirty, and had an awful stench. How did she not notice this the second she woke up?

"How didn't I see that in the washroom?" she asked herself.

"Scarlett, what's going on? You've been acting strange these days."her mother sat her down at the breakfast bar and had her elbows on the counter across from her.

"What do you mean?" Scarlett asked.

"Well first of all, you barely ever talk to your father and I."

"I'm busy..." She trailed off.

Her mother raised her eyebrows, "Busy with what?"

"Busy with school stuff." She thought on her feet.

"Scarlett," Mrs. Frost held her daughter's hand. "Honey, you can tell me if something is bothering you." She assured her, waiting for Scarlett to respond.

"Mom," Scarlett took a deep breath. "Whatever I'm about to say might sound a little crazy. But you have to promise me that you will believe me." Scarlett waited for her mother to say something, so she simply nodded and rubbed Scarlett's hand to continue.

"Nightshade has a legend, or mystery, or...whatever you want to call it. But there are...these people that we refer to as immortals. And they exist, in Nightshade, in our world. I have seen them, I have felt them and i've befriended them." Her mother was silent, she didn't move or speak.

"Mom, you have to believe me, Eric and Grace they-they're werewolves, and Veronica. She-she is a witch, and Adrian-Amanda." Scarlett started to babble on and on.

"Scarlett, okay. Calm down and just listen to me." Mrs. Frost held Scarlett's shoulders.

"I need to see it to believe it." She looked at her waiting for an answer.

Scarlett looked around thinking of what to show her.

"Come with me, to the stream by the woods." Scarlett ran to put her shoes on. Mrs. Frost trailed behind her.

In a few minutes the were staring at the mysterious woods, they could hear the calming trickling of the stream water against the rocks and pebbles.

"Okay, now what?" Mrs. Frost put her hands on her hips.

"We have to go in the forest mom." She said obviously.

"Listen Scarlett, we have to get home before your father wakes up. I still haven't made his coffee."

"Dad knows how to make coffee mom." She sighed. Scarlett led her mother through the forest. They tracked past trees and fallen branches until the reached where the council's building is.

"Okay, here it is." Scarlett huffed.

"A house, you brought me to a humongous house in the middle of the forest?" Mrs. Frost crossed her arms.

"That's the council mom. Well this is their meeting place and Adrian's home." Scarlett said looking at the magnificent mansion. There were vines growing all over the building, almost camouflaging it.