The Sacred Life of Tori Michaels: Book 1: Shadows of Lust

Chapter 4: T'was The Night Before Camping...

                           Finally! Tori thought inside her mind. This weekend was the first weekend so far this school year! She plans on making it special, like usual, she speeds down the stairs at mach speed, slumps herself to a chair next to Spencer and enjoyed on some leftover Schnitzel. This dish was the best she has ever tasted in years! I can't believe how amazing these meals are. Tori remarked inside her head once more. Spencer's mom sat down, delicate as a tulip, to make her amazing announcement. "As an honor of Spencer's father's 5 years server in the Navy Seals, since he retired last year, we are going on an extraordinary camping trip! Tori couldn't believe her eyes and ears. This opportunity she has waited for years to come! Immediately after breakfast, Tori, Trent, and Spencer, dashed upstairs to make their things.

                              "First timer at camping, huh?" Spencer asked Tori, with a flirty smirk. Tori tucked some hair behind her ear, answering. "Yes, it is a first time for me. I am really excited! How many times have you been camping." Spencer nodded and added "Camping is basically a family tradition. We go once every month, so around 2 trips, you should get used of the environment." Tori nodded and thanked him for sharing his story about camping. She sneaked into her room to finish her packing as she packed her portable laptop, iPhone, and maybe a couple of perfume bottles, for impressions for Spencer. Before she zipped up, Spencer barged in to see her things. Spencer just snickered and gave her some advice. "I recommend you don't bring perfume. It attracts flies. Plus, you can't bring your phone. No signal out in the woods. The laptop should be fine, if your not planning on doing anything on the Internet, of course. Other than those details, you are in top shape. Good job, first timer." Spencer gave her a quick wink, and set off to finish his packing.

                                The car trip started with a little bit of good country radio blasting in the car, until Trent made a picky remark. "Mrs. Fredericks, I am not a fond taste of country music. Is there any other type of music?" Mr. Fredericks turned over at a stop light and answered "Not really. If you don't like it, that is absolutely okay. We will just hear the gentle purr of this fine engine." Immediately, Mrs. Fredericks turned off the radio and continued the hour ride to the woods with the bumps in the road, and the beeping of horns.

                                 As soon as they parked deep into the private woods, Tori loved the smells and amazing views like it was love at first sight. She was obviously in heaven, with her wings spread as she inhales the smell of pine cones and oak. Trent, of course, was disgusted by the fact that bugs were swarming, but Tori being herself, she ignored all bothers. "Let's go Tori, god your such a slow poke!" Tori then came out of her dream world of scents after her brother's rude interruption, but of course, she grabbed her things, and headed off north with the rest of the family. Since the family arrived at the place fairly late, around nine o' clock at night, the noises of owls and crows startled Tori. "It's okay, Tori. I got you." Spencer remarked as Tori got startled of a family of owls hoo-ing and coo-ing. His arm was around her, pointing out objects that reminded him of his previous camping trips before they moved. "I may have not lived in the neighborhood we live in now," Spencer stated ", but we lived closer here before. That's how I remember this place by heart. Our home I grew up in was in here. The reason we moved was because mum finally had enough money to buy an officiant house, and so here we are today, in a nice house, with permanent guests."

                                   "Spencer?" Tori asked him as they finally got to the camping grounds. Spencer peered over his shoulder. "Yes, Tori?" Tori was dying to ask this all day to him, but never had a chance to. "I was in my room, writing another chapter in my future on-line book I'm doing, since I'm in the Future Authors Club at school, when I heard a window opening from your room. I peeked into your door, not trying to be rude I saw no one was present in your room. Would you care to explain, Spencer?" As soon and Tori ended her sightings, Spencer just froze in shock. "Uh." Spencer trembled. Before he could state anything else, Tori bugged in. "Also, would you care to explain the fact that you were trying to hush your mum for some odd reason at the dinner table a few nights ago? Was their something important that, oh I don't know, other ears could hear?" Spencer's eyes grew bigger and his palms were sweatier. "You see, Tori. To answer your first question." Spencer then silenced to a whisper. "I sneak out of the house at night to take nice walks. During the day, stress is built up, not from you, but from other people around me, so following the moon's trail keeps me sane and relaxed. As for your second peculiar question. It is important family business from our past. We don't like to share it because it makes us feel sad about it, but most importantly, it makes me want to cry, and I don't want to cry about my past." Spencer ruffled up her hair and added. "Why don't you work on your Author's Club thing, while I go on a walk." Tori then tilted her head. "Spencer, it's practically almost midnight, and this area is nothing but tree. Will you be able to find your way home?" Spencer nodded once and said "Tori, I've camped here for almost seventeen years, I remember these woods like the palm of my hand. It's no big deal, really. I will be okay." Spencer rushed out the trailer and into the dark abyss known as the woods, keeping Tori worrying.

                                        Maybe Spencer is right, I should just worry about my first time here, and let everything go with the flow, it's not like there is a murderer on the loose. Tori thought to herself once more. Tori, after a long night's walk, started working on her huge Authors Club project, which is due around next week! All you could hear from Tori's miniature bedroom was keys typing like a maniac. The sound of the birds chirping late at night, the sounds of deers pattering across the leaves, and the gentle, calm breeze the woods move in kept her in a calm, focused mind, so she should be able to finish this project by tomorrow morning. She was assigned to do a autobiography about her life, in this case her weekend, but she has to add a little bit of mythical fantasy, like vampires, werewolves, fairies, etc. The only exciting part was to see a cute family of deer, dashing across the forest in front of them. Tori thought that would make an excellent scoop if they were talking just like they did! Believe it or not, Tori was typing so fast, and loud, Trent could hear it from the room across from her. Back to the story, as soon as she was finally adding her ending paragraph for the six-page project, the most peculiar thing was heard. She heard screams of a bloody murder, and then a crack after each one. This pattern continued three times, in a short time of ten minutes. Tori saved her work, sent it to Principal Shaw, closed her laptop at mach speed, get on her sneakers, and dash down the way of the screams. Tori's eyes grew smaller, there were three bodies, skin looks flushed. The only one still alive was a man crawling for his doom. Tori quickly went to interview him. "Sir! Don't worry, I'm just asking questions. Who did this, how did this happen, and why was this happening?" The man's voice sounded faded, but she could still hear him, clear as a bell. "There was a young man, with black hair in a swoop, pale skin, blood shot eyes, very bony figure, he dashed up to me at incredible speed-" The man went on telling him the young man had really sharp canines, and bit him straight in the neck. Tori jotted these down in her notebook. "Sir." Tori looked at him shocked. "I don't mean to scare you, but I am positive that you were just bitten by a vampire." Before the man could react, he fell dead in the leaves. "What kind of person would do such a thing to innocent people? These mysteries are bringing me closer to what happened to my mother, because before she died, there was a man with a familiar look to the guy the man described as. I need to continue working at this." As she walked back to the trailer, all she could think of was Spencer, and wondering if he was killed, or still alive. Or even worse, maybe he is the vampire.