Book 1: Shattered Harmony

Chapter 24: Malls

Drive

Chapter 24

Malls

She ran as fast as she could, tree limbs hit her, cut her, she was all scratched up. She wasn't able to see what was chasing her. Its loud hungry roars caused her pump box to beat faster. She was so scared, the tears ran down her face.

"Danny..." It echoed through the forest.

"Zareth!" She called trying to find her brother. He would protect her. She ran through a creek tripping and falling as ran through the ice cold water.

"Danny!" She didn't know where to run. Her clothing was soaked from the ice cold water now. Her breath came out in gasps. She hit a clearing.

"Zareth where are you." Danny called out.

"Here..." Danny gasped hearing him right behind him. The growl, the red eyes, the unkempt hair, and the claws ripped into her skin. She felt it on her arms. Her scream got caught in her throat.

Zareth felt Danny under his arms. Her eyes scrunched closed, she acted like she couldn't catch her breath.

"Danny...?" He called to her shaking her. This was odd. His hand lifted from her and he scanned her. Red marks were appearing all over her body. One by one, but in quick succession.

"Zareth!" She called through her sleep, it wasn't loud but it was insistent. She was calling to him in her sleep. She could hear him.

"Danny!" He called for her. She shook her head still breathing hard. She made a harsh gasping noise as if she hit something incredibly cold. She began to shiver.

"Zareth where are you." She called out and Zareth took hold of her shoulders and shook her trying to get her awake.

"Here..." He said. Dannys eyes opened quickly and she pushed away from him landing on the floor. "Danny?" Zareth looked over the side of the bed at the confused woman. Where he had held on their were claw marks. But they were quickly disappearing.

"You okay?" He asked. Danny swallowed hard and nodded her head. She finally began to catch her breath. She put her hand over her face.

"I'm fine...that was stupid." She cleared her throat before sitting up and looking at the clock. It was 9am. "How are you feeling?" She reached over feeling his forehead. She smiled and sighed tiredly.

"I feel much better now." He said and slowly stood up. "I'll go take a shower. You gonna be alright?"

"Yeah Oh..." She went into the bathroom and plucked the clothing she had washed the night before. They weren't all the way dry yet, but at least their wasn't any blood. She looked in the mirror. Their was a lot of caked blood on her face. Her wounds must have reopened in the night. She ran a cloth over her face again and she walked from the bathroom. "All yours." She said. She felt a soft hand on her cheek.

"I guess it bruised didn't it." Zareth chuckled and walked into the bathroom. "Any idea where we're going Captain?" Danny shook her head.

"Not a clue. I just started to drive in a direction.I have no idea where we're going." Danny laughed and sat down on the side of the bed to put on her cloths. "I...don't know where we are." She admitted. Zareth just laughed for a few minutes. Danny just rolled his eyes.

"Glad I can be entertaining." She said. Zareth peaked out the door his hair was dripping wet.

"I needed it...thanks." He said. Danny shook her head and pulled on her boots. She walked over to the sliding glass window and smiled at the ocean. At least it was warm there. Oh she missed his motorcycle. When they had gone back for it after the incident it was gone, and when said gone...it was busted into many different little pieces. Dareth cried about it, apparently it was his fathers.

"Hey babe...where you wanna eat?" Zareth would out of the bathroom. He was towel drying his hair. He had no gel so more then likely it would hang low on his forehead.

"Somewhere with coffee." She said and lay back on the bed. "I just don't feel rested at all."

"Its that nightmare. It messed with you." Zareth said kissing her forehead. He looked down at himself and sighed. "At least I have pants..." He said. Danny laughed and put her jacket onto his shoulders. "Yeah we had to leave in a hurry didn't we." Danny said and looked around. "I guess first stop is a shop huh?"

Danny had drove them to the nearest mall. She knew how much Zareth liked his clothing and his favorite stores were mostly in the mall. She herself looked around and tried on different clothing. She giggled seeing Zareth walked out of the fitting room with a pair of overalls.

"Well what do you think?" He asked and looked at Danny who shook her head. "Honest aren't you babe."

"I know you wouldn't last two minutes outside this store with that on." Danny said. Zareth laughed and shrugged his shoulders

"Yeah your probably right." She walked out looking down at herself. She wore boot pants, and a long sleeve shirt that said 'Books before boys' and turned around to Zareth walking out of his own dressing room and smiled.

"Alright baby what about this?"

"Well that looks like what you normally wear." Danny giggled and he wiggled his eyebrows at her.

"If it ain't broke...don't fix it." He said popping the color and stuck a toothpick in his mouth. She giggled

"Where did you even get that?" She asked him plucking it from his mouth. He gasped and pointed to his mouth.

"That goes there." He said and she giggled and started to run. He gave chase getting them both in trouble. Danny giggled giving him back his toothpick. He promptly stuffed it back in his mouth. "You know I have a ton of those in my pockets. I could have just put another one in?"

"I know...but you like to play around." Danny smiled and put her head against his chest as they waited in line.

"Want me to drive? You can get some sleep." He said. Danny just nodded her head and paid for their stuff. They walked out of the mall having ate at the food court bore leaving.

Danny pushed her seat back and sighed looking up at the ceiling. Danny jumped when she felt something on her chest. She turned to see Zareths new jacket on her. She yawned before looking back up at her brother. He was so much more taller then her so he had to adjust the seat a lot more. He even had to shift the seat. Danny glared at him playfully.

"You done...?" She asked him. Zareth moved the seat a little more trying not to smile or even worse laugh. Oh no there it is. Danny just started to laugh which made him laugh. They couldn't shut up about it. It was mid day before Danny got to get some sleep at all. Zareth looked at her and smiled. He felt his chest swell a little. If she had her old body, she wouldn't be here right now and she wouldn't be active at all. Her processor wasn't designed to last. Finally at the port he reached over and tapped Dann.

"Come on babe...boats here." He said and walked up the plank. The boat wasn't to big, about as big as the Bounty was. Mostly for cargo but if you had the right connections you can get a room on one. The ninja knew the captain. He was always drunk, but he was a decent captain. Danny loved ships. She loved the ocean. Dareth and her on a fishing trip not to long ago.

"Well good afternoon there Zareth." The first mate waved and glided up to him. "Whose this little lady?"

"My little sister Danny." Zareth said Danny shook the captains hand before they were showed to their quarters.

"We'll be leaving in a few Zareth. Might wanna put on your seat belts." The first mate said and waved over his shoulder.

"What does he mean by that?" Danny asked shaking her head.

"Normally means we might experience some rough seas. Come on lets go see whats going on up deck."