Awoken Death

Chapter 15

Claire's p.o.v
The sounds of gunshots continued to ring in my ears. I felt dizzy and sat down on a bench inside the house. I was extremely tired and shaken up after everything. I so badly wanted to forget everything that I had seen. The images and memories I had seen as I pressed my fingers into Maeghan's forehead.
    It was as if somebody else's life had flashed before my eyes. I pulled up my pant legs and unwrapped the bandages and gauze Jack had placed around the claw marks. They were bleeding again. I wrapped them back up. I walked upstairs and grabbed everything I had brought with me.
    After grabbing all my stuff I went back to the van. I threw my belongings in the back and hopped in waiting on everyone else. Jack sat next to me in the back seat. He had a small first aid kit in his lap. "Let me clean up the cut on your cheek," he said grabbing some stuff from the kit.
    He began to wash the blood off my face. I continued to face forward staring off into space thinking. "Are you ok ,Claire?"
     "No."  I answered honestly.
    "Is there something I could do for you?" He asked as he finished cleaning my wounds. "Not really."
     Everyone else got into the car and we started moving. As we drove I stared out the window. Although I didn't seem to be paying attention I listened to the conversation that was going on between everyone.
"Where are we gonna go this time?" Griffin seemed tense and worried. Sabrina was asleep in the seat across from me. I assumed she was exhausted after the fight. "I don't know yet," Trey shook his head uncertain.
"Well we should really decide soon," Olivia said steering the car ,while her eyes were still fixated on the rode in front of us. "We could go back home you know." I heard Griffin mutter.
As the word home came out of his mouth my head shot toward them all. "What do you mean home?" I looked at them all curious to hear their answer.
"There's only one place we've all been able to call home since we started traveling together. It's a huge warehouse where others like us have set up shelter and provide food. The best part about it is that you can stay there for awhile and not be found by the hunters. The only problem is with so many people going there now it's hard for them to keep hunters off their trail," Griffin explained.
     "We could only stay for a day or so but at least it's in this direction," Olivia added in. "Also it would be a good chance for Claire to get to know more Awokens. If your up to it of course." Olivia turned in my direction seemingly looking for an answer.
"Sure I would love to." I slightly smiled and nodded.
In all honesty I was already nervous about meeting others. Even before all this I wasn't the best at socializing. Maybe that was why I had only had a few friends.
As I thought about my friends I began to wonder if they would miss me. Today was a Monday which meant I had only missed a day of school so far not a lot considering I didn't go to school much anyway. The more I thought the more my head hurt. 
     I looked down at phone to check the time. 10:30. It was only 10:30 and already so much had happened today. I laid my head down and closed my eyes. I started drifting off slowly...

       
                       *beginning of dream*

      I looked around taking in my surroundings. I realized I was in my backyard. As I turned I saw my old swing set. Something I hadn't seen since I was small. A small girl with dirty blonde hair was sitting on one swing. She wasn't swinging though. I suspected who this small girl might be ,but wasn't sure.
      "Hey Bug! How was your day?"
   I turned as I heard that voice and the nickname I hadn't heard in along time. I already knew who's face I was gonna see. Kate. I admired my aunts features as she stood there.
      I had always wanted to look like her as a child. Her perfect teeth, shiny brown hair, blue eyes, and beautiful smile. Now that I'm older I realized that her looks weren't even half of what made her great. She was always so positive and had an amazing personality.
      "Aunt Kate, your back!" My child like squeaky voice shrilled. As my old self ran into her arms Kate embraces her with a tight hug. "I missed you so much Kate"
      "I missed you too my little Bug," She smiled. She pulled out of the hug holding her shoulders. "So you never answered me. How was your day?" The huge smile on my face changed to a frown. "Kindergarten is hard Aunt Kate. I don't think I'm doing good and one of my friends asked me why my papa never comes to pick me up. But I didn't know what to say. I don't know who my papa is so I'm not sure why he doesn't come get me from school," the look on my face was pitiful and confused. "I was gonna ask mama but she always gets upset when I mention him."
"It's ok Bug. Things are gonna get easier. It's just hard topic for your mama."
"Why?"
"Well...before you came around your papa left your mama alone. Her heart just still hurts."
"Why did it hurt her so bad?"
"Your mama was young when he left. Which meant she had to take care of you on her own. She also loved him a lot. He loved her too."
"Oh," My small self seemed to be taking all that information in. "Are you gonna stay this time, Auntie?"
"Only for a day. Like I told you last time I can only stay for a little while."
"But I want you to stay!"
"I wish I could Bug. I really do."
I had never understood until now why she never stayed longer.
Suddenly the things around me began to fade away revealing a new area. Our small kitchen. This time it was Kate sitting at the table sipping from a coffee mug. My aunt Lucy sat across from her.
"Are they still asleep?" Kate questioned. Lucy nodded her head up and down. "I should go before Claire wakes up."
"She so badly wants you to stay. She has such a hard time when you leave."
"I know it would probably be easier for her if I just stayed away but I always end up coming back cause I miss her and I worry about you all."
"As touching as that is you should be more worried about you."
   Kate rolls her eyes. "I'm gonna go."
   They hug for a minute. "Stay safe little sis," Lucy says softly. I feel tears stinging at my eyes ,as I already know my beloved aunts fate.
    The two begin to fade away softly. Everything is dark. The figure of my aunt begins to appear again this time a more recent version of her. "Beware of  others Claire. You never know who's really your friend. What happened today shouldn't have. You were betrayed by a couple you believed you could trust. You must be careful," Kate's soft voice warns.
     "I'll be careful," I promise her.
    "You have to be careful when you sleep too. The dead will try to reach out to you through dreams like I do. Also, demons will do their best to feed off your power while you are vulnerable and asleep. That's how you got those scratches."
    "How'd you know about those?"
     "I see a lot," she says softly.

  I hit my head on the top of the car as we go over a bump in the road. "We're here," Griffin said looking back at me.