Shadow Falls

Chapter 2

I entered Shadow Falls High; it's been a week since my return. Meredith said I caught a nasty cold and my step-mother and father agreed it would be best for me to take a break. Although it's been a month, something triggered last week, that made me break-down again. I guess it was seeing Ray's brother Todd, that made me crash. He looked at me with cold eyes, upon our meeting at his mother's memorial service for Ray. It was as if he knew something more, that what presented itself on the surface.  Someone screeched my name, I turned to the direction and it was none other than Lauren "I missed you, I missed you, I missed you" She repeated kissing my cheek three times as she said the words.

 "Lauren, It's great to be back and I'm back with a bang" I lied through my teeth I was a great liar even Mia said so.

"That's awesome, because your place on the squad is still open" I didn't know if I wanted to be dragged into cheerleading again. I loved it, that's how I met Ray, when I first came to Shadow Falls, It was junior year and he was the typical football junkie. I loved everything, until I found out about what Shadow Falls was really like. People like Meredith; certified werewolf reassured me by saying it was worse outside of Shadow falls, and that I just never played close attention to the creatures that lurked in the dark

"Uh, sure I'd love it back" I lied; this was the only sense of normality left for me. "Uhm uh going to the library catch ya later" I said casually.

"Sure" Lauren muttered suspiciously. Nice going, I just made her suspicious about my suspicious acts.

There were a few people in the library, but nobody ever went to the 'ancient area' as they called it. I made my way there and sat at a nearby desk. I laid out the recent animal attacks articles on the table. "Mmm, let's see," I said to myself. I scanned over the articles for the hundredth time.  I gasped "How in the world, did I not see this" I pulled out a map of Shadow Falls, and I made markings on it. All the animal attacks occurred in the south of Shadow Falls, "Faerie territory" I muttered. No way would the wolves cross over to faerie territory- they were dangerous. "It's not the wolves" I gasped. I should have just listened to Meredith, why did I question her. "It can't be the Faeries either" I whispered to myself. They don't have a reason. It's something else...

**

I couldn't get my head around the animal attacks. My head was telling me to forget it, that it was animal attacks...nothing more. But I knew better, I've seen things and experienced them.

"What's up" Meredith said walking with me. "I didn't see you, in homeroom "She added. I couldn't help it anymore "It's not the wolves" I told her, "It's something bigger, worse" I added.

"What are you talking about" She pondered "Uh no, you not talking about the animal attacks, You doubted me?" She asked hurt.

"It's not that, Mere. I needed proof. Animal attacks occurred south of Shadow Falls" I didn't need to explain further "Uh oh, Faerie land" She finished for me. I loved Meredith, she wasn't only a pretty face, she was damn right smart and witty.

"Exactly" I said deep in thought "What else could it be?" It couldn't have been the Faeries, they were evil and dangerous, but certainly not flesh eating. Faeries didn't fly, with sparkly dust floating around them. They were far from that. They took the form of normal humans, they surrounded us every day, and we just aren't smart enough to realize it. But you would never be one's friend, they were pure evil. Ray told me about them, when I found out about Shadow Falls. He told me that he was almost killed by one of them.

"Maybe it's something else, like a two-headed monster" She laughed at her silly joke.

"Okay, now that's plain crazy, werewolves yeah, a faerie yeah, witches yeah. But that's bout it" Only then I realized that her comment, was not crazy, I was crazy. We had werewolves, faeries and witches, why not throw in some two-headed monsters and talking fish. We were all crazy, we lived in a crazy world...Shadow Falls was crazy. "This isn't the pirates of the fudging Caribbean" I added laughing at her. 

**

Red eyes stared at me "Stop digging" It said. I couldn't see its face, just red piercing eyes that made the hairs on my back stand. I was on a cliff above Shadow falls lake, It pushed me. I kept falling and falling, a shriek left my mouth.

I panted for air as sweat collected my face "A nightmare, great" I said wiping the moisture on my temple. Cold air overcame my face, and swept my blond hair over my face "What the..." The window of my bedroom was opened. I didn't remember leaving that open. I went over to close it and a musky scent flooded my nose. I gasped It smelt of the thing... the same thing that killed Ray. A shriek left my lips. I was careful not to wake up my step-mother Joy. Dad had left to London, to work on business. I'm going insane, completely and utterly crazy. It can never be. That night when Ray was killed, it was because I was foolish. The thing that killed him, wore a hoodie to cover its face. All I remember was being pushed on the ground and lying unconscious. When I awoke in the hospital, they told me it was a mugging gone wrong, and that Ray was gone. I remember going into shock and crying for days. If only I saw its face...I shut my window and concluded that that I was losing my mind.