Sleepless Beauty

Sleepless Beauty

Copyright 2013 by Taina Regina. 

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the author. 

Picture on the right side bar is of Barbara Palvin as Indica Freemon. 

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"A life of immortality, her beauty never sleeps"

Prologue

MY FIRST INSTINCTS were to run.

I ran and ran as fast as my body allowed me to go, with every intention to try and escape from him. I could feel my long russet hair whipping from side to side as my clothes got lost in the gentle flicks of raindrops. My legs weakened by the minute, but I pushed myself to run faster. I had to tell myself that I was flying and every step meant safety.

Wet mud continued to spray up my legs as each stride took me farther away from the building and deeper into the field to nowhere. Shivering, I swiped a lazy hand over my face, trying to see through the foggy air. I heard him yelling behind me, but I knew he wasn't close enough yet, because the screaming of my name still sounded distant away. I had never run this fast in my life, but I ran like my life depended on it. Well it did actually. After all he was going to kill me.

As my feet continued to thud against the wet grass his voice managed to sound closer. He yelled my name possessively as he searched for me around campus. His thick black boots pressed against the wet surfaces soundlessly and his breathing was every bit as soft as a whisper. But his superhuman strides were gaining on me.

I had thought it was impossible for someone to run that fast and all the while manage to look graceful. It was kind of stupid to be thinking he was graceful at a time like this but I couldn't help it. I skidded to a halt when I found out that I had nowhere else to run.

I jerked my head around to see if he was near and then decided to hide behind the nearest rose bush that was neatly groomed behind the stone walls of Edinburgh High.

The school grounds stretched out a full length of five football fields as the black old ancient Gothic cathedral managed to put history to shame. The walls were high and covered in stone and the walls were decorated with rose bushes sprawling out in front of it. I tried to catch my breath but my panting was uncontrollable.

I gulped as I heard his paces slow towards me.

There was no doubt that he'd find me, but I forced my optimism to take over and I watched with dread as he circled the area, scanning every inch of grass and trees to find me. I should've prayed or something but my head was a muddled mess and all I was thinking was, ‘Oh no! I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die!’

My breathing became heavier and I covered my mouth to silence my whimpers, shivering not just from the cold, but from the monster that was chasing my tail.

His paces crept closer and my body shook with fear which made every piece of my hair stand up on the nape of my neck. He was so close I could smell his aftershave and leather.

"I know you're out here, Indy I can smell you!" he said furiously. Eyes flicking about like an animal seeking his prey.

He seemed to be using his nose to guide him through the darkness and inhaled a huge amount of air to point him in the next direction.

He growled maliciously. "Hide and Seek makes me angry, Indy, you're going to be in big trouble once I find you," he taunted and I could hear the anger in his voice.