The Secret of Jauregui Estate (Camren)

Chapter 8

We ran out into the redened hallway and formed a game plan.

"We're better when we're split up so Mani and Ally, go search the east and west wing, Dinah, go search the closets and cafeteria while Camz and I search the auditorium and the gym." Lauren seemed to have thought of this plan for a while rather than a few seconds!

"Why do I have to go alone?" Dinah asked. "Better yet, why do you get to go with Mila?"

"One, because I know you can handle yourself and two because both Ally and Camz don't have powers so Mani and I are supposed to defend them in case of danger." Lauren stated. "Any other questions?"

"No." Dinah said defeated. "But you still didn't fully answer my question."

"I don't know, I didn't think hard over the groups!" Lauren snapped.

"Hey! Don't we have some people to rescue?" Mani said snapping the two out of their argument. Lauren raised her eyebrows waiting for Dinah to respond.

"Let's split up." Dinah stated. Lauren grinned and grabbed my arm.

"Where do we look first?" I asked totally in the zone.

"We make our way from left to right so let's search the auditorium then follow this hall back to the gym. That way we search this hallway twice in case their on the move." I had no idea Lauren was so intelligent! Before she was nothing more than a hard shell with no feelings underneath to me, but now it seems like she actually cares about those missing people.

"Lauren?" She looked at me with those emerald green eyes that I so envied. "Why did you choose me to go with you?"

"Because," Lauren started. "I want to be the one responsible for you. I only trust myself and I feel that if you ended up going with Normani your life would be in danger."

"Says the vampire, a blood sucking killer." I giggled.

"Well of course you think that."

"What do you mean?"

"Camz, just focus on the task at hand." Lauren grumbled as we went downstairs to the double doors to the auditorium. We walked in but no one was inside. "Nothing."

"Should we make our way over to the gym?" I asked. Lauren nodded and we backtracked to the hall from which we just came. "I don't see anyone!"

"We can't give up." Lauren muttered. "We have to find them."

"Why do you care so much, Lauren?" Lauren stopped in the dead center of the hall. She looked hurt by what I had said.

"Why shouldn't I care? Just because I'm a vampire doesn't mean I'm cold and heartless." Lauren said with feeling. "Some vampires aren't cruel, Camz, don't you get that?" I looked down at my black convers then up to Lauren's eyes.

"I'm sorry." I murmured. "I can't trust a vampire." Lauren seemed strongly affected by my words.

"Well, I hope you change your mind." We stood there until we heard faint sounds of people. Almost, whispers? I jumped when I saw four ghost - like things round the corner. "Camz, get behind me." Lauren said in a low, slow tone. I did as I was told and got behind Lauren's extended arm.

"What are they?" I whispered.

"Whisps." Lauren said. "Spirits of dead people that were left here on earth." I gulped at this information. One of the whisps looked at us and let out a high pitch scream. The others looked in our direction and flew at us full speed.

"Lauren!" I squealed in fear. Lauren growled and leaped into action. I immediately felt unsafe as soon as she left. I closed my eyes and curled up into a little ball on the floor. Screams and other noises echoed down the long hallway so I put my hands over my ears. I felt someone grab me and lift me off the ground. I opened my eyes and a horrific face was before me. "LAUREN!!" I screamed. She turned around and I gasped at her appearance. Her fangs were extended and her cape had large holes ripped in it. Her eyes were red and menacing unlike before when she had calm green eyes. She had long black finger nails and pale white skin. Lauren gritted her teeth and jumped up into the air, knocking me out of the hideous whisp's hands. The whisp yelped and charged us. Lauren was hunched over me in a protective manner. She growled at the spirit and put her palm out creating a dark force field. The whisp reflected off the shield and slammed into the far wall. Lauren stood slowly and approached the last whisp.

"Please!" The whisp pleaded with its horrible voice. "Have mercy!" Lauren chuckled softly and showed her clenched claws.

"Tell me, would you do the same for us?" The whisp was in panic as Lauren seperated her claws, gripping the whisp's hand harshly. He groaned in pain as she sank her nails into the clear membrane. "I thought so..." She finished the spirit by biting down on his neck. The whisp then screamed and disappeared into a puff of blue smoke.

"Murderer..." I whispered on the floor with my breath uneven.

"It had to be done, Camz."

"Your a MURDERER!"

"Yah? Well you would have BEEN murdered if it wasn't for me!" Lauren yelled back angrily. I flinched at her sudden tone of voice.

"He begged for his life but you killed him anyways." I mumbled.

"Camz, he's a whisp! He had no life in the first place! Second, he was lying! If I let him go he would grab you and take off the first chance he got!"

"How do you know, Lauren!?" I asked.

"Because!" Lauren screamed "You can NEVER trust ANYONE! NO ONE is trustworthy, Camila, NO ONE!!" I froze after what she said.

"Why not?" I asked quietly. Lauren sighed and kneeled down in front of me.

"I died a hundred years ago because I trusted someone. Someone I thought I cared about." Lauren muttered.

"Wait. You died?" I asked a bit alarmed by the news. Lauren nodded after she calmed down so her eyes were now normal and continued.

"I will be a hundred and nineteen years old in June." She confessed. "I was killed in that very same house I live in by my own father. I was reborn as a vampire after being bitten by one within my last few breaths of life."

"Who was it?" I asked getting into the story.

"An old friend." Lauren stated blankly. She shook herself back to reality and helped me to my feet. "We should go find the girls."

"Yeah." I followed her to the closest stairwell and we found the girls outside the main office.