Sam looked at Emily, searching her eyes for some semblance of reassurance. Finding none, she felt a stab of fear run through her, her mind running a thousand miles a minute thinking of Jake. What had happened, where this mystery man may have taken him, why he had taken him. Needing, to know for sure, but hoping she was wrong, Emily turned once again to the employee.
"No one? Not a single person here is named Andy?"
"I've worked here for three years, we only had one Andy in that whole time, and he hasn't worked here in two. Our employee list says nothing about an Andy, either." The woman sighed, looking between the two teens, "I can call the mall security, if you'd like?"
"No, I'm sure we'll find him," Em frowned, and you could almost see the wheels in her head turning, "maybe they headed outside. He wouldn't leave without us, so maybe he's waiting for us?"
Even Sam had to admit, there was a slim to none chance of that, but she followed. Em mumbled almost incoherent comforting things the whole way through and out the front doors, but Sam was almost numb. How does one react, when one's own brother, one of the few people they care for in the world, is whisked away? So she went quietly, tugged along behind her one true friend. Once they were on the sidewalk in front of the mall, they both scanned the parking lot. They found nothing, and for a moment, both girls despaired.
""Wait here," Em broke the tense silence, "in case Jack thinks to meet us here." Sam felt a yawning darkness fill her heart as her friend walked away. The hope of him returning fading and, in its place, pain took hold. Watching Em's retreating back, grief overcame her, tears silently rolling down her pale cheeks. She had a feeling, unexplainable, but there, that she had already lost Jake, and it was unbearable. She walked the four, or so, feet over to the wall and leaned against it, sinking to the ground and succumbing to heart-broken sobs.
Emily peered down another alley, feeling all but physically pulled into the shadows. The light was fading more by the minute, so merely peering in wouldn't do the trick. Pursing her lips, she came to a quick decision, gathering her courage, and began a slow prowl. It was too dim to see very far ahead of her, the building blocking a great deal of the light, so she moved unhurried. The last thing she wanted was to miss some clue of him, if there were going to be any. She was fully unprepared for what was awaiting her in the encroaching darkness.
Almost hidden from view by a dumpster, was Jack, lying on the ground. He appeared unconscious, simply sprawled as he was, no doubt because of 'Andy.' There were no visible wounds, no blood, which both calmed and worried Emily. Whatever he had planned for Jack, he apparently needed him alive and well. A scuff sound brought her attention back to their surroundings.
Just in time, she jerked herself back behind the dumpster, 'Andy' coming back out into the alley, from a door she hadn't noticed before. He carried a dark bag to the other side of the dumpster she was currently hiding behind. After a moment, he came back into view, a bundle of candles in his hands. Placing five candles in a so-far-undetermined pattern around Jack, he returned again, though this time she couldn't clearly make out what he held. With his back to her, he began a low chant, starting at a whisper, and slowly growing louder. Jack gave a quiet groan, beginning to stir from his place in the odd circle.
Whatever language he was speaking made absolutely no sense, it all just seemed like garbled noise. Em snuck as close as she dared, only as far as the end of the dumpster, before she could hear him clearly. It became abundantly clear he was definately speaking another language, one she had no way of knowing. Yet, in the back of her mind, it was familiar; from long ago, maybe in her toddler years. A voice, a younger version of her own, whispered in her mind, translating the riddle that was before her.
"-Peikko. You have been chosen, you are one of us, you are Peikko."
The candle flames danced in the gentle breeze, steadily growing higher as the seconds passed by. A bright flare from the tiny flames turned giant, and the suddenly melted candles blew out. Shock held her silent for what seemed an eternity, before her body rocked forward. Her feet following to keep her above the ground, though not nearly as quiet as she had been. The abruptly loud scuff brought Andy up in an instant, whipping around to face her. He stood between herself and Jack, a wall of determination if she ever saw one. Ice flooded her veins at the hostility in his gaze, her legs rooted to the spot, and her forward stumble halted.
"What are you doing here," His frown only added to the malicious intent radiating from his person. "You can't take him now, he doesn't belong here."
"I'm taking my friend home." A bark of humorless laughter jerked her attention to his face, a smirk taking over his expression.
"Home? He never should have been with your kind in the first place. I wouldn't have found him if it weren't for you," fear snaked up her spine, soaking in his words, "you should go, get away from these humans." Em shook her head, unable to comprehend; how did he know?
"Go back where you belong, humans and vampires don't mix well." With his message imparted, he gave an almost imperceptible nod before turning to Jack. One heave, and Jack rose to his feet, leaning heavily on Andy, before they began walking away. She would have thought Jack was totally willing, if she hadn't caught a glimpse of Andy's hand, gripping his arm tight enough to leave the nearby skin blanched white.
Jack, her best friend, was gone, probably forever. Her mind a whirlpool of confusing emotion, Em began the trek out of the alley.
