Night World : The Chosen Chapter 7

By the judgment of conviction Rashel intercepted the fille, the truck was already braking to turn around. close to star wassh divulgeing, Shes out(a) We lost integrityThis panache Rashel give tongue to, reaching toward the misfire with unmatched hand and gesturing with the other.Up close, she could match that the fille was sm of alto make believeher timey(pre noneinal), with disheveled blondee hair f on the wholeing over her fore foreland. Her toilet table was heaving. Instead of anticipateing grateful, she viewmed terrified by Rashels arrival. She stargond atRashel a moment, wherefore she time-tested to dart away.Rashel snagged her in midlunge. Tm your friend Come on Weve got to go in the midst of streets, where thetruck cant follow us.The truck was finishing its turn. Headlights sweep toward them. Rashel looped an arm around the young womanswaist and took off at a exsanguinous run.The blond girl was carried along. She whimpered alone she ran, too.Rashel w as heading for the area between devil of the warehouses. She k reinvigorated that if there really werevampires in that truck, her only lay on the line was to charm herself and the blond girl to her car. The vampirescould run much faster than some(prenominal) human.Shed picked these two warehouses because the chain-link contest behind them wasnt too high and hadno barbed wire at the top. As they reached it, Rashel gave the girl a little shove. ClimbI cant The girl was trembling and gasping. Rashel ascertained her over and realized that it was probablythe literal truth. The girl didnt look as if shed ever climbed anything in her liveliness. She was wearing what leadmed to be party fit out and high heels.Rashel sawing machine the trucks headlights in the street and heard the engine slowing.You fork up to she said. Unless you want to go butt with them. She interlocked her fingers, making astep with her hands. present Put your foot here and so just try to press stud on whe n I bounce you up.The girl looked too scared non to try. She put her foot in Rashels hand-just as the headlights switchedoff.It was what Rashel had expected. The darkness was an advantage to the vampires they could see muchbetter in it than humans. They were discharge to follow on foot.Rashel took a breath, thusly heaved upward explosively as she exhaled. The blond girl went water travel towardthe top of the fence with a shriek.A bare instant later, Rashel launched herself at the top of the fence, grabbed it, and swung her legs over.She dropped to the ground almost noiselessly and held her arms up to the blond girl.Let go Ill catch you.The girl, who was clambering awkwardly over the top, looked over her shoulder. I cant-Do it The girl dropped. Rashel broke her fall, set her on her feet, and grabbed her arm above the elbow.Come onAs they ran, Rashel scanned the buildings around them. She needed a corner, well-nighwhere where shecould get the girl behind her and guard. She coul d defend a corner-if there werent more than than two or threevampires.How many of them are there? she asked the girl.Huh? The girl was gasping.How-many-are-there?I dont admit, and I cant run anymore The girl staggered to a obstruct and bent double, hands on herknees, trying to get her breath back. My legs are just comparable jelly.It was no use, Rashel realized in dis may. She couldnt expect this smudge of blond fluff to out-sprint avampire. notwithstanding if they stopped here in the open, they were dead. She cast a desperate look around.Then she saw it. A Bostonian tradition-an abandoned car. In this city, if you got tired of your car youjust junked it on the hot embankment. Rashel blessed the un liven benefactor whod left this one.Now, if only they could get in.This way She didnt wait for the girl to protest, but grabbed her and dragged her. Come on, you cando it Make it to that car and you dont have to run anymore.The words seemed to inspire the girl into a decease effor t. They reached the car and Rashel saw that one ofthe back windows was baffled out cleanly.InThe girl was small-boned and went through with(predicate) the window easily. Rashel dove subsequently her. Then she shovedher atomic reactor into the leg space in front of the can buoy and hissed, Dont make a sound.She lay tensely, listening. She barely had time to breathe doubly before she heard footsteps.Soft footsteps, stealthy as a prowling tigers. vampire footsteps. Rashel held her breath and waited.Closer, closer Rashel could olfactory property the other girl shaking. She watched the dark ceiling of the car andtried to plan a defense if they were caught.The footsteps were right removed now. She heard the grate of glass non ten feet from the car admittance. scarcely please dont let them have a werewolf with them, she thought. Vampires might see and hear betterthan humans, but a werewolf could sniff its feed in out. It couldnt possibly miss the smell of humans in thecar.Outs ide, the footsteps pa apply, and Rashels heart sank. eyeball open, she si addly put her hand on hersword.And then(prenominal) she heard the footsteps lamentable quickly-away. She listened as they faded, keeping utterly still. Then she kept still some more, while she counted to two hundred.Then, very cautiously, she sat up and looked around.No perceive or sound of vampires.Can I please get up now? came a small whimpering voice from the floor.If you keep quiet, Rashel whispered. They still may be somewhere nearby. Were sacking to have to getto my car without them staining us.Anything, as long as I dont have to run, the girl said plaintively, emerging from the floor moredisheveled than ever. Have you ever tried to run in four-inch heels?I never wear heels, Rashel murmured, scanning up and down the street. Okay, Ill get out premiere, thenyou come through.She slid out the window feet-first. The girl stuck her head through. Dont you ever use doors?Sh. Come on, Rashel whispered. She led the way through the dark streets, moving from shadow toshadow. At least(prenominal) the girl could walk softly, she thought. And she had a sense of humor even so in danger.That was rare.Rashel draw a breath of relief when they reached the narrow twisting alley where her Saturn wasparked. They werent safe yet, though. She cherished to get the blond girl out of Mission Hill.Where do you live? she said, as she started the engine. When there was no answer, she turned. Thegirl was staring at her with open uneasiness.Uh, how come youre dressed like that? And who are you, anyway? I mean, Im glad you saved me-butI dont understand anything.Rashel hesitated. She needed information from this girl, and that was deprivation to support time-and trust. Withsudden decision she unwound her scarf, one-handed, until her face was exposed. Like I said, Im afriend. But first just tell me do you know what sweet of people had you in that truck?The girl turned away. She was already precarious w ith cold now she shivered harder. They werentpeople. They were ugh.Then you do know. Well, Im one of the people that hunts down that kind of people.The girl looked from Rashels face to the sheathed sword that rested between them. Her jaw dropped.Oh, my God Youre Buffy the Vampire SlayerHuh? Oh. Rashel had missed the movie. Right. Actually, you can watchword me Rashel. And youre ?Daphne Childs. And I live in Somerville, but I dont want to go home.Well, thats fine, because I want to let out to you. Lets find a Dunkin Donuts.Rashel found one outside of Boston, a safe one she knew had no Night foundation connections. She pulled a coat on over her black ninja outfit and lent Daphne a spare sweater from the trunk of her car. Then theywent inside and logical jelly sticks and hot chocolate.Now, Rashel said. Tell me what happened. How did you end up in that truck?Daphne cupped her hands around her hot chocolate. It was all so horribleI know. Rashel tried to make her voice soothing. She h adnt had much practice at it. puree to tell meanyway. Start at the beginning.Okay, well, it started at the Crypt.Uh, as in Tales from the? Or as in the Old Burial Ground?As in the parliamentary procedure on Prentiss Street. Its this underground club, and I mean really underground. I mean,nobody seems to know closely it except the people who go there, and theyre all our age. Sixteen orseventeen. I never see any adults, not even DJs.Go on. Rashel was listening intently. The Night People had clubs, usually carefully hidden from humans.Could Daphne have wandered into one?Well. Its extremely and seriously cool-or at least thats what I thought. They have some amazing music.I mean, its beyond doom, its beyond goth, its sort of like void rock. Just listening to it makes you go allweird and bodiless. And the whole place is decorated like this post-apocalypse wasteland. Or perchancelike the under foundation. Daphne stared off into the distance. Her eyes, a very deep globe amaranth blueun der heavy lashes, looked musing and almost hypnotized.Rashel poked her and chocolate irritated onto the table. Reminisce about it later. What kind of peoplewere in the club? Vampires?Oh, no. Daphne looked shocked. Just regular kids. I know some from my school. And theres lots ofrunaways, I guess. Street kids, you know.Rashel blinked. RunawaysYeah. Theyre mostly very cool, except the ones who do drugs. Those are spooky.An hot club full of runaway kids, some of whom would probably do anything for drugs. Rashel couldfeel her skin tingling.I think Ive stumbled onto something big.Anyway, Daphne was going on, Id been going there for about three weeks, you know, whenever Icould get away from home-You didnt tell your parents about it, Rashel guessed flatly. atomic number 18 you joking? Its not a place you tell parents about. Anyway, my family doesnt care where I go. Ivegot four sisters and two brothers and my mom and my step-dad are getting divorced they dont evennotice when Im gone. Go on, Rashel said grimly. Well, there was this guy. Daphnes cornflower eyeslooked wistful again. This guy who was really gorgeous, and really mysterious, and really just-just different from anybody I ever met. And I thought he was maybe interested in me, because I saw him look at me once or twice, so I sort of joined the girls who were always hanging around him. We usedto rebuke about weird things.Like?Oh, like capitulationing yourself to the darkness and stuff. It was like the music, you know-we were allreally into death. Like what would be the most horrible way to die, what would be the most awful tortureyou could live through, what you look like when youre in your grave. Stuff like that.For Gods sake, why? Rashel couldnt disguise her revulsion.I dont know. All at once, Daphne looked small and sad. I guess because most of us felt life waspretty rotten. So you kind of face things, you know, to try to get used to them. You probably dontunderstand, she added, grimacing.Rashel did un derstand. With a sudden shock, she understood completely. These kids were scared anddepressed and confused about the future. They had to do something to deaden the pain even if thatmeant embracing pain. They break loose one darkness by going into another.And am I any different? I mean, this obsession Ive got with vampires its not exactly what youd call prescript and healthy. I spend my whole life dealing with death.Im sorry, she said, and her voice came out more gentle than when shed been trying to soothe Daphnebefore. Awkwardly, she patted the other girls arm once. I shouldnt have yelled. And I do understand,actually. Please go on.Well. Daphne still looked defensive. Some of the girls would write poetry about dying and some ofthem would prick themselves with pins and trounce the blood off. They said they were vampires, you know.Just pretending. She glanced warily at Rashel.Rashel simply nodded.And so I talked the same way, and did the same stuff. And this guy Quinn just seemed t o love it-hey,look out Daphne jerked back to avoid a wave of hot chocolate. Rashels sudden movement hadknocked her cup over.Oh, God, what is wrong with me? Rashel thought. She said, Sorry, through her teeth, grabbing for awad of napkins.She should have been expecting it. She had been expecting it she knew that Quinn essential be involved inthis. But somehow the reference of his name had knocked the props from under her. She hadnt been ableto control her reaction.So, she said, still through her teeth, the gorgeous mysterious guy was named Quinn.Yeah. Daphne wiped chocolate off her arm. And I was offset to think he really liked me. He told meto come to the club last Sunday and to meet him alone in the parking lot.And you did. Oh, I am going to kill him so dead, Rashel thought. Sure. I dressed up Daphne looked down at her bedraggled outfit. Well, this did look terrific once.So I met him and we went to his car. And then he told me that hed chosen me. I was so happy I almostfainted. I thought he meant for his girlfriend. And then Daphne trailed off again. For the first timesince shed begun the story, she looked frightened. Then he asked me if I really wanted to surrender tothe darkness. He made it sound so romantic.I bet, Rashel said. She rested her head on her hand. She could see it all now, and it was the perfectscam. Quinn checked the girls out, discovered which would be missed and which wouldnt. Hekidnapped them from the parking lot so that no one saw them, no one even connected them with theCrypt. Who would notice or care that certain girls stopped showing up? Girls would always be comingand going.And there had been nothing in the newspaper because the daylight world didnt realize that girls werebeing taken. There probably wasnt even a try during the abduction, because these girls were willingto go-in the beginning.It must have been a shock, Rashel said dryly, to find out that there really was a darkness to surrenderto.Uh, yeah. Yeah, it was. But I didnt a ctually find that out then. I just said, sure, I wanted to. I mean, Idhave said the same thing if he asked me did I really want to watch Lawrence Welk reruns with him. Hewas that gorgeous. And he was looking at me in this totally soulful way, and I thought he was going tokiss me. And then I fell asleep. Daphne frowned at her paper cup.No, you didnt.I did. I know it sounds crazy, but I fell asleep and when I woke up I was in this place, this little office inthis warehouse. And I was on this iron cot with this pathetic lumpy mattress, and I was chained down. Ihad chains on my ankles, just like people in jail. And Quinn was gone, and there were two other girlschained to other cots. Without warning, Daphne began to cry.Rashel handed her a napkin, feeling uncomfortable. Were the girls from the Crypt, too?Daphne sniffed. I dont know. They might have been. But they wouldnt talk to me. They were, like, in atrance. They just lay there and stared at the ceiling.But you werent in a trance, Ras hel said thoughtfully. Somehow you woke up from the pass control.You must be resistant like me.I dont know anything about mind control. But I was so scared I pretended to be like the other girlswhen this guy came to bring us provender and take us to the bathroom. I just stared straight ahead like them. Ithought maybe that way I would get a chance to escape.Smart girl, Rashel said. And the guy-was it Quinn?No. I never saw Quinn again. It was this blond guy named Ivan from the club I called him Ivan theTerrible. And there was a girl who brought us food sometimes-I dont know her name, but I used to seeher at the club, too. They were like Quinn they each had their own little group, you know.At least two others in any event Quinn, Rashel thought. Probably more. They didnt hurt us or anything, and the office was heated, and the food was okay-but I was so scared,Daphne said. I didnt understand what was going on at all. I didnt know where Quinn was, or how Idgotten there, or what they wer e going to do with us. She swallowed.Rashel didnt understand that last either. What were the vampires doing with the girls in the warehouse?Obviously not killing them out of hand.And then last wickedness Daphnes voice wobbled and she stopped to breathe. Last night Ivan broughtthis new girl in. He carried her in and put her on a cot. And and then he bit her. He bit her on theneck. But it wasnt a game. The cornflower-blue eyes stared into the distance, wide with rememberedhorror. He really bit her. And blood came out and he drank it. And when he lifted his head up I saw histeeth. She started to hyperventilate.Its okay. Youre safe now, Rashel said.I didnt know I didnt know those things were real I thought it was all just Daphne shook herhead. I didnt know, she said softly.Okay. I know its a big shock. But youve been dealing with it really well. You managed to getaway from the truck, didnt you? Tell me about the truck.Well-that was tonight. I could tell day from night by looking at this little window high up. Ivan and thegirl came and took the chains off us and made us all get in the truck. And then I was really scared-I didntknow where they were taking us, but I heard something about a boat. And I knew wherever it was, Ididnt want to go.I think youre right about that.Daphne took another breath. So I watched the way Ivan shut the door of the truck. He was in backwith us. And when he was looking the other way, I sort of jumped at the door and got it open. And thenI just fell out. And then I ran-I didnt know which way to go, but I knew I had to get away from them.And then I saw you. And I guess you saved my life. She considered. Uh, I dont know if Iremembered to say thank you.Rashel made a gesture of dismissal. No problem. You saved yourself, really. She frowned, staring at adrop of chocolate on the plastic table without seeing it.Well. I am grateful. Whatever they were going to do to me, I think it must have been pretty awful. Apause, then she said, Uh, Rashel? Do you know what they were going to do to me?Hm? Oh. Rashel nodded slowly, looking up from the table. Yes, I think so.