Post by Dawnstar on Feb 22, 2009 23:15:44 GMT -5
Hey everybodys! I decided to post my book on this site, just for helps and such, so here it is so far:
Rose
Every rose has its thorns…
By Amber Kingstone
Prologue
The shimmering night was silent, dark and unconscious to all that was about to happen below it. The small town of Foxburg, Pennsylvania, was sprinkled below it, surrounded by thick woods and the Hudson River. Barely filling a quarter of a mile, lights at the center of the town twinkled off, and a wolf howled in the distance.
Samuel flinched. The wolf sounded close; perhaps close enough to attack him. Samuel Vendrick hated being out in the woods this late. Or early, considering it was around four in the morning. Pennsylvania had some big animals and Robert didn’t want to meet any of them.
Well, except one.
He had cows behind his house, a big field of them. Lately, though, his cows were being slaughtered and carried away in the dead of night. The strange thing was, no blood, no evidence of a scuffle was being left behind. The cows weren’t even making noise when whatever it was attacked them. That was most uncharacteristic for any of the animals that normally would kill livestock in this area.
Samuel shifted the hunting gun on his thick shoulder. Walking home from the center of town, he had gone to get everything he possibly could to kill this animal. He had gotten a camo coat, a totally knew gun, night-vision goggles and lots of coffee.
Benjamin smiled. He just knew tonight would be the night he would catch this animal.
Suddenly, Samuel heard a noise behind him. Spinning around awkwardly, he pointed his gun in the direction of the sound. After a few moments of silence, Samuel shook his thick head. Just tired, he assured himself. Need some coffee, that’s what.
But Samuel wasn’t totally sure of that. Suddenly realizing he could’ve heard the animal killing his cows, Samuel burst into a shocking speed for a man his size. He had to get home and catch that god-forsaken animal.
A few moments later, the clearing in which the house was located came into view. It was a small, one story house on the outskirts of town, but Samuel blew right past and into the field behind his house. The cows were still sleeping, peaceful and silent.
Panting, Samuel lay down on the grass, laid his gun briefly down beside him and placed on the night vision goggles. They had cost a fortune, and made everything green, but there was definitely a change in his vision. Samuel then picked up his gun and pointed it at the field, waiting.
For what seemed like an eternity, there was silence. Silence that wasn’t even broken by the cows’ moos, or a wolf’s howl. Samuel seemed to be holding his breath in the climax of anticipation.
And then the most unexpected thing happened: someone—or something—chuckled.
Samuel scrambled up, eyes widening in shock as he saw what was behind him. At first, he only saw two blood red eyes penetrating the darkness. But the creature soon stepped forward and then sat down again. Samuel was paralyzed with fear.
Sitting, almost peacefully, behind him was a huge black cat. It was about the size of a panther, and its fur was thick and shaggy. It was smiling—yes, smiling—in a strangely human like way. And chuckling.
Still smiling, it purred, “You think you could stop me, you ignorant human?” Standing up, it took one step towards Samuel, who was still paralyzed with shock. This wasn’t possible. Cats just didn’t, well, talk!
“Well, apparently, we do talk, don’t we, Samuel?” Breathing out a heavy puff of cold air, it crouched down, hissing, “Say good-bye to your cows.” And it leaped.
Samuel pulled the trigger at the same moment, and his cries mingled with the gunshot, and then there was a sickening crunch and silence.
A few cows glanced up, nonchalantly, at the hill that lead towards their Cabaza de Vacas’ house. Blood was trickling down the hill, and there was a mix of crunching, chewing and the occasionally slurp. Their Cabaza de Vaca would never come down to see to them again, and many people would soon be here to see what had happened to Samuel. And they would also see that his cows looked very good for meat.
The cows stood and started to move away from the noise of the predator. They couldn’t comprehend all that would happen in the future. After all, there was only one thing that they could truly comprehend, one rule that all lower ranking creatures knew: eat…or be eaten.
And, at that moment, not so far away, Destiny – and destiny – woke up.
Chapter 1
Gasping, Destiny sat up, eyes flashing with her nightmare. She looked around her room, wondering where the bloody scene had gone, the sickening chomping noises as well. But all she could hear was the buzzing of New York City, calming to her ears.
Destiny calmed her breathing down, still quite terrified. She had been having dreams like that a lot lately. They always seemed to happen in a pattern, and always at night. The dreams seemed to center around that strange cat, though, but Destiny had never heard of any cat of that sort before. The strange size, color of the eyes and especially the talking, all creeped her out.
Finally gaining control of her shaking, Destiny slipped out of bed and decided to get up and ready for school. Glancing at her digital clock, she saw 4:32 looming in big red numbers next to her bed. She shivered. Red. Never did Destiny want to see that color again.
Destiny walked delicately over to her closet and opened it. A few uniforms were hanging from hangers, the two-anchor symbol of York Prep embroidered on them. There was a navy blue skirt and leggings, with a white jacket and shirt, all neatly pressed and hanging. Destiny quickly slipped on a shirt, leggings and a skirt on, tossing a jacket onto her shoulder. To add to that, she also put on a blue headband and dark blue ballet shoes. Quietly creeping out the door, she slipped into the bathroom, and brushed out her long blonde hair and brushed her teeth. Then, quietly so as not to disturb anyone, Destiny slipped out of the bathroom and crept down the stairs.
Dawn was just starting to rise, as Destiny could barely see it through the large windows that surrounded her New York townhouse. Through the everlasting darkness, she could just make out the dark, wood paneled floor and the large room in front of her. Two large windows were to her right, with a beautiful view of Central Park, which was in the first stages of fall. The kitchen was just across the room, so Destiny carefully walked across, trying to keep totally silent, for her mother’s room was just down a short hallway that led from under the stairs.
Once in the kitchen, Destiny took a mug, tea bag, half-n’-half, and sugar out of the large, fancy cabinets and refrigerator. Once the water was boiling, she sat down and looked out the window directly facing her. It was quiet outside, though not totally. Cars were still zooming around, though not nearly as many as there normally were, and lights still flickered on in empty restraints.
But she didn’t look at those things. No, what made Destiny enjoy NYC the most was Central Park. The trees looked so beautiful this time of year, with the leaves all of color, like an artist had just dropped all their finest paints on them. Frost lightly sprinkled the trees and grass, too, in just the finest forms. Sighing, Destiny lost herself in the park’s beauty. Besides, it’s not like she had anything better to do.
Then, she saw it.
Walking through the park, quite casually, was a large, russet colored cat, with dark red paws. Usually, this wouldn’t have bothered Destiny, and she hardly paid attention to the cat, until it looked at her. Its eyes were a striking lime-green, and it had a dark red mask around them as well. But what made Destiny sit up straight was the way it had an almost human look in its face, staring at Destiny as though he knew she was there.
Suddenly, the hot-water made a gurgling noise, causing Destiny jump with surprise. Quickly she scrambled to pour the tea into the mug, milk and sugar following. But when she scrambled back into her seat, the cat was gone. Sighing, Destiny drank her tea, now totally bored again.
Once done, Destiny sort of sat and, dully, stared out the window, hoping that the cat would return. Unfortunately, it did not. After a long while, Destiny suddenly realized that she still had that stupid entry form to fill out. Rolling her eyes, Destiny tip-toed back into the front room and retrieved her book bag. Back in the kitchen, Destiny pulled out the long sheet of paper that was required by to be filled out every year. Destiny hated it and put it off as long as possible. Sadly, teachers weren’t thrilled by that and put the deadline on it to be the upcoming Friday. That is, today.
Quickly, Destiny filled out the form:
Name: Destiny Oak
Age and birthday: 12, 1-08-96
Grade: 7th
Gender: Female
Height: 5’ 6”
Weight: 125
Eye color: Green
Hair Color (natural): Blonde
Race: White
Classes: 1st period, History
2nd period, Honors Science
3rd period, P.E., soccer
4th period, Skills for Living
Lunch
5th period, Honors Math
6th period, Honors English
7th period, orchestra
8th period, Spanish
After school activities: Horseback riding
Parent or guardian: Bianca Oak
Signature of parent or guardian:
Destiny hesitated here, but then copied her mothers’ signature perfectly:
Bianca Oak
Student signature: Destiny Oak
Sighing, Destiny placed the paper back in her bag. Done. That wasn’t so hard, was it? She should’ve gotten this stuff done earlier in the year, then this wouldn’t have happened. Shaking her head, Destiny realized she was just rambling, and glanced at the clock. 5:30am. Sighing again, Destiny leaped up and walked, again quiet, toward the stairs, placing her bag underneath them and going back to her room. Gently Destiny lay back down and closed her eyes. Destiny thought about that cat again, how curious looking it had been…. she then fell into a light sleep, thinking the cat would protect her from nightmares.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
“Destiny, sweetie,” whispered a gentle voice “Get up. Time to go.” Yawning, Destiny glanced up, and saw her light-haired mother, Bianca, peering down at her in her full uniform. Destiny sat up, stretching, and Bianca gave her a distasteful look.
“Did you fall asleep in your clothes?” she asked, curious. Destiny shook her head, murmuring, “I got up early today, got dressed, and fell asleep again.” Bianca nodded, raising an eyebrow.
“Rebrush your hair, please, it’s a mess.” And with that, Bianca pranced out of the room. Destiny did as she was told, then walked back downstairs. Bianca was picking up her briefcase, pulled out a mirror and started dabbing her face with make-up. Destiny had to admit, her mother was pretty, her mother having pale, beautiful skin, light-blonde hair, and dark blue eyes (Destiny a near spitting image of her mother); but the overload on make-up really bugged her.
Without glancing up, Bianca said, “I’ve already taken Abby to school. Go get in the car.” Nodding dutifully, Destiny grabbed her book bag and walked out the front door. It was chilly and much louder than it had been a few hours ago. But Destiny weaved her way through the small crowd that walked on the sidewalk and plopped herself into the passenger seat of her mom’s black Mercedes. Destiny would never get over how quickly the streets filled up here, though this was the only thing she had ever known. Bianca was in the car a few seconds, and soon, they were off around Central Park.
Destiny peered out the window anxiously, hoping for another glimpse at the strange cat, then shook her head. Why did it matter so much? It was just another ordinary street-cat. But somehow, Destiny didn’t believe her own words.
They drove about six blocks, around Central Park and soon came to York Prep, where students were flooding out of cars and into the school, or sitting down out front, waiting for friends. Teachers were rushing to keep the crowds down, and parents were waving last good-byes to the younger sixth graders before driving off.
Destiny opened the door and jumped out. Bianca smiled one last time, saying “Good-bye, Destiny,” and then drove off. Destiny waved a late good-bye, and then turned and walked up the dirty side-walk towards school.
Suddenly, Destiny had the feeling of being watched and spun around. It could’ve been anyone or anything looking at her, she knew that, but her eyes met lime-green ones and Destiny felt her heart skip a beat as she saw the cat behind a tree. With one last glance, the cat dove into the woods.
Feeling shaken, Destiny went into the school. Get control of yourself, Destiny. Her brain commanded. This is stupid! It’s just a cat! But for some reason, Destiny still didn’t quite believe that.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
He sprang from the tree branch into the cover of the underbrush, and walked into the wood with careless grace. She had seen him. Finally. Oakheart would be pleased to know that they had finally found her. It got darker as the cat went deeper and deeper into the forest, and made him feel slightly claustrophobic. Being this size always made him nervous and vulnerable. Ears pricked, he listened for the silence of the forest that would show no people. Then it would be okay.
After a few moments, the silence of the wood was finally absolute, and he smiled. It was time. With a quiet growl, the cat grew to about the size of a panther, on four legs, and once that size, he let out a louder growl. He flexed his claws and thumbs, and then stood on his hind-legs to make sure he hadn’t become too stiff. On his back legs, the cat was over six and-a-half feet tall, and stood in the erect posture of a human. Smiling, the cat flicked his tail and fell back onto four legs. Instantly, he set off a little farther into the woods.
Suddenly, the cat stopped, and peered down a low ravine. There was a small pool at the bottom, untouched by human hands. How disgusting humans were, polluting everything they touched. He flinched at his own thought. He shouldn’t say that. He was human, too. Feeling slightly sheepish now, the cat slithered down the sharp rocks to the pool, which was surrounded by spongy moss and ferns that protected it from peering eyes. He looked into the pool at himself, and saw his angry face reflect there, showing him the mark on his forehead, a perfect silver oak leaf, that constantly reminded him who he was. Giving his head a hard shake, the cat lapped up the water in the pool three times, and closed his eyes. For a few moments, nothing happened.
Then, a rippling movement disturbed the pool, and a face appeared there. It was a light tan cat, with a large, kind face, but who looked as though he had seen much suffering and pain, and had more wisdom than even the greatest scholars could have. Blue eyes shinning, the face asked, “What news have you brought me, Rosetti?”
The cat standing beside the pool smiled. “I have seen the girl,” Rosetti murmured in a deep, yet young, voice “She is the one we’re looking for. I think I’ll speak with her very soon.” There was silence after this, the cat in the pool looking thoughtful. Then he spoke again, old voice worried, “Have you tried to stop the attacks yet?”
Rosetti nodded. “Very much so, actually. But tried is the key word here. The Marvolo left absolutely no trace at the attacks, in fact the smells around the killings smelled vampire, not werecat. Figures they would try to blame something else for their crimes. I think they have a Shifter doing the killings, but we can never be too sure, considering they’re very rare. And, they know she’s here,” he added, “The attacks are closer than we thought. Do I have permission to go in soon?”
The cat in the pool hesitated, then shook his head. “We need more time to assess the situation.” Rosetti’s eyes widened. “Oakheart, you know we need to get in there. Fast. The full moon is not two days away, and you’re trying to ‘assess the situation’?” Rosetti shook his head in disbelief. “We know what’s going on! If you don’t give me permission, Oakheart, I’ll go in myself!”
Oakheart snarled. “You will not! Until you are Felidae, or at least a Panthera, you will do nothing without my command!” There was a silence that followed his words, and Rosetti whispered, “Sorry, Oakheart. I suppose I’m trying to put the cart in front of the horse again.”
Suddenly Oakheart’s face softened, and he sighed. “You do have a point, you know. Yes,” he murmured, “I give you permission to bring the girl.” Rosetti looked up, a smile flickering slightly across his face.
“You’re young, Rosetti,” murmured Oakheart “You’ll stop yelling at me in time.” And then Oakheart pointed at his own forehead, which was adorned with a paw-print and an oak leaf below it. “You have the makings of a good Felidae. Perhaps one day, you’ll get one of these.” And then, with one last fatherly look at Rosetti, Oakheart let the pool tremble, and then he disappeared.
Silence greeted Rosetti as he walked back up the steep slope. Yes, he would bring the girl. In two days time, she would be gone. Rosetti nodded, pleased with himself. He would greet her after school.
Chapter 2
“You coming for basketball on Sunday?” asked Lindsey quietly. Destiny jumped out of her daydreaming and glanced up at her friend. Lindsey Johnston, “the dumb blonde” as some called her, because of her totally upbeat personality. But she was still one of the most popular girls in the school and not dumb at all. She was, obviously, blonde and had sparkling blue eyes. She had known Destiny since second grade, and since then they had been inseparable.
Destiny tried to hide the drawing of the cat she had been working on. Destiny was slightly wondering if she was developing obsessive compulsive disorder over this dumb cat. Shrugging, she murmured, “You know I’m not the best at basketball. Horseback and soccer are more my style.”
Lindsey smirked. “That’s exactly why you need to go! You’ll get better! And besides, it’s more of a social thing than anything else.” Destiny shrugged and continued to draw the cat—then stopped herself, and tossed the paper below the desk. Lindsey’s eyes followed it down to the floor, curious, and as soon as it hit, her hand shot out and she was looking at it happily.
Her eyes lit up with delight, and she pointed at the shabby cat. “This is great! You’ve definitely improved from the last time I saw your drawings!”
Destiny snorted. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Well, you’re…. better, that’s what…” Lindsey trailed off sheepishly, and Destiny started to laugh, still quiet.
“You’re cruel, you know?” And they laughed a little too loudly. Mrs. Bruisher glanced up from the board and raised a brown eyebrow. Instantly, she was by Lindsey’s desk, and snatched the paper.
“Hmm, passing notes, Ms. Johnston, are we?” Mrs. Bruisher glanced over the paper, and Destiny shrugged innocently.
“It’s just a picture, Mrs. Bruisher,” she admitted “She was just laughing at my shabbiness.” Lindsey shot a look at her, and Mrs. Bruisher growled, “Well, I hope you found my lesson just as amusing. I’ll let it pass this time. But, Ms. Oak, Ms. Johnston, keep quiet for the rest of the day or detention. Understood?” Destiny and Lindsey nodded, and Mrs. Bruisher walked back to the front of the class.
“So, the Spanish verb ‘tener’ means ‘to have’ and as such….” Destiny stared out the window, losing track of the conversation. Trying not to think about the cat (OCD), she tried to think about how embarrassing it was going to be on Saturday to lose, and make a fool of herself, at basketball.
Destiny thought about this for the remaining class, and as soon as the bell rang, she was out the door in an instant. Lindsey caught up to her and started chatting about the English report they were required to do. Destiny just nodded her head absentmindedly, and ran out the door as soon as she got there.
At the street, Destiny turned to Lindsey, who had luckily paused in the conversation. She waved and smiled back at Lindsey as she raced across the street. “Bye Linds!”
Lindsey waved back. “Bye Dez!” And she turned and raced into her mother’s car. As soon as Lindsey’s face was gone, Destiny instantly scanned the trees to see if she could find the cat. Walking along the sidewalk, she barely had time to notice that she ran into just about a million people, and they glared at her angrily when she passed. But Destiny was desperate. She needed to find this cat. Something inside her needed to, anyway.
Destiny walked the six blocks with surprising speed, and wondered where it had come from. She usually was extremely slow walking home. Sighing with frustration, Destiny was about to cross the crowded street to her house, when, just barely heard above the racket of the cars, there was a tiny mew.
Destiny’s eyes shot down to see the cat curling its way between her legs, looking up at her with friendly lime-green eyes. Destiny sighed with relief, then she glanced around quickly, and grabbed the cat in her arms. It let out a meow! of protest, but nothing else, and she raced across the street to her house.
As soon as she had scrambled in the door, she dropped down and looked for a collar around the russet cat’s neck. “Hmm…” she murmured, glancing at its bare neck with satisfaction. “No owner, huh? Well, I suppose I could name you myself….but what?” Destiny thought for a few moments, and she noticed the strange, silver oak leaf above its head. Curious, she reached out a hand to touch it, and instantly, the cat’s ears flattened. It suddenly stared at her with strangely intense eyes. As though it were looking into her…
Suddenly, Destiny felt a strange sort of prickling sensation inside her head. For a few moments, she ignored the sensation. But it became so intense that she became curious about what it was and started shaking her head. What is that? Destiny thought, and suddenly thrust out with her mind. The sensation disappeared.
Still confused, Destiny glanced back down at the cat, but it was looking off into the distance now, at the kitchen. She had a few more seconds of silence, before a voice came from the kitchen.
“Dez, you home yet?”
Groaning, Destiny picked up the cat again and walked into the tiled kitchen. Sitting there was Destiny’s little sister, Abby, who was in third grade and always came home before Destiny did. Her hair was short and black, she was comfortably plump, and had light hazel eyes that were bright and intelligent. But still, Destiny thought she was one of the most annoying things on the planet.
Abby glanced up from doing her homework and frowned at the cat. Raising an eyebrow in the funny face Destiny loved, she asked, “Where’d you get him?”
Destiny placed the cat on the oak table in front of Abby, and the sun reflected off its coat dramatically, making it sparkle. This was strange, considering it was brown, but Destiny tried to ignore it as she answered Abby. “Found him wandering around this morning, then I went and got him just now. He hasn’t got a collar, so I want to keep him.” Raising an eyebrow of her own, she continued, “What should we call him?”
Abby seemed excited at the prospect of naming something, considering they didn’t have a pet. So, staring intently, she murmured, “Well, he looks sort of wild, so we could call him Fang, or Scar-face, or something tough. Also, he’s brown, so he could be Rusty or Oaky….” Suddenly the cat hissed and leaped off the table, making both Destiny and Abby jump.
Destiny smiled. “I think Rusty would be a good name for him,” she said, still surprised “He’s wild, you’re right. And brown. Good job, Abbster.” But Abby seemed to be slightly regretting taking the cat in; she looked pale. To relieve some stress, Destiny picked up the cat and took him upstairs to her room, leaving Abby to do her homework.
As soon as they were up the stairs and alone in her room, Destiny plopped Rusty on the bed and glared at him.
“Okay, look,” she started “If you’re going to live here, you have to be nice to my little sister, and especially my mom, or else she’ll throw you out, and how will you survive then?” Rusty stared at her innocently, then mewled and rolled around on his belly in the most adorable fashion. Softening slightly, she patted Rusty’s stomach, and sighed, “Well, if you act like this I suppose I can’t complain.”
Still smiling, Destiny took her book bag off her shoulder (which she just realized she was still wearing) and began doing her homework. Sadly, even on weekends, the four core classes – math, English, science, and social studies – usually assigned lots of homework on the weekends.
Destiny got down to it, becoming extremely bored quickly. Every now and then she would glance at Rusty, and see him staring out the window, lost in his train of thought.
A little later, Destiny heard the door open and Abby cry, “Hi, mom!”
“Hi Abby. Good day at school?” her mom answered. Destiny jumped out of her dull state of mind and stood up, quietly picking up Rusty as she went. He looked at her with those strange eyes and mewled, but Destiny ignored him and walked down the stairs.
Bianca was in the kitchen, holding Abby’s head to her stomach as she stood over her, examining Abby’s homework. As soon as she saw Destiny come, she looked up and smiled. But it instantly faded as she saw the cat.
“What is that?” asked her mother, looking slightly annoyed.
Destiny hesitated. “Umm…a cat. I saw him this morning and he doesn’t have a collar, so I was wondering if we could keep him.” Destiny hoped against hope her mother would say yes. Bianca walked over to Rusty and started to pet him. He looked up at her and mewed and suddenly, Bianca gasped and jumped back.
“What?” cried Destiny and Abby at once.
Bianca stared in utter disbelief. “It…it has an oak leaf on its head.” Destiny nodded. “Yeah, pretty cool, right?” Bianca stared for a few more seconds before getting her composure back.
“Yes,” she murmured. “Really cool.” Bianca sighed, and looked at Destiny and nodded. “Alright, Destiny, you may keep him.”
Destiny sighed with relief. “Thanks mom.”
But Bianca raised a hand. “I want you to promise me you’ll take care of him and follow the rules I’m about to give you. Understand?”
Destiny nodded quickly. Bianca continued, “Let him out for an hour or so every night. And leave him a fresh supply of water every day.” Destiny nodded again, and then suddenly became confused. “Wait, shouldn’t we buy him some cat food or something? And cat litter—“
But Bianca just laughed and shook her head. “Oh, this little guys been living in the wild all his life. An hour outside, some water from us, and he’ll be able to get food for himself and do his business.” Then Bianca stooped down to Rusty’s level. “Isn’t that right little fella?”
Rusty mewled happily and then Bianca smiled at Destiny. “Are you done with your homework?”
Destiny nodded, and then hesitated. “Well, almost. I just have one more thing to finish. Then I’ll be done.”
Bianca nodded, and then quietly murmured, “Well, go finish it then.”
As Destiny turned to leave, cat still in her arms, Bianca remember, “Oh, yes, have you guys named him yet?”
Abby jumped to this task. “His name is Rusty.”
Bianca nodded and her eyes flashed. “Yes, well, that seems to suit him well.”
And Destiny turned to go up stairs, wondering what her mother could possibly mean.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
That night, as Destiny was getting ready for bed, she noticed that Rusty had disappeared. They hadn’t let him outside today (her mother had said there was no need to; he had just come in from outside, after all) and he wasn’t in her room.
Creeping out the door, Destiny slowly made her way downstairs; she needed to keep quiet, for her mother was working on her laptop in her room. Slowly, Destiny crept under the stairs, past the front door, and to the door of her mom’s room.
Destiny was about to open the door, when suddenly she heard her mother’s voice. “Why has Oakheart sent you hear?”
Destiny blinked her green eyes in confusion, wondering whom her mother could possibly be talking to. But she realized, suddenly, how stupid a question that was. Her mom did have a cell phone, after all.
But Destiny was extremely shocked in the next moment: “He sent me on a mission to stop the attacks around here. You probably haven’t noticed them, considering how you left us.”
Bianca snorted. “It’s not like I wanted to leave. And, anyway, what’s been causing the attacks. Vampire? Werewolf? Marvolo?”
There was a pause, in which Destiny guessed whoever her mother was talking to nodded his head. “Yes,” he murmured. “All of the above. Mostly Marvolo. There was a gruesome attack on a human in Pennsylvania just earlier this morning. Ugh, what a nightmare that was for us.”
Destiny felt her heart stop for a moment. Pennsylvania. Attack. Wasn’t that exactly where her dream was and what her dream was about? She shivered. No, the thing this man was talking about and her dream couldn’t possibly be connected.
There was silence for a few moments, before Bianca said, “Well, I suppose I should let you go back. Good night, Rosetti.”
“Good night, Bianca.”
And Destiny realized that was her cue to leave the door. She leaped up and raced as quickly and quietly as she could back up the stairs. What a strange conversation. Vampires, and werewolves, and werecats, and, most of all, the strange attack and her dream. What could her mother possibly have to do with any of that stuff?
Destiny scrambled into her bed, and closed her eyes. She wasn’t really asleep; she was too excited for that. She just could not believe that her mother even knew about mystical creatures. Bianca was more of the serious, down-to-earth type, not superstitious in the least, and walked on cracks in the sidewalk all the time, though Abby warned her not to.
Suddenly, and to Destiny’s great surprise, her door opened. Opening her eyes just narrowly, Destiny stared in disbelief at who walked in: it was Rusty, looking perfectly awake. Destiny watched through narrowed eyes as he leaped up on her bed, glanced at her with those solid green eyes, lay down at her feet, and closed his eyes, though Destiny doubted he was asleep.
As Destiny fell into a pitiful excuse for a slumber, only one thought was ringing through her head: her mother had been talking with a cat.
Chapter 3
He leaped over the stream, flattening his ears in the process. He panted, panic fluttering in his heart. The pain was searing in his wounds, and his muscles would soon tear from the strain.
He couldn’t make it. Not for much longer.
Panting, and with a last strain, the cat leaped into a tree, his long black claws barely grabbing a thick branch. He heaved himself up, and turned around, green eyes wide with fear. The cat held his breath to the best of his abilities as his pursuer came into view through the dark forest.
The dark, giant wolf growled, his breath coming out in huffs of mist. His nostrils tested the air carefully, searching out one particular scent, which was quite easy to find. His eyes scrunched in anger, and he flattened his ears and turned to the tree a few feet in front of him, snarling.
The cat panicked. In this state, he thought of the quickest plan he could manage, and leaped down gracefully. The wolf snarled, his face even with the cat’s.
The wolf was extremely large, slightly bigger than the cat himself. His pure white teeth longed to pull the cat’s throat, but he had to contain himself. He needed information first.
The wolf growled, “Well, Griffin, what’s your excuse for being here uninvited this time, hmm?”
Griffin smiled slyly, and said, “Well, I needed to get across. I have business in NYC.”
The wolf blinked in surprise. New York? What business did an Oakheart have there? “Why,” said the wolf, his gray tail bristling, “Didn’t you just ask for permission, then, if it’s that simple?”
Griffin shrugged his red shoulders. “I don’t know….” He muttered sarcastically “You might kill me, you might maul me, you might do anything this close to the full moon.”
The wolf glanced at the moon. That was true. The moon was nearly to it’s full, and any trespassers would have to pay, but still….
As the wolf thought, Griffin steadied his brown paws, ready to leap at the next thing the wolf said. He hated killing, but there was just no way he could get out of this one. The full moon was a day away, and trespassers weren’t tolerated this close.
There it is! Post on what you think, and tips! Oh, and guess who Abby is based on? Go on, guess!
Rose
Every rose has its thorns…
By Amber Kingstone
Prologue
The shimmering night was silent, dark and unconscious to all that was about to happen below it. The small town of Foxburg, Pennsylvania, was sprinkled below it, surrounded by thick woods and the Hudson River. Barely filling a quarter of a mile, lights at the center of the town twinkled off, and a wolf howled in the distance.
Samuel flinched. The wolf sounded close; perhaps close enough to attack him. Samuel Vendrick hated being out in the woods this late. Or early, considering it was around four in the morning. Pennsylvania had some big animals and Robert didn’t want to meet any of them.
Well, except one.
He had cows behind his house, a big field of them. Lately, though, his cows were being slaughtered and carried away in the dead of night. The strange thing was, no blood, no evidence of a scuffle was being left behind. The cows weren’t even making noise when whatever it was attacked them. That was most uncharacteristic for any of the animals that normally would kill livestock in this area.
Samuel shifted the hunting gun on his thick shoulder. Walking home from the center of town, he had gone to get everything he possibly could to kill this animal. He had gotten a camo coat, a totally knew gun, night-vision goggles and lots of coffee.
Benjamin smiled. He just knew tonight would be the night he would catch this animal.
Suddenly, Samuel heard a noise behind him. Spinning around awkwardly, he pointed his gun in the direction of the sound. After a few moments of silence, Samuel shook his thick head. Just tired, he assured himself. Need some coffee, that’s what.
But Samuel wasn’t totally sure of that. Suddenly realizing he could’ve heard the animal killing his cows, Samuel burst into a shocking speed for a man his size. He had to get home and catch that god-forsaken animal.
A few moments later, the clearing in which the house was located came into view. It was a small, one story house on the outskirts of town, but Samuel blew right past and into the field behind his house. The cows were still sleeping, peaceful and silent.
Panting, Samuel lay down on the grass, laid his gun briefly down beside him and placed on the night vision goggles. They had cost a fortune, and made everything green, but there was definitely a change in his vision. Samuel then picked up his gun and pointed it at the field, waiting.
For what seemed like an eternity, there was silence. Silence that wasn’t even broken by the cows’ moos, or a wolf’s howl. Samuel seemed to be holding his breath in the climax of anticipation.
And then the most unexpected thing happened: someone—or something—chuckled.
Samuel scrambled up, eyes widening in shock as he saw what was behind him. At first, he only saw two blood red eyes penetrating the darkness. But the creature soon stepped forward and then sat down again. Samuel was paralyzed with fear.
Sitting, almost peacefully, behind him was a huge black cat. It was about the size of a panther, and its fur was thick and shaggy. It was smiling—yes, smiling—in a strangely human like way. And chuckling.
Still smiling, it purred, “You think you could stop me, you ignorant human?” Standing up, it took one step towards Samuel, who was still paralyzed with shock. This wasn’t possible. Cats just didn’t, well, talk!
“Well, apparently, we do talk, don’t we, Samuel?” Breathing out a heavy puff of cold air, it crouched down, hissing, “Say good-bye to your cows.” And it leaped.
Samuel pulled the trigger at the same moment, and his cries mingled with the gunshot, and then there was a sickening crunch and silence.
A few cows glanced up, nonchalantly, at the hill that lead towards their Cabaza de Vacas’ house. Blood was trickling down the hill, and there was a mix of crunching, chewing and the occasionally slurp. Their Cabaza de Vaca would never come down to see to them again, and many people would soon be here to see what had happened to Samuel. And they would also see that his cows looked very good for meat.
The cows stood and started to move away from the noise of the predator. They couldn’t comprehend all that would happen in the future. After all, there was only one thing that they could truly comprehend, one rule that all lower ranking creatures knew: eat…or be eaten.
And, at that moment, not so far away, Destiny – and destiny – woke up.
Chapter 1
Gasping, Destiny sat up, eyes flashing with her nightmare. She looked around her room, wondering where the bloody scene had gone, the sickening chomping noises as well. But all she could hear was the buzzing of New York City, calming to her ears.
Destiny calmed her breathing down, still quite terrified. She had been having dreams like that a lot lately. They always seemed to happen in a pattern, and always at night. The dreams seemed to center around that strange cat, though, but Destiny had never heard of any cat of that sort before. The strange size, color of the eyes and especially the talking, all creeped her out.
Finally gaining control of her shaking, Destiny slipped out of bed and decided to get up and ready for school. Glancing at her digital clock, she saw 4:32 looming in big red numbers next to her bed. She shivered. Red. Never did Destiny want to see that color again.
Destiny walked delicately over to her closet and opened it. A few uniforms were hanging from hangers, the two-anchor symbol of York Prep embroidered on them. There was a navy blue skirt and leggings, with a white jacket and shirt, all neatly pressed and hanging. Destiny quickly slipped on a shirt, leggings and a skirt on, tossing a jacket onto her shoulder. To add to that, she also put on a blue headband and dark blue ballet shoes. Quietly creeping out the door, she slipped into the bathroom, and brushed out her long blonde hair and brushed her teeth. Then, quietly so as not to disturb anyone, Destiny slipped out of the bathroom and crept down the stairs.
Dawn was just starting to rise, as Destiny could barely see it through the large windows that surrounded her New York townhouse. Through the everlasting darkness, she could just make out the dark, wood paneled floor and the large room in front of her. Two large windows were to her right, with a beautiful view of Central Park, which was in the first stages of fall. The kitchen was just across the room, so Destiny carefully walked across, trying to keep totally silent, for her mother’s room was just down a short hallway that led from under the stairs.
Once in the kitchen, Destiny took a mug, tea bag, half-n’-half, and sugar out of the large, fancy cabinets and refrigerator. Once the water was boiling, she sat down and looked out the window directly facing her. It was quiet outside, though not totally. Cars were still zooming around, though not nearly as many as there normally were, and lights still flickered on in empty restraints.
But she didn’t look at those things. No, what made Destiny enjoy NYC the most was Central Park. The trees looked so beautiful this time of year, with the leaves all of color, like an artist had just dropped all their finest paints on them. Frost lightly sprinkled the trees and grass, too, in just the finest forms. Sighing, Destiny lost herself in the park’s beauty. Besides, it’s not like she had anything better to do.
Then, she saw it.
Walking through the park, quite casually, was a large, russet colored cat, with dark red paws. Usually, this wouldn’t have bothered Destiny, and she hardly paid attention to the cat, until it looked at her. Its eyes were a striking lime-green, and it had a dark red mask around them as well. But what made Destiny sit up straight was the way it had an almost human look in its face, staring at Destiny as though he knew she was there.
Suddenly, the hot-water made a gurgling noise, causing Destiny jump with surprise. Quickly she scrambled to pour the tea into the mug, milk and sugar following. But when she scrambled back into her seat, the cat was gone. Sighing, Destiny drank her tea, now totally bored again.
Once done, Destiny sort of sat and, dully, stared out the window, hoping that the cat would return. Unfortunately, it did not. After a long while, Destiny suddenly realized that she still had that stupid entry form to fill out. Rolling her eyes, Destiny tip-toed back into the front room and retrieved her book bag. Back in the kitchen, Destiny pulled out the long sheet of paper that was required by to be filled out every year. Destiny hated it and put it off as long as possible. Sadly, teachers weren’t thrilled by that and put the deadline on it to be the upcoming Friday. That is, today.
Quickly, Destiny filled out the form:
Name: Destiny Oak
Age and birthday: 12, 1-08-96
Grade: 7th
Gender: Female
Height: 5’ 6”
Weight: 125
Eye color: Green
Hair Color (natural): Blonde
Race: White
Classes: 1st period, History
2nd period, Honors Science
3rd period, P.E., soccer
4th period, Skills for Living
Lunch
5th period, Honors Math
6th period, Honors English
7th period, orchestra
8th period, Spanish
After school activities: Horseback riding
Parent or guardian: Bianca Oak
Signature of parent or guardian:
Destiny hesitated here, but then copied her mothers’ signature perfectly:
Bianca Oak
Student signature: Destiny Oak
Sighing, Destiny placed the paper back in her bag. Done. That wasn’t so hard, was it? She should’ve gotten this stuff done earlier in the year, then this wouldn’t have happened. Shaking her head, Destiny realized she was just rambling, and glanced at the clock. 5:30am. Sighing again, Destiny leaped up and walked, again quiet, toward the stairs, placing her bag underneath them and going back to her room. Gently Destiny lay back down and closed her eyes. Destiny thought about that cat again, how curious looking it had been…. she then fell into a light sleep, thinking the cat would protect her from nightmares.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
“Destiny, sweetie,” whispered a gentle voice “Get up. Time to go.” Yawning, Destiny glanced up, and saw her light-haired mother, Bianca, peering down at her in her full uniform. Destiny sat up, stretching, and Bianca gave her a distasteful look.
“Did you fall asleep in your clothes?” she asked, curious. Destiny shook her head, murmuring, “I got up early today, got dressed, and fell asleep again.” Bianca nodded, raising an eyebrow.
“Rebrush your hair, please, it’s a mess.” And with that, Bianca pranced out of the room. Destiny did as she was told, then walked back downstairs. Bianca was picking up her briefcase, pulled out a mirror and started dabbing her face with make-up. Destiny had to admit, her mother was pretty, her mother having pale, beautiful skin, light-blonde hair, and dark blue eyes (Destiny a near spitting image of her mother); but the overload on make-up really bugged her.
Without glancing up, Bianca said, “I’ve already taken Abby to school. Go get in the car.” Nodding dutifully, Destiny grabbed her book bag and walked out the front door. It was chilly and much louder than it had been a few hours ago. But Destiny weaved her way through the small crowd that walked on the sidewalk and plopped herself into the passenger seat of her mom’s black Mercedes. Destiny would never get over how quickly the streets filled up here, though this was the only thing she had ever known. Bianca was in the car a few seconds, and soon, they were off around Central Park.
Destiny peered out the window anxiously, hoping for another glimpse at the strange cat, then shook her head. Why did it matter so much? It was just another ordinary street-cat. But somehow, Destiny didn’t believe her own words.
They drove about six blocks, around Central Park and soon came to York Prep, where students were flooding out of cars and into the school, or sitting down out front, waiting for friends. Teachers were rushing to keep the crowds down, and parents were waving last good-byes to the younger sixth graders before driving off.
Destiny opened the door and jumped out. Bianca smiled one last time, saying “Good-bye, Destiny,” and then drove off. Destiny waved a late good-bye, and then turned and walked up the dirty side-walk towards school.
Suddenly, Destiny had the feeling of being watched and spun around. It could’ve been anyone or anything looking at her, she knew that, but her eyes met lime-green ones and Destiny felt her heart skip a beat as she saw the cat behind a tree. With one last glance, the cat dove into the woods.
Feeling shaken, Destiny went into the school. Get control of yourself, Destiny. Her brain commanded. This is stupid! It’s just a cat! But for some reason, Destiny still didn’t quite believe that.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
He sprang from the tree branch into the cover of the underbrush, and walked into the wood with careless grace. She had seen him. Finally. Oakheart would be pleased to know that they had finally found her. It got darker as the cat went deeper and deeper into the forest, and made him feel slightly claustrophobic. Being this size always made him nervous and vulnerable. Ears pricked, he listened for the silence of the forest that would show no people. Then it would be okay.
After a few moments, the silence of the wood was finally absolute, and he smiled. It was time. With a quiet growl, the cat grew to about the size of a panther, on four legs, and once that size, he let out a louder growl. He flexed his claws and thumbs, and then stood on his hind-legs to make sure he hadn’t become too stiff. On his back legs, the cat was over six and-a-half feet tall, and stood in the erect posture of a human. Smiling, the cat flicked his tail and fell back onto four legs. Instantly, he set off a little farther into the woods.
Suddenly, the cat stopped, and peered down a low ravine. There was a small pool at the bottom, untouched by human hands. How disgusting humans were, polluting everything they touched. He flinched at his own thought. He shouldn’t say that. He was human, too. Feeling slightly sheepish now, the cat slithered down the sharp rocks to the pool, which was surrounded by spongy moss and ferns that protected it from peering eyes. He looked into the pool at himself, and saw his angry face reflect there, showing him the mark on his forehead, a perfect silver oak leaf, that constantly reminded him who he was. Giving his head a hard shake, the cat lapped up the water in the pool three times, and closed his eyes. For a few moments, nothing happened.
Then, a rippling movement disturbed the pool, and a face appeared there. It was a light tan cat, with a large, kind face, but who looked as though he had seen much suffering and pain, and had more wisdom than even the greatest scholars could have. Blue eyes shinning, the face asked, “What news have you brought me, Rosetti?”
The cat standing beside the pool smiled. “I have seen the girl,” Rosetti murmured in a deep, yet young, voice “She is the one we’re looking for. I think I’ll speak with her very soon.” There was silence after this, the cat in the pool looking thoughtful. Then he spoke again, old voice worried, “Have you tried to stop the attacks yet?”
Rosetti nodded. “Very much so, actually. But tried is the key word here. The Marvolo left absolutely no trace at the attacks, in fact the smells around the killings smelled vampire, not werecat. Figures they would try to blame something else for their crimes. I think they have a Shifter doing the killings, but we can never be too sure, considering they’re very rare. And, they know she’s here,” he added, “The attacks are closer than we thought. Do I have permission to go in soon?”
The cat in the pool hesitated, then shook his head. “We need more time to assess the situation.” Rosetti’s eyes widened. “Oakheart, you know we need to get in there. Fast. The full moon is not two days away, and you’re trying to ‘assess the situation’?” Rosetti shook his head in disbelief. “We know what’s going on! If you don’t give me permission, Oakheart, I’ll go in myself!”
Oakheart snarled. “You will not! Until you are Felidae, or at least a Panthera, you will do nothing without my command!” There was a silence that followed his words, and Rosetti whispered, “Sorry, Oakheart. I suppose I’m trying to put the cart in front of the horse again.”
Suddenly Oakheart’s face softened, and he sighed. “You do have a point, you know. Yes,” he murmured, “I give you permission to bring the girl.” Rosetti looked up, a smile flickering slightly across his face.
“You’re young, Rosetti,” murmured Oakheart “You’ll stop yelling at me in time.” And then Oakheart pointed at his own forehead, which was adorned with a paw-print and an oak leaf below it. “You have the makings of a good Felidae. Perhaps one day, you’ll get one of these.” And then, with one last fatherly look at Rosetti, Oakheart let the pool tremble, and then he disappeared.
Silence greeted Rosetti as he walked back up the steep slope. Yes, he would bring the girl. In two days time, she would be gone. Rosetti nodded, pleased with himself. He would greet her after school.
Chapter 2
“You coming for basketball on Sunday?” asked Lindsey quietly. Destiny jumped out of her daydreaming and glanced up at her friend. Lindsey Johnston, “the dumb blonde” as some called her, because of her totally upbeat personality. But she was still one of the most popular girls in the school and not dumb at all. She was, obviously, blonde and had sparkling blue eyes. She had known Destiny since second grade, and since then they had been inseparable.
Destiny tried to hide the drawing of the cat she had been working on. Destiny was slightly wondering if she was developing obsessive compulsive disorder over this dumb cat. Shrugging, she murmured, “You know I’m not the best at basketball. Horseback and soccer are more my style.”
Lindsey smirked. “That’s exactly why you need to go! You’ll get better! And besides, it’s more of a social thing than anything else.” Destiny shrugged and continued to draw the cat—then stopped herself, and tossed the paper below the desk. Lindsey’s eyes followed it down to the floor, curious, and as soon as it hit, her hand shot out and she was looking at it happily.
Her eyes lit up with delight, and she pointed at the shabby cat. “This is great! You’ve definitely improved from the last time I saw your drawings!”
Destiny snorted. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Well, you’re…. better, that’s what…” Lindsey trailed off sheepishly, and Destiny started to laugh, still quiet.
“You’re cruel, you know?” And they laughed a little too loudly. Mrs. Bruisher glanced up from the board and raised a brown eyebrow. Instantly, she was by Lindsey’s desk, and snatched the paper.
“Hmm, passing notes, Ms. Johnston, are we?” Mrs. Bruisher glanced over the paper, and Destiny shrugged innocently.
“It’s just a picture, Mrs. Bruisher,” she admitted “She was just laughing at my shabbiness.” Lindsey shot a look at her, and Mrs. Bruisher growled, “Well, I hope you found my lesson just as amusing. I’ll let it pass this time. But, Ms. Oak, Ms. Johnston, keep quiet for the rest of the day or detention. Understood?” Destiny and Lindsey nodded, and Mrs. Bruisher walked back to the front of the class.
“So, the Spanish verb ‘tener’ means ‘to have’ and as such….” Destiny stared out the window, losing track of the conversation. Trying not to think about the cat (OCD), she tried to think about how embarrassing it was going to be on Saturday to lose, and make a fool of herself, at basketball.
Destiny thought about this for the remaining class, and as soon as the bell rang, she was out the door in an instant. Lindsey caught up to her and started chatting about the English report they were required to do. Destiny just nodded her head absentmindedly, and ran out the door as soon as she got there.
At the street, Destiny turned to Lindsey, who had luckily paused in the conversation. She waved and smiled back at Lindsey as she raced across the street. “Bye Linds!”
Lindsey waved back. “Bye Dez!” And she turned and raced into her mother’s car. As soon as Lindsey’s face was gone, Destiny instantly scanned the trees to see if she could find the cat. Walking along the sidewalk, she barely had time to notice that she ran into just about a million people, and they glared at her angrily when she passed. But Destiny was desperate. She needed to find this cat. Something inside her needed to, anyway.
Destiny walked the six blocks with surprising speed, and wondered where it had come from. She usually was extremely slow walking home. Sighing with frustration, Destiny was about to cross the crowded street to her house, when, just barely heard above the racket of the cars, there was a tiny mew.
Destiny’s eyes shot down to see the cat curling its way between her legs, looking up at her with friendly lime-green eyes. Destiny sighed with relief, then she glanced around quickly, and grabbed the cat in her arms. It let out a meow! of protest, but nothing else, and she raced across the street to her house.
As soon as she had scrambled in the door, she dropped down and looked for a collar around the russet cat’s neck. “Hmm…” she murmured, glancing at its bare neck with satisfaction. “No owner, huh? Well, I suppose I could name you myself….but what?” Destiny thought for a few moments, and she noticed the strange, silver oak leaf above its head. Curious, she reached out a hand to touch it, and instantly, the cat’s ears flattened. It suddenly stared at her with strangely intense eyes. As though it were looking into her…
Suddenly, Destiny felt a strange sort of prickling sensation inside her head. For a few moments, she ignored the sensation. But it became so intense that she became curious about what it was and started shaking her head. What is that? Destiny thought, and suddenly thrust out with her mind. The sensation disappeared.
Still confused, Destiny glanced back down at the cat, but it was looking off into the distance now, at the kitchen. She had a few more seconds of silence, before a voice came from the kitchen.
“Dez, you home yet?”
Groaning, Destiny picked up the cat again and walked into the tiled kitchen. Sitting there was Destiny’s little sister, Abby, who was in third grade and always came home before Destiny did. Her hair was short and black, she was comfortably plump, and had light hazel eyes that were bright and intelligent. But still, Destiny thought she was one of the most annoying things on the planet.
Abby glanced up from doing her homework and frowned at the cat. Raising an eyebrow in the funny face Destiny loved, she asked, “Where’d you get him?”
Destiny placed the cat on the oak table in front of Abby, and the sun reflected off its coat dramatically, making it sparkle. This was strange, considering it was brown, but Destiny tried to ignore it as she answered Abby. “Found him wandering around this morning, then I went and got him just now. He hasn’t got a collar, so I want to keep him.” Raising an eyebrow of her own, she continued, “What should we call him?”
Abby seemed excited at the prospect of naming something, considering they didn’t have a pet. So, staring intently, she murmured, “Well, he looks sort of wild, so we could call him Fang, or Scar-face, or something tough. Also, he’s brown, so he could be Rusty or Oaky….” Suddenly the cat hissed and leaped off the table, making both Destiny and Abby jump.
Destiny smiled. “I think Rusty would be a good name for him,” she said, still surprised “He’s wild, you’re right. And brown. Good job, Abbster.” But Abby seemed to be slightly regretting taking the cat in; she looked pale. To relieve some stress, Destiny picked up the cat and took him upstairs to her room, leaving Abby to do her homework.
As soon as they were up the stairs and alone in her room, Destiny plopped Rusty on the bed and glared at him.
“Okay, look,” she started “If you’re going to live here, you have to be nice to my little sister, and especially my mom, or else she’ll throw you out, and how will you survive then?” Rusty stared at her innocently, then mewled and rolled around on his belly in the most adorable fashion. Softening slightly, she patted Rusty’s stomach, and sighed, “Well, if you act like this I suppose I can’t complain.”
Still smiling, Destiny took her book bag off her shoulder (which she just realized she was still wearing) and began doing her homework. Sadly, even on weekends, the four core classes – math, English, science, and social studies – usually assigned lots of homework on the weekends.
Destiny got down to it, becoming extremely bored quickly. Every now and then she would glance at Rusty, and see him staring out the window, lost in his train of thought.
A little later, Destiny heard the door open and Abby cry, “Hi, mom!”
“Hi Abby. Good day at school?” her mom answered. Destiny jumped out of her dull state of mind and stood up, quietly picking up Rusty as she went. He looked at her with those strange eyes and mewled, but Destiny ignored him and walked down the stairs.
Bianca was in the kitchen, holding Abby’s head to her stomach as she stood over her, examining Abby’s homework. As soon as she saw Destiny come, she looked up and smiled. But it instantly faded as she saw the cat.
“What is that?” asked her mother, looking slightly annoyed.
Destiny hesitated. “Umm…a cat. I saw him this morning and he doesn’t have a collar, so I was wondering if we could keep him.” Destiny hoped against hope her mother would say yes. Bianca walked over to Rusty and started to pet him. He looked up at her and mewed and suddenly, Bianca gasped and jumped back.
“What?” cried Destiny and Abby at once.
Bianca stared in utter disbelief. “It…it has an oak leaf on its head.” Destiny nodded. “Yeah, pretty cool, right?” Bianca stared for a few more seconds before getting her composure back.
“Yes,” she murmured. “Really cool.” Bianca sighed, and looked at Destiny and nodded. “Alright, Destiny, you may keep him.”
Destiny sighed with relief. “Thanks mom.”
But Bianca raised a hand. “I want you to promise me you’ll take care of him and follow the rules I’m about to give you. Understand?”
Destiny nodded quickly. Bianca continued, “Let him out for an hour or so every night. And leave him a fresh supply of water every day.” Destiny nodded again, and then suddenly became confused. “Wait, shouldn’t we buy him some cat food or something? And cat litter—“
But Bianca just laughed and shook her head. “Oh, this little guys been living in the wild all his life. An hour outside, some water from us, and he’ll be able to get food for himself and do his business.” Then Bianca stooped down to Rusty’s level. “Isn’t that right little fella?”
Rusty mewled happily and then Bianca smiled at Destiny. “Are you done with your homework?”
Destiny nodded, and then hesitated. “Well, almost. I just have one more thing to finish. Then I’ll be done.”
Bianca nodded, and then quietly murmured, “Well, go finish it then.”
As Destiny turned to leave, cat still in her arms, Bianca remember, “Oh, yes, have you guys named him yet?”
Abby jumped to this task. “His name is Rusty.”
Bianca nodded and her eyes flashed. “Yes, well, that seems to suit him well.”
And Destiny turned to go up stairs, wondering what her mother could possibly mean.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
That night, as Destiny was getting ready for bed, she noticed that Rusty had disappeared. They hadn’t let him outside today (her mother had said there was no need to; he had just come in from outside, after all) and he wasn’t in her room.
Creeping out the door, Destiny slowly made her way downstairs; she needed to keep quiet, for her mother was working on her laptop in her room. Slowly, Destiny crept under the stairs, past the front door, and to the door of her mom’s room.
Destiny was about to open the door, when suddenly she heard her mother’s voice. “Why has Oakheart sent you hear?”
Destiny blinked her green eyes in confusion, wondering whom her mother could possibly be talking to. But she realized, suddenly, how stupid a question that was. Her mom did have a cell phone, after all.
But Destiny was extremely shocked in the next moment: “He sent me on a mission to stop the attacks around here. You probably haven’t noticed them, considering how you left us.”
Bianca snorted. “It’s not like I wanted to leave. And, anyway, what’s been causing the attacks. Vampire? Werewolf? Marvolo?”
There was a pause, in which Destiny guessed whoever her mother was talking to nodded his head. “Yes,” he murmured. “All of the above. Mostly Marvolo. There was a gruesome attack on a human in Pennsylvania just earlier this morning. Ugh, what a nightmare that was for us.”
Destiny felt her heart stop for a moment. Pennsylvania. Attack. Wasn’t that exactly where her dream was and what her dream was about? She shivered. No, the thing this man was talking about and her dream couldn’t possibly be connected.
There was silence for a few moments, before Bianca said, “Well, I suppose I should let you go back. Good night, Rosetti.”
“Good night, Bianca.”
And Destiny realized that was her cue to leave the door. She leaped up and raced as quickly and quietly as she could back up the stairs. What a strange conversation. Vampires, and werewolves, and werecats, and, most of all, the strange attack and her dream. What could her mother possibly have to do with any of that stuff?
Destiny scrambled into her bed, and closed her eyes. She wasn’t really asleep; she was too excited for that. She just could not believe that her mother even knew about mystical creatures. Bianca was more of the serious, down-to-earth type, not superstitious in the least, and walked on cracks in the sidewalk all the time, though Abby warned her not to.
Suddenly, and to Destiny’s great surprise, her door opened. Opening her eyes just narrowly, Destiny stared in disbelief at who walked in: it was Rusty, looking perfectly awake. Destiny watched through narrowed eyes as he leaped up on her bed, glanced at her with those solid green eyes, lay down at her feet, and closed his eyes, though Destiny doubted he was asleep.
As Destiny fell into a pitiful excuse for a slumber, only one thought was ringing through her head: her mother had been talking with a cat.
Chapter 3
He leaped over the stream, flattening his ears in the process. He panted, panic fluttering in his heart. The pain was searing in his wounds, and his muscles would soon tear from the strain.
He couldn’t make it. Not for much longer.
Panting, and with a last strain, the cat leaped into a tree, his long black claws barely grabbing a thick branch. He heaved himself up, and turned around, green eyes wide with fear. The cat held his breath to the best of his abilities as his pursuer came into view through the dark forest.
The dark, giant wolf growled, his breath coming out in huffs of mist. His nostrils tested the air carefully, searching out one particular scent, which was quite easy to find. His eyes scrunched in anger, and he flattened his ears and turned to the tree a few feet in front of him, snarling.
The cat panicked. In this state, he thought of the quickest plan he could manage, and leaped down gracefully. The wolf snarled, his face even with the cat’s.
The wolf was extremely large, slightly bigger than the cat himself. His pure white teeth longed to pull the cat’s throat, but he had to contain himself. He needed information first.
The wolf growled, “Well, Griffin, what’s your excuse for being here uninvited this time, hmm?”
Griffin smiled slyly, and said, “Well, I needed to get across. I have business in NYC.”
The wolf blinked in surprise. New York? What business did an Oakheart have there? “Why,” said the wolf, his gray tail bristling, “Didn’t you just ask for permission, then, if it’s that simple?”
Griffin shrugged his red shoulders. “I don’t know….” He muttered sarcastically “You might kill me, you might maul me, you might do anything this close to the full moon.”
The wolf glanced at the moon. That was true. The moon was nearly to it’s full, and any trespassers would have to pay, but still….
As the wolf thought, Griffin steadied his brown paws, ready to leap at the next thing the wolf said. He hated killing, but there was just no way he could get out of this one. The full moon was a day away, and trespassers weren’t tolerated this close.
There it is! Post on what you think, and tips! Oh, and guess who Abby is based on? Go on, guess!
