Katherine looked at the clock and sighed. 4:38
She walked over to her new wicker-white wardrobe and opened the doors to pick out clothes for the day.
Not like I'm going to get any sleep anyway. I might as well do something, Katherine thought, intending to make breakfast for her Other Parents. That should make them pretty happy...
After Katherine had finished her morning routine she walked down the creaky stairs. As she got closer to the end of them, Katherine's sensitive hearing began picking up noises in the kitchen. Oh my... It's them. The vampires have come for me over McDuffie. Oh, why did Tyler have to kill him? Why?
Katherine quietly crept down the stairs and walked over to the coat rack. Taking a large umbrella from it, she tiptoed to the kitchen, hardly daring to breathe for fear the vampires would hear her.
"Marge, where does she keep the ketchup? I can't find anything here.
Katherine sighed with relief at the sound of her Oth
Katherine's thoughts whirled around Thanksgiving. I can introduce him to Todd. Oh, Todd and he will get along great and- Oh, no! Nonononono...Katherine looked at her parents and her eyes hardened."Will Melody be there?"Mr. and Mrs. Scott's eyes widened. They had been found out, and oh, so easily.This was not the first time that they wished for a less clever daughter."Well, I guess that answers that question," Katherine snapped. Her eyes became soft and pleading"Don't do this. Please. You know what she's like with guys."This is so unfair. I'm finally getting somewhere with Tyler that doesn't involve verbally annihilating each other and now I'm going to lose him to my man-eating sister."We don't know what you're talking about, Katherine. It's not as though we couldn't invite your sister," Mrs. Scott said innocently.How could things turn sour so quickly? Katherine wondered. Not three minutes ago we were eating in p
Katherine pulled two quarters out of her back pocket and slipped it into the payphone slot, all the while juggling a bag of groceries, her father's dry cleaning and her backpack slung over one shoulder. It hadn't been until after school had let out and she had parted with her friends, saying that she had errands to run, that she remembered to call her brother. Now that they knew she was as indestructible as they were, they let her have a little more freedom, and she wasn't constantly guarded.She had decided to get the shopping done first, as she didn't know how long they'd be on the phone. She now realized what a ridiculous idea it had been.The phone rang and rang... and rang... and rang. It must have rung about seven times before a voice came on the phone."Hello?”Katherine immediately recognized the frustrated voice of her brother, Todd. She smiled, glad just to be able to hear his voice."Hey, big brother. Did you forget about me?" she
The black Porsche turned onto the driveway of the Scott’s residence. Tyler parked behind a bright pink Volkswagen Bug. Next to the Bug was a ruby red Mustang convertible. It wasn't hard to figure out who the cars belonged to. Melody and Todd, Tyler thought, disgusted by their flashiness. Then again, he was well prepared to be disgusted by everything about them. Tyler picked up the pie dish the pumpkin pie that he'd brought with him was in. Sofia had made it especially for the occasion. She had said that it was the closest she could come to being there to support Tyler and Katherine. Tyler cut the engine and got out of the car, making his way to the front door. Tyler froze at what had sounded like a low growl. Tyler looked around him, using all his senses to try and find any threat that might be in the area. Guy watering his lawn, an old lady pruning her rose bushes, kids playing in their yard.. Only partly satisfied that the gr
Melody and Mrs. Scott screamed and shrieked hysterically. The Scott’s began scrambling away from the table, whimpering in fear while Tyler and Katherine rose from the ground they had landed on when Tyler had pushed Katherine out of the way.“Katherine, you have to run! Get your family out of here! I'll take care of those two," Tyler said, nodding toward two menacing wolves on the table."I' m not leaving you!" she cried fiercely."Damn it, Katherine! Do as I say! Your family might die if you don't!”Katherine swallowed hard and watched as one of the wolves began stalking toward her parents and siblings while the other had its eyes on her.Tyler launched himself at the wolf closest to them, his black, leathery wings tearing through his jacket and spreading out behind him.Katherine grabbed a chair and ran to stand in front of her family who were all huddled up in a corner, with an exception of Todd, who was being held down b
“That is it!” Mr. Scott shouted, rising from the ground, helping his wife and daughter do the same. "That is the last straw, young lady! Pack your stuff and get out! You don't live here anymore!"All eyes fell on Mr. Scott with horror at his announcement even Melody seemed dazed.“George, you don't mean that" Mrs. Scott began almost pleadingly.“Yes, I do mean it! I can't take this anymore. If she wants so badly to be a monster, then let her live with monsters! I'm not having it in my house and that is final!”"Dad..”Todd began darkly"I don't care what the circumstances are. She's still my sister, and you're still her father. And if Katherine goes then so do I.”“Then go! All of you, just go!" Mr. Scott shouted, waving his arms at them, as though it would make them magically disappear."Fine," Todd said coldly. "You can send our things to us later then."He grabbed Katherin
"You know that we have to tell him, don't you?" Tyler asked from the driver's seat of his black Porsche, Todd in the Mustang behind them. "I know," Katherine said quietly. "I just wish.." She trailed off, unable or unwilling to finish the sentence. "You wish that he could've found out a different way, that you could've told him when you were ready. I am so sorry, Katherine," Tyler said, his voice suddenly sorrowful. "This is all my fault. I should've found some way to…" Katherine took Tyler's hand from the steering wheel and laced her fingers through his. "There's nothing you could have done about it. This is Convel's fault, not yours. I just don't understand why he would want to do this. He's never tried to hurt me before." Tyler's hand visibly tightened on the wheel as he listened to Katherine remark. "Understanding why is simple enough. He's a greedy, power hungry monster. He wasn't trying to kill you, Katherine. He was tryi
Katherine walked over to Tyler, looking over her shoulder at Giselle as she exited the room.The walk to Katherine's new room was silent and rife with unspoken words between her and Tyler. As they walked down the hall, their footfalls muffled by the lush carpet, Katherine snuck a glance at Tyler. She couldn't help wondering how he felt about all this: the disastrous Thanksgiving dinner, the attack on her parents house, her brother's residence in his home... Not to mention all this nonsense about a prophecy. All of it seemed so absurd now that Katherine nearly laughed aloud, only just catching herself before the first sound of it could escape her lips
Katherine had been down to the Basement several times after Giselle had told her about the Clans, mostly so that Study could eagerly show off all of his very advanced computer equipment. Katherine could easily say that Study was the younger brother she never had and that she adored him as much as she would have if he had been her younger brother. He was always very open and honest in his own shy way so that Katherine had always felt that she could ask him anything.Which was why Katherine was walking down the halls as noiselessly as she could, making her way to the Basement. She had felt rather odd about asking the others about their powers and what vampire, werewolf and merpeople myths were actual reality. It would seem rude to ask
The hothouse air was warm and comfortable to Katherine as she lay atop Tyler who was stretched out on the large stone bench that Tyler had placed there after he had first encountered her there. Her cheek rested against his chest as his left arm encircled her waist possessively. His other hand was occupied with stroking her hair, which he insisted remained loose as it was so much easier to run his fingers through it that way.They had been that way for hours but it seemed only moments to Katherine.“Katherine?" Tyler said tentatively."Hmm?" Katherine asked lazily.When he took too long in answering. Katherine opened her eyes and lifted her head to look at him resting her chin on her interwoven fingers.“What's wrong?" she asked softly. "Am I too heavy?"Concerned that she was crushing him, she began to move off of him."No!" Tyler said, crushing her back to his chest as though the thought of her leaving him was unbearable.
Katherine stood there for what seemed a lifetime, staring at the place where Convel had just stood.She forced herself to choke back sob after sob, holding her hand to her mouth, never letting a Sound of it escape her lips lest Convel hear it and come back. Katherine didn't know if she had the strength to tell him no again with the way she was feeling.But she had burned that bridge and it had to stay burned if she was ever going to have a normal life, or at least some semblance of one.Once Katherine had overcome her feelings and felt more in control, she forced herself to wipe the tears from her eyes and walk back toward shore. The fog wasn't quite as bad as it had been and seemed to be dissipating again,coming and going as though it couldn't make up its mind, allowing Katherine a clear view of where she had left her boat.The merman opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted when they both heard the distinct Sound of a motorboat speeding through the
Katherine had no idea how she was going to take on thirteen well-trained lycanthropes, powers or no powers, but she knew she didn't have much of a choice.Katherine took several deep breaths, preparing for the next attack. The lycanthropes began transforming right and left, and the next attack came from behind, knocking Katherine to the ground.Oh God, no. No, it can't end like this, Katherine thought as she struggled to get the wolf off of her but more joined it, holding her down and soon Katherine had seven or eight lycanthropes' paws on her back, pushing her down.She felt like she couldn't breathe, and her breaths were forced and panicked, tears of fear forming in her eyes."Get off... of... MEP" Katherine said, screaming the last word in desperate hysteria.Suddenly Katherine felt the back of her shirt rip, forced open from the inside, and then the wolves that had been holding her down were flying off of her in all directions.Katherine
"I had hoped that we could share my vision and lead our race into a brighter future... together," he said darkly."A brighter future?" Katherine said in disbelief, anger overriding the warning her instincts were telling her.Get out of there, Katherine, the warning seemed to say. Get out of there now.."What brighter future? The one where you enslave all of mankind? You mean that future? Have you never even heard of The Ten Commandments? The movie where God sends Moses to free al the slaves because slavery is - you know-bad?""Katherinet, ye are young -far too young to understand all that is about to take place. I hope that one day we will stand side by side as father and daughter, fightin' for the future of our kind. But know that what I do now, I do for yer sake as much as for the sake of all our kind" Convel said, his voice heavy with regret."And what exactly is it that you're going to do ?" Katherine asked, folding her arms and glaring at Conv
The oars parted the water, forming small waves as Katherine rowed the small boat toward the island. Katherine had borrowed the rowboat from a closed boat rental business on the docks of Merytonburg. Not knowing how to drive a motorboat, Katherine had figured that the small wooden craft would have to suffice. She had thought that the work of the constant rowing would be tiring but surprisingly she found it easy, and she soon found herself within view of the lighthouse's brightly shining beacon.Somehow, Katherine knew that Convel had ordered it just for her, to make him easier to find.The closer each row brought Katherine to the island, the more she wondered if she was doing the right thing. Convel had already proven himself dangerous to her, even if only indirectly. Some part of her tried to hold onto the belief that it hadn't been on his order that those lycanthropes had invaded her home, yet the fact that he merely laughed at her when she asked him about it didn't b
Tyler quickly strode to the door leading to the hallway, nearly tearing it open in his rush to get out. Once in the hallway he Flitted to Katherine's door, and without even bothering to knock he opened it.Her bed was empty and still made even if a bit messy as though she had slept on top of the covers rather than under them.A laptop Tyler had seen her using before laid open on the messy coverlet. Tyler quickly exited the room, storming down the halls as he shouted at the top of his lungs."GISELLE!!!The coven started Flitting out into the hallway, most yawning tiredly with murmured questions of what was going on.Finally, after what seemed ages Giselle appeared in her white silk robe, hair sticking out wildly and a bemused expression playing across her half-awake features."Tyler, what in the world-""She's gone, Giselle. Katherine is gone," Tyler blurted out in an unusually panicked manner. "she took my keys, Giselle."Tyle
As quietly and quickly as possible, Katherine opened her door, peeking out into the hallway to make sure no one was up yet, and crept over to Tyler's door. She put her ear to it and could hear the distinct sound of snoring inside. Katherine's lips curled into an amused smile.I am definitely using that as blackmail material later..Slowly, careful to be as noiseless as possible, Katherine turned the handle to Tyler's door and tiptoed inside, closing the door behind her. Tyler was laying on his back, one arm across his chest, the other stretched above his head.He looked so beautiful with strands of black hair falling into his eyes.As though drawn by a magnet. Katherine stepped toward him. Another step... another... a fourth. And then she was beside him, staring at his peaceful face, her breaths coming short and ragged.He could wake up any second. You're crazy. Just grab the keys and go already. You've lost your mind. Katherine leaned down. This i
Fog surrounded Katherine as her feet sunk into the usual grittiness of the sand with each step she took.Katherine walked toward the bright flashing light that she now knew was a lighthouse."Father?" she called."Ye have been trying to contact me, lass? What did you need, me bonnie Bellet? Are ye in some kind of trouble?"Convel stepped out of the fog., his pace quickened by his obvious concern for her."I'm fine,"Katherine said stiffly.Her tone stopped him in his tracks a few feet away from her."What's wrong then? Have I done something to upset ye?"Katherine took a deep calming breath, inhaling the sea air, wet from the waves crashing upon the shore."You tell me. Why did you send two lycanthropes to my parents' house last night?"To Katherine's surprise, Convel's lips stretched out into a charming smile. He looked quite handsome at that moment and Katherine could see exactly why Giselle had fallen for him.
Katherine had been down to the Basement several times after Giselle had told her about the Clans, mostly so that Study could eagerly show off all of his very advanced computer equipment. Katherine could easily say that Study was the younger brother she never had and that she adored him as much as she would have if he had been her younger brother. He was always very open and honest in his own shy way so that Katherine had always felt that she could ask him anything.Which was why Katherine was walking down the halls as noiselessly as she could, making her way to the Basement. She had felt rather odd about asking the others about their powers and what vampire, werewolf and merpeople myths were actual reality. It would seem rude to ask