Chapter 3:

FIVE DAYS AGO ....

Sonaya Lockhart ...

Birthday eve.

Angry growls and fearful screams woke me up from my slumber. But it was dark all around me. The kind of darkness only a terrible storm can produce.

"Mama !! mama!! mama !!"

I cried out in fear, calling out for my grandmother, but I got no answer, only angry growls closing in on me.

Fear slammed into me, I was breathing heavily almost paralysed by my fear.

My fear had tripple doubled, panic was now setting in.

I quickly got out of bed and raced to the hallway of the tiny one bedroom flat nana and I shared.

The darkness was forbidden.

It was so so dark, eerily dark and quiet.

I couldn't even see my feet.

What the heck? I questioned in my head.

I screamed as a ferocious growl came from the dark hallway,I was standing in.

Oh my goddess, but it sounded way too close, to be anything good, perspiration dampened my skin, making my palms clammy.

A small breeze whooshed past me, it felt like the beast was circling me, getting ready for the kill.

I turned and instantly took of for the forest, screaming my lungs out as I took off.

The next growl shook the building to it's foundation.

My goddess that must be one seriously pissed Lycan.

"Sonayaaa sonayaaa !! runnn , run fasteeerrrr he's gaining on you,

come onnn."

Mama screamed at me.

Finally, I thought to myself, relief spreading through, I had been so worried when I couldn't find her and she didn't respond to my calls.

A tiny smile made its way to my lips, relief about to flood through me.

One, I've found grandma, she was standing just by the edge of the forest, waiting for me.

Two, I'd just put a foot out of the hallway, my escape was just one foot from being complete.

But as lifted my foot over the threshold, I was yanked back, in the blink of an eye, back into the black hole that was the hallway of our building, screaming my head off.

I was slammed against a hard surface, just as sharp claws began to tear through me.

The pain was blinding..

My blood splattered all over as I screamed and screamed and screamed.

I was being hacked to death by a Lycan, it's hand was almost as thick as half of my body.

It's eyes though was silver and as I slowly slipped into unconsciousness, I saw his face change into that of a man.

A beautiful male, although his face completely twisted and disfigured by the hatred in them.

My eyes were just about to close when a bright light suddenly appeared, rudely dragging me out of my slumber and back into reality.

I shot straight up in bed,

I was covered in sweat, the beddings were soaked through with my perspiration, while I fought to calm my breathing.

"Hey Naya thank the goddess you're awake up , it's time to drink the potion, come sit at the table."

My grandmother ordered.

I sighed as I rubbed sleep of my eyes, got out of bed and went into the living room.

This isn't the first time I had that nightmare.

Mother says my screams alone are terrifying.

It started on a night exactly like this last year on the eve of my seventeenth birthday.

Did I ..? I asked my grandmother weakly.

She nodded her head to confirm, that I had screamed my lungs out again and disturbed the entire neighborhood.

"It was really terrifying." She said with a shudder.

I didn't dream or have nightmares at all, until my birthday last year.

It was a frequent occurrence in the first month, then they stopped.

Only to start again about two months ago.

Grandma handed me a big mug of the nasty potion she'd made for me.

I scrunched my face up and stared at the contents of the cup.

Eyeing it sceptically, before taking it from her.

There was no need ask why anymore.

We've argued about this for the past week, without progress.

But that wouldn't stop me from protesting though, no one likes foul tasting potions posed as tea.

I placed the mug on the table and she gave me a harsh glare. It was a warning to drink up.

"Mamaaa!! You worry too much. This is totally unnecessary."

She said nothing to me, but instead handed me a teaspoon to stir the potion with, her shoulders were tense though and her eyes twitched slightly.

" This is completely useless.

Nothing will happen, just like last year , when nothing happened.

You made me drink it for nothing.

You need to stop worrying ma."

I stressed out in a scandalized tone.

"I'm not worried ." She stated

Oh heck me, she was worried.

The telltale signs were there for anyone to see, if you know what you're looking for.

The tense shoulders, the twitching around her eyes and the way shed just ground her teeth together, tells me, that she was almost paralysed with worry.

My grandmother is very very old, even though she looks to be in her fifties.

She is actually my great grandma, but it's better if people just think she is my grandma, as the truth would raise suspicion.

Tomorrow is my famous eighteenth birthday. That means at the stroke of midnight it would be the eighteenth for me.

It is currently fifteen minutes past eleven, Midnight was fast approaching, rushing towards me like a bullet.

Grandma is so sure that since nothing happened when I turned seventeen, something would happen tonight.

I am worried too, but also hopeful and a little bit reckless about it.

Usually, everyone worth the supernatural blood running in their veins, gets their powers or wolf or Lycan at seventeen.

Those who don't, are the less than five percent population of Lygion. Their blood is deemed to still be contaminated, by remnants of the war.

"I'm not worried ." She stated

Even though the war ended decades ago, there are still a few people who genuinely, can't access their supernatural side because of the potent effects of the weapons used, by the hunters during the war.

The mixture of wolfsbane, foxglove, true blood (siren blood) and silver.

Have had devastatingly long lasting effects on people, some lasting way way longer than expected.

Although, most of the five percent, still manage to manifest one or two supernatural abilities.

My case though, is different.

My lack of supernatural abilities is deliberate.

My powers were suppressed at birth, and although grandma has taught me all she knows, we have never practiced any of it.

This potion is specially prepared to suppress the natural order of things.

Because even though my powers were suppressed at birth, there is still the need to prevent any kind of surge, spike or anything that could possibly pop up .

I did think that I had escaped it last year, when nothing of the sort happened, but mama insists we must take precautions again this year.

Grandma and I really shouldn't be alive, right now. We really shouldn't exist.

We are what people call a taboo in Lygion and would be captured instantly, if found out here in Lygion or in the human world.

So we hide in plain sight in the supernatural world where we are supposed to be free.

We are pure blooded Lockhart's, the worst kinds of supernaturals to still be alive.

The worse kind to be living and breathing in this part of the world.

But even though we are an abomination here, this is where we are safest.

Because even though the elements outside the borders, wont and can't get to us or destroy us, the hunters, (the humans and the dark witches) can and we can't take the risk.

So we stay inside Lygion, in worst place of all because this is where we feel safe.

it's the safest place for us.

I used my left hand to squeeze my nose shut, raise the mug to my lips, shut my eyes and shudder at the pungent smell even with my nose shut.

"Drink up and don't spill a drop."

Ma ordered as she returned to stand in front of me with some salt in her hands.

I nodded slightly, mostly to encourage myself than to let her know I was I about to do her bidding.

I opened my mouth and began to empty the contents of the mug.

I shuddered and gagged over and over again. As I tried to force the foul tasting potion down my throat.

I gagged again, and quickly dropped the mug on the tattered old table beside me.

My stomach heaved like an earthquake was about to whip it's way through me, my body shuddered and sweat beaded on my forehead as I fought to keep the potion down.

"Open !! Grandma ordered

But I waved a finger at her, letting her know to give me a minute.

So she stood hand ready a small amount of salt mixed with vinegar to drop in my mouth.

The second I put my finger down, I opened my mouth and she dropped the salt in.

I closed my mouth with my hands as my body shook with the renewed effort to keep the potion down.

I quickly swallowed the salt and waited for a few seconds.

It would stop me from throwing up the potion, but it won't save me from the terrible taste it would leave on my tongue for days.