Chapter 0003

A few moments later, Lance bursts into the cafeteria causing Amelia and me to jump.

"False alarm." He beams at me. "Just some punks fooling around with the air conditioner and turning the bathroom faucets on full blast."

Was that what I'd heard in the hallway? I rub my hands down my skirt. But, I notice the pinch at the corners of Lance's eyes. He's not telling us the whole truth. Maybe he doesn't want to worry us or say in front of Amelia. Either way, every nerve in my body screams to run.

"Guess we've done enough for today." I swallow. The desire to run pumping through my veins. "Let's pick up dinner at Mr. Chen's Chinese."

"Awesome idea." Lance tosses a tinfoil star into the air. "I'm starving."

"You're always hungry." Amelia crosses her arms. "I still remember you and your jock friends eating all the large pizzas I paid for at my birthday party."

"How about my treat tonight then?" He gives us a lopsided grin.

"Deal, but I plan on having dessert too. Those fortune cookies aren't sweet enough for me."

"Too many tasty mortals in one place," a guy's voice says from the cafeteria door.

I spin around while Lance tenses beside me and Amelia gives a choked gasp. The dude is wearing a black leather jacket, shades, and the air around him is charged like he's a bomb fixing to explode.

"What are you doing here?" Lance glares. "This school is for humans only."

Had he not seen this dude when he went searching for the noise a moment ago? Or is this guy a vamp and did compulsion on him to forget? My cellphone is in my purse on the other side of the cafeteria. Even if I run, this vampire or werewolf, or whatever he is, will catch me. The memory of my parent's screams rakes across my mind.

Either way, we are royally screwed.

"Rudeness, but what did I expect from your kind?" The guy pushes off the door and strolls toward us.

Lance pushes me behind him. "Leave now before there's trouble."

"Oh, I'm scared. What are you going to do?" he mocks. "Call the cops?"

"We were just leaving." I yank on Lance's arm.

"That would be a shame since I'd hoped to join you three for dinner."

"Isn't there a blood-bank you can pop into for a drink?" I ask though I'm shaking on the inside.

"I'm extra thirsty." He stalks toward us staying in the shadows, easing down his sunglasses to reveal crimson eyes.

My legs tremble as I step back, dragging both Lance and Amelia with me. Just need to make it to the cafeteria's glass backdoors. Outside, the sun hasn't quite set. It will buy us some time to get away as the fading sunshine will fry his skin. Not as much as in the movies, but enough to piss them off and hopefully slow them down.

We don't have any other choice.

I drift closer to the exit, but Lance is stiff in front of me like his muscles are locked in place. He's too heavy and I can't move him.

Is this some vamp mind-control shit?

Beside me, Amelia isn't moving either, or blinking. She looks like a wax museum figure. My heart shoots up in my throat.

What has he done to them?

No way can I fight a vampire alone. I glance around the cafeteria for something to use as a wooden stake. Everything has been put away for the upcoming Prom, besides I'd also need to chop off his head and burn the body. Not that our plastic society would have anything here anyway. The only chance Lance, Amelia and I have is if I can go get help.

Quickly, I shuffle backward, before I spin and race for the doors.

"Don't leave so soon, I invited guests," the vamp says.

I don't process what he's saying until my hands hit the metal bar to open the glass door. Four guys block my path with huge grins on their faces. I scream, tripping over my feet to get away as they come into the cafeteria.

For several seconds, I dash right and left, trying to figure out if one of them is slower. Maybe I can get past one of them. It's only dusk and while the sun won't kill them, it will give them nasty blisters like frying someone in a barbecue pit. It will be enough to buy me time to get help...I hope.

My heart races as the five of them surround me in the cafeteria. I've already tried dodging them to no avail. Lance and Amelia are still unmoving. There's no way out. No way to escape.

All the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and a sensation like I drop down a well plummets in my stomach. I've felt this before, years ago, when the bear attacked my parents.

Sweat creeps down my back and my vision tunnels.

"Let's taste this one first, the scent of her fear is like a sweet aroma to me, like honey," the vampire to my left says.

Despite knowing that they'll catch me, I can't stop myself from running again. From trying.

I race to the glass doors. One of the vamps cuts me off and gives a kissy face before his fangs extend.

I scream as he grabs me, jerking me to him. My fist hits his jaw. He doesn't even blink. Then I kick him as hard as I can in his groin. Surely that will do something.

His chuckle echoes in my ear.

"I love it when my dinner fights back."

His arms lock me in place and I feel his breath along the side of my neck. I squirm. My heart crashes into my chest.

All my attempts to break free, to stop him, are useless. He bites into my neck and a gush erupts from me. I sink to my knees, my vision spiraling.

Three shadows surround me. I shrink back, thinking they are the vamps, but the eyes aren't red. They are blue, gray, and green- this doesn't make sense -both Lance and Amelia have brown eyes. The room spins again, bringing back the vamps and my two friends. A sensation like I'm being burned alive floods me and I scream.

Sounds of shrieks fill my ears before everything goes mercifully dark and silent.