The Becoming (Daughters of Darkness Book 1)

Deadly Instincts

I didn’t know what I was doing out here at night. After dinner with the Headmaster I had decided to take the long route back to the dorm, the route that went near the woods. For some reason I felt this strange compulsion to walk by it tonight. I was alone in the dark next to the woods which we were supposed to stay away from. Every part of me seemed to be alert, my nerves buzzing. I pushed down my fear whistling softly to keep myself calm. There was a faint whispering in my thoughts, I need to show you something. I kept my feet on the path letting them guide me to wherever the voice in my thoughts wanted them to go. The sooner I saw this thing, maybe the sooner I would stop hearing voices in my head. 

I saw them at the corner of the woods. Three dark shadows but their eyes were reflective in the moonlight like animals. I stopped walking the hair on the back of my neck rising. The soft voice came echoing into my thoughts, Move quickly before they see you. I looked around for a place to hide and noticed some bushes not the ideal hiding place but better then standing in the open. I crept slowly to the bushes and pushed my body to the ground laying out flat then pulling myself under the bushes, snagging my cheek on a twig. I felt the sting of the cut but didn’t worry to much about it. My heart was racing, I could feel it pulsing through my entire body. The soft voice pushed through my fear, Calm yourself or they’ll hear you. I was obedient. I closed my eyes and slowly pushed all the fear out of my mind until I felt my heart rate slow to a normal pulse. I let out a breath. I heard the sound of footsteps. I could see a pair of shoes from my place under the bush. I instinctively covered my mouth with my hand. 

“What are you doing?” I heard a girlish sounding voice call. I watched the feet pace slowly around the space I had been. The feet called back, “Nothing, I thought I saw something but I guess I was wrong.” it was a males voice that I didn’t recognize. I watched the feet walk away back towards his waiting friends. I let out a breath of relief. I quickly pushed my body from under the bush crouching in attack position like a cornered animal ready to defend. I looked in the direction I had seen the three vampires and they were no longer there. I smiled to myself. I had been right. It was vampires that went to the academy who were behind the killings. I turned quickly to see a pair of reflective eyes looking down at me, “hello.” I felt my heart stop beating. The soft voice came through loud and clear, You Idiot, why didn’t you check both ways before you made your escape. I was about to die and I was arguing with myself about technicalities. You know next time I’ll make sure I look both ways before I cross the angry vampire road. I thought sarcastically. I felt my nerves were raw from the electricity in the air. I stood up gracefully and started to back away slowly looking around for some kind of weapon. 

The moonlight hit the predators face showing a nasty scar across his face, his eyes were crazed like a hungry lion. He flashed me a smile the moonlight shining off his razor sharp canine’s that seemed to elongate before my eyes. He took a couple of steps toward me. The voice came back into my mind, You can take him. I was now officially crazy, Are you kidding? Did you see those teeth? I heard a laugh from my incoming killer. I continued to walk backwards. I needed some quick thinking this time if I was going to live. My subconscious spoke softly, Let me take over and I’ll get you out of here alive Lucy. I promise. I stopped walking aware suddenly that I was walking straight toward the woods. I knew he must be walking me into an ambush. But how could I know that? I felt uncertainty reigning in every part of me. The voice spoke clearly, Trust me. I hadn’t let myself down yet and I had to try something. I closed my eyes and cleared my mind. The voice that had only been thoughts, seemed to be filling up my mind then my body becoming a part of me. It was like I was sharing my body with someone, with myself but a different version of myself, a smarter, wiser, and clearly more trained version. 

When I opened my eyes I saw clearly. I looked at the vampire as he stalked toward me ready to drink every last drop of my blood. It felt like everything was moving in slow motion. I looked around me and saw a branch from a nearby tree that had broken off. I slowly turned my body and backed up toward the branch. If I played it correctly he’d walk right into my trap. I nudged the branch with the heel of my foot. I smiled inwardly to myself, Clever. I stomped my foot on the tip of the branch making it stand upright so I could grab it. I grabbed it holding it behind my back. The vampire continued to make his way for me. Come on. Just a little bit closer. I thought to myself. He stopped a few feet from me, “Your quite a beautiful specimen of your race but still you’re fragile and weak and completely disposable. It’s too bad you were in the wrong place at the wrong time. This isn’t personal, strictly business...” He crouched down into a pouncing position. I felt my heart rate pick up, hold steady and wait until the last possible moment. He launched himself at me, his body releasing a terrible snarl as he ripped through the air. I watched his body fly toward me it was perfection almost unseeable. Without a single thought, I swung my branch effortlessly at his head when he was a few feet from me. I knocked him right out of the air splintering the branch from the force of the blow.