Rachel leapt into the air, felt her wings spread, felt the cool wind hit her in the face and knew, that no matter what she had to do, she would find it.

Chapter 3

Rob sprinted down the football field, holding the ball and charging for the endzone. He couldn’t believe his speed and agility—he was faster than ever. He felt like a cheetah running through the African desert. He was unstoppable and nobody could keep up with him. He clutched the ball tightly in his hands as the croud cheered him on.

“Rob! Rob! Rob!” the kids yelled from the bleechers.

Then, charging the last yard and into the end zone, Rob scored a touchdown. His tenth touchdown of the game. It was unheard of—even Rob couldn’t believe his streak this game. He knew something was up, he didn’t feel quite like himself tonight, and knew his powers were coming back.

It had been almost a year since the incident with Violet, when he first felt his body changing and his powers strengthening; but then, all of a sudden, they disappeared. They went almost as quickly as they came, and now he was beginning to feel the powers come back in full force, even stronger than before, but he didn’t know why.

Why now? he thought to himself.

“Nice one, Rob!” a teammate said, slapping him on the back.

“Word!” another teammate said, high fiving him.

“Yo, what’s gotten into you? You’re da bomb,” another teammate said, chest-butting him.

“Rob, nice work! Now that’s what I call an amazing game,” the coach yelled as he came barreling onto the field to congratulate Rob on winning the game.

The cheerleaders danced onto the field, all running up to Rob and hugging and kissing him. He’d never felt more loved or prized as he did at that moment. He felt like he was on top of the world, yet he knew it wasn’t him. He knew there was someone or something behind this sudden surge of power.

The team walked off the field together, smiling and high fiving each other on their way to the locker room. The crowd in the bleachers was still chanting his name and many of the kids were coming up to Rob in amazement, congratulating him on his win for the school.

As he entered the locker room, Rob’s head suddenly began to hurt; it felt as if someone were inside his brain, banging on the walls of his skull. It hurt so badly, he had to stop and sit down for a minute with his head in between his hands. Then, a hunger came raging through his body and he became ravenous. All he wanted to do was eat. He was craving blood, something he hadn’t thought of in months. Now, suddenly, it was emerging from out of nowhere. He knew he had to let it subside; there were way too many people here and he knew he’d get caught if he killed an animal and sucked its blood. But Rob wasn’t craving an animal per se—what he really wanted was human blood.

Each person that came up to him was tempting to him. His eyes rolled back in his head, the hairs on his arms stood up and his body began to get goosebumps all over. He started shaking. He couldn’t resist the sight and smell of all of these people. He ran to the end of the locker room, where his teammates were already in the shower and getting dressed to go out that night.

Rob had been looking forward to the big post-game bash at his friends’ house and hoped that this hunger and surge of power would subside and he would feel like his old self again. He didn’t like these feelings; despite his strength and power, he felt helpless and out of control.

One by one, his teammates passed him, by saying they’d see him later at the party as they left the locker room. Within fifteen minutes, Rob was the only person left in the locker room, sitting on a bench with his head in between his hands. He prayed that this would all go away, that it wasn’t returning for good this time.

He lifted his head, stood up and opened his locker door. Inside the grey metal door was a picture of Rachel, still hanging from last season. He didn’t have the heart to take it down; he still loved her and missed her. He thought about her every day, even though he’d started seeing Becca, a senior in his class. He knew he’d never see Rachel again and figured she’d been killed, since nobody had seen her in almost a year.

“Rob!” Becca’s voice called out through the door of the locker room. “Rob, are you in there?”

He rolled his eyes. He didn’t want to answer but knew if he didn’t she’d come in and find him anyway.

“Yeah, be out in a minute,” Rob answered solemnly.

“Honey! You’re taking so long. What’s going on?” Becca yelled in again, in a high-pitched, snotty tone.

Rob didn’t answer; he figured if he was silent, she would just go away. He didn’t have the energy to deal with her right now. He liked her and everything, but she was pretty high maintenance, and he wasn’t in the mood for her antics at that moment.

“Robby bear! I know you’re in there,” Becca called as her voice got closer and closer.

“There you are silly! I knew you were in here,” Becca said, leaping towards Rob to give him a kiss.

“Not now, Becca. I’m not in the mood,” Rob said, still peering into his locker.

“Not her again,” Becca said, looking at the picture of Rachel in his locker. “Why do you have her picture in your locker, Rob? Huh?”

Not having a good answer, Rob shrugged his shoulders.

“You need to get over that loser anyway, you have me now,” Becca said as she walked over and attempted to rip the picture down.

“Hey, what do you think you’re doing? Don’t touch my stuff!” Rob yelled. “Leave that picture where it is, it’s not up to you to take it down.”

“I just don’t know why you still have it up and why there isn’t a picture of me hanging in your locker. What? Do I mean nothing to you? Do you not care about me as much as you cared about her? She’s gone now, don’t you realize Rob? She’s never coming back,” Becca said in a snarky tone.

“You don’t know that for sure, so stop saying that. She might come back, have faith,” Rob snapped back.

“Anyway, this is stupid. Let’s get to the party! What are you going to wear?” Becca said, glancing down at his duffle bag full of wrinkled clothes. “Hopefully nothing in that nasty bag of yours.”

“What is your deal Becca? Can’t you just let me be? I’ll wear whatever I want, and I don’t need you hovering over me to make a decision. I can do it on my own,” Rob answered.

“Geeze, you’re in a mood tonight Mr. Moody Pants,” Becca said in a sing-song voice.

Rob couldn’t take it anymore. He had to get her out of his sight.

“Becca, please leave now, I’ll meet up with you later,” Rob said anxiously, his body begin to tremble and shake again due to hunger.

“Nah, I’ll wait here for you. I don’t want to leave Mr. Moody all alone now do I?” she said again.

“If you don’t leave now and if you don’t stop calling me that I’m going to get really upset, Becca,” Rob said angrily. “Go!”

“Mr. Moody Pants, Mr. Moody Pants,” Becca called out in a chant.

Suddenly Rob couldn’t take it anymore. He launched at Becca as she fell to the floor, screaming in horror. “What are you doing, Rob? Get off of me!” she yelled.

“You asked for it,” Rob said, as his large fangs emerged from inside of his gums.

“AHHH!!!” Becca screamed. “What’s happening? Who are you? Stop! Please!” she pleaded.

“I warned you. I tried to be nice, but there’s only so much I can take,” Rob said as he leaned down towards her neck.

“Noooooo!!!!” Becca screamed. “Noooooo!!!!!!!!!”

It was the last words she uttered before Rob sank his fangs deep into her neck, sucking the blood out of her body and feeding a nice long feed on the blood of his girlfriend.

Chapter 4

Rob couldn’t bear it anymore. He had to find Rachel. He couldn’t stand his life without her and had to find her. He loved her desperately and wanted to be with her. He also knew she held all the answers to why he was feeling this way, and why he was turned. He couldn’t explain his desire or passion for finding her, but knew he had to follow his gut, his true animal instinct to be with her.

He didn’t linger in the locker room; he ran right out, without covering up the mess he’d just made. Becca lay on the floor, blood dripping from her neck, convulsing as he slammed his locker door shut and ran out, without looking back. He figured it didn’t matter anyway, because nobody would suspect anything, especially not from him.

Rob knew the only way to find Rachel would be to ask her family. The only problem with that though, was that he’d tried many times to go to her house, knocking on her door, but nobody answered. He couldn’t understand why they were never home. He figured maybe they weren’t up for company and were still mourning her loss, but he didn’t know for sure.

Lucky for Rob, he heard through his friends that Rachel’s younger brother, Marc, would be at the party that night. Despite feeling tired and hungry, he knew he had to go to the party. He knew he had to find Marc and get to the bottom of this mystery. If anybody would know where to find Rachel it would be her own sibling, so off he went in his blue Audi to the party.

As he arrived at the row of townhouses in the outskirts of town, he saw throngs of his peers going up the steep stoop and into the front door. He waited out front, with his car engine and his headlights off, sitting in the dark, watching, waiting for Marc to appear. After fifteen minutes, he figured he’d better go inside and find him. Maybe he’d gotten their earlier and was already inside.

Rob entered the party and swarms of people surrounded him, cheering him on and congratulating him on his game. One after the next came up to him offering him a shot of vodka, tequila or a can of beer. Rob took a few shots, cheered himself on with his friends and then, once the excitement died down and he’d greeted everyone, he went looking for Marc. He prowled around the townhouse as if he were a burglar. He knew he shouldn’t have gone upstairs, but had to find Marc. He couldn’t leave the party without speaking to him.