CHAPTER SEVEN:
"you really don't know how to enjoy a good fantasy story" said Vincent laughing, "no I'm just saying, they make such a beautiful town sound like Transylvania" I argued, "well you've got a point there and thanks for the books, I'll be in touch" I whispered waving away. "Hmmm I see someone's already got a crush on Vincent, hmm good choice sister, he's smart, handsome, kind, helpful, hardworking and a whole lot of other nice features, he's definitely someone worth considering "said Jessica winking, I suddenly felt really shy and defensive, "no, no, no it's nothing like that, I just, he just, I mean he was just helping me pick out some books", "uh hmm, I hear you, so tell me did he ask you out already".
I felt myself blushing at the thought, "you don't have to be so shy about it, besides he's already got you reading from his collection", "wait what do you mean he's got me reading from his collection" I asked out of curiosity, "well I guess the library, pretty much just gave him those shelves, after all he's the only one who really reads those books anyway, so whenever he's here he spends all his time in that corner, just reading, even though he's so popular, with so many friends and admirers, I really can't help but feel like he's so lonely. They say his father died before he was born and his mother abandoned him when he was just a baby, leaving him with his grandmother and she's all he's had ever since and this library has been like a second home to him to him since we were kids, he would come here and just get lost in those books, I think it's how he deals with all those emotions, he's not alone but he's just lonely". "yeah I know what you mean" I replied sadly, "anyway It's getting late, so I better get going, I don't want to have a search party looking for me on my first day in town" I said awkwardly, we both chuckled as I skipped down the stairs, the truth is, Jessica is the nicest librarian I'd ever met, in fact compared to Mrs. Osprey who would even shush a fly, she's a complete saint. I checked the time and it was six thirty four.
I biked back home slowly, taking in the sights and trying to take mental notes of all the signs I'd passed to make sure I don't end up missing Edna lane and end up getting lost. I turned up Edna lane and I noticed that our neighbors' lights were on, I wondered who they were and what they were like, the thought of walking up to their door steps, knocking on their doors and saying hi, I'm your new neighbor lingered in my mind until I reached our house, something was wrong. It wasn't like my parents to leave the door wide open, no, they wouldn't, I laid my bike on the ground and walked in, I didn't know what to expect or what I was thinking, "mom! Dad!" I called out quietly, I took a quick glance, the whole house was a mess, and it looked ransacked. I walked to the kitchen and grabbed my little league baseball bat from the box on the kitchen table a sudden crash came from upstairs, fear rose in my heart and panic seized my body, "whoever is there come out right now! Right this moment believe me I'm not joking "I shouted retreating to the living room, "I don't want to hurt you, so just come out right now".
I didn't know what I'd hoped to achieve from my empty threats, or who or what I'd hoped would walk down the stairs, but one thing was certain, when it did come, I didn't see it, a blur down the stairs, it circled the living room and then, it approached me, moving faster than the human eye could process, all I could make out was a blur and a rather fast one at that, I couldn't react fast enough, whatever it was, it was very, very strong, it struck me with a single blow, sending me flying across the living room. I hit the wall and collapsed face first onto the floor, the last thing I remember before fading into the vacuum of darkness was its gleaming red eyes, standing over me a faint scent of blood oozing from it.
"Lunar! Lunar! Lunar! My head throbbed, I was groggy and my vision was blurry but I could make out my parents' faces, they were shaking me and shouting my name, I could hear the panic and fear in her voices, I tried to get up but my body felt like I was run over by a train. "Are you okay?" my mother asked, "yah I think so, it's just my sides hurt a bit", I mumbled, she poked around my ribs for a while and only stopped when I yelped out in pain, the she gave her diagnosis, "you have three fractured ribs", "no, I'm fine, it's just a graze", I tried to get up but all I got was a piercing, painful sensation, that got me screaming, groaning and writhing in agony. My mum lay me back down on the couch, "you should really stop moving around so much, or else you'll only aggravate your injuries further", she commanded with all the strictness and sternness in her voice and she gave me some much needed pain killers.
"What really happened here? Who did this? Did you manage to see their faces? Do you think you'd be able to identify them?" and my dad was once again making out a list of questions, except this time I didn't know the answers, I really didn't have the answers. The bits and pieces that I did have didn't make any sense, I didn't know if they were believable, I didn't, I couldn't believe it myself, but it was the truth but it was the truth, it's what really happened to me in my home in shear falls. "I don't know" I stammered, "I just came home and met the door wide open, I walked in hoping you guys were home but you weren't so I got to the kitchen and grabbed my bat thinking that someone might have broken in, but I still don't know, I still don't believe what I saw, you guys, you have to believe me, whatever it was it definitely wasn't human, it couldn't have been human, it moved faster than anything I've ever seen, I could barely see it's movement and it was strong, when it struck me I landed halfway across the living room, but what really scared me was its eyes, they color of blood and they glowed and he had a faint, distinct scent of blood all around him, honestly I know that it sounds totally crazy and far-fetched, I couldn't believe it myself but I'm telling you it's the truth, I promise".
I could see the unsettling look of bewilderment and worry painted on their faces, they stared at each other for a while, "it's obvious you hit your head harder than we'd anticipated and it's abundantly clear that you're delusional" said Mr. Tracer raising his hands to signal that the conversation was over. "My files!" he yelped out as he raced up the stairs, moving faster than I'd ever seen him move in my entire life, we heard sounds of crashing sand frantic searching, a few minutes later, he returned walking down the stairs one at a time looking rather disappointed, the look of frustration, worry and fear boldly evident in his expression. My mom met him at the foot of the stairs, "honey, what's wrong?" she asked, "the file containing the evaluation of the mutation, it's missing", that was all I could hear from their conversation before it faded into a series of muffled whispers. "Hey mum, is everything okay?" I asked worriedly, "it's nothing you need to about", I'm really sorry I couldn't stop it, I know it stole some of your work and I'm really, really sorry about it". "how do you know about that?" my mom asked looking surprised, "I overheard you guys talking about it" she seemed even more shocked, "you mean from all the way over here" you know what, never mind, what you truly need right now is bed rest so that your fractured ribs can heal up properly, also we managed to enroll you at Montesquieu union university and since your father is a friend of the dean, well we managed to pull a few strings, even though it's almost the middle of the semester, with your grades, you can start next week or with your current condition, whenever your ribs heal up.