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Have you ever wished that you hadn't waited the day before something's due to start a project?

That's all I'm thinking about right now. Though, my problem isn't necessarily associated with school homework. I guess you would consider it a type of group project that I was forced to participate in.

"Saige, have you decided on what type of pastry you're going to make?" My mother called from what sounded like her bedroom.

She just had to ask a question while I was munching on chips. I tried to swallow what I was chewing quickly so I could respond, but it ended up taking longer than I thought it would. I rotated the stool I was sitting on toward the archway of the kitchen.

"I'm thinking about making eyeball cookies," I called out to her, my pastry choice sounding weirder than I thought it would be.

There was an awkward silent pause and I wondered if my mother thought I was crazy for a moment. It was supposed to be Halloween themed, or what the vampires called it, Hallow's Eve. Eyeball cookies sounded like a good choice to me.

I grabbed another chip from a bowl I had placed on the granite countertop. Then I heard her small footsteps approach the kitchen. Her small frame stopped under the archway and she looked at me a little weirdly. Her dark eyebrows raised in confusion.

"Brilliant idea. Though I'm not so sure how you'll be able to make them." My mother sounded unsure of my amateur cooking skills.

I'll agree with her there. I'm not so sure myself how I'll be able to make eyeball cookies either. It looks easy in the cookbook, but I know better than that. Appearances can always be deceiving.

"I'll have to go to the store to pick up some ingredients, but I think I can do it." I grabbed the open cookbook I had been flipping through earlier.

I lifted up the book and showed her the page with the cookies. She came closer to observe the list of ingredients needed to make such a sweet. Though I guess eyeball cookies weren't really a type of pastry. She nodded her head slightly and turned away from me.

"Well if that's what you want to make, go for it." My mother shrugged her shoulders and began to exit.

I turned the book toward myself and studied the picture of the colorfully crafted cookie. It wasn't anything major, just a small circle-shaped sugar cookie with green frosting and an edible eyeball ornament.

While I observed the picture a bit more, I felt my mouth begin to slightly water. How long has it been since I've had anything sweet? I felt my stomach grumble even though I've been snacking on chips for the past hour.

"Mother, you wouldn't mind driving me to the closest store would you?" I called out real quick before she was completely out of my sight.

Her footsteps halted and she suddenly peeked her head out from behind the archway. She smiled slightly, but I could see right through it. The way her body tensed up and how her smile faltered. She was completely stressed out.

"No, I wouldn't mind dropping you off real quick." My mother sighed. "Get your stuff and meet me in the car."

She turned and exited out of my sight. Moving my body back toward the counter, I reached for a conveniently placed notepad and pen. I scribbled down the list of ingredients from the book and then shoved the paper in my front jeans pocket.

I stood up from the stool and closed the cookbook. The sound of the front opening and closing caught my attention. She moves a lot more quickly than I do for a much older lady. She's like twenty years older than me, but don't tell her I said that.

With a simple spin, I sped up my walking pace as I made my way through the living room and toward the front door. I slipped on my tennis shoes that were resting by the window quickly and pulled opened the large door.

A rush of cold air hit my face and I involuntarily shivered. As I stepped onto the porch, I breathed in the freezing air. I felt it enter my body and burn my lungs. Gotta love the upcoming winter season.

My mother was already in our baby blue minivan, it's engine sputtering to life as she started it. I hopped down the steps and toward the side of the passenger door. I opened it and breathed out a cold puff of air.

Stepping in and sitting down on the seat, I buckled the seat belt. I closed the door, glad to be escaping the freezing October weather. It's a lot colder here than it was in the East. Even then, it could get still pretty chilly during the winter.

I watched our house disappear from sight as the car drove out of the neighborhood in slow motion. The scenery around this small town was actually quite nice. It was secluded and peaceful, but at times I felt like the people here had a type of void in their hearts. Some sort of emptiness.

There was a dark vibe flowing through this town of supernatural creatures. Even now, having experienced first hand just how dangerous and realistic vampires were, somewhere deep down I still couldn't completely accept that they actually existed.

"Saige," My mother disrupted the silence in the air, "About the company trip I have to go on this weekend—"

"I understand why you have to go." I interrupted, still feeling a bit nervous about having to be by myself in a town full of vampires.

My mother suddenly slowed down the car and I turned to look at her with my brow raised. "That wasn't what I was going to say."

I stared at her in confusion. She wasn't going to say how sorry she was for suddenly leaving me alone for a few days? She just stared ahead, pursing her lips together while I waited impatiently for her to continue talking.

I felt the car turn to the right and come to a complete stop. My mother shut off the engine and I rotated my head to look out the window. We had arrived at the store, it's sign light dim and flickering. That's not creepy at all.

"I was going to say that I'm worried about you being by yourself." You and me both. My mother all of a sudden looked me straight in the eye for the first time in a few days.

"I'm sure I'll be fine." I tried to play it off, but in the back of my mind, there was this voice reminding me that I could be killed by a vampire any day now.

My mother didn't look so sure and I caught a glimpse of concern in her brown eyes. "You haven't had any trouble at your school have you?"

It was barely there, but I managed to hear it in her voice. There was a hint of suspicion in her tone and I couldn't help but think that she knew something. Doubt washed over me and for some reason, I believe that I could have been wrong this entire time.

"No, no trouble at all." I paused, hesitant to continue my lie, "Why?"

"Oh, you just seemed a bit out of sorts as of late. I was just making sure I could leave you alone for a few days." My mother's tone changed and she recovered from her nervousness.

My lips tightened into a thin line and I couldn't help but feel uneasy. She has left me alone for a weekend to go on a company trip before. This time was different though, she was acting strange and unusual.

Maybe it's because she knows about vampires.

That's absurd though. There's no way she could know about the vampire's existence. She wouldn't intentionally put me in a dangerous town filled with deadly creatures that could kill me. Right?

I questioned myself, but I had to know. "Mother, you're not hiding anything from me are you?"

Her body suddenly tensed up and she turned her gaze away from me, focusing on the steering wheel. "Of course not. Why would you think that?"

I felt my heart sink when I heard her say that. My doubt was leaving me quickly and confusion clouded my mind. A new question arose in my head, what did I really know about my mother? I barely knew about her work.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and plastered on a pained smile. "No reason."

My mother could know something about vampires. And she's hiding it from me.

• • • • •

I scanned the very plain looking aisles for the right ingredients. I wrinkled my nose at the disgusting names for some of the food packages. A sigh escaped my lips and I could help but feel this was pointless.

The list was right in front of me, but I couldn't seem to find the corrects items to make freaking cookies. I glanced at the pathetic basket I carried around my arm and the few amounts of items it had laying inside it.

My feet moved a few steps down the aisle and the food color section caught my eye. I smiled, pleased to actually find something within the last five minutes. I lifted myself up to grab the bottle but was very disappointed when I was just a few inches out of reach.

I huffed and out spite blamed my mother for the short height. Even though I was taller than her, why did I have to be so short? I breathed in and tried again. I was so close!

"Here." A familiar masculine voice whispered in my ear.

I stood frozen from the unexpected shock. A long arm reached up beside me and grabbed the green food coloring bottle. I turned my head, afraid to confirm who I thought it was.

His blonde hair was messy and his face wore a stoic expression but his mesmerizing brown eyes looked at me gently. I felt captivated by his beauty, though I had seen him many times before.

"Thanks, Carson." I came out of my daze and said quietly. I carefully grabbed the bottle from his large palm and put it in my basket.

A slight smile tugged at his lips and I couldn't help but catch the movement. My face heated up and my heart beat rapidly against my rib cage. Why was I feeling this was? He's the same Carson I see at school every day.

He's acting kind to me.

I forced myself to glance away. I felt nervous and studied the black and white floor tiles. Slowly I added them up and there looked to be five on this side and six on the other...wait a minute...

"You're welcome, Saige." He emphasized my name and I felt my face burn with an indescribable heat.

I nodded my head slowly. My dark hair falling around my face like a curtain to hide my bright blush. I had always found him attractive, but his kindness had made my heart beat erratically.

Carson took a step toward me and I couldn't control the sharp intake of breath I had unconsciously taken. Being too occupied with my jumbled thoughts, I didn't see his hand reach for me. His rough fingers gently lifted my chin up, forcing me to stare into his beautiful orbs.

My heart fluttered as he smiled down at me. Who was this person? This was not the cold-hearted Carson that had treated me rudely for the past week. I choked on air as his hand moved a loose strand of dark hair behind my ear.

"What do you need food coloring for?" Carson's voice threw me for a loop.

I quickly glanced at the basket full of items and suddenly remembered what I had been doing previously. I cleared my throat and prayed that my blush would quickly disappear. But where his cool fingers touched my heated skin had left behind a trail of tingles.

"Reece and I are supposed to make sweets for the Hallow's Eve Carnival." I blurted out nervously and bit my tongue the second after I said it.

My eyes widened and I can't believe I was stupid enough to even mention the name of Carson's enemy. He had just made me so nervous that I couldn't think straight. I whipped my head toward Carson and felt my heart stop.

A scowl had replaced his genuine smile and his bright eyes had darkened with rage. I gulped, afraid to mindlessly say something even more stupid. This was the Carson I was fearful of glancing at in the hallways at school.

"But we're not working together because he's making a different sweet than I am." I quickly said, trying to calm him down before he could explode in a public place.

I wish I knew what the deal was between Reece and him, but at the same time, I was afraid to find out. I didn't want to get thrown into the middle of the fight, but I was afraid I already had the minute I put on that school uniform.

His fists tightly stayed closed at his sides, and his chest expanded vastly. I don't know why he was so upset about it. It's not like I'm on either one of their sides. I would like to remain in the neutral party, please.

"You're not going to the carnival are you?" Carson's voice came out threatening and it didn't even sound like a question at all.

I shook my head, trying to reassure him. "No, I'm not."

His body relaxed and he exhaled rather loudly. He closed his eyes and I stared at him worriedly, hoping I wouldn't anger him again. I watched as his mouth moved slightly and I swear I heard him whisper the word good.

He opened his eyes and I watched as they glanced down at my chest. I know I had taken off my uniform and changed clothes, so there was no way my cleavage was showing. Plus I was hoping with what I knew about Carson that he wasn't that kind of guy.

I quickly looked down and caught the glare of the small white crystal slowly swinging back and forth. My eyes widened and I suddenly remembered that it was Carson's necklace that I was wearing. Sometimes I forget I'm even wearing it.

"Carson, this is yours—" I was about to take it off when he all of a sudden turned his back to me and started walking away.

I was surprised and stood there a bit dazed. His retreating figure exited the aisle and turned left. I dropped the necklace and it thumped lightly against my chest. Carefully, I put the basket I was holding down onto the tile floor.

Why would he walk away? His smile flashed in my mind and I suddenly felt abandoned. I chased after him, turning left where he had. A few bystanders gave me weird looks as I raced toward the front of the store. His blonde hair was there for a second before it disappeared outside.

Don't leave me!

I panted, opening the door and embracing the chilled air. He was walking away calmly, though his fists were tightened by his sides. I shivered, the unexpected cold temperature shocking my body. My lungs burned from the freezing air.

"Carson!" I tried to speak out to him, but it came out as more of a cry.

His body stopped and I could see the muscles through his shirt tense. He slowly turned toward me and I gulped out of fear. I couldn't look away from his mesmerizing eyes that threatened to turn crimson.

"You don't get it, do you? I'm using you like a pawn in a game of chess." His words were ice cold and I felt my heart sink. "And I'm winning."

"I-I don't understand," I stuttered out. My teeth chattering rather loudly.

I hugged myself for warmth and saw the hesitation in his eyes. He didn't want to tell me, but I had to understand what he'd meant when he said I was a pawn. Then Nolan's words rang in my ears.

"Whoever gave it to you, stole it."

Was I a pawn in some sick and twisted game of his? As I looked at his face, I doubted that it was true. There had to be some explanation as to why Carson would say and do such mean things to me.

"Carson, did you steal the necklace?" I asked as I gripped the silver chain hanging from my neck.

He looked at me for a moment and his expression was grim. He turned his head away from me, breaking eye contact. Nolan was right. Carson had stolen the necklace. I suddenly felt disgusted and the silver burned my hands.

"Here! Take it back!" I felt enraged and pulled the necklace off, hurling it straight at him with all I had.

Carson looked up and his eyes widened, he swiftly caught the small piece of jewelry and studied it in his palm. He looked at me with shame etched onto his facial features. The cold air had numbed me and I barely felt it anymore.

A strong wind blew, my hair wildly flying into the air. It would now surely become a tangled mess. I wrapped my arms around my torso, trying to protect myself against the harsh wind. I closed my eyes, trying to stop the tears.

"Human?" Carson whispered so faintly that I barely heard him speak the word.

My eyes widened in fear and it was then I realized my mistake. It happened all at once and so quickly that I barely caught it. Carson had an unrecognizable expression. His eyes had turned crimson as he lunged at me.

I blinked and before I knew it he was an inch in front of me. Our noses were practically touching and I was frozen in fear. His eyes were so beautiful when they turned a deep crimson, yet so terrifying. His mouth opened partly and I could see just the tips of his fangs.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and his eyes zoomed in on the movement. I closed my eyes, preparing myself for the worse. Though I knew there was no way I could prepare myself. My eyes began to water and my bottom lip trembled uncontrollably.

"Never take it off." Carson's voice whispered in my ear.

A slight breeze blew and the terrifying feeling started to disappear. I peeked my eyes open one at a time and was surprised to see that he had vanished completely. My body stayed frozen and the tears began to roll down my cheeks.

My hand reached for my neck and I found the necklace hanging there once again. Carson hadn't known I was human when I first walked into that gas station. But now he does.

I gripped the small diamond and my vision became blurry. So many questions raced through my mind. Why did Carson steal the necklace and who from? Why did Nolan seem to care?

I had this feeling deep in my gut that Carson was going to keep my secret. What motive did he have in telling anybody else? That would mean others would find out about the necklace. And I was right in my conclusion that it was the necklace that had kept me hidden from the vampires.

"Stupid..." I mumbled to myself as I tried to wipe the never-ending tears from my eyes.

There was one important question that plagued my mind. What kind of game was Carson talking about?

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★ @within_days

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★ : @within_days