Sometimes the world has to flip on its axis in order to get to the truth. Right now that truth tore apart everything I thought I knew before. Valerie opened her hand but I was too afraid to accept that hand just yet.

"I'm leaving. I sense that you two have a lot to talk about", Ember said softly. "I will be waiting for you at home Valerie. Will you be back later", Ember questioned carefully.

"No. I'm going to Rowen's house to see her paint room so we can have a private talk", Valerie stated without asking if she could come over. Ember nodded her head but moved out of the forest like a sly fox. There was something lighter in Ember's eyes as she left that felt like warmth vibrating from within. I didn't dwell on the thought for long but turned to face a person or creature that I had come to know as a friend these past few months.

I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket but I didn't dare pick it up. I didn't care who was leaving messages they could wait until I was good and ready. Right now Valerie and I needed to talk about what just happened.

"Rowen, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. Surely you understand that i couldn't tell you", Valerie said as she stepped closer towards me nervously. I backed away into the nearby tree with my pulse racing rapidly.

"How about for now you stay there while I ask you question", I said with a grimace on my face. "Are you going to hurt me", i asked Valerie with my fists clenched at my sides. I would fight Valerie if I had to even though she wasn't human. As soon as I asked the question I saw Valerie's face fall into a pit of sadness.

"How could I hurt you. You are my best friend, or you were", she stated softly. I looked at the timid girl before me with conflicted feelings. I wanted to be friends with Valerie but my heart was not in the right place right now. There were too many thoughts swirling in my head one that was too dark to voice out loud.

"I want to be friends", I said anxiously. "This is just a lot to take in for one day. It's ok if I falter for a moment. You haven't hurt me. Yet you have had plenty of opportunities to kill me if you wanted to do so. I trust Valerie. She is my friend", I perused out loud. Valerie looked up at me with the glimmer of hope in her eyes.

"You can still trust me. Just give me tonight to tell you. I don't want Ian or Nixon to know. Heck I'm pretty sure Nixon will wipe the floor with me as soon as we leave here for exposing my identity", Valerie said with a dour expression. As soon as she said that i thought about Nixon in all his moodiness. I wondered if Nixon also possessed the ability to shred the flesh off his body. If he did I wondered the creature that lay beneath.

"Ill give you tonight", I said without thinking about the consequences. "But you have to leave me alone until then. I need time to think", I said honestly. I still had my English essay to write which I planned on doing during lunch. I left Valerie in the forest to venture to the classrooms below.

Even if my life was being upended I still had homework to do. As I reached the hallway I realized that an hour had already past. I was saddened to have missed art class but it was for a good reason. I went straight to the library with determination in my footsteps.

As I walked across the hall with my head held down I almost smashed into Nixon. The spark of electricity between our bodies grew stronger each time we touched. At this point it was so strong it could have started a fire within me. I felt the tension rolling off him in waves but I had too many things on my mind. I held my finger up to stop him from speaking to me because I had other plans.

"No. Stay right there. I'm going to do my essay for our English class. I expect you to do the same tonight. But I won't talk to you right now", I said to him curtly. Nixon's expression faltered as his eyes shrouded into darkness.

"Have it your way", Nixon said dourly as he left me standing there with my heart on fire. He was so captivating that I wanted to stare into his eyes for hours but right now I needed normal. I couldn't stand his hot and cold mood swings or my conflicted feelings any longer. However the rejection that reflected in those blue eyes left me feeling like I wanted to weep. I swept into the library like a possessed person towards a computer desk.

I had determination in my gaze as I typed words onto paper frantically. It was almost like the words had clawed their way out of my mind. I would have laughed at the metaphor but the truth wasn't very funny at all. I heard the bell ring but I sat rooted to the spot in front of the computer desk. I felt everything i thought about Nixon pour out onto the page before me. The words felt like my own personal safety net in these dark times.

I finished the assignment with gusto. It took only about two periods but I was finished. After everything was written i printed out my essay at the printing station. When I had time to think I sat at the computer desk googling random things.

I had questions about my necklace so i started looking up moon phases. I looked at the calendar which talked all about the cycle of a moon. The moon usually cycled every 28 to 31 days depending upon several factors. It was a waxing gibbant moon which meant I had only a few days left. I wondered what could possibly happen in the next few days so quickly that would lead to my travel to an unknown location. Only 5 days left until the blood red moon that would mean my death. I was tired of looking for answers on the computer so I gathered my essay instead.

It was ninth period now which meant I had skipped quite a few hours of classes since first period. It was only a few hours but it had felt like a lifetime. As I walked into English class I realized that I couldn't ignore Nixon forever. Even though he was the person I feared the most seeing him had a calming effect on me. I looked to see Nixon's familiar outline but he was turned away from me.

He was looking out the window with a saddened expression on his face. A storm was brewing in the depth of those eyes. He was waiting to erupt at a moments notice. I had caused this by mere words. I wanted to reach over to comfort him in his moment of need but knew it wasn't my place. As i slipped into this normal routine anxiety crept inside.

Someone other then Ember was out for blood against me for some unknown reason. The pictures in my backpack were enough proof of that. I felt the weight of the world as I held it tight to my chest. The photos needed to be examined thoroughly for any details that were out of place. I needed to know the truth about those photographs. If Ember hadn't taken those pictures of me then who had and what did they want.