The Darkest Passion | The Lost Boys

Chapter Four

So many thoughts crossed her mind in that split second. Could she choose to go with them when she knew that they were not normal? But then again neither was she. Not many teenage girls look up to vampire role models like she did. They could kill me! Nina shook that thought out of her head before it had even had time to begin to manifest itself into her conscious. Max would not let them kill her; they had been through too much together to go out this way. A small voice in the back of her mind suddenly reared its head and murmured We could be free. If Nina went with them, she could be safe from Malcolm.

From the pain.

Max never really understood why she stayed with Malcolm all those long and horrible years. She never really gave him a reason why she did it. She tended to keep it tucked away to the back of her mind, not wanting to think about it or else she feared she might cry. She had promised her mother as she lay dying that she would not abandon the family no matter how horrible they were. She may have been but just a girl at the time, but the honesty in her words still held true. Her mother died knowing that she had her promise, and over the years Nina had continued to think back to that night. She tended to think about what could have been and what she should have done different. But there is no point in dwelling in the past because it could not change the way her life had played out over the years.

Looking over to Max, she remembered that night so long ago that changed her life forever.

The limp in her leg was quickly becoming unbearable. The walk from the house to the store was a long one, but she no other way to get anywhere. Malcolm would not take her anywhere even if she asked nicely. He thought that she did not deserve help that she was supposed to suffer for things that she had no control over. Tonight she had burnt the chicken that was supposed to be for dinner. Even though she did not mean to that didn't stop Malcolm from coming at her with his hand raised to take her down. There was no real reason as to why Malcolm treated her the way that he did. There was something to be said about the attitude change he had toward her after the untimely death of her mother.

The streets were silent besides the sounds of her feet clicking along the sidewalk as she made her way down the lone strip. The pharmacy was just ahead, she could see the lights just ahead of her. Nina attempted to walk faster even with the limp trying to slow her down, and in her haste she failed to notice the crack in the sidewalk until she was already over it and tumbling over. She could see the sidewalk coming closer and closer to her, and she shut her eyes tightly in fear. She was waiting for the pain but it never came. Instead she felt arms wrap around her waist and pull her up and away from the ground and too safety. Opening her eyes, she saw a tall older man with wide framed glasses looking down on her with sympathy in his eyes.

His voice was quiet and gentle when he spoke softly," Are you okay, dear?"

Nina shook her head to ward off the dizziness that her almost fall had caused, and rasped," I'm fine. Thank you. What's your name?"

He smiled down at her and murmured," I'm Max. What is your name, dear?"

Her injuries seemed to hit her all at once and she closed her eyes and whispered," My name is Nina."

The last thing she remembered before she faded into unconsciousness was Max saying," We need to get you help."

Shaking her head out of her daze, Nina found all of them staring at her with confusion on their faces. Shaking her head even more to ward of the daze that the flashback had caused her, Nina turned around and looked at Max. He had a curious yet knowing look in his eyes. He knew what she had been thinking about, but thankfully he did not say anything to the others. Nina gave him a final nod.