The Haven High Book Series (Wattys2017)

Chapter 48

Lauren stepped out into the cold November chill and suppressed a shiver. The back of the club was far less whimsical then the inside of it. The door closed slowly on the hinge behind her, but snapped shut with a loud click before cutting off the loud music abruptly.

Oh yeah the club was spelled sound proof for sure. It was eerily quiet in the back alley now. Lauren could hear the drip, drip, drip of the rain gutter on the cold black asphalt. Just then she heard a scuffle of shuffling steps further back in the shadows. Great did he expect her to just walk into the dark to meet him? Why wasn't he coming towards the security light above the back door?

Suddenly, she couldn't repress the feeling that this was a very big mistake, and she was about to say the hell with it and go back inside, when Quinn did a doggy whine and bumped her legs with his body. He was encouraging her to come forward. He was essentially saying you've got this, and I'm here if you need me.

She took a shuddering breath, and stepping forward, called out, "Who's there, come towards the light."

Hey, she thought, that sounded a bit like the creepy lady in the movie Poltergeist. She was so terrified her vocal chords where being strangled with adrenaline.

The person shuffled forward, but in the shadows she could see its gait was all wrong. It ambled about inelegantly dragging its limbs and legs awkwardly. When it crested the light she got a glimpse of its milky white eyes with their thick film of yellow-grey over the pupils.

Its teeth were blackened in its gums and when it spoke its tongue listed to one side like a sinking vessel.

A REVENANT!

Quinn started to growl, the tensions in his back legs building, he was getting ready to lunge. Lauren didn't know why she did it, but she yanked on his leash and pulled it taunt.

"A-Are y-you the guy that contacted me," she stammered?

"Yes." He groaned.

His neck was as thin as old newspaper and most of the sound he generated escaped through the worn skin. She watched the skin flap while her stomach roiled.

She swallowed down the bile that rose to the back of her throat and asked, "What do you know about my brother?"

"I know he returned a few years back. "

She had to strain to hear him; he could only speak in a barely audible whisper.

"He is very dangerous your brother." He crooned.

"What do you mean?" Lauren surged forward to hear him better, but this time it was Quinn who held her back.

It happened then, the creature lunged forward faster than she could even imagine given his state of decay, and Quinn broke free from her grasp.

But it was unnecessary to fend him off, the revenant meant her no harm; he had surged forward because something had blown a gaping hole in his chest. That was still smoldering.

She looked over his hunched shoulder to see five figures coming out of the shadows towards her and Quinn.

Just then Delphi came bursting out the back door and said," you might want to move."

Lauren moved alright. You would move too.

Let's make one thing clear in her world if an Oracle tells you to move . . .

. . . You better damn well move!

She used her Fae speed in fact, and if she hadn't she would have been struck in the head with a huge fire ball.

Zach, Kelly, CJ, Ryan, Ray, Travis, Connor crested the doorway just as the molted ball of lava struck the side of the building. When Lauren looked in their direction she could still hear Marley playing on stage, and she could see Meg giving a very determined Cameron the death stare.

Delphi announced, "You've guys got this. I myself happen to be a lover not a fighter; so I'll be inside. "

She ducked back in, but stopped to bark at Megan, "Not you!" while Cameron gave Delphi a 'I love you so much right now' look.

The night students came out of the Mist giving each other room enough to cast -- and if they were worried about being out numbered it didn't show.

Lauren got a good look at them this time. On opposite ends of the lineup were a white haired guy and a red haired girl. Whitey was fairly good looking with pale skin and even paler eyes. His eyes were the pale blue of a thick arctic ice dusted through with new snow. He was tall and slender and dressed in a pale blue blazer, white polo, and jeans.

The girl on the other end had rich tanned skin like she had baked in hot Caribbean sun. Her hair was a bright red. The brightest Lauren had ever seen. But her eyes were fiery red and black all the way through, too. Not just the irises but the whole eye. She sported a pair of ram like horns on the top of her head that marked her as some kind of demon. Lauren would guess a fire type if she had to in a pinch. She was petite, and as slender as a super model, but Lauren knew she must be stronger than she looked if she was the one that had launched that fire ball. She wore a little black dress and boots.

Beside her stood a very tall finely built African American guy, he was all long lean muscle, and he wore no shirt despite the November chill. He had the strangest color eyes. His eye weren't human. They glowed yellow. His ears didn't look human either. They look bigger than average and pointed like a jackals ears. On his bottom half he wore cargo pants and high-tops.

Beside Whitey a little Asian girl stood with blue silver hair and the blackest eyes. Blue and black veins streaked from under her skin around her bug like orbs. And she had a strange tattoo on her forehead between her brows. Her eyes had no whites either, but not only that they seemed to bulge like an insect's would. She was wearing a beige woolly sweater, jeans and a pair of brown suede low-heeled boots.

Finally the other African American guy in the middle was built like he spent all his life in a gym. His eyes were hazel and the white's were too perfect. They shone out in the dark. She knew a glamour when she saw one. He was dressed from head to toe in black. Black cargo pants black v-neck tee and black army boots.

They stood there for a moment sizing each other up. Then the middle guy's face spilt into an evil grin and . . .

ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE!

Tune in tomorrow to find out what happens. What powers do these strange new creatures possess? And is the gang any match for them.

********************THANKS FOR READING***************

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