Footsteps in the Darkness Ch5

8/2/2019 Footsteps in the Darkness Ch5

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Footsteps in the darkness

Chapter 1: beginning

We spend all our life in the dark

Searching

But we find nothing.

Until we step into the light....


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Chapter 2: Bethany diary entry; life

I lived all my human life worrying what would happen

tomorrow anddidnt live for the day, when it all ended

on the eve of my 16th birthday I realised I needed some

perspective.Dying was the perfect solution, I didnt want

to die, but I had no choice, the creature I tried to fight

was so much stronger, faster and much cleverer than me,

he even seemed to know what I would do next. What

happened? - Well telling you would probably be easier. I

awoke to my uncle Stephen standing in the corner of a

large clean smelling room looking very dishevelled and

tired, now when this would have been comforting most

people, my uncleto whom I had been very closehad

been dead for almost 8 years, which supported the fact I

was dead. He walked over and put a reassuring hand on

my shoulder when I looked at it closer I saw everything

in such definition that it gave me a headache, every smelloverwhelmed me, every sound was incredibly clear , I

could even hear what the people were talking about on the

high street (the price of meat in the market) I swayed

and my vision blurred, again he put a hand on my


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shoulder to steady me its all right, your safenow he

saidAm I dead?I asked

No

Why not?

Because if I hadnt stopped him you would be dead.

That still doesnt answer my question,You hadto change a bit to not die

What do youmean?

Look for yourself I looked down my usual dark skin

was replaced with what looked like a mix between the

darkest Indian and the whitest albino the colour shifted

and changed in the light, I touched the back of my left

hand with the tips of my fingers of my right hand it was

strange like there were tiny scales instead of my usual

skin what

happened? I gasped like

I said you changed a little

please explain

well your kinda well likea . . . A... um...well...a

please just spit it out

youre I mean were um kinda like well his voice


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faltered and he looked down to his feethalf dragon like

thingsWHAT!,

um well you got attacked by a dragon and afully-fledged

one at that but when he saw me coming he backed off

immediately it was very strange behaviour but only after

slashing you with poisonous claws, I tried to save you butthe poison was already half way around your body there

was nothing I could doI.......

if Im a dragon then whydo I still look like a human?

oh thats because I put an incantation on you, which I

will teach you later, to keep your form human ok,

so what were you saying

um oh yeah I was about to tell you... Im sorry but your

parents were killed by him before I could save them as I

saved you

oh I felt my eyes well up with tearsI fought to keep

them hidden but a solitary tear escaped and rolled down

my new cheek

its okyou have the right to be upset. you can cry if you

want

no I must be strong and for me thats not crying


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ok whatever you say

what are we going to do,people will recognise me but Imso different wont they ask questions?

no because according to what I toldthem youre dead;

you died in an accident along with your parents

so I dontget to say good bye to all my friends?

"No"family?

Nope, no one. We need to keep our

identities secret if people see or hear about a dragon they

grab their spears and torches then hunt us down until

were extinct

oh I felt my heart drop never seeing any one I knew or

loved ever again and if I did, they wouldnt know who I

was. I let another tear slip down my cheek after the last

one I wiped it away before he could see.

That was over two thousand years agoand Im still here.


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Chapter 3: Luke; first day back

But why wont you go out with her? shes perfectly

fine and she is easily won over Ben pleaded

Im not going out with your cousin because after

going out with your sister who beat the snot out of me

when I went to give her a kiss on the hand. Ive given

up on your family theres a mad gene somewhere in

there. Now stop asking,

ok ok fine Ill stop asking but say you will think about

it

fine... Ive thought about it and its still no. We

walked in to the canteen it was jam packed (the firstday back was always the worst) there was nowhere to

sit except with some unusual people who I didnt

recognise who sat with their heads together

oh god I groaned

what?,

theres nowhere to sit except with those weird new

kids,

well were going to have to sit somewhere so I guess

we better get it over with,

yeah suppose we trudged slowly over to the


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strangers table. Three of the strangers looked up with

intense glares except the one on the far left of thetable who looked up with a half surprised half amused

look. She was beautiful (as were they all) but her dark

eyes looked so deep it seemed like I could see straight

in to her soul, her hair which was a shade darker than

chocolate framed her well-proportioned face her full

lips, her high cheek bones and proud nose, just seeing

her face made my heart beat unevenly, I felt the heat

rush to my ears making them turn red.

And what do you want? she asked in the most

beautiful voice I had ever heard, it stunned me after a

few minutes when neither of us had spoken she

cleared her throat and looked expectantly at us

oh yeah um theres um nowhere else to sit so.....can

we um sit here I muttered

wed rather you didnt the slightly older looking boy

saidwell theres nowhere else to sit I said angrily

well actually there is he motioned with his chin

towards two seats which had just been vacated the

insanely beautiful girl shot him a furious glance. Ben

elbowed me in the ribs as a signal to go over to the


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empty seats

um yeah thanks" Ben mumbled and propelled metowards the table on which Chris and Jonty were

sitting they stared at us in disbelief.

So you tried to sit with the Crosses? Chris chuckled

yeah but we got told to get lost Ben said glumly.

From the corner of my eye I saw a small fight break

out between the beautiful girl and her two brothers

who were standing either side of her holding her

arms, she struggled against their grip then broke free

from the smaller of the two brothers and put her hand

in her black leather jacket and brought out a small

piece of paper, which she threw with a casual flick of

her wrist, it landed neatly in Bens lap. She shot her

sister a pleading glance, the sister only shook her

head. The girl let her head droop and stormed out of

the canteen her two brothers and sister not far

behind.Who, the hell, are they I asked,

the blond boy Dylan, the black haired girl Schreyer

theyre an item and have been for ages apparently,

the black haired boy Joseph and the brown haired girl

is Bethany. Ben was still staring at the piece of paper


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lying in his lap

oh for god sake,just open it! I said heatedly. I wasannoyed she had given Ben the paper and not me. He

tentatively opened the paper it said call me in

incredibly neat writing, above there was an eleven

digit number and below the initial B.

Oooh looks like you pulled mate Jonty teased. Ben

stared at the paper as if, if he blinked it would

disappear

do you think she would mind if I called her now? he

asked in a bemused tone

maybe if you waited until after school I

suggested he nodded then continued to stare at the

paper until the bell went.

I walked a daydreaming Ben to his English room then

trudged sullenly to mine. As a came to the door I

glanced at my watch, I realised that I was very, very

late for English and opened the door quietly hoping no

one would notice I was late. It didnt work the

moment I was in the room Miss Reeves barked

and why are you so late Mr Sears?

lost some books I lied unconvincingly, I looked


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around to go to my usual place but it was filled with

Marcus Wannts so the only seat left was the one nextto the unnaturally beautiful Bethany. I walked slowly

to my seat and sat with a quiet groan. She looked at

me like she heard me, but she couldnt it was way too

quiet for anyone to hear no matter how close they

were. When I turned to get my books out of my bag

she flashed me a breath-taking smile and whispered

hi Im Beth Im kinda new here so youre going to

have to explain a few things to me, I scowled at her, I

was still sore from the rejection Id received at lunch,

she frowned and when I looked away I swear I heard

her push her chair further away from me. All through

the lesson we didnt speak another word to each

other. Once the teacher told us we could go she was

up and out of the class room in two seconds. I stared

after her longingly.

I had to find out more about her, I just had to.


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Chapter 4: Bethany; my life

I sat with Jo, Schreyer and Dylan they were talking

about the various A levels they had taken and were

going to take I was staring absent-mindedly out the

window on the far end of the canteen, when two boys

one Ben (I was searching through his feelings) he was

pleasant enough but his feelings were still confusing

and rare but the other Luke whose feeling were very

strange each one was totally new to me and hit me

like a ton of rocks and even stranger they were totally

unique no two were anything alike. His auburn hair

was cropped short and his pale skin gave definition tohis noble features and strong jaw. To me he was

perfect in every way. My heart seemed to swell to

twice its size it felt very strange. I waited impatiently

to see if his voice was as perfect as his face, I cleared

my throat impatiently. I could feel my cheeks burning

(even though you couldnt see it) my brothers and

sister could, I could feel Joseph getting angrier and

angrier by the second. Then he spoke, to me it was

like the most beautiful sound on earth I was stunned

by it and when Dylan sent them away I was absolutely


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furious, my bronze haired prince in shining armour

had been sent away at the door to my tower by myannoying brother. He was going to pay.

Why the hell did you do that?! I said furiously

Beth I could see what was happening you were going

head over heels in love with him ,

and what if I had,

look Bethits not right, we go with our own not with

puny humans. I still dont understand whats so wrong

with Jo,

I love Jo.. ..,

there you go problem solved,

let me finish, I was going to say as a brother you

twit, oh ok, but still I wasnt about to let you go for

an idiot like him,

you dont know hes an idiot,

Beth, all boys this age are,

stop telling me how to live my life!,Im just trying to protect you,

dont you dare talk down to me!,

well I am older than you,

you are older in their years but in our terms I am

older than you. I am your senior all I we ask from each


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other is respect for our elders. Or have you forgotten

what I taught you all those years ago! I whisperedharshly,

I am sorry I have wronged you I forget the old ways

when we have to keep up this stupid facade all the

damn time,

I forgive you but I trust you will not do this again,

I will not. Much as I wanted to believe this I knew

that in a few weeks he would forget his tongue again

and speak out against me. Being the oldest was a

burden which I havent always to carry alone. Up until

two hundred years ago (which to us is a very short

amount of time to us) my best friend, my support, my

fiance died, well actually died is the wrong term he

was murdered in cold blood is better. Alec was found

about the same time as me and we hit it off straight

away 100 years later we started dating and an hour

before his death he had proposed to me. He was killedby a rival dragon that had poisoned both of us and

was out to find his next kill. I missed him so much it

actually hurt to think of him but I was worried I was

forgetting him. I didnt think Luke could replace Alec

but I thought he would fill at least part of the void that


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filled my chest where my heart used to be as if when

he died my heart died with him because when yougive your heart your whole heart when the one you

give it to goes your heart goes with it. But when I saw

Luke I could feel again. I could feel love, passion,

happiness and forgiving I had only had before he died.

I was not going to give up on my only hope of

happiness.

I got up to go and say hello to this amazing boy I had

only just met but was madly in love with when Joseph

grabbed my arm I shook it off he was much weaker

than me Dylan then grabbed my other arm I struggledand broke free from Joseph (who had grabbed me

again) and wrote a small note with my phone number

and threw it hoping against hope it would land in

Lukes lap. I shot Schreyer a pleading glance to help

me but she wasnt on my side this time and gave me a

quick shake of the head I let my head drop felling like I

had lost all my strength and walked out the canteen.

When I was far enough away from the spectators of

the canteen I broke into a run letting the raw power

from my muscles take me far away. Once I was far


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enough from civilisation I let my concentration go and

allowed the heat drain from my body. I sat in myfavourite spot in a clearing not far from my home I

watched the birds fly over my head startled by the

flecks of light reflected off my scales, I let my mind

wander back to the amazing boy from five minutes

ago. I sat in the peaceful glade and organised my

thoughts three facts became apparent: one the boy I

had just met was not the norm for this school, two I

had to find out more about him and three I was totally

head over heels in love with him. Damn.

Once I was totally calmed down I concentrated on thepart of my mind that controlled my form and

muttered the ancient incantation to change back. I

looked behind me away from the glade and saw the

scraps of clothes that lay strewn behind me

damn I swore under my breath I forgot to change

before I changed.

I ran silently and swiftly towards my house and

jumped through the open second story window with

ease. I grabbed the first clothes to hand and pulled


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them on roughly, maybe a little too roughly I put my

arm into the shirt and went straight through it,frustrated I grabbed a new shirt I didnt care whether

it went with the faded blue jeans I had just pulled on,

all that mattered was getting back to school as fast as

possible. When I was presentable I walked at a brisk

Pace and launched myself out the window, a quick

somersault in the air and I was running, running as fast

as I was physically possible, every cell in my body

seemed to know I was getting nearer to him. As I

neared the school I slowed to a human run and

walked straight to my first class, English. Having done

the coming English lesson about a thousand times I

knew it would be a very boring lesson I started un

packing my large black bag I waited for someone to be

made to sit next to me and pretending to be

interested in the pitiful small talk they made, listening

to the teacher was even worse than listening to theperson next to me (like listening to a record over and

over a thousand times). I started writing the finite and

infinite verbs (which was what the lesson was about).

The teacher (who was one of the worst I had ever

been taught by), started shouting at a late comer, I


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didnt bother to look up, but when someone sat next

to me with an infinitely quite groan. I looked up andthere he sat scowling at me! Luke.

Hi Im Beth Im kinda new here so youre going to

have to explain a few things to me I said friendlily, he

carried on scowling. Once he looked down to get his

books I moved my chair away as far as possible. I felt

like he had my heart pulled out of my chest (again)

and torn up like a rejected valentines card. I finished

the writing and once the teacher said we could go I

was gone as fast as was possible (for a human). Once

out of the room and on my own I burst into tears I ran

to the nearest empty class room, salt tears staining my

new shirt. I sat in the class room curled in a tight ball,

thats where Joseph found me.

There you are he said angrily, I looked up my

makeup had ran all down my face

awe Beth what's happened? Why are you crying?,hedidntlike me,

who?,

Luke,

how do you know?,

hes in my English class I spoke to him and he


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scowled at me damn it, a fresh torrent of tears shook

mecomeon Beth lets get you home he picked me up

and leaped lithely through the open window we were

two stories up so there was quite a long drop, once on

the floor he started running as fast as possible I had

never been so fast (he was quite a bit faster than me

but I was much stronger) half way back to the house I

passed out, well I guessed I passed out because....

I woke up in the sick room with a worried looking

Joseph and Schreyer talking very quickly and so quiet I

couldnt hear, I opened my eyes and sat up theylooked at me with anxious eyes jeez Beth you gave us

a serious scare there you know youre heart stopped

for a whole five minutes,

really why,

um well we wanted you to tell us that,

huh,

well according to Stephen it looks like you had a

dangerous amount of adrenaline in your blood, B

didnt you know that could have killed you? Why the

hell didnt you change? Were you committing suicide?


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Come on Bethany give us some answers!,

to your first question yes, second because I was tooupset and I could have hurt someone and to your third

no I was not committing suicide you numb skull! And

it would be a heck of a lot easier if I was killing myself

plus how many times do I have to tell you I cant die

very easily now leave me alone! I said still hurt, I

wanted some time to lick my wounds, Schreyer said

we are just trying to help!

May I ask how long I have been unconscious? I

snapped changing the subject,

um just over a week,

a WEEK!,

B calm down oh before I forget youve had three calls

from a Ben,

and what did you say to him?

,um that you couldnt come to the phone he said

like he was hoping that I wouldnt have an argumentwith him, was I that bad that they felt the need to be

careful at what they say or do? I swung my legs off the

bed and grabbed the mobile which had started ringing

hello? I said down the phone

Bethany! A boy said surprise colouring his voice


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Luke I said hopefully

no its...Ben,oh ok and what did you want?

Um well are you free tonight?

Yes why?

um I was erring wondering if um you um maybe err

wanted to go out for a meal or something

yeah Isuppose how the hell did Ben get my

number?

where did you have in mind I said in the most

appealing voice I could

um well like Nandos

oh fancy I said sarcastically

we could go somewhere else,

no Nandos is fine see you tonight,

um yeah,

bye,

yeah bye I hung uplooks like Ive got a date I said, I stood up but having

been lying down for a week I had head rush I swayed

and sat back down on the bed Bethany do you really

think youre in a fit state to go anywhere let alone on

a date ,


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no Im fine just a bit of head rush,

no Bethany Im not letting you go I know you thinkyour strong enough but what happens when you die

from adrenaline overdose again you would do that to

Sylvia, Dylan Schreyer, me and Stephen he didnt save

you so that you could throw it all away!,

I wont do that again and I certainly wont be told

what to do by a youngling like you I have lived three

times as long as you !,

stop telling us what to do I dont care if your older I

love you Beth so I personally want you to live,

fine its settled we will stop tell each other what to do

plus I dont care Im going so if you would kindly leave

I want to get changed,

Beth dont do this please I stood I knew I was strong

enough that I wouldnt fall again I grabbed him by the

wrist twisted it behind his back until he yelped then

lifted him as if he were a young child above my headand walked to the door then threw him, maybe a little

too hard, I accidentlythrew him over the banister Jo

had been swearing all the time I had him trapped and

when I threw him he shouted at the top of his lungs

damn you,


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whoops I said quietly, there was a loud crash down

stairsBethany Auklets Alexandria cross I am going to kill

you. You bloody idiot he bellowed. Knowing he

wasnt joking I grabbed some clothes and jumped

lithely out the window just as Joseph came in with a

furious look on his face. I went back to the clearing

and changed hiding my old clothes in the highest

branches of a very tall juniper tree. I pulled out my

phone and called bens number he answered on the

second ring

hi Ben I said cheerfully

hi Bethany he said confused

yeah so what time were we going to meet coz Im

ready now,

um yeah me too Ill meet you in five minutes,

ok bye I shut the phone and sprinted into the forest,

the wind in my hair the ground flying beneath my feetI loved running like this I felt free and incredibly happy

like all my cares got left behind, but when I stop they

always catch up with me so I never wanted to stop. I

arrived at the back of Nandos within three minutes


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and went inside to wait for Ben but he was already

there I went inside and sat down.


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Chapter 5: Ben; what the hell am I doing?

Am I stupid or just plain thick? This is what I asked

myself when I called the amazing Bethany to see if she

would go on a date with me I was sick twice with

anxiety. I went home after ten minutes in class, on my

way home I swear I saw a girl running through the

forest

oh crap I said to myself I was hallucinating I drove a

little quicker my old Meganne wheezing unhealthily as

I pushed it past 75. Once I was home I took my mobile

out and the piece of paper (which was quite worn

from where I had taken it out at least one hundredtimes) I dialled the number with shaky hands I pressed

a wrong numbers and had to start again, I pressed the

call button it rang four times then a male voice

answered

hello it sounded stressed and worried

um hi its Ben I was calling the number Bethany gave

me is this her phone,

yes this is her phone,

then why isnt she answering the phone this was

slightly worrying girls always answer their own phones


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and only dont when somethings really wrong, there

was a long pause, this was really, really worrying.Is something wrong I asked worriedly

um sorry Ive got to go,

no wait, wait! Whats happened to Bethany please

tell me! The line went dead

damn I redialled this time a girl picked up

Bethany!,

no its Schreyer whos this?

its Ben can you please tell me whats happened to

Bethany! I said franticly

shes. .........um well shes unconscious,

what? Why? Please explain!

sorry Ivegot to go and please dont call again!!

Please she hung up

for god darn sake whats with this family and hanging

up on people! I gave up on calling, I knew it would

do no good so I decided to call Luke he would knowwhat to do he hadnt had many girlfriends but he

always knew what to do, he usually got me out of

sticky fixes I called his number he answered quickly

what he sounded annoyed, not good

hi Luke its Ben I need some......,


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what do you need, youre not at the police station

again Im not bailing you out this time,no Im not in jail I want some advice ,

ok about what he said in a calmer voice,

well Bethany,

o.........kay youre going to have to give me more than

that,

I called her phone about ten minutes ago first her

brother picked up then her sister she said she was

unconscious then hung up what should I do?,

um well first call in about an hour then if she doesnt

pick up call tomorrow and if shes not in school then

go round her house after school.,

Thanks Luke you know your my best mate right ?,

get lost you old softie go call your girl,

okay bye. I hung up I looked at my watch Luke had

told me to call in an hour I swear it had been at least

twenty minutes but my watch showed only ten hadgone by. The minuets crawled by slowly, to pass the

time I did my maths homework which I soon gave up

on it was algebra and it wasnt due for a week so I

decided to leave it. I busied myself with odd jobs

around the house, and then settled down to watch TV.


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Once the hour was up I had no idea what I had

watched I dialled Bethany number again. This time noone answered I left a message asking her to call me

back. When my parents got home (about half an hour

later) I was asleep on my bed having had some beans

on toast and then seen it go backwards, I had a bucket

next to me encase of another accident.

The next day I went to school as early as allowed and

went to Bethanys form room the family was there but

only two, the older one and his girlfriend, she looked

at me with fierce eyes and growled

you oh dear I was not doing too well with her familyand I hadnt even gone on a date with her yet!

Wheres Bethany? I asked politely

at home ,

why?,

because she is,

a little more information please,

I dont have to give you any more information and

why do you want to know anyway ?its none of your

business,

um well your right its none of my business but Im


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worried about her, the boy stood up, he towered

over meI think its time you left he said in a deep but musical

voice he scared me so I backed slowly out of the class

room scowling at them all the time. The rest of the

day went along without event I made small talk to

people when they spoke to me but my mind was with

Bethany I went through all the worst case scenarios

and getting slowly more and more worried at the end

of the day I went to the office and got her address

giving a feeble excuse of giving her some homework

that she missed. I got in my car and started the engine

I looked out the rear view mirror the two Cross kid

that were in school, sat in a bright red Bentley

convertible staring with bemused looks at my car I

drove out of the car park as fast as possible. Once on

the road leading up to the Crosses house I glanced out

the mirror again I saw the convertible a meter awayfrom my bumper the girl sitting inside glowering

viciously at me, I drove a little faster my engine

wheezed loudly then spluttered and died. I scrunched

my eyes and lay my head back against the head rest.

The Bentley came up beside my car and rolled down


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the window the boy said

having problems with your car, hope this doesntmess up your plans to go visit my sister he said

spitefully

but....,

we will give a jump start ifyou promise not to have

any relations with our sister mate,

actually I would rather walk to your house to find

whats really happened to her mate,

well I would rather I didnt have to do this but he

stepped out of the car and grabbed my arm dragged

me out of the car I tried to hold on to the steering

wheel but his grip was like an iron girder pulling me

like nothing else could I let go of the wheel and he

threw me on the floor a few meters away like I was as

heavy as a bag of sugar he walked over, the next thing

that happened will haunt me forever, standing over

me he raised his fist and punched down I passed out, Icouldnt feel any pain though I knew it was coming I

didnt try to wake up I tried to elongate the numbness

that went with the unconsciousness I, embraced it. I

felt something cold touch my face it pulled me from

my numbness I opened my eyes a dark haired man


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was leaning over me

ah good hes awake he said with amazing joy forsomeone I had just met

um who are you? I asked incredibly confused

and where am I?,

Im Stephen Cross and youre in my living room he

said in a heavy Scottish accent,

your Bethanys dad!,

no Im her uncle,

huh I sat up my head throbbed uncomfortably I

held my hand to the source of the pain

oh my god my head,

um yes I must apologise for my son um he loves his

sister a great deal and does not want any harm to

come to her of course I know you mean no harm and

if you do well um you dont want to know what I

would do to you ,

I can assure you I only have good intentions withyour niece ,

yes well I still am not going to accept that she was so

forward with you ,

excuse me ,

well where we come from it is terrible manners for a


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girl of her age and stature to ask a man on a date!,

well technically she didnt ask me on a date as such,oh well thats the impression Dylan gave me I think

his exact words were she was a fraction before

bloody kissing him!,

well all she did was throw me a note with her

number and call me written on it ,

yes well Im still very disappointed in her she has

broken an important tradition in our family. Her

brothers and sister are put to shame,

why?,

well they were all taught how to behave by her,

really, I thought she was the youngest ,

she is but I adopted Joseph, Schreyer and Dylan in a

different country and where we came from there was

a certain way to behave, Bethany has had to mature

more than her seventeen years. She is very dear to

me,you said before her stature what did you mean by

that?

Bethany is a lady,

a what?,

she has been given knighthood by your king, I mean


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queen,

really for what,saving the queens life I think ,

really! Please tell me more,

its not my story to tell please ask Bethany I fear I

have already said too much.

Oh ok I said slightly down heartedly.

Can I see Bethany please I asked hopefully

well you can her but shesunconscious and doesnt

look great and I have to ask Joseph if she is still slightly

gory but I think it will be ok,

why is she gory,

well we had to take some blood samples and she

bled over herselfyou dont know how worrying that

was. Shes really lucky to be alive

I still want to see her

ok follow me he straightened up out of the crouch

he had been sitting in to speak to me and put a handout to help me up, I grasped it firmly he pulled me

from the ground as if I weighed no more than a small

child. His long dark hair fell delicately over his broad

shoulders his skin was a strange mixture of a white

person and Indian and was abnormally warm, his eyes


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were kind and looked almost yellow, he was tall but

not thin as most are (that height) his arms were wellmuscled and if he wanted to hurt someone it would

be very easy to do so. He walked towards a large

delicately decorated staircase and lead me up the

stairs to a large wooden door with elegantly carved

pictures of epic battles framed with ivory leaves, he

pushed the door open it lead to what looked like a

second living room with eight doors leading off it each

with a name or title inscribed on to it

wow you have an amazing house!,

its not much but its home he walked to the door

labelled sick room he went inside and beckoned me to

follow him. The family sitting in their looked very

worried and there looking small and very pale but still

as beautiful as ever, Bethany. She was unconscious

and she was still covered in gore the t shirt was

stained brownish red and her breathing was shallowand uneven I started to walk over to her bed, but a

firm hand held me in place What the hell where you

thinking Stephen someone whispered behind me

his intentions are good,

and he wants to ask her on a date and if we let him


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stay here well never get rid of him Stephen shot him

an angry glare.we will speak later he said calmly raising one

eyebrow, I looked behind me Dylan was holding me in

place his eyes were as wide as saucers his other hand

was in a tight fist at his side and his jaw was clenched

so hard the veins stuck out on his neck, Jo please take

our guest to the door and tell him where his car is" he

said in a strained voice, almost like he was in pain.

Stephen glared even more intensely at him. Joseph

shoved me out the room grabbed me by the crook of

the elbow and pulled me to the elaborately carved

door and pretty much threw me down the stairs, I fell

down he walked with eerie speed for a walk he looked

down at me like I was a piece of dog muck he had just

stepped in.

your car is in our drive third from the left three rows

down here are your keys he threw me my keys at mewith a light flick of the wrist but the keys hit me very

hard in the middle of my forehead and landed in my

lap..

What was that for? I said angrily then he was there

about two inches from my face,


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they all want you to leave my sister alone because

we all love her and we dont want to see her get hurtIm going to give you the benefit of the doubt so I

need to know the truth, what are your intentions with

her?,

I intend to give her anything she wants be it love,

friendship or just someone to lean on I want to give

her all she wants and needs because I love her as well

and...,

ok I get it you like her maybe not as much as us but

you still like her,

yeah,

now look shes very ill and I would suggest you dont

come round unless Beth invites you he scratched his

head and said and also just a tip dont call her until I

call you, Dylan and Schreyer are angry as it is

provoking them would result in a rather large fight

and them running away again,again?,

well if youre serious about Beth then I will tell you

some more about her and our family I stood up and

walked to the door

thank you Joseph you have done me a huge favour, I


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owe you,

dont worry about it I only want happiness for herand if your what makes her happy, then Im going to

help you make her happy...if that makes sense,

I think so,

please dont break her heart it has been broken only

once before and that nearly killed her so dont

disappoint me Ivegiven you a chance dont waste it

he pushed me lightly through the door and closed it.

In my face! A thought occurred to me he said he

would call me but he didnt have my number. I

searched through my pockets until I found a receipt I

wrote my number on the bottom and tore the bottom

with my number on it, folded it in half, wrote josephs

name on the front walked back up to the door and slid

the number underneath. I looked around the drive

searching for my car; it was like a parking lot! I spotted

it between a red Porsche and a yellow Ferrari, theymay not be the friendliest family but my god did they

have good taste in cars! I got in the cab turned the key

and drove slowly and carefully out of the drive so as

not to hit any of the cars, if I damaged any one of

them it would take me years to pay them back.


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The next three days were very boring my mum made

me stay at home because I was too ill to go to school,translation she wants to have a go at me for not

coming home last night (not exactly my fault that I

was unconscious), no matter how much I told her that

she said

you will have to come up with a better excuse than

that! Why do I have to have the most mistrusting

mother in the world; she even gave me a breathalyzer

test, called the local hospital to see if I checked in and

then the police! Then after the fifth degree she asked,

after three hours of questioning then calling, she

asked where I had been unconscious and when I told

her she laughed and said

you at Bethany Crosses house I doubt it your hiding

something I know it,

what did I ever do to make you not believe me, I

hardly ever lie, I tell you everything for god sake whatcan I tell you to make you believe me !,

the truth!,

I am! I knew I was getting nowhere and I was so

angry and infuriated with my mother I would just end

up lashing out at her so I went out of the room


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slamming the door as I went

Benny my mother wailed through the door. I ranstraight to my room and locked the door, thats where

I stayed and only came down for meals which

infuriated my father, I hate him hes just so damn

caught up in his pride and old ways he has never even

given me a hug not once in my whole life, his only son!

My sister, well she daddys little girl never done

anything wrong, going to university of art but when I

say I want to be an actor they laugh and tell me I have

to take over the family business, I dont want to be a

butcher I am a vegetarian I dont eat meatand I dont

want to cut up pieces of meat for a living. Much as I

dont want to admit this but I know Im going to have

to run, run away, anyhow, anywhere. My life if I dont

would be pretty unbearable if I couldnt escape I think

I would probably kill myself, not a happy thought but

Im not going to throw away my life with something Idont enjoy. I spend as little as time with my father I

can, I dont even call him dad I call him by his first

name, he may big on the old ways but hes most

definitely having an affair with my teacher! I love my

mum and she doesnt deserve what my dad is doing to


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her, she loves him more than he knows. I caught him

in bed with my teacher ten minutes before my mothergot home and he tells me to go downstairs and stall

for him and when I say no he shouts at me. No one

understands how much I hate my father not even my

best friend he thinks my dad is a decent man with

good morals and a man who deserves respect. I think

the exact opposite. Ive got at least one thousand five

hundred pounds saved in the bank and three hundred

in my piggy bank when the time comes Im out of

here, I want to go to Paris, I can speak fluent French

and I think its the most beautiful place in the world,

with the Eiffel tower and the arc de triumph, parks

everywhere, I know its probably not actually like that

but I need a dream to get me through the arguments,

my older sister tormenting me and the dark nights

until I can find freedom.

Two days later Joseph called and said Bethany was

about to wake up but not to call just yet. The last two

days had passed painfully slowly people had come to

see me but I had sent them away (my nausea had not

yet passed) and every time I saw someone or even


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food, I vomited violently. My mum was getting

worried and talking about taking me to the doctors(not good!) I cant stand doctors, mean people who

say this wont hurt a bit but we both know it is most

definitely going to hurt.

Imfine I repeated every time my mum insisted

even though I hadnt eaten anything in at least a week

well nothing that had stayed down anyway. When

Joseph called I went down to my dark dreary kitchen

and suddenly found I could eat, and that I was

absolutely ravenous. I rummaged through my fridge

grabbing everything that smelt half decent, I walked

away my arms full of food when my sister came round

the corner with her new boyfriend, wearing only his

light green shirt and when I say only I mean only.

My god are you trying to blind me you.....you well

there arentwords to describe you I said shielding

my eyes as if the sight was painful yeah just becauseyou dont have a girlfriend you sissy and I dont care

what mum says about calling you names coz shes not

here and neither is dad not that hed give a crap,

wheresmum I asked worryingly if she was gone

there was nothing to stop Diane from torturing me


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shes at the hairdressers she said with a gruesome

smileyou wouldnt hurt me while we have guests would

you?,

on the contrary my dearest brother hes here to

help,

ah do I get a head start? I pleaded with little success

she advanced menacingly towards me um oh dear I

whispered I walked slowly backwards edging towards

the backdoor theres no use running she said in a

terrifying voice that I recognised all too well I opened

the box of eggs I was holding and threw one straight

at her head she dodged it reflexively I threw another

before she could recover it hit her in the back of the

head,

you got egg in my hair she said angrily, I threw

another it hit her in the middle of her ugly face and

another, I ran to the door flung myself out andsprinted to the shed, thats where I sat until it started

to get cold, I crept quietly up to the wall of the house

directly beneath my window, the ivy crawled up in a

small part of the portcullis that was leant against the

wall I climbed slowly up the portcullises careful not to


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break the fence, when I reached the window I pulled

myself through, I heard someone on the stairs I threwmyself half way across the room on to my bed from

the window sill I pulled the covers over myself just as

my mother came in, she pulled the covers higher

under my chin and kissed me on the forehead. I fell

asleep fully clothed and still totally starved.

Documents

Footsteps in the Darkness Ch5