Dark Moon

Hey everyone, this is my first fanfic, so hopefully you like. Please review and let me know what you think. Thanks! and enjoy.

She was knew the moment the creature became aware of her presence. While he’d been unable to take her blood, she’d had the presence of mind to take his all those many years ago, back when this whole mad game of hide-and seek had started. That was the way she’d been able to avoid him for so long, she always knew when he was coming, always knew when it was time to skip town…and she was sick of it.

“Darcy?” Briar looked at her sidelong from where he sat in the passenger seat beside her. He recognized that look, it was the same one she wore when bargaining for the best price at the market, or scolding him for letting his grades slip. It was the “I’m pissed and you best get out of my way” look.

“It’s coming, again isn’t it?” He felt the same old mixture of fear and anger. Fear because what followed them was a living nightmare. It held not only a twisted depraved mind, but a cold emotionless heart, and it would stop at nothing to possess what it wanted. Anger because at the age of 18 he had been settled into this town for three years now-- the longest time they’d been able to keep hidden-- and had finally began to feel like a normal person again. He'd been ripped away from the people and places he loved countless times because of this creature and he was tired of it. He was tired of running, of having to lie to everyone about his past, tired of losing friends. By the look on Darcy’s face, she was as well.

“Briar, this is the end, one way or another.” She glanced over at him, pinning him with her green eyes. He felt his fear give way to the anger, her gaze gave him strength to say the words he'd been longing voice ever since he'd come into the inherent abilities of their family.

“I want to fight it Darcy. I deserve to, it’s ruined my life and I deserve a chance at paying some of that back!” The teen declared angrily, his voice rising, his teeth snapping.

“Shhh, don’t wake Laki!” Darcy reprimanded sharply, glancing in the rear view mirror at the sleeping toddler in the car seat behind her. But her daughter hadn’t stirred in the least, her head drooped onto her chest, Laki was the definition of adorable, with her blond curly ringlets, so much like her mothers.

Darcy’s hands were steady on the wheel as she slowly pulled over to the side of the road. Turning off the car she peered out the window. She could see the sky darkening, thunderheads building ominously to the north, the weather center had been predicting big storms for three days now, and it looked like they were finally right. Turning on her hazard lights she unbuckled the seatbelt and turned back to her brother.

“Briar, first of all no one can ruin your life unless you give them the ability to do so. I know it gets repetitive but we have to play the cards that life has dealt us. The past five years have sucked, sucked major, but it comes to an end tonight, I promise you. I've been waiting for this day a long time now, 6 years in fact, and while I wasn't strong enough to end it back then, I am now.” Lightening flashed overhead, caused her eyes to look an eerie neon green.

“Let me come with you Darcy, you can’t do this alone. Let me help, I want to fight.” Briar was careful to keep his voice down this time, but his words still carried all of the fury that his early statement had.

“Out of the question. Laki needs you; you’re her uncle and what would happen to her if both of us were to die?” She spoke the word neither of them liked to use, not since their parents deaths six years past. She paused to consider her next words, how could she reassure him of the fact that she was powerful enough to win this one on her own? That she couldn't involve him any more then he already had been.

“They underestimate us Briar, our race; don’t tell me you’ve forgotten the stories as they have. They believe themselves to be the only ancients left, they forget about all of the rest of us." She paused to reconsider before continuing, "Oh they recall the jaguars to an extent, but they've never counted them as much of a threat, not in the way they once did us.” Darcy’s voice seemed deeper almost, more animalistic. Shaking her head as if in pity for those who had forgotten, she held out her arms to her brother, her best friend. Their hug was brief, as she could feel the creature was getting closer, and she wanted the two people she loved most in the world out of danger as fast as possible.

“Go back to the farmhouse, lock all of the doors and use those protective spells I showed you. Don’t forget to read Laki a story before bed, there’s a casserole in the fridge for you to eat.” The menial instructions given she gave a sigh before continuing, “Briar, I love you, I’m sorry the past years have been hell, I know it’s been hard moving around so much, and I take the blame solely upon my shoulders. But we can’t change the past so we must fight for our future. If I’m not back by tomorrow, I want you to stay at Mrs. Addams tomorrow night. He may leave you alone if I’m gone, but then again, he may be after Laki, so here is my purse with my credit cards, I have cash hidden under the floorboard in my closet. Take it and run, run fast and run far, get an ocean between you and if at all possible try to find some of our kind.” Her eyes were steady; no trace of tear, Briar on the other hand could feel the tears welling up, Darcy was his only family left, beside Laki, he didn't know what he'd do without her, how he could ever even attempt to be as strong. Hugging once more Darcy turned around to look at her daughter.

“Laki.” She whispered, not wanting to wake her daughter, the brightest part of her life, besides Briar.

“I will always love you. Know that everything I’ve done I did in order to give you the best life you could have. Listen to your uncle, and be good."

Darcy opened the door of the car, leaving it open so that Briar coming around the other side could get in. She turned her face up to the sky, the first patter of raindrops cooling her skin, thunder rumbled.

“Don’t worry Briar, I’ll see you tonight. Don’t burn that casserole, I’m going to want some when I get back.” A wry smile spread over her face, and with that she bounded into the forest that lined both sides of the road.

Their kind may have forgotten hers, but that made no difference. They were about to remember, remember the fear that had once caused their shriveled hearts to beat faster, remember that they were not the only predators left in the world, they were about to remember the loup-garou.