“Grace!” The voice was loud and wild. It was getting closer and closer and all of a sudden muscular arms were wrapping around me, pulling my face up and away from the treacherous water that washed against my body from the after wave.

“C’mon, Gracie, breathe,” Matt’s voice was urgent and I felt the relief flood through me, feeling so much better now that I was safe in his arms. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” I gasped.

He carried me up onto the beach effortlessly. I kept taking in as much air as I could as if I was afraid I’d lose it again. He waited for me to calm down while his friends swarmed around, looking startled and staring at me like I should be in a mental home. One of them went to retrieve my board, muttering something incoherent.

“Grace, honey, are you okay? Do you hurt anywhere?”

“Just my head,” I lied, stuttering and quivering from the cold. My whole body felt like it was pounding from the impact with the ground.

“Do you think she has a concussion?” Matt asked one of the guys next to him.

“Nah, she’s alright. Doesn’t look like she got one.”

“I’m fine, Matt,” I stuttered, trying to push away the selfish bit of happiness that Matt was fawning over me. “Just cold.”

“I’ll get her back to the jeep,” Matt told his friends who were still looking at me with a mix of shock and admiration. He wrapped my towel around me and pulled me up into his arms, heading across the beach in long strides and then up the stairs, toward the vacant spot where the jeep was parked.

He struggled to open the passenger door while holding me, and managed to let me down onto the seat. I was shivering like crazy, my teeth chattering.

“That was insane, Grace!” Matt was saying angrily. “Why the hell would you do that? Are you crazy? Did you actually think you could stand that out?”

I felt the little twinge of hurt at his doubt of me. I hated being doubted. “I stayed up for awhile,” I rasped defensively.

“Oh yeah, a whole five seconds,” Matt replied sarcastically. He sighed and I felt his anger ebb away. “Look, just don’t ever pull a stunt like that again. I thought you were going to drown, you stayed under too long. The wave practically devoured you.”

I felt slightly guilty at making him worried but at the same time a little satisfied. I was disgusted with myself. “I’m sorry,” I muttered.

We stayed silent for awhile. Matt went to meet with the guy that had came up with my surfboard and they started to talk. I heard the words ‘stupid’ and ‘gutsy’ and then my name. Then the conversation wavered away from my stunt and onto a different topic. I could hear Matt’s enthusiasm and I felt a little stab in my heart. The concern was short-lived.

At the point where I thought Matt would never return he loped over to me. There was a smile on his face.

“Hey, baby, you sure you’re alright?” Before I even opened my mouth he continued, “Cause, the guys want me to check out something in their truck. It’s across the beach.”

The disappointment panged at me but I tried to keep it from reaching my face. I had a problem of hiding my emotions. I pushed away the selfish side of me viciously, calling myself out on being an attention-wanting bitch. I struggled to pull a smile onto my face. “Sure,” I mumbled. “Go ahead.”

He grinned in gratitude. “Thanks, babe,” He kissed my head. “I love you. Promise me you’ll stay out of trouble, alright? You must be the biggest trouble magnet I’ve ever met.”

With that, he slammed the door shut and headed down the steps again. The loudness hurt my head and I groaned as I pushed away the strands of drenched hair from my face, laying my head back and closing my eyes. My head was still swirling dizzily and I groaned. My body was starting to lose the pain it was in and I started to feel a little numb. I wasn’t sure if that was good or not, so I checked around for a bottle of water. I found one and drank it thirstily, trying to soothe my burning throat and salty mouth.

When I was done, I put down the empty bottle and tried to focus my gaze on the darkness in front of me, trying to keep my mind off Matt. Why had I done that? I almost killed myself! Was I really that desperate for his attention that I would go on a suicide mission? Maybe I just wanted the adrenaline… or it could have been something else. Either way, it was stupid. I should just stop being selfish.

After awhile, I felt better about everything. My head still hurt a bit but I felt a little more relaxed. The darkness was starting to make me a little antsy, and I didn’t like being alone. It made me nervous. I clutched my necklace and started to twirl the chain around my finger. I felt the exhaustion come over me and felt my eyes drift closed, fatigue washing over me like the waves from the beach. Only, these waves weren’t angry and vicious and violent, they were calm and soothing. It was daylight and I was sitting in the warm sand, feeling warmth from the sun flood over me. And then there was sweet, beautiful Matt grinning like he always did and wrapping his arms around me and all I could feel was warmth and happiness…

The sudden laughter made me awake from my brief sleep and I was confused that it wasn’t warm and bright out anymore and Matt wasn’t anywhere near me. I hadn’t noticed I had drifted off. I tried to shake the sleep off me as I squinted out the window, peering into the dark for Matt. He was coming back, just like he promised. I felt eager for his return. I would apologize again and again for scaring him and I could make it up to him just like I did last night…

The moon still hung high in the dark, endless sky. The moonlight lit up the path that I kept searching carefully over, waiting for him to come running up the steps with that grin of his.

Everything was pretty ghostly, and I started to fidget nervously. I could hear the music from the boardwalk faintly, but mostly just the wind pressing against the jeep and rattling the trees. Still, no one appeared. I was looking through the window anxiously and opened the door quietly to get a better look outside.

The wind was cold on my damp skin. I heard the laughter again and I froze when I spotted who it belonged to. Down on the beach, walking with their surfboards were a group of surf nazis. I felt the jump in my stomach, and was about to hurry back into the jeep when one of them turned around and spotted me. I froze, staring at them like a deer stuck in headlights.

“Hey, sexy!” One of them called up to me in a jeering voice. “Come on down here and I’ll show you a real good time!”

His friends laughed loudly, and I could tell they were drunk. Probably having one of their bonfires and then went for a walk. My heart was racing so fast, yet I couldn’t get my feet to work. Until they started to trudge across the beach toward the steps that lead up to me. I bolted for the jeep door hearing them yelling behind me.

“Hey, come back gorgeous! Where ya going?”

I slammed the door behind me, locking it and all the other ones quickly and then sitting in my seat, praying that Matt would hurry up.

My heart was beating so loudly I could hear it perfectly. Please keep walking, please don’t come up here, I thought in fear. Matt where the hell are you?

I wasn’t sure if I should beep the horn, maybe Matt would understand the urgency. Or maybe he isn’t coming back said a voice in my head. Maybe he left you here?

No, I told myself angrily. He wouldn’t leave me here.

I could hear them coming up the steps, footsteps clumsy and voices loud and laughing.

They surrounded the jeep and I tried to push myself as close to the seat as I could. I was so busy watching the opposite window I didn’t notice the other one sneak up to my window. I screamed in surprise as he started to bang on the window.

“Hey sweetheart, come out and play with the big dogs,” he taunted.

The others howled like dogs as if to put emphasis on his statement, and one started to knock at the window loudly. I swung around to look at him.

“Come on out, kitty,” he howled drunkenly. “We don’t bite.”

I was really scared now. I tried to get as far away from them as I could, but it was impossible with them at all four windows. There was only five, but it felt like there was way more. I was trapped and surrounded.

They howled and laughed and called out dirty and suggestive things at me, trying to provoke me. I tried staring straight ahead but they just continued to yell louder. I wasn’t thinking straight, I was panicking. I leaned over and pressed down on the horn loudly.

They started to rock the jeep, so hard I was scared they would tip it over. I clutched my seat, trying to tell them to stop it but unable to get anything out. They just rocked it harder, back and forth until I ended up closing my eyes and begging for it to be over.

All of a sudden, there was shouting and the jeep jerked to a stop so fast I fell forward onto the floor. There was a commotion outside, it sounded like the surf nazis were…screaming? As soon as it started it stopped, and there was a sudden, stilled silence. I scampered to my feet, looking out the window. Everything was as peaceful and eerie as it was before. I was confused, my heart still racing in my ears. What happened?

I hesitantly opened the door and looked out at the scene. The surf nazis were gone. No evidence that they were even there in the first place. What the hell was going on?

I turned to go back to the jeep and almost screamed when I saw the tall and blonde stranger standing just outside of the shadows of the looming trees. He was wearing a long, black trench coat and had a mullet. Nevertheless, he was very good-looking, despite the bulk from his jackets.

Instead of screaming, a sharp gasp slipped between my lips and I stared at him, alarmed. I had the sudden urgency to bolt, in case he tried to attack me, but something held me back. Besides, he definitely wasn’t a surf nazi.

He watched my wary stance and smiled at me. Despite the smile, I still felt a little unsure. He didn’t seem like a threat, but there was something about him that was so compelling. Powerful. And mysterious. I was suddenly intrigued. Then, he did something that surprised me for some reason. He talked.

“Hi,” he said his voice clear and calm, friendly even. It sent shivers down my spine. I don’t know why it surprised me that he spoke, I mean, he was a person. I thought we would just stare at each other and then he would slip back into the shadows, like a mysterious dream.

I just stared at him for awhile, dumbfounded. The distant sounds of the boardwalk filled my ears and I tried to keep my focus on the stranger before me. I felt incapable of forming words, incoherent words anyway, and just stood frozen. Finally, I breathed out a barely coherent, “hi.”

He continued to smile at me, but it wasn’t sadistic. More observing. He stepped completely out of the shadows so that his form was highlighted in moonlight and the air was sucked from my lungs. I stumbled back a step, trying to act tough but failing miserably. My face always gave me away.

He seemed amused by my actions and stayed where he was. I quietly admired his pale skin. It looked so soft.

“You lost or something?” He asked, his voice breaking my observation. It was a voice that could not be ignored, it was demanding with leadership.

It took me awhile before I shook my head. Damn it, he probably thinks you’re a mute or retarded or something, I told myself angrily. Speak!

“Just waiting for someone,” I added, kind of softly.

“For how long?” He asked casually. “It’s kind of late to be out on your own.”

“I’m not alone.” I replied, pleased that I had answered instead of staring at him like an idiot. “My boyfriend is here.”

“Was he one of the guys who attacked your jeep?” He asked, gesturing at it.

I bit my lip. “He… went off with some friends.” The stranger had a rather emotionless face but I could sense that he was unconvinced. “He didn’t attack the jeep.”

The stranger smiled again. It was a strange smile, somehow friendly yet mysterious and not threatening but knowing. His distinctive clothing added to his allure. Different.

“I’m David,” he introduced himself.

I watched him warily for a moment before answering. “Grace.”

“You plan on waiting here all night?”

I hesitated before answering him. “Yes.”

He nodded. “You got anything to fight off those surf nazis with if they come back?”

I didn’t reply and he seemed to take this as an answer. His eyes were observing as they looked at me and I suddenly felt like a specimen under my microscope. Like he was scientist who was trying to decide what the best way to see all my layers would be. I shivered under his gaze.

“Pretty cold out for that kind of outfit,” he commented, glancing down at me.

I was confused at first until I remembered I was clad only in a small, black bikini. I felt my cheeks burn and knew I must have been blushing like crazy.

I could see the hint of amusement in his eyes as I struggled to cover my body with little success.

“Cold?”

“No,” I responded automatically, ignoring the goose bumps forming on my skin.

He slowly backed up into the shadows and disappeared from sight. I felt my heart leap and I thought in a slight panic that he was gone. I looked around wildly. I didn’t want him to leave…

“Wait!” I called desperately into the shadows, torn between following him and jumping back into the jeep and locking the doors. I was surprised with myself when the word slipped out.

The sound of a loud, roar made me give a small yelp and I jumped back as David flew from the shadows, astride a large motorcycle.

“Wanna go for a ride?” He asked me loudly over the sound of his roaring engine.

I gaped at him. For a moment, I was tempted to climb on behind him. There was something about him that I wanted to get to know. Then, my thoughts instantly snapped to Matt. My Matt.

He noticed my hesitance surprisingly quickly and smiled his smile. A smile that was getting more and more familiar every time he smiled it. “Well, if you’re boyfriend doesn’t show up, I’ll be on the beach.”

He gunned his engine and the words tumbled out of my mouth before I had a chance to hold them back. “What about the surf nazis?” I blurted out.

“Trust me, they won’t be bothering you,” he assured me, and with that, he was tearing past me and down the steps onto the sandy beach below.

I felt slightly abandoned as I watched him drive away; feeling like my adrenaline-craving heart was dragging right behind his bike.

I rushed into the jeep and climbed in, slamming the doors shut and not relaxing until I heard the doors lock with a satisfying click.

I was disappointed that I hadn’t jumped at the chance for the ride. A little fun would be nice right now. But Matt would be back soon, and I promised him I would stay out of trouble. David seemed like the epitome of trouble.

I scolded myself for considering driving off with him. I didn’t know him. For all I knew, he could be a murderer or a kidnapper or worse. But for some reason, he didn’t seem like the type. Actually, I wasn’t really sure what David’s type was. All I knew was that there was something different about him. And it made me scared and curious at the same time.

I must have waited in the jeep for a few hours and by each passing minute, going off to find David was getting more and more appealing. And I was getting even more upset and disappointed at the same time. I really thought Matt would show up.

Finally, my mind was made up and I searched the backseat for something warm to wear. I came across Matt’s jean jacket which was no doubt way too big on me, but it would have to work. I slipped it on over my trembling body and climbed out of the jeep, locking the doors as I got out. Matt had the keys to get in. I was vaguely aware that it was late at night and I was off to find a guy I barely knew, and I had no idea how I was getting home. But right that second, I didn’t want to think about the future.

When I reached the bottom of the steps, I found myself searching an empty beach. “Typical,” I muttered to myself. He wasn’t there. It had been one big joke. I was a huge idiot for listening to him.

Just then, there was the sudden thunderous rumbling sound of approaching motorbikes and I whipped around, scanning the beach for David. My heart was pumping excitedly at a speed that seemed unhealthy.

One by one, four motorbikes appeared in the distance, flying at breakneck speed. I hoped to god it was David, but felt sudden nervousness as I realized if it was, he had brought his friends with him. Maybe this was all a trick and I was walking into something that Matt would consider trouble.

It was too late to try and get back to the jeep; I was in the middle of an open, deserted beach with four motor bikers heading straight for me. There was no way out of this mess.

They came at me in an instant and I jumped back as the first one drove right for me, thinking they’d run me over. Instead they swerved to the side and one by one they all appeared and began to circle me, spraying sand in the air and revving their engines.

They were all hollering and whooping with delight or perhaps to scare me as they circled at a blurring speed, and I felt like a sheep that was being herded or like I was being circled by wolves instead of people astride big, powerful motorbikes. Wolves that were surrounding their prey.

Trying not to feel trapped and like a victim, I searched the faces of the circling people but they were all a blur. One, however, stood out and I felt relief as I recognized the person as David.

After an endless moment, their cries dropped off and they slowed down and all stopped in front of me, David front and center.

Slowly, their engines died down. I looked at David in relief. He was the obvious leader out of the four.

I looked behind him and noticed with surprise that the people behind him weren’t guys but girls. I was shocked as I stared at them. They were all so… compelling. Powerful looking. Even the smaller redhead looked like she could take me in a fight without even getting a scratch on her. There was something about them that made me feel very uneasy. I was outclassed and outnumbered.

“Didn’t show up?” David asked.

“No,” I answered in a barely audible voice. “He…must be busy.”

My eyes kept flickering from him to the three good-looking girls behind him, all watching me quietly. The petite redhead, the striking brunette, the pretty blonde… they looked cool and unconcerned. Everything about them screamed compelling and skilled, just like David. And just like that, I knew I wanted to be like them.

“Grace… this is Remy, Tempest, and Honey,” he indicated each one of them, placing names to the faces. Honey, the blonde, was grinning brightly at me, making me feel a little better. However, the tall, dark haired one was giving me a fierce, haughty glare that made me step back, as if scalded. He called her Tempest.

“Girls, this is Grace,” David introduced me, reaching into the pocket of his trench coat. The glamish redhead whom he called Remy was regarding me with attentive curiosity. David pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit one up and offered me the pack.

“No thanks, I…don’t smoke,” I responded tentatively. I heard quiet, mocking laughter coming from behind him and knew it was coming from Tempest. I felt myself blush a little.

David shrugged and shoved them back into his trench coat pocket smiling at me. “So, you still up for that ride?”

I glanced back at the girls. They didn’t look threatening, despite Tempest who looked like she could snap me like a twig or just burn me to ashes with her glare. Honey seemed welcoming enough.

“I’m not sure,” I answered, my voice faltering. “Maybe I should wait at the jeep…”

“Right, wouldn’t want the princess to get her nails dirty,” Tempest taunted, smiling devilishly. “Too stuck-up to ride with us, sweetie?”

I cringed at the word “stuck up.” I felt like I’d been slapped in the face and was a little incredulous. Why would I feel superior to them? They were everything I wanted to be, cool, compelling, powerful, confident.

“That’s calling the kettle black,” Remy muttered in a low voice but was loud enough for us to hear.

I felt admiration for the little redhead. She had guts if she was willing to stand up to someone like Tempest.

Tempest glowered at her and shot back a remark that I couldn’t hear. Remy looked pissed as she opened her mouth to retaliate but a sharp look from David caused them both to shut up.

“C’mon Grace,” he persuaded, his voice inviting. “It’ll be fun, I promise.”

I watched them cautiously and felt a strong longing to go with them. To feel the thrill and adrenaline chorus through my veins like words to a song, to be alongside them and see what they were like. It was getting harder and harder to resist.

“Climb on.” It wasn’t a demand, it was an invitation and as I looked up into his icy blue eyes I felt all my resignation wash away.

I walked toward them as confidently as I could and David held his hand out to me, pulling me onto the back of the motorcycle. I wrapped my arms around him a little hesitantly.

Remy and Honey were giving me appraising looks while Tempest set her burning gaze on me and gunned her engine as if to express her anger. David looked back at me over his shoulder and smiled. “Hold on.”

They all revved up their engines and I felt a slight thrill as I heard the growling beast below me.

“To the Cobblers Barn!” He called to the girls over the roar of the bikes.

“You ready to race me again, dwarf?” Tempest challenged Remy with a sly smile as she drove up beside her. “So I can kick your flaming ass?”

“It’s on, slut,” Remy growled at Tempest. “It’ll be easy if there’s some guy on the way there. You don’t know how to turn down sex do you?”

“Coming from someone who’s turned down from sex all the time,” Tempest answered coolly.

“At least I can turn someone down…”

Before they could continue their insults, it was like an invisible flag went down and all of a sudden I felt the bike below me jerk forward, causing me to tighten my grip on David.

In seconds we were flying down the beach at intense speed, spraying sand up into the air as we went. The gasp that had built in my throat was forced back. I’d never been on a motorcycle driving so quickly before and if I hadn’t been so excited, I would have been scared out of my mind. My heart was practically in my throat.

David’s Triumph was faster than the other girls’ bikes, but he lacked the determination that the girls had and stayed a little way behind them. Honey looked like she was having the time of her life while Remy and Tempest both had looks of deep concentration on their faces as they pushed faster and faster, neck-in-neck. But I couldn’t help noticing that despite the competition, both girls’ faces were also alive with excitement and the thrill of the ride.

“Excuse my friends,” David apologized to me over the growling of the Triumphs engine. “They’re a little…competitive.”

I almost laughed at the understatement as I watched the streaks of dark brown and red, both fighting to be ahead of the other.

We sped along the shoreline and through the surf, water spraying up onto my legs. I shivered from the cold water droplets on my legs but made no effort to lean down and wipe them off, in case I became at mercy to the wet sand below and the speeding bike.

David and the others picked up speed as we headed for the pier, which had a nice, chaotic obstacle course of wooden pilings. I took in a sharp intake of breath and suddenly found it even more difficult to breathe against the chilly, biting air that kept whipping me in the face.

They were going full speed now. My eyes were wide as I stared at the hazardous scene ahead. We were going to crash into those heavy, thick wooden pilings! And none of the three were even making an effort to stop. Neither was David. Had I got on a bike with a moron?

“What are you doing?” I gasped at him, fear clear in my voice.

“Having some fun,” David shouted over the sound of the wind and the motors that were howling in my ears. “You like fun, don’t you Grace?”

“Are you crazy?” I yelled in disbelief. He was heading straight for them! I lowered my face so that it was pressed into his trench coat, not wanting to watch the collision.

I was unprepared from the sudden swerve to the right and I yelped, but the other sounds drowned it out. My head snapped up in surprise and I watched in amazement and alarm as they weaved around the pilings sharply, executing the turns and avoiding collisions in an unreasonable and unimaginable way.

They threaded out of the obstacle course and were now racing onto the boardwalk, flying past people and dodging objects that stood in the way as people scampered away and stared.

The colors and faces of people flashed by as David launched us forward until we were racing beside the others. Honey had taken the lead, but not by much, and it looked like it was going to be a close call. The speed they were going at was definitely not permitted on the boardwalk.

As we shot off the boardwalk, David pushed us so that we were side by side with Honey. She looked over at me and grinned and I found a smile slipping across my lips too. This was really fun.

We were now ahead as we flew down a labyrinth of streets and it all passed in a blur, yet I can remember every single detail. After awhile Tempest and Remy and Honey were ahead of us a good distance. I think David was starting to slow a bit and I found myself disappointed. I wanted to be right there in the action.

I watched in wonderment as they sped on, they’re figures silhouetted against the night sky in a breath taking way, and then they disappeared. I swore David glanced back at me over his shoulder with a small smile before he advanced in full speed toward the girls.

We were rounding onto a darker, more abandoned street now and I was instantly reminded of that night when me and Matt stole the car. That night felt like ages ago now. I had a feeling we were nearing our destination by the sudden intensity that followed. Remy and Tempest were now fighting fiercely for the lead, both fixed on winning. The sudden turn off the street caught me by surprise and I watched as all three braked, tires locking and the bikes skidding to a stop.

I think it was a tie, but I couldn’t be sure. It seemed to close to call. Either way, as David also slid us to a stop, I could see the distaste on both Remy and Tempest’s faces. Honey, however, looked quite pleased and I wondered if she had won. But how would they know? It looked impossible to tell to me.

The sudden stilled silence was a bit disorienting as I climbed off the bike. The street really was like the one me and Matt had been on the other day and I vaguely wondered if we were in the same neighbourhood. I could smell the same scent I had that same night.

I looked up and caught sight of our destination. It was an enormous, two story barn that was old, abandoned and unfinished, judging by its fallen in boards and vacant, glassless windows. The yard was overgrown with shrubs and grass that looked like it hadn’t seen a lawnmower in years. Its roof had shingles hanging loosely off the side and its walls were lined with grime and dirt. It looked like it would cave at any given second.

David got off his triumph and headed over to where the others were standing, and I sensed that I was supposed to follow. Hesitantly, I followed him, hugging Matt’s jean jacket tightly to my body. I wanted to ask David where we were but I couldn’t get the words out of my mouth. I was too busy observing everything; him and the others, the barn before us, the street and the smell it had, the jean jacket and how it smelled like Matt and the ocean, the way the night sky seemed to describe the way these people were. Dark, mysterious, compelling, irresistible, and frightening…

David seemed to notice the question in my eyes. “The cobblers barn,” he replied to my wordless question. Just like every time he spoke, it was like all attention was drawn to him. “Used to be owned by a stock broker named Rufus Cobbler. He was vacant and cold and money obsessed, never spent any time with his family.”

He started to press on toward the barn at a slow gait, and the other girls followed him, staying surprisingly quiet after all the noise and commotion they had been making awhile ago. I followed also, uncomfortable with my back turned to Tempest.

“He died years ago. Wanted to turn this old barn into a nice office. He died right inside this barn.”

I felt a chill tingle down my spine and hugged Matt’s jacket closer to me. “How?” I asked quietly, trying to keep my voice calm and unconcerned.

“People say he was murdered.” We were now standing at the door to the barn. It was missing a doorknob so David pushed the door open, creating a squeaky noise. The girls pushed past me as they proceeded into the creepy barn, David leading the way. I followed.

The inside of the barn didn’t look much better than the outside. It was half-done, wooden boards were lying on the hard stone floor and the missing glass window panes were also laid haphazardly around. A ladder was pushed up against a wall and the place looked like it was just left like this ten minutes ago. It didn’t look like there had been a murder in here.

David crossed the floor and stood in the middle, waiting for us to all gather in. Honey winked at me as she passed and went to sit on the highest stair of the ladder. Remy sat on the bottom stair and Tempest leaned against the wall, watching me darkly. I wasn’t sure where to go and took to standing as far away from Tempest as I could get.

I was kind of enthralled with the Cobblers barn story, which kind of surprised me. I wanted to ask David questions; despite his bad-boy image he seemed sort of…wise.

I swallowed as the three girls set to work lighting old fashioned lanterns and placing them around the spacious area, emitting a somewhat eerie glow. I didn’t even know where they had discovered the lanterns, I hadn’t seen them before. They placed them on barrels that looked like they contained oil. I wanted to tell them it wasn’t a good idea to put them there but I thought I’d sound pretty stupid. They seemed to know what they were doing.

I couldn’t help the question that spilled over my lips. “How…how did he die?”

I was sure I spotted a trace of a smile on David’s face but it could have been a trick of the light because the next moment it was gone. He shrugged. “Some of Santa Carla’s troubled youth wandered in one night looking for booze. They found him instead.” I felt a small shiver creep up my spine at the images that flew through my mind. “Some people say they beat him up pretty bad, others say they had a gun. Personally, I think they might have gone for a different approach…”

His sentence dropped off but he didn’t need to finish it. I got the picture. There were so many ways…

David gave a small nod to Remy. The redhead was up in a flash and striding across the floor at a remarkable speed for such a small person, but I detected the stumble in her step as she ascended the stairs.

Tempest and Honey were talking to themselves rather quietly and after awhile they began to fool around. David smiled at me once he noticed me watching them and I turned away, a little embarrassed.

“You a runaway?” He asked me, his voice somewhat intense but not seeming nosy. Just a simple, harmless question. Yet it meant a hell of a lot to me.

I nodded. “I guess you could say that.”

In an instant, Remy was down the stairs with a bottle in her hands. But not just any bottle. This bottle was old fashioned and surprisingly beautiful. It was decorated with jewels, the lantern light gleaming off it in a mesmerizing way. I found myself admiring it openly. David smiled again as he took the bottle from Remy and whispered something in her ear. Remy nodded briefly and resumed her position at the top of the ladder. As soon as the elegant bottle was placed in David’s hands, Tempest and Honey subsided to silence. It was like the bottle held some kind of respect between them.

David uncorked it easily, the small sounds reverberating around the barn. A sudden, heavy intensity fell around us and I found myself squirming uncomfortably. It was like I intruding on something sacred, yet I felt like I was a part of it. The feeling thrilled me.

I could see now that the bottle was filled with a deep, blood-red liquid that shone crimson in the dim lighting. David raised the bottle carefully to his lips and then allowed the liquid to spill down into his mouth. His eyes were closed and his movements were intense. When he lowered the bottle slowly and opened his eyes, they were filled with immense enjoyment. He seemed to be savouring the taste.

I looked over at the three others and was surprised to see the utter desire on their faces. I was puzzled. I’d never seen someone look at wine with such longing before. David passed it over to Honey who took it quickly, eagerly downing it. When she passed it to Remy, I noticed the unwilling look in her eyes. The bottle continued to be passed around, until it reached back to David.

He smiled at me as he offered it to me.

“I..I don’t drink,” I stuttered, my eyes fixed on the bottle. It felt like it was pulling me toward it, like there was some kind of invisible force there. It called out to me, taunting. Like it was daring me to drink it.

I heard Tempest’s low, sultry laugh that could only be mocking me. I could see her whispering something to Honey out of the corner of my eye, and Honey giggled. I felt my face get really hot and knew it must be really red. Stupid blushing. It was out of control.

“Come on,” David’s voice was persuasive, but not pressuring. Inviting. “It’s only wine, it tastes good.”

His voice was so mesmerising, tempting. But somewhere in my mind a voice was telling me this was a bad idea and I trusted that voice more than anything. It got me through so much.

“No, thank you,” I replied politely, refusing to look into his eyes. The little voice said that that was also a bad idea.

“Grace.” The way he said my name sent shivers running down my spine, made my stomach flip. His voice held authority, without meaning to. It was the kind of voice that you followed without questioning, the kind of voice you trusted. The voice of a true leader. “Just try some, it won’t hurt you. I promise.”

I believed him but I couldn’t bring myself to listen. It was odd, I wanted to listen. I really did. My head told me it was only a little wine, and even though I had no idea who these people were and what could be in it, my head still trusted them completely. My heart was a different story.

My eyes remained on the bottle. They wanted to look at David, at any of them. But I set all my willpower on not removing them. I resisted.

I gave a small, barely audible gasp when I felt David’s hand slip under my chin, lifting it so I was looking into his eyes. The shock made my guard come down. His eyes were so icy blue, and so filled with secrets. I could see pain, anger, passion, determination, and resignation. They were all far in the back of his eyes, and were shielded with walls built of concrete. As soon as I had seen these feelings, they were gone again and the walls were up. Then all of a sudden, I was overcome with a mesmerizing feeling so captivating I felt like I was frozen in time. His eyes were the only things that existed on the earth, they were so fascinating. They were asking me to listen to David, to trust him. There was nothing to be scared of. Just a simple task that I could pull off easily. Not too much trouble…

I was lost, overwhelmed by the simple task that he was asking. So easy… I knew I was out of it, but I didn’t care. Wine was good, these people were good, the whole situation was good. So exciting… So much fun, I could be just like them. I could drink the same wine they did… Just like them…

I wasn’t even aware of the little part of me that had been fighting the whole time against the feelings and emotions that had invaded my mind. Then, something inside me snapped. I was myself; my body belonged to me, not the voices that were taking it over. I didn’t want to drink the wine, it didn’t feel right. And I wouldn’t do it.

I stared back at David defiantly, trying to ignore whatever was inside his eyes that kept trying to capture me. “No.”

I watched as a flicker of shock flashed on David’s face. As soon as it was there, it was gone. He stared at me for a moment, and I could still detect his confusion and surprise. And then, he let me go.

“Okay,” He replied easily, his usual voice of calm coming back.

I glanced over at the other girls and saw the shock on their faces. His eyes met each of theirs, and then landed on Tempests. “Tempest,” he said smoothly.

I watched as Tempests eyes lit up eagerly and that’s the last thing I noticed before she was at me. I felt her arms grab mine in an iron grip so tight it felt like someone was wrapping cold steal around them. I barely had time to scream before she was pushing me at the wall. It happened so fast that I didn’t realize it until I was flying across the room and was slammed against the wall, my head colliding with it. Pain shot through my head in agonizing streaks and stars danced in front of my eyes. Tempest pinned me to the wall and it was like being pressed against two walls. I cried out from the pain and David started to walk forward in the wine, smiling apologetically. “I’m sorry,” he said dispassionately. “But I’m doing you a favour. You want to be one of us, don’t you?”

I stared at him in horror as Tempest tipped my head back and pried my mouth open. I fought against her grip, but it was like trying to remove a wall. It was just impossible.

David spilled the red liquid into my mouth slowly and I felt it slide down my throat. Still, I could taste it. David had been right- it was good. More addicting than good, but still enjoyable despite my position.

David finished and Tempest released me, more aggressively than needed. I fell to my knees, coughing and sputtering. But it was too late, the wine was gone. I knew one thing for sure. It wasn’t any normal wine.

David smiled at me. “You’re one of us now, Grace.”

And before I knew what was happening, my eyes caught the sight of Remy and Honey tipping over the barrels that I had been right about. They were filled with oil.

I watched in terror as it spilled, and the lantern on top of it fell with it, shattering on the ground. I didn’t even have time to take a breath. To even blink. Not even to prepare for it.

The explosion was like thunder in my ears and I couldn’t even scream. I covered my face as the smoke flew into the air and the flames erupted around me. I shut my eyes, thinking that this was the end, that we were all dead for sure. I felt the force shove me across the barn and felt the flames lick my skin. They burned me and I felt the agonizing sting on my face and the heat that was breaking through Matt’s jean jacket.

I found myself pressed against the wall on the opposite side of the barn. My whole body was aching and smarting and my head was pounding with headache so strong it felt like my head was having rocks thrown at it. I struggled to sit up and felt a pang in my left hand. I noticed the piece of glass indented in my skin but I didn’t have time to deal with it. Because at that moment I caught sight of the inferno around me.

It was like a red-hot hell. The flames were crawling up the walls and the floor and making their way to the ceiling, blazing with vibrant red. The place where I had previously been was being devoured by the angry flames. Smoke was clouding overhead, dark and suffocating, and it was filling my lungs so fast it was like it was attracted to them. My eyes were watering as I looked around for the others but couldn’t find them. My heart was convulsing in my chest.

“David!” I shouted, inhaling smoke. I coughed, my chest racking with the suppressed blackness.

I ducked my head to keep my face away from the smoke. “Honey! Remy!” Another coughing fit and I struggled to yell out Tempest’s name. I searched the purgatory fire for any of the four but couldn’t find anything.

Fear grabbed me and held me tightly, squeezing until I felt like I would explode. The fiery embrace left me reaching for a way out of the endless terror but I came out empty. I was going to burn to death in a barn, all because I had went with four strangers.

I was in way over my head this time. I’d never been so deep in before, and trouble finally had caught up with me. And it was going to be my demise.

“David!” I hollered at the top of my lungs but my voice was drowned out by the roaring and crackling of the fire surrounding me, trapping me in an inescapable combustion of sweltering hot fire. I’d never felt so alone and scared in my life.

I got to my knees and then managed to stand up unsteadily, trying to ignore the overwhelming pain that racked at my body and caused me to sway. I had to find them. I had to get out…

I wandered so far before I fell to my knees and was left to try and crawl. The door was vanishing beneath the angry flames, the windows black from the smoke. I tried to breathe but couldn’t summon anymore of my breath. The flames were moving in on me, I was running out of time.

Then, I heard it. A voice, belonging to David. I wasn’t sure where it was coming from, it seemed like it was coming from all around me.

“Grace…”

I thrashed around trying to locate David, but I couldn’t see him anywhere. All I could see was monstrous flames, closing in.

“Grace, Grace, Grace…” The voice chanted faintly, fading. Maybe it was in my head. It seemed like it was.

“Grace…” This voice was sure wasn’t David’s, but Honeys. Then another one, belonging to Remy. “Grace…”

I tried to yell out but I was being engulfed by the flames. The new voice was Tempest’s; I could hear the mocking tone. “Grace…”

I felt the heat become overwhelming, felt myself getting weak. The pain was unbearable, the burning unstoppable. There was no more hope. I was gone.

My last thought before I gave in to the darkness was, I love you Matt, and I’m sorry. And then, the last word was one that belonged to David once again.

“Grace…”

Authors note: Thanks for reading! Now that the chapters introducing our new characters are finished, the story can begin completely…