Morgan Rice - Craved

“I… um… yes… I do.”

Blake raised his eyebrows in surprise, and then she saw a small smile at the corner of his lips, as if he didn’t believe her.

“Well, where is he?” he asked.

She scanned the crowd, searching again for Sage, willing him to appear.

But again, she saw no sign of him. Her heart fell. She couldn’t understand it. What could possibly have happened? She felt even worse than ever, as if the universe were rubbing it in.

“I don’t know,” she finally answered, truthfully.

“Doesn’t sound like a good date to me,” Blake said. “I don’t have a date either,” he added. “Vivian actually asked me. Can you believe it? That was bold.”

“What did you say?” Scarlet asked.

“I said no,” he said, a serious look in his eyes. “Because I wanted to go with you. And I was hoping maybe you’d show.”

He said it with such sincerity, that for a moment, Scarlet felt herself looking into his eyes, remembering why she liked him in the first place.

She quickly looked away.

“Look, Scarlet, I know I’ve been a jerk,” he said. “I’m really sorry. I was thinking about everything you said. About not standing up for you, in front of Vivian. And you’re right. I should have. I’m sorry. It was stupid. Anyway, the thing is, I know how I feel now. I guess I was just confused, ya know? But anyway, I really want to be with you. I really want you to be my girlfriend. You don’t have to give me an answer now. But just think about it, okay? I promise, I’ll change.”

Scarlet stood there, not knowing what to say. He seemed so sincere, his words at least took the edge off of her anger and upset towards him.

“Thank you for saying all that,” she said. “I appreciate it.”

“I’m going to get a drink,” he said. “I’ll come back in a little bit. If your friend still isn’t here, maybe we can dance?”

She doubted very much she’d be standing here when he got back. If Sage didn’t show, she was leaving. But she appreciated it anyway.

Blake disappeared back into the crowd, and she sighed and turned the other way, deciding to get away from Blake and patrol the other side of the field. Maybe Sage was waiting in the far corners, lurking in the shadows.

As she made it halfway, suddenly she heard a voice.

“Well, if it isn’t miss congeniality.”

Scarlet’s heart sank. She stopped and slowly turned, and there, behind her, stood Vivian, flanked by all of her friends. They stared down at her with mean smiles, and she could tell by their glossy eyes that they were all drunk. She could also see immediately how mad Vivian was at being here without a date. Clearly, that must have embarrassed her, and she was looking to take it on someone. She had finally found her target.

“So you think you can just throw beer on me at a party and get away with it?” Vivian asked.

“I never threw beer on you,” Scarlet responded.

“No, but your little friend did,” she answered. “On your behalf.”

“I can’t control what my friends do.”

“But you wanted her to, didn’t you? And she did it for you.”

Scarlet was in no mood for this. She really didn’t want a confrontation. Not now. Not here.

She turned and began to walk away.

Suddenly, she felt a hand digging into her shoulder, nails digging into her skin. She was yanked around as Vivian spun her around.

“Don’t you ever turn your back on me!” Vivian snapped.

Vivian reached back to smack Scarlet hard across the face, and as she did, something suddenly overtook Scarlet. It was like her senses went into overdrive, by themselves. She saw Vivian’s hand coming at her in slow-motion, and everything slowed down around her. She reached out, her reflexes a thousand times faster than she ever thought possible, and easily caught Vivian’s wrist.

Scarlet stood there, holding it. She squeezed and squeezed, and felt superhuman strength rush through her.

Vivian dropped to her knees, crying out in pain.

“Let go of me!” she screamed.

Suddenly, one of Vivian’s friends charged Scarlet, and as she did, Scarlet leaned back and kicked her in the solo plexus. The kick was so powerful, it sent her flying back like a torpedo, into all her other friends, sending them all crashing to the ground.

That caused a big stir in the crowd, and several people turned and looked their way, causing a commotion. Scarlet stood there, rage coursing through her, as she stared down at Vivian.

Vivian looked up at her, wide-eyed, eyes filled with fear, shaking.

As Scarlet stared down at her, something else overwhelmed her. She felt blood rushing up through her face, felt it beginning to transform, felt her two incisor teeth lengthening. She felt a tingling on her lips.

She snarled down at Vivian, and it was an unnerving, animal-like noise that startled even her.

Vivian’s eyes opened twice as wide.

“What are you?” Vivian asked.

Scarlet was overcome by an insatiable desire to feed. Every pore in her body screamed out for blood – for Vivian’s blood. Her body was positively quaking. She was dying to kneel down and sink her teeth into Vivian’s throat. She saw herself drinking and drinking, filling up on her blood. It was a craving so strong, she didn’t know if she could stop it.

“Scarlet!” came a harsh voice from behind.

There was something in that voice, something just strong enough, to make Scarlet turn.

There stood Lore. He stood out in the crowd, wearing his tight leather jacket, towering over everyone.

Scarlet turned back and backhanded Vivian, smacking her so hard, the sound rippled through the crowd.

Vivian collapsed, face first, in the grass, and the crowd gasped as she did.

Scarlet turned and walked over to Lore.

“Where is Sage?” she snapped, her voice still deep and dark from the transformation.

Lore smiled, slowly shaking his head.

“He’s not coming,” he said. “He told me to bring you a message. Sorry. He changed his mind.”

Scarlet felt a knife plunged into her heart at the words. She had never felt so betrayed. She felt completely crushed.

“He also asked me to tell you to give me the necklace,” Lore said, reaching out a hand.

Scarlet stared down, and suddenly realized Lore was lying. Sage would never tell him to ask for the necklace. Or would he?

“Go to hell,” Scarlet snarled.

Slowly, Lore’s smile dropped, as his face contorted with rage. Before her eyes, she watched him transform, into a huge, raven-like creature. His wings spread wider and wider as he stepped forward to wrap them around Scarlet.

“I can kill you,” he snarled. “And I will kill you.”

“Then kill me,” she snarled back. “You’re not the only one who is immortal.”

Lore leapt into motion, bringing his wings down as if to smother her.

But suddenly, Lore’s wings stopped in mid-air, just inches away from her. He looked down at her ring, and his eyes opened wide in astonishment.

“He gave you the ring,” he hissed, trembling, frozen.

Scarlet leaned back and kicked Lore hard in the chest, so hard, she sent him flying, hundreds of feet, across the entire field, into its darkest corners.

She’d had enough. She suddenly felt certain Sage would never come, and felt her heart breaking into a million little pieces. She knew that she couldn’t stay in this crowd any longer: another minute here, and she would start feeding on everyone in sight.

So instead, with a final snarl and roar of anguish, Scarlet burst out of there, sprinting away from the field, from the school, from the dance – far, far away from everything, and deep into the darkest depths of the night.

Caitlin burst through the front door of her house, and right into Caleb’s waiting arms. He hugged her tight, and it felt so good to be back in his grip. Ruth stood by her side, whining and barking, leaping up on her.