Chapter 13

[Charlotte's POV]

When I woke up the day that Celeste disappeared, everything felt normal. The room was chilly like it usually was every morning and I could hear the sound of birds chirping outside my window. The faint smell of breakfast cooking from kitchen had me on my feet and heading towards my sister's room.

Celeste loves doing my hair. Back home, our mornings began with me barging into her room like nobody's business and telling her about the plans I'm having with my friends. And while I do that, she'd style my hair the way I want it.

I thought about asking her to put my hair up in a fishtail, but when I entered her room she wasn't there. Her window was open and the curtains were fluttering wildly from the breeze outside. I walked up to the windowsill and locked it. Thinking maybe she got up earlier, I walked down to the kitchen and found where everyone sitting on the dining room table.

"Where's Celeste?" I asked mom.

"Isn't she still sleeping?"

I shook my head. "She wasn't in her room."

"Maybe she's doing her business?" Gran said, plopping her jam sandwich into her mouth.

"Business?" Trent cringed.

Gran rolled her eyes. "I swear boy...Are you really my grandson? Blockheads don't run in my family." She lightly hit him with her cane on the back of his knee. Trent pushed his chair back and sent Gran a glare. "Don't stare at me like that! Business means, you know...wizz, pee, tinkle, take a leak? Or if it's the other one: dump, shit, crap-

"Mother. You can't talk to Trent like that! And don't say those words, not while we're eating." Mom placed a pitcher of orange juice in front of her in the table.

"You're a nurse Trace, I thought you had a tough gut for that kind of stuff."

I changed topic before another argument between them happened. "So what are we planning to do today?"

We were almost finished with breakfast when mom grew suspicious about Celeste's whereabouts too.

"Celeste hasn't come down yet."

"She probably got lost." Trent joked.

I hit him on the shoulder and glared. A bad feeling made the pit of my stomach churn, which was never a good sign.

"Wyatt!" Gran called for her butler.

He came running without a sweat. "Yes ma'am."

"Have you seen my granddaughter?" His eyes looked at me and Gran caught it. "The older one, not Charlotte...Celeste."

"No ma'am. I didn't see her since I arrived here this morning at 5am." He bowed and dismissed himself.

Worry turned into fear. "Maybe we should look for her." I said, already walking up the stairs and into her room.

We searched and searched, from every nook and cranny of Gran's humongous house. Gran was out of her mind searching for Celeste in her freezer and cabinets. Trent checked the basement and the cellar. Wyatt looked around the perimeter of the house. Mom and I searched all the rooms.

"We can't find her anywhere!" At this point, mom was frantic and her hands were shaking, she was almost in the verge of tears. Mom didn't refuse Gran when she comforted her with a hug. Trent held my hand as I wept at the sight of mom breaking down. The same way she did when dad died.

It broke my heart watching her react that way again. I was too young when dad died to really understand what had happened at first. But now, I'm old enough to know what this situation entailed.

My sister is gone. She couldn't have run away, there was no reason for her to run away. She would have told me! She tells me everything. Or does she?

There was only one explanation in my head that seemed realistic enough.

Celeste was kidnapped.

We called the police and were told to wait twenty-four hours before calling for a missing person. Their response caused mom to rush over to the police station driving 100mph down the mountain. We burst into the station, marching past everyone who told us not to cross some stupid white line.

Mom demanded to be assisted at once. We explained to all available police that we couldn't find my sister. Their response was the same as the person on the phone. Mom went ballistic and she nearly did something that could have gotten her into jail.

"Last night was the Taking." One police officer pointed out. "It's not unusual for someone to go missing on an eclipse night."

Gran's eyes widened. "That's right! Oh dear, my granddaughter was Taken!" She sounded both excited and alarmed. "My granddaughter...was taken." She repeated again, sad this time.

"We don't have time for your silly stories mother! Can't you see, my child is missing?!" Mom went up to the cop, her face nearly an inch from his face. "You're going to just accept that fantasy story and do nothing about my daughter possibly being kidnapped!"

"Ma'am, Please calm-

Mom pointed her finger at the cop and glared at him. "Tell me to calm down one more time and-

I took her hand in mine before she would regretted the words coming out of her mouth.

"Officer Harvey..." Trent stepped forward, facing the cop reading his name plate. "Do you have kids?"

Officer Harvey nodded. "Two girls."

"Do you love your kids?"

Officer Harvey looked offended. "Boy, you have some nerve--

"DO YOU LOVE YOUR KIDS?' Trent repeated again, this time in a loud tone. His voice cracked I noticed and you can feel his emotions tainting each word. Trent's fists clenched tight and I could see his veins protruding down his arms.

"Damn," Gran whistled. "Defiantly my blood, no doubt about that."

For the first time I realized how big my little brother had become. He was almost as tall as Celeste now and the muscles on his back were significantly developing. Why hadn't I noticed that before? I've only seen him as my little brother, so I guess that's why.

"Yes, I love my kids." Officer Harvey responded.

Trent lifted his chin. "So wouldn't you be going out of your mind if one of your kids were missing?"

Officer Harvey gulped. "Of course, I would." The man knew he was bested. "But...I'm sorry. I can't help you at this time. You have to understand how our system works. We can't file a missing person's case until twenty four hours has passed."

"Screw you!" Trent shouted. "My sister is missing and she could be dead by that time!"

Mom gasped and her knees collapsed.

"Trent," I yelled. He went too far.

I clasped my arms around his waist holding him back in case he attempted to hit an officer. He was physically trembling and for a faint second as my ear was pressed to his back, I thought I heard a snarl?

"What's going on in here?"

Leonardo stormed into the station. He looked like he had just recently gone for a run. His checks were flushed and clutched within his hand was a rock.

What was he doing with a rock?

"Leo, I'm so glad you are here!" Mom rushed to his side immediately.

"What is it? What happened?" He looked concerned.

Was it just me or Did he looked overly too concerned? As if he was faking his reaction, but maybe I was putting too much thought into his expression.

Mom collapsed into his side pulling him to the mean cops' direction. "If you have the authority to fire him-do it!"

Officer Harvey frowned. "Sir, I didn't do anything wrong."

It was so weird hearing an older gentleman call someone as young as Leonardo a 'sir'.

"Wow, hold up now. I can't fire anyone until I have a good reason too." Leo held one hand up.

"Celeste is missing!" Mom cried.

"We can't find her anywhere but we think she was Taken!" Gran added.

Mom glared at Gran. "Can you please stop talking about that silly story and focus on what's important?"

Leo's brow curved up. "Celeste is missing?" There was something odd about the way he responded. "Are you sure she didn't go off wondering on her own around town?"

"My sister would not do that?" I spat.

"Celeste always tells us where she goes before she goes anywhere." Trent said.

"Huh." Leo clutched his chin like a detective solving a mystery to a crime. "Let me check out the town. I'll ride around on my motorcycle and see if I can find her. I'll call my parents, maybe they can help find her."

"Oh thank you!" Mom hugged him.

By the end of the day, there was still no sign of Celeste. Leo's parents meet us at Gran's house and Debbie comforted my mom as she cried. Vincent didn't tag along with his parents, much to my surprise. His dad said that Vincent felt sick and would have wanted to help out. I really hoped he were here, but Trent hadn't left my side all day.

It was as if he was afraid he'd loss me too.

My whole body was trembling fearing what could have happened to Celeste.

Is she safe?

Is she okay?

Is she alone?

Is she alive?

I didn't want to think the worst, but the thought kept lingering at the back of my head. I told myself it was too early to be thinking that.

Then I remembered what I saw in the morning. "Her window was open." I blurted out. "When I came into her room, her window was open and she wasn't there."

The news had mom crying again. That night none of us slept.

The next day, the police were involved, but from the look in their eyes and the sound of their voice, they already believed Celeste had no chance of being found. It was that stupid legend everyone believed in. I was furious that they had already given up.

The whole town had Celeste's face stapled on every wall with the words Missing underneath and our contact info. Townspeople were whispering about how Celeste was taken. People came to our house offering condolences as if my sister was dead. I wanted to punch all those people who left flowers on the front of our gate. It was completely rude. Gran made Wyatt shut the front gate and tell the visitors to respect our privacy and give us space.

At one point mom lashed out her anger. "We shouldn't have come here, this is all your fault! You are completely fine!" Mom accused Gran. "You are as healthy as a horse. If we hadn't have come to this crazy town, my daughter would have been safe at home." Mom cried, clutching her tissue.

Gran didn't say anything and slowly limped to the sofa by the window.

"Mom, don't blame Gran. You know this isn't really her fault." I told her.

Mom's tear streaked face was red and swollen. "I know. I'm just really upset. I didn't mean to yell at her. I should apologize, shouldn't I?"

"Instead of asking me, you should go and do it right now."

She looked at me and wept again. "Gawd, you sound so much like Celeste right now. Always so smart when she talked."

I cried again when she said it. "Mom" I groaned, holding back my tears.

She engulfed me in a tight hug and dug her face into my hair. "We'll get her back. We are not leaving here until we do."

Trent was lying across the sofa near the fireplace staring at the ceiling. He's been stone as a statue like that since the other night. He spoke little words after the police station incident. His face has been blank most of the time, but his eyes told me he was concerned over Celeste too.

Growing up, because mom worked a lot of double shifts, Celeste was like his second mom. He and Celeste were close until he started growing up and become a teenage boy. He didn't include himself in our conversations like he did as a kid and preferred to sit alone with his music, or cellphone.

"Are you okay?" I asked him.

He gazed at me once then turned away before answering. "Do I look okay?"

"You look tired."

He smirked. "You don't look so bad yourself."

I rolled my eyes and swatted his leg. "Move over." He made space for me to sit next and I wrapped my arm around his, placing my head on his shoulder. "Where do you think she is?" I asked him.

Most of the time, he would pull me off and complain about all the touchy feely girly things that I rubbed off on him. This time, he accepted my sisterly love.

"If I knew, do you think I'd be here sitting with you? When we find her, I'm going to put itch powder all over her bra drawer for making us worry like this."

I chuckled. "I'm going to tell mom on you."

"That won't stop me." He smiled.

"Don't go anywhere where I can't see both of you." Mom hovered over us. "I don't think I'll survive if another one of you goes missing." She hugged us both in a tight snake-like hug. My ribs actually started to hurt from how tight it was.

"Did you say sorry to Gran?" I asked her.

"The stubborn woman won't talk to me. She's giving me the silent treatment."

"You can try again tomorrow." I told her, giggling.

Mom shrugged. "Or maybe later tonight. I don't think I'll be able to sleep again tonight." Me neither.

"We can camp out in the living room again." Trent said. "I can take out some blankets and pillows so at least we don't have to sleep uncomfortably like last night."

Mom whimpered. "Remember how you kids would make forts using blankets and chairs? I would come home from work late and the three of you would be up playing your cute role plays."

Gran appeared out of nowhere and sat down on Trent's side of the sofa away from mom. "I didn't get to see that. Tell me about your childhood."

To pass time we shared memories of our childhood. We laughed, tears were shed and Gran loved every bit of it. At around 2am, I got up to get a glass of water. My throat was so constricted from all the crying. It would have been easier to have Wyatt get it but his shifts usually end after dinner.

"I'll get some for you guys." I told them.

Mom tiredly nodded. I had a feeling she was going to fall asleep soon. She hadn't sleep for the past 24 hours, or maybe more-neither of us did.

"I'll go with you." Trent offered.

"It's okay little bro. I can do it myself. I'll use a try to carry the glasses." He grumbled when I glared at him.

He's acting overly protective lately.

The kitchen was really dark when I got there. The lights were switched off and I immediately regretted not taking Trent up on his offer. If I returned now empty handed, he would probably laugh at me.

Celeste wasn't scared of the dark, why should I? My sister could be out there facing something worse and I'm here scared of the dark.

I'm pathetic.

"Don't be a coward." I told myself.

I searched for the light switch but couldn't find it. I forgot where it was. Afraid of staying any longer, I decided to just get the water and get the hell out as quick as I can.

The refrigerator had a water dispenser and the light switch was on. I could easily maneuver through my task without falling. To my relief a tray was already on the counter, so I grabbed that and reached up the cabinet for four glasses. Each glass was filled a three fourth of the way up, because I was fearful of spilling.

Just when I was about to lift the tray, the door that led to the outside deck rattled. I paused on my feet and stared stunned. OH my god, what was that?!

Doorknobs don't rattle like that unless someone tired opening it. Thank goodness the window blinds were closed. The person outside wasn't able to see me. Then I thought maybe it was Celeste. I slowly walked up the door and peeked through the peephole. My fingers presses against the door as I leaned down to get a better look. It was too dark to see.

This door leads to the back porch. If there really was a person on the other side of this door, how did he get in the back yard?

Maybe it's the wind.

I find the light switch for the back porch and hesitate to turn it on. What the heck, I won't find out who it is unless I do it.

Without another second wasted, I flip the switch and I was surprised to see...

"Vincent!" I exclaimed.

My hand automatically unlocked the door without thinking. Stepping outside, I greet him with amazement. "Vincent, what are you doing in my Gran's back yard in the middle of the night?"

He wore a pair of faded jeans and a button down shirt, except it wasn't buttoned and his lean muscular chest was on full display for me to see and drool over. It was so hard for me to keep my eyes on his handsome face.

"Charlotte." He muttered huskily. "I'm sorry about your sister being missing. I heard from my brother."

"Vincent, aren't you sick? Shouldn't you be at home?" I asked him worriedly. I reached out to touch him but he recoiled back. His face was twisted in what looked like pain. "Are you okay?"

His hands fisted and he pushed them into his back pockets. "I'm fine." He croaked.

Was that a growl I heard?

"Would you like to come inside, it's kind of cold." I touched his shoulder, hoping to usher him inside the house, but when I did I felt his shirt damp with sweat. "Vincent, you're burning up!" I exclaimed.

His eyes widened and he covered my mouth with his palm. "Shh, don't be so loud. We might get in trouble." Gross. He was sick and he's covering my mouth with his hand he most probably coughed on. "I'm not sick." He said, removing his hand from my mouth.

"Then why are you so hot?" I asked.

A cocky grin plastered on his face. "I'm glad you think so."

I rolled my eyes. "So you aren't sick?"

"No."

"Then why are you burning?" I asked him placing my hand on his damp forehead. I could feel the heat radiating off him in waves. It felt so much like a heater; I swear I was being fried like chicken standing right next to him.

"It's nothing." He muttered. Then suddenly he groaned and collapsed on his knees. He was whimpering in pain and his hands were wrapped around himself.

"Vincent! Oh my god, I'm going to get my mom!"

He grabbed my arm before I could run. "No." His hold had me on my knees with him and because I was wearing shorts, my knees were dying from the wood. "Charlotte, get back inside and lock the door."

"What! I can't leave you out here when you're obviously sick!"

"Don't. Just go inside. I came here to make sure you were okay, but maybe this was a bad idea."

Bad idea...? What?

"I'm not leaving you."

"Go." He said between clenched teeth. "Charlotte please, I don't want to hurt you. You can't see this...I might-you have to leave! This is my first-

He didn't get to finish his sentence, because before I knew it he ran and jumped off the porch.

"Vincent!" I ran after him and down the stairs. The more I followed him the further I got from the house. I was only wearing my indoor slippers and I didn't have a coat on. It was pretty cold and by the time I stopped running, my teeth were clattering and my skin formed Goosebumps. "Vincent!" I called once more.

After a few minutes, I didn't get a response back, so I thought he probably went back home. I wasn't done talking to him and I intend to talk to him about this later. He had a lot of explaining to do.

I was almost near the house when I felt someone grab me from behind and spin me to face them. A familiar face welcomed me with a bright dimpled smile.

"Vincent, you scared me!" He didn't respond but closed his arms around me in a hug. This was the first time he hugged me and it felt nice. At first I was startled, but I warmed into it. "What are you doing Vincent?"

He shifted his head and I felt his soft lips graze my neck. "You smell really good, Charlotte."

A trail of shivers ran down my spine and back. "Umm...thanks." I gasp. Did he just lick me? "Vince-

Pain burned the side of my neck and my fingernails dug into his back. A scream exploded from my mouth and before I knew it, I was limp in his arms. He clutched me like a newborn baby against his chest.

"Mine," Was the last think I heard him say before he placed me on the forest ground. He took off his shirt and placed it over me to keep me warm. It didn't help much. I was still cold. Next, he got on the ground on all fours and tilted his head back making a long and loud howl, like a wolf.

My eyes began to droop as drowsiness kicked in. Vincent cringed forward, his back arched and his shoulders sagged. I watched stupefied as his whole body expanded, grew hair and morphed into a gigantic horrific beast. He was still shifting when another animal, larger than himself, pounced on him from the side. The two creatures tumbled to the ground snarling and barking.

I didn't see what else happed because I lost consciousness.

NOTE: Dec 24, 2016

HAPPY HOLIDAYS YOU FREAKISHLY AMAZING PEOPLE!!! I'M BACK!!! I've graduated and I'm ready to write again after a year of constant chaos. I have edited this book again so you will find some changes to the style of writing. This book has been closed off from the public but I have made it visible once more. SO YOU BETTER BE GRATEFUL, you marshmallows! Let's make one thing clear though IF YOU COPY MY BOOK...I WILL FIND YOU.

BE WARNED. xo