Eleven - Monsters Among Us

Monsters Among Us

Ever since the night Kai had stabbed and threatened her on the street, Carrie had lived in a constant state of fear. The memory of his cold words echoed in her mind, leaving her too terrified to venture beyond the safety of her room. The world outside felt distant, hostile, and foreign—except for the library, where she occasionally sought refuge, hoping to find something that could make sense of the stories she had read in Abbie's books.

It was there, among the countless rows of books, that she stumbled across something that stirred her in a way the others hadn't. Tucked away in a forgotten corner of the library, she discovered an ancient book, its pages brittle with age. Strangely, it wasn't cataloged, not even registered in the library's system. Its very existence seemed hidden, as if waiting for someone like Carrie to find it.

The book was filled with tales of creatures that defied logic—witches, vampires, werewolves. The stories weren't just fanciful myths; they were truths, buried in time and covered by the world's skepticism. To anyone else, they would have been absurd. But for Carrie, already lost in a spiral of paranoia and thirst for revenge, they made perfect sense.

It was clear now: she wasn't fighting against mere humans. Kai, the psycho who had tormented her, the werewolf who haunted her every thought—these were not people. And Carrie, in her desperate need for control, knew that if she couldn't rely on the authorities to right the wrongs done to her, she would have to take matters into her own hands. The book offered a solution, a way to transform, to gain power. It spoke of a human's ability to become a vampire—not through birth, but through a violent rebirth, dying with vampire blood coursing through their veins. That was her path. She could feel it in her bones.

Once transformed, she would be unstoppable, a force of vengeance, able to hunt down the werewolf who had so ruthlessly torn her life apart, and Kai, the psycho who was just as dangerous as the monster that had killed her brother. She wasn't sure what he was, but one thing was certain—he would pay.

Carrie's resolve hardened as she closed the book, its heavy weight in her hands symbolizing the burden of her choices. There would be no turning back. The moment she took this step, she would change everything, and no one—not Kai, not the werewolf—would be safe from her wrath.

"I told you I'm not driving you to school, ever again!" Jo snapped, standing in the middle of the living room, eyes burning with frustration. The argument had been going on for a week, and with their parents out on coven business, the tension finally reached a breaking point.

"I don't need you to drive me," Kai shot back with a smirk, clearly unfazed. "I just need your car, and I'll take it whenever I feel like it."

Jo's jaw clenched, her fists tightening. "No, you won't. If you do, I'm telling Mom and Dad what you and your little wolf have been doing."

Kai laughed, the sound low and dripping with sarcasm. "Oh, no. Not Mom and Dad. I'd hate to disappoint them," he replied, clearly enjoying the frustration building in Jo.

Her eyes narrowed. "You freak of nature," she hissed, turning on her heel to leave.

But before she could take a step, Kai was in front of her, blocking her path. He grabbed her arm with a swift motion. "Not so fast," he said coldly, before starting to siphon her energy.

"Motus!" Jo shouted, pushing him away with a burst of magic, her anger fueling the force.

Kai barely moved, a smirk tugging at his lips as he quickly recited a counter spell. "Phasmatos superous em animi." The words caused Jo to stagger, her body wracked with pain. She fell to the ground, her scream echoing through the room.

"Stop!" she gasped, gritting her teeth through the agony. "I'll let you use the car!"

Kai's smirk deepened, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Sounds like a deal," he said smoothly. The pain ceased as he released the spell, and he grabbed the car keys without a second thought.

As he left the room, Jo lay on the floor, struggling to catch her breath, her chest heaving with anger. "Asshole," she muttered under her breath, her voice seething with resentment.

At school, Abbie couldn't shake the loneliness gnawing at her. Harmony had become distant over the past week, frustrated with Abbie for not reaching out like she used to. Abbie couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt, but it was hard to bridge the gap when she felt like she was being pulled in too many directions. And then there was Jo—her rejection stung more than she wanted to admit. Ever since Jo had discovered the truth about her secret, there was no hiding the hostility between them. At first, Kai hadn't told her what had happened, but when she finally asked why Jo was avoiding her, Kai had reluctantly confessed. Now, the only person left who hadn't turned on her was Kai, and though they'd been spending more time together lately, it still didn't feel like enough.

But today, Abbie couldn't find him anywhere, and the emptiness was suffocating.

She waited by his locker, glancing at her watch every few seconds, hoping for any sign of him. The seconds dragged by until finally, she spotted him walking down the hallway.

Her heart lifted slightly, a mix of relief and something else she couldn't quite place.

"Hey, Kai," she greeted him, forcing a small smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "How's it going?"

Kai looked up, his signature smirk playing at the corner of his lips. "Oh, you know, same old," he replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Doing amazing. The best I've ever felt, truly."

Abbie couldn't help but chuckle, rolling her eyes. "You're such a drama queen," she said, trying to deflect from the weight of everything that had been building up inside her.

"Is that a compliment?" he asked, eyebrow raised, clearly amused by her response.

Abbie shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant. "If you want to take it that way."

"Do you want to hear something funny?" she asked, her voice light but edged with frustration.

Kai shot her a curious glance, clearly intrigued. "You've got my attention. What's so funny?"

Abbie sighed, her frustration slipping through. "I'm on the planning committee for the Halloween party this year," she started, the words slipping out faster than she intended. "And I can't even go because of the full moon tomorrow." She made an exaggerated groaning sound, rolling her eyes. "How's that for irony?"

Kai smirked, his eyes glinting with mischief. "Well, looks like you're cursed with the worst luck," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Planning a party you can't even attend? That's peak irony right there. You should write a book about it—'How to Throw a Party and Still Be the Only One Left Out'" He chuckled, clearly enjoying her frustration.

Abbie leaned against the locker, crossing her arms over her chest, the humor quickly fading from her face. "Yeah, typical," she muttered, more to herself than to him. "Just when things start to feel like they might be normal... they never are."

Kai's smirk faltered for a split second, his expression softening. There was a flicker of something in his eyes—a rare glimpse of sincerity. "I get it. Life's great at throwing a wrench in our plans," he said, his voice unexpectedly gentle.

Abbie nodded, her shoulders slumping slightly under the weight of everything she couldn't change. "Yeah. It's like nothing ever goes the way I want it to. I try, and it just blows up in my face. And now I'm planning a party I can't even attend. So that's... that's fun," she said, the bitterness creeping into her voice.

"You know, maybe the universe is just trying to keep things interesting," Kai said with a shrug, his tone light and carefree. "Who needs normal when you've got this much chaos, right?"

"Yeah, because normal is way overrated," Abbie said dryly, the words slipping out before she could stop them. "I think I'm getting used to the madness." Her voice trailed off, tinged with resignation.

Kai studied her for a moment, a flicker of something unspoken passing between them. He didn't say anything at first, but when he did, it was in that same light, teasing tone, though it carried an undercurrent of something deeper. "Welcome to the club. It's not glamorous, but it's never boring," he said, his smirk still in place, but there was something more knowing about it now.

Abbie smiled faintly, the tension in her shoulders easing just a little. "I guess that's true. Boring sounds worse than chaos at this point."

Before she could say anything else, the bell rang, cutting off their conversation. They exchanged a glance—one that held more than words could express—and without another word, they started walking toward their next class. As they walked side by side, Abbie felt the hollow feeling inside her linger, but it wasn't as heavy as before. There was a comfort in Kai's presence, even if things weren't exactly easy between them. She wasn't alone, at least not in the way she had been earlier.

Abbie reluctantly made her way to the gym where the committee meeting was set to take place. She hadn't even wanted to join this committee in the first place. Back when things were better between her and Harmony, her friend had convinced her to sign up, insisting it would be "fun" for them to work together. That seemed like a distant memory now. Abbie scoffed quietly at the thought. Fun? Sure.

As she stepped into the gym, her suspicions about how tedious this was going to be were immediately confirmed. Standing at the front of the room was Whitney, the committee leader, radiating the kind of overconfidence Abbie had no patience for today. Whitney was the epitome of a stereotypical preppy girl, with perfectly curled blonde hair, sparkling blue eyes, and a pink skirt that screamed "look at me."

"Hello, everyone! Thank you for coming," Whitney chirped, her voice so high-pitched that Abbie wondered if only dogs could fully appreciate it. "I see a few new faces today! For those of you who don't already know me, my name is Whitney," she announced, dragging out her introduction with a sugar-sweet smile.

Abbie stifled a groan. This is going to be long and painful.

Whitney spent the next twenty minutes breaking down the simplest tasks as if she were teaching a group of toddlers, gesturing animatedly and tossing around phrases like, "super important details" and "aesthetic cohesion." By the time Whitney finally let the group start working, Abbie's patience had worn paper-thin.

She busied herself with decorating, focusing on the task to keep her irritation in check. That's when she noticed Harmony in the gym, working on another part of the setup. Abbie hadn't even realized her former friend was part of the committee, and now that she had, she wished she hadn't. Harmony kept glancing over, like she was looking for the right moment to come talk to her. But Abbie had no interest in that conversation. She deliberately avoided Harmony's gaze, pretending to be deeply engrossed in her work.

Just as she was finishing up, a familiar voice broke through her thoughts. "So, this is what you do in your free time now? Arts and crafts?"

Abbie turned sharply to see Kai, grinning mischievously as he leaned casually against the wall. She hadn't even noticed him come in.

"You scared me!" she said, but there was a smile in her voice.

"Did I?" Kai asked, smirk widening. "That wasn't even my best entrance. Anyway, do you want to hang out when you're done here?"

The question caught her off guard. "Uh, yeah, that sounds fun," she replied, a little too quickly, feeling a warmth spread through her chest. Kai was strange and unpredictable, but there was something about the way he always seemed to want her company that made her feel seen—less alone.

"I convinced my sister to let me have the car today," Kai said with a proud grin, giving her a thumbs up like he'd just won a major award. "So, no long walks this time."

"Nice," Abbie said, laughing. "Give me ten minutes, and I'll be done."

Kai nodded and moved to the side, leaning against a row of chairs as he waited. True to form, Whitney managed to drag those ten minutes into twenty with an impromptu closing speech about "final touches" and "attention to detail." Abbie wanted to scream, but she gritted her teeth and waited it out.

At last, Whitney clapped her hands together and announced, "You can all go now! Thank you for your hard work today!"

Abbie wasted no time grabbing her things and heading for the exit. As she turned to Kai, ready to leave, she caught Harmony's gaze from across the gym. Harmony was watching her, disappointment written all over her face. Abbie hesitated for a fraction of a second, then pushed the moment aside. Not my problem.

She walked out with Kai without a second glance, determined not to waste another thought on Harmony's silent judgments. She had better things to focus on—and today, that meant Kai.

Kai and Abbie stopped at the supermarket to pick up drinks and chips. Typical outing, right? But as they walked through the sliding doors, Abbie couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to Kai's sudden suggestion of "park snacks." He was being too... pleasant. It wasn't like him to do something as simple and mundane as lounging in a park. Kai thrived on drama and chaos, not tree-lined serenity. She narrowed her eyes at him as they walked toward the park, the fading sunlight streaking the sky with oranges and purples.

When they reached an old bench under a sprawling oak tree, Kai plopped down like it was the most natural thing in the world. Abbie, however, stayed standing, crossing her arms as she stared at him, unconvinced. "Alright, what's your deal?" she asked, her tone sharp. "Why are we here? You hate peaceful places like this. Did you lose a bet? Are you dying? Or worse... did you find a hobby?"

Kai grinned up at her, clearly amused. "Wow, Abbie, way to turn a perfectly nice moment into an interrogation," he quipped, patting the empty spot on the bench beside him. "Relax, will you? Maybe I just wanted to hang out with my favorite werewolf. Is that such a crime?"

Abbie groaned but sat down anyway, dropping the bag of chips between them. "You're being suspiciously charming," she said, popping open a can of soda. "That usually means you're about to ask for something—or confess to something."

"Geez, Abbie, you wound me," Kai said, clutching his chest like he'd been physically hurt. "What kind of guy do you think I am?"

"The manipulative kind," she deadpanned, taking a sip of her drink.

Kai chuckled. "Fair enough. But no, I don't want anything. I was reading this book yesterday—yes, I read sometimes, shocking, I know—and it mentioned some cool stuff about werewolves," he said casually, leaning back against the bench. "Not that I'm planning to hex you or anything. Though, now that I think about it, a mute spell could really come in handy for—"

"Kai," she interrupted, shooting him a glare.

"Fine, fine," he said, holding his hands up in mock surrender. "The book said that werewolves aren't just about growling and turning furry during a full moon. They've got enhanced strength, agility, and crazy-good hearing—like, superhero-level stuff. Did you know that?"

Abbie tilted her head, her curiosity piqued. "Wait, seriously? How does that even work? It's not like I've noticed anything different."

"That's because you're not trying," Kai said, his tone patronizing enough to make her roll her eyes. He glanced toward the far end of the park, where a group of teenagers were huddled near the swings. "Okay, let's test it. Focus on those kids over there. Try to hear what they're saying."

Abbie stared at him like he'd grown a second head. "You want me to eavesdrop on random teenagers?"

"Would you prefer I find a choir or a barking dog? Just do it, Abbie. Live a little," Kai said, waving his hand dramatically. "Close your eyes, channel your inner snoop, and tell me what they're talking about."

With a skeptical sigh, Abbie closed her eyes. At first, it was just noise—the rustle of leaves, distant traffic, the occasional chirp of a bird. But then, as she focused, the voices began to filter through.

"So, do you guys want to hit the mall later?" a high-pitched girl's voice asked.

"Yeah! I heard there's a new ice cream place. Everyone says their stuff is amazing," another girl chimed in excitedly.

"No thanks, I've got a ton of homework," a guy mumbled, his tone unenthusiastic.

Abbie's eyes flew open. "Oh my god, I can hear them!" she exclaimed, her voice brimming with excitement. She turned to Kai, practically bouncing on the bench. "I heard them talking about ice cream and homework. That's insane!"

Kai smirked, clearly proud of himself. "See? You're like a walking canine surveillance system. What's next? You gonna sniff out buried treasure?"

Abbie ignored his sarcasm, too exhilarated to care. "I want to test my agility next! How do I do that?"

Kai stood, brushing imaginary dirt off his jeans. "Lucky for you, I'm a genius," he said, motioning for her to follow. He led her to a rundown playground at the edge of the park, the equipment rusted but still sturdy. Stopping in front of the monkey bars, he pointed. "Alright, wolf-girl, let's see you jump to the top of those."

Abbie blinked. "That's like... ten feet high," she said, eyeing the bars skeptically. "There's no way I'm making that jump."

"Not with that attitude," Kai said with a smirk. "Come on, Abbie. Embrace the inner apex predator."

Muttering under her breath about how insufferable he was, Abbie bent her knees, swung her arms back, and leaped. To her shock, her feet landed firmly on the top of the monkey bars. "Holy crap!" she yelled, throwing her arms into the air. "I did it! I actually did it!"

Kai clapped slowly, his smirk widening. "Congratulations, you're officially part kangaroo. Next stop, circus auditions?"

Abbie jumped down, landing effortlessly. "This is insane," she said, shaking her head. "I've had these powers all along and didn't even know it."

"Good thing I told you," Kai said, stepping closer. His gaze flicked to her face, and he reached out, brushing something from her cheek. "You had a thread on your face," he said softly.

Abbie froze, her cheeks flushing. "Oh... uh, thanks," she mumbled, her hands fidgeting awkwardly before she shoved them behind her back.

Kai's grin softened slightly, though his tone remained teasing. "You know, if you ever need magic, you can siphon some from me," she said casually. "As long as you don't, like, kill me in the process or anything."

Kai's expression shifted, a rare moment of sincerity flickering across his face. He cupped her cheek, his fingers warm against her skin, and she allowed him to siphon just a little. "That," he murmured, his voice low and almost tender, "is probably the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me."

Abbie's blush deepened, and before she could react, Kai leaned in, his lips brushing against hers. It felt like the whole sky was ablaze, each spark more vivid and intense than the last.

When they finally broke apart, Abbie stared at him, her thoughts a whirlwind. "Well," Kai said, his smirk returning. "Worth the trip to the park, wouldn't you say?"

Abbie laughed, her heart still pounding. "More than worth it," she admitted, the smile on her face genuine.