Destination Unknown

After the quick takeout, Serenity took The Black to the beach as a way to distress after the long hall. She had managed to find an old, overgrown trail that led from the boarding stable all the way down to the boardwalk and had decided it was in need of some exploring; and of course bareback on her horse at a full gallop was the only way to go. The Black lowered his head once she had mounted and tried to buck in play, which sent Serenity tumbling down onto his slick, black crest. It wasn’t unusual for the stallion to act up after being stuck in the trailer for hours, so she slowed him to a walk further down the trail, finally stopping and dismounted. She proceeded to tie the reins up around his neck so they wouldn’t fall loose or become tangled around his legs, and with one last approving pat, the stallion was free to go his own way.

She studied the waves as they crashed against the sides of her feet. All foamy and white, they felt like a pair of fuzzy cotton socks, and the sand slimy and sticky underneath them, squishing between her toes. A few feet away, seagulls pranced around, bobbing their heads back and forth, playing and gathering debris left from the oncoming tides. Their gray bodies matched the ocean perfectly, as did the stars in their own way, neatly tucked up in heavens, showing off their bright faces. The boardwalk was all lit up now as well in the dark just behind her. It bustled with people screaming and cheering as they went on each and every ride. Serenity turned to face it as a warm breeze swept her long, silvery blonde hair over her shoulders, and she breathed deep. The smell of French Fries and hot dogs crept into her nose along with a tinge of something else. A scent she had smelled before once upon a time, and yet just recently as well. It was distinct and wild, but her mind could not recall just when she had come across it.

Slowly, she made her way back over to The Black, who stood quietly amongst the rocks. He moved restlessly as she approached, still trying to figure out that foreign yet familiar smell. His black coat glistened in the moonlight, and he too smelled the air with nostrils flared, and ears pricked forward.

“Your guess is as good as mine,” she told him, taking hold of his long black mane, and with a quick swinging motion she hoisted herself up onto his back. It felt good to have a horse like The Black beneath her. It wasn’t just riding a horse, it was freedom and power, and as long as she was on his back she felt nothing could harm her. She took hold of the reins and urged him back onto the trail, suddenly scanning the air. For what and why she wasn’t sure, but the sandy path they had been riding led straight up to the boardwalk. “Looks like we’ll have to cut this one short,” she whispered sadly, and yet couldn’t bring herself to turn the horse around. Something seemed to be pulling her beyond the trails end. So instead, she gave him a squeeze with her legs, and urged him on.

In the distance she could see a stairway that led straight into what looked like a covered arcade area and the rebellious side of her gave a shout of temptation to take The Black that way, but for sure, horses were not allowed. Instead, she shook the thought off and turned her attention back towards the path. The Black felt her gesture and rose high in the air before lunging forward. Serenity could feel the impulsion from his haunches as they moved faster and faster up the path.

Before everything became a complete blur, she pulled her horses reins tight, stopping him just shy of the pavement in front of an older looking tree. People passed on each side, hardly giving them any notice accept for a glance now and then from the corners of their eyes. Serenity could hear the music from the carrousel loud and clear now. She didn’t want to turn back. That something was still pulling, driving her to go further. She slid off The Black and tied him loosely to the tree. “Sorry, gorgeous,” she shrugged, “But I’ve got to find out what that is.” The Black disagreed. He pawed the ground and shook his head nervously as she disappeared into the crowd.

It didn’t take long for the flurry of activities to overcome her. Both excited and anxious, she became disoriented in the mob and found herself stumbling over a garbage can into a back alley. She took a moment to collect herself and decided to watch from this more seclusive spot, still unsure of what she was even looking for. At least this way, there would be no black eyes from trying to peak over everyone else’s shoulders. After a few minutes of staring blankly into the comic book store across from the alley and finding no resolution, she decided it was time to leave. As she turned to go she caught a glimpse of a figure from the corner of her eye, just a bit further down the alley and for no good reason ventured further towards it.

As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she could see that it wasn’t just one figure but two, except the second figure was significantly blocked by the first, a young guy, wearing chaps and blue jeans, and a leather jacket all done up in fine patches. He had long curly blonde hair, pulled back just a little at the nape of his neck, and he appeared to be making out with this person, but as Serenity got closer, she realized the second person had blood all over their neck, and the one with the golden curls was the cause. She fumbled back as her inner voice shouted, ‘Vampire!’

“Holy crap,” she said, a little louder than expected, quickly turning away to find the exit out of the alley.

But before she could make it out of the dark, three more figures surrounded her. “What’s your rush little sis?” One of them asked playfully, mirroring her movements from side to side so she couldn’t get by. “Don’t you wanna find out what happens?”

Serenity froze, looking up at him hovering over her, and frowned. “What do you mean by that?” Stupid question she thought, already knowing the answer.

“I’m afraid you’ve seen too much,” another said, piercing her with his arctic blue eyes.

“Seen to much of what exactly?” she asked, backing quickly away, running into the third figure with a quick glance back down the alley. “That freak parade back there?”

“We can smell your fear, pretty girl,” the third one growled, his dark eyes brimming with the wild look of a wolf, his voice deep and overpowering. Serenity felt that they would pounce on her at any second and she would end up like that girl in the alley.

“I’m not afraid of you,” she lied, shaking her head in confusion as she looked into the dark eyes of the one who had just spoken. It felt as if he were sucking her thoughts away. “What could you guys possibly want from me?”

“Your blood,” he said calmly. He put his hand on her shoulder and she felt herself moving closer to him, tilting her head to expose the pulsing artery in her neck. She felt his breath on her cheek as she closed her eyes in submission. But the closure of her eyes instantly broke the spell he had on her, and she jerked up, trying to pull away from him.

She yelled out frantically for The Black, causing the three strangers to look from one another to the area surrounding them. Her fingers instantly found her mouth and a whistle ensued while she fought to squeeze through the three menaces that apparently wanted to kill her.

From down the boardwalk came the screams of people rushing out of the way of the oncoming stallion. One passer by yelling, “Hey, there’s a horse on the boardwalk!” This took the three by surprise and they stood almost silently, caught off guard, as they stared down to see what was happening. The Black barreled down upon them, diving straight through the middle of the small group, causing the strangers to back away a little. He reared high, striking the air over one of them.

“Hey whooaa!” he yelled, holding his arms above his head. By then the fourth had joined, casually wiping the blood from his mouth, and wickedly smiling at Serenity.

“Sorry I can’t stay,” she whispered, shooting the smile back at him, grabbing for The Black’s mane and hoisting herself onto his back. She turned her horse back towards the crowd and was off, past the food stands and down the forbidden stairs onto the beach towards the trail. She urged him on into a full gallop once they hit the sand, hearing the sound of dirt bikes lurking behind them. If it was the four, she knew it wouldn’t be long before they caught up. “Come on Black, give me all you got.” She leaned into the stallion’s neck as he stretched himself out, swallowing the ground beneath him with every stride, moving faster and faster until it felt as if they could fly. Still, Serenity heard the bikes closing in. She knew in her gut it was they, and her stomach churned.

The Black was lathered in white foam from sweat and his nostrils were working hard to keep the oxygen moving through his lungs. They had gone over a half-mile at full speed and he was lacking the strength to push any harder. Serenity could clearly see the bikes behind them now as they raced towards the heavy cliffs and rocks ahead. She quickly turned him off the path, jumping over a few boulders in the way, thinking the bikes would not be able to go over them like her horse could.

Under the cliff rocks stood several larger ones that Serenity decided would be the best concealed hiding spot. She slid off The Black, grabbing him by the bit and smoothed her hand over his sweaty neck to keep him quiet. The bikes roared up just beyond the rocks, their lights bouncing off the boulders around Serenity and her horse as she ducked down, pulling The Black’s head down with her, kissing his nose. “Easy boy,” she whispered.

The four strangers hooted and hollered as the two sat silently, Serenity barely breathing, clinging to her horses bridle for safety. What had she gotten herself into?

“We know you’re in there,” one of them said.

“And we’re gonna find you,” another smarted in a comical tone.

“Hmm, where could she be?” Serenity heard one say. It sounded like the one that had almost sank his teeth into her, and she could hear him jumping from rock to rock, getting closer. The Black snorted and shook his head, pulling her off the ground.

“Shh, Black,” she whispered.

“Shh,” came a voice behind her, causing her to jump as she turned around to see the curly haired one. “Boo!” he blurted, smiling impishly. This startled The Black and he rose in the air again, but the rocks above prevented him from achieving a full rear. The boy grabbed hold of Serenity as the dark haired one seized the reins of her horse. Unable to tolerate this nonsense, The Black pinned his ears and bared his teeth, lunging at the guy, who easily managed to swerve out of the way still holding the reins. The joker of the bunch jumped in to help his friend by taking hold of the other side of the bridle and they both battled to keep the horse on all four feet.

“Aww, come on David, man,” the joker, squealed. “We don’t deal with horses!”

David was now in front of Serenity, clasping his gloved hands, altogether too calmly. “Nice horse you got there. Care to calm him down before something bad happens?”

“No!” Serenity retorted angrily, trying to break away from Curly and his firm grip. “He’s wild you moron. You think I’m just going to stand her quietly and die?”

Ignoring that last remark he smirked and said, “You seem a little wild yourself.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” she squirmed. “Did I interrupt your little blood party? Let me go you bastard. What the hell are you made of, steel,” she writhed, unable to free herself and then finally gave up a little.

“Hey,” he whispered. “Name’s Marko.” He ran his lips down her neck and sniffed her hair, which sent a chilled, pleasing shiver all the way through her body, and she almost fainted. “You smell absolutely delicious,” he continued, in a viciously tempting way.

“Smell…” Serenity sighed, rocking back against him, breathing deep, and feeling the slight prick of his teeth on her skin. She realized then it was his smell she had sensed on the beach. “I can smell you,” she said out loud, pushing off his chest just to have him pull her back again. “I could smell you on the beach earlier.” She pondered why silently, forgetting for a moment her dilemma as his scent caught her off balance. David frowned as the other two still fought The Black, who had also begun to quiet down a bit.

“Whoa, easy big fella,” one of them said, only to have the stallion pull him in another direction.

“Marko,” David voiced, and the vampire pulled his mouth away from Serenity’s neck. “You were in the wrong place at the wrong time,” he continued, but Serenity wasn’t so sure. She got the feeling that this little meeting was somehow meant to be. “You know what we are?”

She slumped down in Marko’s arms. “Yes,” was her answer, and before giving it a second thought, she reached up and pulled out the sterling silver cross she wore under her shirt. She hastily slid it into the sleeve of Marko’s jacket, pressing it to the skin of his arm. He yelped and released her, backing away quickly.

“Shit!” he cursed, clutching the sleeve of his jacket.

David glared for a second at Serenity, but all she could do was give him a wicked smile in return. “Chase me!” she blurted, suddenly feeling catty and turned to run, but it only took David about the speed of a microsecond to catch her right arm, twisting it back over her head so sharp, she thought it would come out of its socket. He spun her around to face him and grasped her throat in his other hand. Serenity wiggled and gasped trying to get words out but it was no use, he was squeezing her airway shut and her vision was going dark.

“David, wait!” Marko yelled, hurrying over to show him his arm. “There’s no burn,” he continued, mystified, rubbing the spot of contact. David pushed Serenity back, causing her to take an abrupt seat on the ground. At least now she could breath.

“Looks like your plan failed,” David said with a smirk. “We can’t let you go now.” By then the other two had brought The Black over and he stood still as they held him on both sides.

“Holy crap man, this horse is wild,” the joker cracked. “So, we gonna kill her or what?”

Serenity shivered, crossing her arms over her knees and shook her head in disgust. The air had finally turned cold and the breeze from the ocean gave her goose bumps. Surprisingly though, Marko opened his jacket and wrapped it around her with his arms. As Serenity’s body warmed, her fear faded. Another mind spell maybe? She was having visions of his lips on her neck again, and she let her body fall against his.

“No, we’re not going to kill her,” she heard David say as everything went black.

Hours later, Serenity awoke in her cabin bedroom and looked around. She couldn’t quite remember what had happened and for a moment forgot where she was. Someone had been there, she could still smell them, intoxicating her small space, and they had pulled the shades down over all the windows. She knew this because she usually left them open, even at night to keep the claustrophobic feeling away. Also, there was sand and salt all over the bottoms of her feet and it had created a mess on the comforter. “Just great,” she muttered. “Nothing like sleeping with sand in your shorts.”

She pushed herself off the bed, letting her eyes adjust to the dark and slowly made her way over to the kitchen sink. Incredible thirst had taken over as she filled a glass with water. It had never tasted so good as she emptied the cup and proceeded to fill it a second time, guzzling it down and peering out through the shades. “Still night,” she grumbled, letting the last of the water trickle down her chin. “How long was I asleep for anyway?” she asked, looking around in the pitch black expecting someone to answer. She rolled her eyes and shook her head, there was no one there now, but who had been there? Why couldn’t she remember?

She rolled up the shades and opened the window, taking in the fresh ocean air. A warm breeze rolled in causing something on one of her chairs to flutter violently and she jumped back. Finally realizing it was just a shirt; she smiled and sniffed the air catching the scent of horses outside.

“Oh crap,” she gasped, grabbing her hoody off the kitchen table. The microwave clock read half past midnight, which meant that she had slept through The Black’s dinner time. But wait a minute. She took a step back and picked up the shirt. It was a black mesh top, nothing she owned, and the smell of it jumbled her senses. Who had been there? Where had it come from? With more than a tinge of worry, she hopped out the door, foreign shirt in hand and headed for the stable. Perhaps Carla, the manager, would have some suggestion. She only hoped that the girl had fed The Black for her earlier, otherwise he was likely to keep the whole barn awake, not to mention a few human neighbors.

Finally after what seemed like a forever sprint, she hit pavement, rounded a corner onto the dirt floor of the barn and almost crashed right into Carla.

“Goodness girl, it’s about time you got here. That horse of yours is making quite the ruckus.” She eyed Serenity up and down with a smirk. “Although, I take it you had fun last night.”

Serenity put her hands on her knees trying to catch her senses, and held up the dreaded shirt. “I found this in my room.”

“Oh, so you did have fun last night,” Carla beamed.

Serenity frowned up at her, worried due to her lack of memory. “No, someone was there, I think maybe when I was sleeping.”

Carla brushed her off and looked down the aisle. “Whatever you say girl. Sounds like a party to me. Anyway, I fed him for you, but somethin’s botherin him, and I don’t dare step foot in that stall. Devil’s snare that horse is.” She half glared in The Black’s direction.

Serenity raised up with a deep breath and went over to the horses stall, ignoring Carla’s words. She was right though, the stallion was frazzled; sweat covered every inch of his chest and down his shoulders. “Hey brat,” She whispered. “What’s the matter huh? Come here gorgeous.” The stallion hesitantly made his way over to her and stopped before his nose touched her fingertips. He tossed his head, snorted and reared. “Easy handsome, I’m sorry I’m late.”

Carla came up behind her and nudged her shoulder. “So tell me…what did happen last night? Come on I give you free board here, you have to tell me the goods. Anyone in particular?”

Serenity turned to her and frantically held the shirt up again, shaking it a little for emphasis. “Someone was in my cabin, I have no idea who’s this is, and they pulled all my shades down!” Certain visions and flashes started to skip through her brain, and the crazed look on her face lessoned. “Wait a minute, did you say last night?”

“That’s right girl, you slept the entire day away. Anyway, it’s about time you let loose. Probably good for the horse too, what with all those races you’ve entered him in.”

“Yeah, but I don’t remember.” The Black caught scent of the shirt and pinned his ears, kicking the back of the wall. Serenity frowned again. “What is wrong with you?”

“He needs a tranquilizer, that’s what’s wrong with him, and too much booz’ll do that to you,” Carla said, pointing to the shirt.

Serenity went pale. “You don’t think I…” she paused and gulped. “I mean…I didn’t do anything I’m gonna regret…you think?”

Carla burst into laughter. “Man you worry to much, what with the two gorgeous guys that brought him back here for you, I’d say you have it made.”

Serenity slumped down against the stall still pale, unable to clearly understand what Carla meant. “What?”

“Yeah, one guy on his back, and the other was clinging to his bridle for dear life. They told me you had had too much to drink.”

Hearing this made Serenity drop the shirt and start to hyperventilate. “Whoa, you all right?” Carla asked, reaching to put a hand on her shoulder.

Serenity shook her head no and took a seat on the floor. “What did they look like?” She merely glanced up at Carla when she asked this, her eyes reddened as though she were about to cry.

“Mmm, yeah, I remember, a dark haired fella, Indian looking. He was riding him, and a crazier young guy was leading him.” Carla put her hands on her hips. “And here I thought you were the only one that could ride that horse.”

Serenity glared up at her and through clenched teeth said, “That doesn’t help me.”

“I can’t believe you don’t remember a couple of hot guys like that. Looks like one of them got to you anyway.” She eyed the bluish bruise on Serenity’s throat.

Serenity quickly covered it with her hand, and as she hit the spot, the memory of golden curls came flooding back. “Marko.”

Carla smiled. “Ah, so you do remember,” she teased.

“It’s not like that,” Serenity explained as though some quick resolution had just entered her brain. She picked up the shirt with a deep breath and grabbed her horse’s bridle. “I just got too messed up is all.”

Carla blinked. “So just like that it’s ok, huh? You sure you’re not too hung over still to get on that beast?”

“I’ll be fine. I need to clear my head anyway, figure some things out on my own,” Serenity half mumbled, slipping the bridle over The Black’s head and swinging herself onto his back. Her horse wasted no time lunging out of his stall, nearly knocking Carla over in the process.

Carla shrugged. “So you want me to watch out for the shade caper then?” It was too late. The ocean breeze carried her words off, as Serenity was already half way down the path to the beach.