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[Jersey]

day one

She felt the burning sensation in her chest before it registered that she’d been impaled, her bright green eyes widening briefly as the man standing in front of her pulled out the sword wordlessly. He had tattoos all over his body and a face that she would have thought handsome had it not been for the twisted smile across his lips. As pain exploded through her body, Jersey knew what he was, but the word was lost on fear. She collapsed, one hand grasping at the front of her shirt as she crawled backwards and tried to escape.

Blood stained her fingers.

Kallista! She thought out desperately, reaching for her sire’s mind in a panic and brown hair fell in front of her features. Peter! Kelly! Kia! Behind her, she felt her bag and the outline of her tome. The man walked towards her calmly. She’d recognized him and ran, a mistake. “A fatal mistake.” She thought bitterly as she felt tears falling from her eyes and she pushed herself onto her knees, her hands scrambling clumsily for the tome. Fingers brushed cool metal and on instinct as she heard a close footfall, Jersey turned and pointed her gun at the man’s face.

A voice echoed through her thoughts, ‘Hesitation gets you killed.’

That ugly smile was visible briefly before stars filled her eyes when a boot connected to her head sending stars through her vision, the sound of a bullet sliding into the chamber of a gun just before she heard an explosion and felt nothing.

- - The Past - -

Her head snapped back as the sound of metal crunched around her, glass biting into her skin as stars danced around her. Something was causing the horn to go off, blaring in an obnoxious manner as pain radiated from her ankle to her hip from where it was pinned between her seat. “Marilee?” A voice was whispered in front of her and green eyes fluttered open, strands of crimson stained hair fell in front of them and she closed her eyes quickly once more. “Marilee, are you alright?” The voice was soothing, like honey, but it clashed with the horn that gave her a headache.

“Marilee baby, answer me.”

The voice held nothing but terror and as she smelled something overly sweet, it took her a moment to realize that she was smelling gasoline. “Momma?” The sixteen year old girl wet her lips, the metallic taste of blood causing her to want to gag. “My ankle hurts.” Outside the car, she could hear the wail of the siren mixing with the sound of the constant horn blaring. Her green eyes opened, searching for the source of the noise only to see her father slumped over the steering wheel and his once-white shirt entirely red.

A scream tore out of her throat before she could stop it.

[Jersey]

day three

When she woke, she was laying on the ground of a dark, cold place with a hole in her heart. Her long dark hair had fallen over one shoulder and her green eyes were focused on the ruined cabin that stood a few feet away. She recognized it, even in the way it sat there. The dog kennels were bent and twisted, dead vines twisted around grey, rusted metal. "Oh no..." The words slipped past her lips and she pushed herself up, ignoring the agony as it rippled past her body. "Peter!" She shouted out, unnerved when there was nothing; no reply, no barking.

Her hand pressed against her chest where the epicenter of her pain lay, confused when what was supposed to be red blood came out a shade of grey. "What the hell." She murmured, and shuffled slowly towards the building. Her hand went to the door, which appeared as if the elements had been left to it. "Peter?" She called out again, and her hand touched the doorknob. A startled gasp escaped past her lips as someone screamed behind her. She turned sharply on her heel, looking in desperation for the source of the sound. Finding nothing, she jumped when she heard it again and pushed the door open. She ignored the chill that ran up her spine as a loud creak was given from the hinges, as if it hadn't been oiled in years.

"That can't be right."

She thought to herself and shoved the door shut, not even trying to think about how it bugged her the room was pitch black and the door didn't shut quite right. Navigating in the dark was easy, but the floor felt off beneath her feet. Where had her shoes gone? She didn’t let the thought linger entirely as she looked around. She found the bedroom without issue, remembering the way the weight of his arm felt around her as they would lay together on the bed. Him asleep, her fading in and out of it.

It didn’t surprise her that he wasn’t there, but it scared her with the way it looked as if it were destroyed, in ruins. Her heart twisted in her chest behind the hole and she felt her eyes burn with the desire to cry while she reached out for her sire’s mind again only to find nothing. At the foot of the wreckage of what the bed, Jersey fell to her knees and covered her face with her hands, ignoring the hot pain flashing through her muscles before she let out a scream that echoed around her.

- - The Past - -

“They’d be proud of you, sis.”

Her brother grinned down at her as she stood off to the side of the platform, the sweater’s maroon colors clashing with her green eyes to the point it was humorous. He didn’t know why she had agreed to the dare, but somehow the pink ombre with brown worked for her for the time being. Marilee smiled at the mention of her parents and shifted her weight as she always did when they were mentioned before looking over at Ross as he watched her.

Austin ignored him for the time being, “The house isn’t going to be the same without you.” He didn’t like that she was going to school in Ohio, but the argument had been lost the moment her letter arrived in the mail. “I’ll be back for Christmas.” She laughed and they hugged without another word. Her decision to study to become a Physician's Assistant was good for her, he knew it.

But as Marilee moved to get into Ross’ truck, her heart was heavy and there was a feeling in the pit of her stomach as her boyfriend frowned at her. He didn’t like that they had postponed their trip two hours and it was made clear. Looking out the window as they got on the highway, she felt a vice like grip on her shoulder pull her out of her thoughts before she saw the anger in Ross’ eyes.

Somehow, she’d done something wrong again.

[Jersey]

day five

Jersey remembered the night when she had gone out with Clover and Nik. She remembered the anger that she had felt with her friend as she could see the terror on the man’s face after that woman had been killed and she remembered wanting to leave. Violence wasn’t her thing, but she knew she could fight if she needed to. Instincts, be vampire or her regular instincts, helped. She knew how to defend herself. Even when her mind wasn’t in the right place, she acted on what felt right.

And as she left the damaged cabin, walking through the path that would once lead her to her sire’s home, she was numb to her surroundings. She remembered that she had died, she could feel the hole in her chest, where the blade had pierced her heart. She could hear their laughter and her arms were folded tightly around her body. She wanted Kallista. She wanted Kelly. She wanted Kia to hug her and tell her to get a hold of herself. She wanted Clover, as crazy as her friend was, to go on a trip with her. She wanted Danton’s logic to piss her off and for Opal to tell her that it would be okay. She missed Mel, with how sweet but different she was.

She missed Keara, and even Enver as much as he irritated her. She missed the dogs, and she missed Peter, his smile and his laugh. But, most of all, she missed her brother and as she heard footsteps behind her, Jersey turned and froze as she saw the man that stood not too far away. His features were distorted, damaged and as she took a hesitant step back, he rushed towards her with a snarl causing her to let out a whimper.

In the days that had passed, she’d gotten used to it. The brutal animalistic manner that others had, but as the man’s hands touched her, Jersey grasped his arms and twisted automatically. Her fist balled up and she snarled in return, her fangs bared as she ripped into his body. A different type of strength filled her body, and the pleased sensation was quickly replaced by terror as she got up and ran south.

- - The Past - -

Her hands grasped his shirt and she used his weight as she fell, hooking her leg behind his and with a grunt, Austin’s back connected with the wooden floor. Her hand positioned to punch, she frowned and clearly wasn’t happy with his idea of a bonding activity. But, she knew that Ariana had told him about the fights and what Ross had been doing. Verbally, he was abusive to her. Marilee didn’t get hit, that was Ariana’s issue - he was worse with her because Marilee could sting his pride. He always told them that he was sorry and that he didn’t mean it, but the moment that Austin had learned about it, he wanted them both out of that house.

He didn’t like the idea of his girlfriend and his little sister getting hurt.

“If you hesitate, you could be killed.”

The man’s green eyes, identical to hers, showed his concern and she gave him a look. “When am I ever going to be using this?” Blowing some of her blonde hair away from her face, Marilee stood up and wiped her hands off before she held one out to her brother. He had bought her pepper spray not a week before after the bruise had appeared on his girlfriend’s side. Marilee hadn’t been home for that fight and both of them were thankful.

“Alright, now come at me again.”

A roll of her eyes were given before she did as instructed just before her back hit the ground and the air rushed out of her lungs, causing her to curl up into a ball and wheeze. “What did I just get done telling you, Mars?” Afraid that he had hurt her, Austin knelt down beside his sister only to feel her foot hit him in the side in response. “****,” She coughed, “off.”