A Moonlit Night

On A Moonlit Night

A Moonlit Night Saga: 01

By Adrianna White

Published by Adrianna White at Smashwords

Copyright 2011 Adrianna White

All right reserved.

No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form without the prior
written permission from the author.

This book is a work of fiction. The names,
characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s
imagination, or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual
persons, living or dead, events or locales, is entirely
coincidental.

Written in Canada.

Prologue

“Faster!” shouted a woman, looking out the
passenger window. “I can’t see anyone, but they’re out there!”

The car sped through the forest, winding down
a long dirt road. The rain was pouring, turning dirt to mud as the
vehicle swerved all over the mucky road.

“I’m trying, damn it!” said the man beside
her, as he desperately tried to maintain control of the sedan.
“Amanda, if I go any faster, we’re both going to be dead.”

Amanda turned to him, and with a look of
sorrow, she said, “And if we go any slower, we’re both going to be
dead.”

The car squealed, spewing dirt and stones
everywhere, as he pushed the car harder.

She looked outside the car, her eyes darting
through the trees as she watched the dark figures stalk them from
high above. They were fast and easily managed to overtake the
speeding car.

“They’re upon us!” screamed Amanda, pointing
out the window. “Jason, look out—!”

A silhouette dropped to the ground in front
of them, and Jason swerved to avoid him. The car veered off the
road, and went sliding down a small hill.

He desperately tried to evade the trees as
the car plummeted downwards. The car crashed into a large oak tree,
and the couple violently smashed into the dashboard.

The only sound Jason could hear was the
pouring rain hitting the roof of the vehicle as he slowly opened
his eyes. He looked over to his wife, and said, “Honey, are you
okay?”

Amanda groaned, and she too, slowly opened
her eyes. Her forehead had been sliced open, and the blood streamed
down her nose.

“I—I think I’ll be okay,” said Amanda, apply
pressure to the wound. “We need to get out of here.”

Jason tried to open the car door, but it was
pinned against a large rock, and wouldn’t budge. Smacking on the
car door, he said, “Damn it! They’ll be here soon—.”

“We already are,” hissed one of the dark
figures, approaching from the blackness. “Come now…did you really
think you could run from us?”

The shrouded man lunged at the car, smashing
through the windshield with his bare hands.

One by one, several more dark figures dropped
from the trees, surrounding the crashed vehicle.

“Stay back!” warned Amanda, her hands
trembling in fear. “Come any closer and it will be the last thing
you do!”

Chapter One

Emily Johansson pushed her way through the
sea of people, the aroma sweat and alcohol overwhelming her senses
as she headed towards her table. This wasn’t Emily’s scene, she
thought, but her friends had invited her out, a celebration of
recent good news, and she wasn’t going to ruin this for them.

Several men tried to beckon her with their
eyes, as Emily ran her fingers through her long black hair. She
smiled, brushing off their advances, as she approached her
friends.

“Oh, c’mon now sis,” complained her brother,
waving a shot of alcohol in her face. “One drink isn’t going to
kill you. You’re the first Johansson to ever go to College. You
can’t hold out on me now.”

Steven Johansson was a couple years older
than Emily, with short blonde hair and a trimmed beard. He was
built like a truck, a result of years of patience and determination
when it came towards his fitness.

“You worked your butt off at night school,
Emily,” continued Steven, still holding the shot glass of vodka in
her face. “You owe yourself this.”

“Yeah, Emily,” said another one of her
friends at the table. “We’ve been friends our entire lives. And now
you’re leaving me for the big city? What, Georgetown isn’t big
enough for you? Screw yourself, you owe
me
this. Let
loose…just this once.”

Julia Hendrickson had known Emily since
kindergarten, and the two had quickly become best of friends. She
had long golden blonde locks that curled down her shoulders, and a
smile that could light up a room.

Julia’s high school sweetheart, Tyler Aucoin,
was also with them. A handsome man, he was the only man that a
woman like Julia could have on her shoulder. He was a Cajun, with
rich auburn hair and intoxicating accent that made him just as
desirable as the woman he loved.

“Jules, if she doesn’t want to drink, don’t
make her drink,” said Tyler, reaching for the shot of alcohol in
Emily’s face. “That just means more for me—.”

“You’re such a lush,” said Julia, grabbing
the shot from Tyler’s hands. “This is for Emily.”

Julia handed Emily the shot back, as they all
waited for Emily to pound it back.

Emily starred down at the shot glass,
swirling the drink around. What the hell, she thought, you only
live once.

The vodka burned her throat as Emily slammed
the glass down on the table. This was met by a round of cheers from
her friends.

“There,” Emily said. “Now let’s go
dance—.”

Emily stumbled for a moment, clutching her
head in agony. Her head pounded, and she could have sworn she heard
screeching animals circle around her, their piercing cries
screaming out to her. While she couldn’t understand what they were
saying, she somehow felt like they were speaking to her; calling to
her from the far reaches of her mind.

“Whoa there, are you okay?” asked Steven,
steadying his sister. “I guess we know why you’re not a big
drinker.”

Emily’s pain slowly subsided, and she
regained her composure. Whatever just happened, Emily wasn’t going
to let it ruin her night. What she didn’t know, however, was that
the headache wasn’t a result of the alcohol, and the voices in her
head were very real.

As Emily lifted her head, she caught a
glimpse of a dark figure, staring intently at her from across the
room. He was a good-looking man, she thought. He was clean-shaven
with short wavy black hair. She was instantly attracted to the man,
as she followed the lines of his chiseled cheekbones with her eyes.
He was mysterious, and not something Emily usually found herself
attracted to. Yet, she could not seem to look away.

“Emily!” Julia yelled. “Emily! What is wrong
with you?”

Pulling Emily out of her trance, Julia
grabbed her by the hand, leading Emily towards the dance floor.
Emily looked backwards, hoping to catch one more glimpse of her
mysterious stranger, but he was nowhere to be seen.

The dance floor was packed tight, and
everywhere Emily turned, she rubbed up against some greasy,
obnoxious lowlife. This wasn’t her scene, Emily thought, as she
danced with Julia. She wasn’t a party girl, like all her
friends.

“You know, I think I’m going to get some
fresh air!” Emily shouted over the loud, thumping music.

“What?” Julia asked.

“I’m going to get some fresh air!” Emily
shouted again.

“What?” Julia asked, pointing to her ear,
indicating that she still couldn’t hear anything.

“Forget it!” shouted Emily, as she turned to
walk away.

“What?” Julia asked, for a second time
pointing to her ear.

Emily left Julia on the dance floor, as Tyler
and Steven arrived. Emily pointed to the exit, letting them know
she would be right back. She just needed to clear her head.

Emily made her way to the backdoor, exiting
to the alleyway behind the bar.

It was quiet, Emily thought. Neither a
smoker, nor drunk lined the alley. It was rather peaceful,
actually.

Emily looked upon the moonlit night,
wondering what her new life would be like. Would she be happy in
Charleston? Would she find love?

“What do we have here?” asked a man, from
behind Emily. “It’s an ugly place for such a beautiful girl.”

Emily spun around, to see a man standing in
the middle of the alleyway. It didn’t make any sense to Emily; she
had been alone just a moment ago; how did he get here?

The man was as rough as he was dirty. He had
long, scraggly looking hair, and wore tattered clothes. He looked
like an addict, Emily thought, with blood red eyes that pierced
through Emily’s soul. Emily was officially scared now.

“You’re right, Jacob,” said another man, once
again from behind Emily. “She looks delicious.”

Emily once again spun around, only this time
she was struck in the face. She hit the floor, dazed and
bewildered. Blood streamed down Emily’s face from a gushing cut on
her lip.

The other attacker was a disgusting mess of a
man, out of shape, and nearing morbidly obese proportions. He had
slicked black hair, and a bushy beard. Clearly he couldn’t get laid
inside, and Emily feared that he was going to try his luck outside.
He too, had the same blood red eyes as Jacob. Whatever drugs they
were on, Emily wasn’t carrying.

“It’s a pity, George,” said Jacob, walking
towards Emily. “She would have made a fine dinner.”

“W—what do you want?” asked Emily, as Jacob
lifted her off the ground. “I don’t have any drugs.”

“Honey, you don’t have the drugs we’re
looking for,” smirked Jacob, lifting Emily up by the neck. “No,
you’re
exactly what we’ve been looking for.”

Chapter Two

Emily was beaten and afraid. She tried to
scream out, but Jacob’s filthy hands were wrapped firmly around her
throat. She was helpless, and unable to defend herself.

“What’s that?” George asked, licking his
lips. “I think she’s trying to cry out for help, Jacob.”

“You know, I think you’re right,” said Jacob,
loosening his grip just a little. “Well girl, what have you to say
for yourself?”

“I—I don’t know why you are doing this!”
Emily cried. “Please don’t hurt me.”

“Oh, we’re going to hurt you alright,” George
replied. “And we’re going to have fun doing it—.”

Suddenly, George’s large, bulbous body was
sent crashing into the wall. The mysterious stranger from the bar
had arrived.

“What the hell?” Jacob asked, turning his
head. “Who the fuck are you?”

Jacob released Emily, who tumbled to the
floor, exhausted and out of breath. Jacob turned towards the
mysterious man, and took a defensive position between his victim
and himself. Clenching his fists, Jacob made sure the man knew he
wasn’t going to back down.

“You don’t know who you are screwing with,
buddy,” said Jacob, marching towards the mysterious man. “I’m going
to mess you up.”

Jacob threw a fist at the stranger, which he
easily avoided. The mysterious man moved deftly, and sent Jacob
soaring into the wall with a swift palm of the sternum.

Emily could barely believe her eyes, as the
man moved with super-human speed. Unable to comprehend any of this,
Emily thought she was more injured then she previously
believed.

George had managed to pick himself up, and he
lumbered towards the stranger. Something must have startled him,
however, as he quickly changed his mind, and began to run in the
opposite direction.

“Hey, wait for me!” shouted Jacob, stumbling
to his feet. “You fucking coward, wait for me!”

The stranger knelt down beside Emily, and
lifted her head from the pavement. Looking into her eyes, he said,
“You are safe now; those men will bother you no more.”

“Who are you?” Emily asked, still in shock
and unsure of what she just witnessed.

“My name is Alexander Franson,” said the man.
“But you may call me Xander.”

“T—thank you, Xander,” said Emily, beginning
to lose consciousness. “You’re my hero.”

Emily’s eyes rolled back in her head, as she
drifted away.

Xander took a moment to look over Emily. She
was a beautiful creature, soft and innocent. She smelled divine,
Xander thought, as he laid Emily down on the pavement. He could
hear some people coming, and did not wish to be seen.

The bar’s backdoor exit opened, and Emily’s
friends poured outside, sending the loud music out into the
alleyway. Looking up, Xander vanished in the blink of an eye.

“Where are you, Emily?” asked Steven,
searching for his sister.

“Are you here?” Julia inquired, walking down
the alleyway. “Oh my god; guys look over here!”

Julia rushed towards Emily, and kneeled down
beside her.

“What the hell?” Tyler asked. “How could this
have happened?”

Steven grabbed hold of Emily, trying to rock
her back into consciousness. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he
clutched his sister.

“You’re all I have felt, you can’t leave me
now,” Steven pleaded.