tHe dArkNesS beNeaTh (cLoSeD) :twisted:

PROLOGUE
It's 4 am, i stiLL can't get TO sLeep. i Lay awake restLessLy tossing and turning in my bed. *BANG* i sit up aLmost instantLy at the noise. "What the heLL was that?" i whisper to my seLf as i sLowLy get out of my bed to investigate the sound. *BANG, BANG, BANG* The sound continues. As i get haLfway down the staircase i see a bright yeLLow Light. "What the....." I hear a scream from my kitchen. "MOM!!!!!!!!!!!!! MOM, WHATS HAPPENING?" I hear nothing but her scream as the Light drasticLy gets brighter. As it grows my moms screams get farther and farther away, "MOM!!!! MOM!!! PLEASE ANSWER ME!!! MOMMY?" I make one Last attempt to hear her voice, but it's aLready too Late. She's gone now, and the light is fading fast. Once it"s conpLeatly abolished i see the kitchen. BLood is everywhere, on the walls, in the sink, on our white fridge, even on the ceiLing. There is nothing left. "NO! MOM!" I"m screaming at the top of my Lungs now.

The charming LemonyIce explained the purpose of this SB. Totally cool idea. Sorry if you read what this post was previously.

Chapter 1:
I cLimbed into Mrs. Sara's sky bLue Prius, my head hung in shame. "WeLL, there goes our hope," Mrs. Sara sighed in her high-pitched, snappy voice.
"I'm sorry," I apoLogized, my voice Low and bareLy audibLe.
"You're 16. When are you going to stop running away and face reaLity? There. Are. No. Demons."
"But I saw them," I argued defensiveLy. "They kiLLed my mother!"
Mrs. Sara shot me a sympathetic Look. "You have no idea how hard this is for me-" she began, but was cut off by my screaming. "NO, YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW HARD THIS IS FOR ME! YOU AREN'T THE ONE GOING FROM HOME TO HOME! YOU-"
"Be quiet!" Mrs. Sara snapped. "Now, if I were you, I wouLd quit with the whoLe demon thing. Do you know how many peopLe get sent to the Loony bin for that kind of thing?"
I decided to keep my mouth shut. I knew it was pointLess to argue. Instead I just stared out of the window, thinking of my mother, tears weLLing in my eyes. She was so beautifuL. BLessed with perfection. Her Long, dark siLky hair. her fair skin and fuLL Lips. Her hour glass figure. Her dark brown eyes.
I Looked at myseLf through the rear-view mirror and sighed. I Looked nothing Like my mother. I resembLed my dad with my curLy strawberry blonde hair, my Light bLue eyes, my thin, paLe lips, and the freckLes that covered my face.
A few moments Later, after traveLing up a twisty graveLy driveway, we came to a stop at this exasperatingLy beautifuL farmhouse. I cLimbed out of the car, breathLess, and took in my surroundings. Cows grazed in wideLy spread fenced in areas. Horses stood in stabLes, waiting to be taken out for a ride. Chickens cLucked Loudly in a chicken coop behind the house.
I was puLLed out of my trance at the sound of Mrs. Sara pounding up the porch steps in her high heeLs. She rang the doorbeLL and waited, keeping a watchfuL eye on me. A taLL, Lean young boy, around my age, answered the door. I Looked up at him, his dark brown hair, tan skin, crystaL bLue eyes, and his faciaL structure was to die for. "HeLLo, may I heLp you?" He said in a Lyrical voice. "HeLLo," Mrs. Sara said,
"I am Looking for Mr. and Mrs. Potter." The boy waLked back in the house. A few minutes Later a short, skinny woman came to the door. She had bLeach bLonde hair, dark green eyes, and tan skin(darker than the boy"s).
"HeLLo, I'm Heather Potter," she Looked over at me, "and you must be ALexis Barker. It"s nice to meet you!"
"I prefer to be caLLed Lexa." I corrected her. Mrs. Sara abruptLy cleared her throught as she nudged my arm. "And it"s nice to meet you too." I added.
A medeium man, with the boy form earLier, came to the door. "John, this is Lexa." she said gesturing toward me. The man had reddish-orange hair, tannish skin, and hazel eyes. "WeLL, it is nice to finaLLy meet you," he pointed towards the boy, "this is Jake."
"Sup?" he said, his expression cooL and fLirtatious.
"WeLL," said Mrs. Sara. "I'm afraid I must be going now."
I watched as she stumbLed down the steps hastiLy and drive off in her gLitsy Prius. I turned to my new famiLy. I wondered how Long this one wouLd Last. "WeLL, don't just stand there, come on in!" Heather insisted.
"WeLcome to your new home!" John excLaimed, shutting the door behind me.
His expression turned serious as he Looked me over. "So, you beLieve in demons, huh?"
I stared at him, not knowing what to say. HesitantLy, I answered, "Yes, they kiLLed her, my mother."
Jake shot a surprised Look in my direction and John gLanced at me sympatheticLy. Heather, who was off in the kitchen, now stood in the kitchen doorway, Looking at John expectantLy. "We do too," whispered John. "We are Demon Hunters."

cHaPtEr 2
After the Long taLk about what demon hunters did, and their purpose, i was showed to my room. It is on the second-story. There are bLack walls, white window seaLs and trim, the curtains and bed set are a dark purpLe, the pLacement of the bed is in the middLe of a waLL, andt the closet is the biggest i have ever seen. There is a bLack and purpLe bed-side table with an siLver aLarm-cLock on it, and a purpLe ceiLing fan on a white ceiLing. A bLack and white dresser is in-between two windows and has a red and sLiver boom-box on it. The crapet is a medium grey color and has a purpLe rug on it. I walk to the box and press play. Vampiers Everywhere! starts to play on it. I jump, "OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE THIS BAND!!!!" I excLaimed. After the song goes off, I start to explore the rest of the house.
after about two hours of exploring i got down to the basement. It was full of old book and book shelves. I examined the books untiLL i found this on book, The Life Of A Wolf. I decided to pick it up and Look at it, but when i went to pull it out it onLy stopped haLfway. A hoLe in the floor opened up and i was sucked into the floor by some sort of vacuum.
As I feLL I thought about my mother, and my oLd friends that I haven't seen in years. It's Like every good memory I have fLowed into my head Like a rushing river. Questions Like, 'How come back then when I was 12 aLL I could see was a bright Light?' and 'Why is the memory showing demons now when there was only a light?' popped in my head. I cLosed my eyes right before I hit the ground, but I didn't hit it. Instead I landed on a mattress and found myself in a weapon room. As I Looked around at the weapons I saw aLL different kinds of weapons, from machine guns to oLd-time weapons Like a steak. I looked at aLL around and saw some bows, they reminded me of the good old days when i had archery lessons. i picked one up and decided to shoot a few arrows for practice.
I turned around to try to find a way out, and Jake was standing behind me, grinning. "How long have you been standing there?" "Long enough to see you shoot." He says as he walks up to the bows. "You're a pretty good shot," he points to one of the bows, "This one's my favorite." I attempted to walk out, but something caught my eye. "What are these?" I say as I hold up one of the long. silvery things. I hear him walk up but he doesn't say anything. He grabs it from my hand, "These are Runes. Runes are things that you burn into your hand that symbolize who you are and what you are best at, when you're old enough of course."He explains. He then shows me his own, it's burned into his hand. "Mine is for weaponry and strength." He walks up to a rack of throwing knives, "Have you ever used one of these?" "No, I've aLways wanted to learn though." i answered back. "Come here then, I'LL show you." He then teaches me how to use it and a couple of other weapons, showing off greatly.
"We should go back upstairs," Jake started to say, "you know, before they realize we're gone." "Okay, Lets go." As we waLk up the hidden stairs i start to think, "Jake." He Looks back,"What?" "I was wondering, how did you know you were a demon hunter?" "Well," he said,"when i was younger, i wasn't Living here with John and Heather." His voice grew cold and dark. "I was living with my mom and dad, my real parents. We were having dinner when the demons came. they busted through the doors and windows and started slaughtering my family. I had a younger sister, Sarah. She was so scared, i ran to her and took her into the kitchen like my parents said, but the demons followed me in there. I took a knife and started slashing at them, every single one, but it wasn't enough." I put my hand on his shoulder, "I'm sorry." He was trembling at the memory. "I took my eyes off her for one second," Jake continued, "one second and they got her. She was kicking and screaming begging me to help her." He started to cry. "You did all you could do Jake, it's not your fault." He pushed me away, "YES IT IS! SARAH BEGGED ME AND ALL I DID WAS STAND THERE, STAND THERE TO WATCH HER GET RIPPED TO PIECES RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!" He hit the wall so hard he put a hoLe through it, "I should have done something, but i was too scared and i froze." He shook his head and sighed, "Lets go." We walked the rest of the way up in compLete siLence.
I returned to my room. There was a lot to think about after Listening to Jake's story. ALL I've been abLe to sort out was demon hunters couLd see demons but was my memory making them up to provide a reason to how my mother died? If so, what was that Light I saw? After an hour I feLL asLeep sitting on the bed.

ChApTeR 3:
The air was humid and my hair cLung to the back of my neck as I ran. My Legs were on fire and my Lungs feLt Like they were about to burst, but I didn't stop. I kept running, fuLL speed, through the pitch-bLack darkness. I couLdn't see anything, but I couLd hear them, and they were gaining. Fast. I heard a Low growL erupt from a creature right behind me. It was scratchy and sounded like naiLs on a chaLkboard. I fought the urge to Look back, knowing I wouLdn't see anything. I made a sharp, sudden turn to the right and sLammed into something. Screaming, I tried to turn around, but something was grabbing me. The creature wrapped it's massive hands around my waist so tightLy I couLd hardLy breathe, and Lifted me forcefuLLy into the air. The creature's voice sounded Like garbage skidding down the street with the wind as it said in an icy tone, "You're coming with me."
I jerked awake, gasping, and sat upright in bed. Yanking the covers off of my sweaty, achy body, I reached for the gLass of water on the bedside tabLe. "ReLax," I reassured myseLf. "It was onLy a dream."
I guLped the water down thirstiLy, then gLanced at the clock. 4:00A.M. Knowing I wouLdn't get back to sLeep anytime soon, I headed downstairs to the kitchen to refiLL my gLass. I expected to be the onLy one up, so when I saw Jake sitting aLone in the kitchen reading a book, I jumped and nearLy dropped my gLass. Jake gLanced up at me momentariLy, then continued reading his book. "What are you doing up?" I asked, my voice stiLL shaky from my rude awakening.
"Can't sLeep," he said casually, his face stiLL buried in his book. "What about you? Why are you up?"
"I had a nightmare," I said, sounding Like a chiLd. I immediateLy regretted saying it. "That sounded aLot Less chiLdish in my head," I added quickLy.
"It's okay," he said, stiLL not Looking in my direction. "I get those too sometimes."
I waLked over to the sink and refiLLed my gLass, then turned to face him. "Watcha reading?" I asked curiousLy.
"Maximum Ride," he answered cooLy. "Great book."
"I know, I've read it." I said.
I started to Leave, then found myseLf turning around and scooting into the chair across from him. "Look," I said, taking the book from him and fLipping it over, "I'm sorry about your famiLy. I know what it's Like to Lose someone you Love to those fiLthy DownworLders. They kiLLed my mother. And I want to make them pay."
Jake Looked at me then, his eyes a mixture of cold hate and sorrow. "I'm sorry about your mother, but pLease teLL me you're not thinking what I think you're thinking..."
"Yes, I am," I admitted. "I want to hunt them down and destroy them.
Jake sighed. "You aren't ready. You don't know anything about being a Demon Hunter... And you don't even know how to fight a Demon."
"It's in my bLood," I said. "My mother was a Demon Hunter."
"That doesn't mean anything, Lexa! You aren't ready. And besides, the Demons that kiLLed your mom and my famiLy are Greater Demons. No one our age has ever kiLLed one. The Last reported death of a Greater Demon by a Demon Hunter was over a century ago. With no training whatsoever, you'd be Lucky just to kiLL a measLy Little Common Demon. And besides, do you know what the Clave wouLd do to us if we went? If we made it out aLive, which we most LikeLy wouLdn't, they wouLd cast a terribLe curse on us! And the Clave can't protect us on Demon territory, so if we crossed onto their turf, even by accident, they can't protect us anymore. We aren't going, and you aren't either. At Least, not untiL you've had more training."
I stared at him, Letting his words seep in. He was right. There was no way I couLd survive. What was I thinking? But a part of me stiLL wanted to go. To not let my mother's death go unavenged.
"Can I have my book back now?" Jake asked, cLearLy annoyed. I handed it back wiLLingLy and dragged myseLf up the stairs and into my room, feeLing suddenLy tired. I set my gLass of water down on the bedside tabLe and drifted off into a deep sLeep.