When I awaken, the sun is already high in the sky. I don't open my eyes immediately, and I just want to stay wrapped up in my bedsheets, safe and warm. Memories of the night before soon creep into my mind, intruding on my sense of safety. I remember how Drew had told me he'd call me when he got back, how he said he'd be back before dinner. How Ryan had told me I shouldn't just go looking for him because he probably just forgot.
How I knew Drew never forgets.
I think about how much I freaked out when it got to the point of nine o'clock and no call from Drew. How Ryan tried to keep me inside as long as he could. The drastic, confined, breathless feeling I had.
"Ryan, why won't you just let my go out to look for him?" I had demanded.
"It's... complicated. The point is, Mom left me in charge and I really don't want you going out after dark. He's probably fine," Ryan said. He had turned his face and I barely glimpsed a strange look cross it. "He probably just forgot."
"Drew never forgets to call. He told me he'd call as soon as he got home. I'm going out to look for him..."
I recall my impatience with everyone, my franticness, the feeling that I shouldn't breathe until I found Drew.
Even when I did find him, I could barely breathe. He was so hurt...
Then there was that necklace. The necklace that now sits in my coat pocket, weighing it down, heavy in my thoughts, too. I make myself throw off the covers, and realize I am still in the clothes I was wearing last night. I get up to change, and then examine it in the better light.
As I saw last night, it is a blood red pendant in the shape of an hourglass, entwined in bronze vines. I note a small bronze plate wrapping almost all the way around the middle, slightly tarnished. Turning it over, I note something engraved on it, but I can't quite make it out. I shrug. If I look closely, there seems to be a lighter red colored liquid endlessly appearing in the bottom, flowing up. If I turn it over, the flow changes, so that it's always seeming to flow upward.
Eventually, I quit gawking at the pendant. When I look at the somewhat damaged chain on it, there's a bit of blood at the clasp. I wash it off, and for some reason it slips my mind that it may be important.
I take a hot shower and get dressed in clean, warm clothes with my favorite red beanie.
When I clasp the pendant around my neck, I nearly jump out of my skin. I gasp with some difficulty, and my hand raises to the little hourglass, ready to rip it off. It seems to have a heartbeat- ticking in time with mine. It really creeps me out- I feel very wary of the little necklace, but for some reason I can't bring myself to just take it off and get rid of it.
Heading down to the breakfast nook, I find my mother and Ryan discussing something that seems important. Naturally, I have to know- their faces are so worried-looking and they are almost whispering.
"What's going on?" I ask. I don't bother trying to sound nonchalant.
Ryan began, "It's a long-"
"She has a right to know. After all, she is involved." My mother says this simply, and gives Ryan a warning look.
Of course Ryan had to argue. I'm pretty sure he was trying to protect me from something, but lately he's been overprotective. He cared a little too much for my comfort that I didn't go outside last night, and when I did, he seemed really upset. Since when is he in charge anyway? Eventually, they compromised on letting Drew tell me.
"You should go visit Drew," my mother suggests. "Ask him about what exactly happened, and tell him you won't take no for an answer."
"Er, ok," is all I spit out.
As I button my coat and put on my gloves, I wonder what the big deal is. Why didn't Ryan want to tell me? Why were they looking so worried? And why were they speaking so quietly? I feel so out of it. Like that inquisitive child that's always being told, "It's grown-up stuff, sweetie." I would be more insulted if I wasn't so worried.
I never knew there were so many reporters in Hollowdale. As soon as I step out of the door, they bombard me with questions regarding last night.
"Why were you so worried for your friend?"
"Where did you find him?"
"When did you find him?"
"What was going on?"
"Tell us about your experiences last night!"
They practically followed me all the way to Drew's house, overwhelming me with questions. With every question I just got more annoyed and nervous. Finally, just to shut them up, I told them what happened.
"My best friend in the whole world, Drew, went missing. I was really worried because he never called me and he never ever forgets. I found him in the forest with his leg damaged around quarter to midnight. I don't know what was going on, all I knew was that Drew needed help and I had to help him. Okay?" I said. That's all I planned to say, too, except for a final, "No comment on anything else."
They continued to follow me all the way to Drew's house, where I told them I was just going to visit Drew to make sure he was okay, and I wanted some privacy. Of course, that didn't work. As soon as I got to the porch I knocked furiously at the door. I saw Drew's little brother's face at the window. Chris's eyes got wide when he saw my parade of reporters, and he opened the door a bit and told me to hurry. I jumped inside, slammed the door shut, and leaned on it, panting.
"Thanks, Chris."
"Why were they following you?" he asked. That's Chris for you- ever the inquisitive one.
"I guess because nothing ever happens in Hollowdale and they needed something to talk about," I say.
"Oh. Well, Drew is upstairs if you want to see him."
"Gotcha. Thanks."
I take skipping steps up the stairs and up to Drew's room. I knock cautiously on his door and hope he's awake.
"Come in," he calls.
As soon as I step into the room, his whole face lights up. "Hey, Bear!"
He's laying on his bed with his whole right leg in a plain white cast. He looks fine and normal, all except for that.
"You look great, considering your... situation last night," I say.
"Well, yeah. They took good care of me fast, I guess. But I don't really know much of what they did. I had another panic attack and they had to sedate me..."
"Wait, another?"
"Eh... yeah," is all he says.
"Drew, I want to know what's going on. All I know is that when I found you, you could barely talk and your leg was all... mangled and painful looking. I don't want to sound mean, but what is this about panic attacks and why is everyone so worried and freaked out about it?"
His face fell. Drew started twiddling his thumbs, as he always did when things got awkward for him. He just lay there, looking like he knew what to say, and then faltering.
"Drew?"
He looked up at me again, his face screwed up, worried, almost in pain.
"I really don't want to talk about it. It's a really long story," he says.
"I won't take no for an answer, Drew. Come on, we've been friends for years! We tell each other everything! Good God, you sound like my mom," I tell him.
"Wait, your own family wouldn't tell you? I was going to tell you to ask them." He looks a little disappointed.
"Drew!"
"Kidding, I'm kidding, Bear. Fine, I'll tell you. Um, sit down," he says. I suppose he was trying to gesture to one of the chairs in his room, because he just sort of flapped his arms for a moment.
I drag a chair up to his bedside and sit down. I look at him expectantly, with the look I know he can't say no to. "Drew, I need you to tell me what exactly happened," I say quietly.
He stares at me for a moment, as if to say, "Oh, please don't use that on me... it's almost painful..." but remains silent for a moment. After a while, he says, "I was attacked."
I gasp. My eyes grow wide. Suddenly, I'm on the defense, ready to rid the world of whatever has hurt my best friend. "Drew, what attacked you?" I demand. My voice is intense, more than I realized.
"I don't exactly know..." he muttered.
"Drew, come on, this is important. Why were you in the forest in the first place? Why were you attacked? What happened to you, Drew?" I cannot stop the stream of questions. I have to solve this, to fix this. If it's left up to me, whatever the Hell has attacked him will be dead. Suddenly I am reminded of the tiny ticking feeling coming from the necklace.
"I said I don't know and I meant it, Bear. What happened was I was walking home and I stepped into the clearing you found me in." He pauses and shuts his eyes for a moment, and I want more than ever for him to continue.
"What, Drew? I need to know," I say in an intense whisper. I doubt I've ever acted like this. I can feel a hunger in my eyes...
He looks a little frightened for a moment, and I don't know whether it's me or whatever happens next. I don't know why I'm being so intense about it, either.
He opens his eyes to continue. "I was in the clearing and I saw some branches moving and shaking violently. They abruptly just stopped and some snow... fell in my eyes. I was trying to get it out and I had my eyes shut when I heard this crunching sound and all of a sudden my leg was on fire. I felt a snap and some fangs and once in a while it'd stop and then start again... it was so strange because it was just my leg. Finally whatever it was let go and I heard a deathly scream and then nothing."
My eyes well up with tears as he speaks. I no longer feel so intense and deadly. Now I just want to cry for my best friend Drew. The single person who has always been friends with me was attacked and I couldn't do anything. A single, silent tear falls onto my lap...
"I had to just drag myself toward the stump and sit there... then after quite a while, you came and you saved me and I just don't know how to thank you, Bear!" He shut his eyes again. "Because of you, they could get the toxin out. Because of you, I'm okay right now. I'm alive and I don't know how I can thank you for that."
That was the last thing he said before I burst into tears, sobbing and sniffling. After a while, I manage to calm down and we just sat there quietly and knew exactly what the other was thinking.
The Nightling.
I can't wait for the thrid chapter now...I wan't to know what a "Nightling" is... 
I don't think I could see any obvious mistakes. Love it 
