The Color of Blood - Book 01 Ch. 03

The prologue through chapter 3 is now edited and I have put them up. Firstly I'd like to say thank you so much to Robin who edited these chapters. Secondly I'm sorry it took so long to get the edited versions up and that I haven't posted anything new in a really long time. Between working, school, kids, and everything else in life I haven't had the time to even look at Color of Blood in the last few months but, things have been rearranged so that I can spend a little bit of time to work on it. Even though I haven't had time to really write anything that doesn't mean I haven't thought about it. I will be posting (at a later date) the new version all that will be changed is a few names. After that I will begin posting more chapters. But here is the edited version of Chapter 3.

*

Chapter 3

Sitting in his car Ethan narrowed his eyes as he watched Kara laughing with four other people that he didn't recognize. Deciding to be safe rather than sorry he took out a camera and snapped a picture. Satisfied, he put the camera away and continued to watch her until she got in the car with the others. As they drove off he looked at the piece of paper in his hand with her phone number on it, he remembered the way she looked as she handed it to him. Her unnatural blue eyes seared him with their open trust and innocence.

Putting the paper in his pocket he started the car and left. Driving toward his current home he kept seeing images of Kara, especially her honey blond hair. He wondered what it would be like to run his hands through her hair while he kissed those lush full lips of hers. Better yet, what would it be like to kiss her while he pumped his hard cock in and out of her hot sheath? Speaking of hard cock, Ethan tried to relieve some of the ache in his groin but it was useless.

Damn! What was wrong with him! He hasn't been this turned on by a woman in forever. He just needed to get home and take a cold shower. Trying again to re-adjust himself he decided a really cold shower.

***

"PARTY TIME!" Kara looked up from her psychology at the sound of Richy's overly excited voice as it echoed through out the apartment. Smiling she closed her book and leaned back to take off her glasses.

"What a week." This last week had to of been the longest of Kara's life. Sitting next to Ethan and trying to concentrate on work was easier said than done. All she had to do was smell him and her imagination ran wild with all the things she'd like to do to him. Putting her books

away, she got up and headed out to the living room. Everyone was getting ready to go to the new club that just opened.

"Hey, chick! Ready for the end of the week party?" Brenden said from the couch.

Elle noticed the look on Kara's face and her clothes. "You're not going are you?" Elle said from the couch.

"No, I'm not going." Kara glanced down at her jeans and plain white tee shirt.

"Why not?" Ricky whined.

"Because, I have a lot of homework to catch up on."

"Oh come on Kara you can't have that much to do." Elle said dismissively.

"Yes I do, let me point them out." Kara held up her hand and started holding up her fingers. "Psychology: five page report. Creative Writing: two thousand word essay about a point in your life that changed you. Math: test on Monday that I have to study for. Biology: I have to be through chapter two by Tuesday." Kara sighed, "That's not including Geology, and Astronomy." The room went dead silent and Kara looked at the stunned faces of her friends. "What?"

Richy spoke first, "You're taking six classes? Are you out of your freaking mind?"

"No I'm..."

"Yeah she's crazy. Hell, I'm lucky to barely pass with just taking three classes." Ricky interrupted.

"You're only taking three classes? How are you ever going to get a degree?" Kara asked completely baffled by Ricky's lack of classes.

"Well, we can't all be geniuses." Elle said from the hall.

"I'm not a genius. I just manage my time better than all of you combined." Kara was starting to get angry. "Instead of partying I'm gonna get my work done." This was the basis of most conversations on Fridays last semester.

"Yeah whatever."

"Sure."

"If you say so."

"Yep, that is true." Everyone turned toward Brenden. "What?"

"I'm ready. Let's go." Elle said walking out of the room.

"Ok." Was the unanimous response and the guys stood up and started to file out of the room.

Elle looked back in at Kara, "Are you sure you don't want to go with. It'll be a lot of fun."

"No I have too much work to do." Elle started to pout. "Go have fun." Kara pushed at Elle's shoulder.

"Ok, but if you need anything call. We'll just be down the road."

"I will. Bye."

"Bye." With that the door closed and everyone was gone.

Kara let out a sigh of relief. "Alone at last." She really wanted to go but there was just too much to do. Going into the kitchen she opened the fridge looking for something to drink. Pushing beer bottles and the leftover bags of takeout food, she grabbed the last a can of pop and went to her room to do homework.

She sat down in her chair, opened the pop can, took a drink, and began getting her psychology book out to start on her report. She put her glasses on and looked at the clock, "It's only six, man they got an early start. Oh well might as well get started." Kara opened her book and started writing notes in her notebook.

After a while her stomach started to growl. She placed a hand on her stomach and looked at the time. "Almost eight." Her stomach growled again. "Better get something to eat."

Walking into the kitchen she grabbed a hot pocket out of the freezer and put it in the microwave. Setting the timer she pushed start and waited. When the timer went off she grabbed the hot pocket and went back to her room. Sitting down she started to eat while looking over her notes.

"Sleep." A voice whispered.

"Huh?" Kara looked around the room. No one was there. Shaking her head she finished eating. Looking at her notes she started seeing double. Kara grabbed her head.

"Whoa! Major head rush." She started to feel dizzy then everything went black.

Kara opened her eyes to see a hallway with red walls and black trim. No, she thought looking down she was in a dress that matched the walls. The same blood red velvet dress with black trimmings that she wore every night for the past few months. Her heart rate started to speed up.

"Sister!" A male voice called from behind her.

As she turned around her heart felt like it would burst out of her chest. Looking behind her, she saw the same door she had seen every night since the first dream, but it was closer than ever before, just mere feet away. Something happened then that never happened before, the door started to open. Her eyes popped wide open.

"Sister." The voice said as a hand moved out form the darkness reaching toward her.

"Oh god!" She stumbled backward into the wall.

"Sister." The hand reached farther toward her.

Kara shook her head and backed away down the hall.

The hand extended a little more. "Sister, come to me I need you."

"I'm not your sister." Kara whispered. Run a voice in her head said.

"Help me sister."

RUN!! The voice in her head screamed. Turning around Kara started to run down the hallway as fast as her feet would carry her. She started to turn her head to look but the voice in her head yelled, DON'T LOOK BACK JUST RUN!!! At that moment her foot caught on part of the dress and she tumbled to the floor. Looking up, Kara saw a massive shadow coming toward her. Screaming she covered her head with her arms.

Kara woke up screaming, sitting straight up in her chair. Looking franticly around the room she realized no one else was there, but there was a god awful ringing. Looking down she realized it was her cell phone. Not recognizing the number, but grateful to whoever was calling for waking her up, she answered it.

"Hello."

"Kara?" A male voice asked.

"Yes, may I ask whose calling?"

"It's Ethan, from Math."

She looked across the room at her clock the digital numbers read that is was a quarter to ten. 'Wonder why he's calling?'

"Uh Kara, you there?"

"Yeah I...I'm here." That dream was really weird, she thought.

"Do you remember me? I sit next to you in math."

"Oh yeah! Hi, Ethan." How could I not remember you? You torment my every thought with you scrumptious body.

"Are you ok? I can let you go."

"No...no. I'm fine. What's up?"

"Well, I'm having a little bit of trouble and I was wondering if you could help me study for the test on Monday?" He sounded hesitant.

"Umm...what test?"

"The math test we have on Monday. Are you sure you're ok?"

"No... I mean yeah I'm fine...just...umm sure would you like to get together tonight and study a little?"

"Sure, if you want but we could wait till tomorrow too if you wanted, it is getting kind of late."

"Well if you're not busy tonight would be perfect. I have the place all to myself so its quiet and that doesn't happen very often."

"That would work. Where do you live?"

Kara gave him the directions to get to her apartment.

"I'll be there in about a half an hour."

"Ok, see you then."

She hung up the phone and threw it onto the desk. Dropping her head into her hands she rested her elbows on the desk. So strange, she thought. Picking her head up, she held out her hand and watched it as it shook. "I need a drink."

Getting up, she headed to the fridge looking around all she saw was beer. She needed something a lot stronger. Looking through the cupboards, there was nothing but beer in the house. Kara put on her jacket and walked out the door to go down to the corner liquor store.

Fifteen minutes later she walked back in with a bottle of tequila wrapped in a paper bag. She took off her coat, walked to the cupboard to grab a shot glass. She looked between the shot glasses and regular glasses, but instead of grabbing a shot glass she reached for a regular glass. After pouring some tequila in the glass she went to the living room and turned on the CD player. Not caring what was in, she walked out to the balcony. Just needing some fresh air and pounding music to try and clear the images out of her head.

The whole dream was so crystal clear like it actually happened. Shuddering she took a deep drink of the tequila almost downing the whole thing. The voice that called to her, the new voice, and the shadow hand. Shivering but not because of the cold, she finished off her drink and went to get more.

After grabbing more tequila she headed back out to the balcony. Walking past the CD player, she didn't like what was playing so she pushed a button to play the next CD. She went outside taking a sip from the glass. Kara was happy to hear The Rasmus newest album Black Roses starting to play. Taking a few more sips she tried to forget the dream she just had and how eerie it was compared to the others she had. All the new things that were in the dream, the voice that called to her was the same, but the new voice-her head shot up. The new voice that she heard in her head sounded almost like Ethan. Ugh it's just a dream!' But that shadow hand scared the crap out of her. Feeling overwhelmed she put her head in the hand and started to cry,

wondering what these dreams meant. Why she kept having them?

"Hello?" A voice came from inside the apartment.

Wiping her eyes she stuck her head inside. "Yeah who's there?"

"It's Ethan."

Oh shit! I forgot. Going inside she turned down the music. "Hey, Ethan." She said walking around the corner into the kitchen, only to stop dead in her tracks.

Ethan was standing just inside the doorway wearing a black leather jacket, black leather pants, and black leather biker boots. Got enough leather, she thought. His hair wasn't up in its usual ponytail but hung loose around his shoulders.

"Hi!" He said taking off his jacket to reveal a black God smack tee shirt.

Smiling Kara looked at him. The whole week at school he only wore black. "Do you own anything that's not black?"

"I think I might have a pair of blue boxers somewhere, but considering I don't wear underwear it's kinda pointless." He said hanging up his jacket with a smile on his face.

"Ok. TMI - way too much information." Kara shook her head and smiled. "Would you like something to drink before we get started?" Cause I'm gonna need a lot more tequila to get that image out of my head.

"Sure what do you have?" Man he's cute when he smiles.

"Umm...let me check." Kara went over to the fridge, "All we have is beer, tequila, or water right now."

"Beer, tequila, or water? I think I'll have a beer."

Kara reached in and grabbed a beer, handing it to Ethan, "Come on. We can study in my room, it's safest there." Ethan grabbed his backpack and followed Kara down the hall to her room.

Kara shut the door after Ethan walked in. "What did you need help with?"

He sat down on the bed and put his backpack at his feet. "What do you mean?"

"You said you needed help with math?"

"Oh, everything." He twisted the cap off of the bottle.

"What do you mean everything?"

"Well..." he let out a sigh. "I really suck at math. I need help with almost everything."

Kara smiled a little because the tequila was going to work, and because she could have a little fun with Ethan over his lack of math skills. "Can you add?"

"Well, yeah. I don't think I would have made it to college if I couldn't."

"Can you subtract?"

"Yes."

"Multiply?"

"Yes." Kara could tell that he was getting irritated, but she had to ask.

"Divide?"

"YES!" He practically yelled. "Now why in the hell are you asking all these stupid questions?"

Kara started to giggle at his exasperated look.

"What is so funny?"

"You are. I wasn't asking to find out about how much basic math you know. I wanted to find out how far I could push you before you got irritated." She tried to stop giggling but the look on his face made her go into a full on laugh. He was so serious.

"So you were just screwing with me." Ethan's voice was so deadpan that she stopped laughing almost immediately.

"No, I wasn't screwing with you. It's something I learned to do a while ago when studying with someone I don't really know." She took a drink of tequila.

"What do you mean?"

"I was just testing to see how quick your temper was."

"Nice. You said something about this being the safest room to study in. What did you mean?"

"Oh, if the others come back from the bar they won't bother us too much if were in here."

"Others?"

"What, you think I have this place all to myself?"

"How many roommates do you have?"

"Only one, Elle, but then there is her boyfriend Brenden and the twins who are over every day eating us out of house and home."

"Sounds busy around here."

"It usually is. So you wanna get started?"

"Sure." Looking around the room Ethan noticed the only place to sit was on the bed or at the desk that had only one chair. "Where can I sit?"

Kara looked up from her backpack she was kneeling over. "We can sit on the bed or I can bring in another chair."

"I don't care."

"Bed it is." She jumped on the bed bouncing a little. "Let's get started."