Excerpt: In the Shadows

The house was huge. Much bigger than anything Zach had ever seen before. Even his parents house, which had been by far the largest in the town, had been much, much smaller than this. He couldn't understand how anyone could live in so much space. They must rattle around in the like acorns. No one could need that many rooms. It would just be completely impossible for someone to get use out of every single one.
Still in dog, for Zach sat down and contemplated the house for a bit. Yeah it was big, but it was Myra's house and he needed to be here. He couldn't let her down now. He couldn't let himself down now.
Resting his head on his paws, he tried to plan his best way of attack. Definitely staying in dog form until he was ready to go was rule number one. There was no way that he would be able to attack with stealth if he was seen whilst he was plannning. There would be high security at this place. Or any place as posh as this.

Zach ran through the gardens. This was not good. He shouldn't be reduced to running and hiding from his father. It wasn't the normal life. His brother didn't have to do this. His brother could just live his life the way he wanted. Do what he wanted when he wanted. All because what he wanted to do matched up with what his father wanted him to do. It was prejudice. Pure and simple. There wasn't nothing more to it than that.
Pushing his way through the trees he crept through the wood. The guards were tight around this area of the estate. His father didn't want any of the common people slipping through. No they couldn't possibly have that.
There was a bush in front of him. In the middle of the woodland. It was just large enough for him to fit in comfortably. He'd done it before and he could do it again now. It was always the perfect hiding place from his father. Hidden, but comfortable.
It was getting to be a tight squeeze though. He was growing too fast. He would need to find a new hiding place soon before he grew out of this one. It wouldn't work if he was needing to find one when his father was chasing him.
Getting out his paper he shook the ink pen that his mother had given him and put it to the paper.

Beautiful and golden is the land of the elves,
a haven for all those that it shelters,
travellers seek its boundaries but few may enter,
for the elven secrets are kept close to the heart.

He paused. This wasn't going well. Being hidden away did nothing for the mind. It made him feel cramped and uneasy. He needed space to stretch out. Space to breath and think. But what could he do when his father ruled over his life so fully?
More than anything he needed to get out of there, or at least to have more understanding parents. Or parent he should say. His mother had always understood him. She'd always been like him. His father's control over both of them was too great for either of them to do what they wanted. He didn't like them sitting in all day writing and so they couldn't manage to. That was that. His word was law.
Zach hated rules. They were there to be broken. Or they weren't, but he liked doing it anyway. Only his father's rules though. The rules to go outside, play sports. Be healthy and like a clone of him. That's that. No questions, end of story. Nothing they can do to change it.

Zach brushed at his nose with his paw. There was nothing he could do about his past now. It was over and there was no point reflecting on it. If only he could manage to make himself see that then the entire of his life would be so much better for him. In fact he could also say all of his problems could be solved simply by doing that. But how could he get his brain to co-operate and actually do it.
Pushing himself to his feet, he stretched and nosed at the ground for a moment. All he needed to do was get to the door. The doorway was so large that there was no way that anyone would be able to see him once he was there and in the shadows. He'd change there and do the job. Then change back and scarper before anyone saw him. There was no reason for this to fail. It was the way it was going to be.
Taking up an ambling pace he walked slowly up to the doorway. If he didn't move to quickly it would be much less likely for him to be noticed. A dog dashing up the steps might be suspicious. This way he could just act as a stray.
He put his paw up on the first step and shrank back in shock. There were two guards standing either side of the doorway. He dashed into the shadows. How could they possibly have guards at the doorway at this time of night. It was stupid. The amount of money that it must cost was ridiculous, let alone the fact that it was the middle of the night so these two guys were freezing to death out here.
Rich people were pathetic. They threw money away on so much that they didn't need. If they had lived on the streets like he had then they'd know what a waste that was. Money was precious and not for it to just bit thrown away on such trivial matters.
But that's the way rich people worked. There was nothing he could do about it. If there was something he could do then he would have been able to change his father's attitude.
From the shadows he watched the guards. They hadn't seemed to have noticed him yet. That was one good thing. Although...
He darted out from the shadows, heading directly into the guards line of sight. They didn't notice him straight away but pretty soon one of them roused from his slight slumber and raised a cry of alarm. The other jerked away and followed suite. Zach ran as fast as he could. There was way too much to be left to chance with this plan, but this was the only thing he could think of at such short notice.
The guards were soon right on his tail. He was running as fast as he could and still he wasn't fast enough. Swivelling to his left he leaped over a wall and dashed that way. The wall did what he had intended it to do and slowed down his persuers. But it was not long before they had hopped over the wall themselves and were close upon his tail once more.
Taking a quick death defying leap he cleared a fallen tree, there was a steep drop on the other side. Terrified he scrapped at the wet mud of the banks before plunging down into the icy cold water below. It hit him hard in the stomach, as though he had just plunged down into ice or glass instead of just water. Winded, the current swept him away.
There was nothing he could do. His paws scrabbled frantically against the unwilling hold of the water without luck. It was to no avail. He struggled just to keep his head above water, no matter trying to get towards the bank. For a moment he contemplated changing back. It certainly had advantages, but then there were disadvantages at the same time. His canine self was much strong than his vampire self. Though his vampire self had the chance to grab hold of something and us it to pull his way out. Still one advantage weighed out any other: His vampire self would be a lot easier to notice. The guards were looking for a dog. But if they came across an apparently human trespasser they would take no time in chucking him out of the gates. Better to remain as a dog.
The was a tree leant out into the stream. If he could get himself on a path that would take him towards it, then he would have a possibility of succeeding. If not then he would be carried away from the house and fail at his task. This spuring him on he made a quick thrust against the current.
He was going to fast. The tree hit him hard in the stomach. For a moment he lay there, limp and lifeless. A bedraggled heap against the strong branch of the tree which had incapacitated him.
From behind him he could hear the guards. They were a little way off, peering into the darkness. "Can you see him?" One called to the other.
Zach stayed very still. Carefully he suspended his heartbeat and breathing. It was the only way possible to remain quiet enough to not be seen.
"No! Did you hear that squeal though. He's injured. Probably dead. We'll pick 'im up tomorrow"
Zach let out a breath as they left. He felt relieved. He may have failed at his task but he had succeeeded in surviving. That was something. Feeling slightly dejected he pulled himself up onto the branch and padded across to the bank. At least he could do that now. There was no danger from the water.
As he reached the bank, he noticed the side of the house. It was slightly sloped. There were a few bricks sticking out as well which would make good footholds.
Looking around quickly, he checked that the guards were far away. As soon as he was sure that there was no one around to see him, he changed back into vampiric form. He was drenched from the water of the river. His woollen cloak was dripping and his hair plastered to his head. For a moment he considered it. There was no way he was going to be able to make the climb with the heavy cloak weighing him down.
Shrugging it off in one quick motion he ignored the heavy thump sound as it hit the wet grass. He felt lighter when it was off and he was down to just his tunic and breeches. Grabbing the first of the sticking out brick he pounced on the wall. If he went fast enough then it was easy, he just flowed from one to the next stopping for nothing. The water from his hands were making the rocks wet, but he wasn't staying on them long enough for it to cause a problem.
The second floor window was open. If he could just reach that. It wasn't that far. Just a bit further. He could do it! Just.
He came to a halt. There was just one more brick left. But it was too far away. It looked as though he couldn't reach it. He wasn't sure. For now he was just hanging there. Maybe if he put all his effort into it. But then if he failed then he would drop down to the ground below. It was a long steep drop. It wasn't like he was going to die or anything. But he would be injured. Very injured. Added to the injuries he'd already gotten from the tree.
It was do or die. Almost. And he had to do it. He'd promised Myra. No, that wasn't true. He had promised himself. And that was all he could do to make it up to himself. He needed to.
The water from his hands was building up on the rocks he was clinging to. If he didn't do something soon then it wouldn't matter after all. He would drop to the ground.
He let go of the lower rock and let himself hang on one hand for a moment. The ground lurched beneath him. Swinging back, he threw himself at the next brick. His hand slipped as he grabbed for it. Quickly he threw up the other hand. It held. He breathed a sigh of relief, before swinging through the window and landing as lightly and he could in the room behind. He crouched down behind the curtain, listening out for the sounds of people. He couldn't hear anything. No breathing, no heartbeats. It was clear.
The room was bigger than the inn where he had met Myra. It was huge. There was a four poster bed in the middle covered in silken sheets. How anyone could live with such luxury was beyond him, even though he had undoubtedly lived like this for most of his childhood. He'd lived in a dirty warehouse for so long that all idea of luxury had gone from his head.
In the corner was a large wardrobe. Unable to resist he opened it up and peeped inside. There were row upon row of dresses. They looked the right size for Myra to fit in. He must have stumbled into her room. She was the one who lived in such luxury. And now she was lying in a dirty bed, which hadn't been washed since... who knows. Not since they'd moved in at least. Probably not since the merchants had moved out.
He grazed his hand across the dresses, wincing as they left a stain on the light coloured fabric. There was nothing that he could do about it now. It didn't matter anyway. She would wash them. Get her private maid to do it. Stupid rich people. Leafing through the dresses he picked out a simple one. It would be good for her to have something relatively clean, or at least not covered in blood, to change into when she woke up.
Walking over to the bed he slipped his hand into the breast of his tunic, he took out the letter he had forged back at the hideout. It was no where near perfect. For one thing he had no idea what Myra's handwriting looked like. But he was sure that it would do. When her family found out that she was missing, they wouldn't notice that it wasn't her handwriting. They would just be worried that she was safe.
It wouldn't do much to reassure the family. There was no way to let them know that she was safe without it looking like a kidnapping. But he hoped that it would help somewhat. And it was for him, not for her. It was to put his mind at ease. It made him feel slightly selfish, but that was all he could do.
Gently he put the note down on the pillow. It was carefully folding. It was grimy and dirty but there was nothing he could do about that. Everything around him was grimy and dirty. That was the way things were with him. It happened and there was nothing he could do to change it. This was the best he could do, and he had to accept that.
Slowly he turned away. The sun was beginning to rise and he would have to get out of the house before everyone woke up. It wouldn't do to be caught there. Folding the dress and holding it against him he eased himself out of the window and back down onto the rock. It was harder climbing down backwards, let alone one handed.
He managed to get down two rocks before he fell. The ground hit him hard. He screamed out in pain before he remembered to stifle it. There was motion from the house. He ran. There was else that he could do. He grabbed his cloak from the ground beneath him and clutched it close to him along with the dress. He sprinted as fast as he possibly could, cursing himself for forgetting that if he turned back into dog form then he wouldn't be able to carry the dress. It was an error on his part, but if he didn't correct it then he would die so there was a lot of incentive.
The guards were following once again. It was seeming to be a regular occurance today. They were fast. But he was faster. He may not have four legs, but he had vampiric speed. It gave him more than a good enough advantage. It seemed as though he was getting faster and faster by every step. It was exhilarating. More exhilarating than he had every been in his life. The grass was wet under his feet and made him slip and slide all over the place, but that didn't stop him. He fell. He got back up. It was a routine. A pounding of feet against earth.
The guards were probably gone by now. He had no idea and couldn't bring himself to stop and look around in case they were still behind him. He would stop running when he got back to the hideout and into safety. Not until then. Although, if the guards were still behind he would lead them straight to the hideout. That was a problem. But then. As horrible as the thought was, Toki would take care of them easily. It meant she would kill them. But that was a price he would have to pay. Wait... Was it? Yes. Right now. It was.