Nat glanced up at the clock, how was she running so late for the school assembly. Sprinting through the hallways of school, she now flung open the doors of the assemby hall,, breathing a sigh of relief as she saw that it hadn't started yet. "Okay where's Rei?"
Scanning the crowd. Nat breathed a sigh of relief, noticing Rei was sitting with her friends. As she took a step forward, she felt someone tug on her arm. Curiously looking over Nat now saw Ms. McKinnon giving her an odd look.
"Nat what are you doing here?"
As Nat was about to answer, she gasped. Somehow the girl was standing in the middle of the assembly in only her underwear. Letting out a shriek, she now tried to cover herself as Ms. McKinnon shook her head.
"I guess you didn't read the sign," Mary Elise said softly, the teacher now pointing to a rather large sign hanging above the door. Nats eyes now went wide as she read the bright red words written across the sign.
No Monsters Allowed.
Nat blinked, confused by her surroundings. One moment she was standing in her underwear, the next she found herself tied to a stake, the entire school now scowling at her as they approached with torches. "Whats going on? Whats happening!?"
No one would answer, Nat struggling against her bonds as her friends now approached, their faces appearing feral as they now lit a fire. "No! Stop!"
Nats friends said nothing, staring at the damphir teen with murderous intent. Nat was trapped, she could feel the flames begin to lick at her legs. She was trapped, only able to scream at her impending death.
Nat screamed, the teen sitting up in bed, her breathing ragged as she clutched her blankets tightly. Another nightmare. Nat wiped the sweat from her brow as she angrily realized what caused this bad dream.
"What the hell?! That's your nightmare?!"
Nat frowned, scanning her darkened room as she searched for Amara. Quickly she now spotted the demonic cat. Amara appeared to have been frightened by the nightmare as well, the cat having lept into a small box and appeared stuck. The teen noticing the cats back legs and tail sticking straight up in the air. "Seriously another nightmare," Nat asked angrily.
"I was hungry," Amara whined, the cat struggling to free itself. "I feed on dream energy you know. But that freaked me out. In case you hadn't noticed I was tied to the stake with you." Amara now struggled, Nat feeling that if she wasn't so angry she would find the scene humorous. The cat had somehow gotten herself stuck in her panic, now finding herself inverted inside a small box. Amara's efforts to free herself only causing the cats hind legs and butt to swivel in a circle.
"Can you pull me out I'm stuck."
"No," Nat exclaimed, the damphir teen hopping out of bed as she glared at the demonic cat.
"Oh cmon," Amara whined. "Its almost morning. I'm going to grow back into a human soon. Do you really want me breaking this thing?" Nat glanced at the clock in her room, realizing the sun would be coming up in less than 30 minutes. "Well it serves you right," she grumbled. "I'm going to get something to eat."
Making her way into the kitchen Nat sighed as she began to dig through the cupboards. Reforming Amara was going to be difficult, at the end of the day she was a demon. It was in the mara's nature to cause nightmares. They needed to do so for their very survival. Sighing, she now grabbed some orange juice, trying to figure out how they were going to fix Amara.
"You're up early."
Nat glanced towards the living room, seeing her mother. Marisa appeared to have been working, the vampire now putting down her lap top as she gazed at her daughter.
"Bad dream mom," Nat said softly. "No thanks to Amara."
Marisa nodded, slowly making her way towards her daughter before giving her a hug. "Sorry to hear that Nattie," she sighed. Nat grunted polishing off her juice as she now stared ahead. "I'm beginning to think trying to change Amara may have been a bad idea," she sighed. "I mean demons don't change."
"Is that so," Marisa replied, a bemused smirk upon her face. "I had no idea. I wonder if your father knows he married a monster then?"
"I didn't mean you mom," Nat stammered, her cheeks turning crimson. "I mean, you're different. You don't hurt people, unlike Amara. Its just....I don't know...she's...its complicated."
"Demons usually are," Marisa shrugged. "Take me for example. I have to drink blood, yet I don't wish to harm anyone. Its a balancing act. Same goes for Amara, she can't change what she is. She has to feed, its in her nature. I have to drink blood and she has to feed on dreams. We may not want to but its a matter of survival."
"But you drink blood without hurting people," Nat said.
"Yes I do," Marisa stated. "And its my choice. Amara is going to have to make some hard choices on how she wishes to survive. Too bad she can't feed on other types of dreams."
Nat paused, her mother had given her an idea. Quickly she now stood as she sprinted for her room. "Nat what is it," Marisa asked.
"You just gave me a brilliant idea mom," Nat exclaimed. "I need to get dressed and then I need to ask some questions."
"Questions," Marisa asked.
"Yeah mom," Nat said happily. "I need to find out more about mara. I think I might have an idea that will make everyone happy. I'm going to find a way for Amara to feed on something besides nightmares."