"So I'm open to suggestions," Miranda stated. Amara rubbed her chin, trying to shake off the awful feelings she had been having. "You got any spells up your sleeves?"
"Technically I don't have sleeves," Miranda stated, causing Amara to sigh. "You know what I mean," she groaned. Miranda simply gave her girlfriend an impish smirk before taking a breath. "Trying to cheer you up but let me try something." Taking a step forward, she now held her rapier aloft as she spoke.
"Power of the Sun. Light the way!"
Miranda's rapier now began to glow, illuminating the dark corridor. Amara shielded her eyes, watching as a shadowy figure now darted around the corner. "I saw something!"
Miranda began frantically scanning the area, finding nothing before turning towards Amara. "I didn't see anything," she said. Slowly she now looked towards their friends, noticing they all appeared quite pale. "Is everyone okay?"
"Whatever this demon is its still feeding," Amara stated. Miranda nodded, pausing as she glanced at Nat. "I think Nat is fighting it." Amara now approached the damphir teen, noting that she appeared to be grimacing.
"She is," Amara said in awe. "Geez freaking damphirs are impressive." The mara now turned to Miranda before speaking. "Listen Miranda," she said. "I'm going to try and snap Nat out of this but I need you to wake up Connor. We're going to need them if we're going to stop this thing."
"What are you going to do?" Amara took a breath, her face shifting into its demonic form, wide cat like eyes, small horns and a wide nightmarish smile. "I'm going to enter her nightmare."
Nat was confused, none of this made any sense. Her parents, the school, it was overwhelming as they began to shout and push her. "I'm not a monster," she screamed. "I'm...not...please...stop...you're hurting me!"
"Nat!"
Nat paused, the voice was familiar. Turning she now noticed a chubby girl pushing her way through the crowd. "Nat listen," she screamed. "Its a trick. A nightmare. This isn't real!"
"Isn't real?"
"You gotta trust me Nat," Amara screamed, pushing her way past the angry crowd. "Take my hand! Hurry please!!" Nat paused, casting the mara a dubious look. Did she really trust Amara? Was this all just a nightmare? Tepidly she now reached for Amara, gently taking the demons hand.
Nat gasped, her eyes flying open as the world came into focus. Trying to catch her breath, she now found herself gazing at the demonic Amara. "Thank God you're back," Amara sighed.
"What happened," Nat asked, still a bit disoriented from her ordeal. The teen now gazed at her friends finding only herself, Miranda, Amara, and Connor had been shaken from their daze.
"We were attacked," Miranda stated, as she helped support Connors weight. "Whatever that thing is it jumped us as soon as we walked in here."
Nat nodded, slowly approaching Connor who was wiping his eyes. "You okay," she asked.
"Been better," he grumbled, holding his head. The teen now unslinging his backpack before opening it. The girls gasping as Connor withdrew a small crossbow. "What the hell you brought a crossbow with you," Amara exclaimed.
"Pays to be prepared," he said, his voice still hoarse. "Hunter rule number one. How are the others?"
"Still out of it," Miranda stated. "Whatever this thing is its on the move." Connor nodded, checking on Spark and the others before looking towards his conscious friends. "We have to bring them out of this," he said. "Amara I'm going to need your help with Spark."
"Okay" Amara stated, quickly heading to Connors side. As the two now tried to wake her, they could hear the sound of breathing. Turning they noticed Nat, the damphir teens breaths coming hard and ragged. "Nat are you okay?"
Nats head shot up, her eyes blazing with unnatural ferocity. No one had seen her look like this, the rage in his face making her appear monstrous. "No, I'm not okay," she growled. "This.....thing used my parents. My fears to try and destroy me. I'm am sick and tired of creatures useing my fears against me!"
Amara backed away from the damphir, her eyes going wide in fright at the damphirs monstrous appearance. Nat snarled, spinning away from her friends as she gazed out at the haunted house. "You guys take care of the others," she said ferociously. "I'm destroying this thing once and for all!"
"Destroy how," Miranda exclaimed.
Nat was quiet, sloqly reaching into her purse as she withdrew a small vile. After talking with Duke, she had learned how to unlock her full potential. As disgusting as she found the idea, she realized she would need to do this if she was to stop this thing from harming her friends. Uncapping the vile, Nat now tipped its contents back, her face grimacing as the blood slid down her throat.
Nat roared, the others watching as her muscles began to swell, doubling in size on the rather skinny teen. Nats clothing strained under her new muscle, her fists clenched as she now howled with anger. The others faces going pale as they saw Nats face become feral with a pair of vampiric fangs.
"Nat?"
Nat quickly turned her head, a low growl emanating from her before she bounded off into the haunted house. Connor understanding that she had just unlocked her vampiric powers, and realizing they needed to wake their friends to help Nat.