Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

The sound of fabric rubbing together was all the dhampir could hear. Her long legs carried her quickly from the sea of civilization to the silence of solitary confinement of trees. Ever since what had happened to her few months back Karina couldn’t take others being close to her.

Bruises and brandings healed but the internal pain was imbedded into her mind. As soon as she cleared the tree line she stopped moving all together. She stood so still she almost could have been mistaken as a statue. A look of sorrow etched deeply into her brow as she let the rays of the sun warm her cold skin.

Slowly she closed her eyes, drinking in the heat, willing herself to feel something other than emptiness. The hollow feeling of what was taken from her was all that accompanied her these days. Her green-gold orbs held now twinkle of mischief of hope any more. Large dark circles took a permanent place under her eyes now from the lack of sleep.

Karina wasn’t sure how much time had passed as she just stood there in the rays that managed to break through the treetops. The sound of footsteps coming towards her broke her from her trance. When she moved her head to one side or the other the footsteps stopped.

So much for keeping away from trouble, she thought bitterly.

Inhaling deeply she could tell there was four different scents maybe two hundred feet to the east. “Come out, come out wherever you are,” she called taunting whoever dare stalk her.

Four semi large men stepped from out of the trees, one with silver hair, two that almost looked like they had been cloned red hair up turned noses only thing that separated them was their eye color one brown the other blue. The finally guy was the largest, Karina picked him to be the ringleader. He looked like an overstuffed sack of meat, his muscles looked like if you took a pin to them they would pop. His dirty red hair looked artificially dyed.

“What happened Stonevale run outta steroids Buffalo Bob?” She sneered at them.

“Oh cocky are we? We will see when we are done with you if you are as snarky then bitch.” The red took a few more steps toward her.

Before he could get an advantage point she sprung into action. She used her half vampire strength and used all the muscles in her legs and jumped into the air. She landed in the middle of the two twins. She took their heads into her hands and forcefully smashed their skulls together.

“You are as ignorant as you are fucking stupid if you think you will be able to take me!” Karina roared with anger. Her voice carried in the distance between the trees.

The silver hair guy lunged for her, withdrawing a knife. She turned at the last moment, instead of the dagger landing it’s mark in her gut it grazed her forearm. “You bastard,” she hissed, her face started to red as the blood that leaked from her arm.

“Give up now and we won’t be too rough with you,” the ringleader sauntered forward, his eyes filled with hunger and lust.

“Give it your best shot you mother fucker!” She growled bouncing on the balls of her feet.