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  I clenched my jaw as the pain in my knee grew worse.

  Strange, I never remembered feeling pain in any of my other dreams.

  As these thoughts ran through my head, I noticed a structure up ahead, past the trees. With a renewed surge of hope, I made a beeline towards it, certain that things had to get start getting better. My hope was soon squashed, however, when I realized where in the hell I was.

  “No,” I gasped in disbelief.

  I’d somehow backtracked and ended up at the barn.

  Trying not to panic, I looked around the property, noticing the house was lit up like a Christmas tree. I wondered if the others were still alive, but I was too chicken to find out. Injured and thirsty, I couldn’t be of much help to anyone at the moment.

  Wincing as another hot rush of pain seared through my knee, I decided to hide in the barn before Martin and Marie, or whatever her damn name was, found me. Obviously, they were both nuts.

  I peeked inside of the barn. It was dark and appeared empty. As I limped inside, I heard a soft moan and froze.

  “Help me,” a girl’s voice pleaded.

  I stared up towards the loft. “Tara?”

  She didn’t answer.

  Taking a deep breath, I walked over to the ladder. “Don’t worry, I’m coming to help you.”

  “Emily,” she moaned. “Help me.”

  I started climbing the ladder, wondering exactly what I was going to find above. Fairly certain that it was still a dream and that nothing could really hurt me, I willed myself up each step. When I reached the top and looked over the edge, I saw her.

  “Tara?”

  She was lying down on her back, her head facing the wall.

  “Hey,” I whispered, crawling over the edge and onto the wooden platform. “Are you okay?”

  She didn’t answer.

  Wondering if she’d fallen asleep, I crawled over to her. “Tara,” I whispered, touching her shoulder.

  She turned her face to me and I gasped in horror.

  “I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you,” she said, smiling broadly.

  I stared down at her glowing red eyes and sharp teeth that were definitely inhuman. “Ohmygod! Tara, what did they do to you?”

  Her hand snaked out and grabbed my throat. “I’m so hungry, Emily,” she said, her eyes glowing even brighter. “Please understand that this isn’t anything… personal.”

  I tried prying her fingers away from my neck, but I couldn’t.

  She smiled. “I know, right? I’m so freaking strong now. It’s amazing.”

  Frightened and hysterical, I tried scratching at her eyes, but she was fast, blocking all of my attempts. We started rolling around and soon she was on top, staring down at me with triumph. “Well, it’s been… real.”

  I tried flipping her off of me, but she held me in place with thighs that were incredibly powerful. “Please,” I gasped.

  “You shouldn’t have tried escaping without me,” she said, baring her fangs. “Although, I’m not really complaining much. I had an awesome time with Brandon. That guy knows his way around a girl; you know what I’m saying?”

  I didn’t have a clue.

  Unable to move, I closed my eyes and prayed that this was still just part of a nightmare. Mercifully, before her teeth ripped into my neck, my prayers were answered.

  Well, almost.

  Her hands released me and I opened my eyes to find Marie holding Tara by the throat over the edge of the loft. Tara’s eyes were bulging as she tried unwrapping Marie’s fingers from her throat as she hung helplessly.

  “Nobody steals from me,” growled Marie.

  I scooted away on the ground, but something grabbed me from behind.

  “No!” I screamed, flailing my arms and legs.

  “This one’s a fighter to the bitter end,” said the man holding me, his voice raspy. He tightened his grip and pulled my hair away from my neck. “Oh, but the scent of her fear is… delicious.”

  Marie dropped Tara, who’d passed out, over the edge and turned towards us. “Daddy, you’re awake.”

  “Lucky for me. Tara fed from me while I slept,” he growled angrily. “Good thing I woke up before she got too far. I almost killed her, but this one walked into the barn before I could finish the job.”

  She scowled. “How did Tara change?”

  He sighed. “Apparently, Brandon had his way with her.”

  “Brandon?” she fumed. “Are you sure it wasn’t Martin?”

  “Oh, it was Brandon. I heard her tell this one,” he said, sniffing my neck.

  I shuddered.

  “Don’t worry – I’ll take care of him once I feed. Nobody cheats on my daughter.”

  “Please, let me go,” I begged.

  “You’re still not fully healed,” she replied, ignoring me. Her eyes softened. “Why don’t you have this one?

  “Oh, I plan on it,” he said. “But don’t worry, Celeste. We’ll get you fed before we reach Shore Lake.”

  My eyes filled with tears. “Please, let me go.”

  Celeste, or whatever her name was, walked over and kneeled next to me. “You should be honored,” she said, wiping a tear from my cheek. “Your blood will help daddy regain the rest of his strength.”

  I glared at her. “You people are all crazy.”

  She tilted her head and smiled. “Poor thing… you still don’t get it, do you?”

  My eyes narrowed. “No. Why don’t you enlighten me?”

  Her eyes left mine and moved to her father. “Daddy? Why don’t you show her?”

  He released me and I scooted away. When I turned around and finally had my first glimpse of the creature holding me, I gasped in revulsion.

  He smiled coldly. “How’s this for enlightenment?”

  Although he had dark hair and bright blue eyes, it was the only thing humanly recognizable. With his lack of skin and organs exposed, he reminded me of something I’d seen in a science book – a body without skin.

  I shuddered in revulsion.

  “This is what happens when you’re doused with gasoline and lit on fire,” he rasped. “Yes, people actually did this to me on purpose.” His eyes narrowed. “Your father, being one of them.”

  I stared at him in disbelief. “My father?”

  Marie laughed coldly. “Your father, Tara’s father, Amy’s uncle, and Anna’s husband. Oh, and Gloria’s husband. You never got the chance to meet her. Daddy did, though, didn’t you?”

  “Yes. Unfortunately, she just wasn’t enough to fix all of this damage,” he said, looking down at himself. “Hopefully, your blood along with the others… will do the trick.”

  “I had nothing to do with this,” I protested, wishing I’d just wake up soon. This dream was disturbing and not getting any better.

  “No, but your father’s platoon did and I had to suffer being buried alive. If it wasn’t for my children finding me…” He coughed several times.

  “Daddy?” said Celeste.

  He cleared his throat and raised his hand. “I’m okay.” After several seconds, his eyes drifted back to mine. “I had to endure twenty years of being trapped underground. You have no idea how something like that can destroy a man’s will to live.” He closed his eyes. “How many times a day, I prayed for death and asked for God’s mercy. Well, my prayers were ignored.” He opened his eyes. “The only other thing that kept me sane was planning my revenge the last few years. Vengeance against those who buried me alive.”

  I swallowed. “Vengeance? You mean, killing innocent people.”

  “Unfortunately, yes. I agree… you’re all innocent, but losing you will hurt your father more than his own death.”

  “There’s another way.”

  We all turned to see Martin standing next to the loft window.

  “What do you mean?” asked the ghoulish creature.

  “He tried killing you because of what you are. What if we make his daughter a Roamer too?” said Martin.

  A Roamer?

  �
�No!” hollered Celeste. “You just want her for yourself, that’s why you’re coming up with this nonsense.”

  His eyes flickered to me. “I won’t lie, I fancy Emily. But, still… think about it. She will become what he tried to destroy.” he smiled. “It’s poetic justice.”

  He sighed. “Son…”

  Martin moved closer. “Father, I’ve never asked for much. You know that.”

  “That’s because he hasn’t seen you in twenty years,” muttered Celeste.

  As they argued my fate, I looked around the barn, wondering what I was going to do. There was no way I’d allow them to make me a Roamer, whatever the hell that meant. And dying… well obviously that had to be far worse and more painful.

  I thought about my overprotective father and it was obvious how he figured into this dream. After everything I’d seen, and now hearing this nonsense of how the creature before me had been buried alive for twenty years, I was now fully convinced that I was sleeping.

  Well, it was time to wake up.

  “Okay,” I said, standing up. “This is the longest nightmare I’ve ever had and… well… I’m really sick of being in it.”

  They all stared at me.

  I sighed. “Look, I have a lot of things to do before school starts – unpacking, grocery shopping, finding a part-time job. Anyway, it’s been interesting, but… I really need to wake up, so,” I turned towards the edge of the loft. “I’m waking up.”

  “Emily!” hollered Martin.

  Ignoring him, I stepped off the ledge and dropped, expecting to wake up in my warm bed.

  Instead I landed with a loud thud.

  The pain was excruciating at first. And then, there was nothing.

  Martin flew down from the loft and kneeled next to me. He touched my arm, but I couldn’t feel anything.

  “Oh, Emily,” he sighed.

  I tried to speak, but couldn’t.

  “Is she alive?” asked Celeste, staring down at me.

  Yes, I am!

  “She’s blinking,” said Martin, his eyes softening.

  “Look at the way she landed. She probably shattered every bone in her body,” said Celeste.

  I didn’t hear his answer because everything went black.

  Chapter Six

  I opened my eyes and heaved a huge sigh of relief.

  “Thank God,” I said, sitting up in bed. I chuckled and stood up. “No more peanut butter before bed. Never again.”

  Hell, the thought of peanut butter almost made me nauseous.

  My cell phone rang.

  I walked over to my dresser and picked it up.

  My dad.

  “Hi, dad.”

  “Where in the hell have you been?” he growled.

  “In bed, sleeping?” I replied, rolling my eyes. I looked at my alarm clock and it was only nine-thirty in the morning. “I guess I slept in a little.”

  “Don’t be a smartass,” he said. “Your mother and I have been worried sick about you. Jesus, we almost took a trip back out there to make sure you were okay. But we promised to give you your space and… oh, hell, maybe this apartment was a mistake.”

  “What are you talking about?” I asked.

  “Have you checked your phone lately?”

  “No, I just woke up. I had a late night.”

  “I guess. Look, we’ve left you several messages the last couple of days and heard nothing from you. Your poor mother has been on the brink of a nervous breakdown not hearing back from you.”

  “Last couple of days?” I asked, confused.

  “Yeah, it’s Saturday.”

  I paused. Did he just really say Saturday?

  “Emily.”

  “Uh, yeah”

  “Are you okay?” he asked. “You aren’t doing drugs now, are you?”

  “No!” I protested.

  “Your mother wants to talk to you.”

  She got on the phone. “What’s going on, Emily?”

  “Uh, nothing. I’m fine,” I lied.

  “Do you want us to come and get you?”

  “No,” I said, rubbing the bridge of my nose. “Mom, I’m fine. Look, I have to go to the bathroom. I’ll call you guys back in an hour or so.”

  “Okay, honey. Are you sure you’re okay?”

  No.

  Was it really Saturday?

  Am I still dreaming?

  “Yes, I’m fine.”

  “Okay. Call us back as soon as you can, dear.”

  “I will.”

  “I love you, honey.”

  “I love you, too, mom.”

  We hung up and I looked at my phone. Sure enough, it showed Saturday and several missed calls.

  Dazed, I shuffled to the bathroom and turned on the light.

  “What the hell?” I whispered, staring at my pale face.

  Scratch that, it wasn’t just pale, it was ghostly white.

  I leaned closer and studied my emerald eyes, which seemed unusually bright.

  “Okay, I’m still dreaming,” I said out loud.

  I touched my cheek and it was cool.

  “Okay, wake up,” I said, pinching my cheeks, hard. “Come on.”

  I winced. Okay, I’m not sleeping.

  Was I sick? That made sense. It would explain a lot and I had to admit, my throat was a little scratchy.

  I opened my mouth to check my tongue and screamed out loud.

  Fangs!?

  “Oh, my God,” I gasped, touching them. The tips were sharp. Sharp enough to sink into someone’s throat. To drink their blood.

  My stomach growled hungrily.

  Horrified, I slid down to my knees and began to cry.

  The End

  Blur

  (Night Roamers)

  Book One

  By Kristen Middleton

  Copyedited by:

  Carolyn M. Pinard

  www.thesupernaturalbookeditor.com

  Cover Design – A collaboration by

  Mae I Design and Emma Michaels

  www.maeidesign.com

  www.Emma Michaels.com

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Copyright ©2012 by Kristen Middleton

  All rights reserved.

  Warning – This book has adult situations and is intended for mature readers.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without express written permission of the author.

  Prologue

  “Mom left the door unlocked,” I hollered at my twin brother as he slammed the door to his ’67 Mustang. It was the last day of eleventh grade, and we’d stopped off for burgers and malts at Grannie’s Diner with some friends to celebrate after school. Nathan and I were officially seniors and neither of us could wipe the grins from our faces.

  “That’s weird,” he said, brushing a hand through his sandy-brown hair. “You know how she’s always nagging us about doing it.”

  I grinned and held the door open for him. “I’m certainly not going to let her live this one down.”

  Mom was married to a cop once, my father, and he’d drilled into her head how important it was to keep the doors locked, even when you’re home.

  Nathan followed me into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator.

  “Oh, my God,” I teased him. “How can you still be hungry after eating that monster burger and malt?”

  He flexed a muscle. “I’m growing,” he said. “Just ‘cause you’re a skinny little twerp doesn’t mean everyone else has to eat like a bird.”

  I walked over and punched him in the arm. “Very funny.”

  He smiled and raised the milk carton to take a swig when we both heard it.

  “What’s that?” I whispered.

  He slammed down the milk and rushed out of the kitchen.

  “Nathan?” I yelled
, chasing him upstairs. The sobs were coming from somewhere in the upper level of the house and my stomach twisted in horror.

  Mom?

  “Oh, my God,” he choked, entering her dark bedroom. She was lying naked on the floor next to the bed, her face swollen and bleeding, her body badly bruised.

  We rushed to her side and she cracked open one of her black eyes. “Call the police,” she mumbled, barely coherent.

  I started to cry as I grabbed the phone and dialed nine-one-one. I don’t even remember talking to the person who’d answered. All I know is that I was blubbering and she was trying to console me with the fact that help was coming.

  I hung up and stared at my broken mother in shock, feeling helpless and frightened. Thankfully, Nathan handled stress much better than I did.

  He grabbed a comforter and covered her gently. “Mom, what happened?” he asked, pushing her dark bangs away from her eyes.

  The shame on her face was heart-wrenching and I pretty much knew by her appearance what had happened. She’d obviously been beaten and raped.

  I brushed the tears from my face, kneeled down next to her, and lightly touched her hand. “The police and ambulance are on their way.”

  She nodded and closed her eyes.

  “Mom?” prodded Nathan. “What happened?”

  “Nathan, think about it,” I whispered. “She’s been raped.”

  His lips trembled as he searched her face. “Mom, some stranger broke in here and… did this?”

  She opened her eyes and stared at both of us for a few seconds. “No… no stranger,” she whispered hoarsely. “It was your father.”

  Chapter One

  “Are we almost there?” I asked, staring through my sunglasses at the endless rows of cornfields. We’d been driving for hours through the countryside and I could no longer tell the difference from one town to the next. More than anything, I just wanted to get out of the car and stretch my legs, which were starting to tingle in an uncomfortable way.