KOTA

Kota zones out of reality. The word "yes" was all he registered. The rest of her sentence is inaudible. I KNEW IT! NOW I MUST DESTROY HIM!! "Where....?" He speaks in a lethal calmness. "Where did you see him? Tell me." 

"He doesn't need to know...." Matto eyes dart to Kayla, cautioning her to not answer. "You can tell me in private, my wife and I will handle the vampire."

"NO!!" Kota shouts maliciously, knocking the chair back hard enough that it shatters into pieces.

"RELAX!" Matto bellows.

"YOU'RE NOT TAKING THIS AWAY FROM ME!! HE ENJOYED KILLING!! YOU DIDN'T SEE WHAT I SAW!!"

Odina stands to stretch her arms between them, fearing a fight. Her son is unstable. Addicted to revenge. Out for blood. "Please, let us handle this!"

"BY LETTING HIM LIVE??!!" His voice distorts. The old fiend influences him yet again. The evil ego seeps out. Kota is no longer his sweet self. He's possessed. Dyani freezes in place. Gloria gets up, shielding Kayla behind her.

"This meeting is over...I'm sorry for the inconvenience." Matto address Kay and her gran without taking his eyes from his son. "Until next time." Gloria directs her granddaughter to the door. Odina doesn't walk them out, she's too weary to lower her arms. So, the two show themselves out. "Settle down." Matto disciplines.

Elu is saddened by the wrath of his grandson. "Don't lose yourself to this madness..."

If steam could leave Kota's body, it would fog the room. All he sees is red. His face creased; his mouth snarled. His eyes flicker white and black. Slowly inviting the dark one back. He mugs down his father. "I'll kill him...there's nothing you can do to stop me!!" His light voice is now demented. "That's final!"

His old fiend resurfaces. KILL! KILL! It cheers him on, desperate for chaos. KILL OUR VILLAIN. Black fluid overtakes his eyes. Matto begins using a hand symbol, the air outlines white, prepping for the casting. But Kota disappears in a flash. Elu wobbles from the chair. Odina gasps.

"Oh, no...." Dyani huffs.

Miles away, Kota and his dark side thrive on danger. Death to him! DEATH! Remember what was done to your friends. Your sweet friends... "Yes...what was done to them." Flashbacks of its talons slicing Mike and Jimmy's necks wide open. Squirts of crimson splattering. Liz screaming. The creature chewing her neck. The grotesque crunching of her bones. The fleshy pieces of Liz's neck ripped away. The raining blood.  

The animal's swallowing....feasting. Liz's going unresponsive due to the shock. The vampire groans of throaty pleasure. "HE WILL DIE!!!" Kota screeches. His blurry feet shatter down the streets as fast as lightning. All the reminiscing grants him a new detail. The past speaks to him. The wind from the horrid night carry a cruel aroma. The same one he encountered on the beach. "I CAN TRACK HIM!" He demands his nose to single out the icy, chemical scent. 

Trees haze as he sweeps the west side of Chicago. Kota bolts forward. Passing residential homes in milliseconds. Rocketing past train tracks, boarded-up houses, and gas stations. He accelerates beyond the eye can see. His legs whip past fields of wheat and corn, passing barns and farmhouses. Kota's nose flare, searching the fragrance. 

From miles away, he whiffs out the flavors of gas, money, alcohol, cigarettes, and ashplant. DAMN IT! IT'S NOT THERE!! Kota pushes ahead, willing his nose radar to span further. But it only singles out planted foods, fruits and vegetables.

He streaks the border of Indianapolis, searching for the fume, spanning the entire state. Every fiber of plant life, every inch of human skin, every repulsive odor. Finding nothing out of the ordinary. Nashville is next. The cologne of his foe is nowhere within the state. Alabama is a giant land, so he has to curve in a U-shape along its bottom to access every living fiber. "COME ON!!! WHERE ARE YOU!!!"

He combs through Tallahassee before venturing to Georgia, another massive state he spends extra time on. How is there nothing?? I have to find him! I have his scent...how is there nothing??? Florida and the Carolinas bring the same failure. 

Kota travels up the coast states. Washington. New Jersey. Rhode Island. Boston. Portland. Maine. New Brunswick. Quebec. Canada. The artic atmosphere hides most stenches. The microorganisms are less dynamic in subzero. Meaning aromas are cloaked.

"Damn it!" His legs sweep Lake Michigan, inhaling for one last investigation. The asshole isn't here. I need his location!! Kota slows to a jog, realizing how exhausted he is. His energy reduces. So much that his black eyes vanish due to fatigue. He covered thousands of miles. The sun is dimming. Nighttime creeps in.

I'll try again tomorrow. I need rest. Maybe I could get his exact location from Kayla. I have to get the piece of shit before my parents do. I will have him in my grasps. He will suffer...nice and slow. He visualizes the torment he'll unleash on his rival. Tearing the skeleton from his skin inch by inch. Day by day. Dragging out a sentence worse than jail....worse than hell. All while I leer triumphantly over his pouring blood. He'll beg...cry...and hurt, just as my friends did! Only then, he'll know no mercy. I'll detach his heart from its chest...vein by vein.

By the break of day, he climbs through his bedroom window, so his parents don't grill him. I don't want to hear their mouths...or their nagging. I'm doing the right thing. They're wrong. No one understands what I'm going through. No one cares that Liz, Mike, and Jimmy deaths are a living nightmare. I have to do this on my own.

KAYLA

Kayla dials the Ahoka number for the 5th time, wanting to check in on Kota since this is her fault. I should've lied. Even if I'm bad at it. Why did I tell the truth?? Now Kota's out there being reckless. Because of me. Odina answers. "Hello?"

"I'm sorry that I keep calling, but is he back?"

"Yes...he's resting."

"Good." She huffs, relieved. "I'm sorry...I was going to lie..."

"No, we're glad you didn't. Kota needs to let off steam...it's been bottled up for too long. Don't be sorry."

"It's hard not to be..."

"You gave him closure."

"What if he killed??"

"There's no smell of the beast on him. Matto and I gathered its fragrance from the woods. Kota didn't find him."

"Good...that makes me feel better. I'm glad I kept quiet about where I saw it."

"We'll need the location soon to handle the beast. But it can't be said aloud. My son will hear."

Kayla thinks of writing it down and giving it to her granny to deliver. "I know a way...you'll have the location tomorrow."

"Perfect, goodnight, dear."

"Good night."

Gloria watch her hang up the wall phone. "Don't stress over it. Kota has to work out this drama on his own."

"You're right."

"If he kills, that's not your fault. You only wanted to help." Her gran embraces her, tugging her closely. She's right...both of them are. He needed a target to release his guilt onto. "Now." Gloria ends the hug. "Your training will be at midnight. Where is the best place?"

"The art studio...we can close the balcony doors, so we're not heard."

"That sounds like a plan. Now let's get ready for dinner." They leave to the hallway.

Mary stomp their way, enraged. "I got a voicemail from the receptionist. You left the house! Explain Yourself!"

"We're waiting!" James is on her tail, just as pissed.

Kay scratch the back of her head, seeking to arrange a good enough excuse. But her grandma saves her. "It's my fault. I took her out."

"Why would you do that, mom!!"

"Yes, why would you?" James interrogates.

"You two need to go easy on her. She's miserable. Missing out on life...and fun. Blame me for this, not her!"

Mary massages her forehead. "Mom...your way out of line. You're interfering. Kayla is my child! I choose if I want to go easy on her! Not you. She's grounded!"

Gloria puts on a crying show, one that silences her daughter. James is stunned as well. She sobs hard, holding her chest and fanning herself with her free hand. "I just wanted to make up for all the years I missed. That's all! I just wanted to make up the time!" Granny sniffles and covers her tear riddled face.

Mary consoles her mother. Kayla is surprised by her gran's acting chops. "Aww...mom, I'm sorry. I'm not mad at you. It's okay." Mary hugs her weeping mom. For the rest of the night, she caters to Gloria, even giving her extra chocolate cake to make amends.

  I can't believe granny went for the full show! She cried on point as if a professional actress. Her plan worked masterfully. Mom and dad haven't mentioned me sneaking out again. Maybe they'll let it slide. Maybe now they'll rethink my punishment.

At midnight, she and Gloria ascend the glass staircase to the art studio. Her grandmother appraise the ballerina art. "Wow! You've gotten better!"

"I took sketch lessons."

"They paid off well."

"So did your acting class."

"Once a drama major always a drama major."

"I must get my creative side from you."

"Damn straight, you do."

"Gran you cursed!" She blurts.

"Actresses are deceiving, so are witches. They go hand in hand."

"Brava." Kay claps

"Thank you, my biggest fan." Gloria beams.

Kayla leads her to the balcony and close the door. "Now, where do we start?"

Gloria takes in the windy city, inhaling a huge whiff of the cool breeze. "Breathing techniques."

"Aw man...breathing?!! I already know how to do that!"

'Shhhh..." She shushes Kay.

"Oh...right." She realizes it's the middle of the night, she reduce her voice to a mutter.

"Not that type of breathing. I'm referring to the one that attach you to the earth. The planet intakes air...same as we do. Yet we never feel it inhale or exhale. You must master the skill of shadow breathing before advancing to sight and hearing."

"I thought I knew sight already."

"No...just because you see doesn't mean your view is at its peak."

"Huh?"

"Exactly." Gloria states matter-of-factly. "Align your spine with your neck and shoulders." Kay follows the instructions. "Breathe far into your diaphragm...use the full capacity of your lungs. Long, deep...in and out." She demonstrates the proper way. "Hold for 4 seconds. 1.2.3.4. Release. 1.2.3.4. Feel your abdomen expand. Push your ribs and chest forward. Exhale." Kayla learns the posture easily, since ballet is all about proper stances. "Exhale for 20 seconds."

Kay finds this difficult and buckles at the 8 second mark. "I can't..."

"Practice makes perfect. Don't rush. Try again. Hold your stomach to engage your chest. Let's try 10 for each. In and out." Kayla inhales for only 5 seconds. Then attempts to exhale for 10. Once again, she strains at 5. She bullies her lungs to stretch the oxygen further. "Don't force it ...let it glide seamlessly." Gloria shows off her skill of exhaling for 10 seconds. She doesn't command her lungs to push, she effortlessly lets the air escape.

"How do you do that?"

"Pay attention. Go again."

The two continue with the technique until 1 am. Kayla is bummed out. She only reached 5 seconds. This is impossible! Can't she give me the cheat code?? I want to get to the fun stuff already! Sight and hearing. These breathing practices are boring! When will the cool stuff start?

After home room, Kayla, Jia and Mya meet at their lockers. "How have you two been?"

"Oh, just a nightmare about bloody teeth, I'm doing super!" Mya is sour. Under that sourness is trepidation. The bombshell of vampires existing in the real world isn't sitting well.

Jia tries to act normally, but she's just as apprehensive. "Cool...I've been cool." She doesn't believe her own words.

"Be honest." Kay glance between them. "How are you really feeling?"

"Petrified." Jia admits.

"I'm in a weird twilight zone." Mya confesses. "Can you do me a favor and don't involve me?"

Is she serious??? "Mya... I can't do this by myself!"

"This is too much!!"

"So, you don't want to be friends anymore??"

"I didn't say that!' Mya bellows. "Just don't involve me in this shit anymore, I'm losing sleep!"

"You don't think this is overwhelming for me?!! I'm the one going through it! Not you!!" Their scream battle catch the attention of students hanging in the hall. All eyes are on them.

"Chill...let's not make a scene...guys." Jia acts as the peacemaker.

"Too late! She already made this all about her!" Mya groans and steps off. "And you know it's true. That's why you're leaving! Don't talk to me again!!"

Jia shush her. "Kay, please don't talk like that...be nice."

"No! She's ridiculous! Totally unbelievable!!!" She express through gritted teeth.

"Let's calm down, please."

"She ruined my day!" Kayla scrolls in the combination for her locker. "Knowing her, she's happy causing drama!" Kay growls.

"Darius gave me a mixtape." Jia lures her friend from animosity. "He told me to give it to you...something about a contest." This does the trick to divert her from the argument. Kayla accepts the cassette tape with an uplifted mood.