The Secret Seekers Society and the Beast of Bladenboro

by J. Hickey

  Chapter 10

  Orientation

  Hunter hadn't been to the fourth floor of the mansion yet and was quickly awestruck by what he saw. Dedicated entirely to one grandiose auditorium, the fourth floor was where they held the most important of festivities. The entire floor was one giant room. It was elegant in nature, its beauty indescribable. The children awed in its splendor as they entered with the adults by their side. The room's walls rose high into the heavens, where its ceiling domed at the top. There a brilliant crystal chandelier hung down from the heart of the ceiling, shining like a bright, beaming star. The ceiling itself was painstakingly painted to portray the universe surrounding its starred chandelier. Small planets and a myriad of twinkling stars glistened above. If Hunter hadn't known any better, he could have sworn he was staring out into the night sky.

  The group took their seats and mingled quietly as they awaited the big festivity. There were a dozen or so large rectangle tables that sat roughly thirty people each. The tables were decorated with the finest clothes and dinnerware one could expect from an ancient old mansion. The food once again was astounding, somehow even topping their previous brunch when it came to the selection of exotic and wonderful-smelling dishes. Once again, Hunter knew he would dine like a king. He was still full from earlier, but he couldn't stop himself from dishing up a large plate of broiled redskin potatoes garnished heavily with butter and chives, blackened chicken breast over rice pilaf, and of course a large slice of triple thick chocolate cake.

  The room seemed more than just a room to Hunter, as if there was just a hint of magic about the air. In front of the large tables stood a massive stage where Patricia Ellingbee now stood in front of a podium. She tapped the microphone and a dense thud echoed throughout the hall. Behind her, a giant carpet hung across the backdrop of the stage. It was a dark royal red, and it was designed with a familiar logo that Hunter had already seen in the mansion.

  "Elly," Hunter whispered as he choked down a big bite of potatoes.

  "Gross," she frowned. "Chew with your mouth closed"

  "That's the strange logo I saw below the library," he whispered.

  "I know that logo," Alistair added. "My dad has it tattooed on his chest."

  "Do you know what it is?" Hunter asked.

  "No, he just said that it meant a lot to him."

  "Attention!" Patricia now spoke, hushing the room into silence. She cleared her throat nervously as she stood in front of the large number of guests. You couldn't tell judging from her stony face, but her hands shook uncontrollably behind the podium.

  "Um… excuse me, attention please. Yes…" she began. "Well, hello all. I'd like to start by giving a warm welcome to those of you who are new to our wonderful little estate. I assure you, everyone at Belmonte is quite excited and happy to see all our family, both old and new, with us today. I know that for some of you this is the first time you have ever seen the estate, and I am sure there are a million questions running through your heads, which I assure you we will address in due. For others, those of you who call our wonderful little mansion home, who help us out on our day-to-day operations, we cannot thank you enough for all of your hard work and endurance through the years. We have established something wonderful here at the estate, and I am proud to call some of the brightest minds in the world today not only my colleagues, but my family as well."

  Patricia paused for a second to gather her composure. When listening to Patricia speak, one couldn't guess how utterly terrified she was. She had delivered the introduction of the speech with such perfection and charm that the crowd let out a loud round of applause and whistling as she shuffled her notes.

  "Tonight is such a special night. A night that only happens once in a generation, filled with magic and wonderment. A time where we invite and open our doors to the next in line worthy of our secrets," Patricia went on, now piquing Hunter and Elly's interest. "I am very pleased and happy to introduce to you the man who brought us all together-Professor Claudio Calenstine!"

  Suddenly a large fiery explosion shot up fifty-foot flames from the middle of the stage. The audience gasped in awe at the sight. The bright light from the chandelier gave way to the eerie blaze that faded from a dark orange to a brilliantly bright blue hue. A sudden loud pop echoed through the hall that was almost deafening to the younger ears. This caused many of the children to jump in their seats. The adults merely smiled as if they had seen this act before. A giant mushroom cloud exploded above the bright flames and quickly evaporated. One lone floodlight opened on a mysterious man who appeared to have been at the center of it all. The audience applauded loudly, followed by a standing ovation from the adults. Hunter shot Alistair a quizzical look. The man at the epicenter of the explosion was Professor Calenstine. He smiled brightly at the audience.

  Professor Calenstine sat in a wheelchair. To say he was old would be a lie; Hunter thought he looked ancient. The professor was about as skinny and frail as any living man could be. He was also completely bald with bright white bushy eyebrows. His wrinkly, loose skin dangled from his bones. He sat with a green folded blanked over his lap, covering his legs completely. From his outer appearance, Hunter thought he looked like he was on his deathbed, but then the old fragile man spoke. His words were filled with life and excitement, his voice young and alive. It shocked Hunter, whose eyebrows scrunched together as his brain tried to make sense of the contrasting elements.

  "I always did love a little magical flare," Professor Calenstine said with a wide smile and a hint of a chuckle. "Tonight is a magical night indeed. Those of you who have appreciated this event in the past know it is not very often when we are able to welcome with open arms the next bloodline into our little secret club. Again, tonight is indeed that night. We are here to welcome our new friends into the light and teach them of our collected family's heritage."

  "Finally, answers," Hunter whispered to Elly. His uncle nudged his shoulder and signaled him to be quiet.

  "To say much has happened since the last Orientation is an understatement. Indeed, even the last month has weighed heavily on our souls as we lost two of our Seeker family members. But with loss, we have also seen many gains in our field. We have taken a stride forward into the forefront of the paranormal world with new technologies and new evidence to shake the foundations of what society thinks they know. We continue to make the world a better place in our advances with our botany stations, even finding the mythological plant, Mandragora, which may provide a cure for Alzheimer's disease." The crowd erupted once again. Professor Calenstine waited for the audience to settle before he went on. "The study is still in its infancy, and I cannot speak too much more about the plant itself, but this breakthrough solidifies the reason I have dedicated my life to our beloved society. When the world turns its head away from legends, myths, and the paranormal, we are there to find the real answers. This is why we must maintain our secrecy from the world in order to retain balance."

  "Paranormal?" Alistair whispered to Hunter. "Like ghosts?"

  "I guess so," he answered, equally as confused.

  "Tonight is not about our advancements in the field. Rather, tonight, our heritage thickens. The backbone of our society relies on the duties of our fearless Seekers. These are the ones who travel around the world to bring back the specimens for us to study, and to save said specimens from extinction. To prove that the world still has many mysteries left to discover. Now is the time we introduce our new potential members to our Secret Seekers Society. My fellow Seekers, could you please join me onstage with our new guests?"

  "That's our cue, big guy." Joe winked at Hunter with a smile.

  "What?" Hunter asked, confused.

  "You too, Elly, you're also part of this. Your parents would be so proud right now," Joe added, standing up from his chair.

  The children followed suit, nervously standing up with their Uncle Joe. Hunter felt the nerves in his stomach tighten. Elly felt her cheeks flush. Ben stood up as well with Alistair, who seemed quite comfor
table with the sudden attention.

  The children peered across the darkened auditorium and saw only a handful of people standing up. Hunter peered behind him, where a few seats behind them sat Liv and her father Abram. Hunter's heart pounded in his chest as he waited to see if she too would stand. Her father Abram stood with a wide, prideful smile and took his daughter's hand as she stood up beside him. She looked a bit uneasy, nervously pulling her bangs away from her eyes. Hunter hands started to tingle.

  "C'mon, guys, it's our time," Uncle Joe said as he lightly pushed the children forward to the stage.

  Elly thought she could hear a pin drop as they made their way up the extended aisle towards the stage. She felt every eye in the audience burning a hole into her back. She looked at her brother, who shrugged his shoulders as if he had no idea what was happening.

  The group of families made their way on stage. Hunter noticed the children were all close to his age, give or take a few years. He recognized only Liv and Alistair, but there were a handful more. All of them looked as uncomfortable as he and his sister, with the exception of Alistair, who seemed to be enjoying the attention. The floodlight were hot, and Hunter felt the sweat dampen the ring around his collared shirt.

  "Welcome, my friends," Professor Calenstine smiled. "I know you do not know who I am, but I assure you I have heard all about you. You see, you are not ordinary children. You are all a part of something much bigger than anything you could have ever imagined. You were born into a family, a secret family. Your ancestry can be traced back over hundreds of years to great and daring men and women who helped shape the world as we know it. A lineage of monster hunters and paranormal frontiersmen, a family tree filled with Seekers."

  Hunter's heart raced. Elly fiddled her fingers nervously. Seekers, monster hunters… this is what their parents hid from them? They hunted monsters?

  "Your guardians have chosen for you to follow in their own footsteps, and you shall live here through your remaining school years alongside them. You will finish up your scholastic duties with the finest scholars the world has to offer. For I assure you, there is no other school in the world that will give you a better education," Professor Calenstine said with a serious tone. "The children beside me will also be enrolling in our ‘Enlightenment' courses. This is where you will be taught all you need to know about what being a Seeker is all about. While other children will be watching movies about sparkling vampires, you will be learning the truth behind the creatures that American lore has romanticized into popcorn art. Yes, children, vampires are real." He paused for a second and let the children settle on his words.

  "This may come as a startling surprise too many of you, perhaps even a bit scary for you to understand. There are monsters that go bump in the night; living, breathing creatures kept hidden from the modern world. There are mysterious objects out there that can have magical qualities. Your families are the ones who study these creatures in the field, hunt them down, and sift through what is fact or fake. You here on stage, you are the next in line to take over the bloodline from your parents. Congratulations!" Professor Calenstine began to applaud, the crowd quickly joining in.

  "Vampires are real?" Elly looked at her brother with wide eyes, a bit of terror hidden beneath them.

  "I guess so." He turned to Alistair a few feet away. He seemed excited, too excited for Hunter's taste.

  "Don't worry," Uncle Joe whispered to the kids. "Don't let the whole vampire thing scare you. They never come after humans. Ugly little bastards, but fearful of us. Trust me, they are not what you think."

  "Uncle Joey," Elly whispered, but she was cut off.

  Joe caught the slight fear in her young voice. He remembered when he was their age, standing on the very same stage looking out at a sea of strangers. He remembered feeling a mixture of confusion and fear. It was not normal for a young child to find out all these monsters they grew up fearing were actually potentially real.

  "Yes, we are so proud of you all standing up here," Professor Calenstine continued. "Your lineage goes back generations. The unknown is in your blood; your destiny is to seek out the truth shrouded in darkness. But of course, you will never be forced to live this lifestyle. Once you've graduated from our scholarly program, you will then be asked to take part in a series of trials and tribulations to finalize your step into our society. In the end, if you pass, you then get to choose whether you stay and learn all the mysteries of the world or go back to society none the wiser."

  Hunter's brain was moving a mile a minute. A secret society? Destiny? A family lineage of monster hunters? So many questions with little to no clear answers.

  "So please, parents and guardians, as always, let us transition our new family members slowly. School will start up in one month's time. Until then, share your life stories with them. Begin opening up that part of your life you were sworn to keep hidden for so many years. You have all been in their shoes. You remember what it was like when you became aware of your special predicament. Use that as a tool to help aid them into a better understanding of what we do," Professor Calenstine took a small sip of bottled water and cleared his throat. "Children, you will get more answers soon. Tomorrow morning we will begin our day with a small tour of the mansion for all of our new students. Those of you onstage, you are also formally invited to a luncheon with yours truly. I do hope you bring many questions as well a hearty appetite. Until then, I would ask for the children to please go back to their seats and enjoy the rest of the evening. We have amazing food and spirits. Tonight we celebrate a new era and dine with new friends!" Professor Calenstine lifted a glass of wine high into the airs. "Cheers!"

  "Cheers!" The audience applauded.

  Suddenly a loud growl echoed across the stage, and Professor Calenstine dropped his wineglass. It shattered, spilling its dark red wine across the floor. Elly jumped back at the loud, piercing growl. She recognized it, as did Hunter, who stood with his legs frozen in fear. The audience gasped too, as they knew this wasn't a part of the ceremonies. Their heads shot back and forth, looking for where the sudden noise had come from.

  "Get the professor out of here now!" Ms. Ellingbee blurted out in a panic.

  Joe grabbed his niece and nephew and held them close to him. His eyes darted across the darkened auditorium. Damn theatrics, he thought. They dimmed the lights to allow Professor Calenstine's magic trick to display better. It was too dark to see high above the stage where the stagehands worked the lighting, curtains, and other props. The beast had to be hiding up there. It was hard to tell just by the growl, as it echoed and bounced across the stage due to the acoustics.

  "Watch the kids!" Abram yelled as he ran towards Professor Calenstine. "I'll get the professor to safety!" He grabbed Professor Calenstine's wheelchair and began to race him off stage. Hunter caught a glimpse of the professor's face as Abram hurried him to safety. Hunter thought the old man would be scared stiff from the thought a monster hunting the lot of them. He was surprised to see the professor's eyes steady, searching the auditorium, not a hint of fear in them.

  "I got them!" Joe yelled back. He grabbed Liv's hand and pushed her close to the group.

  "Joe, have you spotted it?" Ben shouted. He opened an emergency side exit door and began ushering people out. "Stay calm, people!" he yelled.

  "No, I don't see it anywhere."

  "Take the kids and Alistair to the south exit, away from the commotion. I'll stay here and get these people out."

  "C'mon, kids!" Joe yelled as he pushed them back.

  The children found themselves running through a wave of scared people going in the opposite direction. They followed Abram's route across the stage to the opposite end.

  "We have to keep moving, but stay together. Don't get lost in the commotion," Joe yelled over the surreal mix of over a hundred panicked people buzzing about.

  Joe got the kids halfway across the large stage when suddenly the giant beast soared from out of nowhere. Its giant black wings stretched out easily twelve feet long. Its
thick and muscular body hit the stage with a loud thud. Hunter could feel his heart pounding in his chest. Elly's eyes began to tear up as she stared once again at the awful-looking beast. Scared, the children began screaming uncontrollably as they fled away from its menacing position. They could smell its vile breath, and it reeked of rotten flesh-the remnants of its last meal.

  The beast stood ready to attack. Its large bulky head hung low, its hind end raised slightly, ready to pounce on its victim. It was an ominous beast, with those green, soulless eyes peering at them. Originally, Hunter and Elly only saw bits of the beast as Dominick's flashlight had only caught glimpses of the creature during the darkened struggle in the library halls. Now it stalked them before their very eyes, underneath the bright stage lights, showcasing the beast's smooth dark purple hair, its muscles flexed with anticipation beneath its mane. Elly couldn't fathom how powerful and strong it looked. Now the wicked creature's lips curled, and it growled lightly. Its saliva foamed around its mouth and dripped onto the floor, almost as if it was purposely trying to intimidate the children.

  Uncle Joe pushed the children behind him. Yet he had no idea how to fight off such an immense creature with no weapons.

  "That's what you guys saw under the library?" Alistair asked in awe.

  "Yeah…" answered Elly.

  "When I count to three, I want you kids to run the other way," Joe demanded.

  "What?" Hunter asked, dumbfounded at the thought of leaving his uncle alone to fend off the beast.

  "I mean it," Joe said with bitterness in his voice.

  "We can't leave you," Hunter pleaded.

  "One…" Joe whispered, trying not to make any sudden movements prematurely.

  "Uncle Joey?" Elly now chimed in, also uneasy with the probable outcome of her uncle's plan.

  "Two…" he said sternly.

  "Guys, we should listen to him," Liv whispered.

  "Three!" Uncle Joe jumped towards the beast.

  "Run!" He yelled as he ran blindly towards the snarling creature. He closed his eyes and felt the sudden thick weight of the beast crash into his body. He couldn't see a thing other than a sudden flash of red. His entire body burned, and something heavy was atop of him. He felt the immense weight crushing his chest. He thought he heard his niece's cries, but he couldn't tell, the loud snarls of the monster were too loud to make out anything else. His body was going numb. There was pain, intense pain. Then there was nothing.