by Quinn Conlan
But as his beloved’s blood ran through him, mixing with his ancient tears, something happened. Something miraculous. A beginning. Genesis. A singular moment of creation, in the midst of death. A new species, adapted from another, linked always to that other. The opposite of the other. Night to their day. Dark to their light. This man was no more. He was vampire. He stood up and made the first sound of the vampires, something akin to a howl, an ache and an ancient defiance all at once. And the secret beasts of the world heard this howl and knew then that the world had changed. They knew that their own place in the hierarchy had changed.
The beasts were curious, excited and afraid. They came to see their new kinsman and bear witness to his first act. They watched as Lucian set upon the townsfolk. He tore through their flesh with his bare hands and teeth. He ripped off their heads. He ground their skulls into the blood-soaked dirt. He drank from them, filling his body with their spilled blood. He did not stop until the entire town was slain. We call this the first supper.
It takes Miss Montgomery the full two hours to tell the story of our creation. I almost hate to say it, but by the end, she has every one of us in the palm of her hand. We are hanging on her every word, even if they are delivered with stern detachment. When she is finally done, and the end of school horn blows, she looks at us and sees how glued we are. The tiniest, briefest smile takes hold of her mouth.
Chapter Ten
The rest of week one passes like a never-ending parade of strangeness. I learn about bizarre chemicals that shift and shimmer. I learn that ‘brevk’ is Vampyrric for blood. I learn that to properly throw a double-headed axe, you apparently have to think back to your first traumatic childhood memory. Only then will the axe be worthy to hit its target.
I also learn that some people are bitchy no matter what you do. Crystal constructs quite the posse by week’s end. She’s already well on the way to being the Penties queen bee. It also seems like I’m her own personal proving ground. She stops short of the kind of physical confrontation that threw us both from a moving train, but she does develop a pretty impressive habit of daily verbal cattiness.
As for Jason, he remains withdrawn and jumpy the entire week. By Friday I’m so concerned for him, I decide I need outside help. He made it pretty clear to me he’s not interested in talking, but maybe he’ll open up to someone else? I figure it’s worth a shot, so I approach the most capable, astute person I’ve met down here: Kate.
Catching her in a quiet moment isn’t easy. Not only is she in charge of running Luthers House, she’s also just downright popular. It seems like people always want to stop her for a chat, and she’s only too willing to oblige. By the end of the first week, I’ve really come to admire her. I never had a mom growing up. It’s not that I want Kate to mother me, but she makes me realize how important a female role model is. She’s so capable. She’s kind, strong and smart. And it probably doesn’t hurt that she’s downright beautiful. Guys try it on with her all the time. In Luthers House. In the Commons. On the oval at school. She doesn’t seem to have a boyfriend, which I find hard to believe.
I head down to the Mess. Kate is busy at work in the Dispensary. I somewhat nervously knock. “Oh Blake! How’s things? I’ve been meaning to come and find you, to ask how the rest of the week went. But I’ve been sooooo swamped. I have to do this big inventory of meds for the powers that be. It’s tedious beyond words.” I see that she’s got pills laid out across the table. It must be a huge responsibility, being Prefect. The Dispensary is always locked and Kate is the only one with a key. It lives on a bracelet around her wrist. Students line up each day at a counter with a wire grill. Kate hands them their daily bread in a gap below the grill. It’s like a cinema ticket booth.
“Kate,” I say, thinking it’s probably now or never. “Can I talk to you for a sec?” She hears the serious tone of my voice and looks up at me. She obviously reads that I don’t want to chat about which linebacker has the best pecs.
She stands up and walks over to the grill to face me. “Do you mind if we talk right here?” she asks, “it’s just that if I step outside the Dispensary, I’ll be cornered by every other student with a complaint or request.”
“Yeh, no probs,” I say. It’s slightly weird talking either side of a wire grill, but I’ll take it. “It’s about Jason,” I say. At first I’m not sure how well she knows him. Especially since he’s been going to bed early most of the week. But she surprises me.
“Jason Riley? The guy with the dusty old leather jacket and the Ramones tee shirt?” It seems she knows him better than I do.
“Yeh. I’m a bit worried about him.”
“Go on,” Kate urges.
“Well, I think something happened to him at the start of the week.” Kate looks perplexed but encourages me to continue. “One minute, he was being his usual cheeky self. Then Miss Montgomery sends him to see Mr Foggarty. He disappears for a couple of periods, and the next thing, he shows up for Vampirricals a completely different person.”
“How do you mean, different?” Kate asks. I can hear a slight tone of concern in her voice.
“Well, for starters he’s a nervous wreck. He’s jumpy. He’s been staring at his sneakers all week. He goes to bed early…” Kate’s concern grows.
“Have you tried talking to him?” Kate asks. I explain that I tried a few times but had no luck. “Well, maybe it’s just adjustment difficulties?” Kate wonders. “He wouldn’t be the first new recruit to take a while to find his feet.”
“Maybe,” I say, “but I can’t help but feel something happened in Mr Foggarty’s office that has spooked the hell out of him.”
“Did he say anything about that?” Kate asks, with sudden urgency.
“No,” I reply. We stand there in silence for a moment. And then I remember something. “But now that I think of it, it was weird but when Miss Montgomery sent him off to see Mr Foggarty, she said ‘say hello to Gunther for me’”. Kate’s face drops. Suddenly, her hands come through the gap under the grill and she’s holding onto me tight.
“Blake,” she says, frantically, “whatever you heard, whatever you know, don’t mention that name around here, ok?” I’m shocked by how serious she is. “I mean it Blake. It’s very important.”
“Ok,” I say, “but tell me why? Who the hell is Gunther?” Kate squeezes me extra tight. She leans in and stares straight into my eyes.
“He’s hell.”
I believe her. I can’t even begin to imagine what that hell entails, but I believe her. She goes on. “Thanks for telling me Blake. The best thing is if you don’t say a word and let me take things from here.”
Whilst I’m thrown by how serious and urgent she’s become, I’m glad that she’s stepped in. “No problem Kate. I appreciate the help,” I say. She releases her tight grip on me.
“Do you know where Jason is now?” she asks.
“It’s a pretty safe bet he’s already in his coffin,” I say. Kate comes out of the Dispensary, locks the door behind her, and heads for the Junior quarters. As she passes me, she puts a reassuring hand on my shoulder.
“I’ve got it from here Blake. Just go have some fun ok?” I watch as she hurriedly makes her way up the narrow tunnel and out of sight. I hope she gets further with Jason than I could.
Chapter Eleven
I’m untested on many fronts. A home-schooled farm girl hasn’t exactly thrown her hat in the ring. During this first week, I’ve discovered that I can at least memorize large chunks of information. Vampirricals is as challenging as I feared. Vampyrric feels as dead to me as it is up top. And it’s far too early to know if I’ve got any chops when it comes to Combat and Skills. As far as I can tell, that just leaves one large unchartered stretch of water. Sport.
It rolls around each Saturday and sees the whole school tunneling back from Dorms for a compulsory burst of exercise. Thankfully, we have some say in the matter. We’re allowed to choose which sport to endure. For yours truly, rising triumphantly above the softballs, basketb
alls and tennis, there is the underrated pastime known as badminton. I choose it because it looks gentle. I choose it because the rest of the team looks as sport-challenged as me. I choose it because Kit chooses it. Mainly, I just choose it because it looks dead easy.
Lots of kids go in for the big-ticket sports, like basketball in the gym or long distance running along the edge of the oval. It’s quite a sight, watching the Senior runners try out their rapid movement skills. I think they lap the newbies three times in the first minute.
But if you’re looking for the top of the heap, blue ribbon, glory days sport of choice at Alurian, look no further than football. Apparently, it’s a really big deal. Since neighboring schools aren’t part of our Underground, and since outside travel isn’t exactly easy, the entire competition is an intra-school affair. And from what I can tell, it seems to involve just two teams going at each other once a week for the whole school year. The two teams are called the Fangs and the Bloods, and they’re fierce, ancient rivals. I’ve even heard that it eclipses House rivalry. The funny thing is though, most of the teams come from just two houses: the Licks and the Yids. Something tells me that isn’t mere coincidence. In fact upon closer inspection, each team seems to line up alarmingly with each House. What a surprise.
It’s the only sport at school that’s really taken seriously. The final game of the season is a big deal, and takes place as part of Selection week. I guess it’s a chance for the sportier students to impress Backers looking for some physical prowess on their books.
I don’t know much about football, just that it’s loud, fast and aggressive. And that people tend to be fanatical about it. I look over from our adorable, tiny little badminton court on a small field next to the main oval, and I see the newly minted teams come out for the start of play. I look at the edge of the field and can’t say I’m too shocked to see that Crystal has aced her way into the cheerleading squad. Like leading a duck to water.
I watch the players strut their stuff. I’m puzzled for a moment as to why they don’t wear any protective gear. They’re literally just in shorts and tees, without even so much as a helmet. Then I realize. They’re vampires. They don’t exactly bruise easy.
Suddenly, I see Garret. He’s known throughout our Junior year as QB, but since he’s playing on a team with Seniors, he’s landed wide receiver. I guess you’ve got to earn your stripes. Despite the fact that he’s getting pummeled every other minute and is covered in mud, he looks happy. His smile is genuine. It makes me smile. I watch him as he moves across the oval. I’d already made my peace with the fact that his body is straight from an Abercrombie & Fitch catalogue. But this time, I pay attention to his face. He’s handsome, no question. And he’s got thick, dark hair that tickles his ears and the back of his neck. But the more I study his face, the less of a jock I see. It seems soft. Almost gentle. It’s weird, but the more I study it, the more drawn I am to that face. Even if it is currently caked in mud.
The long distance runners briefly block my view of the field. As they make their way along the oval perimeter, I realize that Kate is amongst them. I call out to her but she’s moving too fast to hear me. She strides towards the other end of the oval. Her long, dark hair flows all around her. It must be a welcome change from all the admin, head counts and glorified drug store work.
Suddenly, she stops running to chat to someone. It’s Jason. He’s on the basketball team, and he’s come out onto the oval during half time. He looks better. He’s no longer hunched over or staring at his sneakers. The two of them are chatting animatedly. Kate laughs. I realize that Jason is doing another one of his impersonations. Even from this distance, I can tell it’s of Crystal. He’s copying her every move. At first, I’m thrilled that Jason is better. I’m even more thrilled that he’s chosen Crystal as his next target. But then I see Kate put her hand on his arm. And leave it there for a fraction too long. They’re flirting!
I’m shocked. Then I’m shocked that I’m shocked. Then I just feel weird. I’m rushed by jealousy. I’m even rushed by a feeling of betrayal. Finally, I’m rushed by a shuttlecock. It hits me square in the face. Luckily, it was launched by Kit, who swings a badminton racquet like it’s a putting wedge. Despite the embarrassment, at least this ridiculous feathered object helps snap me back to reality.
I decide to set those crazy feelings aside for now and focus on the game. I don’t get very far. I look over and see Garret running towards me. The football game has ended, and judging by his face, I’d say his side won. He is a sweaty, muddy, jubilant mess. He barrels up to me. “Did you see that?!” I half think he’s talking about Jason and Kate.
“See what?” I ask.
“Oh my god how could you miss it? A Senior flew through the air! He literally received the ball and flew over the opposition and scored a touch down!” Actually that does sound amazing. I am sorry I missed it. I don’t know why, but since Garret and I met, we’ve fallen into a pattern of goading one another. Or sometimes, it’s this pattern of him being ebullient and me pretending to be cynical. When I see him so full of enthusiasm, my mission is clear.
“You’ve got mud up your nose.” For a moment, he looks wounded and tries to dislodge the offending chunk of sodden earth. Then he cottons on. He smiles.
“That’s a badge of honor where I come from.” Garret looks around at our little operation. “How goes the…what’s this game called again?”
“It’s called badminton. And in Turkey it’s considered an elite sport, thank you very much.”
“Haha. What’s the score?”
“Oh we don’t keep score.” We both smile. I glance over the net at Kit who’s watching the whole thing so closely you’d swear there was an exam on it. She gives me the familiar look. I roll my eyes.
“So, tonight’s social time,” says Garret. “I was wondering if you’re gonna be in the Commons?” To be honest I hadn’t given it a lot of thought.
“I might,” I say, “I mean, I have a lot of homework. “
“Tell me about it,” says Garret, “but I was thinking about heading down for a bit. I hear it’s good fun. A chance to mix with other Houses.”
“From what I hear, the Licks don’t mix,” I say. Garret laughs.
“Well, rumor has it that the Luthers are poopers. “
“Oh is that right? Well, we’ll just have to wait and see won’t we?”
“Guess we will,” he says. With the banter out of the way, Garret runs off to join his teammates in the locker room for some post-game ritual male bonding. The moment he’s gone, Kit practically leaps over the badminton net to get to me.
“Someone’s got a crush,” she says.
“I do not,” I yet again protest.
“I wasn’t talking about you,” she says. The only appropriate response is to run after her with my badminton racquet. It’s the most exercise I get all day.
Chapter Twelve
Saturday night is one of the only chances we have to let our hair down. The longstanding tradition is for the five Houses to come together in the Commons and mingle. Alcohol is strictly forbidden in Dorms, so it’s basically what a giant frat mixer would look like if the kegs never showed up. It’s a rare chance to feel normal, despite the fact that we’re a bunch of vampires living in an oversized badger’s burrow.
When I’m back from sport and the other side of a long soak in the wine barrel, I go to my designated drawer to discover if there are any treasures inside. So far, I haven’t gotten much further than the potato sack that passes for our school uniform and the ivory nightgown. I rummage a little deeper, praying that the fashion gods have been kind. I touch something that feels like a dress. I pull it out and see that it’s a not too shabby light blue number that looks a bit like my old white dress from dad.
I try it on. I don’t have the luxury of a mirror, but it seems to fit perfectly. The crease down the middle from being folded will just have to come along for the ride.
I get Lizzy to brush my hair and then I return the favor. I haven
’t spoken much with Lizzy yet. She’s an eager beaver, but she seems nice. She’s thrilled about the chance to mix with other Houses.
Most of Luthers House is heading down to the Commons, with a couple of worn out kids hanging back. I briefly see Jason, who skips the bath, pours himself into the infamous old leather jacket, ruffles his hair and takes off. He gives me a brief smirk that lets me know he’s back to his old cheeky self. I’m still feeling thrown by how I reacted on the oval earlier, so I smile somewhat awkwardly and return to Lizzy’s hair.
The Commons is heaving. People are deep in conversation, and laughter fills the space. It’s a little overwhelming at first, emerging from the narrow tunnel. It feels a bit like a debut. When you enter, everyone briefly turns to sus you out. I like how I think I look in my lovely, simple blue dress. I hope others do too. I spot some of the Luthers Seniors and head their way.
It’s not long before I spot Jason, chatting off to one side with Kate. By the looks of things, they’ve picked up where they left off earlier. Again my heart runs the gauntlet of weird reactions. I decide to try and ignore what’s going on inside me and make the most of the rare social outing. Kit helps no end. She weaves through the crowd and we embrace like old friends. I see that she’s brought a couple of fellow Presbies kids with her. One is Abner, who still has the sniffles. The other is Hugo, the Prefect. I think to myself that if Jason should ever glance in my direction, there will be one almighty “nerd alert” coming my way.
Now that I know Kit is a math freak, it makes sense that she’d feel at home in the Presbies. They’re the mathlete vampires. I must say, I’m still a little perplexed as to why we need to know so much about angles and equations, but I guess the Council knows what it’s doing.
