Dark Night: Episode 2 (The Darkest Nights Series)

by Stefany Rattles

  THE DARKEST NIGHTS

  Dark Night: EPISODE 2

  Stefany Rattles

  Copyright 2016 by Stefany Rattles

  All Rights Reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means without written permission from the author.

  This is a work of fiction. The names, places, characters are all a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or businesses is entirely coincidental.

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  MIA

  "Oh dear!" a woman said. My vision was a little blurry but from what I saw, she didn't look like a vampire. She looked like Mylian and I wondered what she was? "Help me." She said to someone who I hadn’t noticed behind her. It was a guy I’d never seen. He picked me up and carried me to the bed.

  I had knocked myself out and didn’t remember what happened after that. I thought that it had all been a dream but soon I realized it wasn't. The woman was still in the room. "How do you feel?"

  "Fine," I lied. I was anything but fine.

  "I'm Isabelle, a goddess. I can cure injuries. Your head had a long cut. Fortunately it wasn't deep but you were losing a lot of blood. It is okay now." She smiled kindly.

  The woman seemed nice so I decided to be nice to her since she healed me. "Thank you."

  "Mia, is it?" I nodded. "You are going to begin a new life now. You should welcome it, not fight it. It is not what most humans think it is. Your world is still the same as it was before, except we’re sharing it now.” She paused and looked me over. “There are vampires, goddesses and others. We choose who can become one of them and who cannot. But those who don't, they continue their normal lives. Those who do become something more than a human, they are appreciative about it and in a way it's like a gift. We don't harm humans, though there are others out there that will and I’m afraid we have to fight them. But humans help us all the time and that is why there is no war. Only the rebels who think we're demons or such but that is not the case. I don't expect you to believe me right now but you will see for yourself.” She smiled confident in her words. “They are going to transfer you down south where life is normal and kids go to school like they should here but we’re still working on that as you know. It’ll take some time but we will get it all worked out.” She patted my hand, “You are going to go to a private High School, like the school you were attending here before. Instead of just learning about your human life, you will also be trained to become a vampire. After your graduation you will become one and you will be proud of it, I promise you."

  It took me some time to process everything Isabelle said. I wondered if not having any satellite or phone signal in Maine was due to them somehow blocking it to make life difficult for us and flush us out of hiding. At least it seemed that way since life continued as normal in other parts of the country. That made sense too because we were unaware of anything odd going on until it hit us. They were able to make the transition into “sharing” the world with us smoother than I would have thought. But I still wasn’t sure what to make of it all.

  Isabelle smiled like my mother used to and that made me feel better. I hoped she wasn't lying, but I still wondered how any of it was possible.

  "It looks like I'm going to have to see for myself because I still can’t believe that. Robert and I were arguing when this happened." I pointed at my head.

  "Did he do this to you?" She was shocked.

  "Well no, but it was his fault I fell." I admitted feeling a little guilty for blaming him. Still.

  "I'll take care of him. But give him some time he is not here because he is nice."

  "Thanks. But I don't think he and I will ever get along."

  She ignored my comment, "Have you been feeling different lately?" She thought for a second. "For example, any unusual behavior, you feel less like yourself more aggressive and smarter?"

  I nodded immediately. "Yes. Definitely I feel different in every way. I was never so dramatic and it’s like my feelings are intensified so when I get mad__ well I get angry. Honestly it kind of reminded me of a younger, less caring person." The thing is, I knew something was going on with me but I chose to ignore it the whole time I was in hiding.

  "Your true self is coming out, Mia. Not to say that you are an angry person but suppressing it will give you side effects. Do not be scared. It’s who you are and the venom that has been put into your system since the first time is what’s helping this transition into vampirism. You won’t become a vampire with that little bit of venom but you are definitely not just a regular human anymore. Do you imagine what would have happened to you if your friends had begun to notice this?” She shook her head in disgust, “They would have probably killed you and that’s why you are safe here. They don't know us and now you are well on your way to become one of us too."

  That was hard to believe but the more I listened the more it made sense to me. A part of me that didn't want to believe was telling me to get away, but the part that did, was telling me to be careful. "I don't know what to think." It was the truth.

  "Listen to your heart. You can trust it?” She didn’t wait for me to answer and stood to go, “Well, if you promise me to be good, they will transfer you in two weeks. Your new clothes and things are in those drawers and you already have a suit case packed plus you have other things waiting for you at home." Her smile was warm and welcoming.

  Maybe that was why she was likeable.

  "I promise I'll try to be nice. Home?" What home?

  "That's right they will be taking you to Florida. Oh, and you will probably need another suitcase for those things, so here you go. If you need me for anything call me." She handed me a large bag that looked very expensive and an iPhone? Wow, I hadn’t seen one of those in a while. It was a brand new one too.

  But I couldn't let them spoil me with gifts and what not. There’s was still so much I didn’t know.

  “Do you like it?” Isabelle beamed at me.

  "It's incredible. Umm, thanks I don't know if I should accept it though. I’m not sure that it feels safe yet. I kind of feel trapped here."

  "I know. It was the same for me but it will pass. Well, I should go now__ I almost forgot! You must be starving. Emma!" She called. An older woman walked into the room and gave her a tray. "Thank you, Emma." The lady nodded and left.

  "Here you go. I'll leave you alone now and you should get some rest. Don't be afraid."

  "Thank you. I'll try not to be." I said as I tried to smile and probably failed.

  Isabelle left the room and I was finally left alone with my thoughts.

  There was a lot to think about but I was hungry so I ate the delicious lasagna and drank the Coke. I got up and felt a lot better than I had earlier.

  After that day, food was taken to me three times a day and a housekeeper cleaned the room. I had no visitors and I was not allowed to leave the room. That didn't bother me since I had been living in a building for the past five months or so. Instead, books and movies were brought to me and that was my entertainment.

  Two weeks passed and finally the day had come. They were going to transfer me to the school in Florida.

  I took a shower and wore a robe and when I walked out of the restroom I spotted an outfit lying on the bed. So I thought it was safe to assume they wanted me to wear it.

  It was a skirt and it was certainly beautiful with the black and silver pearls around the waist l
ine. It fit me perfect. I put on a silver tank top that felt silky and was shiny and on top of that I wore cardigan that was also black but it was really nice. The skirt had a pocket and while I was fixing it, in it I found a note:

  "Take care of the uniform, it is one of many. I hope you like it. Check the closet by the dresser you will find a selection of shoes. You may take everything with you when you leave. It is all yours. –Isabelle"

  When I checked the closet out what I saw I will never forget. "Oh. My. God."

  There were at least fifteen pairs of shoes. I looked at each one and fell in love with them all. From Gucci to Chanel, Dolce & Gabana, Louis Vuitton.

  Who were these people? I thought.

  Obviously the clothes had not been there before or I would have noticed. I picked a pair of Chanel’s, they were less dressy and more casual flats with a little bit of heel. After that I put all the shoes in the bag and went to the dresser and took all the accessories. I picked a silver bracelet and a silver necklace that had my zodiac sign. Putting that stuff in my bag, in the next drawer I found my old clothes and carefully I put them away too.

  After my makeup was done, finally I was ready. I sat on the bed and wondered if it was a mistake but decided it wasn’t. Still it was all too strange to me and I didn't want to remember my aunt Julissa or Deidre, even less Cole. The thought of any of them would easily take me back to how I was when they first caught me.

  A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts.

  When it opened, Robert walked in and he gawked at me for a few seconds but then I saw the hint of a smile. I hadn't seen him since the incident two weeks ago. He cleared his throat and finally spoke. "We are leaving, let's go." He tried to get my stuff.

  "I got it. I don't need your help and it would be nice if you stayed at least two feet away from me." Giving him a stern look, I took my stuff. He opened the door for me and tried to grab my arm again. "No touching please, I think I lost enough blood last time." My snotty attitude was back but I didn’t care. Robert clenched his jaw but I decided to ignore him.

  We walked the opposite direction to where the plane was waiting.

  I guessed they had their own. It wouldn't surprise me.

  It took us about ten minutes to reach an exit door. When we walked outside it was dark.

  We reached the small plane, and a tall man took my things and let us in. The inside was just as amazing as I thought it would be.

  Robert told me to sit and I listened. Then he sat next to me though I didn't want him too, but what could I do. Instead, my plan was to keep ignoring him, as long as possible. I took out my new IPod and tried to figure it out. When it turned on and I found some music, I finally relaxed. My eyes closed for a minute then opened to look outside the small window.

  It had not even been ten minutes, when someone tapped me on the shoulder, I pulled my earpiece off. "What?" It was Robert.

  "Do not talk to me like that. I am sorry for what I did, but it was your own fault. You need to learn to stay silent. Well, if you need something to eat or drink just let me know. I'll get it for you."

  "You know what? I don't care if you're a Lord or a whatever, but you have no right to talk to people that way, you. I don't want anything from you, if I need something I'll get it myself. I'm not helpless! I've been on my own for years. For all you know I am probably a lot smarter than you are. Just because you're a vampire, that doesn't mean a thing to me." He was really pushing my buttons to the point to where I was ranting.

  Before I could say another word he jumped in front of me and got in my face. I was leaning as far away as possible from him but he still leaned over me. His eyes turned pitch black and his face was a lot paler than it was three seconds ago.

  "You listen to me. We are stuck together you and I. We have no choice now. You do not know me and I could care less if you want to or not but in front of the royals you will pretend to like me as I will with you, and I am not a full vampire for your information. If I was you would be dead." He leaned even closer. Our eyes locked for a moment. He must have realized how scared I was because he relaxed his expression immediately. His eyes went from pitch black to emerald green in an instant. The color on his face returned, and he smiled as if he was playing. "That's what I thought." He said and slowly sat back down.

  Something took over me because I couldn't believe the words that came out of my mouth. "You have pretty eyes. I mean the color is umm…yeah." He was looking at me curiously and quickly I put my headphones back on and looked away.

  CHAPTER 4

  The trip was only a few hours. I was listening to music most of the time, at one point Robert got irritated for some reason and went to sit somewhere else. After that I had ate and gone to the restroom.

  We were now arriving and when the plane stopped, I looked outside and saw how beautiful Florida really was. The city seemed familiar but I didn't recognize it. The lights at night were incredible though.

  I got up following Robert out, who I didn't say a word to. Once we were off the plane I noticed there was a black Escalade and two men dressed in suits with their black sunglasses – so Man in Black – I thought.

  I hadn’t noticed that Robert was carrying my luggage but I didn't want to have another confrontation with him so I didn’t say anything.

  "Good evening." The two men said at the same time and opened the door for us, then climbed in the SUV as Robert put the luggage in the trunk. He got in and sat beside me again.

  I figured since I was going to have to deal with him then I was going to have to ask him questions.

  "Where are we?" I knew he heard me without looking at him. While I waited patiently for his reply, I took in the interior of the SUV. Inside it was all dark of course but the black leather made it darker. Classic music played lightly while the driver and the other guy that had led us to the SUV spoke in another language to each other. I wondered if they were talking about us but Robert interrupted my thoughts.

  "Tallahassee." He finally replied. That’s when it clicked, I had been there before but that was a long time ago with my parents. When my dad had to go for his job, he was a hard worker but also a great father. My parents were always together and agreed on most things. Even when I misbehaved, one never really took my side over the other. They were really the perfect parents, to me at least.

  "Where are we going now?" I asked while I was still reminiscing on the days when I used to have a family. My mother was an English teacher and the best. When I had trouble with my homework she always found time to help me, and I always had an A in English. My dad was an engineer, he was out of town a lot towards the end before the incident, but not alone.

  Both of my parents would leave together when he had a job out of town, while I stayed with my then, best friend Annie. The one time I had gone to Tallahassee was when I had just turned fourteen and my parents insisted on me going with them. They had said it would be a nice mini vacation for me because I never really left Jacksonville. They were right, it was. We spent a couple of days there while my dad worked a little. My mom and I had gone shopping and to spas. It was the most relaxing time.

  Tonight, I was missing it all.

  "The Dark Night Institute." He answered.

  "I’ve never heard of it." I looked at him this time and he was already staring at me with a weird expression on his face, until he spoke again but looked out his window.

  "That would be because it's new."

  "Institute? Not a high school?" I realized after a few minutes the difference. "Sounds like an insane asylum." It really did.

  "Not high school. We combined High school with college, it may seem odd to you but they are trying to encourage students to do six years of high school and college together. And it’s not an insane asylum." He made sure to emphasize that it wasn’t.

  "That's different." The city lights were shining brilliantly as cars drove past us to their destinations while I could only imagine the place I was being taken to.

  "Yes." He agreed.


  After that we were silent for about twenty minutes before Robert spoke.

  "Ah, here we are." He pointed outside my window, what I saw was__ Wow! It was a castle but it was also a school. I could tell it was full of students and people. Or more like I sensed it was.

  The driver didn't park, but he stopped in front of the huge entrance. Robert opened the door and I followed. He then got the luggage and said something to the men that stayed in the SUV.

  We walked into the school and it was just as impressive inside.

  "Are all the schools like this?

  "Institutes, yes they are." He corrected me again but I just ignored it.

  The walls were a golden color and there were no real lights just many, many lanterns. The lanterns were very old fashioned but also modern with hardwood floors all the way to the end. The hall was large and the ceiling was about fourteen feet high. They had gone with a chapel look. We walked through the first door on the right without knocking.

  Hanging from the ceiling was a chandelier that looked like it was made from white gold. We were in a waiting area. Robert told me to sit down and he left the luggage with me while he went to talk to a lady that was sitting at a desk on the other side of the room. I waited patiently but it was taking him a while.

  "Marissa Italy Annelisse Dawney, we have been waiting for you!" The enthusiastic voice came from a lady that was walking towards me.

  I stood up as she approached, followed by Robert. "I'm sorry. I don’t think I know you." I was trying to be nice but it was strange how she knew my name and they also knew my clothes sizes, what kind of music I liked and almost everything.

  Seriously?

  "No, you don’t. But I know you my Mia." She smiled.

  I shook her hand and felt how cold she was. Her long white hair was shiny and pretty. She wasn't old but she wasn't my age either. I guessed about fifty but there were no wrinkles. Her hair was platinum white.