by Rocky Grede
It was past sunset and my father was outside, locking the chickens in the barn. My mother was leading me downstairs, and into the basement to sleep. We had had a long day, celebrating my fifth birthday, opening presents, and eating cake. Halfway down the basement steps we heard the noise. It was like nothing I had ever heard before. I had heard wolves howl out in the woods, but this was different. It was a high pitched, ear splitting growl. And it was close.
My mother froze and her eyes widened. I didn’t understand what was happening, but I knew something was wrong - that we were in danger. I was too scared to speak. My mother grabbed my hand and almost dragged me down into the basement. She took me to a secret hideout location, built under the floorboards. She hugged me one last time before lifting me down into the darkness.
Hot tears flowed along my face. She didn’t meet my eyes when she told me to stay quiet and still. She told me she loved me. She told me not to open the lock, no matter what I heard or what happened. She told me if she didn’t come back, I should go through one of the tunnels, which lead to the other side of the woods and into a cave we had once visited.
I wanted to tell her she had to come back for me. I wanted to tell her nothing was going to happen. I wanted to tell her I was scared of the tunnel, but no words came out of my mouth. The last I saw of her was when she closed the trap door, blinking back her tears, and engulfing me in darkness. I just stood there, looking up at the place where her face had been, until the savage snarls had me backing into a corner.
I placed my hands over my ears to block out the screams and unnatural snarls and growls that were sounding closer by the second. I curled up on the floor, sobs escaping my throat, hiding my face between my arms.
I do not know how long I stayed like that, but there came a point when everything went silent. I looked up as the trap door was flung open and a face, hidden within the shadows, emerged. The next moment, a body had jumped down into the hideout. I was frozen in place with fear and dread.
The person had slowly walked towards me, his movements cat like and sleek. He bent down and gently pried my hands away from my ears. His emerald green eyes were soft and full of pity. His next words I would go on to remember, probably until my dying breath, were: “You’re safe now.”
His name was Lexus. And he adopted me as his son.
Years flew by. He was always there for me. He always had time for me. He always played with me. He always had a smile for me. We lived together in my father’s cottage. But when I was ten, I finally confronted him about my past.
I always heard the screams of my mother in my dreams, and I used to wake up shaking, trembling, and shouting her name out in the middle of the night. The monsters had gotten her. I never found out what happened to my father. I never asked Lexus. But as the years went by, as my confidence and courage grew, I confronted him. I knew he was different. I knew he had a different side to him. I knew the red drinks he had weren’t cherry juice. I knew he was a Vampire, he had said so much himself on several occasions. He called it a mutation.
As I grew older, so did my curiosity. I had searched the cottage during the days when Lexus was nowhere to be found, apart from the few occasions when he wore gloves and a hat when we went outside to explore. I had found stacks of blood in large freezers in the basement, blood in bottles, arranged in neat rows and with the animal source clearly labeled across the glass.
My suspicions had built up when I made this discovery. There was a nagging feeling in the back of my mind, which I suppressed as best I could, which I ignored at every other opportunity. But it would come back in lethal force; screaming at me, until one day I convinced myself it was true.
I confronted him in his office. I was gripping a large knife in one hand, the hilt wet with my sweat. He asked me what was wrong, eyeing the knife curiously. It was then that it all came out. The night my parents were murdered; the night the Vampires had come. The night we never talked about. The night Lexus had turned up. I forced out the question that with all my heart I hoped wasn’t true. Did he kill my parents? I held my breath, and waited for his answer.
Was he the monster that had butchered my parents? The one who had adopted me and acted as a father figure? Was he the killer?
He stood up and slowly walked towards me. I held up the knife further, warning him to keep his distance, but he put my arm down gently, pointing the knife to the floor and breaking my resolve with it. He took me by my shoulders and tilted my head up so I was looking directly into his green eyes. “No,” he said. That one word flooded me with relief.
I asked him, who did kill my parents?
He said it was other Vampires.
I asked him, what happened to my parents?
He said there were murdered.
I asked him, why didn’t they come for me?
He said he killed them.
I asked him why? Why didn’t he just join in? Why didn’t he just kill me and drain me dry.
He moved his head, so it was inches away from my face, and whispered, “I’m not a monster.”
I believed him. I asked him were there any other Vampires around. He said yes. As the pieces began to fit, I asked him, was it because I was human that he kept me away from other Vampires? He said yes. But he said, soon, I will meet them. And they will not hurt me. They will not touch me. If they ever did, he would kill them. That week we moved into the Manor, and into the city of Vampires.
Chapter Four
I wake up to the shrilling of my alarm clock. The small structure vibrates with the noise, almost bouncing on the spot as the gears work their internal wonders. The high pitched sound rings in my eardrums, making me wince as a mis-match of sensory messages are sent to my brain. With one heavy swipe of my arm, I knock the alarm clock off the desk, sending it hurtling across the room.
I blink several times as sunlight peeps through the blinds, a blend of orange and yellow, creating patterns across the bedroom that bathe the furniture in golden bronze.
I shrug off the covers and stagger out of bed. I pick the clock up from the floor and slam my fist against the top, ending the harsh sound. I look at the time with a yawn; my eye lids feel heavy as the lingering fuzziness of sleep slowly blows off.
I wipe my hand across my face, focusing on the numbers flashing back at me. It is a short while before sunset. So there is a short time for me to go outside and enjoy the last part of the day while the sun is still up. I have a quick shower, a change of clothes, and head downstairs.
I clamp down the spiral staircase; the ancient steps underneath my feet groan as though waking up from a long, deep slumber, their moans creaky and hollow. My socks pound on the green carpet layered across each step, the material warm and soft.
An eerie silence cloaks the Manor as I walk through the deserted hallways. The silence stretches in each direction like an invisible blanket, encasing the Manor in a shroud of stillness. The Vampires are probably asleep, aside from a few Guards and the Destroyer James, who are probably prowling in the shadows of the Manor, alert and watchful for disturbances.
I saunter into the kitchen and grab something to eat. The maid normally leaves something in the freezer. Today she has left coleslaw and fish.
I sit at the kitchen table and glance up at the open window. Sunlight streams in. And a breeze blows through the kitchen. The soft wind pats against my face, and the cool air lingers on my skin.
I gulp down the remaining contents of milk, and shovel the last spoonful of coleslaw into my mouth, before making a beeline for the exit.
The sun is hanging low in the sky as I close the door behind me. A blaze of golden orange and red brightens the horizon as the sunset draws closer. White clouds march across the darkening blue atmosphere, fuzzy shapes of white, puffy and creamy, disappearing as night comes calling.
“Where do you wish to go?”
The voice startles me, and I look around wildly, until my eyes fasten on him. “What do you want?” I snap, and the irritation in my voice seeps through, like water
escaping through a hose. I instantly regret my words. You don’t use that kind of tone with Artico Destroyers. But my escort doesn’t seem to mind, because he smiles an amused smile.
Elis or is it Maxwell - since I don’t know who is who - pushes himself off the wall he was leaning on. “To escort you of course,” he says, deciding not to reprimand me for my sudden outburst.
Normally, my Artico Guards escort me when I roam around during the daytime. At this time of day, the streets and roads are deserted and I hardly come across any Vampire, aside from a few of the older ones. But they never bother me in the least.
I just shrug my shoulders and glance up at the sun, a burning sphere of molten lava, shining down at us in its last throngs. “You reckon you can handle it?” I ask him with a smile that mirrors his.
Most Vampires can’t tolerate daylight. Their skin can’t handle the sun’s rays. But powerful and stronger Vampires can walk under the sun. According to Lexus, it can sometimes cause discomfort.
A Vampire as old and powerful as Lexus can walk in broad daylight without blinking an eye, though he always wears gloves and a hat to shade his face and hands. Lesser Vampires, if they stay out too long, will literally combust into flames, and then drivel into a pile of black ashes.
To my surprise, Elis or Maxwell, looks up at the sun with unblinking eyes. The sun’s rays bathe his face in bright beams, showing the paleness and tautness of his skin. “I’ve faced worse,” he says after a moment, but he slips on a pair of gloves and wears a top hat, shading his face and hands.
“If you say so,” I reply with a shrug, yet again wondering how powerful he really is. He was acting like the sun didn’t bother him in the least.
I head out the gates, opening them with a key, and walk across the lonely street that leads to the crux of the city.
“My name’s Elis.”
I pause and glance back at him. “Okay,” I say. “You can call me Jake.”
Elis nods and glances up and down the street with his blue eyes. “What have you got planned?” he says, turning his calm features back on me.
I look around as though I have everything planned, though I’m not sure what I’m going to do. Normally I just walk around aimlessly, or explore places, and just enjoy the scenery around me while it is bathed in light. “Probably go to the park,” I say finally, and I start trotting in that direction.
Elis stays several feet behind me and I glance at him several times from the corner of my eyes. His blonde hair, pinned back, is almost glowing under the sun’s rays. He seems alert, and I catch subtle movements of his head as he scans the area for threats, before slipping on his shades.
We walk in silence for several long minutes as we pass roads and buildings. Litter blows with the wind, and pigeons dig through empty food cartons, scavenging for letovers.
I rub the back of my neck and replay Lexus’s words from last night. I caught up with him again later in the night and asked him for more information on the new threat he had alluded to, more out of curiosity than anything else. But he had refused to tell me anything, and said it was best if I didn’t think about it.
I slide into step next to Elis, deciding to try and garner some information from him about this supposed new threat; if anyone would know, it would be him.
“So…how come you guys are now escorting me?” I say. Artico Destroyers are the elite Guards. They are usually involved in undercover assignments and are used sparingly since their numbers are so low. There are only ten of them.
At first he doesn’t answer, but then he pauses and cocks his head to one side as if contemplating my question. “Lexus assigned us,” he says.
“But what was the issue Lexus was referring to?” I prod.
“You should ask Lexus”- he stops in mid sentence and glances at the sky - “we should head back. School starts in a short while.”
I check my watch. We still have some time. But after what happened yesterday, with a Vampire losing it over the sight of my blood, today I’m planning to get in early and avoid the mass stares which will flow my way from the large crowd that hangs around the school entrance. “Just a few minutes then we’ll go,” I say. Elis acknowledges my request with a bow of his head.
At the park, chestnut, oak, and various other trees are scattered around in the untouched strip of land, larger ones towering above the others, smaller ones within their midst, hidden under thick hanging branches.
I crouch down next to a patch of roses, and gingerly brush my finger against the smooth and delicate petals, their fragrance sharp and sweet. Though the world is in ruins, life still goes on in its different forms.
I look up as a flock of crows fly overhead, their wings beating under the setting sun. Birds sing sweet melodies, hidden within branches of towering trees, their beaks raised towards the sky. Sometimes it is relaxing to just sit here and watch the life blossom around me, watch time march towards its goal. I could stay here for ages and let my life wither away while I admire the scenery, lost in its beauty and peace, but such life is no life.
***
We walk up to the school, deciding to leave the car behind since it would be time consuming to track back. Maxwell meets us halfway, emerging from the shadows of a building, and stalks silently beside me. No ‘Hello’, no ‘Good morning’, just all business. His tall muscled frame attracts a few uneasy glances from early risers. Elis drops back and takes the rear.
The setting sun is in its final stages, immersing the darkening sky in vibrant orange and pink, and bringing the day to a close and a start to a new night for the city.
As I expected, the school is deserted at this time of day, and the only movement is the schools sign, creaking and shuddering as the wind brushes against it.
We saunter through the open front gate and through the reception door. The unlocked gate and doors suggest that the caretaker is up and about, either lurking in the corridors or probably in his office. In the lunch hall, when he forces his presence upon us, he sits alone in a corner, eating dead pigeons, feathers and all, licking the blood cleanly from the bones. Even most of the Vampires find his behavior disgusting, but the care taker never seems to mind, hissing and growling with joy as he devours the flesh.
I amble towards my geography class, the light bulbs twinkle to life as we past them, lighting the corridors and chasing away the darkness.
My geography class is empty, and I sigh with relief and take my normal seat at the back, slumping into my chair and placing my backpack on the floor beside me. Elis and Maxwell take up positions against the back wall behind my chair, and fold their arms across their chests, their gazes locked on the door.
I pull my school books out, wondering what kind of rumors might be circulating regarding yesterday’s events, and what kind of reception is in store for me from the Vampires. No doubt a section of them will be saddened that I somehow survived.
The door opens, and I look up as Fruz enters. His black hair, slapped with gel, is spiked up. He glances around with his wide cookie brown eyes and grins when he sees me. His eyes hover over to Elis and Maxwell and an uneasy look flashes across them. Never the less, he ambles to the desk next to me, throws his backpack down, and jumps into the chair.
“The whole school knows,” he says, leaning his chair in my direction, his face amused.
I shrug my shoulders as though it’s insignificant, though inwardly my stomach is swirling with anxiety. I get enough attention as it is. But this will just bring me back to the center of attention like a celebrity who has hit the headlines again.
“What were you thinking in picking history anyway, that class is full of low lives,” Fruz continues, rocking his chair back and ripping one side of his bag clean open when the zip gets stuck. He takes out his textbooks and drops them on his desk and stares at them as though he can’t be bothered with them.
He has a point regarding my history class. Even though Lexus is the undisputed ruler, there are still factions amongst the Vampires. The Articos are split into three mai
n groups. Even though Lexus rules over all three, some groups are more loyal to him than others. My history class is littered with those who have parents that never agreed with Lexus’s decision to adopt me. But the only reason I chose the subject was because Lexus has always laid a great emphasis on it: “We can learn from our mistakes by examining the past,” he has said on many occasions. He used to spend hours teaching me in his office or outside in the yard of the Manor whenever he had the time.
“It’s not that bad,” I say with a thoughtful expression. The downside is that they just want to eat me.
Fruz makes a face. He leans his chair in my direction and sniffs. “They said you smelled like a chicken burger”- he inhales sharply - “you smell normal now. Normal as in you’d still taste great.” He grins, and glances around the empty class as if expecting to see others laughing at his joke. The smile slips from his face when he notices the Artico Destroyers staring at him, and he quickly straightens himself up and busies himself with a textbook, suddenly interested in the black and white text.
