Sara and Allie woke, showered, and changed their clothes. They had a good night’s rest and were ready to face a new exciting day. They put back on their jackets and went to a small cafeteria for breakfast. They were given a choice between toast and jelly or cereal; both opted for the latter. While they ate, Malcolm passed by them and grabbed two pieces of toast and several packets of jelly.
“The bus driver’s name is Malcolm?”
“Yes,” said Sara, “he has worked here his entire life. He is a Gate Master.”
“What is that?”
“It is the highest rank a human can have without conversion.”
But Allie did not hear the answer; her mind had wandered back to the buses. “You remember I said crazy things happened to me on the bus?”
“I remember.”
“Why didn’t he tell me I wasn’t crazy?”
Sara laughed loudly. “Would you have believed him or me? If you weren’t so damn nosy you wouldn’t be here now.”
“I know, it’s a gift,” said Allie with a big grin.
“Yeah, right. Hurry up and finish so we can get started and then get you home.”
Allie picked up her bowl and with a couple of big gulps she was done. “Ready.”
“Let’s go.” They got up and Sara gave her a brief tour that led them back to the nursery. As they approached the door they saw Bethany standing down the hall.
“Come here, ladies.” They walked over to her. “Did you sleep all right last night?”
“Yes, thank you,” said Allie.
“We were good,” said Sara.
“I am glad to hear it. Allie, would you mind waiting over there for a moment?” She pointed down the hall.
“All right.” Allie shuffled away, but she watched the two from her waiting area.
“We had a problem this morning. One of the Cavers made a mistake and was killed. We need her now. Have you told her about the safety points?”
“Not yet. I thought she would be leaving today? Should I do that now?” Sara inquired, although she was more interested in who had been killed, and why.
“Are you sure about her?”
“Yes, she is all right.”
“Tell her about safety and work with the kids today on the Front Nine. The nursery will be cleaned by the time you get back.”
“I will, Bethany.”
“Give her a T-shirt and a shot so she can keep up.”
“I will.”
“Have fun.”
“We will. I think she will love the Front Nine.”
“Let’s hope so,” said Bethany. She looked back at Allie one last time before going into the nursery and locking the door behind her.
Sara went and got Allie. “Guess what, nosy girl?”
“What?”
“We are going outside today. Come with me.”
Sara led her down a corridor she had not been in before. They went through a door and stood in the middle of a large white room similar to the others but with a different pattern of tiles. Each wall bore the familiar crest. Sara went to a closet and opened it to reveal camouflaged T-shirts with large crests on the front and back of them. She handed one to Allie and told her to change. Allie wondered if there was a change room, but Sara immediately took off her jacket and shirt and changed in front of her so she did as well. After changing, Allie tried to put her jacket back on and Sara stopped her; she would not need it.
They put sweatbands around their heads and went to the door at the end of the room and went inside. Allie was in another large room with shelves on opposite walls that contained books and toys. There was a small jungle gym in the room and small tables with chairs and games on them. A door at the other end of the room opened; two children entered, escorted by a Caver named Lisa. One was brunette, the other blond. Both wore an elegant white dress fit for a princess. Each adorned their head with a tiara and held a doll. Allie looked sharply to see if they wore makeup to complete their look. She turned to hide her smile: dress up was a favorite game of hers when she was their age.
Lisa greeted them both and then talked to Sara for a moment before handing her something and then leaving.
“What was it she gave you?” Allie asked after Sara came back toward her.
“Well, I wonder if the cat died happy, what do you think?”
Allie was confused by what she had said.
Sara laughed. “You will find out later. Listen to me carefully, all right? Nadia and Lila will be going outside for their daily exercise. Do you trust me?”
“Yes.”
“Hold out your arm.” Allie held out her left arm and Sara took out a small syringe filled with a reddish liquid. “This is a booster shot that you will need.”
“What’s in it?”
“Trust me.” Allie kept still and took the shot high on her upper arm like a booster shot. “There you go.”
“What was in it?” she repeated.
“Adrenaline and other stuff. Without it you cannot keep up with them.” She pointed to the two children playing quietly at a table. “I have to give you instructions to use with them.” She faced her friend and put her hand on her shoulder. “Do the same to me.” Allie put her hand on Sara’s shoulder. “Now squeeze like this.” Sara squeezed Allie’s shoulder a bit too hard and she winced.
“Ow! Do you have to do it so hard?”
“Do it, Allie!”
Allie squeezed and Sara confirmed with a smile. “Okay?”
“Good. This is your safety touch. When you are around the children or the babies and they get out of hand you just touch them here on their shoulder and they will stop. It is an involuntary response. Your jacket is your first line of defense; if you forget it or can’t get to it then this is your second line of defense. Touch them here as hard as it takes for them to be still. All you need is a soft touch with babies, but as they grow older you need to apply a stronger force. Either shoulder will do; also the back of the bottom of the leg, the calf.” She bent down and touched her friend’s calf to demonstrate the maneuver. “Follow procedure and you will stay safe, understand?”
“Got it.”
“And never be in a position where they can wrap their arms around your waist or your neck, okay?”
“Okay.”
“They can hear your heart beating and when it beats fast they get excited, so try to stay calm and watch yourself.”
“Okay.”
“Come on, I will introduce you.” They went over and pulled up little chairs to the table and set beside them. “This is Lila,” she said, indicating the blond girl, “and this is Nadia.” They looked exactly as five year olds should; their only distinctive feature was that they were lighter in complexion with dazzling green eyes. “Everyone, this is our new friend Allie. Say hello, Allie.”
“Hello, Lila. Hello, Nadia.”
“Say hello, girls.”
They each said hello in a shy and awkward way.
“Where is Mira?” Nadia asked.
“She has left us, so Allie might be taking her place. Will you give her a chance?”
They giggled and nodded in unison.
“Good. She is a good person who cares about both of you. Treat her with honor and respect.”
“Are you our new teacher?” Lila said to Allie.
Allie was stunned at the question. “I guess so. Yes. Yes, I am.”
“Yes she is, now are the two of you ready to go outside?”
“Yay!” both girls cried and waved their hands in the air.
Sara motioned for them to leave their tiaras and dolls on the table. She took Nadia by the hand and Allie did the same with Lila. They walked toward a side door and exited. There was an open-air railcar, which they strapped the two girls into. After Sara showed Allie how to work the controls, they were off. The car gathered speed and made a few turns that reminded Allie of an amusement park rollercoaster she loved. The girls raised their hands and laughed as they went through a tunnel and up a steep hill inside the mountain and plunged do
wn the other side, splashing through water.
The railcar went speeding along as Sara and the children screamed with delight. Allie was enjoying the moment with them when she looked ahead and saw that the train tracks were leading them into a wall of solid rock. A wall that would surely be the death of them if they hit. How can they be oblivious to their impending deaths? She thought to warn her friend, but how? Her mind went blank and she could only clutch at her friend and ramble.
“Sara! Wall! Sara! Wall!”
Sara laughed at the weird face Allie made. Seeing her in fear was a thrill and she laughed heartily. “Relax, girl, I got this!”
Allie screamed and put her hands to her face, fearing their crash and deaths. How were they going to get out of the tunnel and past the wall?
It was simple: the wall was not real. It was an elaborate force field that kept their hideaway a secret from the outside world. The technology used was able to sense if a hiker or anyone else was on the other side or nearby; if so the railcar would be halted and they would wait for the intruding party to leave the area. The built-in security was decades ahead of the humans who lived in the area.
When they were near the wall, and Allie’s screams were at their maximum, Sara pushed a button on the panel in front of her. The wall disappeared and they went out into the sun and into the forest area. When Allie looked back, the wall had closed and all that she was able to see was a set of old train tracks that led into what appeared to be a collapsed tunnel entrance. This was perfect camouflage and Allie marveled at its ingenuity. The genius who came up with it must be someone at the top of their society, she thought.
The railcar kept going and sped through trees as if flying. The sun beamed down on them and they took a moment to enjoy the warmth. Allie got her first real look at the girls in the sunlight. Out here, they appeared to be even paler. She could see blood vessels in one of the girl’s faces. So many movies had told her that vampires would melt or burn in the sunlight. She was glad to be wrong; the girls were so pretty. She was even gladder that she didn’t mention it to Sara and seem like a real dummy.
The railcar pierced another force field and came to a stop under a camouflaged awning. The two got out and unstrapped the girls. Allie wanted to hold the adorable Lila, but remembered she could not let her get close to her neck. She set her on the ground beside her; the little girl hugged her around her legs and Allie tensed.
Sara saw it and smiled to let her know it was all right. Allie relaxed and touched Lila on her shoulder and the girl stood straight up, releasing her. Allie smiled at her and then at Sara. She had discovered something wonderful: a newfound power.
“I see you are getting the hang of it,” said Sara.
Sara reached into her pocket and pulled out a tin. Inside were a number of square, dark red pills. They reminded Allie of her favorite gum candy, Chicklets. Sara gave one to her friend. “Chew it for a minute and then swallow.” She put one in her mouth to show her how. Allie did the same without question.
“Now here comes the fun part. Ready, girl?” Sara said, her eyes sparkling.
“Bring it on!” Allie responded with zeal.
“All right, ladies; let’s start with the ground course.”
“Yay!” they responded in unison. The girls took off running for an obstacle course. They first dove under a long net that they barely had to bend over to get through and ran toward a rope wall.
“You think you can beat them to the end of the course?” Sara asked.
“Of course I can, they are kids,” Allie chuckled.
“We will see,” Sara smirked knowingly. “Let’s go.”
As the girls neared the rope wall, Sara and Allie took off after them and dove under the long net. They made it through and raced for the wall. Sara leaped over the wall quickly; Allie ran for the rope and with two quick tugs she was to the top. She rolled over and down, looking to see what was next and where everyone had gone. The kids ran through tires with Nadia leading the way, followed by Sara. As she approached the tires, Sara turned and yelled for Allie to catch up.
The other girls led the way through the tires, monkey bars, and then a sprint to the finish line. Allie huffed and puffed; she couldn’t believe how slow she was! When she made it to the end she collapsed on the finish line and looked up at all of them while breathing heavily. The three girls laughed down at her, pointing.
Allie took a minute to catch her breath. “How come none of you are tired? You don’t even look like you broke a sweat.” Her breathing now became better but her heart raced.
“You are old, aren’t you?” Lila said to her, smiling innocently.
“No, she isn’t, she is just weak,” said Nadia.
“No, I am not!” Allie said defiantly and reached up and pulled the closer girl toward her. They wrestled on the grass. It was Lila, and they rolled and laughed in mock battle. When they stopped rolling, Lila was on top of her and her eyes had changed color. Lila was a green-eyed blond and her eyes were now a dark brown color. Allie quickly reached up and touched her on the shoulder. Lila froze immediately, her expression turning blank. A moment later her eyes closed and opened back up. The green color returned. She smiled down at Allie.
“All right, you two, let’s go tree climbing,” Sara said. She was proud of Allie and thought she would make a good teacher.
Lila vaulted to her feet and she and Nadia raced to their left to a giant tree. Allie got to her feet and she and Sara ran after them. At its base, Allie looked skyward: the tree was enormous – easily the biggest in the whole forest. It seemed to go on forever into the sky from this vantage point. At the top sat a structure she could not see: their goal.
The kids jumped to a branch twice their height and began their climb after getting the nod from Sara. They were off and climbing fast, leaves falling as they hurtled upward.
“Are you kidding me?” Allie said apprehensively.
“Relax. You should start to fill an extra lift soon; adrenaline does wonders. You first. Jump for the branch.”
Allie looked above her head at an eight foot high branch, and then jumped for it, but could not quite reach it. She tried again and again with no success.
Sara stopped her from trying again. She came over to her and put her hands on each of her shoulders. “So, do you trust me?”
“Yes.”
“Then brace yourself. Close your eyes.” When Allie closed her eyes, Sara slapped her real hard across her face. It was a wallop that made her fall backward. Allie hit the ground hard and got up, furious. Blood filled her face, turning her scarlet. Before she could charge her, Sara put up her hands. “Wait!” She gave a big smile. “Trust me completely. Now, jump to the branch.”
Allie looked up at the branch. Now it seemed to shimmer, color flickering around its edges. She jumped up and instead of catching the branch with her arms, she leaped all the way on top of the branch. She looked down below at Sara. “Whoa!”
Sara jumped up to the branch right beside her. “Now do you think you can keep up?”
“Lead the way,” she said confidently.
Sara took off and Allie was able to follow her without any problems. In no time they had leaped from branch to branch, shimmied partway up the tree, then resumed leaping until they reached the top: a tree house.
Inside, Lila and Nadia played with dolls and a dollhouse. They smirked and waved hello, then went back to playing. There were human dolls, some with white shirts and crests, some with blood stained shirts. There were also vampire dolls, bigger and meaner than the rest. They made sounds as the big dolls towered over the smaller dolls. Allie found it interesting that from an early age they were taught they were superior to humans. With the feelings that she was experiencing she knew it to be true and didn’t care. She sat by them and watched them play. Sara had a clipboard that she wrote information down in but it held no interest for Allie so she ignored it and focused on the girls.
“Which one of you is the oldest?”
“I am,” said Nad
ia. “She is just a baby.”
“I am not, you take that back,” said Lila angrily.
“You are too; I was there when you were born so I should know the truth.”
Allie was now curious because the girls appeared to be the same age. “Nadia, how could you be at her birth? You are the same age. Are you telling a fib?”
“A what?” She looked confused.
“I mean are you telling the truth?”
Nadia looked to Sara. Sara looked up from her writing, nodded, and resumed her task.
Nadia explained, “I am five years old; she is my baby sister. She is only three years old.”
Allie was shocked. She looked to Sara for confirmation, who gave it with a little nod. “But you are the same height, same weight, and body dimensions! If anything, you are twins.”
Nadia laughed. “My father did not want me to be alone when they went away so he –”
“Nadia,” Sara interrupted, “you two put your toys away. We will finish exercising and then Allie has to go home. Show her how neat you can be when you clean things up properly.”
The girls got up and put their dolls on shelves, cleaned up, and came to the door. They asked Sara to leave a note for their friends, Stav and Misha. Sara left the note before opening the door. Nadia continued their exercises by jumping to a tree about thirty feet away and climbing to the top. Lila followed; she landed further down the trunk and scurried up to her sister. Sara went next and landed where Nadia had been and climbed up a bit and yelled for Allie to jump. Allie hesitated for a moment, backed up, ran, and jumped. She yelled as loud as she could as she flew in the air, first from fear and then from exhilaration. She landed lower than Lila had and saw Sara urging her on from above. She looked past her and saw the two girls pointing and giggling at her.
“I will show you little smartalecky brats what I can do.”
Allie got a tight grip on the tree and shimmied to the top and they were off again. They flew from tree to tree, whooping and yelling as they went. They played several games involving chasing, before finally returning to the railcar. The car was behind a force field that resembled poison ivy. They stepped through it, strapped the kids back in, got in the back seats, and went back through the tunnel to the underground lair.
Chapter 10 Cavers
Vampires aRe ReaL Page 20
