Author’s notes:

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This story is one of my early ventures into original fiction.  This is the first half of the story.  The second half will be posted (hopefully) within a week or so.   If it had a rating, this part would be a ‘PG-13’ for violence and language.  The second half will be rated ‘R’ as the violence is much more extreme.  All the characters are mine, and events presented here are completely fictional. 

******

 

 

The Patient

By Eric Benner

 

“…This paranoid, paralyzed Vampire acts a little slow…But I’m still right here…Giving blood, keeping faith…And I’m still right here…” –Tool

 

 

One

 

An icy blast of wind blew in from the sea, buffeting the downtown Okayama office buildings, and nipping fiercely at the flesh of the city’s few human inhabitants that were still awake at this hour. 

She could not feel the cold, but she pulled her leather jacket closer just the same. 

 

The night was pitch black.  The moon had been devoured earlier by a thick cloud cover.  The only visibility was in the faint glow of streetlights that barely pierced into the gloom.  She spotted the man she was looking for standing just outside the circle of light that shined down from a train terminal.  He was wearing a long, gray overcoat, and he pulled it closer around him as she approached.  She took a seat on the bench next to him, and adjusted the long, cylindrical package she carried on her shoulder.  He glanced at her, and gave a casual nod.  She did not look back, but instead, stared straight ahead as if watching something out over the water of the bay.

The train approached noisily from the south, pulling on its brakes and causing a shrill squealing noise to pierce the frigid night air.  It came to a stop in front of the terminal, the doors swishing open automatically.  The man, who was not really a man, boarded first and she followed close behind.

The car, like the platform, was completely empty.  They took seats at opposite ends of the cabin. The train started rolling again, its automated brain taking them to the next designated stop.  They sat in silence, listening to the rumble of the tracks as the train sped toward its destination.  She glanced down at the man who was not a man, her bright green eyes piercing into him.  He stared right back.  His facial features appeared set in stone. 

“I know.”  She whispered quietly under her breath.  The man did not make a show of understanding.  He just stared.  She stood slowly, and began to walk towards the center of the cabin.  He followed suit, the statement on his face never changing.  She carefully flicked open the lid on her package, letting the cylindrical tube slide off the contents and clatter to the floor.  They stopped in the center of the car, about five feet separating them.  She gripped the sheath tightly in her left hand, the gleaming blade of her sword peaking out and causing light to dance on the man’s face. 

Her movements were quick and methodical.  She gripped the hilt in her right hand and took three sliding steps.  There was a whistling of air, a blinding flash, and the man’s head was no longer attached to his shoulders.

 

The train screeched to a halt in front of the platform Henry Kramer was waiting on, causing him to cover his ears.  The doors opened, and Luna stepped down from the car.  She tossed him the cylindrical case, and he caught it clumsily.  He opened the lid and made a face.  The sword hilt was clotted with blood. 

“The last one’s inside,” she said thoughtfully.  “The last one we’ll find here anyway.” 

“What’s wrong with the sword?”

“It needs sharpened.  It’s not sliding out of the sheath as easy as it used to.”  

“We’ll take care of it.  The General is waiting for you.  He says they’ve tracked the next group to a small town in northern California.”  She narrowed her eyes at him, causing him to gulp involuntarily.  Then she turned and walked into the gloom, fading quickly into the night.  “Luna?”  He called after her.  There was no reply.  Kramer shivered and pulled his cell phone from the breast pocket of his trench coat. 

He hurriedly punched numbers into the dial, and made his way towards the train car.  “Yes.  This is Dr. Kramer reporting in.  Luna is headed for the rendezvous point.  I’m going to need a level seven cleanup crew in five minutes.  Thank you.”  He tucked the phone away, and stepped into the train.  The stench was overpowering and he covered his nose.  The man, who was not really a man, was in the center of the car.  His body no longer bore any resemblance to a human.

 

 

Two

 

“We know they’re here.  The bureau tracked them here all the way from Japan.  This pattern seems to suggest a migration of some kind, but we don’t know where they’re headed, or why.”

“They’re afraid.”

“Of what?”

“Me.”

“That may or may not be true.  They know you’re hunting them, so they’ll be on guard.  In fact, they’re probably watching us right now.”

“I can sense them.  They’re close, but keeping a distance.  They’ll have to feed and build up strength before coming after me.”

“That’s exactly what you’re here to prevent.  I don’t want another incident like Paris.  Our crews are still cleaning up that mess.  Remember that you work for us now.  You’re job is to destroy them before they make a feast out of the people in this town.  Keep civilian casualty to a minimum.”

“Let’s get one thing straight.  I don’t work for anyone.  I’m only helping you because I enjoy hunting them.  I don’t give a damn about the people in this, or any other town.  All I want is the satisfaction of knowing that I wiped the slavering bastards from the face of the earth.  Know this, little man.  I’m humanities last chance for survival, and I fed off your kind for generations before my rebirth.  I’m the only one with the power to kill them, and I’ll do it by any means I see fit.”

“Alright, you win.  Just try to keep things under wraps, okay?  The last thing we need is the general population running amuck about all this.  We’ve gotten you enrolled into the local high school to throw any suspicion.  Keep your eyes open.  They always take kids first.” 

“They’re too trusting.  They make the easiest prey.  I should know.”

“What are you going to need?”

“My sword.  And some clothes.”

“Done.  Anything else?”

“Yes.  Stay out of my way.”

 

 

Three

 

He tried his damndest to pretend he didn't see the dusty, yellow sunrays peeking through the closed blinds.  Groaning, he stole a glance at the nightstand alarm clock and confirmed the grim news.  It was almost time to get up.  Without so much as a conscious thought, he shot an arm out from under the safety of his comforter and disengaged the alarm before it could commence its grotesque, shrieking, ballad of noise and spoil the peaceful morning aura.  The catastrophe averted, he recocooned himself in the blanket and pulled a nearby pillow over his head in a futile effort to block out the light that had so rudely interrupted his slumber.

“William!” his mother called from the living room.  “William, you’re going to be late for school!”

Don’t answer.  He thought.  Maybe she’ll assume I died. 

“William!”

No such luck.  He heaved a sigh, pushed the heavy blanket to the floor, and rolled out of bed with it.  He stood, rubbing sleep from his eyes, and lurched towards the door.  He was reaching for the knob when his mother burst into the room, throwing the door back on its hinges, and nearly knocking him unconscious with it.  “Careful there, ace,” he said sarcastically.  “If you wanted to kill me, a knife would be a far more efficient means of disposal.”

“Ha, ha.  You’re a riot.” 

“I know.” 

“I’m not sure,” she said grinning.  “Blunt force head trauma seems like a plenty efficient means of disposal to me.”

“Now who’s the riot?”

“I am!”  She laughed, and reached out a hand to ruffle his shaggy blonde hair.  He playfully swatted her hand away. 

“Cut it out!  You’re messin’ up the ‘do.”  She pulled back her hand, leaned in, and gave him a peck on the forehead.

“Are you going to be okay?  You know I’m going to be gone all weekend.”  She said, her forehead creasing as she gave a worried frown.  It was one of the few looks that made her appear her age. 

“I’ll be fine, mom.  I’ve got Trevor here to keep me company,” he said, gesturing to the ancient cocker spaniel that rested in a disheveled lump at the foot of the bed.

“Yeah, well, don’t forget to feed him either.  I left some money for you out on the counter, and I expect to get some of that back.”

“We’ll see how much is left after I order the keg.”  He said, giving her a mischievous grin.

“Somehow I doubt whether the guy at the liquor store will sell you, a fifteen year old whose voice has barely changed, a keg.” 

“You never know.”

“Don’t hold you’re breath kiddo.”  She glanced at her watch and sighed.  “I gotta head that way.  Dianne will have a fit if I miss my flight.”  She kissed him again, and dashed down the hall, retrieving her coat and her suitcase.  “I’ll call you later tonight,” she yelled from the kitchen.  “Around nine or so.  I left some dinner in the fridge.  Don’t forget about the dog, and don’t be late for school.”  She turned to head out the side garage door, and called back into the house.  “Don’t forget to set the bowl of candy out for the trick or treaters tomorrow.  You’re still going to the dance, right?”

“Yeah.  I suppose.”  He answered without much enthusiasm. 

“Well, have a good time.  Love you!” 

“I love you too mom.”  Will yelled back.  He heard the door slam, and she was gone.  The house to myself all weekend.  He thought, pulling on a pair of baggy cargo pants, and a black T-shirt.  Nothing better than that.  He supposed any other teen would be ecstatic about having no parents for the weekend.  It was nothing new for him, though.  A twist on things would be if Sharon Dark was home for the weekend.  I can’t remember the last time she didn’t have to work, or go out of town.  She’ll likely work herself to death before I graduate high school.

It had been that way since his father had left them the year before.  He supposed working nonstop was her way of coping with the pain.  It doesn’t do her any good.  He thought, shuffling down the hall to the bathroom.  All that sorrow just goes undigested.  Or, so that was what the counselor told him before he had stopped talking to her. 

He had developed his own way of dealing with his father’s disappearance, becoming something like a recluse from nearly every aspect of the outside world.  No one else could hope to understand his situation.  Everyone had given their condolences, and moved on with their lives.  Even his mother had done just the equivalent, plunging herself headlong into her job, and leaving him behind to endure the misery alone.

            After many long, insufferable months, he had finally shed all the tears he could bring himself to shed.  The pain was still constant and sharp, but it was easily channeled through his guitar, or his drawings, or one of the other hobbies he had picked up to deal with the empty wake his mother and the world had left him at. 

He stooped over the bathroom sink and stared at the mirror, not liking the bags that hung under his eyes.  They made him look like the living dead.  He didn’t so much mind his face, like most kids his age did.  His skin was a little on the pale side, but at least he didn’t have any acne. 

He reached up into the medicine cabinet and retrieved his hair gel.  He liberally applied it through the thick mess of hair that clung to his head, pushing strands of it up into clumpy spikes.  He smiled at the result.  If I don’t get my hair cut soon, I’m going to look like one of those guys from Dragonball Z.  Satisfied, he replaced the gel, and pulled out the mouthwash.  He winced at the sharp, bitter taste of it and spat it out, leaving a fine green spray to dry on the mirror.  I’ll clean it up later.

His morning routine being complete, he strolled back to his bedroom to rouse Trevor.  The old cocker spaniel didn’t even look up when he stuck his head in the door.  “Come on Trevor boy.”  He said, giving the dog a nudge with his foot.  “Breakfast time.” The dog finally came to, as if hearing the magic words, and trotted after Will to the kitchen.  Will dumped a can full of softened dog food into Trevor’s dish, and watched as the dog scampered over on its stubby legs, devouring the food as if it hadn’t eaten in weeks.

His mother had left the wad of cash out on the kitchen table.  He pocketed it, and pulled on his dark gray jacket.  Turning, he headed out the side door to the garage, stopping to slip on his Adidas shoes and sling his backpack over his shoulders.  “Be a good dog, Trevor.  Keep an eye on the house.”  The dog looked up from its dish, cocked its head, and regarded him with a curious eye.  Will sighed.  Some guard dog.

 

The five hundred block of Beachwood, California resembled a ghost town in the early morning hours.  The sun had only just peaked over the horizon and it cast an eerie glow on all the neighborhood houses, making them seem fuzzy and surreal.  Will pulled his light jacket closer as a torrent of cold wind blasted him in the face.  The late October air was unusually cold this year.  He rubbed his hands together and stuffed them in his pants pockets.  He had a long walk to the downtown high school. 

The weak sunrays disappeared behind a cloud, enveloping the sidewalk in darkness.  He shivered, and quickened his pace.  He looked towards the west, to Hency Air Force base, and watched a fighter lift off the ground.  Hmmm…F22 Raptor, maybe? 

As he watched the plane, something caught the corner of his eye.  A dark shadow moving across the road.  What the hell was that?  He stopped dead in his tracks.  What was it…It looked like a…Dog maybe?  No it was too big…  His eyes darted fearfully around, checking everything.  The street was still empty.  Where did it go?  It was too big to have been nothing…

            There was a sound behind him.  A rumbling sound like he had never heard, low and guttural.  His skin began to crawl, and he broke out into a rash of gooseflesh.  He spun, nearly tripping over himself.  Nothing.  His heart thudded in his chest like a jackhammer.  He had never felt such fear.  It was like standing at the edge of some childhood night terror.  Whatever…It…had been, his body was reacting as if he had just been touched by the icy fingers of Death.  God!  What gave you the horrors? 

Now there was another sound.  A sound like claws scratching slowly across the earth.  He felt something like a whisper on the back of his neck, and had to bight his tongue to keep from screaming.  He turned and bolted down the sidewalk, running till his sides threatened to split and spill his innards across the ground in front of him.  Breathing heavily, he looked back to where he had been moments before.  The street was silent and still as the grave.  The sun came back, spilling light across the pavement.  Will started walking again.  He had only five minutes until first bell, but that didn’t stop him from looking over his shoulder every fifteen feet.

 

 

Four

 

            She had been sitting, motionless, on the metal operating table for close to an hour.  She did not feel the cold steel across her naked flesh, nor did she feel any pain in connection with the tangled mass of wires that ran from her left arm.  She did not feel the wires connected to her head either, even the ones that tapped directly into her brain.  For the moment, she existed in a body entirely different from her own. 

            Dr. Kramer came into the room and still she did not move.  Her pale body resembled a statue amongst a waterfall of wires, tubes, and IVs.   Kramer moved to check the readouts on one of the many glowing monitors that surrounded the table.  Satisfied with the conclusions, he moved to disconnect a bundle of wires that ran deep under the flesh of her elbow.  He slid the wires out of the flesh, slowly and carefully, being cautious not to disrupt the inert form on the table.  As the wires came out, the incisions they had been inserted through healed almost instantly.  There was no blood.

            Kramer turned to deposit the wires on a silver instrument tray.  He felt the air in the room grow cold; the flesh across his back began to creep.  She must be waking up.  Something like a vice gripped his shoulder and spun him harshly. 

            “What are you doing?”  She asked.  The voice was cold, yet oddly beautiful.  It seemed to flow as naturally as water over a falls.

“Nothing.  Just checking the monitors.  Making sure everything looks okay.”  Her hand still bit into his shoulder.  The grip was enough to crack his bones, but the icy chill that radiated from her flesh was worse.  It was like being touched by Death, and it made him feel a little like screaming.

            “You’re shaking.” She said, the tone in her voice sardonic.  And he was.  No matter how he tried to suppress his fear around her, it always seemed to radiate with an angry intensity.  Fear was something she could taste, and her kind relished in it.

            “Can you pl…please…let go?” he choked.  “I need to finish.”   She smiled wide, revealing a sight that made his legs go numb.  No matter how many times he saw the fangs, there was no getting used to them.

            “Of course, darling.”  She released her grip slowly, running her sharp nails down the length of his arm.  “Has the General brought me what I requested?”

            “Yes.  Your things are in the waiting room.”  Kramer said, busying himself with removing the instruments from her skin.  “Your regenerative capabilities appear to be at their full potential again,” he commented.  “Looks like we’ll have to keep up your current dosage of the serum.  Have you had any other problems?  Sun allergies or anything of the like?”

            She looked at him thoughtfully for a moment, and then shook her head.  “No.  Not since the episode in Japan.”

            “Good.”  Kramer ran a hand through his thinning hair, and went about removing the wires and sensors from her head.  “The increased dosage should dispel any further regression problems, as well as keep up your strength to its maximum potential.”  He heaved a sigh and continued, “However, we can’t be sure how much longer the current mixture will be able to sustain your life.”  She raised an eyebrow questioningly, and he went on.  “Your body continues to reject the treatment.  The revised molecular structure of your cells is not stable by any means.”

            “What does that mean in English?”  Her eyes pierced into his soul, he had to look away.

            “Your body is still vampire,” he said flatly.  “Just modified for resistance to all weakness.  The serum replaces your need for human plasma and fortifies your skin with the right components to keep it from dissolving in the light.  But it seems the Vampirism disease the serum combats is what keeps you alive.  It’s what rejuvenates your body, allowing for virtual immortality.”

            “So, without it, I’ll die.” 

            “Yes,” he mumbled.  She grasped his chin in her iron fingers, and forced him to look her in the eye.

            “Listen.  All I want is the chance to destroy the ones who did this to me.  To wipe their existence from the face of the planet.  If you can keep me the way I am long enough to do that, scientist, I could care less whether I live or die.”  He did not reply, but finished with his work and stood back, making sure all the incisions had healed.  Her skin was smooth and creamy.  No trace of any scratch, scar, or otherwise.  Kramer though it oddly resembled porcelain.  

            The silence between them was broken by General Miller, who unceremoniously bust into the tiny lab room, throwing the door back on its hinges, and causing a tremendous Bang! to radiate throughout the complex.  Kramer felt the air in the room go cold enough to cause little wisps of visual air when he breathed.  She wasn’t fond of the General.  He considered her a tool at their disposal, and it infuriated her.

            “What have you got for us?”  Miller asked, the tone of his voice taking on its usual gruffness.  She stared at him for a moment, her eyes glowing like tiny green lanterns radiating quiet fury. 

            “Not much yet.  I’ll have to get closer.”

            “Can you tell us how many?” 

            “I can sense three now…”  She closed her eyes.  “They are breeding here.  One of them is feeding now…An old man…His face is sunburned…Deep wrinkles, thinning white hair…His body is too frail, the disease won’t take…But his blood is still healthy.  Another one is following…a child.  The blood is young and rich…He can almost taste it…But the sun comes.  The boy is lucky.”

            “What about the third?”  Miller grunted.  She narrowed her eyebrows, and her eyes moved rapidly beneath their lids.

            “He is strong.  His aura is familiar…I can sense him moving in the shadows…Following a group of humans…”  She stopped and opened her eyes.  “He’s too powerful.  He knows I’m with him, and he’s blocking me out.  I’ll have to track him.”

            “Fine.  Just remember- Keep civilian casualty to a minimum.  You’re sword and your clothes are in the other room.  See what you can find out at the school, and contact us with a report in eight hours.  We’ll be waiting if you need backup.”

            “Fine.”  She gave Kramer a smile, and Miller a contemptuous stare.  Then she gracefully dismounted the table and was gone. 

            “She really is beautiful.”  Kramer remarked.  “She scares the hell out of me though.  All this science and understanding of the species be damned.”

            “She’s dangerous.”  Miller sighed.  “But we’ve got no choice but to trust her.  She’s our only hope to destroy them.”

            “I trust her.  I trust her convictions anyway.  I just hope she can hold on.”

 

 

Five

 

            Will sighed and struggled to stay awake during his history teacher’s stale lecture on the industrial revolution.  Mr. Bevins was a notorious rambler, and his classes were considered the verbal equivalent of a good anesthetic.  Will yawned and stacked a few notebooks on his desk.  They would serve as a pillow for whenever Bevins decided to turn his back to the class, and add a few more pages to the novel he must have been trying to write on the board.  Fortunately, the bell rang before he got the chance.

            Will stretched, and reached for his book bag.  Lunchtime, then just four more classes to go.  The thought was comforting given the day he had had so far.  Besides being nearly ten minutes late, getting a detention, and having a pop math quiz he was sure he had failed with a passion, the scare he’d gotten before school had left him shaky and nervous.  He couldn’t make sense of the feeling.  It was like some nightmarish creature was lurking around in the shadows, waiting to drag him screaming into the recesses of a murky abyss.  It was making him jumpy.

            “Don’t forget about the Halloween party and dance tomorrow night!”  Mr. Bevins shouted over the roar of sliding chairs and hungry students.  “The student council and I have worked extensively to put this together, so if I don’t see you all there, I can guarantee a quiz on Monday!”  Bevins laughed at his own joke, his rotund gut shaking merrily.  Sherry and Sarah, two blonde varsity cheerleaders, wearing similar outfits, laughed with him.  They were members of the student council, and legendary brownnosers.  

            “Did you like the decorations we did, Mr. Bevins?”  Sherry asked sweetly.  “Sarah and I spent all week making the streamers and skeletons.”

            “Yes.  They look very nice girls.”  Bevins looked at Sarah and narrowed his eyes in concern.  “What’s wrong with you today?  You didn’t speak hardly at all during class.  Not that it wasn’t a welcome change.”  He grinned wide and chuckled.

            “Uh…She’s fine, Mr. Bevins.”  Sherry answered.  “She’s just feeling a little tired, that’s all.”

            “Well, rest up before the dance.  Doctors orders.”  He laughed again, and shooed them out the door and into the hallway.

           

Will slouched by his locker, taking his time to stuff his books into the jumbled chaos.  “William Dark!”  A familiar voice shouted from the other end of the hall. 

            “What’s up, Seth.”  He answered without looking.

            “Nothing, nothing.”  Seth leaned against the door to his locker, using Will’s shoulder for support.  “How art thou?”

            “I am sick at heart.  I bombed that math test this morning.”

            “The one I told you to study for?”

            “The one and only.”

            “Did you study?”  Will raised an eyebrow, giving Seth the answer in a look.  “I see.  Sir William the studious,” he said sarcastically. 

            “Try Sir William the unstudious,” Will retorted.

“Touché.”  Seth grinned, and then took on a serious tone.  “Hey, have you seen the new girl?”

“New girl?”

“Yeah.  She must have just transferred in.  She’s definitely hot, but she looks a little intense for me.”  Seth nudged him playfully on the shoulder.  “Might be right up your alley though, Mr. Gloom.” 

“Whatever,” Will laughed and pushed him off.  “What’s this girl’s name?”

“I don’t know.  Laura…Luna…Something like that.  Mr. Hembrey introduced her this morning.  C’mon, let’s see if we can find her.” 

 

Seth practically dragged Will from his locker and down the sophomore hallway, toward the front of the building.  Will marveled at the sheer volume of Halloween decorations that adorned the walls.  Orange and black streamers were falling in heaps, landing in tangled messes on the floor; each new hall was an exercise in ridiculousness, complete with hanging starch ghosts, cutout skeletons, jack-o-lanterns by Hallmark, and enough flyers advertising the dance to make for a possible fire hazard. 

Finally, they reached the main hallway.  Seth stopped his hurried pace and looked around.  “I wonder where she could have gone?”  He pondered aloud. 

“I don’t know, but I’ve got to get something to eat before…”

“Shhhh,” Seth interrupted.  “I just saw her headed…”  He stopped short, and gripped Will’s shoulder, spinning him the same direction he was facing.

“Wha…?”  Will started to protest, but then he saw her sitting alone on the bench in front of the main walkway.  She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.  Her shoulder length hair was jet black, flared with bright red streaks.  It was smooth and shiny looking and fell to perfectly frame her face, outlining her handsome, angular features. 

Her skin was ghostly white- a startling contrast to her hair, dark clothes, and the black leather jacket that hung loosely from her shoulders.  She wasn’t carrying a backpack, but instead cradled a long cylindrical tube with a shoulder strap.  It looked like something that might be used to carry an umbrella.

“See?  What’d I tell you?”  Seth said quietly.

“She’s so…beautiful.”  Will stammered.  “I’ve never seen anyone like her before.”

“Why don’t you ask her to the dance tomorrow night?”

“Yeah right, I really like those odds.  Why don’t you ask her out?”  Seth coughed, straitened the collar on his loud Hawaiian shirt, and smoothed down his mousy brown hair.

“Uh…I already told you.  Not my type.”

“Uh huh.” 

“Yeah, well…Whatever.”  Seth pretended to yawn, and checked his watch.  “Look, I gotta run.  Sherry will have my head if I don’t give her the math notes for that quiz.  Catch you later.”  Seth hurried back down towards the sophomore hall not looking behind him.  Will sighed and shook his head.  He turned back to look at the girl again, and caught her nearly luminescent green eyes staring back at him.  He shuddered from a sudden draft, and looked away.  When he turned back, she was gone.

 

 

Six

 

She moved silently down the empty hallway, following the unseen trail.  They had been through here.  She could smell their stink on everything.

            Luna stopped in the middle of the hallway and crouched down, putting her fingers to the cold linoleum floor.  She felt a familiar, sticky warmth seeping up through the tile.  She closed her eyes and pushed her palm flat against the spot, and an image flashed through her brain like lightning- A dark shadow…A woman’s scream…Blood splattering against the floor.  Luna opened her eyes and a trail was revealed to her.

She followed the path down the hall, trailing her fingers over the south wall.  She stopped at the door to the clinic and pressed her hand against it.  She felt the warmth again, could almost taste it.  She took a quick look around the hall, making sure she was alone.  All the noise seemed to be coming from the north end of the building, where the cafeteria was.  Satisfied, she slipped quietly inside. 

Luna was immediately hit with another mental flash- Terrified screams of pain…A soft tearing sound…A torrent of thick blood, covering blue tiled walls.  She opened her eyes and scanned the office.  To one side, the room opened to a small treatment area housing two cots and large medicine cabinet.  The other side branched off into a small shower room.  The walls were surfaced in blue tile. 

The shower room was divided into three stalls.  The farthest one down had a small window set into the wall about eight feet up from the floor.  Luna felt a faint breeze, and narrowed her eyes at it.  The seal around the bottom lip of the window had been broken, and the glass had been pushed inward a fraction of an inch. 

She ran her hand slowly over the tile of the stall and saw it coated in blood.  She pulled back and the image vanished.  She could still make out the fragrant scent of dried blood.  The coppery smell was pungent throughout the entire office, but much to faint for any human to detect over the host of other chemicals housed there.  This must be the feeding ground.  Luna thought. 

There was a soft clattering noise behind her and she spun, scanning the room quickly and straining her acute senses.  She couldn’t see anything, but she felt the presence of another.  She pushed up the latch on her sword case, and let the lid fall open.  Positioning her right hand over the hilt, she crept slowly back through the office.  Luna reached out toward the doorknob and stopped.  The air was cooler now, and a familiar tug pulled at the recesses of her brain.  I know there’s one here…But where? 

Luna heard a whisper of air behind her.  She turned slowly, unsheathing the sword.  There was nothing.  She heard the whispering again, this time in her brain.  She gripped her forehead, forcing the out the intruder.  After a moment, there was silence again.  She heaved a sigh, and pushed the sword back into the case.  I’ll find them later.  They can’t hide from me.

The door burst open behind her, and a plump middle aged woman stumbled in. “What are you doing here?”  She demanded. 

“Nothing.”  Luna answered quickly.  “Just looking for the nurse.”

“Well, I’m her.”  The plump woman replied.  She eyed Luna suspiciously.  “I haven’t seen you around.  Are you new?”

“Yeah.  Don’t quite know my way around yet, I guess.”  The nurse smiled and heaved a sigh. 

“It’s all right.  Just remember- the clinic is closed during lunch hours, okay?  What did you need, anyway?”

Luna looked at her a moment, then shrugged.  “It’s okay.  I was just feeling a little tired, that’s all.” 

“Do you want to lie down and res…”

“No,” Luna cut her off.  “I’m fine.”  The nurse started to say something else, but Luna pushed past her quickly, and walked hurriedly down the hall.  She nearly ran headlong into two blond girls. 

“Hey!  Watch what you’re doing!”  One of them spat.  She looked at Luna closely, and her expression changed dramatically.  “Oh!  You must be the new girl.”  She chirped.  “My name is Sherry, and this is Sarah.”  She gestured to the girl that walked with her.  “What’s your name?”

Luna narrowed her eyebrows, growing thoroughly irritated.  “Piss off.”  She said contemptuously.  She pulled her jacket closer to her slender frame, and kept moving.

           

Sherry starred, open-mouthed.  No one ever talked like that to her.  “Freak!”  She yelled obnoxiously.

 

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Thus ends part one.  Please drop me a line to let me know what you thought, and if you would be interested in reading the conclusion.

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