When I made this story, my intention was to be as realistic as I could, so if I drag out a few parts, it's for realism and detail. Also, I am not going to make a story where the main character is being hit on by every guy at the school, because, to me, that story has been told over and over again. I hope you enjoy, it's my first story, so please be gentle on me!
Please Rate and Review and i will look at your stories and return the favor!
This chapter contains the suggestion of rape, you have been warned.
As I walked down the halls of my school, I kept my arms crossed, holding my algebra book closely to my chest, trying not to bump into people walking around and talking with their friends. My head burned and my eyes stung. My nose feels stuffy and my throat is dry, no matter how much water I drink. I was not looking forward to going to having to drive myself home in the blaring sunlight.
My school is in a smaller, more spacious area of Seattle. I half mile on the freeway and you hit the big city. If you drive the other way, you'll find absolutely nothing: Just hay fields and cows, and a big house with my younger sister and my mom and dad.
I rush to my beige locker, squinting against the harsh fluorescent lighting that flooded the quickly emptying hallway. I need to get home. I wasn't looking forward to having to go home and make dinner, but I didn't my mother would burn the kitchen down. Again.
I heard the click of the lock and quickly opened it and shoved my books and binders in it. My head feels like it's been shot when one of the jerks from the football team walked up behind me and slammed my locker shut. I winced as his harsh laughter sandpapered against my eardrum.
Don't look at them, if you do it will only encourage them. I think to myself, turning on my heel and walk towards the parking lot.
"Hey, wait up, Charlotte!"
"Yeah, stop walking! We just want to talk with you!"
oh no, not more of them.
"Come on, sweetie! Don't be like this!"
i just kept walking, trying to ignore the sound of them stomping and shouting out to me. My car was in the front of the school, a small red car, not 5 meters from the exit.
"Hey, i told you to stop!" A large, warm hand wrapped around my upper arm and pulled me back. I stumbled almost fell, but another hand grabbed around my waist and kept me from falling.
"Let GO of me, Chad!" I yell gravely.
"Oh, come on, babe! You have never dated anyone. Don't you get lonely? I mean, you're sexy as fuck, just let me tap you. I promise you'll like it." Chad winked at me, his blond hair swooping over his pale blue eyes framed by tan skin. He gave me a look up and down that disgusted me more than gas station bath rooms.
His team mates yelled encouragements to him. The few other people that were left in the halls ducked their head and speed walked out, not wanting to get in the middle of whatever this was.
"I told you, I'm not interested. You do this every week. When will you get I through your thick skull that I am not EVER going to go out with you. I know it's hard to imagine that there is a girl that doesn't drool over the thought of your name, but it's real. Now, please, just go away."
"OHHHH, Damn, chad! She's getting feisty!"
"And that's just how I like them, Travis."
I jerked my arm back with all my strength, turning around and trying to bolt to the door, but there is no way I can beat the high school's line backer. In seconds he's back on me, this time holding me tighter. With my free arm I try to slap him in the face, but he quickly grabs my arm hand and pushes me against the wall. I start kicking him, but he only smirks at me.
I scream out, but I know that no one is at school anymore. I knew I shouldn't have wasted time in the classroom.
"Step aside from her." A deep voice echoed through the hall way. Chad shifts himself so that he can see the man behind him while still holding me firmly. I can just make out half of the mans body and face. He was tall, as tall as the six foot ass holding me against my will at that moment. But that's where the resemblance stopped. His eyes were a glowing gold color, and his skin looked like fresh snow. He was skinny and clocked in a black trench coat that fell to his ankles, where motorcycle boots poked out from the bottom. His hair dark brown was slightly shaggy and was gelled up. He couldn't be older than 25. He was handsome. Almost alien like in his unearthly beauty. But then I noticed his forehead. A dark blue crescent moon was tattooed in the middle, just above and centered between his eyebrows. On either side there were square-like lines that connect at some places and ended and began at different parts. Like a maze was drawn from the crescent and then curled on his high cheekbones like a masquerade mask.
"Claressa Jade Jenson, the night has chosen thee. The goddess has blessed you and has marked you as her daughter. You will, from this moment on, be a child of the moon and a student at The House of Night." He lifted a long, pale finger and pointed at my face.
Then heat seared my head and the world of school florescent lights turned to darkness.
*0o0o0o0*
When i came to, I was laying in bed. I rolled over, glad that my head had finally stopped hurting. That is when I noticed the thin sheets that surrounded me were not the silk sheets I slept in at home. And that I did not remember even going home.
My eyes flared open to see a hospital room. No, it wasn't a hospital. The wall paper wasn't that horrible white color but instead a light purple color. The sheets were paper and the bed was just a little cot amount the rows of cots. On the opposite wall of the rectangular room was a counter with sinks and tissues and thermometers and other medical stuff I couldn't name. A large fridge sat in the corner with a lock on the handle. I sat up ad swung my legs over the side of my cot. The blood rushed from my hear and I gripped the side of the bed to steady myself.
"What are you in a hurry for?" A deep voice rumbled.
I Jumped, my heart beating like crazy. It was the man from earlier, the one who saved me from Chad.
"Whoa, I'm sorry! I didn't want to scare you! Here-" he rushed over to the counter and filled a small paper cup with water and grabbed a small chocolate bar from a drawer. "Have this, it'll make you feel better!"
He walked over and handed me them, sitting at the foot of my bed.
I look from the water and chocolate to him and ask suspiciously "Who are you? Where am i? What's going on?" I looked around. "And where is my purse?"
"I'm a Tracker. I walk around and give children like you the gift of night. I'm Markus Bulan. You have been chosen to be a daughter of our goddess Nyx. You're a vampire fledgling now. Blessed be."
"What?! NO! No, that can't be right! It must be a mistake! I'm not into all that witchcraft stuff! I'm not evil!" I choke. How could my life have gotten so messed up so fast?!
"WE ARE NOT EVIL." His eyes flared and a power flooded into the room and made my hair on my arms stand up. He took a deep breath, and the feeling faded a little bit. "Listen, I know that that is how some humans see us, and I can understand why. We have done some pretty dreadful stuff to them in the past. We are not Satanists, and we don't practice the witchcraft you're thinking of. I'm sure that after being here for a little bit, you'll see what I'm talking about."
"Being here?"
"This is the House of Night. A boarding school for those chosen just like you. You will live here on campus and learn what it means to be one of us, as well as regular studies such as math and language, or course" He smiled politely at me.
Oh, goody. Algebra: Vampire style.
"That all sounds great and stuff, but I need to go home. My parents are probably wondering where I am." I stand up and start walking to the door, but in a blink Markus was standing In the doorway, His face emotionless. "Your parents already know you are here. We contacted them the moment you were Marked. The brought your things here and wrote you this…" He hands me a little letter, with my name scrawled across it in my mothers handwriting. I grabbed in gently, confused about why she would give me a letter and not stay with me or call me or anything. I tore it open, and began to read.
"Dear, Claressa.
This is hard for me. I'm not sure how to say this, but I just can't have a vampire as a daughter. It's bad for business, and I still have your younger sister to feed and take care of. I loved you, you were my little girl, but now you are something else. You are not human anymore. And I can't help but be disgusted by what you are now. You're a monster now…." The letter went on to explain how sorry she was and that she loved me, but she just couldn't love me any longer and that now I was dead to her, but she will put money in my bank account and stuff every month, but to live my life apart from hers. I could see the water marks of where her tears splashed against the paper and the ink smeared. My tears joined hers as I fell to the floor and wept. How could my mother do this to me?! Just a week ago we went dress shopping for my uncles wedding. And now I wasn't even alive to her anymore. I'm still the same, aren't i?
She always puts her business first. I always had to honor the family and her business. I guess I should have guessed that she would act this way. Who cares if I'm her oldest daughter?! To her, I'm a mistake! She got stuck with me when she was 19 and just starting her life and I've never been brag worthy. I got furious, I cursed and sobbed and crawled over to my bed and started kicking it. I grabbed the paper and ripped it into pieces and threw it in the little trash bin. After about five minutes of constantly changing emotions of despair and fury, I calmed down and noticed that Markus was sitting in the waiting chair in the corner.
"What are you still doing here?" I shout at him, my face covered in tears and snort.
"I'm here to tell you how sorry I am that this happened. And it happens more than you'd think. My parents abandoned me too. But that was back in the 1930's, and some people thought the tape recorder was satanic." He sighed. His face growing distant.
For a 80 year old guy, he looks fantastic.
He cleared his throat, "Well, anyways, I will take you to the head mistress, where she will give you your class's and your dorm room."
"Can i go to the restroom first and clean up?" I asked.
"Of course! It's over there." He pointed to the end of the room where a door stoop wide open to reveal a mirror and part of a shower.
I walked in a quickly closed the door behind me, locking in in the process. This day has been too long. I wonder how long I slept. I walked over to the sink and without looking up at the mirror, I turned the tap on and cupped my hands under the stream of water and splashed my face a few times, trying to make my face stop being the bright red shade I know it probably is. With a deep breathe I look up at the mirror and take a good look at my face.
My full pink lips were chapped after the salt in my tears, and my face was a light pink shade as well. My eyes were the same they always were, a light blue with a dark blue ring circling the iris, but now the whites were a light pink too. My hair was a light auburn color, the silky sheet of reddish brown fell to the small in my back, but was in tangles and knots everywhere. I instantly felt embarrassed that the cute guy had to see me in this messy state.
My face was a soft square shape, and sprinkles of freckles dances across my nose and cheekbones: The water and sobs had washed off the makeup I had used to cover them up. But what I focused on the most was the outline of a crescent moon that now adorned my forehead. I quickly rake my fingers through my hair, desperately trying to make myself look nice for my new principle for God knows how long. Once people go to this school, they are never really seen again. There was a girl last year, her name was Susan, she got marked too. They had a funeral for her last summer. They said it was a car accident, but no one believe that. That wasn't a good enough story. Rumors went around quick about how they had sucked her dry and that she was killed by a vampire hunter. I guess those rumors would be about me now.
After i fixed myself to the best of my ability, I stumbled back out and towards Markus. "All right, I'm ready."
As we walked down dark hallways lit by softly glowing gas lanterns on the walls. The floor was a black stone with silver flakes every couple inches, making it look like the night sky. I was numb with emotions. I was heartbroken, scared, and even excited: A new life! A new chance to be who I want. And no Chad! I allowed myself a small smile at that.
We walked though the building, passing offices and a few lounges. We walked through what I guessed was the entry way, as the tall mahogany door was station right next to a few ladies who sad at computers and tapped away on keyboards. They both had light blond hair and blue crescents with unique designs lacing from them. They looked up at me and smiled kindly. They must have confused, messy kids walking around all the time.
"So, um, what's she like?" I mumble
"Hm?"
"You know, the head mistress. Is she nice?"
He chuckled. "You'll see. We're here."
We approached a door with windows on either side. Dark blue curtains covered the window, blocking our view of the inside of the room.
Markus knocked on the door gently and said "Mistress? We are here."
The door opened wide just then as a tall, curvy woman stood before us. She was beautiful too. She looked around thirty years old (but she could be 130 for all I know) and her brown hair flowed in beach waves down to her finger tips. Square glasses framed hazel eyes that shinned with her dazzling white smile. She had a heart shaped face that stood on a long thin neck. She had a beautiful black gown that covered her shoulders and had a sloping V-neck to show a fair amount of cleavage and went down to her knees. Upon her breast pocket was a picture of a lovely lady, I now know to be Nyx, cupping a moon above her head.
"Hello! Yes, yes, I've been waiting for you, please come in and have a seat!" She said cheerfully! Inside looked more like another lounge than an office. There was a small couch and flat screen TV facing the wall and a mini fridge in the corner next to a small trash bin. Her desk was a large polished wood with a laptop and files scattered around. There were posters on the wall of those silly cats that say cute things like "How's it hanging?" As the hold on for dear life to a tree branch. A large grey cat at in a little hammock neck to the desk. It looked up as we entered the room and scoffed lightly, before curling up again and dozing back off to sleep.
"Be nice, Cellest." The mistress mumbled as she crocked the cat behind the ears. "Hello, Ms. Claressa Jenson. Welcome to the Seattle House of Night. I'm Head Mistress Shaysalla. You call me Mistress Shay, for short, of course." She smiled as she pushed up her glasses and grabbed a folder out of her desk and grabbed a few sheets out. "Claressa, this is not just a new school you are transferring into. It's a new life. And as such, you are allowed to change your name to whatever you'd like. You don't have to, but if you desire, here is a form." She handed me the paper with all this legal stuff on it.
Great. Paperwork.
"Just sign you current name, the new name you want and then sign your new name and we will do the rest for you."
Without waiting for her to finish, I grab a pen and write down my new name and sign.
"I knew you'd change it." She smiled knowingly at me. "From now on, you will be known as Jade Stellarum. As you are new, I will be your councilor. If you ever have a problem or something strange happens, you can come see me here or in my classroom at any time. I will be teaching Fledgling 101, which you will be in." She handed me my class schedule, and sure enough at 2nd period was her class.
"Um, I'm sorry there's a mistake here. It says 1st period starts at 8 pm?"
Her laugh chimed through the room in an almost musical way. "Well of course, dear! Can't have vampires walking around in broad daylight, now can we?"
Oh. I'm so stupid.
"It's ok, I understand how confusing this is. I was in your shoes once, don't worry." we talked for a while, she discussed how living here would be like and what the classes were and a little more paperwork.
"You will see that being a daughter of Nyx is an amazing blessing and honor!" She chirped.
"No disrespect, but right now, it feels more like a curse than anything. I just lost everything, Mistress." I sigh.
"You have gained more than you have lost. You just haven't realized that yet, my dear." She was serious and her tone was slightly sad. She went through the same thing as I am a long time ago.
"Well, you're dorm in on the third floor, east wing, room 307. Your new roommate is a Raven Nevermore."
Quoth the Raven, nevermore. My roommate has a wonderful taste in poetry.
"I'll show you where it is, don't worry. " Said Markus, who had been quiet for most of the time there.
"Oh, thank you, Mr. Bulan!" Mistress said. "It was nice to meet you, Ms. Jade. I'm sure you will enjoy life here. Marry meet and merry part and merry meet again, both of you!"
Mr. Bulan repeated it back to her, making a fist over his heart and slightly bowing to her, before gesturing me to stand up too and leave the room with him.
"Well, Jade. You're official. Welcome to the Night."