Chapter 2 – Wicker's
If there's one thing I know about vampires, it's that most of them are gossips. But then, you can hardly blame them when they live for so long. Still, it's pretty annoying when you are the only human (who isn't a donor) that happens to be sent to a juvenile vampire delinquent military school. I think I hate my life. Really.
"Oh, come on, it isn't that bad," Jack tried to amend.
"Did I mention how much I hate you?" I asked with a cheesy fake smile.
"I you might've said it a few times," Mitch muttered lazily from his position across from me.
"Okay, you don't get to talk either, Mitch. I hate you too," I told him.
"Seriously, it isn't like this is the end of the world," Jack said, still trying to be the good guy.
"Um, maybe this slipped your mind, but I'm HUMAN. You know, those creatures you FEED off. Perhaps you can see the dilemma of sending me into a private military school with other even-more-screwed-than-you vampires."
"They won't touch you. If they do the teachers will probably kill them," Mitch said with a wave of the hand. I gritted my teeth.
"Yeah, only after I've been drained of blood."
"You're so over dramatic," Mitch rolled his eyes.
"Over dramatic!" I exploded. "You were the one who threw yourself over an overpass and onto a moving car just for kicks! Oh yeah, and rode the top of that car down the FREEWAY!" Mitch and Jack both smiled at the memory. Vampires. Un-freaking-believable. They were lucky it didn't hit the news. The vampire board managed to keep it low key. Only just.
"The gate's coming up in five minutes. Get ready to get out," the driver said from the front seat. We were in a huge SUV with dark tinted windows and a driver who looked more like a bear than a vampire he was so huge. Wicker's is slightly out of the way of any civilisation. Okay, it's way out. Far enough considering it was full of delinquent vampires. And one human. Please kill me now.
I fell back into my sullen silence. Mitch and Jack began talking about nothing, sounding like normal human teenagers. So not right. I turned to look out the window and watched as my doom came closer in the form of trees whooshing past.
Wicker's is the kind of place that would make your jaw drop to the floor if you happened to stumble across it hiking (although I'd feel for anyone who went hiking around this area). It sat on top a hill and was surrounded by a forest of huge pine trees. It wasn't the Gothic type building most people associate with vampires, it looked more like a modern hotel.
It was long with four or five stories and windows all along the face. The outside was rendered white with doors and balconies appearing, seemingly random, on the side. The roof was a simple dark tile with a few antennas.
Then, the grounds were a whole lot of paths and few sports grounds. In fact, it sort of looked like a school. Except for the massive wire fence surrounding it with barbed wire and guard towers. Gee, I love that feeling of trust (although I don't trust anyone in that place either – except Jack and Mitch).
The road passing under us was nothing but a thin strip of winding dirt squashed between way too may pine trees. It made the whole trip seem dark and gloomy even though, when you tipped your head up, the sky was blue. Or maybe that was just my state of mind. I can't be sure.
We reached the gate where there was a bit of a clearing and some guards with heavy looking weapons came and checked our driver's ID and the forms he held for our release from the driver to the guards at the gate.
I hadn't realised how hard my heart was beating until Jack put his hand on mine and said,
"Hey, calm down. We'll protect you." Of course he'd heard my heart rate. It was like a siren to him. I was immediately embarrassed and looked down, pulling my hand out from under his. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Jack frown for a moment before turning back to Mitch. Mitch only sniggered and said,
"Some how I don't think she wants a vampire's comfort." What I wanted was to go home with my normal human family. But the thing is, they agreed I needed some scaring. My own family. There's love for you. Apparently I was to 'frivolous' with my life.
Yeah, my family knows all about the vampire thing. My parents are friends with Jack's parents and all that. Actually, my parents are doctors and they were let in on the secret so they'd be able to treat the vampires. There's sort of a problem that every time a doctor makes an incision it heals before he can blink. My parents (my mum a cardiothoracic surgeon and my dad more general) were both trained in vampire medicine. If a normal doctor happened to cut into a vampire they might realise something was wrong when they saw that their heart rate was something between 5-10 beats per minutes and that would end up with huge problems. Problems the Board didn't want or need to deal with. So my parents are the answer. There are a few of people like my parents in almost every hospital in the world just in a case a vampire gets sent to one. That resident 'vampire' doctor will recognise the symptoms and take care of the vampire, as well as alert the Board.
"I'm sorry we got you into this," Jack said, trying to get through to me. I nodded and turned my head away, concentrating on slowing my breathing and calming my heart.
The car slowed, as we got closer to Wicker's. I could see people looking out from their windows, no doubt tyring to catch as glimpse at the newbies. And the human. The car stopped at the front of two double doors. Jack, Mitch and I all got out, slowly, wary.
The double doors opened and a thin, wiry man stepped out to greet us. He had thinning hair and pale papery skin, as if he spent too much time inside. He looked maybe fifty or so (meaning he could be anywhere between four hundred to eight hundred years old in vampire time), and wore a nice clean pressed suit that looked as if it had been folded and set in cement.
But it was his face that was the scariest thing about him. It was thin and narrow, with eyebrows so light they were almost non-existent, ice blue eyes and pursed lips. His jaw sat on an angle to the left of his face, as if he's been punched and his jaw never quite went back into the right place. When he tried to smile it came out looking like a lopsided grimace.
"Hello," the man said in a smooth voice. He held his hand out for Jack and Mitch, who both took it, but not for me. I wasn't sure if that was because I was female, or because I was human. In any case, I ignored it. "I am Director Reed."
"Good morning, sir," the driver said, pulling out bags from the boot of the car and dumping them at our feet.
"Thank you, Karl," the Director acknowledged, before turning back on us. "I expect the drive was pleasant?" This wasn't a question. This was a challenge. A test.
"Yes," Jack answered. Mitch just nodded. I stood stiffly. Then, a few boys came out from the double doors. Two, to be specific. They moved forward, standing a few feet behind the Director. Without turning the Director said,
"This is Theo and Vladimir." Theo was a South American looking boy, about seventeen or eighteen (in vampire years that's about eighty or so – the same as Jack), with beautiful russet coloured skin, dark hair and thick features. He looked over Jack and Mitch with nothing more than a glance, but threw a smile my way, making me feel a little less doomed, but also uneasy. Vladimir was a little older (I assumed from the name he was Russian), also with dark hair, but strangely porcelain-like features and light skin. He kept his gaze ahead, not looking at anyone.
Both of the boys wore casual clothes, which surprised me. Vladimir wore very clean cut and nicely pressed jeans with a polo shirt. Theo on the other hand looked a little ragged, with scruffy shorts and a shirt, the top few buttons undone (revealing a very nice looking chest), and the sleeves rolled up (showing off some perfectly sculpted biceps).
"Theo, Vladimir," the Director said, "This is Jackson, Mitchell and Jessica. You will escort them to their dorms in a moment." He turned back on us. "We have a few rules which you will be expected to stick to. You will attend all classes. There is no contact with the opposite sex other than meal times and anything else that is approved. Other than that, Theo and Vladimir and can explain the rest. Now, I must see to other matters." And with that, the Director turned and disappeared. I was stunned. Firstly, that the Director seemed to be a complete tosser. Secondly, that we were left unguarded. From what I could tell it was just us five kids (well the word 'kid' can be debated, but in the vampire world, all the vampires here were still classed as adolescents).
Vladimir and Theo both moved forward and picked up our bags (even though there were about six – four for me, one for each of the boys – they had no problem) with a grace that made me jealous. Vladmir led the way saying,
"Follow me please." Theo on the other hand, sidled up next to me (two bags thrown over his shoulder and another in his hand) and asked,
"So, what did you guys do to get in here?"
"In my case, it was just the company that got me sent here," I answered, throwing a glare at Mitch and Jack.
"Come on," Mitch rolled his eyes lazily. "As you've never done anything stupid with us before. You were the one who came up with the nightclub plan."
"Nightclub plan?" Theo enquired. I groaned and said,
"Yeah, okay, that was me. But that wasn't so bad."
"Are you kidding?" Jack interjected. "You got those faeries so mad they were ready to turn you into some kind of animal."
"Yeah, well, the faery thing didn't work out so well."
"And you so almost fell for Ryan," Mitch grinned.
"That wasn't my fault. He was messing with my head." Ryan was a particularly beautiful faery who had taken advantage of my slightly drunken state that night.
"You would have gone for him anyway if I hadn't stopped you," Jack pointed out.
"No, I wouldn't have. He was hot, but I'm not a complete idiot." Okay, so I honestly wouldn't have minded going a little further, and Jack was right, I wouldn't have stopped Ryan – even if I was sober. He was a faery. Give me a break.
"Whatever," Mitch, the mediator, said. We were now inside the huge school like building, and thing was, it did look exactly like a school. There was a small lobby area with a receptionist, then stairs that went up and down, and corridors to the left and right. And I realised why we hadn't been accompanied. We didn't need to be. There were very fit looking vampire guards everywhere. And I mean, EVERYWHERE. We turned left and followed the seemingly never-ending corridor with rooms on either side.
"So, you're human," Theo mentioned. I looked at him and said,
"Really?" I looked myself up and down with a mock frown. "And all these years I hadn't noticed until you pointed that out."
"Gee, sorry," Theo said with hurt in his voice, "but we've never had a human in Wicker's before."
"Yeah, well, that's what happens when you make friends with vampires," I muttered, my mood falling back into the sullen sulkiness it was before.
"Don't be bitch, Jess," Mitch said. "He's just trying to be nice."
"I honestly don't care. I just want to serve my time and get out of this place. It's not fair, I don't have prolonged life like you guys. The time you spend in here is nothing compared to the time I spend in here. This is a huge chunk out of my relatively short life."
"Oh, stop whinging about being human. You love hanging out with us," Jack said.
"Whatever," I muttered, knowing he was right.
"This is the girl's dorm," Vladimir said, dropping the bags he was carrying at my feet and pointing to a door that said 'Female Dormitory'.
"Never would've guessed," I said under my breath, knowing very well that with the vampire hearing all of the boys would know what I'd said.
"Stop being such a smart ass," Jack said as he leaned forward and kissed the top of my head. That was the sort of person he was. Caring, nervous and very cute. Mitch poked me in the side of my stomach, tickling me, and making me jump.
"Good luck, loser. Try not to get yourself eaten," he said with a grin.
"This way," Vladimir said stiffly and turned away, striding down the corridor with even steps. Theo smiled at me again and shrugged. Then they all turned and began walking away. I waited until I could no longer see them or hear them before picking up my bags and opening the door. When I saw what was inside, I promptly dropped my bags. My mouth fell open too.
"Are you insane!" I yelled, running forward without much thought. I've noticed that about me. I'm very impulsive. Too impulsive for my own good. Inside the dorm it was fairly clean, with an out-of-place fireplace, high windows with bars, scarce furniture and one TV (bolted to the wall I might add). And on the far wall was a small vampire girl (who looked fairly harmless) pinned up by metal spokes in her hands and feet – a lot like the crucifixion of Jesus (in fact there was some speculation that Jesus might have been a vampire with the way his hands healed so quickly, but that's just a rumour). I knew technically those wounds wouldn't be all that major and would heal in a day or so, but that didn't mean they didn't hurt the poor girl.
"Excuse me," one girl said, turning on me. Around the girl pinned to the wall was a gang of older, much tougher looking girls. All of them had various piercings and tattoos, looking bulky and harsh. I just realised how stupid it was of me to run in there and try to save that poor girl considering I'm a weak little human and this was gang of fairly unstable super human vampires. Like I said, impulsiveness will probably kill me one day.
"What the hell are you doing?" I asked, my body still acting on impulse (it hadn't quite caught up to my brain yet). The girl that had spoken was actually quite small, but she radiated confidence. She was obviously the ringleader. She moved towards me with a walk I thought belonged to a hooker – seductive, persuasive but also very self-assured.
"Do you have a problem with what we are doing to Emma?" she asked, moving very close to me. She was an inch or so shorter than me, yet she still managed to be impending. She looked younger than me too, but that meant in vampire years she was a lot older. She was in tight black jeans that melded around her body, sneakers, and a tight black shirt with the words kiss my ass printed on the front. Well, I could see this was a case of teenager trying to rebel against their parents. Immediately I was comforted. She was all talk (well I knew she could hurt – as was evident) but she was obviously nothing more than another terrified teenager looking for control and acceptance. I knew how to deal with her type. Sure, she had control because she intimidated others, but as soon as someone spoke out against her, she'd fall apart. I'd see it too many times.
"Yes, actually, I do. What's your problem?" The only problem was that I didn't have anyone to back me up. If Jack and Mitch were here it might be better, but at the moment I was clutching at straws.
"What are you planning to do about it?" the girl said to me.
"What's your name?" I asked casually. The girl looked stunned by my question. She was pretty, in a very modern way, with high cheekbones, soft light skin, dark eyes and tumbling brown hair. If she washed off all that make up she'd actually look very beautiful.
"What's it to you?"
"Well, I'll need it so I'm can inform my friends of you. It's blatantly obvious I wont be able to get Emma down, but like I said, I have friends."
"Wait." A look of recognition dawned on the girl's face. "You're the human they sent." She let out a crackling laugh. "A human. What a joke. They said you'd be arriving today."
"Well, here I am."
"And you want to save Emma, do you? Be another stupid human just like the rest of them?"
"Apparently."
"Do you want to be up there too?"
"Personally, I'm not really a fan of the whole crucifixion thing," I told her. "But I'm willing to bargain."
"Bargain?"
"Yeah, you know, compromise."
"I know what you mean," the girl snapped. She seemed interested. "Bargain what exactly?"
"I'm not really sure. Is there anything you want that I could offer?"
"As a human? Well, lets see…" The girl narrowed her eyes, looking at me up and down. "What did you do to get in here?"
"Well, those friends I mentioned earlier, they did some stupid things. I got caught up in it and ended up here. Fairly boring story."
"Who are these friends? What aren't they here?"
"They went to their dorm."
"Oh, they're boys," the girl said in realisation. I only just noticed the other vampires had formed a sort of circle around us, as if we were about to begin some sort of fistfight. This thought scared me, considering this girl could probably knock my head off my neck in one punch. My eyes travelled back to the girl pinned to the wall. She also beautiful, but in a childish, classic way. She had long blonde hair that looked as if it had been clawed at and light blue eyes. She wasn't crying, but it was obvious she was in pain, and gritting her teeth, trying not to show it. She looked very young, perhaps no more than thirteen (meaning she was fifty or sixty).
"Clarissa, hurry up," one girl standing near the front of the mob moaned.
"Shut up," Clarissa snapped. She turned on me, and grinned in an evil you-are-going-to-regret-this grin. Great. "I've decided what I want. But you're boyfriends will need to help too."
"They're just friends, but let's not get into that. Help with what?"
"I can't tell you now, but you need to promise."
"You really think I'm going to go into a open ended promise with a vampire? Are you insane? Sorry, we've already proven you are. I should rephrase. Do you think I'm insane?"
"Well, it's that, or you get to join little Emma," Clarissa said, looking down at her nails as if she was disinterested. I gritted my teeth.
"Fine," I said coldly.
"Great," Clarissa grinned again. "You can take her down, Mary." All the girls then turned away from me, suddenly bored with the human before them. I watched as they roughly pulled the pins from Emma's hands making her thud to the floor. A bell rang and suddenly the dorm cleared very quickly. Eventually it was just me and Emma left. I walked to her and held out my hand. She was still on the floor, clutching at her feet with bloody hands.
"Do you need help?" I asked softly.
"Are you completely clueless?" Emma looked up at me, her face a mixture of pain and anger. "You know that now you've screwed everything up for me and you?"
"What do you mean?" I asked. Emma stood, ignoring my hand, and turned on me.
"Let's just say your time here is going to be even less pleasant than mine," she said acidly. She turned and limped away, out the door, following the other girls. I stood stunned and irritated. So much for thanks. I collected my bags and found the door that led to another corridor and more rooms. Surprisingly, everyone had their own room. I found an empty one and dumped my stuff on the bed, committing the door number to memory. I wondered what the bell meant and knew I probably should be going somewhere. Honestly, I didn't care. I was tired from the rough night in the car. I unpacked some of my stuff and lay down on the bed. I closed my eyes, just for a moment, and before I knew it I was asleep.
When I woke, I decided I shouldn't have. Because standing above me were some very pretty, tough looking vampires with knives. And last time I checked, this was a bad situation to be in.