Chapter 1 : The Society
Alex and I walked the cold, damp streets of Seattle, Washington. We were in a "bad" side of town. It was very dark, the street lamps were... ill-maintained to put it generously, half the lights were out and the other have were dimmed significantly. I saw some people stumbling around in the dark holding bottles in their hands, some were just sitting on the ground. I did not feel conferable here, but I was determined to not let the standing hairs on the back of my neck stop me. I just saw a innocent librarian get killed and the blood sucked out of her by a creature only in my best dreams and worst nightmares would have existed. I wondered, if vampires were real, what else was real?
"You will find out, just how many supernatural creatures that were thought to exist only in myths and dreams are walking among us," he said, almost as if he knew what I was thinking, it disturbed me, no not disturbed, it was only unsettling.
"What is your name?" he asked me.
"My name is Valens," I told him.
"I have so many questions, I'm not sure which to ask first," I told Alex.
"That is ok, I would really be surprised if you didn't. I was exactly the same way you were once I accepted that these... creatures existed," He said as if reminiscing. I visibly shivered from the cold despite my best efforts not to.
"You cold? Here," he said taking off his cloak, revealing a thick black shirt under it, and handing it to me.
"Are you sure you aren't cold?" I asked him but accepted the cloak and pulled it around me.
"No, we will be at the chapter house soon anyway," He responded.
"You never really explained what that is," I muttered, obviously not content with his answer. He chuckled a bit.
"Just like me..." He laughed.
"I'm not trying to be rude or mean but you seem like you're not that affected by the death of that librarian," I said, not sure if I said something wrong or not.
"I am affected, however I have seen worst then what happened to her, much much worst. I wished you had not seen that but you seemed, stubborn, in not believing me," He said.
"Are you saying that you knew that the librarian was going to die?!" I asked loudly.
"No! I did not see it coming, I am just commenting on the timing, it was too perfect, I bet that Alissa," He said her name with contempt, "Knew what I was going to do. So she conveniently arrived to show you the truth and get a... get sustenance, for lack of a better term," He continued.
"I'm sorry for accusing you," I apologized meaningfully.
"It's ok, just keep in mind that we are but mortals 'Shadows and Dust', some say, 'meddling' in affairs of creatures that are much more powerful then we could possibly know," He said, I listen carefully knowing what he had said to be important,
"We are weak, compared to the things that we're 'studying'. If the Arcanum have learned anything about our subjects. Is that if we attract too much attention from any kind of supernatural creature, results could be fatal. Most creatures we watch do not like to be subject to observation, and any kind of 'investigation' from these creatures can put the entire society in serous risk. However do not fool yourself in to thinking that we are not known, we have just not done anything too irritating to incur their full wrath although several memebers of the Arcanum have disappered."
We kept on walking through the dirty damp streets. We stopped about 30 seconds later in front of a large abandoned library. We walked up to the entrance, Alex tapped on the door, 3 times, paused and then 5 more times. A hidden peephole opened and looked at Alex, and closed the peephole, a few clicks of locks later, and the door opened. Alex walked in and I followed him. The "guard" at the door looked like a 30 year-old women with long red hair, she was holding a katana in one hand and a revolver in the other, I saw her take a seat on a wooden stool next to the heavy-duty metal door. We walked into what seemed like a main hall, their were about 10 people in the main hall, I saw huge bookcases, some reaching up to the ceiling 30 feet in the air. I stared in wonder and awe, despite the building being run-downed and abandoned on the outside, it looked more or less like a normal library on the inside. Their were about 10 such bookcases, between each was about 15 feet of clearance, on the 2 sides of the bookcases, were seating areas. Each area had about 5 tables and 7 chairs, I could also see a water jug in the corner with a stack of paper cups. At the end of the bookcases, away from the entrance was a huge bookcase, at least 20 feet high and stretching all the way across the building about 100 yards.
"Impressive," I said blankly, unable to describe how cool this was. You see I'm a nerd and this was like heaven to me, except I was jerked back into reality when my mind flashed the image of Allisia feeding on that librarian. Not heaven, Hell.
"Hello Alex, it is good to see that you have came," A man's voice, high for a guy but rough.
"It's good to be back Walter," Alex said to the man, I looked at the man who was in front of us. He was about 6.2, 160 pounds, dark hair and bright gray eyes, it was kind of unsettling but he was smiling, he had on a loose jacket under his dark purple cloak.
"Who have you brought to us Alex?" Walter asked looking me over.
"I seek to initiate him into the Arcanum," Alex said formally. He gestured me forward and I stepped away from him making myself more open. We were near the bookcases, it seemed everyone stopped what they were doing and came to look at us.
"Dose he know the danger of what this entails?" Walter asked.
"I do," I answered Walter before Alex could speak.
"Have you seen what could happen?" He asked directing the question to me, since I made it seemed like I could fend for myself.
"I've..."I paused.
"Me and Valens saw a vampire feed in the local library tonight," Alex said, answering the question for me.
"Allissia again?" Walter asked.
"Yes," Alex responded with a little disgusted.
"She seems to have a fix on you, you should be careful," Walter stated.
"I know," Alex muttered like he was getting a lecture from a parent. I could tell Alex did not want to discuss this.
"So what do I have to do? To get in?" I asked Walter, trying to change the subject.
"First you need to get the ritual set up," Walter said.
"Ritual?" I asked, nervousness creeping into my voice.
"It's not much, more of a formality then anything else," Alex assured me.
"How long will it take to get ready?" I asked to Walter or Alex, not sure who would answer.
"Until tomorrow night, it should be ready by then, right?" Alex answered seeking confirmation from Walter,
"Yes, tomorrow should suffice," Walter confirmed.
"You should take the boy home, he has a big night tomorrow," Walter said.
"I'm NOT a little kid!" I exclaimed, angered.
"Don't treat me like one, I'm getting into this, you may not have asked it. But you could at least give me the respect of treating me like a adult. Ahuramazda, know I've gone through more shit this night then most adults could handle." I said calming myself the longer I ranted, I wasn't officially an adult, only 17 but still, what I said was true.
"Ahuramazda? That is the Zoroastrianism's god, it means Lord of Wisdom. You a follower?" I heard a women's voice said, I looked at her, she was pretty, straight brown hair, blue eyes, black bordered glasses, she must have been about 5.8 about 130 pounds. She had a green sweater and blue jeans.
"Yes, how do you know?" I asked mystified, almost no one knows who Ahuramazda is. I was more then surprised.
"Oh, I'm a follower, I like to believe that there is a good part in everyone's soul," She answered me. Walter got my attention.
"You are right, I apologize for that, but you should try to get some sleep, chances are that you will be awake all night tomorrow." Walter told me.
"Sorry I just, don't feel that people take me seriously," I admitted. It was true no one took me seriously and I hated it. But I do not like violence that much so I never showed someone that I was serious, that seems to be the only way to show someone in high school that your serious.
"Don't worry about it, you really need to take him home." Walter said first to me then to Alex. Alex motioned me to follow and I did, but before we walked away I looked back at her, she saw me and looked down avoiding my eyes. We walked out of the building. And towards the parking lot.
"Your 17, do you have school?" He asked me.
"Yes," I responded.
"I'll pick you up, would your parents mind?" He asked. I looked away.
"My parents...are dead, murdered, I have provided for myself for 5 years now," I said to him.
"Really," he said surprised "Where do you live? How do you make money?" He asked.
"I do other people's homework for them for some spare cash, for the main bulk of my income. I make web pages. I also write simple computer programs for people. I live in a small apartment." I told him, "It is a surprisingly good business," I said with a little chuckle, he did too. Who was that girl? I asked myself.
"Her name is Olivia," He answered my thoughts. I hated that.
"Are you sure you can't read minds?" I asked annoyed.
"Come on you can't seriously think that you were that covert when you looked back, anyone looking tell you had the hots for her," I looked away, partially because he was right, mostly because I was blushing, I wasn't fooling anyone.
We turned the corner into the parking lot, their were only 7 vehicles, most were SUVs and vans. But we walked toward one of the only cars in the lot. It was an aqua colored 2008 Audi TT. It was a very nice car, I could not deny it.
"Impressive, really impressive," I said.
"I know, its a good car, more then good it's great," he corrected himself. He got into the drivers side and I got in the passengers, the car's interior was great, heated seats, GPS and sync. You talk and the car dose. We started to drive.
"What's the address?" He asked softly, I could still hear him, the car was almost completely silent.
"The last house on the right on Lional ave." I said to him.
"Thats outside town," He stated.
"Yep," I said. We sat quietly for awhile as he drove me to my apartment.
He was extremely calm, so it surprised me when he told me.
"We are going to be getting to your home a little later then I thought," He said.
"Why?" I asked.
"We are getting tailed," he said with no emotion. I looked at him, eyes wide, we started to accelerate, I watched the speedometer as it climbed to 60 mph in 10 seconds. He wasn't flooring it though. We were going fast, weaving in between cars, I grabbed the hand hold near the door on the roof of the car. He did not take his eyes off the road for more then a moment, but still checked if we were being followed. I could tell without looking we were because he wasn't slowing down. I leaned my back against the seat, trying not to hyperventilate. Alex had enough trouble without me adding to it.
"Dammit, persistent bitch" Alex muttered under his breath, but I still heard. I assumed it was Allissia following us. I looked behind me and saw that the car was being driven with the same amount of control as Alex's but I could tell that she was having as hard a time as Alex was keeping control of the car. We were driving on the highway, going 120 mph now, the other car started to gain on us.
"Get in the back of the car, on the place where your feet would be, there is a rifle, it's loaded. Only show your head to the window, aim and fire, try and hit the wheels," Alex told me calmly.
"Ok, but how are you so calm," I asked.
"It's natural for me, please she is catching up on us," I looked back and saw that she was at 100 feet roughly now she was about 65 feet and gaining slowly. I climbed in the back of the vehicle. The rifle was exactly where Alex said it would be. I sat on the seat, my legs stretched out over the entire backseat, I rested my head against the side window and pulled the rifle up, surprisingly it wasn't too long to touch the glass of the car's back window. I lined up the sight and my target, her left wheel. I took a moment and let my aim rest before pulling the trigger, the recoil was surprising and the rifle recoil near took me off the back seat and I was almost sitting on the floor of the car in the back. I knew that my shot was right because I heard wild screeching and turning of a car. I looked up and saw that the car that was following us had stopped and surprising to me wasn't flipped over. I got out from the back of the car, and into the passengers seat, putting the rifle back where it was.
"Nice shot," he complemented me as I climbed back into the passengers seat.
"Thanks, that was my first time," I said
"Sorry I had to do that but I didn't have much of a choice, she must have wanted us alive or else she would have shot first. I bet she's pissed now," He said a little nervous.
We drove to my house from their making sure no one else was taking an interest in us before heading back. He dropped me off at my apartment.
"Tomorrow after school, I'll come pick you up k?" He asked.
"Right," I affirmed. He got back in his car and drove off, waving at me as he left. I slumped against the wall of the building. Tired as hell, I went over what happened over the coarse of this night. I saw someone get sucked dry and killed, I'm going to be part of a secret society that studies supernatural creatures, and I was in part of a car chase for about 10 minutes and shot a gun for the first time, but best of all I found a nice girl in this fucking city that shared the same remote religion as me. Wow, I had a very busy day today. I reached into my pocket and got my keys, I walked to my door, and put the key in the hole and twisted, but the click of the bolt holding the door never sounded.
"Shit," I said as I realized what was about to happen. The door flew open and a pale hand grasped around my neck with a very forceful pull I was yanked off my feet into my apartment room.
Author Note: sorry for the cliffhanger but I already have over 2500 words, I know that is a bad excuse though, sorry I've none other. Besides a little cliffhanger once and awhile is not too bad. Review so I know you want to hear more.
