3. The Gathering
When I looked at the time on the car center console it read 11:34 pm. We'd only been driving for about twenty minutes when Riley started slowing the car down. A scent that I didn't quite recognize wafted through my nose. It was strong like there were many of whatever it might be gathered into one place. It smelled sweet, yet not like blood. Riley's scent actually reminded me somewhat of the scent, or scents, I smelled at the moment. That's when I put two and two together.
"Vampires?" my voice was calm but I was quite anxious about the prospect of meeting more vampires.
"Lots of them." he looked at me and raised an eyebrow as if he was catching on to my mood. I quickly turned to stare out of the window, looking at the scenery around us.
This obviously would be considered a bad neighborhood. The buildings were close together and decrepit, and most of them where abandoned. Every other window was either smashed or boarded up and graffiti was a prominent feature on most of the townhouses. The broken down houses were accented by the liter filled streets.
I laughed to myself thinking that now I was one of the most dangerous things in this neighborhood, well me and the dozen or so other vampires who were in the area.
After about 5 more minutes of driving, Riley finally pulled into the driveway of what had to be the most run down of all the houses. He turned off the car and in the same second he dashed up the stairs that led to the front door. I froze for a fraction of a second and then I dashed up the stairs next to him.
"You ready for this?" he murmured
"As ready as I'll ever be."
With that he opened the door and we stepped inside. There was hissing from every direction and in response a hiss issued from between my teeth and in a fraction of a second I changed my stance from standing to crouching, ready to strike at any moment.
I surveyed the room, there were about twenty or so vampires in the room, some with crimson eyes, some with eyes black as coal, but no matter the color they were all locked on me. Most of the vampires were in crouching positions like me, while some others were just watching, curiosity burning in their eyes.
Riley put a hand on my shoulder. "Relax buddy, we are all friends here."
I hesitated than finally I straightened up and relaxed the scowl on my face. It was quiet in the room until a deep, baritone voice spoke up.
"So who's the corpse in the suit?"
A couple of onlookers chuckled. I looked for the source of the voice and found it belonged to a short, stocky vampire with his dirty-blonde hair gelled back.
Riley responded with a hint of amusement in his voice "This is who we've been waiting for to start the meeting, Bill."
Just then a female passed gracefully through the tight crowd and stood right in front of me. Her eyes were red but a hint of blackness was overtaking them. She was small, around 5'5 or so, and her short jet black hair stood out vividly from her porcelain pale skin. She was wearing a black, short sleeve, tight fitting band shirt and blue jeans.
It was like a chirping of birds when she spoke. "So you're whose been keeping us waiting?"
Then she smiled and I couldn't help but smile back.
"I'm Bree by the way." She continued and then she extended her hand. I grasped her hand expecting cold, but it felt normal and smooth.
"I'm Ryan, It's very nice to meet you."
While we were talking, Riley made his way silently through the crowd to the front of the room. He stood on a raised platform and faced everyone. When he spoke it was in a quiet voice but my hearing could pick up on it very easily.
"Ok so I guess I should tell you why you are here…..Why you have been created."
At the moment everyone's eyes were locked on Riley, waiting for the answer to the question most of us we're probably asking ourselves. What is our purpose?
Riley finally continued after what seemed like an eternity
"You have been created to be an Army of sorts."
At that moment, the same vampire who spoke when I first arrived spoke up first. I remembered his name was Bill.
"So you're telling me we were dragged from our normal lives and made to endure excruciating pain for three days just to die in some war?" Bill's voice was furious and it echoed around the room
A female voice answered in a soothing alto voice full of sorrow " I had a husband and kids, who I can barely remember now and you're telling me I'm just going to die again?"
The room erupted with hissing and growling as vampires feuded their opinions against each other's. Some vampires we're crouched and ready to fight each other. I took that moment to glance down at Bree who was standing at my side. She looked so small. I wondered how could she be used in this war. The idea made me shudder.
Just then, I was hit by a very powerful, alluring scent. It was human but it was like no scent I had ever smelled before. It had a floral smell to it like freesia and lavender. I looked up to see the source of the scent. Everyone in the room seemed to focus on the scent as well.
Riley stood in the middle of the room holding up a red fabric. Or maybe it was a shirt.
"This," he said nodding to the shirt "Is what we are after, the very reason for our army, and the first one of you to find her is lucky enough to claim her blood as your own. She lives in a small town called Forks."
A husky, copper-skinned female vampire spoke up "So why do we need an army, Just to find this one human?"
Riley answered in a gentle voice. "This human…" he stressed the word 'human' "Is being protected by a coven of 7 vampires, three of which, have abilities beyond that of a normal vampire."
A few of the vampires in the room smiled menacingly at the challenge while others were still dissatisfied.
It was Bill who spoke next. "So you expect me to risk my life, just for one human? There are plenty of humans in the city."
"If you're a coward maybe you should leave." It was a tall, bald vampire leaning on the banister of the stairs on the side of the room who spoke. He was wearing a red flannel shirt and a cowboy hat.
In a fraction of a section Bill had leapt over the crowd and tackled the cowboy vampire to the ground. Most of the vampires in the room gathered around to watch, Bree snuck out of the door and out of site. I stayed to try to get a good glimpse of the fight. Vicious snarls and growls issued from the middle of the crowd. Then after 10 minutes there was a new sound. It was like metal being scraped upon by something sharp. Abruptly after that there was silence.
I understood what had happened immediately. The fight had turned fatal and some vampire was missing a limb or two. I walked out of the house to try to look for Bree. I picked up her scent from somewhere above me, and finally a heard humming coming from the roof. I scaled the side of the building easily and found her sitting with her hands around her knees near the edge of the roof. I walked over and took a seat next to her.
"Was that too much for you?" I asked with concern in my velvet voice
She turned to look at me and a slight smile slowly formed across her face
"Sadly I'm quite used to it. There have been a couple of fights like that over the past couple weeks. You're new. I guess I should be asking if you're ok."
I smiled. "I'm fine as long as you are."
I was sincere when I said this. I just couldn't help happy around Bree. In the short time I've known her I've grown quite attached.
She sighed and her face grew solemn.
"What's wrong?"
"I was just wondering…do you ever think of your family?" her voice was gentle as she asked this
I took a minute before I answered, trying to find the exact words I wanted to say.
"It's hard to remember, but I try and I do think of them."
I tried to remember my mother Omega's caramel skin and gentle warm smile, My father's boisterous laughter and his graying hair. I smiled because it was so easy to remember them. Bree finally broke me out of my silent dreaming.
"It just feels like with each passing day, the memory of my love ones fades more and more."
I put my arm around her reassuringly and she rested her head on my shoulder.
"Maybe you just need to think of them every day to help retain your memory."
She didn't answer so I figured that was the end of the conversation. I didn't realize how long we sat like that but I noticed the sun beginning to rise over the horizon.
I broke the silence first. "I guess this means we should get inside."
"No, stay…please" Bree pleaded with me
I looked at her and then at the sun rising higher into the sky. I figured nothing good could come of me being a vampire and sitting in the sun.
As if she was reading my thoughts, Bree chuckled and answered my unasked question.
"It won't hurt you, just wait."
I waited a watched as the sun hit her skin. It was like nothing I've ever seen before. Her skin usually so pale before, was glittering like there were thousands of diamonds embedded into her skin. Tiny rainbows were being reflected from her skin onto the roof. I looked at my own hands-- they were glittering just as beautifully. I was shocked.
"So this is why we can't be in the sun." I gasped
Bree nodded and then I looked at her eyes. They were as black as coal now and shadows had developed under her eyes.
"You're thirsty. I'll have to take you hunting later."
She chuckled and pulled on the sleeve of my suit jacket. "And I'll have to take you to get better clothes."
I looked at her and smiled. "It's a date."
