Chapter 4-

I stared between the two of them thinking this must be some kind of joke. Then it hit me. I had told Stan that I had a weird fascination with vampires. That had to be it. It was a joke to loosen me up and make me feel more comfortable. I burst out laughing. "Oh God, that's great. Stan you told her about my fascination didn't you? Oh that was great." I couldn't stop laughing.

Stan and Kirova just sat there looking at me, faces serious. I looked between the two of them as my hysterical giggling calmed down. "Vampires are fiction. You don't expect me to believe that this is an academy full of vampires."

"And novices that are training to protect the Moroi, or vampires as you would call them," Stan said. I just looked at him shocked. What the hell happened? I mean he was so normal while we were in Minneapolis and now he is trying to tell me that vampires are real. I kept looking between the two of them to see any hint of a smile or one of them breaking.

"I'm being punked aren't I?" I said looking around. "Okay where are the cameras. Because man, you guys almost had me with you stone faces. You are really good."

"Sam, this is not a joke. You have been chosen to train here at St .Vladimir's to become the first human guardian in our history," Kirova told me.

"You can't expect me to believe all of this. Are you crazy?" I got up to leave. "I don't know what I got myself into, but I think I need to go home. I am not going to fit into looneyville."

"We can prove it to you," said Stan looking at Kirova. I slowly looked around. Okay now I was really freaking out. These people truly thought that they were vampires and there body guards or guardians or whatever it is he called them. "I don't think there is anything you can show me that is going to convince me that vampires are real," I said. They are stories, fiction, made up creatures of the night. And if you really think that this school is full of them, then I think you all need help and I am out of here on the first set of wheels I can find."

Stan stepped in front of the door to block my way out. At that point I wanted to cry. I was actually scared and wondering what the hell I had gotten myself into. "You need to show her now Kirova or she is going to leave," Stan said looking between her and me. Kirova walked forward and opened her mouth into a wide grin. There I saw a set of fangs. Now, this was really getting crazy. "That doesn't prove anything," I said. "I could go to the dentist and get some if I really wanted to." I was trying to make my voice sound as annoyed as I could. I didn't want them to know that deep down I was freaking out and just wanted to get out of there as quickly as I could.

The phone on Kirovas desk blinked at her. She picked it up and smiled. "Yes, please send them in; I think we could actually use their help right about now." I contemplated making a run for it as soon as the door opened, but thought better of it. There would be more people, vampires, guardians, whatever they called themselves. I didn't care, I just wanted out and these people didn't seem to want me to go. I was not going to spend the next two years of my life stuck in crazy town, hell I didn't want to spend the next two minutes here.

The door opened and the girl I met at the plane walked in followed by a taller girl and a really guy. I looked over at Lissa who was smiling at me and I could see fangs. Oh, God, she is crazy too. "Hi Sam, are you ready to look around the school?" asked Lissa. I looked at her and then to her two friends. "Oh silly me. This is Rose and Christian," she said still smiling. I looked between the three of them. I just wanted out. Lissa's smile began to fade. "Sam, are you okay?"

"Lissa, Christian," Kirova said. "I was just telling Samantha here about our academy. She is having a hard time believing it. I was thinking perhaps you may be able to help me convince her." I looked back at Lissa and her friends. Christian got a smug smile on his face and grinned. Holy crap, he had fangs too. They are all nuts. Just then a ball of fire lit up in his hand. It danced on his fingers and then disapereard. Then his other hand lit up. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Lissa then walked forward and touched the plant that was withering on Kirovas' desk and it perked up and blossomed into a beautiful baby rose bush. Rose just stood looking at me like I was a science experiment. I started to move and she rushed in front of Lissa. My heart was pounding out of my chest with fear. What had I done? I wanted to appear calm. "So Rose, you have any magic tricks you want to show me?" Christian and Lissa laughed and I could see the hint of a smile on Stans' lips. I decided it was now or never.

I moved faster than I ever thought I could. I kicked out and connected with Stans' ribs. He was momentarily stunned by what I had done, but it was enough. I grabbed the door handle and ran out of there faster than I thought I could run. Vampires are not real, this is not real, and this can't be happening, I kept thinking to myself. Of course, they have powers that I couldn't deny and fangs and pale and classes were held at night. Crap crap crap crap, I thought. I kept running towards the thick forest that surrounded the school hoping that I could find cover there. If I could find a place to hide, then in the morning I could make my way to the main road and find help. I was getting out of here one way or another.

Soon I was surrounded by thick forest, but I kept running. The further away from the school I got the better. I didn't want to chance them actually finding me. And if I could hide out until morning there would be no way they would find me. I mean vampires can't go out in the light. They would burn up.

It was so dark I had a hard time seeing where I was going. I kept pushing myself to run faster and further even though my lunges felt like they were going to burst. I could hear the sound of running feet behind me. I turned to see if they were in sight. Bad move, the next thing I knew I had the worst pain I had ever felt in my life pulsing through my head and then everything went dark.