Authors: Alexandra Hope
“But we were working—” he began but was cut short by their teacher.
“Save it Noah, I deal with your nonsense on a daily basis but Olivia,” he turned to her, “I don't understand what's up with you lately. You're both so close to seventeen but lately I can't distinguish you from Allison and she's barely twelve!” He looked over to Allison, the youngest of the children in the colony. She studied alongside the other students in the mixed age home-schooled classes and was extremely bright, often tutoring the older kids in human anatomy and other subjects relevant to them.
“I'm sorry,” Olivia offered her best apology. “I have been a little distracted.”
He leaned in closer to her and rested his palm on her shoulder. “I know you have a lot of responsibilities within this colony but I need you to focus. The day is drawing near and everyone must be ready.”
She nodded at him.
He stepped back and announced to the class, “Olivia and Noah are going to demonstrate the shortcomings of the human body against a,” he made air quotes, “
predator attack
while your stones are curing.”
Noah looked to Olivia who looked from the animal skulls to Dr. Wilkinson, “Should I demonstrate with the skulls?”
“If you wish,” he replied then sat on the couch next to the table.
“Well,” she began, pulling her tan cardigan off and exposing her black camisole and frail, white arms. “Human blood is pumped through our body, through veins…because of the...circulatory system,” she stumbled over her words. Her classmates eyed each other, wondering how she had become so verbally uncoordinated.
“Why don't you just show us on Noah where a predator's attack would be most effective,” Dr. Wilkinson suggested. He then pulled a cup of warm liquid to his lips.
Some students turned to their teacher for a brief moment, the scent of the blood arousing them but not nearly as much as Olivia whose stomach cried out for it. Noah coughed over the sounds of her stomach until it rested and she continued. She began speaking. “A bite from a vampire to the neck is the one we see in movies most often. But why the neck?” she asked, surveying the class. “Because of the carotid artery. A major artery. Major artery equals massive blood.” She turned to Noah and stood on her tippy toes to reach his immeasurable height and led her mouth to the base of his neck, feigning a bite. She then pulled back and turned to the students and continued. “Attacking a human where the most blood flows is a great way to get blood fast, and the neck is no doubt the easiest entry point because you can come from behind, the side or directly from ahead. Other points, however, like the wrist make it harder to
surprise
a human,” she put air quotes around the word. “The veins in the wrist are notably smaller, equaling less blood and more time wasted. It is also important to note human canines are not capable of puncturing the skin without over exerted force, but animals like foxes and wolves can do it easily...their canines are a prime example of vampire fangs. That's what we're striving for in this colony,” she said without rest.
In the front, Allison raised her hand.
“Yes Allison?”
“Can you demonstrate with the skulls?”
Olivia picked up the wolf skull and brought it to Noah's neck and modeled a bite then did the same to various parts of his body until Allison was satisfied. Dr. Wilkinson broke the silence with several claps which sparked a roar of claps and praise from their classmates.
“Very good work Olivia,” he congratulated her then turned to Noah, “Strive to be as good as Olivia in the future, Noah.”
He smirked and shrugged it off as he mouthed the word 'great' mockingly. His voice than became audible, but just a whisper directed to her, “I'll see you in history.” He walked out of the house as the students were closing their notebooks and getting out of their chairs.
“As always, I hope you guys learned something. I'll see you tomorrow,” said Dr. Wilkinson, dismissing the class.
Outside, the night air blew past Olivia and kicked up dark leaves on the verge of turning. She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. A figure came up from behind and tapped her shoulder with two fingers, stopping in her tracks. Olivia turned around and met eyes with Sam who tipped her head to the child beside her.
“Yes Allison?”
“Do you believe in immortality?”
Olivia's eyes widened as the question registered in her mind. She closed her eyes for a moment then turned to continue walking with Allison and Sam at her side. “If there is immortality to be had, the Matriarch will find it.”
“But do you believe in it? Do you believe there is a blood so powerful it will awaken the dead and reanimate the body and soul?”
Olivia swallowed hard and Sam looked down at Allison with wide eyes as her usually vacant expression shifted to a slightly nervous one. “I believe...” her voice wavered as the words stumbled out of her mouth, “immortality does exist and those who want it bad enough will get what they asked for.”
“Do you want it?” asked Allison, as she scribbled notes across a pad in a studious manner.
They stopped just outside their history class housed in a five bedroom mini mansion, the face covered in bricks. White columns and wooden rails lined the porch and wrapped around it, leading to the steps on the side. They walked onto the porch and passed three large windows before stopping at the door. Olivia let out a breath as she pushed the door open and answered. “Not as much as I need it.”
Allison nodded at her cryptic words, pushing her frames further atop her nose and pushing her dark coils from her caramel face. A chandelier illuminated the entrance which was an endless space of white against the cherry wood and black iron staircase. The stairs wrapped around in a spiral before them with welcoming oddities at the base of it and mirrors lining the walls. An assortment of small knives were encased in a glass frame and hung on the wall just above a walnut table. Allison and Sam went further into the house and walked passed a room hidden behind double doors made of glass and wood. Through the doors, leather chairs were set up on a Persian rug and light flickered in the fireplace where more knives sat just above the mantle. Olivia walked behind the two girls, down the hall and through the kitchen, her hands sliding across the marble covered island as she headed into another room. The sound of their peers welcomed them as they finally entered the living room. It was another vast space of characterless white but in comparison to Dr. Wilkinson's, it actually resembled a classroom as personal desks were set up facing a wide desk at the end of the living room. Sam and Allison filled the empty desk in the middle of the room while Olivia sat at the desk next to Noah. He leaned over to her and brushed his shoulder against her prompting her to turn and meet eyes with his grinning face.
“So, you gonna tell me about this dream?”
“To be honest, I don't remember it...”
“OK, now I know you're lying. Just tell me 'cause I can see how much it's bothering you.”
“Can you now?” She put her elbow to the desk and placing her chin in her palm, she turned away.
He took his hand to her face, cupping her cheek and turning it back to him. “Yes, of course I can. Now come on and tell me.”
“Well, I tried to save you...” her voice shook, “but he ripped your heart out. There was nothing I could do.”
“Who?” he whispered and leaned in closer, awaiting her response.
“I have no idea. His features were covered in this eerie red fog and the woman...”
“What woman?”
“She told me that she could give me the immortality to save you but it was too late,” she said as she shook her head. The chatter of the students had quieted as the last word slipped out of her mouth. A figure emerged from the hall, draped entirely in black save for a white lab coat. Her dark brown hair was pulled back in a neat bun and her light brown eyes scanned the room as she pulled the door close. Her intimidating presence could not be matched as she rendered the normally boisterous students to a taciturn group of well mannered children. She placed a book to her desk and only then did they notice a large HDTV on top of it. She turned off the light, leaving everyone enveloped in darkness save for the moonlight pouring through the patio door from behind her. Clearing her throat, she spoke up as she clicked the TV on and put a disc in the player. “Pay close attention to this film because it showcases the rich and accurate history of Vampirism.”
The ambiance of the room had made it all too hard for Olivia to resist the urge to fall into a slumber. As her eyelids began to waver, Noah leaned over to nudge her back to consciousness with little success. She nodded to him a few times before yet again drifting off, her head resting on top of her folded arms on the desk. While the students watched on, engrossed by the film, Noah studied Olivia's motions as she cringed and murmured in her sleep. He tried to pull back the waves that cascaded down her face but she swatted his hand and turned away, her hair once again shading her face.
Allison slowly rolled her head to the side to peek behind her where Olivia lay quietly. Noah looked back at the young girl whose eyes were gazing fixedly at Olivia, her lips pulled in as she shifted uncomfortably. Sam was the second to turn back, swallowing hard as she eyed the two. Following Sam's shift backwards, rows of students looked back and from the front of the room their teacher lifted her head as the scent wafted from the back of the “classroom”. The scent finally crept into Noah's nose as their teacher headed in his direction. He looked down to see blood pouring out of a wound that Olivia made from digging her nails into her flesh as she clenched her fist. By the time everything had registered in his mind, it was too late to hide it. The teacher stood before the two with a reserved expression, looking from Noah to Olivia. She turned around to the students who were stealing glances at the sight behind them, “Go home students. Class has been cut short.”
She looked back down at Noah, “Except you.”
As the students rose from their seats and exited the home, her glaring expression softened just a bit.
“I'm sorry Matriarch. I should have noticed this.” He lowered his head and looked at Olivia who slowly began to stir.
Olivia turned her head to Noah just as he was apologizing and then she noticed the emptiness of the room. She turned to see her mother looking at her bloody hand. “I'm sorry Mother, I didn't… I don't understand—”
A slender figure emerged from behind Mar, her stealthy appearance only surprising Noah. They looked at the woman, her blue eyes turning into crescents and lines creased around her thin pink lips as she waved her hand at them. She pushed some loose strands of her black hair away from her face with a single skeletal finger as she looked down at Olivia. “Oh, sorry. Private meeting going on?” she asked, backing up.
“No, Natalie. I had to dismiss my class for a little emergency and I needed your son to stay behind.”
“I see. He was probably happy to stay behind considering how much trouble he's in.” Natalie shot him a glance and he grinned it away.
“You can't be mad at me forever Mom.”
“Actually, yes I can. I'll have a lifetime to be mad at you for skipping half your class and lying to your teacher.”
Mar and Olivia both looked at Noah who shrugged it off. “Dr. Wilkinson is so dry. I honestly can't learn anything in his class.”
Olivia's stomach growled and took the attention away from Noah. They all turned to her and Noah offered a sympathetic expression as Mar walked away and moments later returned with a freshly procured blood bag, “Drink.”
“I am alright,” she insisted.
“Your stomach is telling you something, you should listen to it.”
Natalie nodded at Mar's words, but Olivia shook her head and spoke once more, “I am OK, really. I fed not too long ago but I guess my stomach has yet to get the memo.”
“Fair enough. The sun will not peak for some hours, but I'm going to ground now. You must get plenty of rest before tomorrow as well.”
“Oh yeah, tomorrow is your birthday isn't it Olivia?” Natalie asked, her eyes lit up.
Olivia half nodded.
“Are you excited?” she continued, “You get to hunt for blood all by yourself!”
“I guess the reality will set in tomorrow.”
“Well I can tell you there's no greater feeling than tasting blood straight from the vein. The hunt is a close second.”
Noah tried hard to contain his repulsed expression as his mother went on in detail about hunting humans for their blood. The thought of it all made Noah sick but he tried to hide it when his mother spoke in such high esteem about it. He could see Olivia nodding along, probably only half listening to his mother's words. He knew she had her own reservations of the colony's ways but as the daughter of the Matriarch she kept them to herself and followed orders as she was told. Olivia's former animated character had slipped away from her as she became an android of sorts within the colony, never denying an order. He asked himself how he could save her humanity but nothing concrete ever came to mind.
“Let's go Noah,” Natalie called back to him, snapping him out of his thoughts.
“Can I stay with Olivia?”
Natalie looked at him with disbelief written across her face. “Are you serious? After the stunt you pulled in your class—”
“If it's not too much trouble to allow Noah to stay, I would appreciate it.”