Crossroads (Crossroads Academy #1)

by J.J. Bonds

  Chapter Twenty

  The next few days drag. I tell myself that the situation in Rutland has nothing to do with me and make a point of avoiding all news or discussion of it. It’s not easy. The missing boy is all anyone wants to talk about. I spend my free time in the gym working with the crossbow and beating the stuffing out of a practice dummy. I’ve got a lot of lost time to make up for. I’ve even been sleeping well, and I’m starting to think that maybe I’ve put the nightmares behind me. I feel more like my old self. Color is returning to my cheeks, and I see a healthy vibrant glow when I look in the mirror. I can’t figure it out, but I’m not complaining.

  When we return to Lynch’s class, he’s bent on discussing the latest news from Rutland. He probably thinks it’s his duty since it’s a Sociology class. I resign myself to the fact that I can’t bury my head in the sand forever.

  “Class, there have been some new developments in Rutland. In light of this breaking news, I’m going to skip my planned lecture on the evolution of coven mentality. It’s unorthodox, but I’d rather we watch the news together so that we can discuss it as a group. I’m sure many of you will have questions.”

  Lynch taps into an online broadcast and projects the newscast on a screen at the front of the room. We’re greeted by the somber face of the WPBX news anchor.

  “Good morning. I’m Addison Parker, and you’re watching WPBX News at Eleven. We have breaking news from Rutland this morning, where the town has been searching for little Damian Thomas for nearly a week.” A photo of the missing child is posted on the screen opposite the newscaster. I can hardly believe my eyes. It can’t be! It’s the boy from the corner. The one with the Spiderman scarf and the rosy cheeks; the one from my dream. That’s it. Maybe this is another nightmare.

  I close my eyes and bite the inside of my lip hard enough to draw blood. The familiar tastes of salt and copper fill my mouth and I hope desperately that I will wake up in my bed. I’ll gladly face the return of the nightmares if it means that Damian is safely at home with his family. I open my eyes tentatively. I’m still sitting in Lynch’s class. Saddened, I accept that this is really happening. I force myself to look at the screen again, to focus on Addison Parker, to face reality.

  “Damian Thomas, eight years old, disappeared on his way home from school last Wednesday. Thomas, a student at Rutland Elementary, was last seen walking away from the school on Temple Street. Police have no leads and no suspects at this time. However, we’ve just been advised of a new development in the case. WPBX’s Devon Rhodes is on the scene.”

  The camera cuts away from the studio and goes to a live feed. Devon Rhodes is standing at the edge of the forest surrounded by police and emergency vehicles. The one that catches my eye has the bold words ‘Medical Examiner’ stamped on its side.

  “Hi Addison. I’m here at Green Mountain National Forest where I’m told police have just made a gruesome discovery. Hikers found the remains of a human body which police and emergency personnel are working to extricate from the woods at this time. It’s too early to tell for sure, but a source tells me these are not the remains of Damian Thomas. Although a positive identification has not yet been made, I’m told this is likely an adult.”

  “Do you have any indication of cause of death, Devon? Was this a hiking accident?” Addison asks, cutting in.

  “No one here is saying for sure, but early reports suggest that the body was severely mutilated indicating the possibility of an animal attack or something more sinister. I don’t want to upset our viewers unnecessarily, but WPBX will stay on the scene until we have more answers.”

  There’s a flurry of activity at the edge of the forest, and the camera pans away from Rhodes. Although he’s no longer on screen, he continues his commentary for the viewers at home.

  “If you have small children watching, you may want them to leave the room. Some of the images you’re about to see are graphic in nature and are intended for mature audiences only.” He pauses to show respect although the camera keeps rolling. “It looks like they’re bringing the body out now.”

  We all stare in morbid fascination, as the camera zooms in on the stretcher emerging from the woods. It’s carried by a team of uniformed men. It’s nothing like what they show in the movies. The body isn’t encased in a black plastic bag, just covered in a sterile white sheet. I wonder if they’d hoped to resuscitate the victim. They probably weren’t expecting a news crew on the scene. As we watch a red stain blossoms on the sheet, revealing that the body was indeed in bad condition.

  “This is a tragic scene,” Rhodes cuts in, stepping back in front of the camera. Thankfully, it seems he’s decided the public has seen enough. “The Rutland P.D. will have their work cut out for them on this case. Between the wooded location and the rain we had yesterday, evidence collection may prove difficult.”

  Just as the story is about to wrap up, there’s more commotion off camera.

  “Oh, my!” Rhodes gasps, momentarily losing his composure. The camera shifts again, and we can see a couple struggling with the police screaming and crying. They appear to be trying to get closer to the body. “Joe and Jeanette Thomas, Damian Thomas’ parents, have just arrived at the scene. It doesn’t look like police were expecting them. What a difficult situation. I’m sure they’re anxious to know if this is their child.”

  That’s the trouble with a small town, I think. News spreads quickly. It was stupid of the police to think the Thomas’ wouldn’t have known immediately about the body in the woods. Police scanners are a dime a dozen. As soon as the call went out, they probably knew about it. The whole thing is unsettling to watch. I wish Lynch would turn it off. These people aren’t city people. They aren’t used to this kind of violence touching their lives. Their pain is palpable. Even the anchor, Rhodes, is struggling to maintain his professionalism in the face of such overwhelming grief.

  “And now back to you in the studio, Addison.”

  “Thanks, Devon. What a tragic week for the people of Rutland. But, for now, it seems we can all keep praying that Damian Thomas may still be brought home safely. Remember, you heard it here first on WPBX, Vermont’s number one source for breaking news.”

  Lynch shuts off the projector and addresses the class. “Terrible, terrible stuff.” He looks grim. This new development, the mangled body in the woods, doesn’t look good, and he knows it. This thing might be coming closer to Crossroads before it’s over.

  “Professor, what do you make of the body in the woods?” one of my classmates asks.

  “Too early to tell,” he replies. “It could very well be an animal attack. These things happen occasionally, and it’s about the right time for the bear population to wake from hibernation. They’ll wake hungry.”

  “You don’t think this is tied to the missing boy? That seems like an awfully big coincidence if you ask me,” Lexie weighs in. “It’s just dreadful to think someone at Crossroads could’ve done this, jeopardizing all of us. The least they could’ve done was cover their tracks.”

  “It’s in our nature to feed on the lifeblood of other creatures. It’s natural,” Lynch responds. “However, if a student from this school has broken the rules, he or she will be dealt with accordingly. Either way, we shouldn’t jump to any conclusions Miss Worthington. There is no conclusive evidence to prove that either of these cases is a vampire attack.”

  Blaine raises his hand. He doesn’t speak much in class, but when he does it’s usually appalling. I prepare myself for the worst.

  “Besides, even if these were vampire attacks, it’s like you said Professor Lynch. It’s in our nature. Maybe leniency should be given. Maybe the individual responsible was unable to control the thirst. Vampires kill humans every day around the world without fear of reprisal from the Linkuri. Why is it such a big deal if two of these deaths are close to the school? Why does that make it any worse?”

  “Interesting question,” Lynch agrees. “I’m not sure it’s a question of being better or worse, Blaine. The real iss
ue isn’t the murder, per se. It’s the matter of exposure. Assuming that these were vampire attacks, feeding in such close proximity to the school and leaving such a blatant trail puts us all at risk. It’s no different than turning one who feeds freely and draws too much attention to our existence. The Council is very clear on this point. Both are punishable by death.”