Elysium

by Sylah Sloan

  The room I was in looked like a hospital room, lots of machines making annoying sounds. An IV was stuck in my arm, and a bright red fluid looking suspiciously like blood flowed into my veins. I got grossed out. I followed the tubing to an IV pole, where sure enough, a half full bag of blood hung. A flat screen TV was on the wall in front of me, the volume down, as the news played. A brown leather couch sat off to the side, a coffee table in front of that with two empty coffee-stained mugs atop it. Something felt different, not the room, but something about me felt different.

  I saw the bathroom, from across the room, the bright white tile peeking from the half closed door. I slipped out of the bed, grabbing on to the IV pole and slowly making my way over to the door. A large door was closed off to the side, hidden behind a wall, so that I hadn’t seen it from the bed. I eyed it as I made my way to the bathroom, making a mental note it was, most likely, my only way out.

  I shut the door, the florescent light flickering on above me and stinging my eyes. It looked like a regular bathroom, white tile flooring and matching walls. A shower took up one full wall, a white vinyl shower curtain pushed open. Everything looked so clean, so put together and in its rightful place.

  I looked at myself in the mirror, my mouth going slack at my reflection. My skin was alabaster white, so smooth and flawless. My eyes looked huge on my face, the blue so clear and bright I wondered if someone had put contacts in my eyes. I ran a hand over my hair. The strands were so silky, so shiny, nothing like it used to be. I licked my lips, my tongue rubbing up against something that set my pulse pounding. I gripped the sink and leaned in, opening my mouth wide, my eyes going bigger.

  “That can’t be right.” I reached my hand up, running a finger over one of my teeth and forcibly shaking. My incisors were sharp points—fangs. “No, it can’t be. I’m not one of them.”

  I pushed back from the sink, my heart beating so fast, as fear took over. I threw the door open, completely forgetting the IV stuck in my vein. The needle ripped out of my arm, and I screamed out in pain. It didn’t deter me though as I made a mad dash from what I hoped was the exit. I felt warm blood drip down my arm, but I didn’t care. I threw the door open and ran right into a hard, warm body. I looked up, moving backwards, my hands in front of me.

  The man was huge, his shoulders as wide as the doorframe, his muscles packed on his body. He was gorgeous, and even with my current state of emotions, that one detail failed to go unnoticed.

  “Please. I won’t harm you.”

  He said the words like they were supposed to placate me. But what caught my attention, what held it, was the two sharp fangs I could see as he spoke. I looked around the room, looking for another way out. Everything tilted, and my body shook harder. I grabbed my head, trying to get the room to quit spinning. “I can’t be one of them. I can’t.”

  I said it over and over again, my eyes going back to the man in front of me. He was steadily walking towards me, his hands outstretched.

  “Dr. Iverson, I think you better come in here,” he called out, his eyes never leaving mine.

  I couldn’t get the room to stop spinning, and soon I couldn’t stand. I felt myself fall forward, but before I met the hard ground, strong arms caught me, just as darkness enveloped me.

  ****

  I could hear the voices before I was fully awake. I opened my eyes, everything a blur, before they finally adjusted. I felt a little disoriented, as if my head wasn’t fully attached. Two men were seated on the couch, a file open in front of them and paper scattered in every direction. As if they sensed me, they both looked up in unison, everything suddenly becoming silent. They looked at each other before standing and walking towards me.

  “Hello, Meadow. I’m Dr. Mikhail Iverson, and you’ve already met Dr. Cadeon Frost. We had to give you some medication to calm you down.”

  The man who spoke looked slightly older, maybe in his thirties. His hair was dark and impeccably combed to perfection. I didn’t miss the two fangs that showed as he talked either.

  “Hello, Meadow, how are you feeling?”

  I looked at the one who spoke, the one named Dr. Frost. I couldn’t help myself from staring. Even in my situation, my mind couldn’t help but appreciate how handsome he was. Maybe it was the drugs they gave me.

  “Hello, Cadeon.” I smiled and tried to sit up. They gave each other a confused look, before bringing their attention back to me. I felt free, and knew it was most definitely the drugs they gave me. I would never have acted this way if I wasn’t high.

  “How are you feeling?”

  “Perfect, and you?” I leaned against the headboard, never taking my eyes off of him. His hair was dark, slightly disheveled, looking horribly good on him. His eyes were the color of the Caribbean, a perfect mixture of green and blue. He cleared his throat and looked uncomfortable at my attention towards him. I should have felt embarrassed, but of course I didn’t.

  “I can see the medication is still in your system, so this should make things easier.”

  I felt a wave of dizziness and briefly closed my eyes. I rested my hand on my forehead, waiting for it to pass.

  “Here, have a glass of water.”

  I cracked my eyes open and took the glass out of Dr. Frost’s hand. Our fingers briefly touched, and I swear I felt a tingle of electricity pass along my fingers. Whether he felt the same thing I don’t know, but when I looked into his eyes, he had the same stunned expression I did.

  “Thank you.” I took a long drink from the glass, feeling the cool liquid slide down my parched throat. I rested my head against the headboard and closed my eyes again. When I opened them, I stared at the crook of my arm. The IV was back in, the tubing a bright red.

  “We have a lot to discuss, Meadow, of course, when you’re ready.”

  I let out a sigh, knowing what they were going to say. I remembered what my reflection looked like, those images penetrating my drug-induced haze. “Just tell me what I’ve become.” I didn’t want to beat around the bush. I watched the news, knew what kind of creatures walked amongst humans. Why freak out about something that obviously couldn’t be changed? I truly believed everything happened for a reason.

  “How did I become like this?” I drew my attention away from my arm and looked at them. Dr. Frost had left, and I was surprised I hadn’t heard his departure. I was a little thankful for that fact, since I couldn’t even seem to concentrate with him around.

  “What do you know about the Arcanes?”

  The Arcanes, mythical beings that existed, that walked amongst humans. There were so many different creatures that I really didn’t keep track of what was out there. I shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess what everyone else knows.” I didn’t elaborate anymore. I wanted him to explain it to me, wanted him to tell me what was going on.

  “Can you tell me exactly what you know about us?”

  I didn’t miss how he used the word “us.” I tuned my attention to the silent television, the news now gone and replaced with a wildlife program. “I don’t know. I mean, there are a lot of different species. Is that even the right word to use? Species?” I looked at him, noticing a small smile spread across his lips. I felt my cheeks heat under his stare.

  “I guess that’s a safe word to use.”

  “Can you just get this over with? My head is starting to hurt.” I closed my eyes and heard him sigh.

  “The Arcane have lived for as long as man has walked the Earth, some even before that. By your reaction, I would say it’s safe to assume you know vampires are grouped in the category of the Arcane.”

  I laughed, actually laughed, even though it was so not funny.

  “Along with vampires, there are werewolves, warlocks, witches, and demons. The list goes on and on, far too many to list now. Right now you are in the Manor’s clinic, a small building off of campus.”

  “The Manor?”

  “Forgive me. I forgot you are completely new to everything that is our kind. Arcane Manor is school for the fledglings of all o
therworldly species. Dr. Frost and I oversee the health and wellness of the students and staff. The Manor is about one hour outside of Serenity Springs, high in the Rocky mountains.”

  “Do a lot of people know about this place?”

  “No, we have magic surrounding the school. It is safer that way. I don’t want to frighten you, but there are creatures out there, other Arcanes, which seek to destroy what they cannot turn.”

  “Turn?”

  “That is another subject for another time; please know you are highly protected here.”

  He breathed out another sigh, and I turned to look at him. He ran a hand over his face, and I knew what he was about to say wasn’t going to be good.

  “You are very special, Meadow, a rarity.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “A human can’t become an Arcane. Do you understand what I mean when I say that?”

  The obviousness of his statement I understood, but I knew there was more to what he meant than what lay on the surface. “Not really.” I shook my head, so completely confused at the conversation we were having.

  “You used to be human … and now you’re not. You have changed to Arcane—something which has never happened in all of our existence.”

  We stared at each other, what he said to me slowly sinking in. “If this has never happened, then how did it?” I watched him pace the small room, starting to get dizzy from the repetitive motion. “Why am I hooked up to blood?”

  It took him a moment to answer. “You were very sick. That was the change you were going through. Your body needed blood in order to properly make the completion. Once I realized that, I immediately started an IV. Once the blood hit your system, you completed the transformation. I have never seen anything so … incredible before.” He sounded awestruck as he watched me inquisitively. Something flickered in his expression, which unsettled me. “I did extensive blood work on you, trying to decipher how this could have happened. It is still unclear, but the only thing which makes sense is that one of your parents was an Arcane, a vampire more specifically.”

  I just stared at him. I knew nothing about my mother or father. The only knowledge I had was my mother had died in childbirth with me. No one seemed to know what had really happened, that or they chose not to tell me. It was probably for the best anyway. “My mother died during childbirth, and I didn’t know my father. So I’m sorry, I can’t really help you there.” He just watched me, and I wondered what he was thinking about right then.

  “I’m very sorry. It truly is a tragedy to lose someone close to you.”

  He spoke the words like he truly knew what it felt like to lose someone. I never knew either of my parents, but there were emotions inside of me that flickered at the knowledge that I never would. “Yeah, well, it happens. Isn’t that the way of life? We are born to die?”

  “Such dark thoughts for a child full of life.”

  “I’m not a child. I turned seventeen on Saturday.” He outright laughed at me, and I couldn’t help but glower slightly. After a moment I too started to laugh. This whole situation was downright crazy. “How can this all happen? I mean, it is so surreal.”

  “In time you will be acclimated to this life. I can’t say everyone feels the way you must be feeling. Like I said, there has never been anyone like you. An Arcane and a human are not able to procreate. At least they never have before. More tests will have to be done of course.”

  “Of course.” I said those words without emotion, my focus on the television in front of me again. I felt so tired, so drained that all I wanted to do was sleep. “Can I just sleep?”

  “Absolutely. If you need anything, just push the call button, the red switch on the side of your bed, and either I or Cadeon will be in.”

  Out of the corner of my eye I saw him walk towards the coffee table and scoop up the papers scattered there. He made his way towards the door without a backwards glance in my direction. “Dr. Iverson?”

  He stopped and turned, a small smile on his lips. “Please, call me Mikhail.”

  “How long do I have to stay here?”

  “Well, at least another couple of days in the clinic, after that you will be moved to the Manor. We can talk about that later though. Sleep now, Meadow.”

  He smiled and walked away, not giving me a chance to respond. The door shut with a light click, and I was left in the sterile room with just my thoughts and the muted TV.

  Chapter Six

  The days slowly passed, as I sat in the hospital room. Mikhail had come to see me several times a day, checking my vitals and changing out the blood bags as they ran empty. I hadn’t asked him why I still needed all the blood. I mean, I wasn’t stupid. I was a vampire now, but wasn’t the change over? Damn, would I ever get used to that? It was still hard to get my mind wrapped around that idea, but soon the denial was replaced by sad acceptance. Marie had always told me to accept the things I can’t change. This was one of those things I so could not change. I thought about Marie a lot, and about the kids. I missed them terribly, but maybe one day, when all of this was over, I would be able to see them again.

  It was weird to think that one of my parents had been a vampire, kind of creepy in a way, but I couldn’t help a small bit of happiness that invaded me at the thought. I lay on the bed every night, picturing what my mother or father looked like, which one had fangs, which one was forced to drink blood to survive. I wondered if they had loved each other. I actually wondered that a lot.

  I hadn’t seen Dr. Frost since that first meeting, and I didn’t like how I felt disappointment at that thought.

  “Good morning, Meadow.”

  I hadn’t heard the door open, but then again, I never did when Dr. Iverson came in. “Don’t you mean good evening?” It was six in the evening, but I was only half teasing with him. Mikhail had told me that things worked differently at the Manor, backwards from what I was used to. Most of the creatures couldn’t tolerate the sun, and because of that, the schedule catered to them. Today, I would get to leave the clinic, and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t terrified.

  “How are you feeling?”

  “Fine, I guess.”

  He smiled as he unhooked the IV and removed the needle from my arm.

  “I’m sure you will have a million questions, and rightly so. As soon as you are situated in your quarters, I will have Cadeon stop by and speak with you.”

  At the sound of his name my heart picked up. I didn’t know how well vampires could hear, or how keen their senses were, but I assumed they could hear pretty well if the big smile on Mikhail’s face was anything to go by.

  “I will let you gather your things and change. I brought you a set of clothing which I put on the couch. As soon as you are ready, I will take you to the Manor. It is just a short walk, but I thought you could use some fresh air, and it’ll give me a chance to show you the grounds.”

  I nodded and waited until I heard the click of the shutting door. I made my way towards the couch and unzipped the black leather bag I hadn’t seen him set there. Inside was a pair of blue jeans, an unopened package of underwear, a bra with the tags still on it, socks and shoes, and a coat. Everything was brand new, and all designer. I looked at the price tags and whistled under my breath. I hoped Mikhail hadn’t picked my “unmentionables” out … how embarrassing.

  I quickly changed, surprised everything fit me perfectly. I slipped on the jacket and walked over to the door. It opened before I could even put my hand on knob.

  “I heard you coming.” He smiled at me as he moved out of the way to let me by. “Have everything?”

  I shrugged and stepped into the hallway. “I didn’t have anything when I came here. Everything I own is at Marie’s house.”

  I stopped and looked at him, and he gave me a sad smile. “You miss her, don’t you?”

  Was I that transparent? I thought I had been hiding it pretty well. I nodded, moving my feet around in the uncomfortable silence.

  “You can’t see her again, I
’m sorry. Her memory was wiped clean to protect you and her.”

  I stared at him in shock, so amazed that he would have done that to her—violated her. “Why did you do that?”

  “I didn’t personally, wiping memories is the Enforcer’s duties, but it had to be done. She witnessed you changing, like I told you, something which has never happened before. She still remembers you, but she thinks you moved to another foster home, as do the children.”

  A deep and profound sadness slammed into me. They didn’t remember me like I remembered them. Tears pricked my eyes, but I refused to cry in front of him. It wouldn’t have made a difference anyway. When I was alone I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep them at bay. “What about my school and the town? Surely, you couldn’t have altered everyone’s mind?” Could he have?

  “That’s also been taken care of. Your peers, as well as anyone you have ever come in contact with in Serenity Springs, now think you have moved on.”

  Unreal. What was I supposed to say to something like that? It was like I had never been, not really. That was the story of my freaking life. I didn’t want to ask how they managed to alter a whole town’s perception on something, thinking it best if it were left unsaid.

  “Please, Meadow, don’t look so distraught. It truly is for the best.”

  He said it so softly, like he really did care I was upset. I didn’t say anything, though, and as much as I hurt right then, I had to keep telling myself it was for the best. Of course, I could have told myself that over and over again and it wouldn’t have made a difference. My life would never be the same.

  ****

  I followed Mikhail through the clinic. Everything was so white and clean, and it smelled like disinfectant. It was eerily silent, not one person anywhere to be seen.

  “Where is everyone?” We walked through what I assumed was the main lobby, a white couch and a couple of white chairs pushed against the walls. Magazines were lined up in little cubby spots on the walls, and a fish tank sat off to the side. The tank gave off the most color in the whole place—the water so clear and blue it looked like the Caribbean.