Magic, Mystery & Zombies: YA starter set

by Elle Klass

  “I’m off to work. I wish I could stay,” said her mom, joining them. Alison wrapped an arm around her mom, inviting her into the hug.

  “I know, Mom. Love you.”

  She kissed Alison’s head. “Love you too, sweetie.” She turned toward Gran, “I’m glad you’re here.” She squeezed her hand and walked to the door, pausing and throwing one last smile their way as she opened it, then disappeared out the door. Gran and Alison sat on the couch, catching up.

  Gran’s ruby hair was peppered with white, her garnet eyes, more radiant than Alison remembered. She’d always glowed but today she shined like Rodham, no doubt from her excitement. “Gran, umm…” She wasn’t sure how to break the news they were going to the neighbors’ for dinner.

  Gran’s expectant eyes searched Alison’s. “Yes?”

  Alison scrunched her nose and bit her bottom lip. “The neighbors across the hall asked us to dinner tonight, and I told them yes.”

  Are you ready? Rodham shot Alison a question.

  Spider webs ebbed from the corner of Gran’s eyes. “Sounds delicious, Ally.” Gran always called her Ally instead of Al or Alison. It was her special nickname.

  “And I’ve been working out with my neighbor. He’s waiting for me now.”

  Gran raised an eyebrow. “He?”

  He, the magic word that triggered all mothers, including grandmothers. “We’re friends. That’s whose house we’re going to for dinner.”

  She squeezed Alison’s hand and gave her a wink. “Go work out, I’m tired from the flight so I’m going to lay down before dinner.”

  “OK. I love you, Gran.” She hugged her again and ran out the door.

  During the workout, Rodham talked with her instead of sending telepathic messages. He made her push baby weights with her legs and finished again with the treadmill. His muscles bulged throughout his regular routine, making her feel extra puny next to him.

  At home, she showered and changed, then she and Gran went across the hall for dinner. Rodham opened the door and a bolt of electricity shot between his and Gran’s eyes. In disbelief, she stole a second glance. A static bolt of electricity bounced between their eyes.

  What’s going on between you and Gran?

  He ignored her question as he introduced them to his parents. His mother’s creamy skin was extra white, framed by her sable hair. His father’s complexion was as dark as she remembered from the night in the parking lot. He stood every bit of six foot with muscles bulging from beneath his sleeves.

  Barbequed burgers and baked potatoes sat on the table. Alison’s mouth salivated and her stomach growled. She couldn’t wait to dig in! But she wanted answers about the static bolt that bounced between Rodham and Gran to which his parents were oblivious to. Her mind occupied, his dad said a prayer and they passed the food and condiments. She watched the sizzle between Gran and Rodham as she chewed her burger loaded with mayonnaise, cheese, bacon, and onions on a grilled bun.

  Gran shot Alison a glance as she loaded her baked potato with butter, cheese and sour cream. The electric beam swerved with Gran’s head but stayed locked on Rodham’s eyes. Something very strange was happening and if he wouldn’t talk now, she’d pry it out of him later.

  After dinner, they strolled home across the hall. Alison, sidetracked by the electricity between Rodham and Gran, forgot about the vampires. The blondish vampire opened her door and shot a death glare at Alison, sending a fluster of chills throughout her body. Her blue eyes locked onto Alison, entrancing her. Come inside, don’t be afraid. Alison stood frozen in place, her eyes and the rest of her body refusing to move. Gran clucked her tongue and parted her mouth as if to speak, then closed her mouth and shuffled between Alison and the vampire, lacing her fingers through Alison’s. She shook her head, then realized her Gran stood between her and the vampire’s deadly gaze.

  Alison’s instinct was to grab Gran and push her away from the morbid death beast only feet from them, but she couldn’t move. Gran smiled at her, radiating warmth through Alison unfreezing her. Blinking away her trance, she remembered the door and fumbled with the lock, neither of them saying a word until the door was closed and locked behind them.

  Alison dared not say anything to Gran. She’d read enough books to know vampires used their eyes to control people. She lowered herself onto the edge of the couch. Gran sat beside her.

  “What a lovely family, and Rodham is hot.” Alison’s mind, still in shock and absorbing the strange moment in the breezeway, pushed everything else out of the way. Gran had a way with words, often coming across much younger than she was. This was nothing new to Alison.

  Hot. Most people wouldn’t expect that terminology out of the mouth of a seventy-something woman, but most people didn’t know Gran. “Yeah, I’ve had a crush on him all summer.” It was always easy for Alison to tell Gran personal stuff that she couldn’t tell her parents. Pulling a throw pillow from the couch over her legs, Alison sank into the couch. “He kissed me last night.”

  Gran’s gaze tightened and stoic garnet eyes fixed on Alison’s. “Ally, I’m not here just to visit you. I have something for you and only you. Since you were a baby I knew you were the one. There’s no time to waste.” She lifted a silver chain from beneath her blouse, a large red, radiant stone wrapped in silver dangled from it.

  Alison’s jaw slacked, and her eyes increased to twice their size, her Gran - the garnet Slayer. Not for a second did she realize what that meant for her. Instead, her mind buzzed with every reason Gran couldn’t be the red Slayer. She was Gran, not a vampire killer. “How… you. Uh, you’re not making sense.”

  “I know you have questions, so did I, but I had to find the answers myself. You don’t because you have me. Ally, I know you and Rodham are attracted to each other, but it can’t happen. You saw the electricity between us. Once you put this amulet on, it will transfer to you. There’s always a price to pay.”

  Alison’s brain blew a fuse, it was too much to process at one time - especially the part involving Rodham. There had to be a way for them to be together, and she’d find it. Mentally, she put that on the backburner as she reached out to touch the amulet, whispering, “You’re invisible to them. That’s why you stood between us.” The brain-fuzz cleared and a thought tarried on Alison’s mind.

  Gran slipped the amulet beneath her shirt. “Not yet. Yes, when I took your hand my invisibility shielded you from their eyes. They have a powerful gaze. Once you get caught in it, they can control your mind.” She stood, strolled to Alison’s room and came back with a journal, it looked similar to Rodham’s only it was faded red.

  Gran lowered herself onto her spot on the sofa, the cushions still mashed. “August 3rd, 1823, a couple days after the new moon, I awoke to screams within the walls of my parents’ home. I ran toward the stairs then stopped. In the darkness I made out a bulk at the bottom of the steps. Cautiously, I took each step until I reached the bottom. My older brother lay at the foot of the stairs. I leaned toward him and pushed him over, blood ran from his neck and pooled beside him. To keep myself from screaming I covered my mouth then stepped over his body, tears streaming down my cheeks and grabbed the fireplace poker.”

  In disbelief Alison listened. She knew Gran was orphaned, but hadn’t heard this version of the story.

  “A gurgling sound caught my attention. I tiptoed towards it, and peeked around the corner. My mother lay in the doorway, blood puddling on the floor beneath her. The gurgling stopped. I looked away from my mother’s body. A man held my father, blood, the blood of my family, dripping from his mouth. His black eyes shone like marbles. I willed my legs to move but they were stuck. A voice inside my head stopped me from moving. I struggled against it and lost.”

  “A vampire?”

  She nodded yes. “Only their true name is Bloodseeker. I awoke on a cold stone floor and a ghost, Alda, she guided me to the amulet. I never feared her, only the creatures. Thousands of ghosts lived in the house, killed by the Bloodseekers. The house and their deaths were
their prison. When I reached for the amulet, a lone Bloodseeker grabbed my arm. A white light from the amulet bathed the room, lighting him on fire. Alda urged me to leave. ‘You have freed us. We are forever grateful but you must leave.’ I didn’t understand what she meant.”

  Alison curled her knees to her chest, listening, anticipation building inside her.

  Gran continued her story, using Alda’s words. “‘You’re a Slayer, that’s why you see us. As long as you wear the amulet you will be indestructible and invisible to the Bloodseekers. They won’t be able to harm you. Your job is to find others like yourself and slay every last Bloodseeker. Don’t ever take it off and keep it protected beneath your clothes. Should it fall into their hands they will use it against you. You see us because you are special. All the answers are in the book. Take it, place the amulet over your head and leave now.’ Those were her words and with them, I left, running past Bloodseekers, their claws reaching out for me. Once I made it outside the house, the ground shook, opened, and swallowed the house. The screeches of the Bloodseekers deafened my ears. I walked away, in my nightgown, ripped from their claws. Not another soul stood outside their door or acknowledged the incident. I was the only one. I didn’t get it then, but one by one I found the other Slayers and it all made sense.”

  “How? What happened to Alda and the ghosts?”

  “The ghosts were freed, their souls left the house, each a single light, and rose towards the heavens. When a new Slayer is born by grabbing hold of their amulet, a burst of white light shines forth. The purpose of the light is to kill Bloodseekers near the newborn Slayer, as they have much to learn. This gives them time to escape the clutches of death. The light also serves to alert all other Slayers, a new Slayer has been born, and the light, unseen by common mortals, wipes their minds.”

  “You saw Rodham’s light?”

  “Ally, that’s why I’m here. It’s time to give you the amulet, but first I want you to know everything I learned. It’s not only about fighting. It’s about using the skill the amulet gives you wisely.”

  Alison rested her back against the cushion. “Did you find all the other Slayers?”

  Her warm eyes smiled. “Yes. I did. It took over a century until we all united but once we did we were able to defeat every Bloodseeker on the surface of Earth and any hole where light could find them. We gathered in a circle and held hands. Electricity, like lightening, shot between our grasps and through our eyes until a white ball of light enveloped us and spread across the face of Earth. That was 1933. With the Seekers destroyed, we went our separate ways.”

  “You’re over two hundred years old. Why haven’t you aged? Is it the amulet?” Alison asked, her voice rising with anticipation of the answer as she brushed the tiny wrinkles in Gran’s face.

  “So long as Bloodseekers roam the Earth’s surface, you won’t age.”

  “Alda told you if the Bloodseekers got hold of our amulets they can use them against us. We found Rodham’s inside the vampires’… err, Bloodseekers’ apartment next door.”

  Gran carefully sidestepped the question. “The emerald amulet was stolen. When one of us passes away we are to gather together and retrieve the amulet if it hasn’t yet been passed on. He died early, but his amulet was nowhere to be found. Now we know who stole it.”

  “If the Bloodseekers had your amulet, why didn’t they kill you?”

  Gran yawned, and looked at her watch. “Tomorrow. I’ll tell you more tomorrow. It’s time for me to go to bed and you have school in the morning.”

  “Gran, you know I won’t be able to sleep.”

  She placed the tattered leather journal on Alison’s lap. “You have a lot to read.”

  Chapter 10

  Gran took Alison’s bed and Alison took the couch, lowering the lamp so it wouldn’t shine into her room, she sank onto the soft cushions, brought the journal to her nose and inhaled the worn leather scent. She ran her fingers over the tattered cover, then opened the ancient journal. Every Garnet Slayer was part of it, their thoughts and battles. One day a descendent of hers would look upon the book with wonder in their eyes as she did now.

  Each page a treasure of its own, she skimmed towards the back, searching for Gran’s entries. The names and dates ran together until one name popped off the page, Alda, dated 1703.

  St. Augustine, September 5, 1703

  We found the house, a modest dwelling, with three floors. The waning crescent moon shone above us. Tomorrow would be too late, as their powers were strongest during a new moon when the sky was black. The others hadn’t yet caught up, but there was no time. The town would be a blood bath tomorrow. I climbed in through a window and used my invisibility to sneak through the house. Their claws distended already, dagger teeth hung from their gums, their eyes marbled with the lack of moonlight.

  Returning outside, I informed James, the Beryl Slayer, of their positions. He concurred and we developed a game plan. We had plenty of wooden stakes and a silver sword apiece, enough to take out the six Bloodseekers inside the house.

  We nodded to each other, readied our weapons, and entered through the back door I’d left unlocked. Sliding against the wall, two Bloodseekers, a male and a female, turned the corner. Their eyes glowed as they spotted James, food on their minds. They rushed towards him. Without breaking a sweat, he lifted two fingers and pushed them forward, sending wooden stakes plunging into the Seekers’ hearts. They dropped to the floor, inches from our feet. The thud of their bodies against the hardwood floor sent a flood of Seekers in our direction.

  I rushed forward, sword in hand, slicing through the neck of one, then another. Their heads fell to the ground and rolled.

  “Slayers!” roared a large male Seeker. “You come into my house! You will not survive!”

  James lifted his hand, the large Seeker rose to the ceiling. Our eyes focused on their leader dangling above their heads. James curled his hand, distorting the Seeker’s body, then flung him forward. His body thunked against the wall and slid to the floor. James was a show-off, he enjoyed playing with his power. With the use of his hands he plastered the Seekers against the wall. They cursed and struggled against him, but he held them firm as I plunged wooden stakes into their hearts. I took a second to look at James, sweat rolled down his face, his shirt was soaked. He wouldn’t last much longer. I sunk the last stake into another Seeker’s evil heart.

  Exhausted, James dropped to the floor. It would be another day or two before our Healer reached us. “James, I’m going to check the rest of the house.”

  He nodded.

  I pushed my way through the bodies and blood, towards the staircase and through the halls, checking each room. A whimper resonated in my ears. It sounded like a small child. I stopped to determine which direction it was coming from, exploring left then right. I felt along the walls - no secret room. But where was it coming from? The whimper stopped, making it impossible to find, and I had to get James to a safe place to rest and regain his strength.

  I returned to James, wrapped my arm around him, lifting him to his feet. He stumble-walked beside me to the tree line where I let him down to rest. We continued that way until reaching our lodging.

  I laid him in bed. The power drain on him was so much that, without our healer, it would take him a full couple days to recover.

  Once he was fed and settled, I went back to the house.

  Alda

  Alison laid the journal on her chest. Alda was the Garnet Slayer before Gran, she didn’t make it out of the house after going back. Alison stared at the ceiling fan, spinning in circles above her head. This stuff is better than fiction. Her becoming a full-fledged Slayer still hadn’t sunk in.

  A chill prickled her spine. She lifted her eyes toward the screen door. Green eyes silhouetted by a female form, bathed in the moon’s light, stared at her through the open patio blinds.

  She pulled the covers over her head, heeding Rodham’s and Gran’s warning, and too scared to move. The blanket, heavy and hot over her face, ma
de it hard to breathe. She lowered it beneath her nose and glanced towards the sliding door. Blank, dark night stared back at her. In fear, she jumped from the couch, scurried into her room and leapt into bed beside Gran.

  “Gran, are you awake?” Gran lay curled on her side; Alison gave her back a gentle push.

  “You nearly bounced me off the bed when you frog-leaped into it.”

  “What happened to Alda?”

  “You will know in due time.”

  “She went back to the house. She found someone.” Alison kept on, determined to pry the story out of Gran.

  Gran rolled from her right to left side and faced Alison, then took a deep breath. “Nobody knows and nobody knows how her amulet made it to the secret room. At first, I thought it was strange the amulet stayed under the Bloodseekers’ noses for over a century, but once I learned they only see heat I understood. They were blind to it. To the average human eye all they see is a stone on a silver chain. The average Bloodseeker is nearly blind to it as it emits very little heat, if any at all”

  “We see its brilliance.” Alison thought for a second. “But they had Rodham’s so they must see them.”

  “In their most human state they may see the stone and, yes, a Slayer sees it shine. So, James woke up and realized she was gone. He took a guess and went back to the house. She’d found a secret section, the door to it open. He walked in on a battle between Alda and a female Bloodseeker. Alda, invisible to her, the Seeker thrust a long sword through the air searching for her. It caught Alda’s amulet and flung it across the room. Without it she started aging immediately and became visible to the Seeker who preyed upon her, sinking her sharp fangs into Alda’s artery, gulping her blood. Weak but angry, James rushed towards the Seeker, a wooden stake in his hand. He plunged it into the back of the Seeker, destroying her. Alda lay on the floor, her loss of blood great.”

  “But what about the amulet?”

  “After destroying the Seeker, James crawled to the spot where it landed, but it was gone.”