by J. J. Bonds
We part ways at the entrance to the dining hall. Nik and Blaine join Jade and Lexie at a table in the back. Apparently the girls have been saving them seats. I sit alone two tables over. Eventually Shaye and some others join me. Everyone’s curious about the sudden assembly. No one knows what to make of it. From what I hear, no one can recall anything like this happening in the past at Crossroads.
“This isn’t going to be good,” Shaye whispers to me, echoing my words from just moments ago. I nod in agreement. At least things between Shaye and me seem to be okay, despite the distance I’ve been putting between us.
Headmaster Pratt and the other members of faculty file in and line up at the front of the hall presenting a united front. This definitely can’t be good. As the remainder of the staff joins us, filling in empty seats and taking up posts on the perimeter of the room, Pratt calls for silence. Conversation quickly dies, and he’s got our undivided attention. Pratt looks delighted to have an audience that is practically salivating with anticipation. I’m pretty sure it’s a first for him.
“Good morning.” He pauses, waiting for his audience to return the greeting. We give him the mandatory reply that is nothing short of pathetic, and he continues. “I apologize for interrupting your classes today, but we’ve had some disturbing news that I believe needs to be shared immediately.” He gets straight to the heart of the matter.
“A child has gone missing in Rutland. The boy never returned home from school yesterday, and the authorities spent all night combing the city looking for him and knocking on doors. As of today, there is no sign of the child.”
This is terrible news. My heart goes out to the family. I can’t imagine what they must be going through. Pratt delivers the news as though he’s discussing the weather, his voice monotone and businesslike. It’s painfully obvious that the missing boy is of little concern to him. He’s only worried about the impact it might have on the school. I remind myself that the school, and the safety of the students’ in it, has to be his first priority, but I’m still disgusted by him. He should show some compassion.
“There were no witnesses, but foul play is suspected. Volunteers will be searching the forests closer to town today. Their resources will be limited, so it’s unlikely they will come out as far as the school without reason, but it’s best for us to be prepared just in case.”
A quiet murmur spreads through the room. People wonder what Pratt means by foul play. Is he suggesting that one of us might have done this? Speculation runs rampant as to what could have happened to the child. Kids go missing every day all over the world. There is no shortage of disturbing possibilities.
“We have no reason to think anyone here has broken the rules,” Pratt continues, raising his voice to be heard over the din of the room. “But, it’s important that we act with precaution. Only those conducting official school business will be permitted off campus until this matter is resolved. Those leaving the campus should take special care to make sure the foamea is sated and should limit off-campus activities to the absolutely necessary.”
A cruel smile spreads over Pratt’s face as his audience groans. He’s enjoying the idea of holding us hostage on campus, even though he has just said there’s no evidence to suggest that the missing boy is linked to anyone at Crossroads. I don’t think it’s our safety he’s worried about right now. He’s just enjoying the power trip.
Pratt dismisses us. Shaye and I follow the flood of students into the main hall. The gossip is more animated than usual, and everyone’s got a theory about what’s happening in Rutland. I ignore most of the discussion until I hear my own name.
“Come on, if anyone’s likely to stray, it would totally be Katia!” Jade insists loudly. She wants to be overheard. By me and everyone else in the hall. She’s making no attempt to be discreet. In fact, she’s waving her hands emphatically, drawing even more attention to herself.
“I know, right?” Lexie agrees. “She’s so weird. Especially for a descendent of an Elder. What a disgrace!” she whispers. At least Lexie has the sense to keep her voice down. She probably remembers the smack down I laid on Jade at Halloween and doesn’t want to be the recipient of an encore performance.
“With that temper? Who knows what she’s capable of?” Jade muses, smoothing her skirt. As usual they’re both dressed to the nines. It would be a shame to ruin such expensive clothes. Shaye looks at me questioningly. She, too, is wondering if I’m going to react to their taunting. I bite my lip and ignore them. I can’t afford to get into any more trouble right now.
“Shut up, Jade.” It’s Nik. Once again, he’s come to my defense. I’m secretly pleased, but I wish he’d stay out of it. His interference just makes things worse in the end. Jade and the others will see it as another betrayal of their friendship.
“Why do you always defend her?” Jade asks angrily, stopping suddenly which creates a traffic jam in the busy hallway.
“Both of you relax,” Blaine cuts in lazily, shifting his bag from one shoulder to the other. “I don’t know what everyone’s getting so worked up about anyway. It’s not the end of the world. It’s just one human.”
“Just? One? Human? We’re talking about a child!” Shaye screams as she advances on Blaine. She shoves him in the chest catching us all off guard. I’ve never seen Shaye react like this to anything. She’s usually so reserved and isn’t exactly prone to violent outbursts. Besides, it’s probably not the smartest move since Blaine wouldn’t be above hitting a girl in anger. One look at her face though and I doubt she’s thinking rationally. I step in front of Shaye, prepared to protect her if Blaine makes the mistake of striking back.
Anger flares in Blaine’s eyes, and he flashes his teeth at Shaye. Tension emanates from his body infecting the entire population of the crowded hall. “Easy,” I tell him in the most soothing voice I can manage. I hold my hands up in a peaceful gesture, knowing it’s unlikely that he’ll walk away. I feel like I’ve been warped into in an alternate universe. In what world am I the levelheaded voice of reason? I’m very aware of all the eyes watching us. No one passes by. They wouldn’t even if they could. Who’d want to miss this?
Blaine hisses in reply. Shaye glares at him but remains quiet. “Come on. Let’s go.” Nik grabs Blaine’s arm in an attempt to lead him away. It almost works.
“Yeah, Blaine. Easy or Katia will drain you next! The boy was probably just a snack.”
This last quip is my breaking point. Unable to tame the anger roiling in my chest, I viciously grab Jade by the arm and jerk her close so that we stand nose to nose. “If it’s blood I want, I’ll have it from you Jade,” I warn her darkly. Her face goes slack conveying a mixture of shock and fear. Apparently the situation’s not so funny anymore.
“What the hell is going on here?”
At the sound of Anya’s voice, I release Jade’s arm.
“All of you back to class!” Anya orders. She turns to glare at the students who’ve gathered to watch. “All of you,” she repeats ominously, placing her hand on my shoulder to indicate that I’ll be the exception. This day just keeps getting better. The others scatter, and I’m left alone to face Anya.
“My office. Now.”
I follow her back to the office. It’s one of the longest walks of my life. She’s radiating anger, and I’m not sure what to expect when we get there.
“What were you thinking?” she explodes once the door is shut, giving the illusion of privacy.
I don’t bother to tell her I was defending Shaye. It won’t make a difference. We’re all old enough to know better. Fighting is against the rules. End of story. Besides, there’s nothing I can say that will validate my actions, so I bite back the childish urge to explain and let Anya draw her own conclusions.
“Katia, you know the rules about fighting! Now is not the time to be stirring up trouble.” She throws her arms up in frustration. “You put yourself in danger when you act out like this. You don’t need Pratt’s watchful eye on you now, especially with everything going on in
Rutland.” She moves to sit behind the desk. I say nothing and allow her a moment to collect her thoughts. When she speaks again, it becomes apparent her anger is fading. “What started the fight?”
“It’s not important.”
She looks at me sympathetically. Things around here are only going to get harder, and she knows it. Whatever’s going on in Rutland isn’t going to end well.
“Go to your room and stay there,” she orders sternly. “You’re not to leave your dorm for the remainder of the day.”
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 pensively. “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 issue 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.”
**********
The news of the body in the woods spreads like the plague. By lunch it’s all anyone is talking about. I sit with Shaye in the dining hall, feeling the need for a little vampire contact. My mood is abysmal, though, and even Shaye’s outrageous clothes can’t get a smile out of me. We’re both feeding heavily today. As Shaye starts on her third glass, she notices me eyeing her. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen her drink so much in one sitting.
“What? I have to keep my strength up,” she says by way of explanation. “I’ve been tired lately. I don’t want to have a relapse.”
Her words cut me. Her tone is light, but it’s a reminder of what a poor friend I’ve been. I haven’t asked her how she’s doing in weeks. We barely had the chance to talk about her meeting with Dr. Philips on New Year’s Eve. At the time she’d been far more interested in hearing about how Nik cornered me with the unsolicited and unwanted kiss. I remember she’d been jealous again. Not that I’d kissed Nik. She’d thought that was great news, being that she thinks he’s divine. She’d been jealous that he was free to publicly display his feelings for me, something she and Keegan couldn’t do.