Ascension (Powered)

by Zachary Stone

  I felt a surge of power fill my body. It was like pure adrenalin but much more potent. I ran forward, and I could feel a burst of speed. Interestingly, I didn’t feel any wind against my face. It was as if the power created a bubble around me that reduced the air resistance.

  I was all of a sudden with Cathy and Sarah. It was easy to see that they were both impressed.

  “You were running almost as fast as we were,” Cathy said.

  “You sound as if that’s a bad thing,” I said.

  “No, it's not bad. But I just can't explain it,” she said.

  We walked on board the docked ship. It was a large rive boat painted white and red with two wraparound decks on which were dozens of lounge chairs.

  As we walked on the deck and then into the interior, I noticed a group of people inside. At the same time the boat’s engines grew louder as it pulled away from the dock.

  “Come meet my family,” Cathy said.

  I stood and looked at a group of people standing in front of a buffet of food.

  One of the faces was familiar. It was Ruby, and by here were two other people.

  “This is my sister Lizzie and my brother Bobby,” Cathy said.

  Lizzie was a short woman about the height of Sarah. She had blond hair and blue eyes. Her brother was a little shorter than me and had brown hair.

  “It’s nice to meet all of you,” I said.

  Lizzie walked up to me and extended her hand.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you Eli,” she said.

  “Likewise,” I said.

  I shook her hand, and then her brother’s.

  “You need to eat,” Ruby said.

  Lizzie led me to the buffet. It smelled delicious. There were steaks, lobster, shrimp, liver, and all sorts of meat along with just a few vegetables.

  I filled my plate, and I could barely make it to a seat before digging into the food. While I ate, I used my improved hearing to listen to Cathy and her mom talk.

  “I don't know what’s happening with him,” Cathy said. “His powers are growing rapidly. He can already walk on walls.”

  “That’s very unusual,” Ruby said. “I’ve never heard of a vampire only a few days old being able to do that.”

  “He’s fast too,” Cathy said. “On the way here Sarah and I ran the last few hundred feet. At first he lagged behind, but he was able to catch up in an instant.”

  “I think we should let Dr. Mills test his blood,” Cathy said.

  “That would be a good idea,” Ruby replied.

  I made a couple trips to the buffet. I then realized that I needed to go to the bathroom. It was the first time I’d felt the need to go since I was bitten.

  “Where’s the restroom?” I asked Lizzie.

  “It’s just down the hall and to the left,” she said.

  “This is weird,” I said. “I’ve been eating like a pig ever since Sarah bit me and this is the first time I felt the urge to use the restroom.”

  “During the change from human to vampire a person usually doesn’t go to the restroom much,” Lizzie said.

  “Why is that?” I asked.

  “Your new metabolism is much more efficient than your old one,” she said. “Almost all of what you eat is either converted to energy or used to make your body stronger.”

  “Excuse me,” I said. “I'll be right back.”

  I ran to the bathroom as fast as I could. I was scared I’d have an accident if I didn't.

  A few minutes later I returned to the table.

  “How did that go?” Lizzie asked.

  I didn't know what to say.

  “Don't be embarrassed. All of us who weren’t born vampires have gone through the changes you’re going through,” she said.

  As they spoke I felt a burning sensation in my left hand. I looked at it and saw the index finger nail had grown very long, and the tip of the finger felt like it was on fire. Then the burning extended to my other fingers, and soon all my nails started to grow.

  “Your claws are coming in,” Lizzie said, putting her hand on my shoulder. “Come with me.”

  She took me to the sink and told me to put my hands in. Next, she went to a refrigerator, took out a bag of ice, and poured it into the sink. The ice helped dull the pain.

  Cathy walked towards me.

  “Just hang in there Eli,” she said. “Once this is over you won't have to worry about it again.”

  Very soon the pain ceased. I lifted up my hands out of the sink and saw ten perfectly shaped nails that looked like claws.

  “They’re as strong as steel,” Lizzie said. “And make great weapons.”

  “How do I retract them?” I asked.

  “Try to relax,” Lizzie said. “Take a few breaths.”

  She put her hand on my shoulder and I started to breathe slowly, in and out.

  A couple of moments later, my claws retracted.

  “Congratulations, son,” Sarah said. “You just took one step towards becoming one of us.”

  “Why do you call me son?” I asked.

  “Well, we have a tradition. We usually refer to the person who turns us as mother or father, and if we turn someone we refer to them as a child,” she said.

  “Okay,” I said. “That makes sense -- Mom.”

  Sarah laughed and kissed me on the cheek.

  “Do you feel for me like a mother?” I asked.

  “Would you mind?” she said. “It’s rare a vampire gets to turn a human and it’s even rarer for a vampire to give birth. I don't have any children, and I’d be honored if you’d let me consider you my son.”

  “The only problem is that it’s difficult for me to consider you as my mother. You’re just too... well... good looking,” I said.

  “We’ll work through that, son,” she said. “Just don't be flirting with your new mom.”

  “Okay,” I said.

  “But you can flirt with me, if you like,” Lizzie said with a smile.

  Cathy walked away.

  Ruby called for everyone to sit down around a large table situated in the corner of the dining room. Once we were all seated she began to speak in a serious tone.

  “As all of you know, the queen has gone mad. She’s starved her daughter – Sarah -- and was about to kill our new friend. Thankfully we were able to rescue them in time, but now she wants all of us dead,” she said. “She’s absolutely determined to carry out her wishes --there’s no way to reason with her. We only have one option. She must die.”

  “Can’t all the vampires just vote her out?” I asked.

  “No, it doesn't work that way,” she said. “She was given her position by the empress. Once the status of queen is achieved it cannot be revoked.”

  “Can we appeal to the empress?” I asked. “Where’s she located?”

  “The empress will not remove a queen from power. It’s unheard of. And since you asked, the empress lives in Atlanta,” she said.

  “Is there anything like a Supreme Court that we can go to?” I asked. “There must be some way of dealing with vampire rulers when they go crazy, other than killing them.”

  “We don't have anything like that,” Ruby said. “The closest thing we have is a tribunal. But that’s only to decide the guilt or innocence of a vampire that harms another. However, a tribunal cannot remove a queen.”

  “Could the tribunal punish a queen?” I asked.

  “What would they punish her for?” she said. “Technically, she broke no laws. She had the right to kill you, because you were created without permission. Also, she has the right to discipline her family members as she sees fit.”

  I decided to keep my mouth shut.

  “This is what I’ve decided,” she said. “We’re going to try to convince as many of our friends to join us as possible. Out of the total vampire population, I think half of them want the queen gone. If we can convince just half of them to fight with us, it would give us a good force.”

  “We can't defeat everyone who’s loyal to the queen with just tw
enty five percent of the population,” Lizzie said.

  “We don't have to defeat everyone who’s loyal to the queen,” Cathy said. “We just need to defeat the queen. I think if we can kill her that the battle will be won.”

  “I agree,” Ruby said. “Most of her people are loyal only because they’re scared of her.”

  I had another question that I couldn’t resist asking.

  “How did the queen get so powerful?” I asked. “Just by living so long, or what?”

  “Partially, her power is due to her age. Old vampires are typically more powerful than younger ones. She also comes from a powerful blood line,” Ruby answered.

  “How old are you, Sarah . . . I mean mom,” I asked.

  “I'm only a hundred and fifty,” she said.

  “The queen's blood line is strong. It will be difficult to defeat her one-on-one. It’s going to take a number of us fighting her at once to defeat her,” Ruby said. “So here are your instructions: Eli and Cathy, you two go to Dr. Mills to get a blood test done. We need to find out why your powers are developing so fast. Bobby, you’ll go to Macon and see if you can get a few of our friends from out of town to support us. We need all the help we can get. Don’t use the internet or your cell phone to talk with them. Go there in person. Lizzie and I will visit our friends in town and try to rally some support. We’ll all meet back at the island house tomorrow morning.”

  “I'm not leaving you, mom,” Bobby said. “The queen is out to kill all of us. I need to stay here where I can defend you and my sisters.”

  “You have the most important job of all,” Ruby said. “If anything happens to us, then it’s your responsibility get enough support to come back and take out the queen. You have to go. You’re our backup plan.”

  “I don't like that idea,” he said.

  “Well, I don’t plan on fighting the queen until you get back,” she said.

  “Do you promise?” he asked.

  “I do,” she said.

  Bobby seemed to be relieved.

  “Everyone, let’s finish off the buffet. I’ll tell the captain to take us back to River Street,” said Ruby.

  We all went back to the buffet, loaded up plates of food, and went back to the table to eat.

  “Why did we meet on a boat anyway,” I asked Lizzie.

  “There’s no way the queen would think we were here,” she said. “No one knows we own this river boat.”

  I finished my plate of food and then stepped outside onto the deck. Cathy followed me outside.

  “I think Lizzie likes you,” she said.

  “She seems like a nice woman,” I told her.

  “Do you like her?” she asked.

  “Well, I don't know. I just met her,” I said.

  I didn't know what to say. I was very attracted to Cathy, much more so than Lizzie.

  “Do you have a girlfriend?” Cathy asked.

  “Now that’s a long story,” I said.

  “So you do?”

  “No, I don't,” I said. “There’s a girl I like. I like her a lot. But she’s not interested in me. She bounces around from guy to guy and I'm not her type.”

  “What do you think she’d say about you being a vampire?” she asked.

  “Well, wouldn't telling her be against the rules?”

  “Technically, yes. But we’re breaking all sorts of rules these days,” she said.

  Cathy was standing beside me now. Her long dark hair was blowing in the wind. She made my semi-human heart race. I had to come up with something to say to her.

  “I know I like you,” I said.

  “So you like older women?” she asked.

  “When it comes to you, yes,” I said.

  Cathy walked away.

  Chapter 7

  We arrived at the dock on River Street just a few minutes after Cathy walked away from me. After my vampire friends – including my vampire mother – had a look to see if the coast was clear, we disembarked.

  After stepping onto the sidewalk on River Street, I didn’t see Cathy anywhere. In an instant, she was in front of me.

  “Catch me if you can,” she said.

  I saw a blur as she ran towards her car. Without as much mental effort as before, I was able to summon up the mystical power in my blood and race after her. However, she didn’t stop at her car. She ran past it and continued onward.

  I chased her. It seemed that time was slowing down and I was speeding up. I dodged cars and pedestrians to keep up with her. Although the cars were moving at thirty or forty miles an hour, they seemed like they were sitting still.

  I got a little angry at her. She wasn’t slowing down.

  We were approaching a hospital and I decided to end the silly game.

  I summoned every bit of power I could, and I ran ahead at an insane speed, perhaps sixty or seventy miles an hour.

  Finally, I caught up and grabbed her arm. We both came to a stop.

  Suddenly, I felt dizzy and needed to sit down.

  “Are you alright?” she asked.

  “I feel a bit weak,” I said. “I think I pushed too hard trying to catch up with you.”

  “I'm sorry,” she said. “I just wanted to test you before we went to the doctor.”

  “Look, all you had to do was tell me so. Instead, you darted ahead without telling me why,” I said.

  “I shouldn’t have run ahead like that. I apologize,” she said.

  “What's wrong with me?” I said. “I feel so weak.”

  “If you push your powers too hard too soon you exhaust yourself,” she said.

  I walked slowly with her to the hospital. By the time we got there, I started to feel better.

  “We can't use the main entrance,” Cathy said. “The queen may have someone watching inside. She knows Dr. Mills is a friend of ours, and that he’s not particularly fond of her.”

  “Is Dr. Mills a vampire?” I asked.

  “Yes,” she said. “He’s an expert in both humans and vampires.”

  “Where’s his office?”

  “On the sixth floor.” she said.

  We carefully walked through the crowded parking lot of large hospital. As we turned around a corner, she pointed at the window to his office.

  There was only one way to his office – up.

  Looking around, I could see that there were several people walking in and out of the hospital.

  “How are we going to get up there with no one seeing us?” I asked.

  “We’ll have to move fast,” she said. “Do you feel like you can get up there?”

  “I think I can,” I said.

  “When I give you the signal, I want you to run up there,” she said. “Don't stop and don't look down. Just get to the balcony and get down. When no one is looking, I'll do the same.”

  We stood against the gray outer wall of the hospital and continued to watch the people coming and going. A couple minutes passed, and we saw an opening: no one was looking.

  “Go, now,” she said.

  I called up the force that had previously allowed me to run faster than a cheetah, and I dashed up the wall towards the balcony. Time seemed to freeze as I ran, and in a moment I was there. A short time later, Cathy did the same.

  My heart was still racing from the thrill of the run up the wall. For the first time in years, life was becoming exciting.

  “You're fast,” Cathy told me.

  “Thanks,” I said.

  We stayed low as we approached the window.

  Cathy gently knocked on the window, and a man in a white lab coat appeared. He unlocked the window, opened it, and we crawled inside.

  “Cathy, it’s great to see you,” he said.

  “It’s great to see you too,” Cathy said.

  “You must be Eli,” he said extending his hand.

  “Yes, that's me,” I said with a handshake. His grasp was very firm.

  “I'm Dr. Mills, Ruby’s told me about you,” he said.