Chapter Three

“Sometimes it takes the worst pain to bring about the best change.” -unknown

 

 

Rylan always skipped fifth period study hall and meandered down to the library where the librarian didn’t give two s***s if she was there for a bit. The librarians had taken to Rylan when they’d gotten that damn email that went to the entirety of the staff working at the schools when their parents had been taken out of the picture. She just never felt like going back to class. Now that she thought about it, she rarely felt like doing anything lately. About ten minutes into class time, she noticed a girl stumbling down the hallway. Rylan stood up, ran in that direction, and just barely caught the girl as she fainted. Realizing it was that girl her brother had a crush on, Ashley, she looked around, trying to figure out where the best place to get help was. 

 

Ashley smelled succulent human blood, but could still only see black. Out of pure instinct, Ashley’s fangs lowered and broke the skin on her own lips before she indulged herself. Letting her fangs sink their way into the warm, convenient neck of the unfortunate bystander, Ashley moaned in pleasure. Rylan let out a muffled cry as she felt a sting of pain, rush of adrenaline, and then a pure feeling of ecstasy.  

The Nécron never explained to Ashley that she would feel a strong urge for the blood of others. But she quickly learned when she saw what she had done to that poor young girl in her room all that time ago. She’d hated it.

After Ashley drank the thick, rich liquid, she looked at the person she had just drank from and realized it was Kyle’s sister. She was filled with internal conflict and mentally cursed every word she knew. Ashley grabbed the unconscious Rylan and dragged her into the bathroom and locked the door. She looked at Rylan with horror and tried to see she was going to live. Only then did she realize just how much she had really drank from her. Ashley started to panic, her head filled with pressure, and she was swarmed with feelings. She had just killed a person and not just any person; she had just killed Kyle’s sister. 

“Oh god,” she cried in distress. “This wasn’t part of the plan.” Her breathing became rapid and soon turned into hyperventilation. “Okay, Okay. Calm down Ash. We can handle this.” she mumbled to herself reassuringly. She took a few deep breaths and started to contemplate all of things she could possibly do with the body, when she remembered something. “I can make you live again.” She smiled to herself and nervously cut her own arm with her fingernail; rich, red, blood started to pour out. She gripped Rylan’s mouth open and put her arm up to her face. A few drops of blood fell on Rylan’s lips. Suddenly, Rylan’s pale, grey skin started to have color again and her eyes, once closed, started to blink. Rylan was overwhelmed by the smell of blood, she couldn’t control her instincts any longer. She bit into the bleeding arm and hungrily drank the vampiric blood. Ashley watched in disgust as the fledgling suckled from her arm. As if filled with realization, Rylan quickly opened her eyes. She was overcame with confusing, then horror. Ashley put her hand over Rylan’s mouth as she started to scream. 

“No, no, no.” Ashley pleaded. “Please, don’t scream.” She moved her bleeding arm away and watched as the skin reattached itself to heal the wound. Rylan, frightened, stared at Ashley and nodded her head slowly. Ashley removed her hand as if Rylan was a snake about to strike.

“What the hell?” Rylan yelled. She took in their surroundings and recognized the bathroom. She tried to stand up and quickly fell again. Ashley got up to try to help, but Rylan refused. “No. Do not come near me. What the hell are you?” Rylan started to panic. “What did you do to me?” She moved as far away from Ashley as she could until her back was pressed against the stone, cold wall. Ashley could tell how freaked out Rylan was, she was just as freaked out herself. Rylan was staring at her like she was about to run away screaming to tell the authorities that there is a wild carnivore on the loose.

“I am so so sorry. Please don’t freak out. I just, I was so hungry and you were there and I am sorry! I didn’t mean to do it!” Ashley exclaimed. She knew she was going to get in big trouble for this if anyone found out. She started to prepare herself for the punishment later. Rylan interrupted her train of thought. 

“You didn’t answer me.” She glared at the girl in front of her. “What are you?” Ashley twinged from the girl’s harsh tone. She stood up slowly and looked anywhere but Rylan’s eyes. 

“I’m a failed experiment.” She felt a zing of electricity course through her veins as she said the words. She found the courage to look at Rylan. “And now, so are you.” 

Rylan, utterly bewildered, glued her eyes on Ashley. She couldn’t possibly let Kyle ever date this girl; she was a complete psycho. Rylan was barely holding in her laughter. 

“A what?” she said. Ashley repeated herself. 

“Please, I’m not lying,” she said. Rylan, unable to hold it in any longer, laughed out of disbelief. It wasn’t everyday that she had some freak bite her in the hall, feed her their blood, and then tell her she’s some kind of “failed experiment”. She was pretty sure someone had been watching too many fantasy movies.

“Look, I won’t tell anyone what happened here as long as you don’t, like, bite me again. Ever. Okay?”  Rylan, herself, wasn’t even sure what had just happened. She started to shift her weight on the floor, her strength was quickly coming back. “Now, uh, I really should go. Kyle will start to worry.”

“Oh, uh, yeah. That’s probably a good idea.” Ashley kind of looked around nervously. Ashley looked down at the floor and then looked back to Rylan, but she was already gone.