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  “Is everyone decent?” Jack called from the hallway.

  I rushed to finish changing; by the time Jack reentered the room, I was down to folding and stacking my clothes. We’d even been provided new socks and matching tan slippers, which I put on after securing my stuff in my designated locker.

  “Very good. Now, there’s just one more thing before I take you into the patient areas,” Jack said when Mallory had safely stored her own clothes too. “We need to keep your left hands bandaged while you’re here. They will be off limits.”

  I looked down at my hand, at the now-healing cut from the branding ceremony. I’d reopened it several times, but it was finally scabbing over and no longer needed to be wrapped.

  I noticed Mallory examining her hand too. “Why?” she asked.

  “So your Society mark can scar,” Ashley said.

  I’d anticipated the result already, so I felt no need to protest.

  “I knew you could actually heal it,” Mallory said, exasperated.

  “Give me your hand,” Jack demanded of her. He took no special care in wrapping her hand with gauze before moving on to me. But with me, he was noticeably gentler.

  “There, now you’re ready for General Population,” Jack said.

  What little calm I’d gotten from listening to Ashley, instantly drained from my body as we ventured back into the hallway. Unlike before when we’d walked through these halls, now we were dressed as patients, it felt like everyone we passed was suddenly noticing us—and wanting a bite.

  The nurses didn’t look so innocent and sweet any more, but had metamorphosed into maniacal, hungry animals, their wide and envious eyes fixated on us as we approached. I was too afraid to turn around and kept my pace close to Ashley as if she could somehow protect me… like she would even be willing to do so.

  Once we passed through some metal gates that were propped open, I began noticing unsupervised patients in identical clothing. Each one appeared more ragged, malnourished, and paranoid than the last. From the fear in their eyes and their quickly diverted gazes, it was clear they all recognized Jack, and many of the patients we passed couldn’t have been much older than Mallory and me. It seemed for all the world like they were simply rounding up teenagers to feed their own carnal, demented desires.

  “This is the Common Room,” Jack said, stopping before a large multi-purpose room filled with tables, chairs, books, and board games. A large flat screen television was mounted on the wall, showing an old Tom and Jerry cartoon.

  God, I used to watch this when Becca was still alive.

  “As long as you’re behaving yourselves, you’ll be granted recreational time with the others for a few hours a night. Unlike everyone else here, at least you two will have each other during the rest of the time.”

  “You’re making that sound like a plus,” Mallory said.

  “Not for me,” I countered, returning a glare at my so-called friend.

  “That’s up to you two,” Jack said. “You’re welcome to stay as long as you want. You’re both young, beautiful girls. I’m sure the staff will be quite taken with the both of you.”

  Mallory huffed in response but didn’t argue further. Jack took that as his cue to continue the tour, which led us to the cafeteria.

  “You’ll get breakfast every evening, and if you’re… up for it before sunrise, you can have dinner.” Jack waited like he was anticipating questions.

  “So, we only get one to two meals a day?” Mallory asked.

  “That is correct. Your body will adjust.”

  “Oh, I’ve seen how patients’ bodies are adjusting,” I said, thinking back to how skinny everyone looked, and not in a runway model way, but more akin to a holocaust prisoner. “These people look like they’re starving.”

  “Not because they’re not getting enough food,” Jack countered. “It’s a combination of psychological trauma and blood loss. Many choose not to eat more; they’re given extra vitamins and supplements to make up for the food they’re refusing, to keep them from complete malnutrition. So, since you understand this now, make sure you eat enough… even when you may not want to.”

  “Look at her,” Mallory said. “If there’s one thing Fiona knows how to do, it’s eat.”

  “At least I’m not an anorexic bitch like you,” I said. It was frustrating how perfectly proportioned and toned Mallory’s body was. She gave me no choice but to lash out.

  Mallory smirked at my outburst, enjoying the confrontation.

  “I think it’s time to get these girls to their room,” Ashley said. “Some time alone together will be cathartic.”

  “That’s not exactly the word I would choose,” Mallory said.

  “Just stop talking,” I said.

  “I think you’re right,” Jack said and led us back into the hallway.

  After a number of dizzying turns, Jack stopped at a closed door. A plaque with two names was positioned on the wall next to the doorframe.

  Fiennes, M.

  Winter, F.

  “This will be your new home,” Jack said, unlocking the door with a keycard. He pushed it inward and gestured for us to go in.

  I did as I was told, but Mallory wouldn’t move from the doorway.

  “I’m not going in there,” she said, her tough girl demeanor starting to crack and her voice growing panicked.

  “Yes. You are,” Ashley said. “This is what you agreed to.”

  Mallory vehemently shook her head. “I can’t do this.”

  I tried to block out Mallory’s protesting as I took in the small room—more of a cell, really. Two beds were positioned on adjacent walls, with a toilet and sink fitted into a third wall. Moonlight streamed in from one barred window with open curtains. No cameras were installed in the room from what I could see, and the floor was plain concrete, slightly sloping toward the room’s middle where there sat a small drain. The thought of why it had been built that way made my stomach churn even more.

  Since Mallory was still arguing outside, I chose the bed by the window, sitting and trying my best to adjust to my new surroundings.

  Finally, Jack marched in; he held a tight grip on Mallory’s neck as she yelled, swore and fought to free herself from his grasp. But her protesting had about the same effect as a toddler trying to escape the clutches of an adult. The struggle was so one-sided, it was nearly comical—which also didn’t bode well for me, since I knew how Mallory was so much better of a fighter.

  “You’re not off to a good start, Jack growled, throwing Mallory down onto the other bed. Her body bounced on the mattress, the side of her head striking the wall.

  Ashley strolled into the room as Jack headed for the door. “I’ll check on the two of you in a few days to see how you’re getting along.” She shook her head at Mallory, then her gaze fell to me. “You both know what needs doing. You just have to do it. Good luck.”

  Once the door had closed and locked, I felt an overwhelming sense of dread. Mallory was lying on her bed, facing the wall. It looked like she was crying, but she was making a point not to let me see her in such a vulnerable state. I felt like crying too, but Mallory’s breakdown somehow kept me relatively composed. But I had no idea how long that would last…

  4

  Matthew

  I couldn’t bring myself to go home after dropping off Fiona. Sitting in my Land Rover, I watched Douglas and Aaron leave the Sisters of Mercy parking lot. After sitting behind the wheel of the SUV for ten or fifteen minutes, I stepped out and ventured out into the open landscape beyond the hospital. I owned the land for several miles in all directions, keeping others from coming in and building up the nearby land.

  With no one else around, I walked into the trees, my eyes quickly adjusting to the dark. I had the ability to see in nearly pitch-black conditions. Nocturnal creatures could be heard scuttling around in the darkness, not realizing the predator in their midst. I wasn’t going to hold out for big game. I wasn’t looking for a challenge. All I wanted was quick blood to get my craving do
wn to a manageable level.

  I snatched a nearby raccoon and drained him within a minute, then threw down the carcass for the rest of the scavengers to finish off. It wasn’t long before I found another animal lurking in the tree cover, quickly discovering it was a stray dog—some poor mutt. It tried to run, but I sprinted after it and tackled it within thirty yards. I clamped a hand over its muzzle and sunk my fangs into its neck to stop the whimpering as soon as possible.

  Once I’d had my fill, I sat with my back against the closest tree, taking long, deep breaths. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, then licked off the errant blood. I felt my higher functions slowly returning, the craving returning to the dull ache that never really went away. The mental fog cleared so all my thoughts weren’t consumed by the hunger—at least for a little while.

  Now, my thoughts and concerns returned to Fiona and what she’d soon be going through, knowing all too well what awaited the human patients in Sisters of Mercy.

  I pushed up onto my feet and marched back to the parking lot and my SUV. Without even consciously thinking about it, I drove back to Fiona’s apartment and lurked in another lot. I’d been too preoccupied over the past few weeks to look further into her mother, but with Fiona temporarily out of my jurisdiction, I could return my focus to Susan.

  After watching the lot for a few minutes, I got out and strolled down one of the sidewalk paths snaking between apartment structures, making my way to the rear of her building. I hopped over a brick wall into her back patio, then quietly forced the bathroom window open—the same way I had gotten in when I’d brought her home the first night. I’d left her unconscious body on the patio, climbed in through the window, then retrieved her by bringing her in through the glass sliding door. I crept into the main living area of the apartment, which was dark and quiet. The only lights came from digital clocks on the entertainment center and several items in the kitchen, like the displays of the microwave and coffee maker.

  As I looked around, it quickly caught my attention that both bedroom doors were open. I would have thought Fiona would have closed her door when she left, and I knew Susan usually kept hers shut too. I didn’t hear the fan running in Susan’s room; she usually slept with it for the white noise, but now, the entire apartment was silent. The sound of a toilet flushing from the apartment overhead startled me while I stood stock still in the shadows.

  I crept to the doorway to Susan’s room and peered inside; it was clean and organized, right down to her bed being fully made.

  Hadn’t she been home when Fiona left, only a few hours ago?

  I ventured farther in to make sure I wasn’t missing anything, then checked out her adjoining bathroom. She truly wasn’t here.

  I was no longer worried about creeping around, though I didn’t bother turning on any lights. My next stop was Fiona’s room, also clean and uncluttered. She’d insisted on leaving a note for her mother to give some kind of assurance she hadn’t been murdered, but I didn’t see it. But with both bedroom doors open on my arrival, I assumed Susan had been in before leaving, and probably already found it. Maybe she was out looking for Fiona right now, hoping to catch her before she got too far. I could only guess what was going through her head.

  “You’re the boy who brought Fiona home that one night,” a soft female voice said.

  I spun around, expecting someone behind me, but found no one. “Who’s there?” I asked. “Show yourself.”

  “If I could, I would,” the voice said. She sounded like a young girl, not much older than five or six. “Why have you come back? Didn’t Fee go with you?”

  “She did, and I took her where she needed to go,” I said, glancing erratically around the room. “Who are you?”

  “Becca,” she said.

  “Fiona’s sister Becca?”

  “Yup.”

  “But… you’re dead.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I actively looked around for a speaker or recording device of some kind.

  “I know,” she said nonchalantly. “Where did Fee go? She wouldn’t tell me.”

  “What has she told you?”

  “That she’s becoming part of some group that has our father,” Becca said.

  “That’s true. So, she had to go away to do something for the group. We call it the Society.” I gave up searching her out and simply listened.

  “When will she be coming home? I don’t like it when she’s gone.”

  “Why is it you can’t go with her?” I asked.

  “I don’t know.” She sounded upset by this admission. “I just have to stay here.”

  “In this room?”

  “In the house,” she said.

  “You were killed when the two of you were six years old, right?”

  “A dog attacked us,” she said, her voice seeming to travel around the room. “Fee was okay, but I wasn’t. I was gone for a while, then came back here. I don’t know why.”

  “I’m sorry that happened,” I said. “I wish I’d been around to do something.”

  “You would have been a kid like us.”

  I laughed. “I guess you’re right. I probably wouldn’t have been able to do much, even if I was here. I’m still sorry though.”

  “Fee said you were nice,” Becca said. “I think so too.”

  “Thank you, Becca. I think you’re nice. And I’m glad you’re here to keep an eye on Fiona.”

  “When will Fee be back?”

  “I don’t know exactly,” I said, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. “But it shouldn’t be too long. And I promise she’ll be okay.” I noticed a flash of headlights illuminate the edges of Fiona’s curtains, so I sprang to my feet and peeked around the edge.

  “Is Mom home?” Becca asked.

  “No; it’s just some guy.” The guy had stepped out of his beat-up hatchback and was heading in the opposite direction from Fiona’s apartment. “Speaking of your mother, do you know where she went?”

  “No; she didn’t tell me. But she came in here and found Fiona’s letter.”

  “And did she ask you about it?”

  “Yes.”

  “What did you tell her?”

  “That I didn’t know anything. I promised Fee I wouldn’t tell her anything.”

  “Your family seems pretty good at keeping secrets,” I said, chuckling to myself.

  Becca didn’t respond to that statement.

  “Do you know what your mother does for work?” I asked as I headed for the door. I had a good feeling she wouldn’t know, which was quickly confirmed.

  “She says she does lots of things,” Becca said.

  “Do you think your sister would know some of the specifics?”

  “I think so,” she answered, but I was confident Fiona wouldn’t know much more. Whatever Susan was doing, she was doing in secret and had stories to cover her tracks.

  “Mind if I take a look around?” I asked.

  “You’re not going to take anything of Fee’s or Mom’s, are you?”

  “Of course not. Just look, that’s all. And I’d also appreciate it if you didn’t tell your mother I was here.”

  “What about Fee?”

  “You can tell your sister,” I said. I’d hoped she’d be less suspicious if I included her sister in our little secret, and it seemed to be working.

  Becca continued talking to me as I examined the rest of the apartment. Susan had either taken her computer with her or hidden it well. Becca confirmed she had a laptop, but I couldn’t find it for the life of me. There was no paperwork, no notes to herself, either—nothing that gave any indication what she was up to. There wasn’t even an old grocery list; all her information had to be held on her laptop and smartphone.

  Whatever Susan was up to and how she was involved with the vampire that had caused Fiona’s accident remained a mystery, and no clues were present to provide any insight. So, my next course of action needed to be to find out where she went on a daily basis—not to mention in the middle of the night.

  5
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  Sean

  Fiona had been my first official girlfriend. We’d gone to the same intermediate school, though I’d probably only shared a few words with her in those years; I’d shared more classes with Alexis and become friends with her first. It wasn’t until a party at the end of eighth grade, that I’d first connected with Fiona; Alexis officially introduced us, and we hit it off.

  I’d had a crush on Alexis, but clearly, she wasn’t interested in me; that might have explained why she attempted to play matchmaker for Fiona and me. But although Fiona was cute, I hadn’t been willing to give up on Alexis, figuring if I was around long enough, I was bound to get my chance. So, by the summer between eighth and ninth grade, I’d become a close friend to both of them. Candace had always been somewhere in the mix as well, but I wouldn’t say we were ever really friends.

  But then at the end of that summer, I was hit with a terrible blow; due to unfairly increased rent, my family was forced to move, and we relocated just far enough that I’d be going to a different high school where I wouldn’t know a soul. Ninth grade really sucked and I relied heavily on my relationships with Alexis and Fiona, as well as my best friend, Harrison. I eventually made some new friends, but they didn’t come easily like in my previous schools. I never understood why; just bad luck, I guessed.

  By the end of ninth grade, I was hanging out with Fiona more than I was with Alexis, which was probably intentional on Alexis’s part, now that I was reflecting on it. But whatever the underlying reason, Fiona and I were becoming inseparable—though still only friends. By this time, I was curious to pursue more with Fiona, but Alexis’s denial past the just-friends barrier had made me leery, so I didn’t feel confident to actively pursue Fiona either now; the fear of rejection a second time was simply too great.

  Once Fiona opened up to me about her search for her father, I was eager to help, thinking this was what could help get me to the next level and finally progress our relationship. After a while, though, it seemed to be doing the exact opposite, permanently cementing us in the ‘friend zone’.