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Day Seven Monster University: Mia

Mia
Katherine Rochholz
All Rights Reserved


“I think back often to my life. I left his room before dawn every day. Always before dawn. I always felt dirty but I thought I had loved him. I would have done anything for love. Even destroy my morals. Sometimes I still feel dirty. He was my temptation from the Morning Star. And the Morning Star won. I was a new nun then, devoted to Jesus and God. He was a new priest and at first kind. He was handsome and he charmed me. He was a minion of Lucifer. I often fell to my knees after going back to my room every dawn. I begged for forgiveness the words still imprinted into my mind. ‘Lord, forgive me my sins. I could not help myself. I am weak and unworthy of being your bride.’ Every day for over a year I stated these words. Yet I never stopped giving into my temptation. I wept every day on my knees in front of the crucifix. Sometimes I wouldn’t move for days at a time. No food. Nothing but me praying for forgiveness. The things he made me do for his love, the things he made me do for him, with him.  I remember crying when I took that little test. To see that little plus sign that ended my life. It was three in the morning and I had just told him three days before about the little plus sign. I moved from my knees and opened the door and looking into his eyes I knew my death was upon me. My hands went to my stomach where my child was; my child that would never get to know what life meant.  Looking into his eyes I meet death; with only the mirror on the wall as my witness as it trapped my soul that cried for vengeance.”
Mia sighed as she looked out at the little faces.  She was a teacher at the elementary school. The same school that was the school and church she had been killed in; this was her home town and after a hundred years she was back. She still loved children. Her own never getting a chance to live. She smiled at the little four year old that came running up to her with a picture.  “This is wonderful sweetie!” She stated as she put it up on the board of art. She knew having a monster in the school system was the right way to go about things; but she truly loved this job. She just looked at the board. She looked at the mirror placed in the middle. ‘To Show You True Beauty’ was the theme. But she didn’t see her outward appearance to humans. No she didn’t see the chocolate brown hair and honey burgundy eyes. No what she only saw the blood dripping down her face, her eyes black with her dead blood; as black as the sins she committed; her skin grey in death and her once lovely hair dripping with blood.  She shook her head at her reflection. She always appeared a bit different when she killed her victims, using bees coming out of mouth, worms one time, but in reality it was just more blood.  She only moved when she heard a commotion outside the door.  “Something wrong out here?” She asked the principal and the contractor who was doing the addition.
“Oh it is nothing Ms. Banner. The floors we just had done the paint below has leaked through it and the floors are this blood red again.”  Principal Conner stated.
Mia raised an eyebrow. She knew why of course. She did that. She cursed the school to always be drenched in her and her child’s blood until the world gave her justice. And they never did. She wasn’t the first victim of that bastard that took her innocence and the life of her child; she wasn’t the last either. He lived until he was ninety as a quite respected priest. Of course he is burning in hell; well I assume he is for his sins. “Oh, well the color isn’t that bad.”
The contractor laughed. “I shouldn’t have even tried. The rumor is the main building is cursed to always be drenched in a blood red color.”
“Oh and what is this rumor Mr. Wilde?” Principal Conner asked.
“Well there was a nun here, oh about a century ago, Sister Mary, anyways rumor is that she had an affair with the young priest that started at the church.” The contractor stopped and thought. “Father Williams, was the name I believe, he didn’t stay long he moved on less than a year after starting here. Anyways, you see Sister Mary got pregnant and she told Father Williams and then disappeared into her room for three days. After those three days it is said that Father Williams went to confront her about getting rid of the child and when she refused he killed her. Beat her to a bloody pulp; killing both her and the child. The only witness was her mirror which trapped her soul; as she cursed the school to be stained with the life blood of both herself and her unborn child. It is said that if you stand in front of a mirror here and say Bloody Mary three times she will come and if your soul is dark she will drain you of your life and add your blood to these cursed halls. If the person calling her is a child she will search the child’s soul and they are hurt she will hunt down the person that has hurt the child and transfer the curse to them. If they aren’t hurt… well the reports state she tries to temp them to join her. To become her child. To join her for eternity in the land of monsters. All children seem to run so don’t know what would happen if the child actually touched the glass.” Mr. Wilde stated.
Mia blinked. Well damn, they knew the truth and knew of her curse. She never has tempted a child, hurt or otherwise, to her side. They run for their parents or run away from the being drenched in blood. “Wow. Was the priest ever charged?”
“Nah, he moved on quickly after spreading her blood through the halls. It is said he went crazy that night after heart stopped and he painted the floors with her blood as a reminder of what he had done. He is said to have buried the body in one of the older cemeteries in town, in an unmarked grave that to this day has not been discovered.”
The principal sighed. “Do you think we can paint or tile over this?”
“We can keep trying but this is the fourth time. I say just go with the red.”
The principal sighed.  “FINE!” He threw his hands up. “At least when the bloody brats dirty it; it will be easy to clean. I am out of here.” He stomped off.
Mia raised an eyebrow. Maybe it was time to thrall him into calling her. “Have a nice day Mr. Wilde.”
“You as well ma’am.” He tipped his hat and left down the hall and Mia went back to the children.
When it came time for the students to leave and the staff meeting Mia had flicked her eyes to a golden color to control the principal.  She walked in and smiled. “Principal Conner!” She greeted again.
“Ahh, Mia, I have told you to call me Richard.”
“Of course Richard Conner!” She made him look into her eyes and before the rest of the staff joined. “Tonight you will go into the classroom on the second floor, room 234; you will call out Bloody Mary’s name three times. You will call her to judge you.  You want to be judged. You deserved to be judged.” She stopped the trance just as the first grade and second grade teachers, Michelle and Dianna came in.  She smiled to them and took a seat with them after getting a cup of coffee.
Mia was at home in front of the mirror that held her damned soul. “Soon. Soon another true monster will be gone from this world. Soon.” She touched her hand to the mirror and walked through changing to her true form. Now just to wait for the call. And soon she heard it… the whispered ‘Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary!’ She smirked and transported to the room that was once her bedroom before the school was extended. “Richard Conner, did you request me?”
“Yes, Bloody Mary, I need to be judged. Judge me.” The principal was down on his knees.
Mia smirked; after all his soul would feed hers and allow her to remain on the mortal plane. She came from the mirror leaving a trail of blood and darkness. She looked down into his eyes. She saw him hurting the children. Punishing them unjustly. Being dismissed from his last job for beating a child to the point of brain death. She growled. To beat an adult was horrible; to beat a child was unforgivable. She opened her mouth and poisonous asps came from it; she knew his fear of snakes thanks to his soul. “Pay for your sins Richard Conner.” She hissed as she coughed the snakes up with a pool of blood and they zoomed to destroy him.
Richard Conner screamed as the venom burned through his veins. He screamed as he finally paid for his sins. He screamed until his throat bleed and his heart and brain finally exploded destroying his eyes into black pools of clotted blood and his lungs drowning in his own blood.
Mia stood there and looked at the scene. Well, school would be closed tomorrow, she smirked as he walked back through the mirror leaving a trail a blood.  For all her morals in life, they were released in death. She gave into temptation and while it damned her to hell and an eternal existence of death… It also freed her…

Day Six Monster University: Kat

Kat
Katherine Rochholz
All Rights Reserved


            “You know when I was cursed into this loveless existence I don’t think the Voodoo priest thought I would love this life.  He was my first slave.  The only one I never took a taste of the forbidden fruit of, the only one I killed without giving pleasure. He just had to tell my husband about my lover. Just because I wouldn’t  sleep with him. Just because I wouldn’t leave my husband. For all my faults, such as having multiple lovers at a time, I did so love my husband. Well, until he tried to kill me and I killed him instead. Even though I killed him, he still protections me. Especially from those freak Frankensteins. One little issue with trying to control them and that boy was ready to rip my head off! How was I supposed to know they weren’t zombies? But thanks to James I was left with my undead life. In James’ defense he does love me; it is just with the curse I can never truly love him. Even if I do care about him. And I love my toys. My slaves. I do so enjoy my slaves.  Time to find a new one though.  This most recent boy toy just isn’t exciting me anymore.”
            Kat put her quill back into its holder and turned to see her slaves cleaning her current home.  She had expensive tastes; always had.  Probably because she made sure to marry a couple of wealthy men in her life, after all the best things in life weren’t free.  She chuckled to herself and then stood up and snapped her fingers.  “Ah, Wilhelm, I hear James is in town. You are to follow him and see if he is going to make a play against me. And make sure Suzanna keeps an eye on Frankenstein, rumor is she may have mellowed and thus weakened,  by a new grandchild. Didn’t know Frankie could knock someone up. If I had known I may have seduced him instead of trying to control him and his mother. And I am going to go call Jo and look for a new family member for you all!” She smiled as the zombie nodded and scuffed away.  She picked up her phone. “Ah, Draco, is Jo there? She wasn’t there last time! But she has got to be getting hungry!” Kat sighed as she listened to his response. “Fine. I will go it alone. Again.” She slammed the phone down. It was the only reason she still had a home phone. There was a satisfaction to it. She went and dressed and then went downtown. She watched the people. She would find her target. She needed someone headstrong; yet obedient she didn’t feel like totally breaking a new toy in. She normally wouldn’t need a new toy yet; however this one is getting boring! He will make a great zombie though.  She was watching when she saw a familiar figure.  “Oh Sam!” She called.
            Sam tensed and turned.  “Mistress Marie.”
            “Oh nonsense Sam you earned your right to freedom! What are you doing with it now?”
            “I own The Den of Insanity. A comic book and collectible store.”
            ‘You were such a geek when you were a zombie! When televisions first came out you were mesmerized and when I created you; comic books and World War I was all the rage; I mean heroes coming home and we had won!”
            “Yes, well I also was just back from the war as well when you trapped me Marie.”
            “It is Kat now darling!” She laughed.
            “Back to your real name of Catherine? Shocking. You hated it.” Sam stated as he turned and watched his prey.  “Look Marie I really got to get back to the store; my walking lunch is going to be there soon.”
            Kat chuckled. “Go on! I know how it is being on a hunt.”
            “On a hunt already? What about that last person… Jack… Jim… Something like that.”
            “Josh. And he is boring. So boring. And I think gay.”
            Sam rolled his eyes. “They are slaves whose minds are locked away Kat. We are still active in there you know.”
            “I know. You think I care. How cute!” Kat pinched his cheeks. “If you earn it like you did than you go free. That is the rule darling.”
            “I earned it by destroying ninety percent of your slaves when my mind broke free enough and I had your throat in my fist.” Sam growled.
            “Yes well not everybody had a mind like yours. Don’t cause problems Samuel.”
            “Like I would with Paris running around. He wanted to kill me because of what I did to get free.”
            “Yes, he goes by James now.”
            “I don’t care. Just stay out of my way Kat. We may be civil because you created me; but if I think too hard on it I want to go with those base instincts you let me keep when I was your slave and warrior.”
            “I am going. Anybody off limits Captain?”
            Sam winced at his former title. “Just her.” He pointed to the one he was hunting.
            “Okay Cap! See ya!” Kat stated. “Ta Ta!” She bounced away towards her target group leaving Sam alone.  She walked into the bar and took a seat. She ordered a brandy and waited. She didn’t wait long.
            “What is a pretty girl like you doing all alone?” A voice drawled. 
‘Southern. Jackpot.’ Kat thought and turned.  “Hello! Oh I am new to town. Going to start classes next semester. Catherine Orleans.”
“Tony. Tony Bellini. How about I keep you company then, since you are new and all?”
Kat smirked. “I would like that very much Tony.” She purred.
Tony smiled. “Another beer for me and another drink for the lady here!” He called to the bartender as he moved them towards his table.
Many drinks and many hours later Kat took Tony to her bed.
Kat woke and smirked.  She had a new toy. But for now she had to make her old one a zombie. She yawned as she stood up; throwing on her robe she moved to her work room in the basement. She lit the black candles on her alter before bending down and running a hand down the face of the young man who was tied naked to her alter. “It is going to be fine Josh. You will always do my bidding and if you are a smart one you may even gain your freedom one day.” She went over to the shelf and grabbed her items. Dead Man’s Blood, Lavender, Thistle, Hemlock, Moonberry, Asphodel, Bay Lurel, Comfrey, Holly, Lemon Balm, Mandrake, Mugwort, Yew, and Willow. All of these mixed together and forced into the veins of Josh would create an undead slave. Slight side effect of having to feed them brains; but animal brains though not tasty are enough for them to live on.  Kat smiled. Of course it was like eating grass after dining on steak your whole life; those who were fool enough to fall into her web deserved what they reaped.
Josh tried to struggle as he watched her mix everything into to a cauldron and bringing it to a boil. There was a lot of blood added. Dead Man’s Blood the bottles had been labeled.  He tried to get free. He knew he was going to death. He should have been more aware of his surroundings and who he was picking up. He should have just said nope and got the hell out of dodge but he was addicted to the sex.  He closed his eyes and took a breath and accepted his fate of death.
Kat cooled the mixture and put it into IV bags. She hummed as she swayed over. “Don’t worry darling this isn’t the end. This is worse than death. After all Death grants you freedom. There is no freedom for the undead.” She hooked him up to start to drain his blood. “First I will drain you until you are on the verge of death; then just as your heart is on its last beat I will pump this lovely mixed blood into your body. Want to know why these ingredients?” She laughed. “Of course you do! Dead Man’s Blood because even the undead need blood darling. Lavender because it has a power over me. People leave it at my grave looking for true love; even if I am cursed to never have true love. Thus it is my signature herb. Thistle because it is a beauty, but also a weed that causes distraction and destruction.  Hemlock, well that is just common sense as I have to kill you, and you won’t take a sip. Moonberry because it will paralysis your mind allowing me to control it. Asphodel because it will cleanse you. Bay Lurel because I need to be able to communicate with you, and you need to be able to speak with me. Comfrey to remove your emotions for the ones left behind by your death. Holly is associated with resurrection and I am give you a form of life again. Lemon Balm for immorality. Mandrake, well cursed mandrake to trap your spirit and soul in your body. Mugwort for me to watch over you and control you. Yew to end your mortal life and give you an immortal one. And Willow to ease the pain of your death. I am not a too cruel of mistress. I can be if you don’t behave; but I do take care of you. Even if you are my slave and I am your mistress.” Kat explained as she turned the IV on to pump in the mixture. “You Josh, are forever mine.” She watched as the blood entered his body and as it reached his heart it caused it to decay and wilt until it stopped beating altogether before starting back up very, very sluggish. She smiled as Josh opened his eyes and they were clouded over with not only death but with a purplish hue that signified she had control of him. She untied him. “Now off to the slave house with you. Suzanne, show him the way.” She snapped her fingers and watched them leave the room.  Once they were gone she cleaned up quickly and made a note to contact Gus for more dead man’s blood. She had a feeling Tony wouldn’t stay mortal for long. She moved back up to her bedroom.
“Hey, where did you go babe?”
“Just to do some paperwork I couldn’t sleep.”
            Tony smirked. “Well, let me keep you up for a lot longer.” He pulled her down and Kat willingly went. Because after all in the end she owned him.

Day Five Monster University: Lucas

Lucas
Katherine Rochholz
All Rights Reserved


   
         “I have done a lot in my long life. I remember when it started. I was bitten by another werewolf and was brought to heel under his command. That didn’t last long. I fought him, I killed him, I ate his heart gaining his power.  I am a werewolf but I am decent. One of my best friends in the world is Frank. He is decent, not the monster people make him out to be. He thinks he is soulless. I know he isn’t; after all we are both alike. We have killed, we have lost, and we continue to fight for life. Now he has a child and Frank will kill to protect her. Makes me wonder what I would do for the people I care about. After all I have only ever fought for myself. But I haven’t had a family before that couldn’t defend themselves. I look down at the child and wonder what I could be driven to do in the name of protecting mine.”
            “She is gorgeous Frank.” Lucas stated as he stood by the crib. “Hard to believe you have had her a month now.”
            “Yes; Bo still can’t find out who her father was. Would make it easier to know if he was human or monster.”  Frank looked up from the parenting book he had bought.
            “Yeah; but at least you do have about fifteen years before she would come in those powers.”
            “Yep; but planning is key according to this.”  He tossed the book to Lucas.
            Lucas laughed and caught the book. “Planning is key in our lives no matter there are children involved or not Frankie! After all if we didn’t plan everything out you know what will happen.”
            “Pitchforks, fire, death, and I don’t mean us monsters. The death we cause isn’t needless…” Frank shrugged. “Well in our eyes.”
            “Yeah we learned that looking to our past and ignoring our present was just going to destroy our future.”
            “Dude, you stole that from a book!” Frank laughed.
            Lucas gave him a wolfish grin. “Yeah, shocking that I can read huh?”
            “Shocking that you lived this long sometimes with your irrational need to fight.”
            “What a good fight and a good heart for dinner is always a way to end a day.”  Lucas stated as they left the nursery connected to Frank’s room.
            Frank rolled his eyes. “Cameron is out for the weekend. And did you hear Drakey ran into his grandpappy!”
            Lucas laughed. “Oh God, did I! I heard Drake’s grandfather took him by the ear and demanded he do his blood right and evolve.”
            Frank laughed. “Drake has always been the broody one of the monsters. He, now this is just my theory, still feels that he failed his wife when he was human.”
            “Ahh, yes Mrs. Drake. I wish she would be reincarnated. Every time he looks around his room it is like walking through fire and he feels that heartache of her and his unborn daughter’s death.”
            “Well, until her soul has paid its penance she won’t be reincarnated. Once she is though I am sure Drake will turn her; rather he wants to be a monster or not. I was actually hoping he would take a couple of brides.” Frank stated as he threw Lucas a beer.
            Lucas nodded his thanks. “Frankie, my man, I have got to leave soon. The moon is rising.”
            “I know. Be careful. It would cause so much trouble to find a new best friend and babysitter.” Frank stated as he threw him his emergency bag.
            Lucas laughed and punched Frank’s arm as he left the house not even taking a jacket even though it was colder out. “I swear Frankie has more of a soul than I do at times.” He whispered to the air.
            Lucas went to the local wolf bar. There were a couple other weres in the area and they had a few drinks and then locked the silver doors to make sure they didn’t break out. Damn horror writers got some things right. Silver does a number on werewolf blood; if it was blessed and the person using the silver truly believed in God, then it would hurt more so, maybe even making a non-fatal wound fatal.  Lucas shivered at some of the times he was hit with silver. Frank had been there to save him each time. Without that man he was sure he would have been dead a few centuries back.  Lucas took the beer that the bartender slide to him and sat lost in his thoughts.  He half hoped that Sophie was born of monster. It would make it a bit easier to explain once she came into whatever power besides immortality that she was blessed slash cursed with.
            “Hey Lukey! Where is your mighty protector?” Sneered a voice he thought would have taken the hint six months ago when Frank kicked his ass when Lucas was drunk out of his mind remembering his past.
            “Roland! How nice to see you. How is that bitch of yours? Still not willing to be mated to you? I mean until the mark is given she can sleep with anybody she chooses. And I heard your pack had a nice little party with her last month.” Lucas sneered; ready to jump if needed.
            “At least I have a mate. Even if she is a bit of a whore. You are coming on six centuries and still single. Living with that freak. At least we used to be human.”
            Lucas was up and in his face. “Do not insult my friends. I have killed for a lot less Roland.”
            “Please, your greatest achievement was killing that sire of yours, Richardson.”
            “That is the only one that matters Roland. I gained my freedom by killing him and his pack. I don’t need a pack.”
            “That is where you are wrong pup. Everybody needs a pack. After all how are you going to get out of this?” Roland grabbed Lucas by the throat.  “You don’t have your freak here to bail you out this time.  And after I am done with you I may just leave this bar before the doors lock and kill that freak and his new little girl can be raised to be the pack slut.”
            Lucas felt a rage he had only felt once before rage in him. And that was the day he killed his sire. Lucas felt himself changing before the moon, something only an Alpha could do, and he felt himself drop all the barriers he created to not become the monster that he was portrayed as in the movies and books.  He had his claw deep into Roland’s chest; he was half changed. “Never, and I mean never threaten my family.”  He stated as he took the heart in into his claws.  “Apologize.  Apologize before I kill you.”
            Roland looked up at him and spit blood into his face. “Never. You are nothing Lucas. You may kill me, but my men will rip you apart. And then that freak and then eat that precious little girl you are protecting.”
            Lucas smirked.  “You don’t know a thing about me before I came to this town Roland. I haven’t always gone by the name Lucas.”
            “Please who could you be that would be so scary?”
            “Beast of Gévaudan, the Beast Of Transylvania, the one that scared even Dracula, I have been around longer than I have let people believe.  You don’t get it Roland; I hide my bloody past because I am more of a moral man than you. But wherever I have been I have left a trail of blood.”  Lucas ripped out the heart. “And now I leave this trail.” He turned fully eating the heart and jumping when Roland’s men started to turn with the moon.
            Lucas knew he was surrounded by Roland’s men. Roland had made them pledge to avenge his death if it happened. Lucas being an alpha had a bit more of his mind, though not much, but enough to count seven wolves. He moved and put his back against the silver doors; he tried to ignore the smell of burning hair, and waited for the first to jump.
            He didn’t wait long before the youngest; a pup really, jumped and went for his throat. Lucas moved out of the way and allowed the pup to go head first into the silver door. Before the pup could recover from the massive burn on his head Lucas took him by the throat and threw his body across the room, ripping out the throat and spraying the bar with blood.  The other six wolves didn’t wait and tried to jump him all at once.  Lucas, of course, being older and stronger made quick work of the younger pups, leaving two other elders.  He had his back against a silver window and waited as his wolf brain calculated the best way to kill his enemies and eat their hearts. To gain their power. To gain their knowledge. To gain their souls.  Soon one got impatient with waiting and charged him and Lucas took him and threw him into the cage over the window allowing the smell of burning flesh fill the air before taking a silver spike into his hand and ignoring his own pain put it through the wolf’s chest. Killing him.  He turned to the last one. The one older than Roland. 
            The wolf tilted his head and tried to find a way to live, with the oath to Roland he had to fight. But maybe he didn’t have to die.  He charged.  He bit the back of Lucas and then rolled and put his head down in submission.
            Lucas looked at the wolf.  He tilted his head.  He moved to act like leaving before he charged and flipped the wolf into the air using his claw to rip out his heart and eating it.  He went to each body and ate their hearts and stood in the middle of the room covered in blood. The other wolves had their heads bowed in submission to not be killed that night.  Lucas settled for the night and waited for dawn.
            The next morning Frank looked up as Lucas came in.  “How was your night?”
            “Almost completely fulfilling.”
            “Oh did you get into a fight?”
            “You could say that.”
            Frank shrugged.  “How many?”
            “Seven, they met The Beast.”
            Frank raised an eyebrow as he stood and put a plate of food in front of Lucas. “And what caused that?”
            “He threatened my pack.”
            “Oh?”
            “Yeah, nobody threatens my pack and lives.”
            “Any injuries?”
            “A few burns on my back but you can patch them up later.”  He smiled down at the baby girl in the bassinet. “For now I am eating breakfast; seven hearts does not sustain an alpha, let alone The Beast.” He smirked getting Frank to laugh, and though he may not have a mate, he had a pack and that is all that mattered. No matter the death that he would cause to protect them.
           

Day Four Monster University: Beth

Beth
Katherine Rochholz
All Rights Reserved

“I miss my husband at times. But if I stop and think of it I am glad he is gone. He made me into this. I died. I had been killed when the village attacked us the first time and he made me live once more. I look into this mirror and see my green dead skin, my purple eyes and black purple hair. My ‘son’ had saved me that final night. The night Viktor died. He then wondered one way and found Cameron and I another. Mostly because in my anger I had blamed him. In my anger I sent him away. I reconnected a century later and begged forgiveness. He said he forgave me but I am unsure. We are after all dead beings. Our souls, that were once our source of life, after all left us in death. And Frank was created from many people. It is ironic that I am a surgeon. I work in the Emergency Room and Plastic Surgery. I either try to save people; bring them back from the dead. Or I create them. In a different way than Viktor created Frank and myself. Or I allow them to die to continue to exist. Having to update our organs every decade; doing it bit by bit.”

Beth looked up at the door opening. She was eyeing the torso of the man she would be giving pec implants to. Not that he needed them. He would make a good torso for her son. Pity he would code on the table. She smiled. “Hello William.”

“Hello Doc! How are you today?”

“Oh I am wonderful! I am a young grandmother now! My son found his child after his ex ran off and she had tried to kill the poor child.”

“Oh Doc that is horrible! At least it sounds like your son found them in time!”

“Yes, my son is quite a good man. Though he doesn’t always think that.”

“Yes, well if people didn’t have messed up thoughts about themselves you wouldn’t have a job as a plastic surgeon.”

Beth laughed. “Yes, well the human condition has made sure I have a job for many, many years! So shirt off and hope up on the table!”n

“You know Doc most people would say this is a start to a porn flick!”

Beth laughed. “Well, we know different don’t we William! Now let’s see. You wanted to go up two sizes correct?”

“Yep.”

“You are a handsome young man William why the body modifications?”

“So I can hold on to my girl. She is a ten.”

“Sounds a bit shallow William.”

“Maybe but I love her and I am going to hang on until she leaves me.”

“Sounds unhealthy William. But it is your life.”

“Yeah I know Doc, but love is irrational and makes your mind mush.”

Beth chuckled. “That it does William. That it does.”

Once the exam was finished she sent him on his way with some instructions for when he came back in two days for the procedure. It was one of the only pieces she needed for Frank for the next few years; and Frank had already got her new parts last year. She sat down at her desk and pulled out a worn picture. It was of her and Viktor on their wedding day. It was actually a photo of the portrait they had done that day. Viktor tried to make Frank look like such a mix of them after she had been unable to conceive. Beth had taken to Frank; however her irrational mind has created a void between them at times. She always knew were to hit where it hurt him the most. She would have to watch that now with her granddaughter. A baby in the Frankenstein family. She started laughing. There hadn’t been a baby since Viktor was alive and he was that last baby. The thing that really made it more ironic the child was biologically Mary Shelly’s descendent; the one being that showed that Frank had at least a shadow of a soul. She put the picture back in her desk and shut down her computer. She had a grandchild to shop for!

Beth was sitting with Frank and Bo. “This is my grandchild Bo.” She growled.

“We are looking for the father. Just in case it was a monster; we have to know what to expect Beth.”

“Don’t Beth me! I understand that we have to know but I want it set up that we are doing the ritual! My granddaughter deserved immortality!”

“I am not saying she doesn’t Beth; but what is the hurry?” Bo sighed.

“What’s the hurry?” Frank yelled! “I want this done before she can remember! The ritual is can give nightmares! And my daughter doesn’t need to have those until she is old enough to cause her own!”

Bo held up his hands. “Goddess! Fine! I will find the fifty new mothers and twenty-five nuns. You may have to go to a larger city.”

Frank and Beth nodded. “I have booked a flight for NYC in a week. Frank is getting his chest switched out in two days.” Beth stated.

“Did you want an officiator?” Bo asked. “And have you already set things up with who you need to in regards to Frank’s upgrade?”

Beth and Frank had a silent conversation. “Yes, Gus is on it. And No, I and my son should be able to perform the ritual just fine. Who did you have in mind?”

“Jacques Paris is in town.” Bo stated.

Frank lifted his head. “Marie’s first husband?”

Bo nodded. “Yes he had me set him up as James Van Derke.”

Beth raised an eyebrow. “I am shocked he would be in the same town as Marie. Not that I blamed him. If Frank wasn’t set to stay with his friends this time around I would have talked him out of this town with her in it. Zombies. Nasty creatures. At least Frank and I have minds of our own and aren’t controlled by a woman who gives…”

“Mother.” Frank flicked his eyes to his daughter.

“Oh sorry dear. I just really hate Marie.”

“Yes, trying to control the two of us; she is lucky she is alive. I wouldn’t have let her live if James hadn’t asked me. He was able to help me find a heart for mother.” Frank stated as he handed Beth his new little girl.

Bo sighed. “Yes, yes. Anyways he can help or you can do it yourselves. What do you want her name to be?”

“Sophie Elizabeth.” Frank stated. “We will perform the ritual ourselves. Just get us the ‘ingredients’ needed.” Frank took the papers to sign.

Beth smiled. “My little Sophie. You will be a spoiled little monster! Yes, you will!”

Frank smiled and continued to read the papers. He signed them with blood. Even if it wasn’t his own he had made it his own and there was magic in blood. When he was done he handed them back. “Anything else Bo?”

Bo looked over the papers. “No, everything is in order.” He stood and held out his hand. “Great doing business with you again?”

Beth smiled as Frank took Sophie and left. “Yes, always a pleasure Bo. When you need new skin come stop by and I will help you choose your new look.”

“Of course you and Frank always take care of me Beth.” He kissed her cheek and walked her out the door.

Two days later she had both William and Frank in her operating rooms. One with her staff and the other just Frank and Gus. She went and made sure all waivers were signed and put William under. Within fifteen minutes he had coded and with a DNR snuck into the paperwork the body was pronounced dead and rolled away. Beth pretended to be upset as she told his parents and girlfriend before going into her other operating room. “Ready Frank?”

“As always mother.” His head responded setting on the tray by the surgical tools. “This William is a good specimen, perhaps we should change out the legs as well it is only six months early.”

Beth nodded as she started to drain William of his blood putting it in a warmer. “I was thinking they as well. It is a logical course of action. Less cutting too. Just the head and the arms. Less stitches for you to cover as well this time.”

“Yes that is a benefit with Sophie now.”

“How is my little granddaughter treating you at night?”

“She is doing well. She calms with me or Lucas.”

“Strange most children have issues with wolves.”

“Yes well Lucas has always had a quality about him that drew monsters and their children in.” Frank watched as his mother removed William’s head. “Watch out for that bleed there mother.”

Just then an artery gushed splashing them all with fresh dead man’s blood. Beth licked it off her lips before wiping her face with her hand taking a lick. “Good blood.”

“If I didn’t know any better I would say you and Frank are vampiric as well.” Gus stated as he finished removing the arms from Frank’s old body and started to put William’s arms on it.

“We crave blood as any Monster Gus. Blood is where the life force is held. The soul remnants remain in the blood absorbing into us allowing us to be something more than mindless monsters.”

Gus nodded as Frank put in his two bits. “Yes, it is what gives us a semblance of normalcy in our undead life. Even if we must drink blood to gain it.” He winced as his mother picked his head up and started to stitch the head in the new body and bolt the spine to the base of his skull.

Beth coo’ed to him. “Don’t worry baby boy the pain will be gone after the jolt.” She stated as she hooked his bolts bolts to the power supply. It would cause he power to go out and many to die tonight if there were monsters who needed the flesh and blood.

Gus rolled his eyes. They were so sickening sometimes he thought as he slurped up a piece of arm skin from William. “Mmmm… fresh.”

“You better not be snacking on my son’s new body!” Beth hissed as she stitched on Frank’s arms.

“No! William’s arms! Leftovers! Leftovers!”

“Better be Gus.” She stated. “Okay let’s get this cleaned up so I can start up my son and he can get home to his daughter. Lucas is watching her correct?”

“Yes mother.”

“Good.” She quickly stitched William’s arms and head on the now useless body.

Gus looked it over. “They will never know! G’night Frank and Beth!”

Beth nodded as she quickly changed and cleaned up the blood. She took the machine that kept the blood warm and started to pump it into Frank. “Okay time for the finale!” She started cranking up the power. “Ready son?”

“As ever mother.” Frank accepted the piece of leather in his mouth and it down.

Beth went back and pulled the switch. She watched as the body jolted. She stopped the power and did it again. She stopped the power and then did it one final time leaving it on until all the breakers, fuses and generators blew. She then made her way over after switching the switch off. “Frank?”

Frank groaned as he moved to sit up. He disconnected himself plugging the holes before to much blood was lost. He stitched them up. “Good as ever mother.” He stated as he jumped off the table. “Good body. Healthy. Toned. Good muscle. This will last a couple decades this time. Arms another five years.”

“Good. Good. Now go collect my lovely granddaughter we have a meeting to get to in NYC.”

“Of course mother.” Frank kissed her cheek and left.

It was several hours later as Frank and Beth stood over a kiddie pool that Sophie laid in, in a baby bath seat. They were in once hallowed land that was now a doorway to hell itself. Land tainted by the evil of man that was to keep it holy. They had their fifty new mothers and twenty-five nuns. They chanted their spell.

Frank went to complete the ritual. “Goddess of the Damned I ask thee to bless my daughter with immortality. To bless her with power. To bless her with beauty, grace and pose. To grant her a status above the mortals. As payment I and my mother, Elizabeth Frankenstein, present the blood of fifty new mothers and twenty-five nuns that Sophie Elizabeth Frankenstein shall be bathed in.” He nodded to his mother as she started to grab the heads of the mother’s and slit their throats over the kiddie pool. Draining them. Frank started in the other end and soon the blood of the mothers of new life were drained and Sophie happily splashing in the dark liquid of life. Frank moved and took the first nun. “We have given you the blood of the givers of life. Now we offer the blood of the pure.” He slit the first one’s throat and he and his mother made short work the blood starting to overflow from the pool.

Beth knelt down and bathed Sophie in the blood as Frank stood watch. Beth stood with Sophie in her arms. “Goddess we release the blood onto this once hallowed but now cursed ground to complete our offering!” She nodded and Frank kicked over the pool and allowed the blood to soak into the ground.

Frank looked to the sky. “Goddess, does my daughter have your blessing and curse?”

There was a flash of light that was green and deep purple in color and then the light balled up and slammed into Sophie’s chest, causing the babe to cry out and then fall into a content sleep.

Beth looked at Frank. “Congratulations Son the Goddess has blessed your daughter. Let’s go.” She kicked a body out of her way. Who cares about the story the newspapers would run. Nothing would come back at them.

Frank didn’t even kick them from out of the way and just walked over them as he carried his daughter to leave for their current home.

Beth smiled as Frank doted in the little girl as they headed back to Grand Prairie Rapids, yes this undead life caused them to be monsters but it was so worth it in the end. No matter the amount of blood on their hands.

Day Three Monster University: Frank

Frank
Katherine Rochholz
All Rights Reserved 


 


“What do I know about love and pain? What does anybody know about love and pain? I don’t know the pain of birth, of the start of life. I don’t know the pain of death. I never will. I was created. From parts of people who know the pain of birth, of life, of death. Those that knew love. But I have no soul. The people who once owned my body parts did, they could feel love, but I cannot. My ‘father’ created me hundreds of years ago. His death that night the village found out haunts me to this day. Is that love? I am haunted by his death. All their deaths. By my life. Is that Love?” 
 
Frank looked at the clock and knew it was time to prepare for the day. He put his journal away; he placed it in his drawer on top of his father’s journals; the ones that had all the notes that caused Frank’s existence. He slammed the door, a little hard, and locked the drawer. He looked in the mirror his skin had a light green tint, but it was nothing a bit of make-up could not hide. He had gotten very good at hiding the color of his skin. It took a lot more time to hide his stitching, but he had taken to wear long sleeve shirts and pants no matter the temp; after all, he was room temperature. He was dead. With no circulating blood. No soul. 

He didn’t have to hide his bolts too much anymore, thankfully strange and exotic piercings are popular during this time, and most people see them as a piercing. They always asked if his favorite book is Frankenstein. Frank hated that book. It made his father and himself as monsters. Well, that night he was when they killed his father. He killed the village. Mary Shelly was the only survivor. She wrote their story. He should have killed her. But she was a young child. He couldn’t bring himself to kill the child. After all the death he has caused he still hasn’t ever killed a child. He never would.

He looked at the note that Cameron had left for him. Something about picking up milk for some meal he wanted made tonight. Well, Cameron can cook for himself. The boy king got on Frank’s nerves. But, he would be lost without him, Lucas, and Drake. They all met a few hundred years ago. Well, he first met Cameron. He used to be Tutankhamen. Frank had been wondering around Europe looking for a place to live, when he ran into him. He took pity on the monster and invited him to stay with him. Frank didn’t know what pride was then and jumped at the chance. He barely could speak at the time. However, with Cameron’s help, he became highly educated. He sighed. Sometimes the boy king got out of control, only one that could control him was Nefertiti; sadly she didn’t come around often. He actually got on well with the Great Royal Wife. Of course, the fact Nefertiti, who now goes as Naome, was his mother and an ancient ruler herself, it was no shock she could reign in her son.
Education their path to living in mainstream America; moving here may not have been the best idea. Many people are too curious about new comers, but on a college campus the majority of people are new, so it was easy to come up with a generic story to tell them about where they were from. Frank looked at himself in the mirror, his green skin now covered, and he was set to go about his day. But he was still upset, as he was every morning, but before he could be buried in his thoughts a thud brought back to life. 

He saw Tony’s truck outside and remembered that Drake had a party last night. Frank found it easy, too easy most of the time, to turn a blind side to Drake’s parties. But what do you expect from a soulless creature? Of course without Tony and Bo; they would never be able to live their half way normal undead lives. Tony, Bo, and many others make their lives almost seamless. If it wasn’t for the rash of bodies after they entered town or left town it was almost easy to forget they were monsters. Frank stood up and grabbed his books, took one last look in the mirror and left. 

Lucas looked up. “Hey, man the full moon is in a couple of days. I suggest staying in man.” 

“Of course, Luc. Don’t get shot this time. I may have learned medicine and have my MD but patching you up isn’t something I like doing.” He moved to the fridge to start breakfast.

“Funny you took after your creator.” 

“I was called Frankenstein’s Monster, Luc. Victor Frankenstein created me. I couldn’t take his last name because of the taboo and that blasted book, but I could take Frank. It is all I really understood anyways when Cameron found me.” 

“Hey I get it, don’t worry. Hey, Darin is going to be moving in next week.” 

“Darin?” He looked up from where he was cutting bacon. 

“Dorian. He is Darin Black now instead of Dorian Grey. Seriously, he can annoy me at times with his name changes.” 

“He fix that little problem he had of half his face turning into skeleton?” 

“Sorta. Once a month under the new moon he will have to deal with it. No big. We all have our issues with the things that go bump in the night.” Lucas laughed at his own bad joke. 

Frank rolled his eyes as he flipped the eggs. “Seriously, centuries later and your bad jokes haven’t gotten any better.” 

Lucas laughed. “I am funny as hell. You are just envious. I will talk to you later monster man!” He got up and ran out the door. 

Frank moved to finish his breakfast and then went to class. He was set to be a classic literature major this time around. He hadn’t had a chance to look at the syllabus just grabbed the bundle at the book store. He left for his first class, introduction to classic lit. Oh so fun. He was around when all these books were written. Hell, he knew most of the writers! He moved and sat down in a middle seat. Middle seat dwellers always had less attention. He saw the teacher walk in. She reminded him of somebody. But he couldn’t place who; well that would bother him all flipping day. 

“Hello class! My name is Professor Mary Sheldon! We are going to start with the book that got me into classic lit! Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein!” 

Frank groaned. Not again! He couldn’t take that bloody book again. He would just pull out a damn paper he wrote and turn it. He should have killed the kid, or at least taken it and raised it so that blasted book that painted him in such a bad light never existed. 

The professor looked at him. “Something wrong with the book choice Mr…” She waited. 


“Victorson. Frank Victorson.” Frank answer. “And everybody forces us to read this from Middle School on. And everybody has the same thoughts. The monster was at fault and had to be destroyed. So killing Viktor Frankenstein and his creation were the right things to do. And they were shocked that the monster lashed out and destroyed and killed the people of the village.” 

Mary raised an eyebrow. “And you have a different viewpoint Mr. Victorson?” 

“Possibly.” 

“Stay after class.” She stated and then started her lecture. 

Frank waited and at the end of class stood there. “Well Professor?” 

“I don’t really like your attitude about a great novel!”

“You don’t have to.  You just have to grade me fairly on the work I do.  Now if you excuse me I have to get to my next class.”  Frank stated.

“I am going to ask you to keep an open mind about this novel.  It really is a piece of history.”  Sheldon stated.

“I will not change my stance.”  Frank left then.

Over the next month, as they broke down Mary Shelly’s lies of that night, Frank couldn’t help but feel as if Sheldon was stalking him.  He was finding her everywhere, from his math classes, to outside his house, to the restaurants he went to with the guys. He was sitting with the guys at Morgan’s (pretty much the only place they went) and told them.  “Seriously my professor is stalking me!”

“Dude maybe she has a thing for students.  Talk her up.”  Lucas stated as he smacked his lips at his ‘mooing’ steak.  “God Morgan knows how to make a steak!”

“Considering how many ‘dogs’ she gets in here I would hope she could make a steak.”  Drake sneered.

“Oh come on Drakey! Lighten up! Life is good!” Lucas held up his beer.

“We are dead Luc.”  Frank still tapped his beer to Lucas’, “and we tend to be the monsters.”

“Monsters!  We are gods!” Cameron laughed. “I mean we live forever! We have money, power, looks, and we are the envy men of campus!”

Frank rolled his eyes.  “Yes Boy King, we get it.  Maybe some of us didn’t want this?”

“What did you want Frankie?” Cameron sneered. “You wouldn’t have gotten life without being created!”

Frank growled.  “I may not have been born but even a ‘monster’,” he spat the words, “like me has wants.”

“Like what kids? A wifey?” Cameron rolled his eyes.

“I can’t have kids but I wouldn’t mind someone to spend my undead life with. Don’t you want someone?”

“Nah.  I am good.  They would get on my nerves after too long.”  Cameron flirted with the waitress across the room.  

“Luc?” Frank looked to his friend, his best really.

“Yeah, wolves mate for life. And it is for life. So right now I have to be very sure before I bring someone into this life Frank. But I get you.”

Drake sighed. “I don’t want to damn anybody to this life.”

“Please at least you haven’t evolved into an Incubus yet!”  Lucas laughed.

“Oh but won’t that be fun when he does! Think about it! We can have orgies on Halloween! And all those other holidays!” Cameron laughed as he drained his beer.

“Seriously Boy King, you need to stop thinking with your smaller head.”  Frank stated and rolled his eyes.

“Ah but brother sex, drugs and rock n roll!” Cameron cheered and signaled the waitress for another beer.

The men rolled their eyes at the Boy King but toasted and continued their meal.

Frank was leaving with Lucas and pointed out a woman following them.  “See Luc, behind us.”  He whispered below human hearing.

Lucas stretched and turned his head to see her. “Man she looks familiar.”  

“Yeah she reminds me of somebody too. But I can’t quite grip the memory.”

“Spooky man; especially with what your maker did with your brain. Some of the best of your time’s smartest minds.”

“Yeah.  Let’s go I do have a paper to turn in on my supposed badass self.” Frank laughed and clapped Lucas on the back.

Lucas laughed. “For a soulless creature you are at least a decent monster. I got class tomorrow too.” 

Frank turned in his paper; arguing that the monster wasn’t a monster. Humans were the real monster that night and the monster couldn’t kill the child because even soulless he had somewhat of a conscience. That humanity are the true monsters in the book; but written to view them as the heroes. After all only one moment in time can change a hero to a villain and a villain to a hero.

The next week Mary Sheldon called out as he was leaving. “Mr. Victorson! Stay back please.”

Frank waited and watched her lock the door.  “Well, Professor, what do you want?”

Mary walked over to her desk and picked up a knife. “My ancestor was Mary Shelly. She has a picture of the monster that killed her family.” She slapped a photo up on her board. “Funny how if you add a bit of make-up it looks like you.” 

“Oh please; you believe in immortality little girl?” Frank sneered.

“I believe in monsters. And I heard you and your little friends on how you will built. That you creator, that Frankenstein killed the brightest of my ancestor’s time! A monster ripped apart my ancestors! Left my many great-grandmother to die!” She brought out a knife and tried to stab Frank. 

Frank sneered as the knife entered his chest. He grabbed the wrist of the woman. “Wrong move little girl! I am already dead. And they were already dead when he took their parts. You can’t kill the dead.” He whispered as he grabbed and pulled; ripping her arm off. He allowed her a moment to scream. He then took his large hand and wrapped it around her throat. “Good bye Miss Shelly.” And ripped out her throat; dropping it on the ground. He listened to her gurgle her last breaths. He moved to leave and place a call to Tony when he heard a faint crying. He turned and sneered at the bleeding body. He bent under the desk; there was a babe. Barely a few months old. He looked at the tiny thing that looked at him with eyes as green as his skin. He sighed and picked up the phone. “Tony; Classic Lit Hall. Body. Full clean up…” He paused for a moment. “That is it Tony.” His choice made. He hung up to place another call. “Bo…” He sighed. “I need to make a kid mine…” Frank smirked. A child. One to make immortal and be his child. After all there were ways to make children immortal. They would grow until they were sixteen through twenty-one; then stop aging. Of course the ritual that Frank had in mind needed the heart of fifty new mothers and twenty five nuns; but a small price to pay for his child’s immortal life. A trip to the closest major city was in order.

Day Two Monster University: Drake

Drake
Katherine Rochholz
All Rights Reserved

 

     “I look at my prey, I hate what I am.  I hate this need to hunt; but I am afraid of death.  That is why I am in this situation to begin with… that fear of death…  I stand here writing in my ancient diary while I contemplate drain the woman who is sitting alone in the corner…I HATE MYSELF!”
            Drake put his journal in his desk and turned the key, locking it away.  He looked at the mess of people.  He had a party each week; a part of him, that he hated, needed them.  He had tried to go without. He had tried so many times. So many times he would be driven mad and he would satisfy this thirst in the most horrific of ways. He is grateful for his roommates. Cameron, Frank and Lucas all understand the curse he lives with; the death he must inflict so he could live. He is happy he found them many centuries ago. With this new world they knew they had to blend in, so they decided to main stream and go to college. So many careers demanded the paper over experience. Maybe next time he could be one of the business owners. They were what the dean had called freshmen. He is far from a fresh man… he died over five hundred years ago, but afraid of death he took a deal to grant him immortality. He has been called many things; in fact he is the basis of that silly little book Dracula. He knew Bram Stoker; a crazy little man who was obsessed with the beings that went bump into the night. Ever since Drake had tried to drain him that was until he tasted his blood; it had been tainted with holy water; sadly the little insane man thought it worked against vampires. In a way he was right; it only worked because he believed it would. Holy objects only work if the person believes it does, he was only evil in the fact he needed fresh flowing blood to live. After all in the blood is the very essence of the soul. Blood is life, it is why most ‘monsters’ crave it. Blood is life. And without life there is death. He hated that part of this curse… He didn’t really think when he was offered the escape from death. After all his fear back then was not living up to his family name. Dying before he could prove himself as a Dracula! He should have taken time to think; but he was dying and he became a killer who shattered the lives of not only his victims, but of their whole families.
            Cameron is the one that suggested coming to the new world. So they took the chance. It was a chance to start over somewhere new. There were many places in Europe where they were still hunted. They bought a house, bought some fake documents and signed up for college. Good Lord what they would do without their contacts they didn’t know and Bo was one of the best at getting the fakes with Sebastian. After all what could it hurt to come to a new world? To live some place different for once. Besides their victims… Sadly they cannot escape their curses… Some may be have clauses in their curses but he has never meet one to escape their curses.
            Drake sighed and walked- well glided- over to his prey. He watched in her eyes as he flashed an award winning smile and sat down next to her. “Hello, my dear.  I am Drake.” Drake knew nobody was immune to his charms, his thrall. After all Old Man Abe had somethings right about vampires. Thrall, blood draining, hell he even had the brides correct, but he never kept them for long. He sent them out on their own after he had his fill. After all after awhile the Thrall would wear off and well knew vampires who weren’t controlled were never fun to deal with; and he for sure didn’t have the patience. Which is why since Old Man Abe killed his last three he never made any more. He flashed his smile and started his thrall in the direction of his prey.
            “Hi…” She started and blushed. The blood to her face made Drake’s desire for her blood stronger. “I am Sam.” She was a shy, timid woman.
            “Nice to meet you, Sam.” Drake took her hand in his, and held it there. “Would you like a tour of the house? Maybe a drink?” Drake started to pull her up with him.
            “That would be great.” She said, and got up to go with him; she seemed to bask in his attention.
            Drake kept her hand and grabbed a strong drink from Lucas along the way. “Well, let’s start down stairs…” Drake started and led the shy young Sam to his room. There was a reason he chose this type of woman. Shy, timid, not many friends, far from home, would be a few days before she was noticed missing, she was the perfect prey.
    “Oh, your room is in the basement…”  \Sam said in shock when they walked into his windowless room.
    “Oh, yes this is my room.” Drake came up behind her. “Do you like it?” Drake asked as he pushed her hair away from her neck. He bent and kissed her neck before she could respond. He touched the tip of his tongue to her neck, and heard her gasp for breath. 
    Sam was torn between fear and desire. She had come to this party on her friend’s suggestion, and then her friend had left her when she went to dance with her newest boyfriend. “I…”
    Drake turned her around and kissed her; and pushed her toward his bed. He felt as she fell back onto the bed and he climbed in with her. “I hope you do…” Drake laid down almost on top of her and planted a string of kisses along her neck.
    “Drake…” Sam struggled for thought but she knew she didn’t want this. “Stop.”
    “No…” Drake said and he felt his fangs extend. He struggled against the monster within himself. He tried to push himself away from her, but he was too weak… he had gone to long without the flowing blood of life.
    “NO!” Sam struggled to get free.  he screamed, and hoped that someone heard her; never knowing the rooms in the house were built to be sound proof for many different reasons. Then she went silent when she felt the pain in her neck.
    Drake bit her. He hit the sweet spot where the blood flowed quickly and freely and he started to drain her. She went silent with the first bite, but she continued to struggle.
    Sam tried to get away, but she started to get weaker and weaker. Soon she was unable to move… and she felt cold.
    Drake knew when she gave up. He knew the moment she accepted her death, and a tear escaped his eye as he completely drained her. Once the last drop was gone, he rolled to the side, and exhausted from his gluttony of blood, passed out.
            Drake awoke the next day and looked at the body beside him. Sam’s eyes staring into space; clouded over with death. He sighed and picked up the phone.
            On the fourth ring it picked up. ”Tony’s Cement Shoes. You Kill ‘Em, We Sink ‘Em.”
            Drake sighed, but only those who Tony trusted would have the number anyway. “Is Tony in?” Drake asked.
            “Drake, my man! Tony is on his way to your house. He knows when you have a ‘party’.” The person on the other line stated.
            Drake could almost see the quotation marks that he was sure Tony’s clerk, and nephew, had made. “Bleu, very funny.  Tell your uncle to charge the account.” Drake hung up the phone. He looked at the body for a moment, shook his head and wrapped it in the white sheet; just a few spots of blood on it. Drake took one last look at the scene and then at the time. He picked up his books and left for class. He pushed the body of the young woman, whose name had been Sam, out of his head; never to be thought of again… Or at least he told himself he pushed her from his thoughts…

Day One Monster University: Draco


Draco
Katherine Rochholz
All Rights Reserved 
  
       

            “I have always been dangerous.  I have always only carried for my needs, my wants, my desires, and most of all I did what I wanted when I wanted, even who I wanted.  This curse annoys me to no end.  I can’t believe it has been twenty years since I last killed my shot at redemption.  This twenty year cycles continue to haunt me.  I find her.  And instead of trying to gain forgiveness I took her by force.  Then she refused to forgive me the bloody witch.  So I killed her.  Then for five years I spent my life as a bloody Mugwump!  I was such an ugly bird and I am forced to sit a fence with my head leaning over one edge and my ass over the other.  Only children can see me and they laugh at me.  After that five years, I am once again man.  Then I have fifteen years to find her and seek forgiveness.  But I never look until she is eighteen; then I hire Bo and his privateinvestigator to find her.  If at the end of the twenty years, if I haven’t found her, I turn to a Mugwump and she mysteriously dies and it starts all over again.  Well,she is twenty now and maybe I will finally learn my lesson.”
            Draco threw his journal into his drawer.  He looked at the little dorm room that he was in.  Why they choose this little bitty town of Prairie Rapids Crossing and the college here he would never know.  But Bo suggested it and nobody bet against Bo.  He has been their lawyer for centuries.  The only other one that they depended on as much as Bo and each other was Tony and his son… or was it his nephew?  Who cared?  Draco thought.  He looked at his set of journals going back from when he was named Griffin to now where he was Draco.  New names, new pasts, he needed them more than the others.  He never learned to control the anger and monster inside of him.  He might never learn to control it.  Mostly because he was trying to gain forgiveness from the blasted witch that cursed him.  She was reincarnated each time and wouldn’t gain her memories until he asked for her forgiveness.  He looked down at his schedule.  Since he generally only lived as a human for fifteen years out of every twenty he was a transfer senior.  He would be graduating this year.  He would also more than likely be dying within the next few months as well.  Well dying was such a harsh term.  Turned into a blasted ugly monster of a bird and forced to sit on a damn fence was what really happened.  He sighed as he stood and went to his air brushing machine with inks and dyes.  He put on the fake skin over his real skin and air brushed life into his fake exterior.  He hated being invisible.  He barely remembered what he looked like anymore.  He had long ago figured out how to move in society thanks to the underground group of ‘monsters.’  They were soulless beings and monsters but some liked to think they were misunderstood.  Frank was one of them.  Though he just rips the throats out of the people who annoy him.  Though he did hear Frank was trying something new.  He should go visit the man and the annoying screaming machine he seems to have adopted.  He finished his application and put on a pair pants and a white button-down.  He smirked as he messed with his wig.  It was almost the same color as the hair he was born with.  He created a very hot man.  Now to go and woo that damn reincarnated witch.
            Draco watched her.  He bar-tended on campus.  It allowed him to see all the students and compare them to the witch.  She always looked the same.  Short. Black hair. And these honey burgundy eyes that cost a man his soul.  Everybody wants blonde blue eyed leggy models, but a short brown-eyed girl will give their hearts and souls to the people who own her heart.  I learned that well.  So well in fact that to cross one of these witches it would cost you any semblance of a normal life.  He was brought out of his thoughts by the phone ringing.  “Jo’s Pool Hall.”  He answered. 
            “Dragon! Is Jo there?”  Draco winced hearing Kat’s voice.  She was more of a seductress than Jo and Jo was a Succubus.  The fact Kat was also the famous Voodoo Queen Marie LaVeau also made Draco want to run far, far away.  Kat owned the local bookstore and was best buddies with Jo. 
            “Jo is busy now Catherine.”  He stated.
            “Ahh, did she find a source for tonight?  Pity, I was hoping to double date.  I met some fresh meat.”  She gave a chilling laugh.
            Draco shivered.  “She is busy tonight.  Try tomorrow.”
            “Good bye my darling Draco.  Pity, I can’t reverse your curse just to have a chance at you.”
            Draco never was so thankful for his curse.  “I have to go Catherine!”  He yelled and slammed down the phone.  Draco shivered again and turned at a yell of ‘Hey!’  He turned and blinked.  There she was.  That blasted reincarnation of the witch that destroyed his life.  She was quite ‘painted’ tonight.  Of course being as old as I am I call all make-up painted.  Today’s society would call it barely there.  He moved down.  “How can I help a darling out?”  He drawled.
            “Three tequila shots and three Long Islands.”  She stated.
            “I am Draco darling and your name so I can know who to run the tab under?”
            “Flo.  Now hurry up Draco, I haven’t all night.”
            Yep, still a bitch.  “Coming right up Flo.” He makes the drinks and sends them on their way.  He spends the rest of the night making a pro and con list of being stuck as a Mugwump for five years again.
            For the next three weekends, Draco tried to get somewhere with the witch.  He was nice, bought her drinks, helped her with her damn chemistry homework!  “Want to go to dinner, Flo?”
            Flo laughed.  “Oh honey, you are not getting anywhere with me.  You know your chemistry and seem to be loaded.  I am just using you.”
            Of course, Draco saw red and left.  He went home and removed all his coverings.  He was going to make her pay.  Only she could see him. He waited outside her door as she entered he pushed her in.  “Use me you blasted witch!  I ask your forgiveness!”  He said the magic words.
            “Griffin?”  Flo asked her eyes wide with fright.
            “In the not so flesh!”  Draco laughed.
            “Griffin, don’t.  Not again!”
            “Do I have your forgiveness Witch?”
            “No, you still don’t love me!”
            “You use me in over half your lives! How can I love you?”
            “And you didn’t use me?”
            “I cheated on you once! I was drunk and I thought she was you!  I asked forgiveness!  I begged and you cursed me!”
            “You cheated!  And you still don’t love… I deny you your forgiveness.”
            “And I am sorry you just signed your death again!”  He took the knives in his hands and drove them into her hands and feet.  “But a bit of fun first?”  Draco smirked, as he ran the knife down her sternum and stomach slicing her open.
            An hour later Flo lay passed out from pain, bloody and torn apart.  Her heart beating its last beats.  Draco bent down to her ear.  “I don’t know if you can hear me Flora, but I did love you.  I loved you enough I was being disowned to marry you.  You killed that love, and now we are stuck in this endless cycle.  I hope we can find it again.  But with my anger and your grudge, I feel the world will end and we will be judged to continue this cycle in hell.”  He kissed her cheek as she took her last breath and her heart beat one last time. 
            Draco fell down to the ground in pain.  He had killed her again.  The transformation into the Mugwump wasn’t what was painful.  It was that he let that dark side out and killed her again.  After the transformation was complete, Flora’s body was left to be discovered and Draco found himself thinking of a new name as he sat on the fence facing a highway punished to never move, and never to be seen but by children playing car games.
           

Prologue Pre-Day One Monster University Rachael

Rachael
Monster University Prologue
Katherine Rochholz
All Rights Reserved


            “I watch the monsters day in and day out. They never notice me the lowly human. But I watch them. I know them. I know their weaknesses, their strengths, their desires. They don’t think anybody could ever figure it out. Ha! One only has to watch and listen to see what is really going on. Of course nobody watches. And nobody pays attention to the dying girl. The girl that is quiet and mousey, the girl that doesn’t say two words unless she is in class or spoken too. No nobody notices the dying girl. And because of that I can watch them. Study the monsters. And learn how to kill them. I don’t have the strength to kill them. To get rid of the evil that plagues this town. But I hope that some day that humanity won’t be lost to them. I hope that some day that someone will have the strength to take them down. But I watch. That is all I can do. Watch and record. And now I want to share this all with you. Share with you how I came to find out how things go bump in the night. And the stories of Monster University.”
            Rachael sat and watched the new students. Rachael was a professional student. She choose this life because she was dying. She always knew she would die young. Terminal Genetic Conditions. She snorted. People ignored her. She was always quiet. Afraid of trying to find friends. Afraid of falling in love. Why do so when you are just going to leave them? Even her parents were distant after she was diagnosed at the age of eight. Two years later her very healthy baby brother and sister were born. They were the only ones she really cared about in life anyways. She always made sacrifices for her brother and sister. They were her life. She gave them everything that she refused to give anybody else. Because of that most people thought she was lost in her head a lot. Her books, her stories, her writings and musings. The fact that she refused to get a job even with her numerous degrees.  But really she was watching. Observing. Writing what she saw. And as the new students moved in and the town got a new bar, a new restaurant, new businesses… okay let’s be honest it wasn’t that strange. They were a college town and people moved in and out all the time. Sometimes families moved to be with their kids; sometimes people moved to try to make a go of a business in a college town that would have a lot of people for at least eight of the twelve months of the year. The bonus with this town is that it was very, very close to the larger towns in the state. And was considered a larger town itself. So even ‘seasonal’ businesses could make a go of things year round.
            One day Rachael was helping with the registrations. And she noticed some strange behavior in a group of kids. Now it was a college campus and strange and abnormal behavior were generally normal. But some of these kids were speaking as if they were misplaced out of time. They dressed as if they looked into a catalog and just choose to mimic what the model was wearing. So Rachael did what Rachael did best and observed them. She watched them every day and started to eavesdrop in on their conversations. She started to write down everything. She started to list everything. She discovered the truth not long after they all started. They never noticed her and talked around her. They were monsters! Vampires, werewolves, mummies, zombies, undead killers they were all real! What could she do?
            She knew she could never fight these monsters. Instead, she stayed in the shadows. She documented the monsters. She watched them day in and day out. She was dying and they killed to live. It made her made. It pissed her off.  She watched them kill to live. She watched them kill for sport. She watched them laugh about it. She watched them live life when she would die. She vowed somehow that people would know their stories. Their weaknesses and their powers and their rituals; so that one-day people could rise up and bring them down. She wrote these stories and hid them when she was finished. She followed them. She got to know them. She probably knew them better than they knew each other at times. This went on for months. She would put the pieces together. And being a woman who was used to being in the shadows she knew how to stay hidden.
            One day Rachael had just finished documenting the last of the monsters in town. She found the rituals they had to perform. Their weaknesses. And their strengths. She wrote them in the forms of short stories. She left the bank to be surrounded by the very monsters she had been hunting. She had messed up just a few days before. She had known it too. She had gotten so angry that one of the women was so bored with life that she was just going through the motions. That she kept doing her rituals only so she wouldn’t have to pay the price of burning in hell. She yelled at her when she went to the bar to watch one of the last monsters. She had yelled that she wished that she could live. That she had the opportunity that the soul sucking monster she was had but she was dying. She messed up and quickly finished her documents. She had too. Her will stated to publish them. To publish them as fiction so that way people would read them. But those who were smart, those who could put the pieces together, that they would understand that they were while. And maybe one day hunt them down and destroy them all.
            Now she stood surrounded by them. Taken into a back alley into the city. She swallowed. She took a deep breath. She closed her eyes for she knew her time had come. She asked one thing. “Let my parents bury my body…” She whispered as her world went black.
“These are my words. My stories. Read them. Understand them. And watch for the monsters hidden within our society. If you are reading this. You know my story. A girl who died too young. Her genetic condition taking her quickly as she left her final piece of work in a safety deposit box to finish. These are my last words. I know when I leave this bank I will die. Be aware of the people around you. You never know which may hide a monster within. And if you are brave enough, strong enough, powerful enough… Please finish what I wanted to start and destroy them all…”

Truth and Past Past and Present Excerpt

Truth and Lies Past and Present
Katy Lily Year 1
All Rights Reserved

Excerpt:
Chapter Six: A Friend

The next three days passed in a blur- she played with Starlight, shopped with Sandra, read the school books or even sneak into the kitchen when Professor MacCathmhaoil and Antonio were in deep discussion about their new potion. Katy was had the time of her life and never wanted it to end. But before she knew it, it was the morning of the second and she was to go off to school.

Sandra had helped her pack the night before, still the morning was hectic, but even so the smiles never left their faces. By the time they teleported to the airport Katy had to try everything she could to not jump up and down with the excitement. She was dressed in her new uniform and cloak and carried her book bag full of everything she needed.

“Now Katy Lily you have to sit still on the plane, be polite and try not to spend all your money on the treats. Antonio used to have a problem with that, and would be out of money by the end of the first term. Your money is in your bag as is everything else. Now you don’t have to carry everything with you everywhere, but carry your money and only what you need for classes daily. Now when you land follow Antonio or Antonio Sr. one of them will show all the first years to your dorms. Now Starlight will be in the pet area of the plane, Antonio already took her back. She will be waiting for you in your dorm room. Just be yourself and everybody will love you like we do. And don’t show off that is rude, there are only ten new Fire children this year, it is a small group there are normally fifteen to twenty new Fires, but Antonio Sr. told me that there are seventy five earths this year were there is normally fifty, so everything evens out.”

“Sandra, come on, I can’t sit everybody until they are in line, and you will see Katy Lily in eleven short weeks.” Professor MacCathmhaoil stated, as he took Katy’s hand. “Come on Katy Lily.”

“Wait!” Sandra called and grabbed Katy and hugged her. “See you in March, behave and be safe.”

Katy hugged her back. “Thank you so much.” Katy said as she buried her head to hide the tears in her eyes.

“Come on now Katy Lily, before you know it you will be back home.” Professor MacCathmhaoil stated and again took Katy’s hand. They walked to the boarding center; Katy looked around and saw about sixty kids. Katy tensed, now worried that they wouldn’t like her. “Don’t worry, Katy Lily, as Sandra said, just be you and those who are meant to come into your life will, those who are not, well they won’t. Now go stand over there in that first line, those are the other first years.” Professor MacCathmhaoil pointed to the first line of kids.

Katy let go of Professor MacCathmhaoil’s hand and walked over to the line. She stood at the end of the line behind a boy with bright blond hair. He talked to his parents, his mother had black hair and was tall and slender, she had a timeless beauty about her, and the father was tall and as blonde as the son. He was very tall with the strangest colored eyes she had ever seen, they were bright neon orange, and he had scar that went down from the top of his forehead across his eye ending in a curve to his lips, they said their goodbyes. Katy tried not to listen as they said their goodbyes, but the boy was a little loud.

“Mom I am fine! Look! See all the other kids don’t have their parents hanging on them, look! See she is even by herself!” He said as he pointed to Katy.

“Fine, we are going now stay out of trouble, and I expect to see high grades on your report card in March.” The mother said as she hugged her son, she then took her husband’s hand and walked away.

The boy turned around to face Katy. “Hi, my name is Gaivan Hepburn.” He stated as he held out his hand.

Katy took and shook his hand. Katy took his appearance in, it was really too perfect, he looked like a child model with his square face, almond shaped green eyes, straight perfect nose, and perfect ruby red lips. “My name is Katherine Fitz but everybody calls me Katy.”

“Nice to meet you Katy! Looks like just ten of us this year. My dad is Fire and my mom is Spirit. My older brother is Fire too, but he is a sixth year so he gets to teleport to the town outside of the school, and then he takes the carriages up. They don’t let anybody teleport into the school, but man wait until we can do it! Do you have any siblings? What are your parents?” Gaivan seemed to be as excited as Katy, but he couldn’t hide it as well as she could.

“I was told my mom was Earth. My friend Antonio told me. She died three years ago. He also told me that my father is an Air.”

“Wow! You are rare! It is almost always Fire children who grow up to have Fire children! Do you not live with your dad?”

“No, I don’t know who he even is; I have been staying with Professor MacCathmhaoil and his family.” Katy had questions about her father, but each time she mentioned her dad the MacCathmhaoils’ smiles died and were replaced with a face of distaste.

“Wow.” He had a shocked look on his face. “Oh look we are boarding hope to see you on the plane!”

“You too!” With that Gaivan faced forward and then started to move forward to begin to board the plane.

Katy got up to the doors of the plane, and saw Antonio and Professor MacCathmhaoil and waved. Antonio walked forward after all ten of the first years were standing around them.

“Okay first years this way please I will show you to your seats. The plane was much larger on the inside then it appeared on the outside. He led them to a group of sets that were separated by curtains, near the front of the plane. And sat them in groups of two within the five sections, each section had two cushy chairs and a table each. He sat Katy with Gaivan close to the front. “Okay, behave; we will be patrolling the plane at regular intervals. This is an eight hour flight, and we will land at about six just in time for the first dinner of the school year.” With that Antonio walked back though the curtains.

Katy looked around and saw that there were three other girls and six boys in the first year Fire group.

“I can’t wait for the treat cart to come!” Gaivan said.

“Does it have things like at Kandi’s Sweets?” Katy was happy that she had someone her age to speak too, and for once she felt like she could have friends.

“Yep, good stuff, I have to limit my pocket money though, after all this has to last most of the year, as I don’t get any more spending money until my birthday which is August 14th by the way.” Gaivan said with a smile. “When is yours?”

“December 20th.”

“Oh… you just had your birthday! What did you get?”

“Umm…” Katy thought about how to answer this, she had never gotten anything for a birthday before, except a doll if the shelter had one, even when her mother was alive there wasn’t any money to get anything. Katy thought about it for a moment and decided that honesty would be the best route to go. “I didn’t get anything until the 29th I lived alone on the streets of New York. But that is okay, on the 29th I found out I was a witch and went shopping and got all my school supplies. I even have a kitten now, called Starlight, and I found out I am going to take all these cool classes. And I got a topaz necklace, and the best part besides Antonio’s family was my kitten choosing me and getting my wand and staff!” Katy was so excited that she talked a lot more then she should have, maybe.

“Wow! Man that sucks about having to live on the streets, but at least you don’t have to anymore. I got my wand and staff on my birthday, but I couldn’t hang on to it until a few days ago. I got my crystal as well, but in ring form, it is a blood agate, very cool, it is called the Fire stone. And I love my Cedar wand and staff! They are both a dark brown color with black tips in the shape of a flame. See!” He said as he pulled his wand out of his bag. “What are yours?”

“I have a black Holly wand with a blood red tip, and I have a white Yew staff with a blood red tip.” Katy said quite proudly as she pulled her Holly wand out of her bag, she wanted to show off her wand as well.

“Wow! What classes are you taking? I am taking History, Spells, Potions, Creatures, Teleportation, Thaumaturgy, Telepathy, Languages, Healing, Symbols, Transfiguration, Magical Defense, Pyrokinesis, Herbology, Arts, Elements, Divination, Necromancy, Archeology, and Astronomy. I hope to be a Guardian one day.” Gaivan said proudly.

Katy didn’t know what Guardians were but they sounded important. “I am taking almost the same as you, except where you have Symbols I have Martial Arts, and where you have Arts I have Mythology. What are Guardians?”

“I forgot you haven’t lived in this world, they are like our police officers, and they catch dark witches and warlocks. My dad is one; my mom is a medicine woman for creatures. Like a veterinarian, but magical.”

“Cool!” Katy had heard of so many different careers, but she didn’t know what she would to do after school, did she need to know?

“Most people don’t know what they want to be until at least their fifth year, because we get to choose what classes to drop at the end of the year. My brother wants to be a medicine man, so he is taking Healing, Potions, Languages, Spells, Magical Defense, Herbology, Pyrokinesis, Elements, Creatures, and Alchemy. I would have taken Divination over Alchemy though, or Thaumaturgy. Alchemy is all about power for oneself I feel.”

“Wow! Sandra is a medicine woman, she took some days off to stay with me the last couple of days, and she said she was glad to have some time off, as the hospital is always busy with one thing or another. She told me about this guy whose wife cursed him or something and he came in with tentacles all over his head and eyes on his feet.”

“Whoa… I would have loved to see that!”

The conversation stayed mostly on classes, and the strange things Sandra had told her about the last couple of days. They didn’t break until the treat cart came. Gaivan was very fond of the sugar wands and bought bunches of those, Katy, however, only bought one sugar wand and a jumbo bag of animal gummies, she found out that if she tapped them with her wand first they will act like the animal for a bit. There were gummies running all across the table when Professor MacCathmhaoil walked up.

“Ah, I see you got more gummies Katy. Hello Gaivan, how are you doing?”

“Great Professor, are we almost there yet it seems we have been sitting still for hours!”

“Almost another couple of hours, then we will land. I will make an announcement before we land so everybody can get out their warlocks’ and witches’ hats. Small lot of you this year, but that is okay the Fire house has always been small. Only 161 total this year! Earth is up there though 535 this year, 75 first years. 215 for Spirit, 376 for Water, and 427 for Air, so 1714 students at school this year, plus some graduates training under masters, thankfully we got a few new professors as well. Well, off to check the second years. Goodbye.” With that Professor MacCathmhaoil left their section.

Somehow Katy knew that the information that Professor MacCathmhaoil gave them was for her benefit. “Wow so many! How many schools are there?” Katy asked Gaivan.

Gaivan swallowed the gummy he was eating then he answered. “Well there are seven major magical schools, one per continent, ours is the largest, followed by Europe. The smallest is Antarctica, only like 150 kids total. The other schools aren’t really like ours though, except maybe Asia, the others get summers off and go a full nine months only. My brother did an exchange program his fourth year. I might do one but not until after my fifth. My brother was studying for weeks trying to make up what he needed to know for his exams when he came back. Of course there are smaller schools, mostly for parents who don’t want their kids far from home, or some parents home school.”

“Wow, you can really take classes at other schools?” Katy was fascinated by the idea of learning from other witches and warlocks, but it sounded like a lot of basic stuff is missed when you do an exchange program. She would have to find out more.

“Yeah, it is nice and all, but with all the exams we have to take at the end of the year it is really hard when they don’t teach as much at other magical schools, except maybe Asia but I don’t really want to go to Asia they even have classes on Fridays!”

“Do we ever get to meet people from other schools? Do they come here?”

“Almost never, I hear there is an exchange student from Europe in the fifth years Earth class.”

“Do you think the classes are going to be super hard?”

“My brother says the first term is kind of boring, lots of papers, no real practice, have to get the rules down first, but he didn’t take the same classes I am, he said his favorite was Alchemy, but that class seems really boring, he always had his nose in a book. Speaking of books have you looked at some of ours? I haven’t I figure there is time enough for that in school.”

“Yeah I looked though a few of them but I only have had mine for a couple of days, they seem really neat to me, I was reading in our transfiguration class about the laws governing turning non-living objects into living objects and vice versa, it was quite interesting.”

“Yeah, yeah, hey we should make the lion gummy try to eat the gazelle gummy. Here you tap the lion” Gaivan said as he handed her the lion gummy; as he took the gazelle gummy “and I will tap the gazelle.” There was a huge smile on his face and he tapped the gummy.

Katy sat down the lion gummy and did the same, and the lion chased after the gazelle, but they never left the table. They laughed, and had a great time, as they made all the animals run around, always chased by a bear or lion or even a tyrannosaurus-rex! When the announcement was made they would land in ten minutes and to make sure they were in uniform.

Gaivan opened his bag and pulled out his warlock’s hat, and then tapped the gummies he had brought to life, and swept them into his bag.

Katy pulled out her witch’s hat, stopped her gummies, and then put them back in the baggie they came in, and put them in her bag. She placed her hat on her head and looked around and smiled. “This is really real isn’t it?”

“Yep, man, I hope we don’t have to go to our dorms first, I am starving!” Gaivan stated as he chewed on a sugar wand.

“Well, we do have our bags, but we should be able to sit them on the floor next to us until after dinner right? Didn’t your brother tell you how it works?”

“No, I really don’t want to go to the dorms first because we have to listen to the rules of the dorm when we do, I would rather be stuffed with foody goodness.” Gaivan said as they stood up. The plane had just landed and an announcement came over the intercom that advised them to line up.

“Well, won’t we be tired after supper and not want to listen?” Katy sure thought so, but Gaivan looked at her like she was crazy.

“Well, maybe, but normally we have classes after dinner, but today had been a little hectic. But nah, I think after dinner would be better.” Gaivan said with a smile.

Antonio came up to the first year quarters. “Okay first years follow me, we are going to the dorms first and showing you where you will be sleeping, then we will go down to dinner.” With that Antonio started to walk and all of the first years followed after him.

Katy heard Gaivan sigh, but ignored it so she could look at everything she could lay her eyes on, she was fascinated, the old stone walls, the large wooden doors, the towers to the right and left. The one to the right shot straight into the air and looked like a flame; the one to the left did the same except it looked more like a set of mountains. How nobody knew about this place she did not know. They walked up to a center tower which was much wider than the others, and walked in.

“Now this is the main building, the school, dining hall, everything like that is here in this tower. Now please first years follow me.” Antonio walked to the right then turned right again. They walked up to a large Hawthorne door. Antonio tapped his wand to it, and ushered the first years in to the dorm. “Now only those with Fire wands can get in, you just tap your wand to the door and it will allow you in. Now the boys are upstairs on the top floor to the right and the girls to the left. Go put your bag on your bed, you can unpack later. Your pets have already been brought up.”

Katy and Gaivan walked up the stairs to the top floor, and then divided when they got to the top. Katy walked into her dorm room, followed by the other three girls. The place was huge with four large canopy beds, but the posts were shaped like flames, and they stretched to the middle where a Salamander statue sat. The bed spread was a blood red, and the curtains a deep dark orange. There was a night stand to one side and a dresser to the other, there were four large desks at the end of each bed. Each with a chair, which again looked to be standing on flames, with a Salamander craved into it. Each dresser, stand, desk, chair, and bed, looked to be made of the same wood each of their wands were made in. Katy’s was black with red, the person next to hers was deep brown and white, and the others had white with brown, and brown with black. Katy wanted to continue to look around, when Starlight ran up to her. Katy dropped her bag on her bed and picked up her kitten. Starlight’s bed was next to Katy’s and her basket on top of Katy’s dresser. The litter box was nowhere to be seen, but Antonio said they took care of things like that. But her food dish and milk bowl were by Katy’s desk. Katy took a moment to dig into her bag and grab Starlight a treat. Katy gave her a hug and set her down on her bed, gave her the treat and then turned to walk back down to Antonio. But before she could do more then take a couple of steps she was stopped by the other three girls as they blocked her way.

“Hello, I am Christina Lee” said the girl in the middle she was tall for the age of nine, and one could tell she had Asian ancestry, she had blonde hair though, and green eyes. “These are my friends Rae Rhoades and Kay Fredricks. We grew up together, you are an outsider. You can do as you wish of course, but leave us alone.” With that she flipped her hair and walked out the door followed by the other two girls.

Katy walked down stairs and there was Gaivan jumping up and down. “Katy, Katy! Did you see them? The beds, are they not the coolest? The desk the chair the dresser, all of mine are made of Cedar and look like my wand. Isn’t that the coolest?”

“Yes, mine too, but mine is made of Holly. The other girls don’t seem to like me though.” She told Gaivan everything that was said and how they acted.

“Yeah Lee’s family thinks they are so much better, they are super rich, and of course don’t have a single non-magical person in their family line. Most do of course if we didn’t we would be as inbred as the English.” Gaivan said with a laugh. “Don’t worry about them they are not too bright. They will just act stuck up and will not to talk to anybody they believe are beneath them, they will act like royalty but never do anything but strut around the school.”

Just then Antonio raised his voice, “Okay, kids settle down, we are going to go down to dinner, now we all sit together as a house. Your house is your family, anyone here will help you if you need it, they will be there for you, and they will treat you like family. Now follow me first years.”

Again Katy walked down with her class, down the stone walls, but this time when they got to the main hallway they went straight. Katy kept trying to take everything and looked out the windows. On the left side there was a tower shaped in spirals that shot up in the air. On the right there was a large lake, but there was a stairwell that went below the lake. And straight ahead there was another tower shaped like a large infinity sign that was covered in bright jewels. Katy was fascinated and excited about her new life. Just down the hall there was a large room which is where Antonio ushered them into.

“This is the dining hall. As you see there are five sections. Fire, over this way please.” They turned left and then left again into the section in the southeast corner. There were many tables, each with different number of chairs. “This is your table; it will always be your table. Please sit down. The headmaster will say a few words, and then the feast will begin.” Antonio left them and went and sat at the table in the center of the room, where, Katy could see his father and what seemed like the rest of the professors, were seated.

Gaivan grabbed Katy’s hand and pulled her to the round table and sat near the corner. “This is so cool. We can see everybody from here Katy!” Gaivan said as they sat down.

Katy could see what he was talking about they could really see everybody, in fact there was a man who just stood up, he had a long black beard, and long black hair, both neatly breaded. His eyes were almost black; he looked older than the rest of them but young enough to be still called middle aged. Katy thought he looked familiar, and as if her thoughts about him had caught his attention he looked directly at her, looked into her eyes for a moment, his eyes seemed to widen for a moment but before Katy could be sure, he turned away and cleared his voice, before he started to speak.

“Welcome first years! Welcome back to another year, for the rest of you! Just a few announcements, remember that while the apprentices are not professors, they still deserve your respect, they can also give detentions and take away privileges from your house. Note again there is a size limit to the pets you bring to school with you, if it does not fit on the planes that come to town then it is not allowed at the school, please keep them at home. Again a reminder please do not stake your vampire professors, unless of course they are attacking you which I assure you will never happen while I am in charge here. Now First years your house leader or their apprentice will read you the rules when you go back tonight. And classes start tomorrow, please follow your schedules, and first years if you get lost don’t be afraid to ask. How? Just tap your schedule with your wand and say “Show me the way.” Now everybody please enjoy your feast! And welcome again!” With that the man sat down, and piles of food appeared on all the tables.

Gaivan did not stop to ponder the words like Katy did, so when she looked at him his plate was already full of food. Katy smiled grabbed a couple of chicken legs and mashed potatoes, and filled a bowl of strawberries.

“Katy do you think they will have a lot of choices at breakfast?” Gaivan asked.

“I don’t know; you would know more than I would. But this is really the best.” Katy said as she reached for more strawberries, finally she felt at home and secure that her new life was not a dream.

They continued the rest of their meal in silence, and when it was over, Antonio came over and led them back up to the dorms. They stood around him while he listed off some rules. “Now you must be back in your dorm by midnight every night, even on the weekends and holidays if you are staying at the school. You must respect other students; you must share the common room, no loud music, no turning their desks into animals, or making their homework disappear, etc. You break the rules you will get detention. Now you can do what you want for the rest of the night, but remember you have classes early in the morning.” With that Antonio left the dorm.

Gaivan and Katy looked at each other, and then Gaivan grabbed Katy’s hand. “Come on I want to show you my dorm!” They ran up the stairs and turned to the right. They walked into Gaivan’s dorm and it was exactly like the girls dorm but there were six beds, so it was a little larger. Gaivan dragged her to his section. “Look! See just like my wand!”

“So cool!” Katy couldn’t agree more, she was about to say something when a small tiny brownish monkey jumped on her shoulder, which caused Katy to jump. “Umm… is this your monkey?”

Gaivan looked over smiled, then grabbed the monkey. “He really isn’t a monkey he is a marmoset, his name is Monkey though.” He said as he placed his marmoset on the bed and tossed it a treat. “He won’t get much bigger than this he is eight inches.” Gaivan said proudly.

“He is cool! You should come and see my kitten Starlight. Come on!” Katy grabbed his hand and dragged him across the hall. Once in the room she dropped his hand ran to her bed and grabbed Starlight and held her out to Gaivan.

“Man! She is black, she is so small. Did you say she choose you?” Gaivan sat down on Katy’s bed and held onto Starlight.

Katy sat down as well. “Yep, jumped right on to the table and told me her name was Starlight and I was hers. Antonio called her a familiar.”

“Wow you are lucky! My mom has a familiar! Hers is an owl though. Always helping her, and bringing her things.”

“Well I am sure Starlight will help both of us in school.” Katy said with a smile. Katy jumped up and grabbed her bag. “Man we have to unpack still. I wish I could leave everything in my bag, but that would look strange digging through everything, looking for a quill and a jar of ink.” Katy said as she took out her boxes with her uniforms in it. She took each box and emptied it to her dresser. Then she took out her parchment, quills and ink bottles out and placed them on her desk. Then her books, and all her other supplies, and soon her bag was empty. Gaivan stayed on her bed and just laid there lazily as he watched Katy organize her things and he petted Starlight as he chewed on yet another sugar wand.

“Hey do you think you could help me unpack, I am not very good with the whole, neat thing but you seem to be a little anal about having everything just so.” He said with a smile as Katy straightened everything to look neat and even. She had never had her own space before and she wanted everything to be perfect.

“Sure, I am going to put the stuff I need for classes in my bag first though.” She said as she grabbed her books for her first day of classes, as well as her gloves for potions and creatures and her potions set, and the items she needed for potions, such as her cauldron. She also put in a martial arts uniform. “Okay, I am done.” She said as she placed in a stack of parchment, a few quills, and a couple of ink bottles and, of course, her staff in her bag. “I can’t wait to learn how to do all this with magic!”

“Great!” Gaivan said and jumped, he placed Starlight on the bed. “You can help me now!” He said with a laugh, as they left Katy’s room, the other girls hadn’t come up yet.

When they reentered Gaivan’s room all the other boys were up there unpacking. They all turned to look at her when she came in. She walked over to Gaivan’s bed, and started to help him unpack, soon everything was as neat and ready to go as her own things.

“Man, Katy you are a life saver, I would have just thrown everything around and lost it.” Gaivan said as he collapsed on the bed. Just then the other boys walked over. Katy kept her eye on them.

“Hi” said one whose eyes were a hazel, and had light brown hair that hung to his shoulders. “My name is Oscar Wright.” For just a moment Katy thought his eyes had flashed red, but when she blinked and looked again they were back to hazel again, and she pushed the thought out of her mind, she thought it must have just been the light.

Katy shook his hand. “Hi, I am Katy Fitz.”

“Hi Katy, I am Russell Kelly, this is Rory O’Hara, Riordon Flynn, and Randall Sommer. We are all cousins.” They looked it, they all had ginger hair with blue eyes, round faces and freckles across their noses.

She shook each person’s hand as she was introduced. “It is nice to meet you all.” Katy said with a smile.

The one who was introduced as Rory spoke up “Gaivan says that your parents weren’t Fire is that true?”

“And that you lived on the streets?” Asked Riordon.

“Umm…” Katy looked at them they had smiles on their faces and seemed truly interested. “Yeah, my mom was Earth, she passed away three years ago, and my dad is Air but I don’t know who he is, and yeah I lived on the streets.”

“Wicked cool!” Said Russell, “Well, not about living on the street, but about your parents not being Fire.”

“My mom is Water and so is my sister, but my dad and I are Fire.” Said Randall “Of course my sister is a traitor, she dates an Air, Fires and Airs don’t get along, since you don’t know your father you are cool.”

“Oh, Antonio told me Airs and Fires don’t like each other.” Katy said as she sat down on the edge of Gaivan’s bed. “Why?”

“Don’t really know, just never got along.” Said Gaivan as he chewed on yet another sugar wand, “It is just like Earth and Water don’t get along, nobody really knows. But Earth and Water relationships are okay; their hate is not as bad as Fire and Air. There is a myth, or a story mind you, that happened a really long time ago, like over one hundred thousand years ago, when non magical people were just really forming, that an Air Prince betrayed a Fire Princess and there has been heated feelings between the two elements since. Of course they say it will end once something major happens. Once the ‘chosen one’ comes and destroys an evil that shall destroy not only our world but the world of the non-magical humans as well.” Gaivan said, he even did in the air quotation marks when he said chosen one.

“Wow.” Katy really couldn’t say much everything was so new to her; and a lot was being thrown at her. She was worried about her classes more than ever now, even more then after she talked to Gaivan on the plane, and if the classes were a lot to take in, how would she deal with her classes and how would she find her place in this new world, let alone the fact that now she had to deal an ancient hatred against her ancestors. She didn’t know them, her family, but it felt wrong to flat out hate them. When she turned her mind back around to the boys, they were talking about something else, she thought she heard Eleball. “What are you talking about?”

“Eleball. It is our sport. It is short for Elemental Ball, but we call it Eleball. It is the world’s best game. It is kind of like football, but we fly as well as run the ball and can use magic to stop the other players, or we can physically tackle them. But we can’t use magic to move the ball. The field is two miles long and three miles wide. You keep possession of the ball until you score or it is intercepted. There are eleven people on each team. The ball is round and made of the elements, the element in control changes with each person who touches it. Makes it very hard to steal so you have to be very good, mostly it is fifth years and up on the teams in school. There are ten games a year; each house plays the others once.”

“Wow! When is the first game?” Kay was suddenly as excited as the boys.

“Well, there is one in March, then the following three terms there is three a month. Of course the best team professionally is the Freedom Warriors. That is the North American team. There is one team per continent just like the schools. See, here is a book about them, you can borrow it, I would have rather a hat, instead of a book, but mom is all about education.” Gaivan said as he rolled his eyes, and handed Katy the book, it was titled Freedom Warriors and Their History.

“Thanks!” Katy made a mental note to read it that weekend. Katy looked around for a clock but couldn’t find one. “What time is it?” She asked, as she made a mental note to buy a watch.

“Oh,” Gaivan looked down at his watch “11:30. Man, we better get ready for bed.”

“Yep,” Katy said as she stood up. She said good bye to the boys then went across the way to her own dorm, the other girls were not back yet, so she dropped the book Gaivan handed her on her desk and went to get ready for bed. When she came back from her shower a half hour later, the other girls were already in bed. She climbed in and fell asleep.

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