The Last Human (Vampires Rule # 1) (6 page)

I asked him, why don’t we go and visit them? He told
me in the past some Vampires have tried. Those who did never came
back. He told me he’s been there once, a long time ago. He said the
sun shines fiercely and deserts stretch in every direction. He said
his people will not be able to survive there. When he was there,
with all the thick clothes he wore, the sun still affected
him.

I asked him
, how
come no one returns? How did he return, and what did he see? He
told me he is not entirely sure, but it must be the sun which gets
the Vampires, because he has never seen a human while he was there.
He said he wanted to explore, but the sun would have finally caught
up to him too, so he withdrew. He told me he just saw deserts
stretch in every direction; hot plans of burning sand.

I asked him
, if
he is planning on ever going again? He said he needs to be here for
his people and rule over them, and he wants to be here for me. He
said if humans do exist there, and he believes they do, they should
be left to their own devices.

I asked
him; why
the Vampires go there in the first place, taking into account the
treacherous weather conditions. His face darkened and he said they
craved human blood. He stopped his Vampires from going there a long
time ago, though some have managed to slip under his radar, before
heading east, but they never returned.

I asked him, apart
from the city he ruled, where there other Vampires in the world? He
said yes. There are two other groups.

To the N
orth
live the Balderush Vampires. They should never be trusted. I asked
him, why? He said they are never content with the material gains
they have. When they acquire something, they want more. Just like a
kid who takes one biscuit, but then wants another one, and another.
They are dangerous, and if given the opportunity they will take by
force what they desire.

He said to the S
outh live the Kron Vampires. They are well known for their
betrayal. I asked how so? He said during the dark days, they sided
with humans and helped them to hunt and kill Vampires. I asked why?
Since they are Vampires themselves. He said their minds work
differently. Just like the Balderush Vampires, they too are power
hungry. He believes their purpose was to wipe out all other
Vampires who they saw as a threat, and once it was accomplished,
they would have turned on the humans and tried to enslave
them.

I asked him why
he doesn’t wipe the other Vampires out since they would
probably attack us when given half the chance. He said for the last
twenty years there has been a truce between all three groups. Each
group stays within their territory. So far the peace has held. Of
course, some try to cross borders, but they are always caught, but
such meager incidents are not worth shattering the
peace.

He said there is
another part of the world called the Shadow Zone. It’s off limits
to all Vampires, and it has been agreed upon, by all three main
groups, that the Zone should be left alone. I asked him why? He
said there exists things there that should be left in peace. I
asked him what things? He ignored me.

The appearance and
unannounced arrival of the new Vampire had the students in a buzz
for the next few hours, and my little encounter the other day was
almost forgotten like it was yesterday’s news, and instead,
replaced with a new curiosity as to the identity of this new
student.

Through-out
geography class, the Vampires kept on shooting the new student
convert glances, looking for some sort of indication as to who he
was, exchanging words between themselves and shaking heads. Even I
couldn’t help myself and watch the back of his head, trying to
figure out who he could be. Nathan and Fruz’s interest also seemed
to perk up, and they spent most of the lesson studying the Vampires
movements and craning to get a look at his face.

Vampires could be home schooled, but in a city this
small, someone should have
recognized him, and by the way the other Vampires acted, none
of them had ever seen him before. He didn’t utter a word
through-out class nor made conversation with any of the others
students, and his black sunglasses hid his full features from view.
Mr. Duke carried on the lesson like nothing was out of the
ordinary, but hardly anyone paid any attention.

Once
Geography
was finally over, I did get the odd stare as though the other
Vampires had just remembered me again, but no one approached me,
not with Elis and Maxwell hovering around me like vultures ready to
pounce with the slightest provocation.

Every one even gave me a wide berth when they walked
past me in the corridors, some even turned and walked the other way
while some waited patiently until we passed. I think it was more
due to Elis and Maxwell’s presence than mine. Artico Destroyers had
a hell of a reputation and were known for their lethalness. I once
asked Lexus how many they were of them. He said ten. But there were
around a few hundre
d of the
normal Artico Guards.

The new Vampire got the lion’s share of attention as
he sauntered along the corridors with his two Artico Destroyers
behind him. Vampires stopped to stare at them, leaving their
conversati
ons to regard this
new scene.

The new guy was in my next lesson, and halfway
through the class, I decide
d
to ask Elis if he knew anything about him.

“
Who is he anyway?” I say to Elis, looking up at
him from my laptop while he stands against the wall, arms folded,
face unreadable. Other students around me fall silent, and pretend
to do their work, while eag
erly waiting for Elis’s reply.

I’m surprised Lexus never mentioned anything about a
new Vampire enrolling at the school. Normally he would have,
because a new Vampire could mean a new threat to me. Especially if
the Vampire never came across me before, and as a result may not be
able to control his blood craving while being near me, unlike the
others who are now used to my
presence, save the odd lapse.

And why was the new guy given escorts? Not any
escorts, but Artico Destroyers. Even I wasn’t assigned Artico
Destroyers up until now. Were the Destroyers there to protect him?
Or…protect me from him? I tense at the thought and glance over my
shoulder and at the new Vampire, who is sitting in one corner of
the room, immersed with his laptop. If that was the case, it would
make sen
se with him being new
and all.

But on the other hand, it doesn’t make sense at all,
because none of the new kids in the
first years are given escorts. And with them being
young and all, they are a much greater threat to me.

The
whole thing
strikes me as odd.

Elis raises his head, and glances at the new guy, who
now has his head drooped over an open textbook. “It does not
concern you,” he says, and
the
Vampires around me deflate.

It seems Elis and the others are trying to keep the
new Vampires arrival low key for some reason, while expecting the
rest of us just to get on with it. “Okay, why is he assigned two
destroyers?” I say instead, not giving up easily. The Vampires
around me fall silent again
as
they wait for Elis’s answer.

Elis shakes his head.
I wait, watching him, but several minutes later I
know he isn’t going to elaborate further, so I sigh and begin a new
game on my laptop.

***

In the lunch hall I
take my usual seat next to Nathan and Fruz, who are talking under
their breaths, their mouths move quickly as words and sentences are
spilled out. I ask them what’s up.

Fruz glances over his shoulder and at the new guy,
who is standing in the lunch queue, getting curious glances from
all those around him. Not the type of looks some may shoot when
they think no one is looking, but full on stares, that are quickly
averted when the two Artico Destroyers sweep their grim hard
ga
zes over the offending
individuals.

“
Trading theories,
” Fruz says, turning back to me. “Nathan thinks the
guy is a fugitive.”

I turn to Nathan who nods in confirmation of the
statement. “Why else would he be given that much protection?” he
says, jerking a thumb at the two Artico
Destroyers
, who are
surrounding the new guy and keeping other Vampires at a good
distance.

“
Forget that for a sec,” I say taking a bite of
an apple, the sou
r taste
dissolving in my mouth. “What’s the guy’s name?” If we are to find
out who this guy really is, we should start on the basics. Maybe
his name will ring some-ones memory and shed light on his
identity.

Fruz and Nathan exchange quick glances and shrug
simultaneously, their shoulders rising and falling, before Fruz
spins around in his chair. “We might just find out,” he says with
excitement. I follow his gaze to see the new guy sitting
down on a lone table, his two Guards
hover behind him, and walking up to them is Albert.

He takes long strides with his lanky legs, covering
twice the distance than a normal Vampire would, his skinny tall
stature sticks out in the crowd. He’s balancing his tray in one
hand, while holding up a blood drink with one finger of the other,
in one of his
more restrained
acts of show.

He reaches the table and places his food down before
slipping into the chair directly opposite the new guy who suddenly
goes still, his fork frozen in mid-air. Both his Artico Destroyers
study Albert from behind their shades
, but make no attempt to remove him.

A hush spreads through-out the lunch hall as the
Vampires begin to
realize what
has just happened, and all heads turn towards this new
development.

“
Hi there, my names Albert,” Albert says taking a
swing of his blood drink, bringing the glass back down on the table
with a clink, and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He
pauses as if waiting for a response, but instead, the new guy picks
up his knife and continues to eat as if no one has talked to
him
, ignoring Albert point
blank.

“
So what’s your name?” Albert prods again,
undeterred, his voice bounc
es
around the silent lunch hall. Even the staff members have stopped
to listen. Mr. Duke cocks his head, his eyebrows arching up. The
caretaker puts down his half eaten pigeon and licks his lips; his
blood shot eyes moving from Albert to the new Vampire. Mrs. Lake
lowers her half empty glass to the table, and dabs at her mouth
with a napkin, her attention too, now fully taken by the scene
Albert has created. The Cook, who a moment ago was serving students
behind the canteen, pauses and sniffs the air. He frowns, before
shaking his head.

The new guy raises his head and stares at Albert, his
face motionless.
Albert smiles
back politely and give an encouraging nod of his balloon sized head
as if insinuating that it is alright to speak.

I watch on with curiosity, like everyone else, to see
how the new Vampire will respond. But instead of saying anything,
he just gets up, and begins to walk out the hall, with his two
Artico Destroyers following in his wake. Every one follows their
progress
as they exit the
double doors.

As soon as they leave, muttered conversations break
out across the hall as the students trade theories based
o
n this new
encounter.

Albert picks up his tray of food, and glass of drink,
and saunters in our direction, appreciated looks from other
Vampires for his effort follow him. “Was worth a try,” he says,
reaching our table and stuffing a chicken wing in his mouth, bone
and all. He clumps down into the chair opposite me and gives me a
grin, exposing his fangs and the shattered pie
ces of bone mingled with blood.

“
You’re disgusting,” I say
, looking down at my own food as my appetite
dissolves in my stomach.

“
Thanks,” Albert says, he drains his blood drink
and slams the glass on the table. “So what do you guy’s think?”
He
looks to each of us in turn
like a child waiting for someone to tell him his bedtime story; his
amber eyes, freckled with red, are bright and clear.

I shrug and turn my
attention back to my food and try to force it down while Nathan
academically explains his theory about the new guy being a
fugitive.

“
Just think about it for a second,” he says,
leaning in and whispering the words,
causing the table to creak under the weight of his
large arms. “First”- he raises one finger as if to emphasize the
point - “the guy comes out of nowhere and no has ever seen him
before.” He pauses as if waiting for the words to sink in before
continuing, “Secondly”- he raises his middle finger this time,
attracting a few scandalized looks from Vampires who mistake his
gesture - “he’s been given Artico Destroyers as body guards, which
can only mean he’s a danger to us or he is under protection from
something and he can’t defend himself on his own.” Nathans eyes
flicker to me as if those last words might have offended me. I
pretend I didn’t hear and make a point of noticing the new TV
installed on the far wall.