Shadows' encyclopedia - The Prodigies of Arahsmurd book 1

Pyramides station 🎀

In the morning, Rebecca got up in a panic. She had had a nightmare. She was sweating and gasping for breath. The university she had to attend that day was in Paris. It would take her about thirty minutes to get there. Her large bedroom was decorated in Gothic style. There were bat cuddly toys on her bed, fake amulets on her desk and a small nightlight projecting the silhouettes of Victor and Emily, characters from the animated movie Corpse Bride, which she switched on. On her clock in front of Mr Jack, she noticed that it was past eight and that she was late. Every day she wore tights with holes in them, a leather jacket and crude earrings. Her diary followed her everywhere. Rebecca didn't care what she looked like on the outside. She had chosen this style and was fully committed to it. A final touch of lip liner, mascara and a few clips in her hair and she was finally ready.

Four by four, she descended the stairs and found a sandwich on the dining table. Her mother refused to spend money on anything she didn't need and preferred to economise. She was a rigorous language teacher. Rebecca quickly said hello to her father, who was about to take a day off. She hurried to pick up her big black boots and the jacket hanging on the coat rack. She quickly left the house, but retraced her steps. She had forgotten her snack in the dining room. As she retraced her steps, her mother called out to her. Apparently she had something to tell her. Rebecca was in a hurry and was stamping her feet.

"I'm late! Mum, tell me quickly!"

"I wanted to tell you that your father and I are going away this weekend."

"To Picardie, I suppose," said Rebecca, clearly.

"Yes, as your father wishes," said her mother, pursing her lips. "We need to see some old friends"

Rebecca still seemed sad about recent events. She put on a disgusted face and stopped gesticulating. Her mother watched her strangely.

"I think it would be good for you to come with us," Christine said, convinced.

She hesitated before answering. Rebecca didn't like going to Picardie anymore because of the strange things that had happened there. There were also her parents' acquaintances, the Gérard family. Rebecca wasn't particularly fond of them. They seemed so cold and mysterious. When she was a child, she used to shave the walls to avoid them. However, Rebecca still had some fond memories of her parents.

"I'm not coming!" 

"No problem," replied her mother, saddened. "I'm not stopping you, go on."

Rebecca was gone in a flash. She had a long day ahead of her and the stress of exams was approaching. In her frantic rush, she received a message from her father sending her good vibes. It was going to be a long day and she needed encouragement.

Rebecca regularly travelled by RER. She lived not far from Paris. Sometimes she came across the same group of girls she hated with every fiber of her being. Her former friends were always scornful, loud and violent towards her. As well as behaving immaturely, they were always trying to get noticed - like the incident last time. Her style of dress was singled out and misunderstood. His clothing read: "Long live vampires". The girls were giggling and clucking like chickens in their corners. Poor Rebecca felt very sad and humiliated. She heard things like: "You're black, aren't you ashamed to wear clothes like that! We're not at school anymore". She had had enough of the teasing. 

When she got to the next station, she got off. Her former classmates took revenge by throwing pieces of paper at her. They jostled her several times. One of them tripped her under the eyes of the passers-by, who did not react. As soon as Rebecca left the station, she ran non-stop to the university. A large bridge led to her university and to a park. She crossed it and went to the toilet, sobbing. She couldn't stand gratuitous spite. The crying made the time pass quickly. As soon as she left the cubicle, her mobile phone lit up. Catherine, a classmate, asked her if she was going to come to class. Rebecca had forgotten that she had her number in her contacts. They had met in first year, when Rebecca's health had deteriorated as a result of her suicide attempts. Catherine had volunteered to help her catch up on lessons. When Rebecca read her message, she told her she would not. She plunged back into depression. Rebecca decided to go to the Gibert Joseph bookshop instead of going to the library. She liked reading dark vampire books to relax. Her passion for these beings was immense. Every time she came across an Anne Rice book, her eyes lit up. She reread the same novels over and over again... It was the only thing that made her happy. The hours passed and her unease gradually disappeared. Suddenly, she felt like going for a walk and sitting down in The Tuileries Gardens to recount her misadventures.

Rebecca went to one of the stops on métro line 14. Many people were staring at her on the way because of her style, which was sometimes considered disturbing. She put on her headphones and immersed herself in the world of Motörhead: her favourite band. If she refused to make friends, it was simply because human beings were worthless in her eyes. Insults, mockery and hazing were part of her daily life. She wouldn't wish it on anyone, not even her worst enemy, she thought every time. She no longer had the strength to defend herself. Music, writing and reading were her greatest friends. Line 14 was not overcrowded, so there was plenty of room to sit down. Rebecca sat down and wrote in her diary. Not far from her was a group of young people. Next to them, another young man introduced himself. He had an icy stare, a peculiar physique and an atypical outfit that reeked of death. This guy was different from the others and had captured Rebecca's attention. She was pretending to concentrate on her diary. The group had not noticed this young man, who seemed disconnected from reality. A few seats away in the carriage, a lone redhaired girl in rather smart clothes was watching him. She seemed to be holding something in her coat pocket. She was focused on this mysterious young man... Rebecca was disturbed by this, but she continued to write without worrying about them. The carriage emptied in an instant. The strange young man got off at Pyramides station at the same time as the student. There was nobody around. The young man followed Rebecca, who was oblivious to his presence and the danger he could represent. The face of the enigmatic individual changed and gave way to terror. The redhead pushed Rebecca aside and pulled a gun from her pocket, pointing it at him. She fired several shots and tried to pull the confused Rebecca to safety. She protected her at all costs, even though her life was also under threat. The Gothic girl let herself slide against the wall without understanding the situation. Under the sound of the explosions, she was startled to discover the young man grabbing the redhead by the hair. Her breath caught in her throat as he smashed her weapon... The unusual-looking thing came apart at the seams. Rebecca didn't know what to do, pinned down by fear... her limbs were shaking. The girl struggled and tried to defend herself, but to no avail. The dark man took advantage of the situation to reveal his fangs. All around them, time seemed to slow down. No-one could watch. The redhead screamed as he sucked her blood. The way he bit her was barbaric, bloodthirsty. The young redhead was petrified and weakened. Panic-stricken, Rebecca couldn't reach her mobile phone to call for help. 

The pain expressed by the other girl was so great that Rebecca's heartbeat echoed across the platform. The poor girl lost consciousness. Her eyes became redder and redder. She was drooling and dying in front of this terrible man. He had stripped her of her blood and was about to do the same to the traumatised Rebecca. Both stunned and transfixed by the man, she huddled against the wall and met the victim's gaze: his eyes had rolled back in their sockets and his teeth fell out one by one. Rebecca's bruised face flushed with nausea. The bloodthirsty man delicately moved closer to her and flashed a devilish grin. He also intended to bite her cruelly. His breath was putrid and his body odour unbearable. He moved towards her neck, but her gaze froze. He straightened up and simply said something to her before leaving.

"Dreams come true when you least expect it..."

The man had vanished in front of Rebecca, who had not seen him disappear. She was scared to death and got to her feet with trembling legs. She took the stairs and ran as if driven by a force she drew from within. It felt like a nightmare. The scene reminded her of what she had experienced on her trip to Picardy. In Rebecca's mind, her hero appeared. Reliving the scene made her forget the danger she was in at the moment. The attacker's teeth resembled those of her hero. She was convinced she wasn't dreaming! Could it be a vampire? the Goth imagined in panic. Rebecca wanted to find her best friend as quickly as possible and tell her everything. However, she wondered: "Why didn't he bite me?" She knew deep down that she didn't stand a chance against him. Tears streamed down her ebony face. The girl whose name she didn't know was still lying on the ground, inert. She had sacrificed herself for Rebecca... As she ran, the young Goth girl's feet became entangled. Fear made her lose her mind. The young adult stumbled and quickly got to her feet. Berenice's flat was not far away. Rebecca hoped she could save the young redhead with the help of her best friend and alert the authorities.