Innocent Blood

Innocent Blood (chapter 24)

Chapter 24

My footsteps echoed quietly in the corridor, every now and then I would think the echo was another's footsteps. But I knew I was alone here. I pushed through the rummage of rubble and refuse that littered the floor at my feet. I knew this place from dreams past, although voices and the eventual image of my parents, along with Marius used to emerge. Not now, I entered this place alone, and unlike in the past, I knew I was completely alone, no feeling of the eyes on me and no haunting whispers that sent the sense of urgency running through me, telling me to get to the end, because ultimately, that's where I would find my parents. Of course I knew they wouldn't be there waiting this time. Yet, I was still in this place looking for something, what that something was, I had no idea but my heart pounded, telling me to search, no matter what stood in my way. Each room, more decrepit than the last, although no doors were in the corridor, large smashed windows looked into the rooms. I knew where to find the only door and I knew that it would lead me to the stairs and what I was searching for was there. But as usual, I woke up before reaching that door.

As soon as I became conscious I knew I had been dreaming, and maybe the dream should have disturbed me, but a dream without Marius was nothing that could scare me now. His absence was a comfort, especially since learning of his Dream Walking abilities. I smiled as I opened my eyes, directly my gaze to the single suitcase that sat in front of the dressing table. Right were I had left it the night before, after Michelle had volunteered to help me pack up all the things that had come to be mine during my stay. I sat up in bed to look around the room, at the familiar pattern of the wallpaper, the path of sunlight from the window across the high pile carpet, the delicate patterns carved into the mahogany furniture - the environment I had woken up to everyday for the past seven weeks. This being the last I should wake to such opulence, I intended to savour it. I stretched out in the bed, sprawling out my limbs and not even touching the bed edge. I knew I would miss this bed.

After I got dressed, in the only outfit I had left out, I sat on the chair set in front of the dressing table. At the side of my head, the hair stuck out, as it always did before I got to styling it. I'd taken to parting my hair at the side, so that it covered the scab and disguised the short hair behind my ear. At first, there was no hiding it, the hair stuck out no matter how I styled it, but then it started to grow and was easier disguised. I fixed my hair as best I could and went for the door. The hallway was quiet, not unusual for this time in the afternoon, everyone would be at lunch or sleeping. I had two hours to kill before leaving and I wanted to do so with a full stomach. I'd just reached the stairs when I bumped right into someone that had been coming up. We both jumped and I almost laughed until I saw her face. Her tight dark curls framed her pale round face, her bottom lip was quivering and tears soaked her eyes. "What's wrong Calli?" I asked her softly, kneeling down so that I was level with her. She pulled back slightly and sniffled and I sat back on my heels to give her some space. My action must have assured her that I meant her no harm because she wiped her tears and told me, "Daddy is sending me to school."

I waited for her to go on, explain the reason behind her tears, but she didn't. I thought children were excited about starting school, it would seem I was mistaken. "You'll like school, its fun. You get to play and learn and meet new friends." I told her, trying to sound as optimistic as I could. She shook her head, making her curls bounce about. "I have to go and live there forever." Oh. Achlys had explained the schooling system for vampires, briefly, probably like boarding school, something I wasn't too familiar with. "Don't worry" I said, "it's not forever, just a few weeks then you'll be home. And when you stay there, its like a big sleepover, do you know what that is?" She nodded and so I went talking it up as much as I could, hoping what I saw in movies with boarding schools, was mostly true to life. When I had finished, Calli actually seemed excited about starting school.