Six A.M.

Flicker

My vision flickered as I woke up some time around 3, moving my hands across my night stand to find my bottle of Witch Hazel and then my glasses. I was blind as a roach and I also needed to finish an English and French project. I rubbed my eyes as they got used got used to the proximity of my tablet.

I fulfilled my duties, scanning the campus grounds three times on the tablet using the different cameras at post, when a willowy girl caught my eye. Her clothes dragged off of her and her eyes seemed sunken in, and she looked like she had been crying. She was at the entrance to our underground world, only iron separating the vampires from getting in and about two dozen coffee-choked people who stood at ready in shifts behind it.

I threw my tablet down on my bed and looked out the window. I had lived here all of my life, so I knew where each camera angle led to. She was staring directly upwards at my window. They were vampire proof (really all magical creature proof) but I still flinched backwards when something black darted upwards towards me.

Whatever it was splintered the glass narrowly avoiding me as I ducked downwards. I yanked my tablet and pressed the Emergency Evacuate button, as I crawled across my floor and hurriedly dressed.

My long brown hair was quickly knotted up into a bun and I spared a glance at my contacts. I decided I'd take the extra minute because my glasses could be easily broken and barreled out of my room as so many other's did at that moment.

The emergency call showed that I had issued the evacuation so two freshmen in the Slayer Academy approached me.

"What happened?" one rasped, her morning breath coating my face, her blonde hair draped across her narrow, bony shoulders. If she didn't hit puberty soon a vampire was either bound to enslave her or crush her.

"Vampires, get everyone to the stations below."

The underground, underground escape for emergencies were four metal cages without bars called stations because vampires could not crawl below six feet into the Earth. They also could not cross water and they could not come in contact with the sun. A few ways God has blessed we humans with His protection.

I looked down at my tablet and the girl was gone. Should I have locked my door? Maybe she had snuck in? Why my window, why me? What was the motive? I ducked into the first station room and everyone grew silent. Not a breath could be heard but my heart pounded in my ears and my chest couldn't help but rise and fall excitedly.

Our first vampire of the year. Everyone powered off their tablets, stealthily taking inventory of all of our supplies when we realized the middle school class had forgotten to stock.

Glares were shot everywhere and I whimpered into the corner because now was I not only the human who had called for the evacuation, I was also one of the leaders for the middle school class.

I hid besides some crates as the anger grew still, the sound of footsteps on the horizon. As I narrated this in my head, I imagined a cocky Australian man talking about gator trapping, something we had send in an documentary about Olde Aerth.

The door was pushed on then we heard a low cackle. Eyes in the room travelled everywhere. I felt like we were being ambushed in our own place.

"We know you're in there. It wouldn't be too long before we got to you, beloved Roc Academy."

My hands shook. Everyone looked at me expectantly. Would the last heir to the slayer empire let this bitch go down in peace or in cold murder? I was only 12.

I unhooked a packet and lit a match, "Attention," I whispered amongst the breath of the fire. I threw it towards the door as the person behind it screamed for help.

We all rushed backwards in the metal cage as more of the room caught fire. It was fire proof but fire travelled. I was stupid, why would I lit a match and there's only one way out? At this moment I felt like letting someone else make the important decisions but I was the most informed, magically inclicned, useful person in this room right now.

"Ang, I got you girl," my best friend whispered in my ear and she lit a blue match of her own. The sixth graders audibly awed at the sight until May threw it towards them. Sacrifice. The most weak links. The skin melted off the small group. Once again, there were four stations and the vampires conveniently chose the one I was in.

I climbed the ladder as others followed after me. The captains were right at my ass and they took over as I helplessly looked down at the dying bodies as the fire licked and chewed through their doughy skin.

We made our way into a small compartment. Only the most valuable would be able to fit inside. It left question between me and my half sister Joyce who was always extremely eager to do anything the captain suggested while I on the other hand often had split views.

I was pushed out with the rest of the middle school class since the senior class had left for their own escape elsewhere. That left me feeling common and lowly.

May patted my back but I was furious. Why treat me and train me harshly all of my life just to dump me for a small, circular room.

I heard the sound of sizzling, realizing the fire had snaked upwards to the ladder and was now inching towards the circular room like a time bomb. "Out of here! We have to get out!" I screeched, grabbing hold of May and slamming into an uncommisionable Exit as silver and iron met with fire and disaster.

I was knocked out instantly and my head slumped backwards against May's as I heard that same low cackle repeated over and over.

(OK guys, so I'm not too well at starting books off but I had the right idea for it, ya feel me? We'll get there)