After the children were safely in their underground lair, Monica and Connie returned. They collected the cocoon and took it to an underground lab ran by a friend of Monica’s. It was a woman of twenty plus years with distinctive two-tone hair of brown and blond. Her long hair was in a ponytail. She wore a lab coat that featured a large crest similar to the one Monica wore on her t-shirt. A larger silver cross hung from a necklace around her neck.
They wheeled the cocoon in on a metal table.
“Hey, Lisa,” said Monica, “this is my new partner, Connie.”
“Hey, Connie,” said Lisa. “Welcome aboard.”
“Thanks.”
“Set it over here on this table.” Lisa cleared the way.
After they sat the cocoon down, Lisa injected it with a syringe filled with a brown colored substance. The cocoon changed from white to a dark brown color. It then changed after a second syringe injection and grew longer.
As the girls watched, the consistency of the material changed, thinned to a membrane, then fell away piece by piece. As the cocoon broke down, the crown of a head appeared then a face, hair, and a chest.
The boy remained still throughout the unthawing process. When finished, he remained still with eyes shut tight. Believing something wrong, Lisa went to a cabinet to get a new syringe to speed his awakening. Whilst gone, an assistant moved in to wipe the liquid from the boy’s skin and cover him.
Connie moved in with eagerness. She wondered if the vampire teens were different from the vampire children. Closer she advanced to stand near his hand. Suddenly, the boy’s eyes opened to show blackness. He grabbed the assistant and with one hand threw him into Monica, sending them both into the wall. The vampire leaped high into the air and came down on top of the table. Connie stood frozen, her eyes wide and mouth opened, staring as he hissed at her.
The boy leaped off the table and stood directly in front of her. He was taller than she was. Her hair was blond, his was black. He held a thin hand in front of his black eyes and she gasped as he grinned and made his fingernails grow into deadly claws. Stricken with sheer panic, Connie could not move or speak. The boy was toying with her and she could not move a muscle. Tears streamed down her face as panic set in to stay. She knew in her heart she was dead. She drew in her last gasp of air and waited for the end.
The boy took a step closer and the cross around Connie’s neck grew bright. The momentary flash caused the vampire to turn his head and grimace. He then moved closer and the red jewel in the center grew bright and shined throughout the room as bright as the light from the cross. The boy held his hand high and with a salacious grin, prepared to bring it down and end her.
Suddenly, the boy was moving backward, flying through the air toward a back wall. He hit with a thud that shook the room. His screeches were unbearable. Connie put her hands to her ears to block them out. Was he going to torture her longer? Connie stepped back toward the exit. Her panic induced a heavy fog in her. The fog was clearing and her cautious steps stopped. She looked at the vampire boy and he was not screeching at her, he was in pain and howling. Lisa was on him. She had a cross to the left side of his chest. Monica was there, she had a cross to his face, burning a spot on the side of his face. They each held an arm and with determination, kept the teen there while he screamed and struggled. His screeches grew louder and louder. Connie covered her ears and let out her own scream. She screamed and screamed until silence came.
Both she and her would-be killer were now silent. She looked up to see the teen slumped to the side of the wall. Lisa had some sort of black jacket she was putting him into while Monica held him tight.
Connie uncovered and took a step toward them. She hit something and looked down. It was the assistant. He stared at her with vacant eyes, deep tears around his neck and torso, bleeding out onto the white floor. Connie lost it. She screamed, turned, and ran. She ran from the room screaming and continued her mad scream as she went around a corner and down a hall. Her screams echoed for another minute before they ceased.
Monica stayed to help Lisa. When done, she left to find Connie. She had a good idea what had happened and was proved right. Monica entered a room to find Connie on the floor, passed out. A vampire sat in a chair not far from her. Monica bowed to the Elder, then retrieved Connie. She picked her up and took her to the elevator and back to the day care center above. She sat her on the couch and waited.
Connie stayed sleep for several more hours. She woke to find Monica reading a book across from her. “Hey.”
Horror spread to Connie’s face. She sat up and looked about with nervous energy.
“He is gone, Connie. He is recovering in a medical ward for the next few weeks. I am sorry you had to see that. The awakening doesn’t always go well.” Monica picked up a glass and gave her friend something to drink. “Here, take this and relax. I’m going to follow you home to make sure you get there safely. You have been through a lot and I am sorry for it all.”
Connie took a long drink. Her hand shook as she drunk but she managed to empty the small glass before handing it back to Monica.
“Good girl,” said Monica. “You ready?”
“Okay.”
Connie cautiously looked around before rising. When Monica opened the door, she was surprised it was nighttime. Her friend escorted her to her car and as Connie opened the door to get in, Monica stopped her.
“Just a second, Connie.”
“What?” Connie looked about nervously toward the trees.
Monica motioned at the door. A figure stood in the doorway. In a blur, a woman, Bethany, was standing in front of her. Before the girl could react, two fireballs shot at her and she shook all the way down to the ground. Bethany helped Monica get the girl into the passenger seat. Bethany returned to the Center while Monica drove the girl’s car to her house and parked in the drive. Monica put her behind the wheel then pulled a capsule from her pocket and broke it. Connie’s eyes fluttered open. Monica moved in next to her and whispered in her ear.
“You will forget I am here. You will forget how you got here. You will forget everything that happened to you today. You had a job interview but they filled the position before your arrival. Tomorrow you will go shopping with your friends and have a great day. You will do well in school and make your mother proud. Goodbye, Connie.”
“Goodbye,” whispered Connie from her dreamlike state. She closed her eyes and slumped against the window.
Monica pulled a wad of money from her pocket and put it into Connie’s purse. They had lost another prospect, but school was starting. Perhaps they would find a worthy candidate in the new crop of students. Monica sighed. She drew a long breath then she took off running down the street. Soon she would be in the trees and swinging her way back to the underground hideaway.
## THE END ## The following is the first 10 chapters from the upcoming book Cavers. Enjoy!
Chapter 1 Cavers