Two

Surely, everyone knew of the stories about mythical creatures, especially werewolves and vampires. In the world we live presently, those two creatures are amongst the popular things in bookshelves and obsession screwed to the minds of most humans. Except, it isn't entirely a myth, or it's not a myth at all. I would rather call it a situation of agnosticism---an unseen world beyond the limits of the human mind. Wolves are a thing for sure, I mostly knew of the Arctic ones, but there are probably more. Werewolves are also a thing that existed, but like I said, it's an unseen world. A world where humans naively think only exists deep within their constructive imagination amongst the genre of fantasy and romance. According to some legends, werewolves are people who morph into vicious, powerful wolves. Others are mutant combination of human and wolves, but one thing's the same, they are all blood thirsty beasts who sometimes can not control their lust for flesh and blood.

It's still unclear exactly when and where wolf legends originated from. Some books stated that werewolves made their appearance in the epic of Gilgamesh, the oldest known western prose, when Gilgamesh jilted a potential lover because she had turned her previous lover into a wolf. Some claim that werewolves appeared in the legend of lycaon, the son of Pelasgus, who angered Zeus by serving him the remains of a sacrificed human as a meal. So, as punishment, he was turned into a wolf along with his son.

Or, in the early Nordic folktale, where the saga of volsungs tells the story of a father and son who discovered something that could turn people into wolves for ten days. They both used it, and changed into wolves, then went on a killing rampage in the forest which soon ended when the father attacked his son, causing a lethal wound that was later healed with the help of a leaf gifted to the father from the moon goddess.

Thankfully, they are all pretty interesting stories backing up the existence of my ancestors because order than that, I cared less about the so-called mystical world.

Vampires were another popular thing in the unseen world mostly because of how known the enmity between them and our kind is. To be honest, seeing various stories about such enmity amuses me to an extent. An extent meaning, it's quite irritating how humans forge most of it for entertainment. I don't blame them, though.

Descendants of the goddess Nyx, as I like to expound them, are evil beings who roam the world at night, searching for people whose blood they could feed upon. There are different characteristics of vampires as there are in their legends, but the main characteristic is that they drink human blood. They typically drain their victims' blood using their sharp fangs, killing them or sometimes turning them into vampires, which, in my opinion, is not a pretty sight. They hunt at night since sunlight weakens their powers, and most times, it burns them to death. They have super strength and hypnotic sensual effect on their victims. They are clearly as vicious as werewolves or even the word 'creatures', but their life is kind of sad, and I do pity them sometimes. Especially the fact about them not being to see their image in the mirror nor cast a shadow. Sounds depressing without even imagining it.

Out of everything being said, only one remains important; vampires and werewolves can never be one. Although there are so many reasons backing up why we've been enemies for so long, I never really understood the 'why' part. No one remembers what exactly started the whole war, but there is a part that states how the vampires forced the wolves into slavery. Even if it's true, why are we all still hung up over something that happened before my grandmother was even thought of being born and trust me, no one wants to know the age of that woman if she were still alive.

"How is that possible? I could swear that I didn't smell a thing when I first saw them, " said Natasha, while walking back and forth in my presence with confusion etched on her face

"Maybe you were too focused on seeing the new students that you forgot how to use your senses," I said calmly to her

"Gee, thanks for the compliment," she said, rolling her eyes before taking her seat on bleachers, right beside me

"You're welcome," I replied.

There were not just one, but two vampires and probably more, currently roaming the school grounds unknowingly to the humans around them. I had no say in their lives and how they managed it or even where they dwelled in but surely, they couldn't be so ignorant of the general laws of creatures, one of them being that vampires should never dwell amongst the humans for too long, except if an urgent situation requires them to. I was never a person to be so curious, but suddenly, I was. I wanted to know what 'urgency' had caused their presence to be present. My curiosity heightened even more when I spotted a familiar head of red threadlike structures, moving furiously to the wind despite being hung up in bun. Her head moved from side to side as she searched for something that was unknown to me until she landed her eyes on mine, staring intently before averting her sight away as someone called out to her from inside the school.

"Is it just me, or was she looking straight at us just now?"

"Seems sloppy for a vampire, but let's see what she's up too" I said and stood to my feet with my backpack already hung on my shoulders

"To your place?" Natasha asked as we stepped out of the gates just as a green car passed by. I shook my head in reply. "Why not?"

"Let's go separate ways and see who she follows first," I replied and quickened my pace down the tarred but bumpy road that led to my estate. Natasha, thankfully understanding, had turned the other way to her home, and I should have known. I should have known when her eyes landed on mine a few minutes ago, that she was mostly after me for a reason I was yet to discover but would sooner or later.

I didn't go straight to my place obviously, but I took a U-turn into another street, which, to my advantage, had a full line of trees. My earlier observation of her sloppiness was correct, because as she jogged straight into the street, I watched from the fourth tree, how all she did was look around and raise her nose up in the air like she could catch my scent in that way. Even as a human, mostly working in a detective department but human nonetheless, would have observed the trees right away and searched for me there. Except if she didn't know that I was a werewolf, which was unlikely, but then again, my faceless form could have piqued her interest.

I waited a while even after she had left, her scent far gone, before jumping onto the ground smoothly and running the rest of my way home. Hopefully, no mundane had caught a sight of me in their ant filled and quite uncomfortable mango tree. Natasha had gotten to my place before me, already munching up an apple as she swinged her legs back and forth from where she sat dangerously, at the very top of the rails.

"You're here," I said and dumped my bag on a couch before walking up the stairs

"I saw her follow so I thought why not come to your place in case you know, you end up all bloody and injured" Natasha said and swinged one leg inward to face me, once I got closer

"Why would that happen?"

"Then why would she follow you in the first place?" she asked, finally jumping off the rails, down into the living room as I shut my room door closed behind me before replying, knowing she would still hear me

"That, I don't know."

As Natasha hadn't replied back, clearly giving me time and privacy, I stripped myself of my clothes, thankful to be finally free, as my hair fell roughly behind me. While in the shower, moments, memories, and experiences ran through my head again but not of the past. I recalled everything that happened from lunch till now. Why would vampires be here, and most importantly, what's so special about the boy? Something about the male vampire drew me in, and while I would not deny his good looks, which mostly is from his genes, that wasn't what drew me in. It was almost like we had met or I had known him from somewhere.

I pause my movements when I catch a sight of myself in the mirror. The scars and the tattoos, mostly the scars, ran around my skin and caused my eyes to follow them. I had once tried to cover it all up with tattoos or maybe undergoing plastic surgery for a change, but I didn't. I had the money, enough of it, but I didn't. Surprisingly, no matter how hurt I was, I still wanted the scars to be there. Either way, there was no point. It was all etched in my head, never to be forgotten.

******

"Luciana is her name," Natasha said from where she sat on my bed, with two more apples in hand while I sat on my window, one leg on the roof

"I know. I heard earlier, " I said as my tongue swirled around the candy I popped into my mouth right behind my face mask before Natasha came in

"So what should we do?". I shrugged at her question, still looking out the window. "Do you think they came alone?"

"No. Vampires travel in groups unless...". I paused

"Unless there's a problem," Natasha completed, and I nodded

"A problem we have to figure out."

"We should probably start from knowing the boy's name. It could help, " Natasha said."He joined us not too long, so his student file must still be on our teacher's desk for signing. "

This time, I turned my half shown face to her, questioning her words if it meant what I thought it meant.

"You want us to sneak into school"

"I was planing to do that on my own but now that you mentioned it, going together makes more sense, so yes" Natasha said, her attention on the next apple she was about to devour, not even noticing how I had whipped my head at her suggestion. I could only groan inwardly as the rest of the candy disappeared.

Sneaking into school wasn't much of a bad idea as some people would think, I didn't care what could happen or what the result would be. It's just that it has been so long since I did something so.....humane, so carefree and something out of my own will. Years back, I was tightly sewed to the duties of cleaning, weapons and feeding, neither which benefitted me and despite being under the roof of the second-in-command, I was placed at the lowest rank of the pack. Freedom never existed in such a life.

How Natasha had gotten enough apples was beyond me, and a part of me felt she had probably stocked the kitchen with enough of it for her sake. Knowing Natasha and her lack of boundaries in certain situations, she definitely did that. About eight more apples shared between the both of us as we planned how the rest of the night was going to go and hoping it would end up as planned, Natasha went home for a change of clothes with an added plan for us to meet at school.

Three hours, fifteen minutes since Natasha had left and since I had changed my clothes, making sure to pack my hair tightly before shoving it into the hood, I hadn't moved away from a certain spot. Every normal teenager in my position at that moment would be fueled with excitement, causing adrenaline to flow in their veins uncontrollably, till they literally start drooling on the sides of their mouths at the sight before them. There were twelve cars, maybe more than that, I wasn't sure, but unlike other teenagers, I dreaded to pick a choice. There I was, standing, planning to find out why a set of vampires were all of a sudden schooling in the human world when I had something else to deal with. And while it wasn't as big as the lives of humans being threatened by their presence, it was big enough to keep me awake on some nights. How and when such wealth had stumbled into my life was still unknown to me. The clothes, the cars, the house, and everything were all under my name, and I still hadn't figured out how or why. The 'how' was the biggest fish to fry, and I had no idea where to get the oil. Maybe I should just roast it.

My phone vibrated against my hip from where it laid in my left pocket, but I didn't have to look to know it was Natasha, most likely already at school. It took me a few more minutes until I finally picked one. Maybe it was how the colour seemed to blend with the night or how small it was or the scent. I knew there was a reason I was drawn to that particular one. Like every other human stuff, I sucked at cars, so I wasn't exactly knowledgeable about it, just that it was black, small, and quite fast.

****

"For some reason, I always knew you were drawn to that one" Natasha said with a smile that showed all her teeth and too much of her excitement as I stepped down from the car after locking it up.

I could have asked why she thought so, to make me myself understand why I chose this one, but a figure caught my attention.

"Why is she here?" I asked, not taking my eyes off Natasha's sister from where she stood, obviously wanting to be anywhere but here. Still admiring the car, Natasha replied

"She kinda knew Luciana followed you after school today, so I thought why not string her along." Typical Nat, I thought inwardly, holding in a groan that threatened to fall out.

"After school, I saw her leaving her brother to follow you and before then, I knew she was a vampire so I got suspicious" Natalie said from where she stood, not too close to her sister, but behind her, almost getting swallowed by where the moon didn't reach. I looked up to the sky with a sigh, which was barely audible due to the mask

"So let me guess, you followed as well," I said

"I was concerned!" Natalie shot back, but I only scoffed

"About what? My life? My disposition? Or what?". I was being unreasonable and rude, I knew that, but the thought of another person following me was uncomfortable. The vampire girl was an itch on its own, I didn't need another.

"Honestly, I would urge you guys on, but we should probably keep it on the low," Natasha said and walked past us, straight into the school gates.

"I didn't mean to follow you. Sorry, " Natalie said, then moved on next.

I said absolutely nothing when I finally moved from the spot and walked up the entrance steps as I did this morning. There was no need for light, thanks to the moon being full and very bright. Plus, wolves are born with sharp senses, so standing outside and scanning the whole place wasn't any different as it was this morning.

"What's wrong?" Natalie asked her sister before I could, as we saw her struggling with the doors

"It's locked, and obviously I could break it down, but that'd just cause an unnecessary stir at school tomorrow," She replied, and I couldn't agree more, but how were we supposed to get in.

The school is supposed to be locked surely and we knew that but that only happens once it's ten or past ten but as we stood, thinking of a way to get in without much of a noise since the back doors and all windows were locked as well, it was just nine-forty two.

"Well, this is a bummer, but there's only one way left," Natasha said and looked up at the school building, just as I looked at her

"No," I said without even thinking

"What? why? It's even more fun than going through doors, " Natasha said

"That's your thing, not mine. I can't"

"It's a wolf thing, actually," Natalie said. "You've never climbed before, I thought all pups do that."

The last time I did that was three years ago, I wanted to say, but decided against it and just screwed my mouth shut. The only way in was through the roof, which apparently was easy access to our classroom since the school had put all seniors on the top floor for a reason still unknown. It was easier than the stairs, but the thought of it almost made me shrink backwards.

"I'll be right behind you," I said to them and waved my hand for them to move on when they attempted to speak again. Like some sort of sister thing, they looked at each other and shrugged before shooting themselves up the building, holding onto the walls and windows expertly like lizards. I swallowed nothing and shot out a breath through my mouth, then took a longer look at the building, just as I had done earlier in the garage.

Like I saw them do, I placed my palms on the walls, feeling the roughness, then squatted like I was about to jump. It's a wolf thing, so hopefully It would be my wolf thing as well because the last time I even felt it was years ago. I squatted lower and climbed, at first slowly, but as I went further, I was eager to go faster, so I did, and it was fun, so to speak.

"When you said you'll be right behind us, I didn't think you'd actually be right behind," Natasha said as we climbed unto the roof at the same time

"How did you do that?" Natalie asked in disbelief as she straightened her hair."Judging by the time you spent down there before climbing, we ought to have gotten here before you, "

"But you even got here a bit before us," Natasha added.

I looked down and shrugged

"I just climbed," I said and walked away from the edge. "So how do we find which leads to our classroom?"

We couldn't find which opening led to the classroom, so Natasha decided to use her wolf nail to unlock one of the windows, which fortunately wasn't too far from the rooftop. I thought about what the Grey sisters had said, but I didn't dwell on it much once Natalie called out to us that she had found the file.

Like every other student file and like the one I had gotten when I enrolled at the school, the first page had the basic information; age, height, nationality, first language, parents, and so on but only one thing was important to us.

"Lucannion Carnage," Natalie read out

"What a name," Natasha said. What a name indeed, but I said nothing as we went through the rest of his file. The parents' part was replaced with 'N/A', which wasn't much of a surprise. We kept on reading through, maybe something in his file could be useful, until we heard footsteps.

At the same time, our heads shot upwards and eyes straight to the most likely locked door of the classroom.

"Do you hear that?" Natalie whispered as the footsteps got clearer and closer

"Someone's coming," I said.

It would have been better for us to have left from where we came in considering we already had the info we needed but whoever it was had gotten so close and unknowingly to me, my wolf eyes were showing and Natasha pointed it out in surprise of the colour before we scrambled away from eachother.

"Hide, hide," Natasha rushed out as we all looked around, searching for a free space to hide in

"Shit" Natalie groaned when we realized there wasn't anymore space for her beneath the teacher's desk and so rushed out to find another hiding space but it was too late as the door burst open like whoever did, knew people were in the classroom.

It was quiet for a few minutes, and Natasha probably itched to peep at what was going on over the table.

"Hello," I heard Natalie finally say, her voice slightly wavering. "You must be Lucannion."

Natasha was the first to react, as she gritted her teeth quietly and tightly screwed her eyes shut like we were so dead. We probably were.

"Hi? and you must be?" I heard a male voice ask.

Rule number one in HOW TO SURVIVE AMONGST VAMPIRES 101; do not snoop around their things or their life.