Lacuna

Chapter 1 - The Entre-mort

    As my vision disappears, I close my eyes as the shopkeeper and the customer lock their arms with mine. My ears start to ring as my body feels light.

    "What is going on?" I thought to myself. Am I dead?

After a while, the constant ringing in my ear slowly fades away and I feel my feet softly touching the ground. I feel their arms unlock from mine. Feeling secure, I open my eyes slowly.

    It seems like we are in a huge city. Lights and flashy billboards surround us. My eyes widen as I see people--- no, animals? Walking around me. I analyze them once again; they're people... with animal features? How is this possible? I must be hallucinating, or dead. As I look around in a panic, I feel an elbow nudge my shoulder. I turn in its direction and I see the shopkeeper from before.

    "Shocked?" he asked with a slight smile on his face.

     "I-I'm not dead, right? This is real? Are you real???" I shouted, touching the shopkeeper repeatedly. A hand grabs mine from behind.

    "It is and we are real, calm down." The voice behind me spoke. 

     I quickly look towards the voice and I see a person with what it seems to be... snow leopard ears? I look at the man from head to toe. It's the customer!

    "You! You're a snow leopard!" I shouted.

     The customer quickly shushes me and I glance towards the people around us looking in our direction. I guess that was too loud... I quickly calmed down and face the customer again. He puts down his finger as soon he notices I calmed down.

    "I am, It's normal. No need to worry." He speaks softly as his eyes lock in with mine. 

    "By now I think I deserve a further explanation of what's going on," I spoke strictly. The shopkeeper then speaks.

    "We're here, in the Entre-mort. It's a safe place where we, maugens, live. You see, Necrics have been hunting us down for centuries. They think of us as demons for our animal features and characteristics, we truly mean no harm whatsoever. In your case, we assume you're a half-blood. However, you're more in danger than the purebloods; Necrics will think that your parent has tainted their bloodline and will proceed to hunt and torture you without even being responsible. Savages." The shopkeeper shook his head.

    "That's mad!" I spoke in shock. 

     "Were you living along with them all this time?" The customer tilted his head. 

      "Well, yes I have. For as long as I could remember." I looked down. 

      "Ever since you were little? Do you have a family?" The shopkeeper bowed to see my face.

      "Well, yes. I have but they died in a car accident at least that was what my brother told me before he went missing." I muttered.

Thinking about it right now, I wonder what really happened... There must be something going on since I don't remember my parents at all and the fact that I'm here has something to do with it.

    "That is very odd..." The customer quickly looked into the shopkeeper's eyes. 

     "I suppose we have to report this case immediately." The shopkeeper advised. 

     "Very well." The customer holds me by the thighs and waist and picks me up onto a princess carry and sprints through the streets as the shopkeeper follows us from behind. I tightly squeeze my eyes shut and turn my head to the customer, facing him to protect my face from the wind.

    After a few moments, we finally arrive as I feel the customer stopping slowly. I carefully open my eyes and immediately get overwhelmed as a huge building looms over us. 

    "We're here. This is where most of us study." The customer spoke as he stares at the building. It seemed like a normal school.

The shopkeeper catches up behind us and leads us inside the building. I carefully scan the environment and see that some of the students were murmuring as they look at me. I quickly get nervous and cover my face with my hand in embarrassment.

    Soon, we arrive in front of a door with a golden plate in front of us that says 'Headmaster' This must be it. 

    The customer knocks on the door and a deep raspy voice comes from the inside.

    "Come in".   

     We open the door and see a large man behind a desk; he seems to have very long and slick silver hair. 

    The man spoke.

    "a new student?" the man glanced at both the shopkeeper and the customer.  

     "We thought we had to report this to you, Sir." The shopkeeper spoke in a stern voice, different from how he sounded before. 

     "It's case code letter N, Sir." The customer spoke. 

     "Half-blood?" the man muttered as he stared into my eyes. I gulped. 

     "I guess you have already met Xue and Flavio. I am Hagos Dranc, you may call me Sir Dranc and I am the headmaster of this school. You must be confused, how about you sit down and let us have a little chat?" The man softly smiled as he points to a chair in front of his desk. The other two had left the room and I am left alone with the headmaster.

What should I do?