The Garden of What Once Was

CHAPTER ONE

In a world ruled by vampires, humans are turned into prey everywhere they go. From their own homes to school, they are always at risk of having fangs sink into their skin. Though, after a while of living with their predators, humans have come to terms with constantly being used as a bite for breakfast or midday snack. Well, that is all humans except for Ember Septhis. 

She never had been bitten by a vampire which is why she did everything in her power to become invisible in a school chalk full of those fanged creatures. Right then, she was laying in bed, snoring away as those fanged creatures and her select few human classmates went to their first period. Not even the sound of her alarm beeping seemed to be able to wake her from her slumber. 

Fortunately, a very loud bang sounding from outside her dorm finally pulled her from her sleep. She shot upward with a start, drool crusted at the bottom of chin and brown hair tangled every which way. It took her a few seconds to register where she was and who she was before she finally threw her covers off her bed, reluctantly standing up. 

"Can't people learn to be a bit quieter?" Ember grumbled, still annoyed over the fact that she was woken up. "It's only--..."

Upon looking at the alarm clock that read 7:35 AM, Ember stopped. She did a double-take, hoping that her eyes were just playing tricks on her. Unfortunately, the blinking red digits did not change. Frantically, she flung herself out of bed, quickly rushing through her morning routine. 

By the time her hair was tamed and her teeth were brushed, it was 7:40 AM. I only have ten minutes, a long sigh escaped her lips as she locked her dorm shut. The only way she'd make it on time was if she ran. Although the idea of it seemed absolutely horrid, she had no other choice, as the risk of detention wasn't exactly all that appealing. Well, that mindset of hers changed after a good five minutes of full-on sprinting. 

Now, due to her sudden display of athleticism, she was bent over in the middle of the hallway, desperately trying to catch her breath. Before Ember could right herself, a body slammed into her. The rowdy group of voices that had previously filled the hallway were now silenced as the ones they belonged to stared at Ember.

"Open your damn eyes and watch where you're going, you fucking idiot!" The boy that ran into her rudely yelled out, making Ember finally lift her head to see who exactly was being such a dickwad to her.

Without missing a beat, Ember shot back, "Oh, seriously, calm down. I'm sorry for bumping into you and wrinkling your precious uniform, Princess."

Her equally rude reply made the other guys begin laughing their heads off quite loudly. One of the guys had his black hair pulled back into a bun. His skin was a russet, reddish-brown. Another, a blonde with skin the color of sand, held his stomach as he struggled to stop laughing. Then, there was the one farthest from them all. He had periwinkle-dyed hair that covered his eyes. The color of his hair perfectly complimented his sun-kissed face.

Ember was just about to push herself past the guys when she caught a glimpse of their eyes. She paused, staring at them in disbelief. Their eyes matched the color of the purple heliotrope flowers in the school gardens. That could only mean one thing. These guys are vampires. She gulped, trying to keep the fear that was bubbling up inside of her from bursting out.

"When has a human ever been stupid enough to call me something as ridiculous as Princess?"