Forbidden Feast

Ch. 16: It was me

Mathew didn't stop running all the way to the biology building. He passed it often to reach the lake and the party at Grant's dorm. Everything seemed like a connection now. Pushing through the doors, Mathew skittered across the linoleum, searching the first long hall for the boy's bathroom.

He turned the corner, stumbling upon the "utility door" and the lock didn't come as a surprise. Using all his strength, Mathew yanked at the door and the lock inside crumbled and clattered on the floor. He glanced around, checking to see if anyone noticed.

But there was no one.

Mathew was all alone.

Not letting himself think, Mathew ran through the door and down the concrete steps he found. Like upstairs, there were more linoleum floors and concrete walls, as if it had once been like any part of the school. Mathew even spotted classroom after classroom. He walked by doors labeled "Lab Room 101" and "102". There was an empty media center and even a giant lecture room.

Mathew's heart started beating faster as if to warn him. Something was wrong. His heart was trying to tell him something. Mathew grabbed his phone, debating whether to text Jace and ask him to hurry and find him, but he didn't know if someone was monitoring Jace's texts. He didn't want Dante to find out he had switched sides. At the end of the hall, there was yellow tape cutting him off. He looked down. Another hall.

As Mathew climbed underneath it, a cold shock traveled up his arms, bombarding him with a sense of déjà vu. He couldn't lift off the ground, staring at the floor. His vision shifted and his hands looked smaller suddenly. Like a little kid's hands. His hands were dirtier too as if he spent the last hour clawing up the dirt outside. Mathew shivered.

Ahead of him were a few more doors and one covered in more tape. Mathew forced himself up, forced his legs to move all the way to the door. He touched the cold knob, his heart in his throat, and opened the door.

Mathew took a few hesitant steps inside and gasped, but couldn't catch his breath. He recognized this room. He had been here before. A bed in the corner where Mathew used to sleep, now just the skeleton. Despite being cleaned up, all Mathew could see was blood. Puddles of blood and bodies without their heads. Screaming. The screaming stained the walls of this room. Panicking, Mathew knew he needed to hide. His body moved on its own as he ran right to a cupboard, fitting inside just like he had before.

Something terrible happened, and it was his fault. It was all Mathew's fault. They were going to be so mad. The dangerous man was going to come and hurt Mathew again. He was going to break all of Mathew's blood and beat him until he couldn't move.

Tearing up, Mathew tried making himself small. They were going to come and see what he did. All Mathew could see was what he did. One man, the vampires, came to feed, and came to hurt Mathew. It was the first time someone came to drink from Mathew since he changed, since that one man made a mistake.

That mistake led to his death, so this mistake would get Mathew killed, too. Surely. The vampire grabbed him, and threatened Mathew not to move. Mathew developed the ability to stay completely still. Perfectly still. He watched the fangs disappear into his skin and their eyes met. His eyes were as red as blood and widened in horror. He backed up, grabbing either side of his head, and then it just exploded. The impact sent blood and gore flying in all directions. Blood was sputtering out of his head and drowning Mathew. Mathew could taste it, the ash and decay.

No one believed him.

They thought he did it on purpose.

Mathew didn't do anything. So, they bit him, one by one, all biting him as hard and as violently as they could, thinking Mathew could fight back, and they all perished. "He's ruined," one said. "He's been ruined."