The Daylighter Apprentice

Chapter 3 - First Day On The Job

"I didn't mean to piss Tom off." I say as me and Morgan walk to the lab the next day. Tom was out with his girlfriend and Chris was still asleep so Morgan agreed to walk me up after his shift at the coffee shop. We'd just reached Oldaker Street and the sun is shining, streaming through the leaves and hitting the path in broken streaks.

"I know." Morgan says, rubbing his chin.

"I just don't get why he cares so much." I muse, pulling my rucksack further up onto my shoulder. Morgan sighs.

"Well first of all, you're younger than all of us so you're sorta like a little brother to us and we have a duty of care to make sure that as a newbie, you don't get hurt. And also, if you bring trouble into the house you inevitably drag us all into it and we like to stay out of trouble. We're not ones to get involved."

"I wouldn't have gone if I knew I was going to cause an argument but it's not as if Tom told me about there being vampires."

"I agree and he should have told you but what's done is done." We stop at the entrance to the alleyway.

"I suppose. Thanks for walking me up." I smile and Morgan smiles back.

"No problem. Just making sure you're safe. I should be off though." He turns on his heel.

"And Dom?"

"Yes?"

"Be careful."

I make my way into the lab, footsteps echoing in the cavernous hallway. There's clunking and banging of metal coming from inside the lab and as soon as I walk in, the noises stop and Matthew turns to look at me.

"Ah, Dominic! Do come on in; just hang up your coat there and take the spare lab coat." Matthew says, returning to his work. I pull on the coat, the stiff cotton rustling as pull the garment over my limbs. While Matthew's fits his figure perfectly, mine hangs off me like a sack.

I make my way over to Matthew and peer over his shoulder.

"What are you doing?" I ask, leaning in closer but Matthew pushes me back.

"Unless you've got lab goggles on, don't get that close. They're in that drawer there." Without looking up, he points to a drawer by my feet. Sighing, I bend down and take a pair of the hideous plastic glasses. I put them on and return to watch Matthew.

"I don't see you wearing goggles."

"Vampire privileges. I get something in my eye, my body just heals itself. Same with any injury." Matthew mumbles and continues working.

"Sooo... What are you doing?" I ask, leaning in again. He seems to be boiling a lilac liquid over a bunsen burner.

"I'm currently evaporating the liquid from the copper sulphate solution. When I'm done, I'll hopefully have some purple crystals."

"I thought copper sulphate solution was blue?"

"Well, it is. But I'm trying to see if a dye affects the reaction and if so, how. It'll aid me in our work." Matthew says, turning to face me.

"Our work? What do you mean?" I ask, still watching the purple solution bubble.

"Well, as my apprentice, you'll be helping me with my latest experiment. We've been given the task by the seniority council to create and elixir to improve the health of the vampire community." Matthew says, leaving the experiment and walking over to a cupboard on the other side of the room.

"An elixir? To improve health? I though vampires couldn't get sick?" I ask in confusion. Matthew takes out a petri dish and a microscope and returns to me.