Master Yates drove around our neighborhood while testing my blocking abilities. I was doing rather well, and I felt confident about protecting myself. He pulled into the coffee shop that's not far from my father's house. The moment he put the truck in park, he turned to me and said, "The owner of this establishment..."
"Lazlo," I interrupted. He darted an unimpressed glare. Master Yates looks to be in his late twenties, but he acts much older, and there are moments where it's almost as if he's better than everyone else. This was one of those moments and I could tell right away that an apology was expected, even if I wasn't in the wrong. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean anything bad... I just thought you'd like to know his name."
His eyes darkened as he watched me twitch. I didn't think it was possible for his dark brown eyes to become any more intimidating, I was wrong... and this was one guy who I'd never want to meet in a dark ally. "You are young, and more human than vampire. In our world, we respect each other, and we allow each other to finish our sentences... we do our best to maintain ourselves at all times. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
I nodded. "Yes Sir," I mumbled. I was embarrassed and a little insulted. It seemed like every vamp I've met refers to me as immature or naive. (Heck I'm Charles' boss; I can't be that bad or that immature.)
"This is another fine example of why you must always maintain yourself. Once again, you projected your thoughts, by maintaining yourself; you will have better control of your emotions. When you are under control, you'll be able to stay behind that wall, thus protecting yourself from unknown vampires in the area. Many humans refer to a vampire as cold, heartless or mysterious; we must always maintain control." He sighed and shook his head. "You are very young; you are still a teen in human years, and practically an infant to us vampires. You have so much to learn about our laws, and you've had no training. I realize that most humans would see you as a mature adult, but I know the truth, as do any vampire that meets you." I pulled my eyes away from his, I didn't want to breakdown. He leaned in causing my eyes to automatically lock eyes with his. "I am teaching you the basic survival skills, and if I felt that you were too immature, instead of going out of my way to train you, I would send you to Church and have you trained there for the next decade. That's where we send all fledglings... do I make myself clear?"
There was something about his tone that made it clear that this so called 'Church' was more of a vampire jail, and that I wouldn't be able to leave, even if I wanted to. I can't explain it, but every hair on my body stood up in fear, I couldn't move, and somehow I knew that if I didn't agree, he would make me. "Yes Sir," I whispered.
"This is your last reminder, stay behind your wall. You are about to enter a diner that is filled with many different beings, and not one is human."
"Does that include Lazlo?"
"Yes, Lazlo and his family of staff are all supernaturals. It's about time that you learned about the real world around you."
I was shocked. The day that we moved into that house, Lazlo came over with a gift basket and introduced himself. He lives only a few doors down and there have been many nights that he's sat on the porch with my father. They would drink a cold beer and talk about the good old days. I just couldn't believe what I was hearing. Master Yates cleared his throat; I jumped and turned to him. "I'm sorry, I know! I didn't block my thoughts."
He gave a hard nod. "I feel that we are going about this wrong. Possibly a week of training in Church would be a safer start for you, and then once the reverend feels that you are stronger, we'll slowly introduce you to our clan and the other beings who are welcomed within our territory."
"No," I practically whined. I cleared my throat and explained, "You have my word... that was my last slip up." I locked eyes with him and watched as he thought it over; I knew it was a test, so I made sure that I was behind my wall. I slowly explained, "Master Yates, please understand... I honestly know that Church is not right for me. I will maintain myself, no matter what surprise you give me."
