Keep Your Enemys Close: A Vampire Slayer Novel

Chapter 3- The Library

There was something about him that made me feel comfortable as he led me out of the small hospital room. Maybe it was the mere fact that he was being kind; something that I hadn't experienced for a while. Either way, I decided that my curiosity was too strong, and I was dying to learn more about this so called 'Vulcan'.

Curiosity killed the cat, you know.

"This," said Aiden as he pushed open the door,"is the hospital wing."

We were in a small lobby, with numerous, identical doors lining three of the four walls. The fourth wall had an opening; about the size of two doors put together. There was a small desk facing it, and behind it sat an woman, burying her nose in a book. She had short, white hair, and reminded me a lot of my grandmother before she passed away, though she didn't look quite as old.

"Good morning, Ms. Merriweather," said Aiden, as we approached her desk.

"Ah," she exclaimed, as she stood up and quickly set down her book,"Yes, good morning indeed Aiden. And for you too, Kyra."

"Thank you," I mumbled shyly.

She quickly rushed around the table and took my face in her hands,"How are you feeling dear? Sore ribs I presume?"

"Yes, a little," I said, trying to avoid eye contact, though it was nearly impossible,"But other than that, I feel fine."

"Oh good," she said, releasing me. This was not a lady who suffered personal space issues, that was for sure.

"I was just going to take Kyra for a little tour around Vulcan," continued Aiden,"Is she okay to settle into her new room?"

"Oh yes, yes," said Ms. Merriweather, as she settled back into her seat,"Just be sure to call to me if you feel funny at all. Any sign of dizziness or nausea better be reported straight away."

I nodded slightly, though I wasn't paying much attention. So many questions were popping through my head. Where exactly was 'my room'? Did they really think I was staying here? Did I really have a choice? And was the title of her book really Dancing with Death: How to cure vampirically transmitted diseases?

Aiden grabbed my hand and pulled me out into a long, dimly-lit hallway. The walls were lined with tacky red wall paper, and the floor was laid with dark wood. The only light came from torches set in the wall. Actual torch's, flames burning bright.

"Isn't that a fire hazard?" I asked as we neared a dark doorway at the end of the hall.

"That's the last of your worries," he said, laughing slightly, as he grabbed a torch and led us through the doorway. We began descending a spiral set of stairs, our feet echoing loudly between the hard, concrete walls. Every once in a while, we'd pass a window, and I could just get a glimpse of light behind a silhouette of trees. 

"What time is it?" I asked, as we passed the third window.

"Around four in the morning," he replied, still looking straight ahead as we continued to descend.

"Then why are you up? I mean, I know I'm up, because I've been out for the past forty-eight hours. But shouldn't you be sleeping?" Saying too much was sometimes a habit of mine.

"Insomnia," he said, shrugging his shoulders. I didn't say anything in reply; I wasn't quite sure he was expecting one.

"Where exactly are we going?" I asked.

"To the library," he replied,"to brush you up on your vampire knowledge."

'Vampire Knowledge", I thought, yeah right. I have all the vampire knowledge I need: They aren't real.