Carmilla: Moonlight's Guide to Nocturnal Creatures

CHAPTER 2: BLACK AS NIGHT

"Well, look to it then that thou dost not kill the man-cub. He is no tree trunk to sharpen thy blunt claws upon. But what are those Master Words? I am more likely to give help than to ask it"—Bagheera stretched out one paw and admired the steel-blue, ripping-chisel talons at the end of it—"still I should like to know."
"Master Words for which people?" said Mowgli, delighted to show off. "The jungle has many tongues. I know them all."
-Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Book

---
"Welcome to the Jungle"- (Covered by) Novo Amor
Welcome to the jungle
We've got fun and games
We've got everything you want, honey I know the names
We are the ones that can find whatever you might need
If you got the money honey I'll be your disease
In the jungle, uuhh welcome to the jungle
I Watch it bring you to your knees, I want to watch you bleed
Welcome to the jungle we take it day by day

---

CHAPTER 2

---

I awoke to a surge of emotions. They were felt all at once, and they were all so different. I felt happy, because now I get to spread my wings and pursue my childhood dreams. Doubtful, because maybe they were just that, childish dreams, and I'd be swimming in debt before I realize that's all they are. Scared, because once I get there I'll truly be alone. I know I'll make friends, but when have young adults every cared about responsibility? Even with it ingrained into my brain, I still like to do everything, but worry about duties. I won't have someone there, in my ear, giving me that extra push to do what I'm supposed to. No matter the nuisance it's caused, that push had prevented me from committing to a life of procrastination.

Most of all, I was saddened, because I was leaving behind all the memories I had created throughout my whole life. This was the house of my firsts. My first steps, and my first words. My first school, and my first book. My first crush, and my first kiss. My first drive, and my first drink; not in the same day of course.

I swung my legs reluctantly over the side of the bed, and then while I stretched I noticed the glow in the dark stars (which I really need to pack pronto) wasn't the only source of illumination.

My laptop screen had some open windows. A closer look revealed that the open windows were files of my stories that I had written throughout my amatuer journalism career. Stories that I would never let anyone read, most likely. They were all locked away in a flash drive that was typically in my box. Ok, it was more of a hobby at this point, but that wasn't what was bizarre. I hadn't used my laptop in the past two hours.

Why does two hours matter, you ask. Well, that's what my laptop is set for when it'll turn off, if it hasn't been used for that period of time. It saves on energy. Sometimes I have random crashes and pass out with the laptop still on. Which may or may not have anything to do with all the sugar I consume, but I hadn't done that last night.

So why did it sit here now, lit screen and open folders of past stories?
After much thought and some five....maybe possibly ten cookies later I had come to the conclusion that I must have gotten up in the night and clicked around on the laptop. It seems to chalk up to poor sleep and stress which makes more sense than my Dad coming in here and rummaging around early in the morning. I'm way too light of a sleeper, and why would anyone need access to these stories?

I still have time before the drive that we would have to make to the school today and it's way too early to leave my room and possibly disturb Dad's sleep, so there is only one thing left to do. Email Betty, my new roommate, and maybe watch a couple of Doctor Who episodes. That seems more reasonable than attempting some more stress sleep.
---
Betty and I have been coordinating back and forth for the past month, every since they posted the new roommate schedules. I was totally stoked to get in contact. She seems really nice and understanding. From what I've gathered, she has been a liaison of sorts for my initiation into this mystery University. I had a lot of questions and she's answered most of them. She's also been a really good friend. As much as one can be through email correspondence.