Teenage Bones

'Help'

My body lurches forward as the car comes to a screeching stop by a set of gates that connect to a tall, large stone wall that guards a large forest. It's dark and the gates are black and intricately designed with leaves and flowers that entwine with running wolves, made of the same metal. Altogether, the picture was wolves running through a delicate forest but the sound of the gate was anything but delicate as it screeched open, revealing a woman standing in the middle. She looked in her early twenties, dark hair that was shoulder-length, dark eyes and healthy figure. She wore hiking boots, brown shorts, a black tank top, and a brown leather jacket. The weather was horrible, rain plummeting on the girl as she stood, staring at us with a guarded expression through the windshield.

"This is my part," Elijah says and looks at me before getting out of the car, "don't leave the car before I gesture, okay? These people take slight actions as threats. So don't be an idiot." Slipping from the car into the wet environment, he strolls toward the woman and shakes her hand but holding his distance too. If I were paranoid, it would look like he knows her. They exchange words but I can't see much due to rain and the shadows cast by the trees. Elijah steps in the headlights of the car, gesturing with his hand for me to leave the warmth and safety of the car. Well, shit.

Opening the car and stepping out was like being thrown into a lake, cold and eye-opening. I make my way to Elijah and he holds my shoulder, walking me to the lady who waited patiently. When I stood in front of her, her eyes nearly make me shriek. As if my life were a comic book or movie, her eyes were a bright amber with specks of gold that might've glowed, but I think that was just me. Elijah felt my resistance and dragged me along anyway, situating me in front of her expectant gaze.

"Is this her?" She asks Elijah, who replies with a jarred nod. Gently, she holds her hand out towards me and making eye contact, "I am Sorem. Leader of the Captum Clan. We have a lot to discuss. Return to your vehicle and follow me along the path. Don't stray."

I'm spun and marched to the car, pushed into it and the door even gets shut for me. Elijah gets in the car on the other side and drives slowly behind the small woman.

"Why are we here? Who is she? Why are we with a clan?"

Elijah stays silent.

"Mr. Clarke! Hello!" I wave my hand in his eyes and he smacks it away, I get comfy in my seat again with my hands on the dashboard. My stomach pinches at me, biting away at the control I have left on my powers. "You need to tell me what the hell is going on."

"That is going to be our new hostess. We need to prove to her and her council why we are here."

"Why and where is here?" My teeth are grinding as Sorem's hips shake side from side.

"This is a refugee camp for experiments and naturally occurring special species." He coughs, "like beatus women like yourself."

My heart nearly implodes. I thought I was utterly alone, but no, there are others too. Maybe they can tell me how to live without blood, maybe I can stay with them and forget my old life... if that's even possible. 

The road turns into a dirt path and that's when I see it, thousands of LED string lights sixty feet up, hung tree to tree and lighting the dirt path. Some have Chinese lanterns hanging off of the lights too. Much further in front of Sorem, there is a massive clearing full of people with lights hung above them, and what looks like a campfire in the middle. Just before we reach bundles of people, Sorem stops and gestures us out of the car. Elijah gets out, takes my shoulder again and we march behind Sorem into the clearing. There are three 'thrones' made of logs on the other side of the campfire, two seats are filled. Sitting around the fire and 'thrones' sat around two hundred people who all look different, some even with pointed ears and hands covering their eyes from me. I am led to stand in front of the 'thrones', Elijah at my side. Comparing us to naughty school girls would be accurate. The 'throne' to the right is filled by a man with muscle wearing jeans and a polo with construction boots. His thick, black, long hair is pulled back into a man bun, the left half of his face covered with burn scars and a left blind eye. The woman in the middle 'thone' is dark-skinned, frizzy brown hair to her collarbones and dressed in a dress that looks like hand-woven cotton of all sorts of colors. I see no alterations at all. Sorem jumps up to the left 'throne' and takes a seat.

"I am Caeli," said the middle woman.

"I'm Viribus," the right man says.

Mr.Clarke grips me and clears his throat, "I am Elijah Clarke and this is-" Caeli interrupts Mr. Clarke.

"Let the woman speak for herself," Caeli states. Stepping forward, I felt like I was in court.

"My name is Esmé Peters," I say and all three of them look at me more than a little disappointedly as chatter runs through the crowds of people.

"This is what Lilly and Starr have sent us?" Caeli says, standing, "we are a refugee camp, a home. Not an orphanage."

"What are you, Esmé? Experimented upon? Nature's gifts?" Sorem asks, throwing a hand out to Caeli which makes her sit down. "Surely Starr would not have sent us a mear human."

"I am a Beatus woman," I say and another chatter invades the crowds. "I have nowhere to go."

Viribus regarded me with an apologetic look, "naturally occurring, or was it forced upon you?"

"Forced." A pain shoots through my stomach but the only reaction I have is an eye twitch.

"Take off your jacket," Caeli says, almost bored, "let me see the scars."

As fast and sufficiently as possible, Elijah unzips my hoodie and pulls it down, showing all of the scars- the fat one's shimmering in the light of the fire. Viribus nearly drops his jaw.

"This is clearly abuse, Caeli." Viribus says. Caeli looks thoughtful nearly.

"How were you given the ashes?" Caeli asks.

"It was scientists who cleaned it and then it was put in an IV bag with water."

"How many a day and for how many days?" Caeli asks again.

"Three bags a day, for two months? I have weird side effects I don't know are possible." The plea in my voice nearly makes her eyes widen.

"That is far too much!" Sorem cries, turning to Caeli who simply nods.

"What are the effects, Esmé?" Caeli asks, again.

"I get hungry... for human blood. Without it, I lose control of my powers and become a danger to everyone." I felt like a kid again telling my mum that I broke the cup. Caeli laughs.

"Well, every beatus woman does. Do you not have a Published?" Caeli asks, wiping a tear from her eye from the sudden outburst.

"I did, but he betrayed me to the lab I came from and I think I drank too much too," I sound like a girl, not a woman who could move stuff with her eyeballs.

"How much do you need?" Viribus asks gently.

"A feeding every day for thirty minutes at least," Elijah says, taking my shoulders back into his arm.

"That is nearly quadrible the amount a normal woman has." Viribus pondered, "and how long until effects start to show?"

"The next day? I only drink it when I'm getting sick." I answer and Viribus and Caeli nearly looked impressed.

"So we are looking at two or three feedings a day for thirty minutes? That is an immense amount of blood to keep up with." Caeli said, standing again. "Raise your hand if you believe we should take on this young woman, one of the beatus, and yet not the same."

Without making it obvious, I glance to the surrounding people, seeming the majority keeping their arms pinned to their sides.