Chapter 11: The Book
I showed her the package, “I was hoping you could tell me what these symbols mean.” I whispered to Marianne. She was older than us by a few years with long blonde hair that flowed like a river to her waist and blue eyes that shone like the sea.
“It says: open me and you will see a surprise that makes you cry.”
I thanked her and was about to open the package when Sethius stopped me, “It says a surprise that makes you cry! Don’t you think that is saying it is a bad surprise?”
“Or maybe,” I argued, “cries of joy.”
I decided to take a chance. I ripped it open anyway hoping for the best but still imagining all the horrible things it could be. It was a book. The red leather cover was dusty and the pages were mouldy with old age. I noticed more smaller and more complicated symbols.
“I’m sorry. I can’t translate that because I can’t speak the language of the Jecolu Tribe, you’ll have to go by airplane to their country, Paptrilah, and visit them in person. Only the Jecolu Tribe can speak Jecoluesan.
Exactly an hour later we were on the airplane and ready for lift off. It was hot and stuffy and very crowded. People kept staring at us like we were a freak show what with our red eyes and pale skin. With over ten hours to go of our flight, I was already bored. I couldn’t sleep because I was a vampire, I couldn’t eat because I was a vampire, I couldn’t drink (well I could but it would be a little bit awkward for all the humans) because I was a vampire. Maybe being a vampire wasn’t as cool as I had once thought. I glanced over at Sethius across the aisle.
As usual he was talking to Gabrielle about some new zombie game and typically, she was nodding her head as if she was in a trance, pretending to listen to Sethius’s gabbling. I wondered just how long she was going to keep this up for, I thought.
As if she had read my mind, she gave me a stare that could only mean one thing. The problem was I couldn’t remember. Before the whole vampire thing, I was friends with all the popular people who included Fran, Gabrielle and some other people. We had our own code and everything. But now that I was a vampire, I had forgotten all the things we had made up. I racked my brain, trying to think back to my blurry human life. Think Riley, THINK, my inner voice said. Except instead of being my voice, it was Vladimir’s. That’s odd, the voice said. It was definitely my thoughts but his voice. I knew the voice was my imagination but it seemed so real.
I squinted at the unoccupied seat next to me. There was a note. It said:
You can run but you can’t hide. I know what you are and I’m coming to kill you.
So friendly. I sprinted over to Sethius and Gabrielle.
“Sethius, look what I found.” I gave it to him quickly.
“It’s probably some idea of a joke.” He examined it closely.
“Yeah a really sick one.” Gabrielle chimed in.
“Or maybe,” Sethius said looking at the initials scrawled on the bottom, “it wasn’t by accident.”
I looked around, “But who would do that?”
“Is anyone sitting here?” A female voice asked. We all spun around to find a girl about fourteen with short chocolate brown hair that bounced as she walked. Sethius took one look at her and fox whistled. I took one look at her eyes and felt relieved that she was one of us. At least she didn’t write the note; or did she?
Her eyes glistened in the late afternoon sun. The more she explained who she was, the more Sethius got over Gabrielle and the more Sethius forgot about Gabrielle, the more Gabrielle got jealous. Apparently, the fourteen year old’s name was Maxine. I could hear Vladimir’s voice in my head again: Gee her Mum had problems choosing a name. I giggled. I knew Sethius caught me when he glared at me and I bet he would’ve said the exact same thing if she wasn’t so pretty. God, this is more than a crush isn’t it. He nodded at me and then went back to ignoring Gabrielle and Maxine went back to ignoring me.
