The Prison of Deviants

Chapter 1: Theo and the Vampires

People say fate is in our hands, and whether it turns against us, depends entirely upon our deeds.

I guess I must've done something truly horrible in my life (even if I don't really know what), because, in a single day, my entire life turned upside down: my dreams shattered, my family turned their backs on me - their own daughter and sister, my friends shunned me away, and, I was shoved into a place hidden beyond seas and oceans on a remote island, like some outrageous criminal - in the prison of deviants.

Have I committed a crime? - No, nothing like it! If I had committed one, I'd understand all these consequences. No, I simply got infected by those particles that vampires leave everywhere they fly through. Alright, I admit, walking along that riverside was my own mistake, thinking I could cut it short to the university, but other than that, nothing is my fault. One cannot really see that dust in the air, but if you inhale it, you're done for. 

I too began to receive symptoms of a vampire. The evening had not passed when my eyes already began to glow red. When I got back home, they had taken complete scarlet shades. Mom screamed, my little brother Ethan hid behind her as if to seek protection from some monster, and they called a doctor right away. My gene-alteration proved positive (that said, I had indeed become a monster), so, without delay, I was sent here - the prison of deviants - where every unfortunate human who gets bitten, scratched, or infected by deviants, gets locked up for the rest of their lives. 

Who are deviants, now? - Well, nothing scary... just some humanoid creatures with certain deviant features that render them more powerful than humans. Hence, they are feared and hated. It can be vampires, werewolves, other zoomorphs, merpeople, and so on. Monsters, in short.

I am one of those monsters now, locked up in a cell with two other girls like me - Yelen and Annabelle. Yelen has already nearly morphed into a true vampire - with bloody-red eyes (she assures us she has always had them since she's an albino, but she can never make me believe albinos can have such deep crimson eyes), fangs almost sticking out of her mouth, and bones growing out of her shoulder-blades, which will soon turn into bird-wings. She inhaled the vampire dust like me, some months ago, and now, she is turning into one of them - bird-vampires, or so-called "angels" (don't let that fool you - they've got nothing angelic, those bloodthirsty beasts).

Annabelle is different from us since she was bitten by a bat-vampire (these ones have bat-wings, and are more bloodthirsty and aggressive than bird ones, hence are called "demons"). Granted, once her eyes turned entirely red and she was able to control her bloodlust, she went off and killed that monster that had caused her such calamity, but she was shoved into this prison nevertheless, and awaits her complete turning. She is a redhead, so her scarlet eye-shades and fiery hair are a beautiful match.

Me? - I am a "newbie", or so these girls and all the other prisoners call me. Brown hair, scarlet eye-shades that are turning redder every day, and occasional bloodlust which I cannot really control since I'm newly-infected - every time it hits, I want to hunt for blood, and I go berserk. When that happens not in the hunting time (we have such hours here when they permit us to go out and have some hunt), I am made sure not to hurt the fellow inmates - I am chained up to the walls. The guards, who are inborn vampires, say that it is until I can control my outbursts. It still feels awful, though.

The prison is divided into multiple districts. We, vampire deviants, are locked up in the vampire district. Bird-vampires prevail, since their leader, Rufus, is the headman of this district - our main overseer, and directly responsible to the warden. Oh, to add here, Rufus is actually Yelen's boyfriend. How did that happen? - Two words: Stockholm syndrome.

"Ladies, out! Dinner time!"

A guard is calling. They've already unlocked the door. Annabelle and Yelen stand up, ready to walk out. The guard, Vincent - a middle-aged chubby bat-vampire - comes and unchains me. 

"Now, behave, Theo!" he adds, as if I can fully control myself.

"Don't worry, Vin, I'll make sure she doesn't hurt anyone!" Annabelle winks at him. She always acts coquettishly with everyone, but with bat-vampires like Vincent, she makes sure to do it extra hard, so that they will accept her in their rows even before she completely turns. 

I follow the bat-vampire guards towards the dining hall, which is located in the center of the prison, so all deviants from all over the districts can freely meet up.

Not that I am happy... So many different monsters make it rather an ugly place.

I feel a clawed palm touch my hand. Yelen is smiling at me.

"Stick with me, alright? It'll be safer this way."

Yeah, of course, make sure I don't attack someone in that dining hall...

"Thanks."

I've never been an impolite one, though, so she deserves that answer. Her smile deepens - seems like she's taken it as sincere gratitude. No, for a vampire, she's certainly too kind.

All the prisoners of our district walk in the line, accompanied by the vampire guards. I am a part of them now. I guess I should embrace my new life. Now that I am on the deviant path, there's no turning back for me.