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 on our deeds.

I guess I must've done something horrible in my life (even if I don't know what), because, in a single day, my whole life turned upside down: my dreams shattered, my family turned their backs on me - their daughter and sister, and I was shoved into a place hidden beyond the 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, I'd understand all these consequences. No, I simply got infected by the particles that vampires leave wherever they fly. Alright, I admit, walking along that riverside was my mistake, thinking I'd cut it short to the university, but other than that, nothing is my fault! One can't see that dust in the air, but if you inhale it, you're done for. 

I began showing the vampire symptoms too. The evening hadn't passed when my eyes glowed red. When I got home, they had taken complete scarlet shades. Mom screamed, my little brother Ethan hid behind her as if seeking protection from a monster, and they called a doctor. My gene alteration proved positive (that said, I had 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'm one of those monsters now, locked up in a cell with two other girls like me – Yelen and Annabelle. Yelen has nearly morphed into a vampire – with bloody-red eyes (she assures us she's always had them because she's an albino, but she can never make me believe albinos have such deep crimson eyes), fangs almost sticking out of her mouth, and bones growing out of her shoulder-blades, which will turn into bird-wings soon. She inhaled the vampire dust some months ago and 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 have bat-wings and are more bloodthirsty than bird ones, hence are called "demons"). Granted, once her eyes turned red and she was able to control her bloodlust, she went off and killed the monster who infected her, but she was shoved into this prison nevertheless and awaits her complete turning. She's a redhead, so her scarlet eye-shades and fiery hair are a beautiful match.

Me? - I am a "newbie", or so these girls and the other prisoners call me. Brown hair, scarlet eye-shades that are turning redder every day, and occasional bloodlust which I can't control since I'm newly-infected. Every time it hits, I want to hunt for blood and go berserk. When that happens not during the hunting time (we have such hours when they permit us to go out and have some hunt), they make sure I don't hurt my fellow inmates - I'm chained up to the wall. The guards, who are inborn vampires, say that it's until I can control my outbursts. It 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. He's our main overseer and directly responsible to the warden. Oh, and to add here, Rufus is Yelen's boyfriend. How did that happen? - Two words: Stockholm syndrome.

"Ladies, out! It's dinner time!"

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

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

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

I follow the bat-vampire guards to the dining hall, which is located in the centre of the prison, so all deviants from all over the districts can meet up. Not that I'm happy... So many different monsters make it a rather ugly place.

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

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

Yeah, of course, make sure I don't attack anyone in the dining hall...

"Thanks," I reply.

I've never been an impolite one, so she deserves that answer. Her smile deepens. It seems like she's taken it as sincere gratitude. For a vampire, she's too kind.

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