Coming of Age

Chapter 3

He sat up in bed quickly, breathing heavily. It was all just a dream? No, a nightmare. A horrible, horrible nightmare. He walked down the stairs and into his kitchen where his mum was making breakfast and filled his plate for him.

“Pass the butter, dad,” Dan said lifting his butter knife and slice of toast. “Dad! Butter please.”

His father continued reading the morning paper biting into his toast as his mother took a seat.

“Pass the butter, dear,” his mum asked watching his dad slide it over.

“What the hell?” Dan questioned. “Mum, pass the butter when you’re done, please.”

“Where’s Daniel? Is he awake yet?” his father asked lowering the paper to eat with his family.

“Hello! I’m right here!” Dan waved his hands in front of his dad’s face.

“I believe he’s still asleep. Oh, nope, there he is. Good morning sweetie,” his mother cooed at the empty doorway.

“What the hell? Mum, I’m right here. Are you feeling alright?”

“You’ve got that big exam in history today, right?” she asked nobody.

“That’s good! I’m sure you’ll do just fine.” His father nodded after a bit of silence.

“I’m not saying anything! What’s happening?” Dan screamed right in his mum’s face, trying to get her to notice him.

He grabbed her shoulders and shook her, but she didn’t move, continuing on with her morning routine.

“They can’t hear or see you,” a voice half-mocked making Dan snap his head up.

“Abraham?”

“The one and only. This is what your parents see. They still see their son, still feed him and send him off to school, but it’s only their imagination due to the hypnosis. They go about their daily lives happy as ever so that you can be with us.

“Please, stop. Just let me go,” Dan begged.

“We have. When you wake up, you won’t be on chains anymore. We’re preparing you for the ceremony.”

“What ceremony?”

“You have so many questions, I understand that. But they’re not all my place to answer. When you wake up, things will be much clearer. Wake up, Daniel. Wake up.”

***

“Wake up, Daniel. Come on, wake up.”

“Hmm?”

Dan slowly opened his eyes feeling like he’d been hit by a thousand bricks.

“There you are, come on now, stand up.”

Dan rolled his head around trying to remember how to work his legs, not having much time before he was lifted into someone’s arms and carried out.

“Humans can be so cute sometimes,” a feminine voice cooed—Lilith.

He was still hooked up to his saline solution that Julian wheeled in behind them. Dan shivered at the loss of the blanket and tried to curl in on himself for warmth but only succeeded in cuddling into Lilith.

“My god aren’t you just a cuddly little teddy bear?” she asked, smiling fondly at the still tired boy in her arms. “They’re gonna like you.”

“They?” Dan managed weakly, wanting to get some answers.

“It’s not my place to tell you, but you’ll see soon enough. Now come on, stand up. Hold onto your drip if you have to.”

Lilith placed him on the ground carefully, still holding him in case he were to fall. He felt a bit stronger now, but was still hoping Lilith would keep holding him up just in case. Dan looked around and found they were no longer in the warehouse where he once was—now they were in some sort of mansion with marble floors and soft, dark red, ornate rugs. He saw other people his age, grasping onto their saline drips too, though they were wide awake, terrified, and naked. They were all facing a grand staircase and balcony on the second story of the grand mansion. Men and women stood at the bottom of the stairs, each one a couple. On the balcony were people standing by themselves who looked to be Dan’s age—not the adults standing before him. What the hell is going on?

Abraham appeared on the top of the stairs, holding out his arms smiling widely like a priest would trying to lead the congregation in prayer.

“Welcome, chosen ones. What an honor it is to finally have you here with us! Let’s start with introductions,” Abraham beamed, motioning for the couple farthest to Dan’s left on the bottom of the staircase to start.

“I am Nicholas, and my mate, Tessa.”

“I am Julian, and my mate, Damien.”

“I am Vanessa, and my mate, Seth.”

They went across from left to right, the adults on the left appearing weaker to the ones on the right. As they went on, each pair seemed more sure of themselves holding higher power than the preceding couple. The only person not with a ‘mate’ as they called it was Lilith, though she seemed upset by the fact. On top of the staircase, Dan noticed that they were all single and separate from each other. Was this the ceremony they were talking about? Some strange ritual before they are killed and eaten?

“Now that that’s done, I’d like to invite you all down to find your mate,” Abraham gestured to the people standing at the top of the stairs. “Remember that your bond goes both ways. If a human rejects you, they aren’t your Chosen One. They were picked at birth, and now it’s just a matter of having your mates remember,” Abraham explained as the people from the top came single file down the stairs holding candles.

Dan flinched away as people his age came up to him examining him like he were a piece of meat—though to cannibals like them, that’s what all humans must be. A beautiful brunette girl came up to Dan—eyes as brown as his but somehow more beautiful. She wore a confident smile and ran her hands over Dan’s chest making him freeze on the spot, too afraid to push her away.

“I wish you were mine. I quite like you,” she told him playing with his hair.

Dan closed his eyes tight, clenching his jaw trying to wake up. This can’t be real, this can’t be real, it just can’t be. She wrapped her arms around him, resting her hands on his butt making him jump back pulling his saline injection right out of his arm.

“No, don’t touch me! Ow, fuck!” Dan screamed placing his hand over his arm where his IV tore out.

Everyone in the room stared at him, their gaze focused on his still running drip, no longer connected to him as Dan fell to the floor not quite strong enough to hold himself upright yet.

“Everyone remain calm,” Abraham ordered walking over to Dan. “Are you alright?”

Despite everything and how wrong the situation was, Dan nodded letting him know as far as he was concerned, he was okay. Abraham took Dan’s other arm and pushed the needle back in securing it with medical tape given to him by an awaiting Lilith.

“Now I see you don’t quite get along with Jillian,” Abraham smiled pulling Dan to his feet like he weighed nothing. “That’s alright. She is just not meant for you as you aren’t meant for her.”

“What does that even mean?” Dan begged, needing to know—needing answers.

“That’s not my place to tell you. You will know soon,” he replied taking his spot on the grand staircase again. “Resume with the ceremony please!”

Dan kept his head down, peeking over to see people being paired off and shown to another room. Was he meant to be a sex toy? Was he going to be chosen by someone just to fuck until they get hungry? And what happens if he doesn’t get picked? Will he get to go, or will he just be killed faster?

“Hello,” a voice greeted, breaking Dan from his rapid thoughts.