Human

Shane woke up to the sight of black canvas material hanging above his head and knew instantly that he was in some kind of tent. But how he gotten there and why the strange monster people hadn’t eaten him was still a mystery.

“You have slept for a very long time, Shane. Relax; let your mind collect itself.” He knew that voice, well, he thought he did at least because when he turned in the direction in which it had come from, instead of seeing a red eyed monster, he saw a blue eyed angel. Okay, maybe not an angel since angels most likely dressed in a bit more white, but you get the just of it.

“Who are you?” he asked and the woman looked down at him as if she feared for his mental health. It was a look he was pretty familiar with.

“Shane, I’m Anastasia, do you not remember me? We met only days ago.” Anastasia? No, this wasn’t the same person, it couldn’t be. Someone couldn’t change that much in a matter of- wait, days?

“How long have I been sleeping?” Technically he was unconscious but Shane thought it better to leave the whole biting discussion for a later time.

“Three days, I am very sorry; my enthusiasm must have gotten the better of me.” Shane’s head suddenly started throbbing and he groaned before rolling over onto his side, making sure to turn his back on the creature person thing.

“Ana?” The heavy fabric was pulled open, revealing a young girl no more than nine years old. “Jeremy wants to speak with you.” She nodded her head slightly in Shane’s direction and it was a miracle the boy’s mind could even process the movement. “Both of you.” With that said, the girl disappeared and from the shuffling coming from behind Shane, he guessed Anastasia had stood up. He was proven correct when she stepped over him before crouching down in order to look the teen in the eye.

“Jeremy is the head of the clan, until you have accepted your position it would do you good to come when he calls for you.” She calmly reached over and grabbed the back of Shane’s shirt before pulling him roughly to his feet and forcing him to follow her as she exited the tent.

“What position are you talking about and who are these people?” Shane only meant to ask one question but when he looked around to see that he and Anastasia were now walking through a large field filled with people and tents identical to the ones he had just stepped out of, he couldn’t control the impulse to ask about that as well.

“You’ll find out,” the woman said and he assumed that the answer was meant for both questions since she gave no other.

The duo continued to walk through field, while Ana didn’t seem to mind the looks they received, Shane did. Everyone seemed to be staring at them, and as they traveled closer and closer to a large tent in the center of the makeshift camp, the boy started to realize that the people seemed to following them, getting closer and closer to them with each step they took. Again, this didn’t bother the blonde, but Shane felt extremely uncomfortable, and was even relieved when Anastasia pulled back the canvas flap and motioned for him to enter the unknown space.

The inside of the canvas enclosure was nothing like what Shane expected, though thinking back on it, he couldn’t tell you what those expectations were. The floor of the tent was marble, magnificent pillars held up a gold ceiling that seemed too high to physically fit in the tent, the only furniture in the room was a desk, a huge ivory desk that must have been worth more than most nations, and behind this desk was a man. A man who looked no more than twenty-five with eyes that seemed centuries older, Shane guessed this was Jeremy.

“Shane!” The man called with a smile on his face when he looked up to see the boy standing just inside the door. “It’s been far too long! Come in! Come in!” As if on cue, Anastasia walked in and started shuffling Shane in the direction of the man who had now stood up from his desk and smiling in a way that made him look like a serial killer. You’ve seen the smile, the one someone has when they are WAY too happy; yeah, that one.

The teenager was immediately wrapped in the other man’s arms the moment he was within hugging distance. Now, Shane didn’t dislike hugs, he just preferred to know the person that he was receiving them from, the fact that he didn’t, made him what to kick, scream, and possibly bite whatever was close enough.

“Jer, I haven’t talked to him yet, you might want to cease the physical contact.” The girl had a point, though Shane only believed that because Jeremy immediately released him as if he feared the younger man had some strange flesh eating disease.

“You haven’t told him?” The man asked, his eyes hardening the longer he stared in the blonde woman’s direction. “How did he get h- YOU KIDNAPPED HIM!” As the realization struck, Jeremy turned and started pacing back and forth as if one of his guests didn’t think there was anything strange about it, then again, the strangeness could have been due to the fact he was mumbling to himself in a language that obliviously wasn’t English.

“How could you?!” He finally said so that Shane could understand what he was saying. Anastasia, who the question was directed to, merely shrugged and smiled that same serial killer smile that Jeremy had on earlier.

“He was in the cemetery. I know this is not how it’s been done before, but I would not be able to forgive myself if that was my only chance to reach him and I had knowingly passed up the opportunity to bring him here.” Anastasia spoke calmly, as if Jeremy’s murderous stare didn’t exist and Shane was mildly interested in what –if anything- that might mean.

For a split second it seemed as if Jeremy was going to lunge across the room and strangle Ana, but then he seemed to collect himself before sighing and closing his eyes in an obvious attempt to remain that way. “I do not approve the method, but the outcome is one I must applaud. Good Work Anastasia.” Then what Shane had feared, happened, Jeremy turned his head and looked straight at him.

“Now, my boy, it seems the three of us need to have a little chat.”