Bat Country

Alexis and Isabel were waiting on the couch. Isabel was holding Alexis’s hand with a sad and sympathetic look.
Isabel had sat with Alexis and tried to calm her until her she stopped crying. Isabel could relate easily to Alexis, and she knew exactly how Alexis was feeling. Alexis‘s clothes were simple. She picked out a pair of light blue stonewashed skinny jeans and a sage green tank top and a thin black sweater to wear over it. Isabel always wore a fancy dress, and Alexis would normally jump at the opportunity to dress up, but her insides felt like they were being yanked out and Alexis just didn‘t care. Isabel trying desperately to make Alexis feel better, had spent some time brushing out Alexis’s hair and French braiding it carefully and laying it over her shoulder, but was unable to fully comfort the newborn vampire.

Isabel raised her eyes to catch the men coming into the room and Alexis followed her eyes.
Matt felt Alexis’s confusion, her anger, and her sadness.
Immediately he came and kneeled down in front of her.
“Alexis. I’m sorry.” He rubbed her shoulder lightly. “I know this has got to be scary for you. Anything you want to know, just ask.”
“Why am I special to all of you? Isabel…she tried to explain. I just don’t…I don’t understand.”
“All of us are the same. Except for you. For thousands of years, vampires were like you, and not like us.” Matt gestured around the room. Alexis grasped Isabel’s hand tightly and Isabel grasped it back, rubbing her thumb over Alexis’s hand softly as Matt continued.
“Vampire blood became…watered down, I guess you could say. Weaker vampires made so many children to help them survive that weaker traits became normal for our kind, and the original vampires, who are like you, became fewer and farther between. Humans hunted them, the new type vampires hunted them as well.”
“But…why?”
“Well…for a number of reasons.” Matt’s eyes shifted to the left slightly as he picked his words. His eyes met Alexis’s again. “We cannot compete. Originals were only wiped out by sheer numbers. For us to survive, we had to get rid of the competition.”
Alexis’s eyes fluttered to the side as she let this sink in. She was impressed with how organized her thoughts were in this moment. Everything came in a solid line.
“I’m an original…okay. I got this. Why is this such a big deal?”
“For our kind, you are…how…hmm…” He stopped and ran his hand over his head, grazing the short brown hair. “The cream of the crop?” He looked over at Alexis with a look on his face that was scanning her for approval for use of the phrase.
She gave it to him with a nod. He gave a dimpled smile which made Alexis relax a little inside. He continued.
“Your kind is rare. There are only 7 aside from you in existence that anyone knows of.” He paused for a moment. “Alexis, I will be honest. You are perfectly designed to kill.” When Alexis’s eyes met his, they were slightly shadowed and serious.
“To kill people?” Alexis’s eyes widened. She hadn’t yet thought of that part. She might have to kill to survive.
“To kill anything…”
Alexis’s ears perked up. Moments later the blonde woman and the redhead walked in from a hallway somewhere to the back.
“I-I-I’m sorry,” the blonde stammered. “We were just headed out to hunt. I haven’t fed in over a week, I think it’s…I’m sorry, Matt.”
Matt looked over at her and Alexis noticed his eyes were focused so intensely on the blonde, but he didn’t look angry. “That’s fine, Callie. Miranda are you joining her?”
The redhead ran her hands over her pants, straightening them out. “Yes, sir.” She said so weakly her voice almost cracked.
Matt looked over at Zacky whose eyes were also oddly focused on the pair.
“Alright. Don’t stay out long.” Matt finally said.
It wasn’t long before the duo disappeared and Matt stood up straight.
“Alexis, I’m so sorry. We’ll continue later, I promise.” He picked up Alexis’s hand and kissed it then like lightning, he disappeared, and just as quickly, so did everyone else.

Despite warnings from Isabel, Alexis followed the scent of the men down several hallways. This place was like a fucking maze, but Alexis was almost delighted that she could do this at all. The scent went on forever. It went down another winding set of stairs and through another hallway. The hallway dead ended. Alexis, and Isabel who had reluctantly followed sat at the dead end for a moment.
“It can’t possibly end here…Matt…” she said his name gently “has got to be close. I can feel him.”
Isabel nodded. She felt Syn, too. Both happiness and fear filled her through every cell. Her body was humming lightly.
“I’ve never seen this hallway…“ Isabel said nervously. “We shouldn’t be here.“
“I’m sorry, Isabel but I can’t…I can’t explain why I need to get to him.“ Alexis ran her hand along the wall but nothing.
“You can feel his emotions. He must be upset. I know Brian is.“ Alexis closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Immediately she was on the floor, running her hands over it frantically.
“Who the hell is Brian?“ Alexis asked. The floor looked like solid cement, but Alexis could smell the scent draining into the floor somehow.
“The tan one you pointed out earlier.” Isabel’s voice was so soft it was almost a whisper, but Alexis heard her so perfectly that to human ears it would have almost sounded like Isabel was shouting.
Alexis nodded and she heard a difference in the sound the floor made when she ran her hand over it. She scanned the area with her palm and at last finally found the deviation. She picked at it with her fingernail and a whole chunk of the floor lifted up with what Alexis guessed was hydraulics. She wasn’t sure. Alexis and Isabel peered down into the hole but it was entirely black. Both of them flew into it and once they were inside, the hole closed back up relatively quietly. Isabel now grabbed at Alexis’s hand and held it tight.
“What’s wrong?” Alexis turned around and looked back at Isabel whose eyes were showing her inner panic. “Are you scared?”
“Not of what you think…”
Alexis didn’t know what to say so she gripped Isabel’s hand back and scanned the dark area. It would be black to human eyes, but Alexis was able to make out everything almost perfectly. This was another hallway.
“Really, another hallway?”
“There’s a lot of rooms here.” Isabel said matter-of-factly.
The scent ended at a door. The was no handles, but there was a hinge, so it had to swing open. Alexis felt for the ridge to the door and found it quickly, pulling it open with surprising ease. Light poured from the room.

It looked like a library in here. Walls upon walls filled with books, not even counting the shelves. Some of these books looked old and were covered with dust.
All 5 men were sitting at a table and Alexis rushed to Matt and examined him.
He just looked at her, surprised.
“Alexis…how did…how did you get down here?”
“I…something felt wrong. I think you felt…well, I could feel…and your…scent?” when she had to say this, she felt like an animal or something, but she would have to get used to that. She wasn’t human anymore.
She looked down. “I’m sorry, describing all of this is hard.”
“I understand.” he smiled almost invisibly.
Alexis’s eyes ran around the room. No one was sure how to continue. Their faces were all full of confusion and caution. Clearly Matt was the leader, and it was important not to upset him at this point. Alexis got the feeling that they didn’t want to say anything Matt didn’t want Alexis to know. So she stepped up to the plate and gave no one a choice.
“Whatever you’re doing, I want in.” Alexis demanded. She was completely serious. Maybe it was shock, but hey. Maybe this was what she could be good at, so she wasn’t going to be treated like a baby, even if they thought she was.
The confusion turned into an almost fear. Everyone was ready to step back and get out of the way.
Matt’s eyes glanced over at everyone in the room. He was sitting crookedly in the chair, with a hand holding up his head and his fingers slightly curved around his chin.
He shrugged the hand he used to prop up his chin. “Okay. Fair enough. You’re part of the family, you should get to know what’s going on. I may have to explain things to you later, but eventually you’ll be caught up. Will that do for you?”
Alexis was impressed with how easy it was. Everyone else also relaxed, except for Isabel who seemed scared. She stood next to…Brian, if she remembered his name correctly. Isabel’s eyes were on the floor. Brian himself looked as if he had been shot in the chest. Something about their relationship was painful for both of them. Alexis would ask what later.
Matt gestured to a seat next to him which Alexis took.
Everyone’s eyes finally fell away from her and even Isabel took a seat next to Brian and listened as best as she could without lifting her head.
“Rev, continue what you were saying, please.” Matt said, leaning back in the chair.
“Val and Michelle…I doubt they’ll stop.” He said uneasily. “Their bond…their kind is connected in a way that when one develops hate, they all develop it. It courses through them all…like a human disease. And who knows how many they have in their family”
Matt just listened.
“And if Callie and Miranda sold us out, we’re fucked.” Zacky added, but his voice had a hint of sadness laced through it.
Matt’s eyes fell for a moment and he looked up.
“Zacky,” he sighed. “Callie is your child. I’m sorry, but if we discover she’s contributed to the blood grudge the elves hold against us, you’ll have to destroy her.”
Alexis looked over at Zacky who was putting on a brave face. Why would Callie turn against everyone? She didn’t know, and she’d have to ask later.
Zacky just nodded. “I understand.”
Matt felt sad for him, Alexis felt the twinge of emotion radiate into her from him. That was the only way to explain it.
Rising from the table, Matt looked at everyone. “Until they attack, and I don’t doubt they will, be careful when you go hunting. Stay out as little as possible, and always tell someone you’re leaving. No one’s going to be caught alone.”
Everyone seemed to understand but no one got out of their seat. They all sat, seemingly lost in thought.
Matt took Alexis’s hand and before she even registered what was happening, they were out of the hidden room completely.