DANCING WITH THE DEAD

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: A SENSE OF NORMALCY

••••

Waking up the day after the first competition I had one thought constantly ringing in my mind: "Indie I don't think you're human."

It makes sense, it would explain the mark on my arm. Of course, I've never had sexual relations with a strigoi (or anyone for that matter) so I know for a fact I am somehow blood-related to one. The question is, who? They could be my father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, etc.

This raises the question of if I am human at all. As I've learned, I've developed the ability of accelerated healing most likely triggered from the first strigoi bite. That strigoi bite also developed the beginnings of the strange markings on my arm. However, when I was bitten the second time the small X on my arm became a large almost tattoo of flowers and foreign words. If I wasn't so damn confused I would find it beautiful.

When I realized that Salem and I really did kiss that night I told myself one thing: There's no way in hell he's finding out I remember! I mean, he didn't make a big deal out of it in the first place, he played it off as 'trying to hide our faces'. But hell no.

Most of all, I realized I need to pay attention in my classes. I'd been barely even listening and treating them like my old classes back before I was evicted. But after yesterday I realized that I wasn't going to be able to win this competition without studying and doing well in class. I was so unprepared it was scary.

So here I am sitting in the cafeteria for breakfast when someone accidentally spills their coffee on me. Maya, to be exact.

I don't know what her problem is! She always acted so out of it like a drug addict or something, and when she didn't she was just a total bitch.

"Whoops." She sighed before sitting next to a pleased looking Oliver and placing her head on his shoulder. Oliver already established yesterday morning in the common room that he is doing something to Maya to make her act this way. But what? There are too many questions!

I shot her a glare which she replied with a lazy smile. I rolled my eyes before going to the corner of the room where the napkins are. I grabbed a handful of them and began to pat my shirt dry when someone tapped on my shoulder. I turned to see a group of students who seemed to be in their Freshman or Sophomore year staring at me.

I tilted my head in confusion. "Yes?"

"Uh, y-you're Indiana, right?" A shorter girl stammered from the front. She had black shoulder length hair and dazzling brown eyes.

"Yes, and you are?" I replied.

"My n-name's Claire. C-Could you stay away from Salem?" She blurted closing her eyes and crossing her fingers.

"Why?" I raised an eyebrow in annoyance.

"He's dangerous," A taller boy from the back stared. He was lanky with sandy blonde hair and hazel eyes. There was a scar running from his eyebrow to his forehead.

"Why? Because he accidentally killed someone. Excuse me but I would-" I began before he cut me off.

"Everyone he's ever been close to has died."

"He accidentally killed one person, so what?" I sighed running my hands through my hair.

"There's been more than one," Another boy stated.

This caught my attention. "What do you mean?" I asked the boy. He was an average height with auburn hair and warm brown eyes.

"Yes, he did accidentally kill a boy in class. But do you really think that's enough for his family to completely disown him? It's not. After Ravenna died he became a recluse. Dead bodies have been appearing all over the woods surrounding Bloodborne. Some of them are even school staff. To turn into strigoi you have to kill one hundred innocent people. Some say Salem is turning into a strigoi to avenge Ravenna's death."

"That's bullshit." I felt anger bubble up inside of me. "Ravenna died because she was involved with strigoi. Salem hates them more than anything!"

"Anyways how am I supposed to avoid him? He's my god damn accompaniment! Now-" I began before the bell cut me off.

I stopped talking and breathed deeply trying to contain my anger.

"Just consider what I'm saying," The tall boy suggested.

"H-Here's your napkin you dropped it," Claire stuttered holding out a coffee stained mess. I snatched it from her and shoved it in my pocket.

I ignored them and stalked off back to the table, but not before flipping them off.

"What was that about?" Lola asked while I picked up my tray to put it away.

"Nothing." I sighed.

"It didn't look like nothing," Ansel countered.

"A group of students tried to convince me that Salem is 'cursed' or something." I laughed realizing how stupid it sounds. Salem at the moment was reading with his hoodie up completely oblivious we were talking about him.

"You'd be surprised by how often that happens,"Ansel replied.

"That happened to a couple days ago!" Lola giggled.

"I didn't know what to do so I stood there like a deer in headlights," She said while face palming. In that moment when I looked at Lola, I didn't see Lola, I saw Adeline. I rubbed my eyes and half-heartedly laughed along with Ansel.

"Hey Ansel, do you know anything about Oleander Moreau?" I asked hoping he would have a different reaction than Salem.

"Uh, isn't he the leader of the strigoi? I honestly wonder if he's a myth sometimes," He muttered in reply.

"Do you know anything about Ravenna?"

"Ravenna's my cousin,"He responded, a sad smile on his face.

"Oh, sorry."

"No, it's fine, you're just curious. I would be too if I was in your position." He smiled. The second bell rang and I immediately began to sprint to Vampire Anatomy realizing what time it was.

Our teacher from before was fired after not following standard protocol in the event of a strigoi attack. Now we have a nicer middle-aged woman by the name of Mrs. Carpenter.

I got to class in the nick of time and sat at my desk for attendance. After finishing attendance Mrs. Carpenter said "Today we will be learning the differences between the vampires and strigoi. This is vital information for when you graduate and are exposed to these awful creatures!"

I took out my school-issued notebook and wrote at the top of the page: Vampires Vs. Strigoi.

"The vampire body is close to the human body in the idea that it runs like a system. Unlike what humans think, your body is living and circulating blood just like a human's. Well, not if you're a level two or three pureblood I suppose," She said and everyone's eyes turned to Salem who was twirling his blade between his fingers.

"As all of you know vampires are susceptible to sunlight which is caused by a gene carried by our kind. Strigoi are extremely sensitive to sunlight to the point where they are nocturnal creatures. In the event, you are approached by a strigoi at night your best chance of survival is running. Of course, strigoi are not complete monsters. They have feelings just like everyone else, but their powers often give them a false sense of superiority. This case is also found in level three purebloods." She motioned towards a diagram of the strigoi body.

Their canine teeth were extremely elongated even more so than Salem's or any of the other vampires I'd met so far. Their eyes were bloodshot and their muscles were rippling in an almost animalistic fashion.

"If you have been paying attention in self-defense class," Well shit. "You would know that strigoi are nearly impossible to kill. The only known way is a silver stake through the heart. These stakes are made by the witches of Willowbee woods and are only available in training classes or to royal guards."

"I will now be passing out a worksheet with a passage from Alessia Bellamy herself," Ms. Carpenter said happily before picking up a pile of papers and handing them out to us one by one.

Forty minutes later I had read three passages about the strigoi mind that only a genius could understand.

I opened the door to my history class to see Mr. Gates smiling while happily helping a student with a passage.

"Ms. Aldaine, I'll take it you'll try and pay attention today? At least so you don't pass out at the next competition." He scoffed without turning. I don't mean to be offensive, but he really was a bipolar mess.

"Yes, sir," I mumbled not feeling the urge to argue.

I plopped down at my desk in the front row right next to Mr. Gate's desk where he watches me like a hawk.

"Today we will have an exam! No questions, no bathroom breaks, no speaking. The only way to leave is through a medical emergency," He announced making me groan and try to sink as far as possible into my chair.

"You'll have the whole class period to complete it." He passed out the tests.

"Starting in three... two... one!" He exclaimed before sitting at his desk and sticking his head in a book.

••••

Oh my god, I think I might actually be an idiot. I didn't know the answer to a single question out of all fifty of them. Although the questions were multiple choice they were oddly specific asking about exact dates and times. That would take hours of studying for me to remember!

However, one question in particular caught my eye:

In what year did Oleander Moreau take over the Strigoi Empire?

A) 1967
B) 1984
C) 1976
D) 1962

This question stood out because it was the only one I knew the answer too. Salem mentioned he took over roughly fifty years ago which would be about 1967.

I sat down wearily in my seat for mannerisms where my elderly teacher Ms. Tate poured tea for us as we sat around a round table filled with flower bouquets. Mannerisms is a class only for us competing in the trial as we are supposed to be 'royal like' considering we're helping our accompaniment become the next prince. I sat next to Salem watching him mindlessly cut the table cloth with his switchblade underneath the table.

I nudged his arm and raised eyebrow which he returned with a stifled laugh.

"Alright dearies, today we will be learning about table etiquette," The frail old woman began.

Only pureblood vampires have immortality leaving regular vampires to age like humans.

"Let's start with silverware. In olden times the position of your silverware indicated signals to the waiter/waitress. I like to keep this tradition alive."

She continued to drawl on about each position for your silverware and how it tells the waiter/waitress if you would like another plate, if you're pausing, if you enjoyed your food, etc.

But what really caught my eyes was when she showed the silverware position for if you dislike your plate.

Now Maya was sitting two chairs away from me to my left. Yet she went out of the way to direct the dislike silverware towards me. I felt anger boiling inside of me as I did the same catching the smirk on her lips.

I felt a sharp high heel stab my calf underneath of the table and I jumped in fear before realizing who it was.

"Salem give me your knife," I whispered urgently.

"Why?"

"I want to stab Maya."

"Hell no."

"Come on just give me the-" I began before Ms. Tate said happily, "Are you two discussing the silverware? I think it's quite interesting, please tell me what you were discussing."

I was fully aware Ms. Tate was hard of hearing so I said, "Maya's a bitch and I want to stab her."

Lola and Ansel stifled their laughter while Salem shook his head amusedly. Maya's face flushed before her eyes regained their strange glazed over look once again. Oliver gave me a death glare that normally would have sent me running but I was too proud of myself to care.

"I'm sorry dear, please speak up," Ms. Tate said a small smile on her face.

"I really love learning about this Ms. Tate," I spoke loud enough for her to hear and she clapped in delight.

Lunch passed uneventfully and I found myself standing outside for self-defense. Oh, self-defense! The P.E. of Bloodborne also known as pure torture.

The Tartarus of this hell hole called The World Of The Undead.

Yet, I found myself falling into a comfortable loop every day. A sense of normalcy.

••••

I managed to write one more chapter before vacation, so here it is! What was your favorite part? Mine was when the group of students approached Indiana in the cafeteria.

Thanks for reading! Don't forget to comment and vote!

[Edited]

••••