Blood and Seal

Xavier would have walked to class of Summer hadn't stopped and hugged him. Xavier closed his eyes hoping she would be gone when he opened them, but few seconds later when he did, she wasn't. He closed them back. Summer was his...uhm it's a weird relationship.

"Xavier," she said. "You said you weren't returning."

"I did." He answered quietly and moved away from her. He stopped at the door and called Michael. "Before the day comes to an end I want to know everything about that girl in class A," he said to Michael. Michael carried his gaze to the girl in particular. The curiosity told him to ask, but common sense told him to shut the hell up. Xavier continued to class and as he opened the door, he stared back at Michael who nodded at him.

Michael placed his hands in his pockets and almost flinched when he heard Radica's voice. Among all the girls in the crew, Radica could be the creepiest.

"Be a darling and drop me some of the info when you're done okay," she told him. She started leaving but came back to him and asked, "Doesn't she spark up any memories of Allison?" Michael shook his head and said, "There was a hood halfway across her face and I didn't pay any attention, but Allison was human right?" Radica shrugged, "Who knows, Xavier keeps his secrets to himself."

"Well everyone has their dark secrets to keep." Michael said and fixed his eyes on the teacher coming their way.

"What are you doing outside?" He asked them. Radica rolled her eyes and walked to class. "What are you waiting for," he asked Michael who was still standing there. "Get to class now!"

.....

"I'm telling you, that school got ghosts." Alya persisted that Tuesday morning.

"You're about to be one of them," Jizelle laughed. "That's as silly as saying a tooth fairy exists" Jizelle continued. Alya groaned and there was silence for a few seconds. "Look Alya," Jizelle started, "Just because you don't like the school, doesn't mean it has ghosts. For God's sake Alya, why do hate you hate this town?"

"I hate this town because you forced me to come with you," Alya replied.

"That's because Mom and Dad were going on a vacation and if I hadn't brought you with me, you would have burned down the house."

Alya frowned and shouted back, "Stop calling them Mom and Dad. Our parents died three years ago." Jizelle stopped the car, "I feel sorry for you Alya."

"I feel sorry for myself too."

"Have a nice day" Jizelle said. Alya turned her head to her and said, "I will never have another nice day if I continue attending this school." Jizelle blinked twice, "Get out of my car—"

"I will," Alya cut in sharply. She got out of the car and slammed the door. Jizelle stuck he tongue out to her. Alya walked to school, the hallway looked more dark and creepy.

She wasn't wearing any black today. Today she had on a big Jacket that stopped on her knees, with jeans and sneakers. Her head was in a messy ponytail again. She liked the awkward look she displayed, in fact she enjoyed the lack of attention it brought.

She heard a scream from her right and concluded it was none of her business, but curiosity got the best of her and she followed the crowd to the voice. They all stopped when they looked in the school laboratory. The usually white scene was all messy and covered in blood. The lab looked terrifying and realistic. Alya had frozen and her face paled when she smelled the scent of blood. This was no prank, this was actual human blood. The girl who screamed was explaining that she came to take her notebook she left in the class the previous day.

A girl came and stood right next to her, she looked so familiar yet so strange. Alya thought she could see a hint of laughter in her face. She looked psycho smiling at blood like that. Alya kept her thoughts to herself. The girl started walking backwards till she was out of the crowd, no one seemed to pay attention except Alya. The boy she went to seemed weird too, his face was also creepy white and pale like a ghost. Ghost, she thought of the word again. This may be the doing of a ghost or some other creepy creatures.

she spotted a silver item and bend down to pick it up. In all of the commotion, no one noticed and she rubbed it. The metal looked like a crescent, an ancient family seal. She placed it in her pocket.

"Everyone get outside, the cops are on their way. We will need you to clear the school." The students murmured each other and wondered whose life had been lost this time. Alya walked alone in the crowd and kept her eyes on the strange girl and her creepy friends.

.....

"Radica," Noelle suggested to Xavier "She's the only one capable of such madness."

Xavier listened to Noelle silently, Noelle was another suspect, she was also one of his crew members who killed for fun. Radica was also another, and the six other females in the crew. The males were ruthless and heartless too but only under his order, the females were another case. Though no one dared to openly challenge him, he still ordered respect and he swore that if it was one of his crew members, he would kill them himself.

"Radica, I can bet on anything," Noelle repeated.

"I heard you the first time Noelle" Xavier said calmly. Noelle smiled but prayed Radica got punished severely. Michael finally came along with Radica, Radica smiled at Noelle and she smiled back. The boys who had heard what Noelle said about Radica chuckled.

"I wasn't the one," Radica said before Xavier could ask. He studied her face, her countenance was strangely filled with guilt yet she wasn't lying. Those around watched Noelle for her reaction. Noelle eyes were fixed on Xavier as if waiting for a contradicting response. Xavier said nothing, he could sense her guilt but she wasn't lying, he was perplexed. If no one in his gang did the act then who did. Did the school have any other vampires? It couldn't be Alya, he knew her name because Michael told him.

The information was helpful at least he was sure a ghost wasn't back from the dead. Alya had just moved to their town. She got expelled from a school when she was four. That got him wondering what a tiny four year old could have done to deserve getting expelled. She was a lively Olympics states champion till she quit from the finals three years ago. That was also a strange act, Xavier thought. Michael did a great job, he was reliable, Xavier didn't know where Michael got all the information from but he was glad the next time he saw that face again, electric shocks won't run through his veins. Till then he had a case and as if on cue a thought popped in his head.

What if someone was trying to frame him, someone who knew the school he was and knew they'll suspect The Den. He watched the police cars race to the school. "Here comes the questions," he told himself. The Den was no joke, few people knew about its real purpose and those few people where the members of the guild. The school only feared them and blamed them for any crime, they are sometimes right but who would dare touch The Den guild.

...

Alya was sitting near the large fountain, the place wasn't crowded, she liked it there. She scanned social media on her phone, she placed her hand in her pockets again to feel if the seal was still there. It was, she patted her pocket and turned her attention to her phone. Few feet away a girl named Summer was explaining the incident all over for the seventh time. Alya had already gotten bored of it, yet there was still a nosey crowd around her listening to her story. A girl with shiny blonde hair emerged from the crowd with a notebook and a pencil. She was dressed in a blue sundress, with matching heels, the jewelry on her looked expensive like the ones Summer had. Alya stared at her bare neck and wished she had a patience to dress better. Some girls did like to put it over the top, she didn't know why. She just grabbed an oversized sweater, slipped on jeans and wear sneakers that matched the sweaters color, easy as pie. The girl sat on the bench near the fountain too but at the far end, and Alya was glad. She took out her phone, Alya noticed they both had the same phone pack. It exactly the same. They stared at each others phone for a while and that was it, they never spoke to each other till the cops came out of the school building. The TV reporters ran to the officers and asked them questions. They later made way for the students press. The officers didn't have much to say, they knew it was actual human blood but whose was the question. The place was free from footprints and thumbprints, the case was complex. There wasn't any single evidence that a human was in the laboratory that night but there was blood. "Whoever had done it had really cleaned up after himself, yet left the blood the scare the students. Whoever have done this must be a highly professional criminal" Mr. Santé said and left the podium for the principal of the school. He said the school will be closed that day for cleaning the lab and he talked about tightening the security on the school for the protection of the students. Alya followed Mr. Santé, her guilt couldn't devour her anymore. The seal may be an important help to the investigation, she could be labeled as an accomplice if they found out she had the seal. She didn't want that, she promised Jizelle she would stay out of trouble. When she finally caught up with the officer, she asked a question she didn't hear any journalist ask.

"What about the security cameras, have you checked them?"

Mr. Santé opened his car door. Alya increased her voice and repeated the question as she held the car door.

"Of course we did" the man said angrily "Didn't you think we thought of that already? The damn cameras don't work." The upset man said. His tone wasn't friendly.

What if he said she tempered with the crime scene and made her a suspect? She'll hold on to the seal a little longer, just for safekeeping and personal investigation.

"What if the camera worked but was broken last night. That looks like a good move for a criminal."

"Are ya part of the school's press?" The man asked.

"Yes"Alya lied.

"Where's your ID?"

Alya heard footsteps behind her, "She's my partner Mr. Santé."

"Jennette Mason" the man called.

"Yes detective," the girl answered

"Is she really your partner," he asked again looking directly in her face.

"Yes Mr. Santé" she said, now standing next to Alya. She recognized the girl that had the same phone pack as her. The man got in his car and drove away after giving Alya a dirty look.

"What was that for," Alya asked after the man left.

"Let's call it a favor from me to you."

Alya placed both her hands in her pockets and looked elsewhere.

"And remember, if you're not in the press and you go around Mr. Santé asking questions like that, he would assume you're a supect," Jennette warned. When Alya didn't answer, she walked away as majestically as she came.

Alya called Jizelle.

"I'm seeing the news, I'll be there in a second" Jizelle said, her voice anxious.

"Where are you," Alya asked.

"Uhm, at work."

"Don't worry about it, I'll just take a cab."

"No, no, no, no, no I'll be there."

"Stop treating me like a baby Jizelle, I'll take a cab."

"But—"

"I'll be fine Jizelle," Alya assured her, "See ghosts do exists" Alya added.

"No kidding," Jizelle laughed. The sound of her laughter warmed Alya's heart.

"Okay, okay" Jizelle said "Go home now and use my credit card if you're hungry okay?"

Alya smiled, "yeah sure."

"Start leaving now," was Jizelle last words before Alya dropped the call.

Summer was telling the National TV journalists and they were all ears, Alya guessed Summer loved attention.

"We'll have to visit Queen Bee tonight," she heard a voice say. She kept walking but slowed down to eavesdrop on those who were talking. "I was looking forward to a nice long sleep," another voice said and everyone laughed. These people were talking bullshit, she increased her pace.

She hailed a cab, just as she was about to enter it a tall figure passed by. Alya turned around, a chill passed through her and she felt sick to her stomach. She was closely looking at the boy, he looked arrogant and in a bad mood at the moment. Her eyes were trained solely on his collar, it had a mark on it, like the seal. The two marks looked exactly the same. "Shit," she whispered. The boy stopped but didn't turn around.

The cabbie poked his head out the window, "Where to?"

"24th N street, near the town hall," Alya said as she got into the car. The boy had started to walk again. Alya closed her eyes and chanted her mantra, "You're not crazy, you're not crazy. I'm not crazy, yes, I'm sane."

The cabbie stared at her through the car rearview mirror."How much is the fare," Alya asked. when she opened her eyes.