Catrina Billowson by K. Weikel
Chapter 9
“So you’re this ‘Verepire’ creature?”
We were sitting in her vast living room at around midnight. The moon was shining through every window in Holly’s living room. It was spotless and very, very white. Koby was sound asleep in a guest bedroom on the second floor.
“Yes,” I told Holly.
“So, what is your name?” she asked, looking a little confused.
“My name is Catrina,” I said.
“And you came from the future through a Werewolf’s dream...?” Burton asked, lost also.
“Well, I wouldn’t call it a dream... more like a virtual world created with his mind. Sort of like a dream, I guess. Unless it’s actually time-travel.” I said, realizing I’d probably made them more confused, and confusing myself at the same time.
“And you know this boy that is in the guest bedroom upstairs?”
“His name is Koby. He’s my English buddy,” I chuckled.
“Why did you go through all of this trouble for him if you’ve only known him about two days?” Holly said to me. After I shrugged she said, “You have to have a reason, Catrina.” She then walked over and put her hand on my shoulder with realization on her face. “Do you like Koby?”
I laughed. “No! I can’t like him. Like you said, I only met him about two days ago...” I trailed off. “You can’t like a guy in that short of time... can you?”
She smiled a sad smile. “Unfortunately, you can. I feel in love with my former husband in the matter of minutes. It was like a Romeo and Juliet feeling toward that man.”
“Why did you split up?”
“Because I ran away.” She said, close to tears. “I ran away... because of the beast I’d become...”
“You miss him, don’t you?” I said soft, because I thought normal words would shatter her heart into a million tiny pieces that were too small to put back together again. My heart hurt for her.
She sat down on the white couch, and put her face in her hands. “Yes. I do very much. I would do anything to be back with him.” She looked at me. “It’s all because of my... problem. The Werewolf inside of me is too hungry, and...” She choked on her words, and burst out crying.
I tried to calm her down. “Shh, shh! It’ll be okay... I promise.”
“Nothing’s okay without him...” She said through her hands and sniffles.
“Where is he now?” I asked her.
Holly sniffled. “He’s somewhere in the states. Last place I saw him, he was in California.” She slouched onto the back of the couch, and stared at the high ceiling.
“That’s where I’m living now!” I told her. “Maybe you could come with me, and I could help you find him!”
“No, you’ll probably be long gone before that happens, and when it does, you won’t know about werewolves yet. Your story proves it,” She looked me in the eyes. “You won’t be of any help to us in California. Now, the sun is starting to come up. Von’s powers should be wearing off any minute now. I will take care of Koby, and I shall take him along with me to the states when I head over there, just in time for you to meet him, save him, and maybe,” She finished with a smile, “Fall for him.”
“Fall for him?” I said, taken aback. “If anything, I’m falling for Harvey.”
“Not from what I heard,” She said. “Goodbye, Catrina. I shall see you another day...”
She faded into a blur of white as Von Sought’s powers gave way. I was back in the school hallways, with Von pacing in front of me. He stepped close to me.
“Catrina Billowson, if I can’t get you in my world, then I’ll just get you in yours.” He said, and stormed back into the classroom.
I followed him in, and sat down, everyone looking at me, and watching me as I walked awkwardly to my seat.
❦
I headed to second period: Drama. Mrs. Grand taught this one. My least favorite teacher. She’s old and wrinkly, and pale. She has two beady black eyes, and one of them is a lazy eye. She is always licking her lips to rehydrate her dry lips. She wears glasses that hang around her cranes’ neck that holds up her bird head. She has a large nose that looked like a crow. She has a crackly voice like (and resembled) the witch from Wizard of Oz.
I walked into the classroom, and as soon as I entered, I felt as if I was in danger. My senses spiked and my fangs grew in my mouth. Clicks softly erupted in my throat.
There was a dangerous creature nearby. I knew it.
Mrs. Grand looked up as I stepped in the doorway, her beady eyes darting from me to the board. She seemed alerted, like I was. Maybe... No. She couldn’t be...
I went and sat down just as the bell rang at one of the tables scattered in the room. I was sitting by Henry. Yeah, he was in my first and second periods.
He had brown hair that hung over his eyebrows, and was almost to his eyes. His eyes were electrically blue, and he had a bit of acne on his face. He had braces and he was wearing a South Pole shirt and jeans.
“Hey,” I said to him.
He smiled. “Hi.”
“Did you do the homework?” I asked him, knowing only half of mine was done.
“Probably not,” He said honestly. “What was it?”
“We had to write a two-page script for two or more characters, I think,” I said as I saw Mrs. Grand was staring at me with her small black pupils. I turned around, my Verepire nerves spiking even more. I could smell everyone’s blood rushing through their skins. And a quickened heart. I could hear it beating. Beating fast. Loud.
“Nah, I didn’t.” He laughed.
I used to think he was kinda cute. Then Harvey changed and Koby arrived... There was competition. I smiled at him.
Suddenly, the thirst for blood took over my body and I started shivering. I clutched onto the table. My fangs dug into my lip, and I shut my eyes. I tensed every muscle in my body and I felt the hunger for the humans in the room wrap around my mind.
“Catrina... Are you okay?” I heard Henry ask, kinda freaked out.
My body finally relaxed. I was breathing hard. “Yeah.... I think... I think I am...”
“You don’t look so good... Do you wanna go to the nurse?” He said, resting a hand on me. My heart jumped, and kinda fluttered. His warmth from his hand felt good on my shoulder.
I looked at him. “Um... I don’t think I need to go to the--” I tensed again. “The nurse.”
“You sure?” He said, and he put the other hand on my other shoulder and turned my body to face him and look him in the eyes. His blue eyes were full of concern.
“I think... I think I just need to... Go outside for a while...” I said exasperatedly.
“I’ll take you if you want me to,” He offered.
I looked at him, and nodded painfully. “Okay.”
The inside of my lip had started bleeding.
He nodded, and raised his hand to ask Mrs. Grand if he could take me outside to get some air.
“No.” She said sternly. So sternly, I looked at her. She was glaring at me.
“Witch...” I whispered.
Witch?
“What?” Henry asked me.
“Nothing.” I told him and looked at him. “Why not?” I asked Mrs. Grand, my voice crackling. The fire in my throat wouldn’t go away.
“You know why,” She said, then turned to go to the front of the classroom.
“No I don’t,” I said, clueless, and getting a little irritable from the thirst flaring in my mouth. “Why can’t I? I do not feel right!”
“Because I said so, Catrina. Talk back one more time, and you get detention.”
I stood up, not able to take the Verepire’s senses anymore, and walked up to the teacher. I whispered, almost inaudibly, “Let. Me. Go. Outside.”
“Get away from me, Vampire scum!” She backed away whispering. “You’re a disgrace to all the mythical creatures. Even to us witches! You are a disgrace to both Vampires and Werewolves. Now... Sit. Down.” She said just as quiet back.
“I knew you wer