I got a job at a restaurant, but no one really noticed me. I would just stand around and do dishes because no one gave me any work. I thought of this as a normal occurrence until that day. It was the day I truly understood what was going on.
It was the winter and very cold. I was walking past a graveyard when I noticed something. There was a grave with the restaurant owners name on it. I shuddered and walked away saying to myself, "It is a coincidence," over and over again. I'd finally convince myself when I reached the restaurant. As I was walking to the kitchen I heard some customers talking.
"It is too bad Mr. Manager died three years ago," they said. I knew they were talking about the same man that hired me three days ago. I remember hearing someone whispering to me, not aloud but in my head. See, you are no one. He existed so you could exist quietly without causing a disturbance. You already are a disturbance, no?
I am a disturbance? What am I to the world? Why do I exist? My body had wormed it way into itself. I was not there. I was watching, thinking, stressing. I am a normal human. Or at least that is what I had been told. It must be true though. My body was being pulled by fate when I myself was not controlling it. It walked quietly like a puppet to the woods. The appearance of a person scared me so I fled back to the shell of my body. Where was I? Had I closed myself in my mind?
I looked at the boy in front of me. He was my age and very tall and slender. He had red hair that was the color of velvet. His eyes violet yet grey at the same time. HE SEEMED TO JUMP OUT FROM THE WORLD. I had always been lost in my grey world but he stood out like a ruby among a thousand diamonds. He was hard to find but once you saw him, he shook you with radiance. We stood staring at each other for what seemed like and hour. He looked at me as if appraising me than taking a step forward, he held out his hand and asked in the perfect voice, "I am Aki. Will you come with me?" He pulled me along for a while until we were at my trailer. "We need to talk, urgently," he said.
I didn't get the newspaper. In fact I doubt the town even had one. So I never knew why I barely saw a person walking on the streets. The truth of it was many people were found in the morning drained of their blood yet not dead, just sleepy and weak. These people had been bitten by vampires. Contrary to popular belief, people were not simply turned into vampires by being bitten. They had to be bitten twice. However, a person bitten once will start to fade from society. This is what the boy told me. "You don't remember your past, do you?" he said to me. I didn't remember it. All I can remember was that day when I was sixteen and all the events after it. "When you were small, about six years old, you were kidnapped and bitten by a vampire. You were left at a creek. Your family found you and then you started to fade. When you were sixteen, a vampire broke into your house and killed your family yet only drank your blood. You lost your memories of being bitten. You blocked them out and faded from society even more. You craved blood, but didn't know it. You sleep walk to get blood but don't kill people," he said, "I should know because I am a vampire and I have been put in charge of watching you because you are an interesting vampire," he said.
"Who put you in charge of watching me?" I asked, doubting that I was a vampire.
"The Chi Empire Governing Assistants Federation, or CEGAF (Say-Guf) put me in charge of monitoring you because most vampires wander to Chi without knowing it," he said looking down at his watch, "I need to go but first I should tell you something. The vampire that bit you most likely wanted you as his mate because he killed your family and only left you behind. I will be coming tomorrow to take you to Chi so pack up only your most precious belongings.
He is lying, he killed your family. If you go with him you will be thrown into some sort of game. What game you ask? I am so sorry, I can't tell you. Why? It is against the rules. Well, you are too. Don't you know it. Everyone does, because it is part of the rules. You learn the rules as soon as you are part of the game. Why don't you know it? Because it is more fun this way, ALLICE.
The last words that echoed through my mind hurt like lightning. Whose name was that? Was it my own. I hadn't heard someone say it since–well–ever. At school I had written it down but I had never said it. Allice. This was my name. I looked to see Aki leaving. Wait! Where are you going! My body screamed. I stumbled outside, to see him gone and blood red rain. I wanted the scream as feelings started echoing through my veins. Fear. Strength. Timidness. Adrenaline. Wonder. Awe. Welcome Allice. Welcome to Chii. We hope you enjoy the game.
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