Mr. Gruber's biology class divided into their assigned partners and waited for further instruction. For the past several weeks they had been studying the anatomy of animals. They had evolved from the only semi-disgusting worm to the sickening cow brain. Yesterday, Mr. Gruber had mentioned mammals. They wondered what they'd be doing.
Stacy sat nervously by her partner Ron. If the next animal was anything cute, he would give her grief the rest of the day. The worst was when they'd had to dissect the frogs. Stacy absolutely could not stand it. Mammals? She'd had a friend in college who had done a cat--what a horrible thing to assign!
Ron grinned at her and asked, "Ready, Mother Earth?"
Stacy gave him a sharp kick under the table. She just hated the idea of having to cut up whole animals. Her philosophy was, if I don't recognize it, I can cut it. Clenching her teeth, she muttered, "If you say anything..."
"I won't this time, I promise."
"Sure, whatever."
Mr. Gruber walked around with some metal trays, a couple at a time. "Today we will be examining our most abundant animal--the common rat. They are known to spread disease, so please be very cautious and wear your gloves. When you make the first incision, be aware that the arrangement of the organs is similar to that of frogs..."
Stacy turned green. Rats? She raised her hand. "Mr. Gruber, may I be excused?"
"Not this time, Stacy."
She let out a low groan and Ron snickered. When they got their tray, he shoved it in front of her and whispered, "Beautiful, ain't it, Stace? Just wait till we cut it up." He raised the scalpel. As he brought it down to slice open the animal, a girl walked in, unsure of herself.
"Is this Mr. Gruber's biology? I'm new and this is where I'm supposed to be. I think."
"Of course," answered the teacher. "Are you Cathy?"
"Yes, that's me. What are we doing today?"
"Take the seat over there behind Lisa. We've been looking at the different parts of various animals."
"Sounds cool. I'm game." She settled in and peered over Lisa and her partner Allie. Suddenly, her expression changed. The smile faded. "What is that?"
"It's a rat," Allie told her. "Neat, huh?"
Cathy screamed in terror and anger, stood up and pushed the table over. Everything that Allie and Lisa had done splattered all over the floor. Cathy screamed again.
"Stop it! Stop it! You're hurting them!"
"Cathy!" Mr. Gruber shouted.
Cathy didn't hear. "You're crazy! I'll kill you for this!" And then she collapsed on the floor by Stacy and Ron, panting for air.
Ron looked at her, then at his partner. "Man, Stacy, she's worse than you."
"Shut up." Stacy got up to help the moaning, writhing figure. "Are you all right?" She pulled Cathy to her feet.
Mr. Gruber stepped forward. "I'm sorry to have to do this, Cathy, but I'm giving you a detention. You're to stay after school and clean this up."
"No, no, I can't. I couldn't."
"I'm sorry, Cathy."
After the last bell rang, Lisa went down to check on the new girl. Cathy was still wiping up the dismembered rodent and muttering to herself. Lisa wasn't sure, but what she thought she heard was, "I won't let him get away with this. Kill him. Kill them all."
***
Sirens wailed, piercing the neighborhood streets as a hoard of police cars sped in hot pursuit of one, Ariane. She was what the authorities called a "juvenile delinquent." Ariane had dropped out of high school just before her senior year, and she made a living by stealing whatever she didn't have money for. Usually, she was able to pay for most of it, but on this particular day, she wasn't especially lucky. Clutching the precious necklace in her already white-knuckled hands, Ariane sprinted to her hideout. Turning a corner, she lost the police cars and stopped to catch her breath.
When she had calmed, she looked at the treasure she had worked so hard for. It was a gorgeous gold necklace, with a pair of crisscross swords made entirely of diamonds. There was an imprint of the charm in her hand because she had been holding it so tightly. Ariane had decided she couldn't live without it. She undid the clasp and fastened it around her neck. She liked the way it looked with her leather jacket and long blond hair.
Then, without warning, the necklace tightened around her throat. Ariane keeled over, panting. "Help!" she squeaked. But of course no one heard her. Struggling to keep her breath, she reached behind her and removed the necklace. Instantly, her breathing returned to normal. She stood up and sighed gratefully. The fallen necklace glowed, and Ariane discovered thick gray fur growing out of her skin. Screaming, she tried to yank it out, but it was growing too fast. Her long fingernails stretched into claws, and her teeth stuck out and enlarged. Her face grew outward, and she dropped to the ground, unable to hold her own weight anymore. The final change was her eyes. They turned color, from deep brown to blood red. That was the last anyone heard from the human Ariane.
***
Lisa reported what Cathy had said to many people, but everyone told her that Cathy couldn't be serious. After all, she was just a teenager.
"Yes, but she went absolutely mad," Lisa pointed out to her friend Christy. "You should have been there. Allie and I had done everything so carefully, and Cathy had to stay after and clean it. She stood up and pushed the table over. I think she's pretty capable of doing some damage."
Christy shook her head. "And she's out to get the biology teacher. Oh, please."
"The bio teacher and I don't know who else. She said kill them all."
"You are full of it, Liz." Christy departed.
Lisa grunted and banged her locker. She just hoped Cathy wouldn't make a scene next hour.
The next hour was biology. Everyone came in with one thought in common: What is Cathy going to do? But the subject never showed. As soon as the bell rang, the whispers began.
"Quiet please," Mr. Gruber instructed. "Class, settle down. Today we will have a quiz on what you have learned so far." Groans erupted from the students. "It's only five questions. It won't be too hard."
After a few minutes of work, Ron raised his hand. "Can I get a drink?"
"Use the pass," was the teacher's brief response.
Ron got up, filled everything in and disappeared out the door.
He actually wanted to see if he could find Cathy. He knew every square inch of the entire school, so there weren't too many places that Cathy could hide, if that was what she was doing. The halls were empty, and Ron was glad. He didn't want anyone to catch him out of class.
Continuing down the row of classrooms, he abruptly came to a dead end. Well, that's it, he concluded. She's not here. She was here this morning, why not now? Defeated, he leaned against the wall and thought about getting a drink and heading back. He let his mind wander for a little bit, and finally stopped at a fountain. The water was nice and cold, and he took a long time.
"Ron!"
His head snapped up, and he wiped his mouth on his sleeve. "Cathy? Where did you come from?"
"Why aren't you in class?" She glared at him.
"I was looking for you. Why aren't you in class?"
"I didn't want to come. I thought we'd be..." She gulped. "...dissecting--rats again."
"You've got a real problem with that, don't you?"
"They're helpless. Kill them and cut them up, just for science. It's not right."
"You and Stacy are going to be best friends," Ron remarked sarcastically. "You should see her face when Gruber announces the next animal." He smiled slightly, searching Cathy's glittery eyes for some kind of emotion. She stared right through him. "And anyway, we weren't taking anything apart today. We had a quiz. You'd better come back with me." He held out his arm.
"I can't go now, I'll just get in trouble again. He'll start questioning, and I'll have to make up an excuse."
"He'll sympathize. He saw how crazy you were yesterday."
"Yeah, but he still gave me a detention. Does Stacy ever get out of situations?"
"Most of the time she can handle it. When we did the frogs, she left and threw up. She missed a lot, and I guess that's why he didn't let her off last time." Pause. "I think we should head back."
Cathy glanced over her shoulder. Turning back to Ron, her unmoving expression softened. "Why don't you stay with me? School's almost over, and I found a really neat hideout."
"Did you now? Wherever it is, someone will find us. There's not a soul alive who can't navigate the building."
That's because the souls who can have ceased to exist. "Oh come on, Ron. It's too cool to pass up. Please?"
"Well, okay. I don't feel much like finishing that quiz anyway."
Cathy led him behind a row of lockers and down a steel staircase. The hideout was just an underground tunnel, probably leading to the sewers. It reeked faintly of garbage and there was something else.
"What'd I tell you? Isn't this awesome?"
"I've never seen this place before. I wonder if anyone's been down here." Their eyes met, and Ron thought he saw Cathy's flash red.
"Whenever I'm in a new place, I always explore so I can find my way and get to know every door and window. It has its advantages. So what do you say? Wanna stick around?"
"Yeah, I could hang here for a while." She was standing close to him, not hesitating to rest her head on his shoulder. Ron decided he wanted to kiss her. There was something about her; of course she was beautiful, but he wanted to know more.
"Cathy?"
"Don't call me that."
"What should I call you?"
"How about...CALLISTA." And with that she looked up and kissed him. Hard. Ron nearly fell over, but at the same time he was thoroughly enjoying this. Suddenly, his mind went totally blank. Seconds later, a distinct, one-word thought entered his mind: Blood. He was aware of it, very close. Practically in his mouth already. He bit down on Callista's lips, and she backed away.
Ron fell forward, the changes happening. The rat called Ariane joined Callista in watching the transformation. The brand-new wild monster struggled slightly, but soon let loose with an earth-shattering howl.
"I'll get him a necklace, my master," Ariane told Callista.
***
Days passed and Ron never came to school. Cathy wasn't there, either. Concerned teachers did house calls, only to be disappointed. Ron's parents had no clue, and no one knew where Cathy even came from.
Christy had begun to worry, too. Lisa could have been right, especially now that one student had mysteriously vanished. She decided to investigate, but not by herself. If she found anything, she'd need a witness. Christy knew exactly whom to stake out.
Madame Jenna-Beth charged a dollar for every visit. She claimed to be a girl with psychic powers. Jenna was the visible one, and Beth was invisible. Something to do with aura or a similar concept, Christy remembered. She stood outside the colorful tent curtain, wondering how to knock.
"Enter, my curious one," Jenna-Beth intoned. Christy stepped inside. Jenna was seated six inches above a velvet cushion, with a crystal ball in front of her. She was draped from head to toe in a deep violet and gold cloth. Her eyes were closed; she was meditating. "Hello, Christy."
Christy bowed partway. "Hello, Madame."
"I sense trouble. What you are about to tell me is bad."
"You can say that again," Christy huffed. "There's a new girl at our school."
"She is evil," Jenna-Beth affirmed.
"Is she really? Look, Ron hasn't been at school or home for a week. I'm worried about both of them."
"Hmmm..." the psychic murmured. "Hmmm...."
Christy waited, but Jenna just hovered in the air, humming. Finally, she descended onto the cushion. "Would you come up here, please, Christy."
She obeyed and sat opposite Jenna, with the crystal ball between them. Jenna held out her hands to Christy, and Christy took them. "Close your eyes," Jenna instructed. "Beth will talk to us now."
Anxiously, Christy did as she was told, and sat very still. A wind whipped up and she shivered. From the wind came a voice, deeper than Jenna's and mesmerizing. Christy listened. *Callista. Callista. Callista.* It kept repeating that one word. Jenna's hands trembled, still locked with Christy's. She talked soothingly.
"Beth, what is happening? Christy wants to know why you are so afraid."
*Callista. Callista.*
Christy opened her eyes. Jenna's face was tense with fright. "What is it?"
"Beth is scared of the new girl. She keeps saying that name."
*Look into the crystal ball.*
Jenna opened her eyes, and both girls gazed into the flashing sphere. A man was welding something together. A blacksmith probably, thought Christy. She saw a beautiful necklace. Gold, and a charm made completely of diamonds. Two swords, crossed like the bottom of the poison symbol. Christy couldn't take her eyes off it. She watched intently as the blacksmith handed it over to...Cathy? She leaned closer. Yes, that was Cathy. But how...? Suddenly, Cathy changed. It looked like an animal. That was when the crystal went dark.
Beth was screaming now. *Callista! Callista!*
Christy tore her eyes away from the crystal, in time to see that same animal in Jenna's place. It lashed out at her, and then Christy was gone.
***
Lisa looked for Christy the next day, but discovered that she, too, had vanished. People were saying she had been with Jenna-Beth, and Jenna-Beth was gone as well. Or at least Jenna was. No one knew or cared about Beth.
That same day, instead of going to their classes, Lisa called Allie, Stacy, and Ron's best friend Randy to a meeting. Allie, because she was friends with Christy and Lisa.
"Did anyone see Christy before yesterday? Like after school?"
"She told me she wanted to find out about Ron," Allie said. "She was going to Jenna-Beth. I walked behind her halfway there because my house was on the way. I could see the tent from my room window. Christy goes in for maybe a half-hour. Anyway, I got bored watching, so I did my homework, and when I looked out again, the tent was destroyed."
"So they were attacked?" Stacy asked.
Allie shrugged. "I guess. I didn't go out and look or anything."
"What about Ron?" Lisa continued.
Randy spoke up. "I saw him the day before he was missed. He went past my classroom and never came back the other way."
"Same here, only when he left," Stacy added. "You know."
Lisa looked thoughtful for a minute, taking in the information. "Cathy?"
Silence.
"Well?"
"We don't even know where she came from." Randy talked slowly. Cathy was trouble with a capital T, that they all knew. It was not necessary to worry about her.
Lisa took charge. "I move we do a full-scale search tonight after school. Call our folks and tell them we're over at someone's house. Come back to this spot when the coast is clear. Meeting adjourned."
Callista's army was growing rapidly. She now had four recruits, but no link to the future, and a few still loose. She tried to explain to Jenna that she needed Beth. Without her, Jenna couldn't communicate, and therefore couldn't tell the future. Callista gave Jenna a week to find Beth--or suffer death. A rat with psychic powers was useless, if the psychic part wasn't initiated.
She also had explained to Ron that she needed him to get the rest of the girls transformed. The necklaces were out of production due to Ariane's fatal mistake, except for the ones Callista had saved. She had taken Ron's mind by a "kiss of death," and she instructed Ron to do the same. And then she wanted him for something else: something that was a reason she even took the boy in. There was most definitely a faster way. She didn't tell Ron this; she sprang it on him, in a far corner of the hideout.
The master knew she was beautiful, and she knew Ron felt the same. He ain't seen nothing yet! She stood before him, with her necklace on and nothing else. Ron, in his new mind, wasn't totally sure what she was driving at. He still only wanted blood. There it was, in front of his face, just waiting to be devoured. He looked her up and down, trying to decide the best place to draw it. He went for her neck like a vampire, knocking her to the ground.
Callista worked to get him off, and at the same time, his clothes. She succeeded in both, pushing his exposed body off of her. She reached up and felt a small trickle of blood run down her shoulder. Ron saw it, went after it, and Callista pushed him back again. She held her fingers over the bite, trying to stop the flow. When she had, she licked her fingers clean.
"No more blood, Ron. I just want you." She moved toward him. "Come on. You know how to do this."
"Do...what?" But Callista saw that he knew; he was coming into realization. All she had to do was get closer. If this worked out, there could be ten more soldiers on their way. It was perfect. All she had to do...Lunging, she kissed him: not as hard as the first time, but enough to get Ron on the ground and into her.
She had done it! Nothing could stop her! Unless Jenna couldn't find Beth. At that moment, however, it didn't seem to matter. Callista had her army, and Ron as well. She kissed him again and gave him a new message.
"Blood we seek and blood we find
We'll take you in, reverse your mind
We avenge, we terrify
The earth fills with our battle cry
We feel nothing, pain or emotion
Killing is our life's devotion
Be afraid, show us fear
You won't survive when we are here
You better run fast, 'cause you can't hide
We're coming for you and you're gonna die..."
***
Lisa and Stacy waited silently in the supply closet. When the custodian went past with his cart, they slipped out and made a mad dash for the locker room. Randy had anticipated them and all three crawled into a corner.
"Is he done yet?" Randy asked.
Stacy shrugged. "Maybe. I'd say probably three or four rooms left on the office side. If we're going to find Cathy and everyone, we should get moving."
They made it to their meeting spot with some difficulty. Lisa instructed to look for a secret passage or trapdoor.
Randy paced slowly back and forth in front of the lockers. "You know what I've noticed? On the outside there's an extra chunk of building, like a new wing or something. Just a little. Maybe there's a space behind the walls."
"There's a thought," Lisa remarked.
"Beginner's luck," cracked Stacy.
All three got on one side and pushed against the row of lockers. To their surprise, it moved forward, about two feet before a door came into view.
"I always thought these were attached," Randy said.
"How do you think anyone got in there?" Lisa wondered.
Stacy opened an empty locker. "A hole," she announced.
"Well, let's go."
The students descended the metal staircase and split up at the bottom. Stacy immediately went to the more unexplored regions. Randy and Lisa concentrated on finding the rats.
Rounding a corner, Stacy saw movement and ducked back behind a heater. She peeked out and spotted Ron and Callista. It only took her five seconds to figure out what was going on, then she turned around and gagged. Breathing hard but quietly, she about-faced and forced herself to watch. It did make her sick to think that Ron would do that to anyone, especially Cathy. Stacy realized she wanted him back, and if she rescued him, maybe he'd be nicer to her. This would take some strategy. Concealing herself again behind the heater, she began to devise a plan.
Randy and Lisa wandered the territory nearest the stairs. They wanted to have somewhere to run in case they were caught. Lisa opened a door and saw Allie.
"Allie, there you are!"
Allie turned around and glared at Lisa. The swords around her neck flashed. "Intruder!" she screeched. "Callista! Intruder!"
Lisa and Randy bolted.
Stacy peeked back around to see Callista clamber up and undo her necklace. As Stacy watched, wide-eyed, Callista changed into a monster. There are more of THOSE down here? That's disgusting! I'm outta here! But she had to help Ron.
He was sitting up, startled at Callista's sudden exit. Just sitting, totally exposed and still, waiting for her. Stacy wondered if she should go any closer. She promised herself she would keep her eyes on his face, took a deep breath, and emerged from hiding. He was dangerous, but it seemed a small price to pay if she could free him. Stacy walked very cautiously toward him, stifling the urge to speak.
Ron turned and glared at her, and for a split second, Stacy thought she should just run. No, she had to save him. Ron continued to glare, but she would not cease walking. He stood up, and Stacy kept her eyes on his. When he started to move toward her, she stopped, curious about what he would do. He stopped a minute later.
"Stacy..."
Oh wow, he knew who she was. Stacy said nothing, frozen in her tracks. Then shutting her eyes, she lowered herself to the ground and sat. When she opened them, she noticed Ron had followed her right away. He held out his hand, placing it on her shoulder. Stacy flinched, afraid of his touch. It scared her because he was evil, but he hadn't tried to kill her yet.
"This won't hurt a bit, Stacy." Right when he said that, she knew it would, and frantically tried to escape. "Too late. Trust me, you'll be fine. You'll be with me." Nervously, Stacy shook her head. Ron held her by the shoulder, pinning her.
"Ron, please don't kill me. I don't know what you've turned into, but I don't want to die. Please?"
"Die? Who told you that?" He smiled, looking like himself, and yet very very evil. "You might die, leaving this mind behind. I want to give you a whole new thought. You'll be with me, Stacy."
"I don't want to. I mean, look at you. You don't even talk like yourself anymore." This was frightening her terribly, and tears were beginning to form. "Let me go," she pleaded.
"Stacy, relax. It won't hurt. I've never known a kiss that hurt anyone."
"Kiss? You mean--"
"Hope you enjoy it, Stace." Ron kissed her hard before anything else happened, and didn't let up until he felt her bite him. Stepping back, he got dressed and watched her mutate. On the other end of the hideout, Lisa and Randy had been captured also.
Stacy sat nervously by her partner Ron. If the next animal was anything cute, he would give her grief the rest of the day. The worst was when they'd had to dissect the frogs. Stacy absolutely could not stand it. Mammals? She'd had a friend in college who had done a cat--what a horrible thing to assign!
Ron grinned at her and asked, "Ready, Mother Earth?"
Stacy gave him a sharp kick under the table. She just hated the idea of having to cut up whole animals. Her philosophy was, if I don't recognize it, I can cut it. Clenching her teeth, she muttered, "If you say anything..."
"I won't this time, I promise."
"Sure, whatever."
Mr. Gruber walked around with some metal trays, a couple at a time. "Today we will be examining our most abundant animal--the common rat. They are known to spread disease, so please be very cautious and wear your gloves. When you make the first incision, be aware that the arrangement of the organs is similar to that of frogs..."
Stacy turned green. Rats? She raised her hand. "Mr. Gruber, may I be excused?"
"Not this time, Stacy."
She let out a low groan and Ron snickered. When they got their tray, he shoved it in front of her and whispered, "Beautiful, ain't it, Stace? Just wait till we cut it up." He raised the scalpel. As he brought it down to slice open the animal, a girl walked in, unsure of herself.
"Is this Mr. Gruber's biology? I'm new and this is where I'm supposed to be. I think."
"Of course," answered the teacher. "Are you Cathy?"
"Yes, that's me. What are we doing today?"
"Take the seat over there behind Lisa. We've been looking at the different parts of various animals."
"Sounds cool. I'm game." She settled in and peered over Lisa and her partner Allie. Suddenly, her expression changed. The smile faded. "What is that?"
"It's a rat," Allie told her. "Neat, huh?"
Cathy screamed in terror and anger, stood up and pushed the table over. Everything that Allie and Lisa had done splattered all over the floor. Cathy screamed again.
"Stop it! Stop it! You're hurting them!"
"Cathy!" Mr. Gruber shouted.
Cathy didn't hear. "You're crazy! I'll kill you for this!" And then she collapsed on the floor by Stacy and Ron, panting for air.
Ron looked at her, then at his partner. "Man, Stacy, she's worse than you."
"Shut up." Stacy got up to help the moaning, writhing figure. "Are you all right?" She pulled Cathy to her feet.
Mr. Gruber stepped forward. "I'm sorry to have to do this, Cathy, but I'm giving you a detention. You're to stay after school and clean this up."
"No, no, I can't. I couldn't."
"I'm sorry, Cathy."
After the last bell rang, Lisa went down to check on the new girl. Cathy was still wiping up the dismembered rodent and muttering to herself. Lisa wasn't sure, but what she thought she heard was, "I won't let him get away with this. Kill him. Kill them all."
***
Sirens wailed, piercing the neighborhood streets as a hoard of police cars sped in hot pursuit of one, Ariane. She was what the authorities called a "juvenile delinquent." Ariane had dropped out of high school just before her senior year, and she made a living by stealing whatever she didn't have money for. Usually, she was able to pay for most of it, but on this particular day, she wasn't especially lucky. Clutching the precious necklace in her already white-knuckled hands, Ariane sprinted to her hideout. Turning a corner, she lost the police cars and stopped to catch her breath.
When she had calmed, she looked at the treasure she had worked so hard for. It was a gorgeous gold necklace, with a pair of crisscross swords made entirely of diamonds. There was an imprint of the charm in her hand because she had been holding it so tightly. Ariane had decided she couldn't live without it. She undid the clasp and fastened it around her neck. She liked the way it looked with her leather jacket and long blond hair.
Then, without warning, the necklace tightened around her throat. Ariane keeled over, panting. "Help!" she squeaked. But of course no one heard her. Struggling to keep her breath, she reached behind her and removed the necklace. Instantly, her breathing returned to normal. She stood up and sighed gratefully. The fallen necklace glowed, and Ariane discovered thick gray fur growing out of her skin. Screaming, she tried to yank it out, but it was growing too fast. Her long fingernails stretched into claws, and her teeth stuck out and enlarged. Her face grew outward, and she dropped to the ground, unable to hold her own weight anymore. The final change was her eyes. They turned color, from deep brown to blood red. That was the last anyone heard from the human Ariane.
***
Lisa reported what Cathy had said to many people, but everyone told her that Cathy couldn't be serious. After all, she was just a teenager.
"Yes, but she went absolutely mad," Lisa pointed out to her friend Christy. "You should have been there. Allie and I had done everything so carefully, and Cathy had to stay after and clean it. She stood up and pushed the table over. I think she's pretty capable of doing some damage."
Christy shook her head. "And she's out to get the biology teacher. Oh, please."
"The bio teacher and I don't know who else. She said kill them all."
"You are full of it, Liz." Christy departed.
Lisa grunted and banged her locker. She just hoped Cathy wouldn't make a scene next hour.
The next hour was biology. Everyone came in with one thought in common: What is Cathy going to do? But the subject never showed. As soon as the bell rang, the whispers began.
"Quiet please," Mr. Gruber instructed. "Class, settle down. Today we will have a quiz on what you have learned so far." Groans erupted from the students. "It's only five questions. It won't be too hard."
After a few minutes of work, Ron raised his hand. "Can I get a drink?"
"Use the pass," was the teacher's brief response.
Ron got up, filled everything in and disappeared out the door.
He actually wanted to see if he could find Cathy. He knew every square inch of the entire school, so there weren't too many places that Cathy could hide, if that was what she was doing. The halls were empty, and Ron was glad. He didn't want anyone to catch him out of class.
Continuing down the row of classrooms, he abruptly came to a dead end. Well, that's it, he concluded. She's not here. She was here this morning, why not now? Defeated, he leaned against the wall and thought about getting a drink and heading back. He let his mind wander for a little bit, and finally stopped at a fountain. The water was nice and cold, and he took a long time.
"Ron!"
His head snapped up, and he wiped his mouth on his sleeve. "Cathy? Where did you come from?"
"Why aren't you in class?" She glared at him.
"I was looking for you. Why aren't you in class?"
"I didn't want to come. I thought we'd be..." She gulped. "...dissecting--rats again."
"You've got a real problem with that, don't you?"
"They're helpless. Kill them and cut them up, just for science. It's not right."
"You and Stacy are going to be best friends," Ron remarked sarcastically. "You should see her face when Gruber announces the next animal." He smiled slightly, searching Cathy's glittery eyes for some kind of emotion. She stared right through him. "And anyway, we weren't taking anything apart today. We had a quiz. You'd better come back with me." He held out his arm.
"I can't go now, I'll just get in trouble again. He'll start questioning, and I'll have to make up an excuse."
"He'll sympathize. He saw how crazy you were yesterday."
"Yeah, but he still gave me a detention. Does Stacy ever get out of situations?"
"Most of the time she can handle it. When we did the frogs, she left and threw up. She missed a lot, and I guess that's why he didn't let her off last time." Pause. "I think we should head back."
Cathy glanced over her shoulder. Turning back to Ron, her unmoving expression softened. "Why don't you stay with me? School's almost over, and I found a really neat hideout."
"Did you now? Wherever it is, someone will find us. There's not a soul alive who can't navigate the building."
That's because the souls who can have ceased to exist. "Oh come on, Ron. It's too cool to pass up. Please?"
"Well, okay. I don't feel much like finishing that quiz anyway."
Cathy led him behind a row of lockers and down a steel staircase. The hideout was just an underground tunnel, probably leading to the sewers. It reeked faintly of garbage and there was something else.
"What'd I tell you? Isn't this awesome?"
"I've never seen this place before. I wonder if anyone's been down here." Their eyes met, and Ron thought he saw Cathy's flash red.
"Whenever I'm in a new place, I always explore so I can find my way and get to know every door and window. It has its advantages. So what do you say? Wanna stick around?"
"Yeah, I could hang here for a while." She was standing close to him, not hesitating to rest her head on his shoulder. Ron decided he wanted to kiss her. There was something about her; of course she was beautiful, but he wanted to know more.
"Cathy?"
"Don't call me that."
"What should I call you?"
"How about...CALLISTA." And with that she looked up and kissed him. Hard. Ron nearly fell over, but at the same time he was thoroughly enjoying this. Suddenly, his mind went totally blank. Seconds later, a distinct, one-word thought entered his mind: Blood. He was aware of it, very close. Practically in his mouth already. He bit down on Callista's lips, and she backed away.
Ron fell forward, the changes happening. The rat called Ariane joined Callista in watching the transformation. The brand-new wild monster struggled slightly, but soon let loose with an earth-shattering howl.
"I'll get him a necklace, my master," Ariane told Callista.
***
Days passed and Ron never came to school. Cathy wasn't there, either. Concerned teachers did house calls, only to be disappointed. Ron's parents had no clue, and no one knew where Cathy even came from.
Christy had begun to worry, too. Lisa could have been right, especially now that one student had mysteriously vanished. She decided to investigate, but not by herself. If she found anything, she'd need a witness. Christy knew exactly whom to stake out.
Madame Jenna-Beth charged a dollar for every visit. She claimed to be a girl with psychic powers. Jenna was the visible one, and Beth was invisible. Something to do with aura or a similar concept, Christy remembered. She stood outside the colorful tent curtain, wondering how to knock.
"Enter, my curious one," Jenna-Beth intoned. Christy stepped inside. Jenna was seated six inches above a velvet cushion, with a crystal ball in front of her. She was draped from head to toe in a deep violet and gold cloth. Her eyes were closed; she was meditating. "Hello, Christy."
Christy bowed partway. "Hello, Madame."
"I sense trouble. What you are about to tell me is bad."
"You can say that again," Christy huffed. "There's a new girl at our school."
"She is evil," Jenna-Beth affirmed.
"Is she really? Look, Ron hasn't been at school or home for a week. I'm worried about both of them."
"Hmmm..." the psychic murmured. "Hmmm...."
Christy waited, but Jenna just hovered in the air, humming. Finally, she descended onto the cushion. "Would you come up here, please, Christy."
She obeyed and sat opposite Jenna, with the crystal ball between them. Jenna held out her hands to Christy, and Christy took them. "Close your eyes," Jenna instructed. "Beth will talk to us now."
Anxiously, Christy did as she was told, and sat very still. A wind whipped up and she shivered. From the wind came a voice, deeper than Jenna's and mesmerizing. Christy listened. *Callista. Callista. Callista.* It kept repeating that one word. Jenna's hands trembled, still locked with Christy's. She talked soothingly.
"Beth, what is happening? Christy wants to know why you are so afraid."
*Callista. Callista.*
Christy opened her eyes. Jenna's face was tense with fright. "What is it?"
"Beth is scared of the new girl. She keeps saying that name."
*Look into the crystal ball.*
Jenna opened her eyes, and both girls gazed into the flashing sphere. A man was welding something together. A blacksmith probably, thought Christy. She saw a beautiful necklace. Gold, and a charm made completely of diamonds. Two swords, crossed like the bottom of the poison symbol. Christy couldn't take her eyes off it. She watched intently as the blacksmith handed it over to...Cathy? She leaned closer. Yes, that was Cathy. But how...? Suddenly, Cathy changed. It looked like an animal. That was when the crystal went dark.
Beth was screaming now. *Callista! Callista!*
Christy tore her eyes away from the crystal, in time to see that same animal in Jenna's place. It lashed out at her, and then Christy was gone.
***
Lisa looked for Christy the next day, but discovered that she, too, had vanished. People were saying she had been with Jenna-Beth, and Jenna-Beth was gone as well. Or at least Jenna was. No one knew or cared about Beth.
That same day, instead of going to their classes, Lisa called Allie, Stacy, and Ron's best friend Randy to a meeting. Allie, because she was friends with Christy and Lisa.
"Did anyone see Christy before yesterday? Like after school?"
"She told me she wanted to find out about Ron," Allie said. "She was going to Jenna-Beth. I walked behind her halfway there because my house was on the way. I could see the tent from my room window. Christy goes in for maybe a half-hour. Anyway, I got bored watching, so I did my homework, and when I looked out again, the tent was destroyed."
"So they were attacked?" Stacy asked.
Allie shrugged. "I guess. I didn't go out and look or anything."
"What about Ron?" Lisa continued.
Randy spoke up. "I saw him the day before he was missed. He went past my classroom and never came back the other way."
"Same here, only when he left," Stacy added. "You know."
Lisa looked thoughtful for a minute, taking in the information. "Cathy?"
Silence.
"Well?"
"We don't even know where she came from." Randy talked slowly. Cathy was trouble with a capital T, that they all knew. It was not necessary to worry about her.
Lisa took charge. "I move we do a full-scale search tonight after school. Call our folks and tell them we're over at someone's house. Come back to this spot when the coast is clear. Meeting adjourned."
Callista's army was growing rapidly. She now had four recruits, but no link to the future, and a few still loose. She tried to explain to Jenna that she needed Beth. Without her, Jenna couldn't communicate, and therefore couldn't tell the future. Callista gave Jenna a week to find Beth--or suffer death. A rat with psychic powers was useless, if the psychic part wasn't initiated.
She also had explained to Ron that she needed him to get the rest of the girls transformed. The necklaces were out of production due to Ariane's fatal mistake, except for the ones Callista had saved. She had taken Ron's mind by a "kiss of death," and she instructed Ron to do the same. And then she wanted him for something else: something that was a reason she even took the boy in. There was most definitely a faster way. She didn't tell Ron this; she sprang it on him, in a far corner of the hideout.
The master knew she was beautiful, and she knew Ron felt the same. He ain't seen nothing yet! She stood before him, with her necklace on and nothing else. Ron, in his new mind, wasn't totally sure what she was driving at. He still only wanted blood. There it was, in front of his face, just waiting to be devoured. He looked her up and down, trying to decide the best place to draw it. He went for her neck like a vampire, knocking her to the ground.
Callista worked to get him off, and at the same time, his clothes. She succeeded in both, pushing his exposed body off of her. She reached up and felt a small trickle of blood run down her shoulder. Ron saw it, went after it, and Callista pushed him back again. She held her fingers over the bite, trying to stop the flow. When she had, she licked her fingers clean.
"No more blood, Ron. I just want you." She moved toward him. "Come on. You know how to do this."
"Do...what?" But Callista saw that he knew; he was coming into realization. All she had to do was get closer. If this worked out, there could be ten more soldiers on their way. It was perfect. All she had to do...Lunging, she kissed him: not as hard as the first time, but enough to get Ron on the ground and into her.
She had done it! Nothing could stop her! Unless Jenna couldn't find Beth. At that moment, however, it didn't seem to matter. Callista had her army, and Ron as well. She kissed him again and gave him a new message.
"Blood we seek and blood we find
We'll take you in, reverse your mind
We avenge, we terrify
The earth fills with our battle cry
We feel nothing, pain or emotion
Killing is our life's devotion
Be afraid, show us fear
You won't survive when we are here
You better run fast, 'cause you can't hide
We're coming for you and you're gonna die..."
***
Lisa and Stacy waited silently in the supply closet. When the custodian went past with his cart, they slipped out and made a mad dash for the locker room. Randy had anticipated them and all three crawled into a corner.
"Is he done yet?" Randy asked.
Stacy shrugged. "Maybe. I'd say probably three or four rooms left on the office side. If we're going to find Cathy and everyone, we should get moving."
They made it to their meeting spot with some difficulty. Lisa instructed to look for a secret passage or trapdoor.
Randy paced slowly back and forth in front of the lockers. "You know what I've noticed? On the outside there's an extra chunk of building, like a new wing or something. Just a little. Maybe there's a space behind the walls."
"There's a thought," Lisa remarked.
"Beginner's luck," cracked Stacy.
All three got on one side and pushed against the row of lockers. To their surprise, it moved forward, about two feet before a door came into view.
"I always thought these were attached," Randy said.
"How do you think anyone got in there?" Lisa wondered.
Stacy opened an empty locker. "A hole," she announced.
"Well, let's go."
The students descended the metal staircase and split up at the bottom. Stacy immediately went to the more unexplored regions. Randy and Lisa concentrated on finding the rats.
Rounding a corner, Stacy saw movement and ducked back behind a heater. She peeked out and spotted Ron and Callista. It only took her five seconds to figure out what was going on, then she turned around and gagged. Breathing hard but quietly, she about-faced and forced herself to watch. It did make her sick to think that Ron would do that to anyone, especially Cathy. Stacy realized she wanted him back, and if she rescued him, maybe he'd be nicer to her. This would take some strategy. Concealing herself again behind the heater, she began to devise a plan.
Randy and Lisa wandered the territory nearest the stairs. They wanted to have somewhere to run in case they were caught. Lisa opened a door and saw Allie.
"Allie, there you are!"
Allie turned around and glared at Lisa. The swords around her neck flashed. "Intruder!" she screeched. "Callista! Intruder!"
Lisa and Randy bolted.
Stacy peeked back around to see Callista clamber up and undo her necklace. As Stacy watched, wide-eyed, Callista changed into a monster. There are more of THOSE down here? That's disgusting! I'm outta here! But she had to help Ron.
He was sitting up, startled at Callista's sudden exit. Just sitting, totally exposed and still, waiting for her. Stacy wondered if she should go any closer. She promised herself she would keep her eyes on his face, took a deep breath, and emerged from hiding. He was dangerous, but it seemed a small price to pay if she could free him. Stacy walked very cautiously toward him, stifling the urge to speak.
Ron turned and glared at her, and for a split second, Stacy thought she should just run. No, she had to save him. Ron continued to glare, but she would not cease walking. He stood up, and Stacy kept her eyes on his. When he started to move toward her, she stopped, curious about what he would do. He stopped a minute later.
"Stacy..."
Oh wow, he knew who she was. Stacy said nothing, frozen in her tracks. Then shutting her eyes, she lowered herself to the ground and sat. When she opened them, she noticed Ron had followed her right away. He held out his hand, placing it on her shoulder. Stacy flinched, afraid of his touch. It scared her because he was evil, but he hadn't tried to kill her yet.
"This won't hurt a bit, Stacy." Right when he said that, she knew it would, and frantically tried to escape. "Too late. Trust me, you'll be fine. You'll be with me." Nervously, Stacy shook her head. Ron held her by the shoulder, pinning her.
"Ron, please don't kill me. I don't know what you've turned into, but I don't want to die. Please?"
"Die? Who told you that?" He smiled, looking like himself, and yet very very evil. "You might die, leaving this mind behind. I want to give you a whole new thought. You'll be with me, Stacy."
"I don't want to. I mean, look at you. You don't even talk like yourself anymore." This was frightening her terribly, and tears were beginning to form. "Let me go," she pleaded.
"Stacy, relax. It won't hurt. I've never known a kiss that hurt anyone."
"Kiss? You mean--"
"Hope you enjoy it, Stace." Ron kissed her hard before anything else happened, and didn't let up until he felt her bite him. Stepping back, he got dressed and watched her mutate. On the other end of the hideout, Lisa and Randy had been captured also.