Fatigue
The last two weeks were grueling, but she finally finished her exams, and she didn’t have to survive on half as many energy drinks and pots of coffee as she had the semester before. She did the best she could and was hoping she’d pass with a decent grade.
She’d been warned about the parties, but she didn’t listen. The atmosphere was infectious and the parties would last for days. Nothing could break up a party once it got going, even the police had stopped trying years ago.
No one knew quite what it was, but rumors and suspicions circulated through the dorms every year. One year nearly a quarter of the student population had to repeat their classes because they’d attended a party during finals week, and they couldn’t be bothered to show up for their exams. The dean issued a statement that if such a thing happened again the administration would suspend or expell anyone who attended such an event.
The threat had worked, and parties were kept away from exams, but they doubled down for attendence for the two weeks prior.
She’d survived the latest one, but she knew others hadn’t, and it wasn’t just their grades that had suffered. They’d all been sworn to secrecy, but someone had talked, and now there were eyes all over campus.
She hated the eerie feeling on the back of her neck. She’d done nothing other than attend the party, but she had a tail she couldn’t shake. She finished her meal quickly and headed back to her dorm room and was ready to make her escape.
She took one last glance over her shoulder. She’d miss this place. The education and social environment were second to none, but she couldn’t guarantee she would survive the next party, and she had too much to live for.
She sprinted for her car, but a rough set of hands snagged her by the hair and spun her around. Her blood turned to ice as she saw who had stopped her flight to freedom. It was her best friend and roommate.
But, the look in her eyes wasn’t the open caring one she was accustomed to. Had it been a mask?
“You promised me we’d graduate together,” she said. “No matter what! Now, you’re sneaking away, because you learned what we truly are? You said the darkness was fascinating when we met. Did you lie to me?”
She balled her hands intp fists. “Of course I lied to you!” she screamed. “I was a gawky freshman. I wanted to fit in! I didn’t realize I was signing my life away for a few friends!”
Her roommate laughed and a dark figure threw a black hood over her head.
“It’s a shame you’ll miss the next party,” she said. “It was going to be the biggest yet. Looks like we’ll have to cancel since you’ve offered yourself instead. You knew this would happen if you tried to leave before graduation!”
She screamed as she was dragged away. “I didn’t ask for any of this!” she said. “I thought you were drunk…”
Her roommate clapped her hands. “Such foolishness will offer an amazing amount of power,” she said. “They never see it coming, and the chase is always so satisfying!”
The timing was off, but the ritual would be an immense success, and it was all thanks to her.
They had to promote her now or they would be sorry!
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