Cavers: A Vampire Tale

By R.G. Richards

Cavers: A Vampire Tale (Cavers#1)

Looking forward to her fifteenth birthday and a new school, Allie Carter finds that all is not as it seems. Curiosity leads to the discovery of vampires at her school, in her classrooms, and in her town. More curious is the fact that her new best friend, Sara Johnson, is in league with them or a vampire herself.

As she seeks to prove her friends role, Allie is drawn into an unforgiving world of power and death. Instead of running for her life, she joins a secret society dedicated to helping the vampires remain hidden. Allie becomes a caretaker to the adorable five-year-old Lila and must teach her to blend into human society, but if she fails, the young child will be killed.

To navigate the vampire world and educate the children, Allie (and girls like her) receives injections: she runs faster, leaps higher, hears and sees better with increased strength and agility. These girls are one-step away from becoming vampires themselves, influencing their children, fighting in their wars, and becoming the hallmark for integrity and dedication as they help to shape the future of the vampire world. Will Allie have so much fun that she forgets the danger or to educate and protect young Lila or will she rise to the challenge before her? And what of the parents she loves? Will turning her back on them be worth risking all when the vampire princess wants to kill her for pure pleasure? Only time will tell.

• Language: English
• Publisher: R.G. Richards
• Release date: Feb 5, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301706280

R.G. Richards

R.G. Richards writes Fantasy/Paranormal/Romance novels. He was an enthusiastic reader of tales of foreign lands (China, Japan, Hong Kong), most of which were “borrowed” from his father’s private collection—a big James Clavell fan (Noble House, Shogun). These faraway tales provided the fertile ground which produced a rich imagination capable of spinning strange and unique stories of distant lands and people. Outside of reading and writing, he is a beginning swimmer, a gym hater, and a lover of jokes. If you know a good one, send it his way.

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CAVERS: A VAMPIRE TALE

By

R.G. Richards

SMASHWORDS EDITION

*****

PUBLISHED BY

R.G. Richards on Smashwords

Copyright © 2022 by R.G. Richards

Thank You for downloading this ebook. You are welcome to share it with friends. This book may not be copied or reproduced without permission of the author.

Your support and respect for this author’s work is appreciated.

This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to people living or dead is coincidental and unintended. This is a production of the author’s imagination.

*****

CAVERS: A VAMPIRE TALE

*****

Chapter 1

Huddled high on a branch outside a small house, dark figures closely watched the people inside. The first figure spread its arms and glided as if an eagle onto the roof of the small two-story house. A second followed, then a third. Together they crept to the first window to peer inside. There, lying in bed, was a woman reading a book.

The first figure was a man who, with deep concentration, stared at the woman, and before long she yawned, put her book down, and went to sleep. His thin lips curled in a smile as he nodded to his comrades.

They leaped to the next window to have a look at the sleeping child that lie in the bed. One of the figures, a green-eyed brunette, had something in the palm of her hand that reflected off the moonlight as she raised the window with small, delicate fingers. Her hair was long, dark-brown, but the top portion was a long-flowing red with dark brown highlights at the tips. She wore a necklace with a large red-jeweled crest emblem. She was accompanied by an older woman who watched her pulled out some type of medical device. This device she ran over the sleeping girl’s body, consulting its screen when she had done so. She then put it away and carefully took a sample of the child’s blood.

The other woman tapped her: a signal. The younger reached into her bag and withdrew a camera. After snapping a picture of the sleeping child, she replaced the camera.

Their mission was successful, but before leaving, the older woman was driven by curiosity to the sleeping child. She brushed a few strands of the child’s brown hair from her face, and leaned down to look closer at her. The angelic face made her scowl. How could something that sweet and innocent have the potential to destroy an entire kingdom? If not for her queen’s orders, the woman would have killed the child in its sleep. But she could not, and so instead she left to rejoin her comrades on the roof. Together they leapt as one, and were back in the trees and out of sight.

The brunette was conducting tests on the collected blood when the older woman came into her laboratory to get the child’s photo. The old woman took the picture to a pale-skinned woman with red hair, who in turn fixed it with a morbidly curious look before handing it back.

We are testing the blood now. She will attend the local school with Shelby.

Don’t tell Shelby; she will kill her, said the red-haired woman. We don’t know which direction her future will take. Watch over her and assign a Caver to her. Use Sara; she can bond with her and test her in secret. I have plans for this one. She will serve our cause nicely.

It was three days later that young Allie Carter reached for her favorite hairbrush with an odd look on her face. She plopped her thin frame at her little desk and looked in the mirror while combing through her shoulder length brown hair.

Allie was not overly confident with her looks, but she was sure her personality would make her popular. Kill them with kindness, her mother always said, and that would be today’s secret weapon.

Allie stood to assess her outfit. In the tenth grade, she had gone through as many schools as grades so far in her short life. Each time her father came home with the exciting news of a promotion she would be the only one of her small family to cringe. Letting go of old friends and embracing new ones took skills she had not mastered.

You are going to like me if it kills you! I am worth getting to know and you will all like me! She repeated the phrases in the mirror before going downstairs to breakfast. Today was Thursday and it was the first day of a short week. With a brave smile, she bounced down the stairs.

Hey, Mom.

Ready, Kitten?

The timeless Kay Carter gave Allie her strong anchor. She was the only constant in Allie’s world and her pulling back her daughter’s chair brought a smile to the young girl’s face.

Almost. Allie poured milk over her bowl of cereal and ate quickly. She grabbed her backpack and met her mother at the door. Dad left already?

Yes; there was an accident with one of the oil workers; possibly a bear attack near the pipeline. He left this for you.

Allie lit up when she took the gift, even though the accompanying smile on her mother’s face meant trouble. Her mother tapped her wristwatch, reminding her of the time, but she didn’t care: the present was her entire focus and she opened it with careful fingers.

Her mother tried to nudge her along. Hurry up, slowpoke, school is waiting.

Okay, here goes! She ripped the corner off the box – and out popped a compressed rubber snake. She yelped. "Argh! Oh my God! Allie looked at her mother; now her earlier whimsical smile made sense. Daddy has got serious issues."

Her mother was laughing with her and agreed. What a joker! Come on, let’s get going. Her mother put the wrap in a drawer and they walked out the door to the car. The two of them had developed a routine where Allie was always driven to school on the first day and her mother would lecture her on the drive while she rolled her eyes.

Kay would remind Allie not to talk to strangers and reaffirm that all adults they didn’t know were strangers. She prepared her daughter in every way she knew how. Her baby was growing up and the world was a frightening place for someone so young and vulnerable. Kay gave as much information and advice as possible – even more than that, really. So much the young Allie felt stifled.

Allie was far different from her mother: she was an adventurer. She moved so much that her basic strategy was to make one friend, no deep commitments. She just wanted people not to give her a hard time so the time would pass quickly. Allie loved animals and nature and being in parts of the country with more animals than people she felt at home. Her deepest desire was to develop a power that let her talk to the animals. Though she listened to her mother’s endless warnings, she wished that she could be a bird: then she would fly to school, land and transform back into herself and go to class. Her mother kept a tight watch on her, and she was only allowed in the backyard – which was always fenced – so Allie was always on mind adventures.

When they finally arrived at the school, Allie opened the door before the car stopped.

Allie!

Sorry!

She closed the door and waited. Her mother gave her last advice and Allie said goodbye and bolted from the car. Kay sighed as she watched her baby running toward the school. She drove back home slowly, wondering if she had forgotten to mention something and feeling the emptiness of her life, imagining Allie gone for good.

For the first time, Allie entered school without her mother at her side. She was amazed at how dark the inside was: there were no windows, not even in the cafeteria.

What a depressing place this is.

She walked into the Principal’s office to present herself and update her family information contact list. Yet this room was just as dark – and filled with shouting students and teachers. With second thoughts about this school and the year she would have here, Allie took a seat on a bench and after being noticed by the secretary came forward and gave her name. She turned in her paperwork and walked back out, depressed by the scenery, but hoping with all her heart that the classes would be interesting, because the school wasn’t.

Oh well, there is always next year and a new school to look forward to. Lucky me.

In her homeroom class, her teacher, Mrs. Taylor, kept staring at her for no earthly reason Allie could think of. She was glad to go to the gym for an assembly meeting two hours later to get away from her constant glare and scowl. Her class marched in one long boring line and sat on bleachers near the door. Something banged against the wall and she jumped. Allie looked at the other end of the gym and saw a group of upperclassmen walking through the door. Each wore an impressive gray jacket with a patch on the left side. The boys wore blue slacks while the girls donned a checkered blue skirt with various length black stockings and black shoes. All wore a white shirt and blue tie.

The young man on the end grabbed her attention; he had short brown hair and a head more round than oval, which pleased her. In her mind she gave him a perfect five as they marched by her class, carrying a banner in front of them, and took a position on the stage behind the Principal. Allie’s fascination with this first group mounted; she turned to the girl sitting beside her who had long black hair with pink highlights and a single strand of green braided tightly on the right side. She whispered, Who are they?

Double E Club, Excellence in Education. You have to be upperclassmen to get in. They are kind of like FBLA back home in Philly.

What is FBLA?

Future Business Leaders of America. They dress like them and travel and stuff.

Sara Johnson set behind Allie and was the only one to talk to her in class. Sara was a year older and was one of a few black students in the entire school – not surprising for a small town named Barlon in North Dakota. Sara recognized the look of always being on the move in Allie’s eyes.

According to Sara’s explanations back in class, she was the only black student in the tenth grade. The eleventh grade had a set of twin girls and the twelfth grade had two black students, all of which had parents that worked for Lucient Oil Company. Allie had watched her count out the number of students on her hand and her eyes widened as Sara told her about each of them. She wanted to hear more but Mrs. Taylor was talking and walked by and drummed her desk to end their conversation. Allie knew the woman hated her and looked around for her before asking her next question.

What about the other, um ... W-D-E? Allie tried remembering the initials on the banner they carried.

World Dominance through Education. You have to be at least seventeen with a high-grade point average to get in. They take trips, have secret meetings with business professionals and college recruiters and stuff like that. Most of them get scholarships to the college of their choice.

The Principal became background noise as Allie focused on the handsome young man. She took in his face, then let her eyes drop to his jacket’s patch. It was mostly black and resembled a family crest. She leaned in and whispered to Sara, What does the patch mean?

This was Sara’s second year at the school and she averaged a move of every two years instead of the one like Allie. The patch was a large bird like an eagle that held a crest in its wings. The crest was triangular in shape and divided into unequal sections. The largest section on top was a picture of the earth and a man. Then there was a yellow sash like section that cut the crest diagonally. This section held blue Latin writing that said, ‘erudio sceptrum orbis terrarum’. The smallest section in the lower right contained a picture of the sun and stars, and beneath was a small banner with EE in the center.

Before Sara could respond, Allie had another question, What does the writing say?

I think it means education rules the world. I’m sure their parents are proud. Sara giggled quietly.

Allie smiled but tried to hold in her laughter with mixed results. She tried listening to the Principal but her attention wandered back to the crest and these people. Joining these people would be a waste of time; she’d be elsewhere next year. Her future would consist of a new home, new school, and a new friend.

After assembly they were handed pamphlets and flyers about the various groups they could join and the rewards for long-term involvement in extracurricular activities. They were dismissed and went back to class.

School went on in the same manner for the remainder of the week. The students attended meetings and were introduced to various groups and organizations and given information on how to join their clubs.

Chapter 2

Late in the night a young man of sixteen was in the trees near a lone daycare center that stood as an ant against the backdrop of the gigantic trees nearby. He had an athletic build with short brown hair and was tree swinging for relaxation. His name was Brad and he would leap from one tree to the next with a look of pure joy on his handsome round face. Swinging high off the ground through the trees, he stopped just before his next swing – something caught his eye. A good distance away he could clearly see a woman in a tree, her hair long and red, staring at him intently. This was his leader, Bethany, and he watched as she glided from the tree to the open ground below and looked up at him.

Brad took flight and glided down a few feet from her. He walked the short distance in the open field to her with apprehension: for her to be in the woods meant something was wrong. What could she want? Why was she even there? He looked all around him as he walked, wondering if others were in the area, but they were alone but for an ominous, gentle breeze.

Hello, Bethany, he said and stopped in front of her.

Brad.

Is there a problem?

Yes. We lost another Caver.

How can I help?

I need you to assist those that will be chosen. Help them to adjust; we cannot afford any more losses.

I live to serve. It will be my honor.

Good.

Who has been chosen to serve our cause?

We are short on recruits and have to take substandard humans who are not yet ready. They will be far behind the others and will slow them down. I will get a list from the school and you and two others will choose. Do not fail me in this important task.

I will not fail: my training is complete.

Have I raised children all these years? Bethany’s voice held a tone of anger. She drew up to her full height, a scowl upon her face grew: in his arrogance, her meaning was lost.

Task me and I will show you success.

Very well, you are tasked. Go!

Bethany held up her hand in front of the young man as if to wave goodbye. A small red ball of fire appeared in her palm and began circling, growing until it was as large as her fist. Brad saw the fireball developing and took off running to the trees behind him. He ran with blazing speed. Leaping tree to tree, he was a good distance away before he was met with his first shock.

Bethany’s fireball hit with a loud thundering bang and branches lit up with fire as they fell from the smoldering tree. Brad changed direction mid-flight and glided under the falling limbs of fire to a lower perch. He leaped to another tree and climbed to its top to check her location.

With a speed equal to Brad’s, she darted in and out of trees, firing at the running boy. She missed several times – and then hit him, dislodging him from his perch. Brad dove to the ground. He rolled this way and that, dodging fireballs, before returning to the trees.

This section of the woods had been set up as a training course and Brad raced through it without a problem. After several minutes of near misses, Bethany hit him dead-on and he fell to the ground, immobile. Bethany leaped from one branch to another to get a better look at her kill. The young man was gone. He had made it to the finish line and stood with a broad grin as he waited for her arrival.

Well done, Brad. If your father was here he would be proud of you, Bethany said with little enthusiasm and a slight shortness of breath.

Thank you. I feel pride when I think of him, he answered, pretending he didn’t notice her breathing pattern had changed.

Go and get ready. I will have you informed when the list is prepared.

I honor you with my service.

Brad bowed and leaped straight up in the air. When Bethany looked up she saw moving trees – but no Brad. She had faith that they would find good people this time. She took a leisurely stroll through the woods and at the end of her walk she stood in front of the daycare center; she went inside.

# # #

On Monday Allie was back at school in the cafeteria at lunch time. At first she was alone, before Sara joined her. Hey, Sara, how are you?

I’m fine, girl. What did you do over the weekend?

Nothing much; it’s boring out in the boondocks. I wish we could move closer to town where the action is.

Girl, ain’t no action goin’ on round here! Sara said real fast.

Maybe not, but you got me beat. Oh, guess what? I think I saw a condor or an eagle, or maybe it was an owl out back behind my house. Something was going tree to tree but I couldn’t get a good look at it, but I know it will be back soon. I’m going to try to capture it.

Sara laughed at her. Capture it? You are crazy as hell! Do you know how big an eagle is? I mean close up, not a hundred miles away. That thing can pick you up and carry you off somewhere. Probably drop you on your thick head in the forest somewhere.

Yeah right, Allie said disbelievingly.

I’m serious, that is what they do. They pick things up and fly them real high and then drop them. Kaboom! Sara laughed again.

Ha ha ha, very funny. Allie was not amused.

One look into her friend’s face and Sara regretted her joke. Listen, if you need help call me, all right?

Sure. Allie felt better now and changed the subject. Do you have a boyfriend?

Sara looked puzzled by the question. Why would you ask me that?

I was just wondering, is all.

No, I have no one special. What about you?

I don’t stay long enough for anything complicated. It was a joke, but deep down it bothered her. The only steady relationship she had was with her parents. Would they ever stop moving? She had no idea, and had stopped asking them the question long ago. If you stay here another year do you think you will find someone?

Maybe, said Sara. I would rather just stay in one place, boyfriend or not, I hate all the moves.

Allie opened her milk carton and looked around the room. The handsome upperclassman who was on stage sat in the back of the room at a table with the other club members.

Hey, Sara, who is that guy? The one in the middle with the brown hair and brown eyes.

Sara turned around to look. Brad Montgomery. Good eye, girl! He is captain of the basketball team and in the summer he runs the 200 and 400 for the track team.

Really?

Down, girl! Sara laughed before she pointed to the long-haired strawberry blond on the end of the table. She leaned in to whisper. She will kill you if you look at him too hard. Last year this ninth grader named Kathy Rodgers tried to talk to him in the hall. She disappeared; no one has heard from her since. People say that Shelby did it. Her dad is the sheriff.

Are you serious? Allie eagerly asked, wanting to know everything.

Sheriff Monroe is meaner than a snake and lets her do anything she wants. Don’t go anywhere near anybody with one of those jackets. I’m deadly serious; those folks are into more than education. Sara’s worried look led Allie to wonder about everyone seated at the back table.

Out of curiosity Allie looked back at the boy, but something strange happened that took her gaze off him. She felt hot and when she looked at the Shelby girl, she swore the girl looked directly at her with a piercingly creepy stare. Could she have heard them talking from where she sat? No, that was impossible. Allie put the thought out of her head. From her morning classes it was apparent that everyone knew everyone else, except for her, so it was understandable for people to want to gawk at the new kid. This is what she told herself, but then she made her mistake and dared to look in the girl’s direction again. The girl stared directly at her, unwavering and unflinching. Allie quickly looked elsewhere and avoided eye contact, shoveling food into her mouth.

Well, it is about that time, said Sara, you ready to go.

Allie searched her friends face. What do you mean?

Out of the blue, Sara began counting in a sing-songy fashion. And one, and two, and three, and four, and five. Let’s try it backwards. And five, and four, and three, and two, and one. She held her hands high with fingers pointing to the clock behind her head.

Ding. The bell rang.

First bewildered, then floored, Allie gave a wry look. How did you do that?

Magic!

After lunch they went to their lockers to get books for their next class. Allie was glad their lockers were next to each other on the bottom row, though she hated the pushy eleventh graders with the top lockers. Allie knelt, opened her locker, pulled out a book, and set it by her feet before closing her locker. In one fluid motion she took the book, stood up and turned – and collided with someone. Both of them tumbled to the floor. Allie was stunned – and then she flushed with fear: it was Shelby.

Shelby had a pale complexion, almost albino, with light reddish-blond hair and blue eyes. She looked at Allie with contempt that turned to rage. How dare she touch me? At least, Allie hoped she thought that and not something worse. Allie could see a fountain of evil rising to the surface behind dark blue eyes. To her surprise, Shelby didn’t say a word; she climbed to her feet and stared down at Allie. Shelby was tall and thin like Brad, almost six feet, and towered over the helpless Allie with a silence that was deadly.

Sara, who had finished getting her book, had walked to the water fountain for a drink. She saw Shelby and one of her girlfriends coming down the hall and turned to see where they were heading. Sara saw the dust up and ran and crouched down in front of Allie. She is sorry! She is sorry! She didn’t mean it, it was just an accident! Her heart pounded, afraid for her new friend. She turned to Allie and blurted out, Say you are sorry right now!

I’m sorry. I wasn’t looking where I was going. I’m so sorry. She added for good measure, I hope you can forgive me.

Hey! What is going on down there? Get to class right now! Mrs. Taylor shouted from down the hall.

Allie saw a hand reach over Shelby’s right shoulder and touch her. Shelby stopped staring down at Allie and turned to leave. When she stepped away, she saw her saviour: the boy to whom she had given a perfect five. He smiled at her, gave a wink, and then followed Shelby. Allie felt warmness rising from her feet. At first, it frightened her, then soothed her. Her mouth hung opened staring at the handsome rescuer. Suddenly, like being thrown from an enchanting dream, she felt arms around her. Sara and another bystander helped Allie to her feet. She thanked them and they walked to class. Mrs. Taylor stood in the doorway and would not move until Allie looked up at her.

The hair on the back of Allie’s neck stood up. The fear she had for Shelby was nothing compared to this teacher. With great reluctance, she steadied herself and looked into the eyes that always seemed to be staring at her.

Stay away from that girl, said Mrs. Taylor, before stepping aside.

Mrs. Taylor looked down the hall directly at Shelby and Stephanie, her friend. She saw them whispering and was sure she heard Stephanie wanting to go after the new girl, but Shelby told her no, that the new girl was hers. Mrs. Taylor stood with her hand on her hip in the doorway until the two girls left for their next class.

After they were seated, Sara whispered, I told you.

Allie nodded and opened her book, her bottom lip beaded with sweat. During the last hour of the school day, Allie was still being cautious. She did not know what to make of what happened and was uneasy about meeting Shelby in the hall again or even the cafeteria. Was Sara right? Was she dangerous? Sara looked frightened, but was it an act? Allie remembered she was the new girl and maybe her friend played a joke on her. Perhaps everyone was in on it. She had been tortured before by new classmates. Why should this school be any different?

In the end she decided it was a joke and she would ignore it until she knew Sara better. She was thankful that she had at least one class with her new friend and she would make sure to bring it up later.

They took a pop quiz in her last class and Allie finished hers and got up to turn it in before any of the other students. She smiled at Mrs. Taylor as she put her paper in the tray; somehow the woman’s attitude had softened toward her.

Allie.

Allie turned around.

Yes, Mrs. Taylor.

Come here, Allie, I want to show you something. She had been watching Allie and was surprised she didn’t try and confront the bigger girl: most impressive. She took Allie to the back door of the classroom. I hear you like animals?

Yes, Mrs. Taylor, I love them.

"Good. I have some you