Silent Monsters

Chapter 1: Reinna

CHAPTER 1: Reinna 

     Forget what you know about mythological creatures.  In my experience, assumptions, particularly about that, can be deadly.  To hell with what the books say, the books know nothing.  Forget about research; find someone with some real experience.  Don't ask some i***t wannabe goth who thinks they're a vampire because they wear black and drink each other's blood because they think it's cool.  Don't try to browse your local library or scan the internet, you won't find anything useful there. 

     So how do you learn the truth from the fiction?  If you're dealing with something real, you'll get the opportunity.  If you don't, I suggest instead of trying to play macho, you get the f**k out of dodge.  And if you've never met any, don't f**k with it, you don't WANT to know.

     If you're wondering who I am, my real name is Katherine Hawkins, but everyone calls me Kat.  No, I'm not human, but I grew up thinking I was human.  How the hell does that happen?  In a nutshell, my biological mother was a rogue siren that bound my powers and left me on the front doorstep of a wealthy couple's house that couldn't have their own child but wanted one badly.  When I say she left me on the front doorstep, I wasn't shitting you.  She knocked on the door, left me there, and disappeared.  Apparently, she was afraid that her fellow kin were going to get their hands on me and she wanted a different life for me.  She knew she was being hunted, and she also knew what I was and more importantly, what I meant to them…

     Yes, I know...a siren?  Probably not what you were expecting.  If someone mentions the word siren, they think of the mythological creatures on some shore, luring fishermen to their deaths (Which, by the way, is something I wouldn't entirely put past them to do.).  Or, they're commonly mistaken for mermaids. 

     No, we do not have fishtails.  No, I do not have a particular interest in the sea, though sirens do have a strong link with the elements.  We are in tune with them and can influence them, though each siren always has a stronger influence on one particular element than they do in the others.  For instance, my element is fire.  I can blow up a bar,  (Long story, which you'll hear about later) but the only thing I can really do with water is maybe make it drizzle a little. 

     Now, unlike most other mythological creatures, sirens usually don't blend in with human society.  In fact, going rogue is punishable by death.  Sirens exist and live in their own plane of existence, their own world.  Sirens are pretty rare creatures, or at least, they are rarely seen by anyone.  More than likely, it's because they're the ultimate lifetime supply of a vampire's meal ticket.  All they'd have to really do is snag one up, keep them fed and they'd be supplied with blood for the rest of their life.  And what really makes a vampire's lips really smack is that a siren's blood is not just any old blood, either. 

     If a human's blood would be water, a siren's would be a really expensive wine.  Or crack, if we're being honest here.  It's much more addictive than wine.  Sometimes, that comparison is much more appropriate.  So when a vampire feeds off of a siren, they don't just get their fill, a siren's blood is intoxicating.  They actually get a pretty good f*****g buzz off it.  In fact, some vampires can become highly addicted to the blood, like a drug.  Sirens are extremely magikal beings.  When they sing, touch, or penetrate flesh (they grow really long, really strong nails), they feed off of the life force and energy of the being, and it's incorporated into their blood, enriching it with magik.

     So yeah, they tend to stay away from contact with any other species.  Not to say that it'd be easy to catch one.  Think about it:  They can feed off of you through touching the flesh and through song.  They can f**k you up with the elements.  Oh, and did I mention they can also let out a shriek so devastating that some sirens can actually cause a human's head to explode?  I'm not joking, it's been done before.   So you'd have to snag them, gag them, and make sure they can't touch your flesh or use their hands.  Most vampires don't know enough about sirens to know exactly what precautions to take for the siren not to be a danger to them. 

     But, they have to keep them fed to keep them alive.  Sirens use their feeding to keep them young, beautiful, and immortal.  If they aren't fed, they lose their immortality until they feed again, and they essentially become human, with the same vulnerabilities.  That's why I thought I was human for so long.  My powers were bound and essentially I was human, able to bleed and everything. 

     Why am I telling you all this?  It's so you realize how I got mixed up into all of this.  Don't worry; you'll get to the real juicy stuff soon.  I just wanted to give you the facts first, so that you won't make assumptions and you won't get confused.  Remember, assumptions can be dangerous and you're about to find out why.  So listen in and learn a thing or two and while you're at it, you might as well enjoy the show.

     *                                                           *                                                           *

     Kat, River, Morgan, Sarah, and Ava were making their way to the theater tonight.  They usually had band practices on the weekends and the old theater was a perfect place to practice.  Loose gravel crunched underneath the thick soles of Kat's boots as she moved alongside the fence, her eyes catching the light from the streetlamp for only a moment before the shadow of her hair concealed them.  Upon seeing Kat, she was 5'9, but usually looked about 6'0 or taller when she wore her black leather boots. 

     The color of her hair was naturally almost as vibrant of a red as a stoplight and hung full and thick down to her waist in waves.  Her skin was flawless and healthy, a pale ivory and highly translucent.  Her eyes were the real oddity, naturally a shocking electric blue that almost everyone thought was influenced by contacts.  She had recently turned eighteen, a senior in high school.  She already had several tattoos that were easily hidden beneath clothes but had plans for full sleeves as soon as she finished high school. 

     She had several piercings, one in her tongue, her labret, eight in one ear and five in the other, and two in her right eyebrow.  Tonight, she wore tight black pants, littered with various straps across her thighs that met and tied on each outside section of her thigh, leaving small gaps of pale flesh peeking through.  Her top was a simple black corset with red ribbons to lace up the front and a black half jacket that was only long enough to end just below her breasts.  Kat was petite, but well-toned and full-figured, with curves in just the right places.  But Kat had always been one to stay fit, keeping a routine of jogging laps around the track in the morning before school.

     "You know one day we're gonna get caught trespassing, right?"  River spoke up, breaking the long silence that had settled between the group as they walked towards the old theatre.  It had been so silent that Kat was startled out of her thoughts and glanced up at her best friend, her full lips curling into a Cheshire grin that always spoke of trouble. 

     Kat was known for often getting into trouble, even when she wasn't looking for it.  It wasn't a secret that Kat often got into fights, both in and out of school.  She had almost gotten expelled several times, but her parents always bailed her out and her continual record of a 4.0-grade point average helped too.  Despite her good luck, it was a good thing that Kat didn't have much longer left of her school year. 

     What wasn't widely known was that for the last couple of years, Kat had been involved in underground fighting.  It was nothing professional or fancy, just brawling.  Bets would be placed and Kat would score a little extra cash when she won her fights.  She had always been known as a good fighter and a bit of a badass, not just publicly, but in the underground fighting arena that she was involved in as well.  She was a quick thinker and had good instincts.

     "Nah...We haven't gotten caught yet, have we?  And how long have we been using this place to practice?"  She replied, her pale slender fingers lifting to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.  The old theatre was located a few miles outside of town.  Her house was just down the road from it, both places being fairly secluded.  The area was thickly populated by trees and Kat's house was one of the only houses located in the area.  Usually, the band members all drove to Kat's house and parked there, then they walked down the road to the old theatre, so as not to draw any attention to the place with any cars parked out front.

     "Yeah, but that's just because this place is out in the middle of nowhere and no one can hear our music.  It's only a matter of time before we get caught though."  As if making sure those words hadn't jinxed their luck, River's hazel eyes flicked a glance behind them at the empty street.  But the trees made the street so dark that you could barely see two feet in front of you. 

     River herself was a contrast to Kat.  Her hair was black as night and cut much shorter, above her shoulders, straightened and shaped in an edgy style.  She was blessed with a nice even, but natural tan that complimented her hazel eyes.  She was shorter than Kat, only 5'4 and didn't quite have the same curves that Kat did.  She was petite in size and most considered her to be more 'cute' than sexy, which she secretly loathed.  She was also less social, softer spoken, and generally quieter than Kat, not liking to draw attention to herself.

     "I'm just surprised our gear hasn't gotten jacked by now." Sarah piped in from behind them, her pale blonde eyebrows lifting as if to punctuate her point.  Sarah's short pixie cut and large eyes often made her almost look like some anime character.  Kat let out a chuckle, her head shaking as she glanced back at the rest of her band members. "No way.  No one ever comes back here.  And even if they did, the place looks like it's about ready to come down.  I'm more surprised that the electricity is still running out here.  I'm not bitching though."

     Turning her head back around to the front, her eyes scanned over the outline of the old theatre as it came into focus, its dark peak silhouetted against the dark blue sky.  The place was massive, almost intimidating as it rose three stories to meet the sky and stretched broad and wide.  As they reached the front gates, each one slid carefully through the crack between them.  In single file, they moved up the stairs and made their way silently into the building, each one knowing their way around the rotted wood.  Each night that they came to practice, each one would remain deathly silent when they first entered the building, as if giving the old place a moment of silent respect.  The silence was always so thick that it was almost suffocating in its intensity.

     Kat was the first to make it onto the old stage, her thick-soled black leather boots thudding softly against the once polished wood of the floor as she made her way across.  She moved silently as she began to adjust her equipment, checking the levels on the amp as she prepped her mic, giving the others time to set up as well.  The first sharp sound of River's guitar pierced the silence as her fingers hit the strings, making sure it was tuned.  A few minutes went by like this, short spurts of sound as each member readied their instruments. 

     After each one had finished, Kat's eyes flicked to River and her chin nodded in her direction. "Broken Race?" She questioned and River nodded.  Kat listened as Sarah set the rhythm with a few beats of her drumstick and then suddenly, the music filled the theatre, heavy and passionate, heated, dark and grinding, filling Kat with a fire of her own.  Music had always done this to her.  There was nothing like it in the world.  When she sang, there was nothing else, only her and the music.  It filled her with a heat and passion that was wild and untamed.  She stepped forward, the first sounds of her voice joining the music as it progressed.  As she sang, she found herself thrashing with the music, her hair flying wildly as she let her movements become completely instinctual.

"Fall face to the grace of a superior race

Torn asunder, mine to plunder

Seasons wept of her disgrace

Fly to the high of a broken mind

Watch the treason of the mass unwind

Make your fall from the broken wall

All for one, but none for all

Each for a season, none to reason

Bask in the vast amass of treason

Feed and sodder

Wind and wander

Brings to the knees, but the wind still calls her

Wind words and whispers of the earth's disaster

Possession and aggression of the gods won't bind her

Lay waste for the sake of a broken race

Is much too much for the mind to face

Hear my call my broken angels all

The earth is not too far to fall

Taste my words, hear my cry

Dance to the rhythm of my lullaby

When the sun lie to rest above a swollen chest

And the dancer torn free from a broken crest

The bold will fall to the dark one's call

And all will lay to rest."

     There was an intoxication that Kat's voice held that no one could match, and she could reach depths in her growls that most couldn't touch, especially for a woman.  The band had a real talent, but in a town like theirs, it was hard to find gigs and to get the notice that they deserved.  But that did not hinder the passion and the hard work that the group put into their music.  Getting signed would be a dream come true, but they didn't do it just for that hope.  Part of the reason why her band fit so well together was because they generally had the same taste in music.  Some of their favorite bands were Otep, Slipknot, System of a Down, Static X, Rammstein and Rob Zombie.  But Kat's major influence had always been Otep.

     Each one of them had a deep passion for what they did, and it showed.  As the music subsided, Kat let her eyes linger closed for a moment, letting herself enjoy the adrenaline that pumped through her veins.  In Kat's perspective, nothing could feel quite like this and after each time she sang, when she was done, it was like coming off of a damned good high.

     Suddenly, out of the silence, there was a soft hiss, and then a voice came from the darkness of the old theatre in a purr.  "Such sweet....sweet sound..."  The words were but a whisper, but loud enough for all to hear.  All five pairs of eyes moved to the darkness that enveloped the seats before the stage, but none could see much of anything, much less the source of the voice.

     Kat stepped forward boldly, her eyes squinting as she still searched for the owner of the voice.  "Glad you enjoy our music, but who are you?"  She listened, and only silence greeted her until finally, the voice spoke once more.  "You are mistaken, my lovely....it is only your music that enthralls me.  I need not the noise of your friends to compliment it.  In fact, I believe it only soils it."

     Kat could hear Morgan from behind her.  "Who is this b***h?"  Kat narrowed her eyes once more, all amusement gone from her voice.  "I don't appreciate you insulting my band, so if you have a problem with my band, you can come on down here and I'll fix that problem for you."  She listened now, waiting for the strange voice to speak again. 

     Suddenly, there was a collective gasp as a woman appeared behind Kat, her lean figure pressed behind her, one long slender hand pulling Kat's thick mane of red hair aside as she leaned in, lips brushing the soft pale tender flesh of Kat's throat.  The woman was in a sense, perfect.  There seemed not a flaw to her features.  Her skin was pale, almost like marble, her hair hung thick and the color was as black as midnight, and seemed to capture its very essence. 

     Her eyes were the most striking feature, a pale blue that seemed to be almost white, and yet still distinctive in its color.  It seemed to catch all the light around them.  Even in the darkness, it would seem as if it managed to catch fragments of light.  She stood to the height of 5'11, nothing but lean muscle underneath soft flesh.  There was something soothing about her voice as she spoke, soft, never above a whisper, but always heard.

     The woman clicked her tongue. "Such fire and spark.  Won't you sing for me, my lovely...without the others, without all that...noise..."  She spoke, her lips brushing over Kat's flesh, causing a shiver to creep down the length of her spine.  Kat spun around quickly, a sharp breath catching in her throat as her eyes found the woman's own.  Her voice was silenced for a moment, leaving her speechless until she finally felt her heartbeat settle to a steady rhythm. 

     Prying her eyes away from the woman, they settled on River.  "I think we should go guys."  There was something extremely unnerving about the woman and she was getting bad vibes that she could feel deep within the pit of her stomach.  This woman was bad news.  Her eyes slid back to the woman's face and her breath caught in her throat once more.  There was something almost hypnotic about her face.  It seemed to draw you in with a gravity of its own, making it hard to think straight. 

     Finally, she managed to pull her gaze away and turned, setting the mic down near her amp and turning it off.  She started to walk away, but the woman's hand was suddenly firm around her arm, her gaze piercing as they narrowed.  "Let them leave, my pet...but stay with me.  I have much more to offer than they will ever bring you..."

     Surprised by the woman's strength and her gall, Kat yanked her arm away.  Her anger overrode any fear she might have had and her eyes narrowed as she spoke.  "f**k off."  She turned on her heel and began to make her way towards the stairs, but was stopped dead in her tracks as she heard a piercing scream suddenly reverberate throughout the theatre, followed by a series of others as the band members began to scatter in panic and fear.  She turned quickly and her eyes widened, her own scream catching in her throat at the sight before her. 

     Morgan's dark eyes were wide, her body rigid, but held securely against the strange woman's body.  At first, Kat couldn't quite make out what lay before her and even when she could, her mind couldn't quite comprehend it.  She could see dark red streams of blood trickle down the side of Morgan's throat and down her chest.  It even began to stain the pale denim of her jeans. 

     The woman hadn't so much as punctured Morgan's throat with what looked like fangs but ripped it.  The gash bled so freely that it almost looked fake, as if it weren't real, as if somehow reality had turned into a bad horror flick.  As the woman held her there, Morgan's body would twitch from time to time, sporadically.  Her eyes were void of anything now, staring aimlessly into the darkness beyond.

     Kat was so frozen by the horror before her that she didn't realize Morgan was dead until the woman let her lifeless body slump to the floor with a heavy thud.  "Now...my pet..." The woman hissed, stepping over Morgan's body as if it were nothing more than a pile of trash in her way.  "You've denied me once and I have taken the life of one of them for my entertainment.  Each night that you deny me I will take another until there is no more.  And when there is no more, I will take you against your will, leaving all their deaths in vain, because you selfishly denied me.  I will not stop at your band members, my lovely...I will hunt down any and everyone you care about.  I can be very...very...persistent..."  She smiled, her lips curving into a malicious grin.  "Go now, my pet...and think on that..." 

     With that said, suddenly she was gone as if she had never been there, leaving them in stunned silence.  But she had been real, leaving Morgan's body as gory evidence to the horror that had just transpired.  As if triggered by the woman's sudden absence, her knees buckled and Kat collapsed to the floor.  She could feel as the first trickle of tears slid down her cheeks.  "Oh my god..."  The voice that spoke she barely recognized as her own as she sat there, her eyes still riveted to her friend's body.  Lifeless eyes seemed to stare accusingly at her from the thick pool of blood that was forming below them. 

     "Kat?"  River's weak whisper came from behind her and she could hear her crawl across the floor towards her.  Feeling River's arms go around her, she turned her face away from Morgan's body and buried it against River's chest.  "What are we going to do?" She murmured softly, her eyes shut tightly.  It was as if her mind still couldn't process what had just happened.  She felt strangely numb, but deep below that she was silently screaming, mindless panic threatening to overcome her senses.

     "We're going to get the hell out of here and call the cops...that's what we're going to do.  Come on, let's go."  River's hands moved to the underside of Kat's arms as she began to stand and Kat stood with her, the absurdity of her suggestion bringing her back to some sort of intelligent thinking. Her eyes darted to River.  "The cops?  And what the f**k are we going to tell them?  The b***h had fangs, River...and she ripped our f*****g friend's throat out with them!  How the hell do we explain that?"

     River shook her head and glanced back at Morgan as she began to pull Kat with her off the stage.  "We won't need to, there's her body as evidence."  Kat flicked a gaze towards the stage as they moved down the aisle as if making sure Morgan's body was still there.  Finally, she pried her eyes back to River as they hurried up the aisle towards the front.  "Where are the others?" 

     River glanced at Kat and Kat could see the worry reflected there in her eyes.  "They're probably fine...They took off as soon as they saw what that woman was doing to Morgan.  I...I couldn't seem to look away, or do anything when it happened...it's like I was frozen to the spot..."  River slid her eyes away and Kat knew that she felt the same guilt that she did, that they hadn't done anything to save her.

     "We couldn't have done anything, River.  It happened too fast, no one could have."  She said softly, giving River's hand a soft squeeze.  River nodded quietly, her eyes remaining forward as they continued to move.  They had finally reached the street and the night seemed even darker than it had before.  "Come on, Kat....let's get moving.  We'll call the cops from the phone at your house."