Shroud of Darkness (Eternity Series Book 1)

Chapter 1

"Come to me, my child, and the world will be yours. Come to me, and let me show you the powers you possess. Come to me, and let us conquer our foes together. Come to me, my child, and immortality will be yours."

Beau sat up and rubbed his eyes before looking around the dark room filled with boxes. With only a hint of light peeking through the window, he could make out enough of his cluttered room to navigate the mess without banging into one of the many boxes. Quietly, Beau opened the door to the bathroom connected to his room and flipped on the light. The sudden flood of fluorescent light caused him to hold up a hand as he shut one eye. Once the blinding light became tolerable, he stepped into the small bathroom. It wasn't much, but it came with everything Beau needed, that being a sink, toilet, and shower.

Closing the door connecting the two rooms, he stepped over to the shower he pulled open the opaque door, which rattled for a moment before he reached in and turned on the water. Leaving the door ajar, he stepped back over to the sink and began brushing his teeth while he waited for the water to heat up. Once he finished rinsing his mouth out, Beau stripped off the white t-shirt and boxers he slept in and stepped into the hot water.

Beau had spent a good bit of time in the shower before finally deciding to wash up and get out. Wrapping a towel around himself, Beau proceeded back into the darkness of his bedroom. This time he had the light of the bathroom to help him see. He began shuffling through the boxes, looking for the one marked 'clothes.' After several moments of moving boxes, he found what he was looking for and pulled open the cardboard to reveal the folded laundry within. Mumbling to himself, Beau started sorting through the items trying to decide what he should wear. Most guys make fun of him for this particular trait, but he didn't care so long as he looked presentable.

Beau settled on a pair of gray jeans and a black dress shirt because they fit the day's mood. Dark and gloomy. He was happy to be in a new city to get a fresh start, but he couldn't stand the weather. More likely than not, it was cloudy with some level of rain.

Grabbing his raincoat and backpack, he exited his room and began making his way to the front door. He pulled open the door catching a wave of chilly air and the full sound of heavy rainfall. Stepping out, he immediately closed the door and dashed to his car, quickly yanking open the door and hopping in. Beau used his sleeve to mop up the water on his face before putting the key into the ignition.

Pulling out of the driveway, Beau began his dangerous trek to the high school.

If this rain were any heavier, I wouldn't make it to my first day of school, he thought.

The roads were slippery and almost completely flooded with water. Even with the aid of storm drains, every inch of asphalt was like one giant puddle. On the way to the school, Beau had witnessed several cars in various states of wreckage, which only made his anxiety worse as he continued his cautious drive. After an eternity, he pulled into the school's parking lot and finally took a deep breath once he was safely parked. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to relax and gather his thoughts before he examined his surroundings. Waves of other students were running across the parking lot, covering their heads with various items. They were all clamoring to get into the doors to escape the unrelenting rain.

Seeing all the people made Beau's heart race as he felt his anxiety rise again. He was happy to be in a new place where no one knew him, but it still scared him to meet new people.

Biting his tongue, Beau grabbed his bag before opening his car door; he made a quick getaway in the same direction as everyone else. After slipping into the building behind everyone, Beau pulled out his schedule and began to look it over.

His first class was English. This knowledge brought a silent cheer because Beau enjoyed literature. He spent most days reading and writing as a pass time, so he felt this would be a great welcome to the school. Doing his best to navigate the labyrinth of hallways and people, he finally came upon room 223. He peered through the small window beside the door to see an entire classroom of students in various states of work and conversation.

He took a deep breath before stepping into the classroom. His presence earned him the reaction he was expecting. The whole room went quiet as all eyes fell on him. Beau began to feel embarrassed from all the attention he was getting and was thankful when the teacher came walking in and took some of the attention off of him.

"Ah, you must be Mr. Hayes?"

"Oh, um. Yes, sir.", Beau said, his voice caught in his throat.

The teacher gave him a warm smile before he responded, "Welcome to AP Literature. I'm Mr. Jones. Would you like to introduce yourself to the class before we begin today's lesson?"

Beau chewed on his cheek for a moment before nodding in response.

Mr. Jones smiled brightly before turning his attention to the class, "Everyone, this is our new student. Go ahead and introduce yourself."

Beau slowly stepped forward, keeping his eyes on his feet. He struggled to find his voice again. This only made him feel more stupid because how hard could it be to say, "Hi, I'm Beau. Nice to meet you all."?

Mentally kicking himself for being such a loser, he somehow found his voice.

"H-h-hi, I'm Beau Hayes. It's nice to meet you all."

He could hear several tiny snickers from the back, which caused his cheeks to flush. Beau did his best to fight his growing embarrassment, but it was a losing battle.

"Mr. Hayes, would you mind telling us where you're from?" Mr. Jones said, pulling Beau from his thoughts.

"Oh..." he trailed off before he answered, "Missouri."

"And did you like it there?"

"Not really. Don't get me wrong, it's a beautiful place, once you get past all the rain, but not my cup of tea.", he responded.

"Thank you for sharing your thoughts, and welcome to New Orleans. Take a seat, and we'll begin class.", said Mr. Jones.

Beau gave him a nod before taking the empty seat toward the center of the room. He placed his bag on the floor and returned his attention to the whiteboard. The teacher had written in big, bold letters Dracula. Mr. Jones stood next to his desk with a hand resting on a stack of books, a gleeful expression on his face.

"As I'm sure you've all gathered, our next work of literature this year will be Bram Stoker's Dracula. This should be something we can all enjoy seeing as it is a great work of art, and it brings to life the famous creature of the night, The Vampire. I have a suspicion that you've all heard the rumors of New Orleans' vampire problems, and this book will give you everyone an insight into one of the most famous vampires to show up in literature."

Beau felt excited about this because he enjoyed delving into the supernatural realm. He didn't believe in it, of course, but it was fun to escape to a world of monsters from time to time. He even owned his own copy of Dracula.

Mr. Jones spoke up again, "Now, everyone, please come up and grab a copy."

All of the class, except Beau, got up and made their way up to grab a copy.

"Something wrong, Mr. Hayes? " asked Mr. Jones.

"No, sir. I just figured since I have my own copy at home, I could use it instead of taking a book from the school.", Beau said back.

That same smile returned to the man's face before he spoke, "Of course, as for the rest of you, please do not damage these. The school only has so many."

The day continued next with math and then science. After science was lunch, and this was just the break Beau was looking for. He was tired of walking into classes and introducing himself. It was exhausting. All the looks and snickering he'd get. One guy even shoulder-checked him on the way to physics. At least he could somewhat blend in at the cafeteria. Slipping into the line, Beau went through and grabbed a tray of what schools called "food" before making his way over to find a table.

And this was the part I didn't count on. He thought to himself. He wandered around for a moment like a lost puppy wondering where to sit. There weren't any empty tables, and he had yet to befriend anyone. It wasn't until his second pass around that someone called out to him.

"Hey, nerd!"

Beau turned his head in the direction of the voice. A girl dressed in black from head to toe was beckoning him over. To confirm it was himself, he pointed at himself and gained a nod in return. He recognized her from his English and science class but was unsure why she'd want to talk to him. He halted a few feet from the table lined with several people wearing a similar fashion as the girl twirled one long strand of raven black hair around her pale finger.

"Um, Hi, you're..." he was quickly cut off.

"Yes, I'm Lily. If you want, you can sit with us.", Lily said.

"Oh, no, I wouldn't want to bother you.", Beau responded.

This time she raised an eyebrow before kicking out the chair next to herself.

"Sit.", she said sternly, "I'm getting embarrassed for you watching you walk around like a loser."

The other three people just watched as Lily insulted him. After recovering from his moment of shock Beau quickly planted himself in the seat next to Lily. He could feel the heat of embarrassment radiating from his cheeks.

She patted his back forcefully and spoke to the group, "Everyone, this is Beau. Beau, welcome to the table for the outcasted and rejected. Tall, dark, and brooding over there is Jared. The girl to his right is his girlfriend, Allie. Lastly, the lovely little beauty next to her is Mary-anne."

Beau gave a slight wave to the others, and they each returned his wave with some form of "Hi."

The group returned to conversing about whatever it was they talked about, while Beau remained silent, playing with his food. He felt really out of place sitting with them, which was ironic because this was the table for those who didn't belong. Lily eventually broke the silence and addressed him.

"Hey, nerd, we realize we've just met you, but we're going to hang out this evening if you want to join us. It's up to you, and there's no pressure if you don't.", she said, doing her best to sound inviting.

Beau mulled this over for a moment thinking through whether or not he'd like to go. The bad side was he didn't know them or what they did when they hung out. On the bright side, maybe he could make some friends and see more of this strange and new city, and his mom wouldn't be home till late, so it would keep him occupied, and she'd never know he was out and about.

Deciding to take the jump, he spoke, "Yeah, sure! I'd like to join you guys."

"Great!" Lily said more enthusiastically, "Come to this address around six."

She quickly scribbled down an address on a piece of paper and forced it into his hand. At that moment, the bell signaling the end of lunch rang, and Lily quickly picked up her stuff, vanishing into the crowd. Beau didn't understand her. She was so strange and mysterious, but that piqued his interest.

Beau's mental exhaustion grew as he went through the rest of his classes. His brain felt like mush. He gripped the straps of his bag tightly as he did a light jog through the rain. It had let up some, but it was still enough to soak you within seconds. Slipping into his car and shutting the door, Beau took a moment to relax in the blissful silence of his car. Letting the thought of freedom sink in, he could feel some energy returning to his body. On top of that, he was looking forward to hanging out with Lily and her friends.

Pushing his key into the ignition, he pulled out of the parking lot. The drive back was just as nerve-racking, and Beau had a continuous sense of doom. Something in the back of his head was screaming for him to go home and lock the doors. He wasn't going to, of course, but the paranoia was there and growing.

God, I'm going insane. I have to be. Beau thought to himself.

Nearing the last curve before his house, he felt worried for nothing. Laughing at himself, he made the curve. When he was about to clear it, a deer leaped from the trees. His heart racing as a split-second moment of life or death became his reality; Beau jerked the wheel to the left to avoid a head-on collision with the animal. The narrow miss Beau had made now left him hydroplaning down the road.

Here's how my life ends. God, I'm too young and have too much life left to live. His thoughts were racing through his mind.

With all control lost, his stomach became tense. If his stomach clamped any tighter, he was sure to pass a diamond. He began to feel nauseated over the tractionless machine that was sure to claim his life.

This thing is going to be my coffin. He thought.

Slowly turning the wheel, he silently prayed to those above. His car now approaching the curve, Beau gave every last ditch effort to get control again. The tires finally caught traction again, and Beau immediately coasted back onto his side of the road just as a car came around the curve.

Back on track and shaken, he pressed on for the remaining distance to his house, which wasn't far. He could see as soon as he came around the curve. With the car in park, he slumped down into his seat. Today was just not the day for Beau Hayes. Of course, any day it rained wasn't the day for him. Water and he never mixed well. Like oil and water, if it wasn't bottled or coming from a showerhead, he hated it and refused to go near the substance if he could avoid doing so. He finally managed to calm his racing heart before it exploded from his chest. He glanced at the clock in his car, then up to the front door of his house. With a little over two hours, until he needed to be at the address given to him, he began to contemplate calling a literal rain check. After almost having his life claimed twice in the span of a minute, he couldn't possibly imagine driving again today.

Even though Beau didn't want to drive on the wet roads again, he still found himself switching into more comfortable clothes, combing his hair, and doing his best to look decent without going over the top. He didn't know what it was, but something in the back of his brain was calling to him. Like when you have an insatiable craving that doesn't go away till you get said item. His entire being was dead set on going, while the sane part of his mind was like, 'What in the hell do you think you're doing?'.

"Great question, brain. I wish I knew.", he said to himself as he ran his comb through his black hair.

Great, now I'm talking to myself. Time to seek therapy for whatever screw has been knocked loose up there. His thoughts continued.

Setting the comb down, he looked himself over before exiting the bathroom. He looked out his window at the darkening sky and shook his head.

"Here we go again.", he said in an annoyed tone.

There isn't any way today could possibly get any worse. Hopefully.

***

Beau now sat packed into a car with Lily and her friends. It was a beat-up little thing, and he was pretty sure it was on its last thread. The outside was rusty and dented, and the engine sounded like it was about to give out. The high-pitched wail sounded like a cry for help. Beau offered to use his car, but they refused. Now here they sat, rumbling along to some spot in the woods or, as they called it, "The Devil's site."

The name was given to the area after a series of murders ranging from people being drained dry to being absolutely mauled. Beau didn't understand their fascination with the place or why they liked to go hang out and see if they catch a glimpse of the supposed monster. He decided not to ask because he assumed it was just superstition, like with the whole vampire stuff.

It took about thirty minutes for them to arrive at the gate blocking off the trail. It was old and rusty with a sign hanging on by one screw. On the sign: NO TRESPASSING.

"Hey Lily, are you sure this is a good idea?" Beau asked as the group proceeded to hop the gate.

"For the last time, we do this all the time. Nothing has happened yet, and no one ever comes back here. Now come on.", she said before grabbing the front of his jacket and dragging him to the gate.

She gave him a small wink before she climbed over and beckoned him to do the same. He let out a heavy sigh before climbing over and following in trace. Jared and Allie were up in the front, walking arm in arm, while Mary-Anne walked quietly in toe, staring at the ground. In the back were Beau and Lily. She was doing her best to encourage Beau that things were fine, but his nerves were all out of whack.

The path was long and muddy. The rain was ever-present, and all Beau could think about was the tickling in the back of his mind.

"Lily.", he said quietly.

"What's up?" she responded.

"I think I'm going to just go wait at the car. I've had this bad feeling all day, and I think I'll have to join you guys another night."

She stopped and looked at him skeptically before sighing, "All right, I get it. If you want, I can join you."

"No, I don't want to intrude on your time. I know this is lame of me, but next time I promise I'll join the group.", he said.

She gave him a minor slap on the shoulder, "You better keep that promise, loser."

They both let out a small laugh before splitting ways.

Being almost pitch black, Beau struggled to follow the path back to the rusted gate. The only light he got as he crept along through the muddy trail was occasional flashes of lightning. The sound of splashing rain and thunder sent shivers up his spine. Beau was beginning to wish he had asked Lily to walk back with him. All he could think about was the stories of the murders.

What if they are true? He wondered. I'm an idiot for even coming out here.

Coming upon a fork in the road, Beau became confused. He didn't remember there being two paths, nor was it mentioned.

Maybe I just didn't notice. He thought.

Unsure of which path to take, he went right. He walked for a while before he began to get the feeling he had gone the wrong way.

It shouldn't have taken this long to get back.

He took a moment to pause and pull out his phone to give him some more light. Hoping to see something familiar or to point him in the right direction, he began to do a slow turn. When he almost completed a full circle, his phone's flashlight began to reflect off something just inside the tree line. He squinted his eyes to try and make out what it was as he slowly moved closer.

Grrrr!

A growl began to emanate from the reflection of light. Beau's eyes grew wide, and he dropped his phone as two gigantic wolves stood on their hind legs. They stepped forward in the light, fangs bared, and his stomach hit the floor. His blood ran cold as he stared at the two beasts that stood before him. He couldn't comprehend what he was seeing. These wolves were larger than anything he'd ever seen, and on top of that, they were standing on their hind legs like humans.

They began to step forward, somewhat beginning to block any paths for him to escape except into the woods. That didn't matter, though, because his legs wouldn't move, and his voice wouldn't work to scream for help. All he could do was wait to be mauled by the two beasts.

Beau closed his eyes and held up his hands to shield his head, and waited for the attack.

Pat! Pat! Pat!

What sounded like bare feet slapping mud came from the distance. Beau slowly peered through his feeble attempt to shield himself to witness one of the monsters flying through the air and smacking a tree twenty feet away. A girl came up running up to him. Grabbing his hand, she began to jerk him.

"Run! Now!" she screamed.

This got motion back in his legs, and he began to follow in her trace. Beau let her guide him through the darkness before she pushed him to the side, making him hit a tree as the other wolf came flying through the space now between them.

"Quickly! Get out of here!" she screamed.

She pounced on the wolf, distracting it so he could escape. He quickly picked himself up and began to run into the woods. He ran, putting as much distance between himself and whatever he had just witnessed.

He quickly slid in between a bundle of trees to hide. He needed to catch his breath after running so hard for so long. Not to mention the adrenaline was beginning to wear off. Catching his breath, he began to think through what had happened. He was trying to rationalize the whole thing.

Were they really that big? Did they really stand up like that? Maybe I imagined it. Yeah, that's it! My mind made it all up. I came across some wolves, and my brain fabricated their size of them. OK? What about the woman? Maybe she has experience with wolves. Nah, that can't be it. Maybe I made her up to, but her touch felt so real. His mind was reeling.

Snap!

A tree limb about ten feet from him snapped, and Beau heard a familiar growl. He turned his head to look, and all he could remember was pain and a pair of golden eyes.

Cough! Cough!

Beau slowly opened his eyes. His body was numb, and he couldn't move it. He could barely manage the shallow breaths. It felt like he was suffocating. The movement of a pale figure next to him caught his attention, and he did his best to look. A pair of dark crimson eyes were staring down at him. It was her, the woman that tried to save him. She was somehow unscathed.

But how?

"How are you..." she cut him off.

"Quiet, child. I need you to save whatever bit of life you have left. If you don't, I won't be able to save you.", she said.

"Save me?" he questioned.

She responded in a gentle whisper, "Yes, child. I'm going to change you and make you a vampire. You will become my creation. Now, shhh."

A vampire? What is she a lunatic? He thought.

She gently caressed his cheek before she lifted her wrist to her red lips. He could make out a pair of pearly, white fangs before she bit down into her arm. Blood began to flow from the open wound and drip onto his face.

"Ahhh!" he let out a scream as her blood dripped into his wounds, causing his body to feel like it was on fire.

She pulled her wrist from her closed mouth and pulled him up to press their lips together. He wanted to fight it, but he didn't. The calmness the kiss gave him was the most peace he had ever felt, that was until she began to release her blood into his mouth. It burned, and he tried to pull away so he could spit out, but she held him with a force he couldn't fight. She didn't let go until he swallowed the mouth full of blood she had given him.

It burned the entire way down to his stomach, and his body went from numb to hellfire in seconds. She pulled back and held him close for a moment running her fingers through his black hair.

"I know it hurts my child, and I know you're afraid. You're probably questioning yourself, and I promise to answer your questions when I see you again, but for now, I must leave you to save you from our enemy. My heart aches that I must do so, but I will see you again soon.", she said.

He could hear the faint sobs, but it was hard for him to focus on her over the torture that his body was experiencing. She slowly lowered him down to the ground and kissed his forehead.

With a voice full of pain, she spoke, "Goodbye, for now."

With that, she was gone, and Beau blacked out.