I don’t know what I was thinking. Why did I think it would be a good idea to bring my cat to school? At the time I was thinking “Little Sunny is so sweet and calm, if I sneak her into my school bag and bring her to the school play rehearsal, no one will even notice!” Well, it didn’t work out like that. Instead, I’m chasing her around the school because she got out of my bag and now I have to find her before someone else does first. Sunny is normally so lazy, why did she have to pick now to get a burst of energy? “Sunny! Get back here you annoyingly adorable fluff ball!!!” I call as I chase her down the stairs to the basement. She still runs away from me! The crazy thing is, in two minutes I won’t be mad at her anymore because she’ll stare at me with those big kitten eyes and then I’ll completely forgot this happened! I swear, cats get away with everything! Okay, now I can’t find her, and it’s so dark down in this basement. It’s unfinished and only used for storage, so a little cat like Sunny could hide in here forever. Then I hear someone come in, I turn around to see who it is. Just in case, I run behind a shelf. If it’s the ridiculously strict Mr. Winster, then I definitely don’t want to get caught. I see a student and sigh in relief. Then I almost fall back in surprise, it’s not just any student, it’s my crush, Annie. She’s only the smartest, funniest and cutest person I’ve ever met. She’s also in the school play, only while I’m playing a background character, she’s playing the lead. I doubt she knows who I am. This is just great, as if I’m not already really awkward when I see her. This whole thing with Sunny is just going to make it worse! Okay, I have to think. How do I get Sunny back without making a fool of myself? I see Annie walk over to one of the storage bins that has extra costume supplies in it. Then I gasp when I see Sunny perched on the shelf right next to her, ready to pounce at any moment. No Sunny! You can jump on my head all you want, but leave Annie’s impossibly soft hair alone! At least now I’ve found my crazy cat, now I just have to get her back. I start to get out from my hiding place. I try to move on of the bins aside, but when I pick it up it hits the shelf. Since it’s really heavy, it actually knocks over the whole shelf! The shelf crashes down right as Annie’s about to leave. When she hears the crash, she turns around in surprise and sees me right next to the fallen shelf. “Uhh, hi there…” I say really awkwardly. “Jane? What are you doing here? Why did that shelf fall over?” Annie asks. “Well, um… uh.” I try to think of an excuse, but I can’t think of anything. During my extreme awkwardness, I don’t notice Sunny sneak up behind me and jump onto my head. After that I crash into another shelf, it falls over and knocks over a stack of bins that all fall on me! Great, because I wasn’t already embarrassed. Okay, if this happened in front of anyone else, I would be really embarrassed. But this didn’t happen in front of anyone, it happened in front of Annie, and I’m going to have to hide in my room for the nexts decade. “Jane, are you okay!?” Annie calls. Then she runs over and moves the bins out of the way. I awkwardly get up, now I have to get out of here as soon as possible. “Uh, thanks. I have to go now!” I say quickly. Just as I’m about to leave, Annie walks up to me holding Sunny. “Hey, Jane, is this your cat?” Annie asks. “Uh, yes, it is. Thank you.” I say, taking Sunny from her. “May I ask why you brought your cat to school?” Annie asks. “Well, I guess for some reason I thought it would be a good idea, now I see that it wasn’t.” I say. “Well, she is pretty cute, I’ve always wanted a cat. Hey, we should probably clean this up before anyone else sees it.” Annie says. Annie walks away and starts putting the bins back. Oh my gosh, she finally noticed me, she actually knew my name, and she doesn’t hate me or think I’m weird! This is the best day of my life! And it was all because I brought my cat to school! “Sunny, you are the best cat ever.” I whisper to Sunny.
Layne woke up feeling very dizzy, she was now sitting on one of the school’s balconies, leaned up against the dark metal railing. She was surrounded by Queen Lauren’s guards, and Jade was watching her very closely. She was still wearing the rusted metal handcuffs, only now instead of being chained to a wall, she was chained to the railing. Jenny was sitting next to her, also chained up and still unconscious. Layne put one hand on her shoulder and shook her awake.
“Jenny! Wake up!” Layne whisper-shouted.
“Layne?” Jenny weakly looked up at her, her yellow eyes were like dying flashlights in the dead of night. Layne wanted to cry every time she looked in her eyes. After being a prisoner for months, Jenny had truly lost all hope. Layne knew she had to get both of them out of there, no matter what.
“It’s going to be okay, I promise.” Layne whispered.
One of the guards looked down at her and glared. Layne gulped. Most of the guards were busy painting some kind of symbol on the floor. It was a very large circle, with several smaller and more complex design inside it. It looked like something that would be used to cast a spell. Layne didn’t want to know what Jade and Lauren intended to use it for.
Then one of the guards walked up to Layne and unlocked her handcuffs.
“Get up.” the guard said impatiently.
Layne did as he said. She had to play along until she saw the signal. Two guards grabbed her arms and brought her up to Jade.
“Jenny, I’m going to get us out of here.” Layne said as the guards dragged her towards the glowing symbol.
Layne looked up at Jade, trying to appear calm. Jade seemed as confident as Layne wanted to look. To Jade, this plan had already succeeded. Layne looked down at her glowing necklace, it could feel that something was about to happen.
“Sit down.” Jade said coldly.
“Where?” Layne asked, trying to match her tone.
“Oh, you know where.” Jade said, pointing towards the symbol.
Layne looked at the shape painted in blood on the ground. At the very center, there was a shape that looked like her necklace; a red diamond. Surrounding it were two empty circles, about the size for someone to sit in with their legs crossed, as Jade was already doing. Layne sat in the other circle, still trying not to show any fear.
“Now, I think you know where that goes.” Jade said, pointing at Layne’s necklace.
Layne nodded, she took it off and held it by its silver chain, she placed it in between the two of them. Jade took out a large knife. Its long thin silver blade reflected the light of the full moon.
Jade looked up at one of the guards, “Time?”
“11:33, princess.” the guard replied.
One more minute until the moon will be at its fullest. Layne thought.
Jade pressed the knife against Layne’s wrist, she waited to cut though, it had to be exactly 11:34.
“Ten seconds.” Queen Lauren said.
“So, how do you feel, Elaina?” Jade asked with a villainous smile on her face.
Layne didn’t answer, she was rapidly observing each guard, checking for a key ring to unlock Jenny’s handcuffs. She saw it, it belonged to the guard nearest to the balcony’s rail and Jenny. Perfect, hopefully grabbing it wouldn’t be too hard. Layne was still waiting for the signal.
“Five.” Lauren said.
Come on Jake, hurry. Layne thought.
“Four.”
Layne looked down at the red light of her necklace.
“Three.”
Jade looked very impatient.
“Two.”
Almost out of time. Layne thought.
“One.”
And with that, Jade didn’t hesitate, her hand that stood still before quickly sliced open Layne’s wrist and her blood gushed out onto the necklace. It disappeared , as if being absorbed by the gem, as soon as it hit the ground. Jade was starting to have the same flickering glow as the gem. The spell began restoring her instantly, which meant that Layne would have even less time than she thought.
“The gem once used as a curse will now be used to heal And for the gem's new owner, my blade will be the last thing they feel!” Jade shouted.
Layne assumed that those words were part of the spell. Layne began to feel light-headed, even dizzier than before. All her strength- no, her life force was being drained out of her. Her vision blurred, the low whispers of the guards became one long humming noise. Layne wondered if it was now too late for her, even if she heard Jake’s signal.
No, Layne was not giving up, she promised Jenny that she would get them both out of there. Layne would stay strong, even as she watched her energy being spilled out in front of her.
Layne’s world suddenly snapped back into focus when she heard the loud alarm coming from below. Jake had come through, he had come for her. A feeling of relief washed over her, then stopped, now came the hard part.
Jade and the others looked surprised to hear the alarm, a distraction Layne would use to her advantage. The moment Jade looked away, Layne grabbed the knife and plunged it into Jade’s hand to distract her. Layne quickly got up and ran to the guard with the keys and grabbed his key ring.
“Get her!” Lauren and Jade screamed at the same time, Jade pulled the knife out of her hand.
It was already too late for that though, everyone was distracted from Layne stabbing Jade, allowing her to get to Jenny and free her from the handcuffs.
“Do you trust me?” Layne asked.
Jenny nodded.
“Jump.” Layne said.
“What?” Jenny asked.
“Hurry!” Layne said.
Jenny nodded. Layne helped Jenny climb over the railing and jump down. Layne followed.
A second before she fell she felt Jade grabbed her hand.
“You’re not getting away that easily!” Jade shouted.
No, of course it would not be that easy, but Layne still had the knife. She stabbed Jade’s hand again, and Jade let go, and Layne fell.
Jake is Layne’s only close friend when she first comes to Batwing High. Jake, like Layne, is unpopular and doesn’t like talking to people very much. Jake was put in Level 4 like Layne, and has all the same classes. Jake comes from one of the families who have attended Batwing High from the very beginning, and his parents have already decided that they want him to date Lila, who also comes from one of those families. Mostly, Jake is more interested in doing well in school than making friends, but he is curious to get to know Layne because of her unusual background.
Lila is one of the most popular girls at Batwing High. Lila is mostly interested in making sure that she always knows what is cool and which people are too weird for her to hang out with. Lila is very disappointed to have Layne as her roommate, because according to her Layne is the definition of uncool. Lila can read minds, but for some reason she can’t hear Layne’s thoughts, this annoys her.
Jenny is not in most of the book, but she is still a very important character. She has a necklace that looks exactly like Layne’s, it was a gift she got from her girlfriend Leah and she went missing soon after getting it. Jenny is introduced near the end of the book, once Layne has been taken to the villain’s lair, where both of them are held prisoner.
Setting: The main setting of the story is the vampire boarding school, Batwing High. It was not always a high school, it was originally the castle of the vampire royalty. It was transformed into a school in 1872 by Sir Forest Batwing, who is still the school principal to this day. The building is very tall and it’s made from a very dark stone. Since the building is hundreds of years old, the stones are cracked in various places and there are vines growing in that space. Some parts of the school are newer, and they’re made from a shinier, white stone, for example the students’ dorms or the classrooms, more and more were added to the building over the years as the number of students increased. In January, the start of the vampire school year, each student must take a test their level of strength. The levels go from 1 to 4, classes and dorms are assigned according to level. The school has a few secret passages that the students and most of the teachers don’t know exist. One of them is in the library, and the entrance is hidden behind a bookshelf. These passages are far from the only secret the school is hiding. Being a student at Batwing High is not always easy, the classes are tough, the teachers are very strict, and not everyone is who they say they are.
Characters:
Opening Chapter: The story starts fourteen years before the main action of the book. It begins at the magical river; the Wishing Stream, where Mr. and Mrs. Dahlia visiting late at night. While they were there, they found Layne as a baby, a gift sent to them by the magic of the stream. Layne was found with a special necklace that also had its own magic.
Layne wakes up early in the morning so she can have lots of time to get ready for school. After getting up, she gets dressed, brushes her teeth, then goes to the kitchen to eat breakfast with her parents. They all sit at the table together, and Layne’s parents talk to each other while Layne just listens and studies for any upcoming tests. When Layne is done eating, she packs up her school bag, says goodbye to her parents, then leaves.
Layne takes the bus to school, she sits near the front by herself and reads until she gets to school. When she gets inside, she has a bit of free time before having to go to her first class. When she’s in class, she always takes notes on any new topics the teacher brings up. She always sits by herself at lunch, usually in the corner of the cafeteria, away from her more noisy classmates.
Layne takes the bus home in the afternoon as well. When she gets home, if one of her parents is home, she’ll tell them about her day. If not, she’ll go to her room right away and finish any incomplete homework assignments and then study. In the evening, she’ll eat dinner with her parents. After that, she’ll get ready for bed. Layne tries to go to bed early so that she has the energy to wake up early the next morning.
PROLOGUE: THE MAGIC RIVER The story began with the Wishing Stream. A place normally avoided by those who fear the unknown, it was a magical river that flowed near the small town of Neigedale. The stream ran through the dark and dense woods right where the town came to an end. Unlike the surrounding shadowy woods, the land closest the stream had its own eerie mystical glow. The trees chose not to grow too close to the water, as if, like the townspeople, they did not trust its magic. Instead, these bizarre flowers grew in that space. The flowers could grow to about five feet tall with thick stems that had no offshoots and grew straight up. The flowers themselves had exactly seven petals that could come in pink, blue, purple or yellow. They were referred to as “flashlight flowers” because the center of the flower would light up at night. The most unsettling detail about this stream was the mysterious creatures people have noticed. Some live underwater, some on land, but none will show their face, only their glowing green eyes as they watch people pass by. There were rumors that if anyone saw more than just the creatures’ eyes, they would be pulled down into the water, never to be seen again. There were also rumors that the water was magical and would sometimes grant wishes, but not just anyone could get one. Most of the townspeople were too afraid to try and get a wish for themselves. The only people brave enough were Mr. and Mrs. Dahlia, who visited it whenever they had the chance. They heard the stories about the strange creatures, but they didn’t care, for they thought that they knew how to get the stream to grant their wish. This couple believed that all you had to do was face your fear of the magic, and see the river for yourself. They really hoped they were right, because they had a very special wish. For a long time they wanted a child, but it was impossible. The magic of the river gave them hope that it could still happen. The whole town thought they were crazy, but they never gave up, they went back every night. For a long time, nothing happened, and everyone told them there was no point in going back; that it was hopeless. That never stopped them though, and then one day, their whole life changed. That night, they saw a bright light slowly coming down the stream toward them. It was not a flower, and it wasn’t the eyes of a swimming creature, it was something completely new, it was glowing red. “Hey, do you see that?” Mrs. Dahlia asked her husband. “Yes, I see that it's coming, but not what it is.” Mr. Dahlia said. Suddenly, they heard a little giggle coming from it. When it came up to them, it turned out to be a little wooden raft with a little baby wrapped in a light blue blanket sitting in a woven basket on it. The baby looked only a few days old. The light was coming from the baby’s necklace, a silver chain that had a glowing red diamond attached to it. The baby smiled up at the couple. She had bright green eyes that seemed to sparkle in the moonlight. “I think our wish just came true.” Mrs. Dahlia said. They both smiled back.
The story begins with the Wishing Stream. A place normally avoided by those who fear the unknown, it is a magical river near the small town of Neigedale. The stream runs through the dark and dense woods right where the town comes to an end. Unlike the surrounding shadowy woods, the land closest the stream has its own eerie mystical glow. The trees choose not to grow too close to the water, as if, like the townspeople, they don’t trust its magic. Instead, these bizarre flowers grow in that space. The flowers can grow to about five feet tall with thick stems that have no offshoots and grow straight up. The flowers themselves have exactly seven petals that come in pink, blue, purple or yellow. They are referred to as “flashlight flowers” because the centre of the flower lights up at night. The most unsettling detail about this stream is the mysterious creatures people have noticed. Some live underwater, some on land, but none will show their face, only their glowing green eyes as they watch people pass by. There have also been rumours that the water is magic and can grant wishes, but only for certain people. Layne’s parents had been wishing for a child when they found her as a baby drifting down the stream on a little raft, sitting in a basket wrapped in a blanket.
The main setting of the story is the vampire boarding school, Batwing High. It was not always a high school, it was originally the castle of the vampire royalty. It was transformed into a school in 1872 by Sir Forest Batwing, who is still the school principal to this day. The building is very tall and it’s made from a very dark stone. Since the building is hundreds of years old, the stones are cracked in various places and there are vines growing in that space. Some parts of the school are newer, and they’re made from a shinier, white stone, for example the students’ dorms or the classrooms, more and more were added to the building over the years as the number of students increased. In January, the start of the vampire school year, each student must take a test their level of strength. The levels go from 1 to 4, classes and dorms are assigned according to level. The school has a few secret passages that the students and most of the teachers don’t know exist. One of them is in the library, and the entrance is hidden behind a bookshelf. These passages are far from the only secret the school is hiding. Being a student at Batwing High is not always easy, the classes are tough, the teachers are very strict, and not everyone is who they say they are.
Layne’s full name is Elaina Evie Dahlia. Layne is a fourteen year old vampire and a student at Batwing High. Layne is slightly shorter than average. She’s quite pale compared to most humans, but she looks a bit tanned compared to her vampire classmates. She has long ginger hair that she likes to keep half tied up. She has bright green eyes that glow in the dark. Her nails are filed into a pointed shape and she paints them black and pink. Most of the time she wears her school uniform: a white button up shirt with little blood red buttons, a short flared grey skirt, a pair of black socks that go up to her knees, and a black cropped jacket with a white spider web design on the back. She wears black sneakers with sky blue laces. Layne wears a necklace with a silver chain and a glowing red diamond that was found in the Wishing Stream with her when she was a baby. Layne was thought of as unnaturally strong and fast when she went to human school. Really, she is quite weak for a vampire, so nothing comes easily for her at Batwing High.
Most people feel like they don’t fit in at some point in their life, but Layne never stops feeling that way. From the day Layne’s parents found her near a mysterious and magical river as a baby, they knew that there was nothing normal about her. One day after Layne accidentally attacks someone at school, she finds out that she is actually a vampire! Layne is told that she must leave home to attend Batwing High, a special boarding school for vampires, where hopefully she will learn about who she really is. At school, Layne finds herself having to work harder than any other student just to get through each day. Not only because she doesn’t know the rules and she’s the uncool girl who was raised by humans, but also because she must defend herself from mysterious attackers who are after Layne’s magical necklace that was with her when her parents found her. After finding several messages written in blood, secret passages under the school, and random attacks on Layne’s friends, Layne has no idea who she can trust anymore. Can Layne solve this mystery, stop an unknown enemy and still pass all her classes?
