For Jen L. and A. Lee Martinez, who love strangeness and humor as much as I do.

DISCLAIMER:  Although real locales are mentioned in this story, remember that it's still fictional. Should you live in or nearby any of these places, or names similar to them, I wouldn't go looking around for places that seem familiar to you, like a diner or a bookstore. You wouldn't want to know what lives there now.

And if you know any people who share names with the likes of Claudia Patterson, Joan Curwen, David Burke, Agatha Bateman, Randy Carter, etc. please don't ask them about the following ordeal. They won't know what the hell you're talking about.

NIGHTSHIFT

A tale of absurdity by Victoria Campbell

7/14/09-?

"When you look into the abyss, the abyss also looks into you"— Friedrich Nietzsche

"Out of the blue, beyond any cause you can trace, you'll suddenly realize things are not how you perceived them to be at all. For some reason, you will no longer be the person you believed you once were. You'll detect slow and subtle shifts going on all around you, more importantly shifts in you. Worse, you'll realize that it's always been shifting, like a shimmer of sorts, a vast shimmer, only dark like a room. But you won't understand why or how. You'll have forgotten what gave you this awareness in the first place"
—  Johnny Truant  (House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski)

"There are things of which I may not speak;
There are dreams that cannot die;
There are thoughts that make the strong heart weak;
And bring a pallor to the cheek"
—"My Lost Youth" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

1- Known Unknowns

It's perfectly rational to be afraid of the dark. After all, you don't know what's lurking in it. And of course it's normal if one fears the unknown. They don't know what the outcome will be, and neither do you.

To many, however, the unknown represents a future you can make yourself; a prosperous future where everyone cultivates their own unique skills to gain a better understanding of the world and those around and beyond it.

But the unknown has a darker side. You don't know what's out there, who or what is waiting for you, or what will happen.

…This story will be about the latter.

If you venture even a little further from what you call home and familiarity, you'll discover that things are not, and never were—  what they seem anymore. Terrible truths, crazed cults, bizarre beasts, and things mortals were never meant to know, lurk just below the threshold of comprehension. Ghouls gibber in the sewers below, while ghosts and other intangible, unseen entities hover around you in what you perceive to be breathable air. Even when you're standing in a big open field or on the roof of a skyscraper, or if you gaze up at the azure, black, off-white, or gray sky, you feel a claustrophobic tightening in your chest, as you now perceive the Earth as somewhat of a fishbowl, casually viewed by gigantic, nameless, alien creatures that have existed long before the known universe began to form.

In this case, all of the characters in the following tale took the step away from conventional normality, which led them into their current situation to stop unspeakable horrors from beyond when they tried to consume all of space and reality.

2- Beasts and Bloodsuckers

What a clichéd introduction.

…It was pouring down rain as the beat-up SUV barreled down the empty, dirt road. The hurricane-like weather didn't bother the passengers at all, considering that both of them had heightened reflexes and perception, allowing them to get through the storm easily.

The werewolf was the one who was driving. He was tall and gangly with pale skin, and his icy blue eyes were slightly hidden under the light gray hair that hung in his face. If you looked closely through his bangs, you could see a scar over his left eye. The werewolf was wearing a black and red basketball jersey, baggy jeans, and black combat boots.

The vampire was a few inches shorter, with a paler, sickly complexion. She had straight, shoulder length brown hair, and her gray eyes were lined with dark circles from lack of sleep. She wore a dark gray t-shirt, jeans, and black sneakers.

She was staring out the window in a trance-like state, but quickly snapped out of it as the werewolf sped over a large pothole. "Jeez, Storm! Watch where you're going!", the vampire exclaimed, clearly annoyed by the werewolf's flippant handling of the road. "Sorry, Joan", the werewolf, Storm, grunted. "Riiight", Joan huffed as Storm turned his attention back to the road. Joan reached over to the cup holder and took out a water bottle (it was actually filled with blood) and sucked down half the contents. She sighed and ran her tongue over her exposed fangs. "Thirsty?", Storm chuckled, glancing at Joan with an amused expression on his face. "Parched, actually", Joan replied, reaching for the "water-bottle" again. "I told you to eat an hour ago", Storm chastised. "The jail in the police station was empty and it was broad daylight. The birds and squirrels don't have enough blood to keep the thirst down. …Not that I would eat those", Joan replied defensively. "Maybe it's 'cuz you're still a newborn?", Storm suggested, shrugging. Joan raised a questioning eyebrow at the werewolf. "I've been a vampire for about a year. I dunno if I still count as 'new' ", she said. Joan looked out the window, nervously fidgeting around in her seat. "…How much further to the next town?", she blurted, her voice slightly cracking. "A mile", Storm answered. "Step on it, I'm starving", Joan ordered.

They reached the edge of town within five minutes. Storm hadn't even stopped the car when Joan threw her door open and ran out with inhuman speed.  About five minutes later, she came flying back in bat form. She changed back as soon as she flew through the open car window. "Floor it!", Joan yelled. Storm slammed his foot on the accelerator and they sped off again.

"So… how was dinner?", Storm asked casually. "It was a would-be convenience store robber. I caught him when he was running through the parking lot. …I don't care if anyone saw me, that prick deserved it", Joan made her point by baring her still-exposed fangs. Storm gave his friend an odd look. What was it? Admiration? Disdain? Disappointment?

"Uh, what's wrong?", Joan asked curiously. "It's interesting that you only feed on criminals. Pretty risky, wouldn't you say?", Storm said.

Joan scratched the back of her head and looked down at her feet. "I guess, but when I was turned, I immediately knew how I could keep myself fed and protect people at the same time. Terrorists, murderers, rapists, drug dealers, robbers, mobsters, pedophiles-- I mean, they don't deserve to live, right? …Who would you want dead?  Some random person strolling down the sidewalk, or somebody who shoots up a place full of innocent people? I figure that I can help the world out a little bit by killing off the crooks. And sooner or later, people's behavior might change for the better".

Joan looked up at Storm, and then frowned. "You must think that's stupid, right?", she mumbled dejectedly.

Storm shook his head. "No, not at all. Actually, I think it's great that you can control yourself from feeding on your family, or anybody, like that, and that you found a food source that benefits you, and everyone else. …Now look at me, I was scared as hell when I became a werewolf. The first time I changed was when I panicked. I was in this bar and a bunch of tough guys got pissed off because I won a pool game that they bet against me in. I shifted when they surrounded me, and I didn't even realize it until the whole bar started screaming. I got outta there as fast as I could, and didn't show my face in public for at least a week. …Jeez, if I thought that was bad, I can't imagine what would happen if I lost control again. I was afraid that I'd wind up hurting my family and friends. I tried holing up in my basement, but I always broke out when the full moon came around. I don't know anything that could control a werewolf when they're in moon-rage. …I had no idea what to do; how to keep myself from hurting people".

The werewolf looked down and sighed. He then looked up and smiled. "But you, you thought and planned everything out. It takes brains to think of something like that, and you've certainly got 'em", Storm commended. Joan blinked. "Really?".

Storm nodded. "'Course", he confirmed. The two sat in silence for a bit after that. The rain started letting up a little, so Storm started to drive faster.

3- The Academy of Evil

About 40 minutes later, Joan noticed that the area they were in was completely unfamiliar. "We're lost", she stated, looking out the window again. "We're fine", Storm insisted, taking a left turn into the forest. "But I…", Joan began, but was interrupted as the car ran over a branch, sending them a foot in the air. "Argh, this car's such a shit heap!", she yelped, trying to keep her body in her seat. "Hey, I'm stickin' with my Suburban 'til it croaks, OK? Besides, this old truck has personality", Storm retorted. Joan glowered at the werewolf.  "All I'm saying is that you have to be careful with it, 'cause this tin-can looks like it's gonna break down any minute", she said. "I guess I could take it to the next shop we find…", Storm mused slowly. Joan nodded. "That's right", she agreed. Storm looked ahead, eyes on the road.

The two supernatural creatures kept driving, although they didn't see anything that looked remotely like civilization. Nothing but woods, woods, and more woods. "Maybe you should've bought a GPS…", the vampire muttered. Storm rolled his window down and sniffed the air. "Maybe not; I smell humans", he spoke. The werewolf sniffed the air again, then frowned. "…And something else", he mumbled. "Like what?", Joan questioned. "Try zombies", Storm answered. "But there aren't any cemeteries around here", Joan said. "That's the strange thing", Storm replied grimly. He floored the gas pedal.

The SUV burst through a thicket of dead trees and into a large clearing. Storm immediately slammed on the brakes, causing Joan to crash against the windshield face first. "…Why'd you stop for?!", she demanded angrily. Storm merely pointed in front of them. Joan looked where he was pointing, and raised an eyebrow. "Oh, yes. That", she acknowledged.

At the far end of the field was a massive, gothic castle. There was a huge gate around it, making the grounds look like a fortress. "Spooky", Joan commented, chuckling. As they drove up to the gate, Joan noticed a large "Keep Out!" sign written in (fake) blood letters. The vampire scoffed and looked at the sign above it.

"THE ACADEMY OF EVIL. Educating your mad scientists, psychopaths, and unpleasant people in general since 1933".

"Academy of Evil, eh? Doesn't sound so evil if they use fake blood for the Keep Out signs", Storm remarked, folding his arms. Joan stared up at the gate, and got out of the car. "Hey, Joan, get back here", Storm called. Joan didn't listen; adventure was already gleaming in her eyes.

The werewolf got out of the driver's seat, pocketing his keys and grumbling swearwords. "Storm, hang on", his friend instructed, holding out her arm. Storm reluctantly did so, and Joan turned themselves into mist. The mist drifted through the gate before settling onto the ground again. Both supernatural creatures reappeared in tangible form a few seconds later. "God, I really hate it when you do that", Storm shuddered, running his large hands around his body to see if he was all there. "Calm down, you're in one piece", Joan assured him.

4- The Necromancer

The vampire and the werewolf made their way across the grounds. Most of the lights were off, signifying that almost everybody was in bed. "I thought a place like this would be more fun at night", Joan mused aloud. Before she could say anything else, a loud yell cut through the air, followed by a moan. "Maybe it is. C'mon", Storm replied, racing ahead. The two friends ran into the next courtyard to find a man surrounded by a large group of shambling corpses. "Told ya I smelled zombies", Storm grunted.

The man was extremely pale, as close to stark white as you can get.  He was tall and thin, with spiky white hair and pointed ears, but that was all they could really see of him. The man was wearing a pair of goggles with green lenses while his mouth and nose were covered by the collar of his ragged, black trench-coat.

The pale man shot a trail of fire from his left hand, incinerating a pair of walking dead. He wheeled around to find another zombie behind him. The man chanted some sort of spell, causing a black, fiery shape to materialize in front of him. "A hellhound? This guy can use black magic?", Storm murmured to himself. The hellhound tore through at least ten zombies in a blaze of inferno before finally going out. The man tried to summon another hellhound, but he was immediately surrounded by the remaining zombies.

"C'mon, let's help him!", Joan told Storm, rushing toward the fray. She punched a zombie in the face, causing its head to swivel around on its neck. The zombie reached up with a decayed arm, righted its head, and glared back at Joan. She drew her arm back and threw another punch. The zombie's head flew off this time, landing a few meters away. The flying head attracted more zombies, and they started lurching toward Joan. The vampire took a few steps back. She could take on a zombie or two, but ten? …Maybe she was in over her head, here.

Storm raced up to the mob of zombies, knocking them out of the way with his werewolf strength. The werewolf immediately grabbed the man's hand and pulled him away from the group. Ignoring the hungry zombies, Storm carried the man up to a second floor balcony and set him down. "You OK, dude?", Storm asked. The man nodded slowly. "…I'm all right. But how did you get in here?", he said. "Tell ya later!", Storm yelled, jumping back down and punching a zombie through the chest.

The werewolf, even in his human form, was still a formidable foe. One of his few weaknesses was the cycle of the new moon, when he was as strong as an ordinary human. He couldn't change forms during the cycle, either. Storm picked up the zombie by the throat and threw it towards a trio of its undead brethren. All four of them collapsed in a heap, allowing Storm to fight the remaining throng of zombies. Unfortunately, the assault never seemed to end.

Storm suddenly heard a scream, and a group of angry moans. The werewolf wheeled around, but he couldn't see Joan. He knew where she was, however, since the zombies were gathering at one particular spot. "I could use a little help here!", Joan yelled out from the center of the group. "Hang on, I got it", Storm called out, kicking off his boots and taking off his jersey. The pale man just stared, looking puzzled at Storm's actions. …Then he started to change.

Gray and white fur sprouted all over Storm's body as his 6-foot-4 frame expanded even further. Jagged claws burst out of his fingers and toes, muscles bulged from under his fur and a tail shot out of the base of his spine. His ears grew pointier and moved to the top of his head while a muzzle filled with sharp, white fangs pushed out from his face. Storm crouched there in full lycanthrope-form, and then launched himself at the zombies in wild fury.

Your average zombie is none too bright, and more often than not, it just lurches around trying to attack anything that looks edible.  Zombies may look scary when there's a lot of them, but that's just because there's strength in numbers. Your average werewolf is a powerful killing machine. A killing machine composed of snarling fangs, razor-sharp claws, superior instincts, and unrivaled strength.

Storm weaved his way through the throng of zombies, reducing them to rotten confetti. The whole attack took all of twenty seconds. Soon, the zombies were nothing more than a bloody mass of twitching body parts. Storm growled and spat out the undead leg in his mouth. He then stood up and reverted back to human form.

"…How'd these zombies get here, anyway? There aren't any cemeteries around this school", the werewolf inquired, pulling his jersey back on. "You're right, there aren't any graveyards. Someone directed them here", the pale man answered. "We can look into that. But first, who are you?", Joan said. "I'm Necros Igma, a teacher at the Academy. And yourselves?", the man now known as Igma replied.  "Joan Curwen".  "Eric Storm".

Igma nodded, and adjusted the collar of his trench-coat. "I thought I could defeat the zombies myself, but they were being directed by a foreign, albeit powerful, force. Magic is my specialty, you see; particularly raising the dead", he told them. "Oh, so you're a necromancer", Joan said, nodding. "That's right. I teach magic here. I attended the Academy of Evil as a child, and graduated a few years ago. Thankfully, since I attended the institution, and the magic teacher mysteriously disappeared, I was able to get the job", Igma explained. "Wow, how old are you?", Joan asked. "25", Igma answered. "Lucky you for getting a teaching job that early. I'm still in college", the vampire remarked. "Do you know of anyone that would conjure a group of zombies to go after you?", Storm asked. "I know a few people who would try, but they possess neither the power nor the skill to control such a large number of the undead. It's highly advanced magic", Igma replied.

"True, true, but what if was another teacher?", said Joan. "No, the only one who could pull something like this is the headmistress, Madame Amberly. Then again, I wouldn't put it past her, either", Igma said. You couldn't tell by looking, but Igma just scowled. "So she's in charge, huh?", Joan inquired. "Yes, she is. I can take you to her if you want", Igma offered. "Lead the way", Storm complied.

5- Madame Amberly

The trio made their way over to the main building, and walked inside. Igma led Storm and Joan down a myriad of winding hallways, spiral staircases, and secret passages. Soon, they arrived at a door marked "Headmistress". Igma knocked on the door a few times. "ENTER!", a female voice boomed. The necromancer reached for the doorknob with a trembling hand; he always hated going to Amberly's office. "Hurry up!", the voice snapped. Gathering his courage, Igma swung the door open.

A woman sat at the wood desk at the far end of the room. She was extremely fat, like "6XL sumo wrestler" fat. Her dark brown hair was tied back in a bun while there was a large, black capital "A" tattooed on her forehead.  She was wearing a plain, long sleeved black dress with gray leggings and black high heels. Her left eye was hidden behind a monocle while there was a beauty mark on her cheek. The woman didn't look beautiful at all, mind you.

Joan stared, eyes wide. "Dear God, it's like someone sculpted a dummy out of pizza dough", she chuckled.  Amberly growled and got out of her chair. "Smooth", Igma grumbled sarcastically. "Yes, and I want to know how you two got into my school undetected", Madame Amberly huffed in a stuck-up tone. "Storm and I were driving by and came across your school. We were bored and decided to check it out", Joan answered. "I didn't ask why you broke in! I'm asking how you broke in!", Amberly snapped. The witch's eyes narrowed as sparks cracked from her clenched fists.  Sensing a fight brewing, Storm immediately took up the conversation—  "Hear us out, ma'am. While we were exploring the grounds, we found one of your teachers, Mr. Igma, surrounded by zombies. If we didn't help him, he'd be worm chow right now".

The headmistress glanced at Igma, who gave a short nod. Madame Amberly sat back in her chair, looking pensively at the vampire, the werewolf and the necromancer. "…I expect you want some sort of reward for saving Igma from his own screw-up, eh?", she spoke. "Not really, considering that I think someone sent those zombies to attack him, Madame Amberly. Joan and I can look into it for you two if you want. Although you can reward us for finding out who was behind the attack", Storm replied. Madame Amberly raised an eyebrow. "How interesting…", she murmured. The fat woman rose from her seat, her enormous gut jiggling as she did so. "Very well. If you find out who's behind this, I'll give you $400", Amberly offered. "Done", Storm beamed, holding out his right hand. Amberly shook it, then sat back in her seat and scowled. "This has actually been the fourth attack this week. We have no idea where these zombies are coming from. The only person who can summon the undead in this school is Igma", she said. Amberly looked over at Igma, who looked back. You couldn't really tell with his goggles, though. "Take these two to a dorm room. We'll discuss this further in the morning", the headmistress ordered. Igma nodded and headed for the door, Joan and Storm following behind.

6- The Actual "Nightshift"

When Storm brought his truck through the gates, he parked next to one of the dorms and unpacked their luggage. After that, Igma led the two newcomers into the dormitory building. Igma opened a door on the first floor to reveal a small, two-bed dorm room. There were two dressers at the far end of the room, a large desk against another wall, and an oil painting of a gloomy island lying in the path of a particularly devastating-looking hurricane hanging above the desk.

"I hope this is all right for you two. I'd give you one of the bigger dorm-rooms, but they're only reserved for the students. …And Amberly's such a hardass that she probably wouldn't offer you anymore luxuries even if there was more space", the necromancer apologized. "S'fine", Storm grunted, setting his heavy suitcase down on the floor. Joan followed suit, and looked around the room. "Yeah, it's no trouble, Igma. I don't need to sleep anyway. It'll give me more time to check this place out", she said. Igma nodded in acknowledgement, and then left the room, closing the door behind him.

Storm plopped down on one of the beds, the frame creaking under his weight. Joan sat down on one of the chairs instead.  She busied herself by looking at the painting by the desk. "So what do you make of it?", Storm questioned.  Joan shrugged. "I'm not 100% on it yet. For all we know, Amberly could've just lied to us to throw us off her trail, since this IS an evil school", she replied.

The vampire looked around the room uneasily. "…And between you and me and that creepy painting on the wall, I think that fat old hag's got something against me", she added in an undertone. "If you're thinking of bailing…", Storm began, but Joan cut him off— "I didn't say any such thing. I'm saying that we have to stay on our toes. Evil school, evil teachers, its common sense, really".

"You have common sense?", Storm cracked. Joan ignored the comment and continued- "Look, we just need to find out who attacked Igma, and fast. Because whoever's doing this, they have a big reason for attacking the "Academy of Evil".  It can't be the good guys, since they wouldn't use something like zombies. So it just leaves- surprise, surprise- the bad guys".

"Well, there's a few hundred evil children here, and several of them probably tried to kill their teachers at some point, so how are we gonna figure this out?", Storm challenged. Joan shrugged. "Who knows? In the meantime, I'm gonna go on a little recon; see what I can find out". With that remark, she changed into a bat and flew out the open window.

7- Freshmen

Morning came soon enough. It started pouring again, obscuring the sun in a thicket of clouds.

Storm and Joan walked into the bustling cafeteria, where several hundred evil children were eating breakfast.  A few kids in line noticed the two, and began talking in hushed voices.

Storm was able to catch some words-

"Are these guys freshmen?"
"No waaaay, the girl's old enough to be a senior, and the dude's like, 25 or somethin' "
"How'd he get gray hair so early?"
"Jeez, he's as tall as a tree"
"Trees are taller than that, you idiot"
"Some are that tall!"

Joan also heard some-

"Ha, there's somebody who never leaves her house"
"Didn't she leave it to get here?"
"Hey! Ever hear of a thing called the sun?"
"She's probably one of those freaks who only goes out at night to wreak havoc on the townspeople"
"Really? Oh, she'd fit right in, then"
"How the hell did a cockroach get in my oatmeal?!"
"Who knows? Maybe the lunch lady hates you"

The two supernatural creatures walked over to Madame Amberly's table. "Ah, good morning, you two. I'm glad you remembered to come see me", she greeted. "Yeah, Joan checked out the school last night. She didn't see any more zombies, but that doesn't mean they won't attack again tonight. You got any sort of security for the school?", Storm said.

"Yes. We'll have the janitor and the guard dogs patrol the grounds tonight", Amberly replied. The werewolf didn't think that was a great security force, but little did he know, the janitor was actually a gargoyle leader named Chainhinge.

"We still need to take a look around. I flew around the school last night, but I still don't know how the zombies got in. The gates were completely closed and intact", Joan said. "Unheard of!", Amberly huffed, vexed at the notion of walking corpses sneaking in under her nose. "Someone had to command them, then. It's the only way the zombies could've gotten in", Storm declared.

Amberly looked from side to side with her piggy little eyes. "…Then we shall talk about this privately from now on. Come to my office after breakfast. You can never be too careful with these nosy students", she said in a low voice. Storm and Joan nodded before leaving Amberly's table.

Storm glanced at the lunch-line. "…I'm starved, want anything?", he asked Joan. The vampire nodded and sat down at an empty table while Storm got in line. She looked around the room. This school sure didn't spare with the diversity. There were some ordinary looking humans, but Joan saw some anthros, monsters, aliens and this one kid with an eye patch. She could've sworn she saw another kid with fangs, too.

"You mind if we sit here? Everywhere else is full", a voice asked, breaking Joan out of her thoughts. The vampire looked up to see a short Goth girl with spiky black hair tapping her on the shoulder. The girl had prominent buck teeth, pale white skin, and for some reason, she had metal hands. She also had a red, lower case "N" tattooed on her forehead.  A tall, skinny boy with black hair stood next to her. They were both wearing the standard Academy of Evil uniform: Black shoes, black pants, white short sleeved shirt, a navy blue vest, and a red necktie.

"Sure, no problem", Joan complied. The two kids sat down across from the vampire. "So are you a new student here?", the girl asked, eating a piece of toast. "No, I'm kind of a… temporary faculty member", Joan replied, shrugging. "Substitute teacher, huh? Good luck", the girl chuckled. "Nah, I'm only 20. My friend and I have to get rid of this zombie problem your school's been having", Joan said. "Yeah, they've been disrupting our classes, but it's not really a bad thing, know what I mean?", the boy spoke up. Both girls smirked at the comment.

"…So, what's your name?", the girl asked. "Joan Curwen", Joan answered. "I'm Nina Cortex, and this is Lockian Boltiel", the girl now known as Nina introduced. "Lockian?", Joan repeated, raising an eyebrow. "I call him Lockbolt", Nina replied.  

"…Made some new friends, huh?", Storm chuckled, walking up to Joan's table. The vampire nodded. "This is my friend Storm. He's helping me with the zombie problem", she told Nina and Lockbolt. The werewolf sat down and exchanged greetings. "I got some breakfast for you", Storm offered, placing a bowl of "tomato soup" in front of his friend. Joan mumbled "thanks" and held the bowl to her lips. Nina winced at the slurping sounds Joan made. "God, that is so gross", she huffed. "I've seen worse", Joan retorted.

As she wiped her mouth, Nina spotted Joan's fangs. Her eyes widened as Lockbolt raised an eyebrow. "…You're a vampire!", Nina proclaimed, pointing at Joan dramatically.

The vampire winced and glanced around, making sure no one else heard. "Shh! Not so loud! The only people who know are Amberly, Igma, and my friend", she whispered. "You mean Storm?", Nina asked. Joan nodded.

"He's not a human, either. He's…", Lockbolt started, but Storm provided the answer. "Yup, I'm a werewolf", he grunted, shoveling bacon and eggs into his mouth. Nina grinned. "No way, I've always wanted to meet the undead!", she gushed. "And I always wanted to meet a fan", Joan mumbled sarcastically.  

"…But you're friends with a gargoyle", Storm pointed out, staring at Lockbolt with fascination. Nina nodded. "That's right. It's a long story, though. You met Igma, right?", she said. "Yeah. Actually, he's the one we saved from getting eaten alive last night", Joan answered. "You shoulda let him, then", Nina scoffed. "Why? He can't be that bad for a teacher", Storm asked. "Oh, I dunno, maybe because he enslaved Lockbolt, had him kidnap me, and then tried to use me in some weird occult ritual that would turn me into a creature of darkness or something. It sounded kinda cool if I wasn't going to be enslaved for eternity", Nina retorted.

"How did you two escape?", Joan questioned, amused at the idea that a teacher would use them for an occult ritual. "My uncle came to the rescue… sort of", Nina answered with a shrug.

Lockbolt took up the rest of the story- "After I was freed, Nina found this spell in one of Igma's books that could turn me into a human. Well, temporarily, anyway. Igma became our new magic teacher shortly after I enrolled at the Academy. …I guess that's my fault considering that I ate our old teacher".

"Yeah, smooth", Nina sighed, rolling her eyes at the memory. She looked back at Storm and Joan. "Anyway, you guys have got to tell me about all your cool powers. Meet us by the science building after the dorms close at 10 PM", Nina said, writing down directions for getting to the science building from the cafeteria.

The bell rang about 15 minutes later, signifying first period. Nina and Lockbolt headed to class while Joan and Storm went to Madame Amberly's office. However, neither of them planned to tell the headmistress that they revealed their identities to Nina Cortex and an undercover gargoyle.

8- Creatures of the Night

At about five to ten that night, Joan and Storm made their way to the science building, where they were supposed to meet with Nina and Lockbolt. They spotted the two students in the back of the building, hiding under one of the staircases. Nina stepped out of the shadows, followed by Lockbolt. The latter was in his full gargoyle form, surprising both the werewolf and the vampire. Nina, however, seemed to be indifferent about it.

Lockbolt was over six feet tall, and his skin was a light-gray color. His long, pointed ears twitched a bit as Joan and Storm backed up, while his hollow-looking black eyes seemed to bore right through them, trying to figure out if the werewolf or the vampire had any intention of harming Nina. Thankfully, Lockbolt didn't seem to have any problem with them, so he sat down on the bottom of the staircase.

Nina beamed, and walked up to the pair. "Glad you could make it. The janitor's out patrolling the grounds, so I thought you'd get caught", she greeted. "We didn't see him on the way here, so it's no problem", Joan replied, shrugging.  "I didn't think he'd see us anyway. …Mist shifting has its benefits, you know", she added with a smirk. "Like what? Floating through the sky and pretending to be a cloud?", Storm snickered. "You're just saying that 'cause you're afraid of temporary disintegration!", Joan countered. "I have every reason to! What if I'm missing a body part when you change us back, huh?!", Storm exclaimed, throwing his arms into the air for emphasis.

"Hm, I thought the Werewolves vs. Vampires thing was a myth", Lockbolt remarked. "Pretty much. I guess there's some who don't like the other, but I've never met any. …We're just having a normal argument, anyway", Joan clarified. "No 'bite-fights' or anything?", Nina chuckled. "Nope, that's just something Hollywood came up with", the older teen replied.

"So… what exactly d'you want us to tell you, Nina?", Storm asked, scratching the back of his head.

"I wanna know how you became the creatures you are, and your abilities. There are so many myths and stories about the supernatural, that I don't know which are right and which aren't. I feel that the best way to know the truth is to ask someone with the experience", Nina explained.  

Storm grinned. His canines were wolf-like, even when he was in human form.

"First up, yes, I have to change during the full moon, but I can change at will during any other night except the new moon. I also have complete control over my body and mind when I turn, then. I have heightened senses and speed, super-strength, and regenerative healing. The only way you can kill me is with, surprise, surprise, a silver bullet to any vital point on my body. …Or a vampire's fangs. But I don't think my friend here has the guts to try that"- Storm chuckled at the latter statement and smirked at Joan. "Don't tempt me", Joan sneered, crossing her arms.

Storm rolled his eyes and continued- "However, my condition still has a price. Not only does the forced change hurt like hell, but I have no control of my actions or my thoughts. Heh, I basically turn into a psychopathic furball with a taste for anything that moves. …At least the healing comes through in a pinch.  I took a shotgun blast to the gut once and didn't bat an eye".

"You whined about the hole it left all night, are you kidding me?", Joan scoffed. "How about you, Joan? What kind of vampiric powers have you got?", Nina asked.

"…Well, a stake through the heart can kill me, and holy water is like someone doused me with acid. I even came across quite a few crucifixes that bothered me. I can come in a house or whatever without being invited in, I can cross running water, and you can see my reflection. I can turn into a bat, a wolf, and mist. Garlic won't hurt, but I CAN obviously die if you cut my head off. I have super-speed and strength, I'm at the peak of my strength when its midnight, and silver isn't harmful. Like Storm, I have regenerative healing.  I don't age, but I can't control animals or the weather. I can't read minds or hypnotize people, either. Sunlight weakens me; and excessive sun hurts, but it's not fatal. It still sucks because I can't use my powers in the daylight. Staying indoors helps, and it doesn't bother me when it's cloudy or whenever it's raining", Joan explained.

Nina was listening with enthusiasm she never displayed in class while Lockbolt listened with polite interest; for the gargoyle knew his fair share of the supernatural world. "So how'd you guys become fearsome creatures of the night?", Nina asked eagerly. "It's a long story", Storm replied as Joan nodded in agreement. "Yeah, but we're not a couple hundred years old or anything", she said. "How old are you, then?", Lockbolt inquired. "I'm 20 and Storm's 23", Joan answered.

"Storm's actually my last name. My first name is Eric", the werewolf clarified.  "Storm sounds cooler", Joan commented.

"I was on a camping trip upstate with my family and some friends a couple years back. When we were on a hike, I got lost. I had no phone or anything, so I wandered through the forest for hours, trying to get back to the campsite. Before long, the sun went down. I was still looking for a way out when I was tackled from behind. I tried to fight back, but the creature tore my shoulder open, and ran away. Luckily, I was able to catch a glimpse of it before I passed out. The thing was the size of a bear, but I saw a tail. Some other hikers found me the next day, and I was taken to the hospital. The doctors treated my injuries, thinking that I got attacked by a bear. I was the only one who knew otherwise.  At first, I tried to deny my new condition, but when I touched a silver picture frame, it burned my fingers. …That confirmed it. For the first couple of months, I kept trying to lock myself up in my basement, but my werewolf strength always allowed me to escape.  I eventually saw that trying to keep myself locked up was pointless, so I went into the woods in the back of my house on every full moon to change. I usually wound up killing deer, squirrels and rabbits. Thankfully, humans don't wander through the woods there, let alone at night. Even if they did, what were the odds of them going out on the full moon? I met Joan about eight months ago, and she told me what she was and helped me a bit with my problem. …We've been friends ever since. In fact, we were on a trip when we came across your place".

Nina nodded understandingly as Storm finished his tale. "That's so cool! You mean Joan helped you un-learn all the bad stuff about being a werewolf and all?", she asked. "In a way, yeah", Storm replied, shrugging.  "All right, Joan, how'd you become a vampire?", Nina asked, turning to look at the 20 year old.

"I was visiting a friend of mine in the city. After my visit, I left for the train to go back home. It wasn't too far, so I walked. I was about halfway to the station when I was suddenly pulled into an alleyway.  I heard someone speaking into my ear, but I couldn't hear them right. Then I heard a gunshot and everything went black. When I woke up, a different guy was standing over me to see if I was all right. He introduced himself and told me that he was a vampire; then he explained how he discovered my body. I obviously knew what a vampire was, and I was excited about it. Thankfully, he was able to show me the ropes and teach me everything about my new species.  …The next day, I went back home and managed to resume life with my family. I just told them the train I was on broke down and I had to stay there overnight. …There was one thing, though: I needed blood, and I knew how to get it. Since I didn't need to sleep anymore, I snuck out at night and fed. Why harm innocents, though? Murderers, robbers, rapists, child molesters—  you name it, they're on my diet.  I even went over to nearby prisons and snacked on some inmates. My family didn't suspect a thing, although they did read the news reports about the cops finding dead criminals being drained of all their blood. To this day they still don't know that I became a vampire. …Besides, how am I supposed to tell them?", Joan explained.

"But you're still their little girl, aren't ya?", Storm cracked. Joan's face burned up with embarrassment. "Dude, shut UP!", she growled.

"Wait a minute, you mean that you feed on criminals, right?", Nina asked. Joan nodded. "…So this school is like a buffet table to you, huh?", the younger girl continued.  "If you wanna use that analogy, then yes", Joan acknowledged. Nina smirked. "Y'know, I think I know some choice cuts for you then", she said, taking Joan by the hand and leading her to the dormitories. "But I'm not really hungry now, since I completely drained a would-be robber on the way here the other night", the latter spoke up. Nina stopped, then scowled. "So much for getting back at Jessica…", she grumbled.