Monster Academy - The Blood of Humans - Chapter One

Castle of Monsters:
Darren sighed as he stared out of the bus windows at the sprawling cornfields that lay to the side of the road they were driving through. He'd been on the bus for nearly three hours ever since it had picked him up in Brooklyn, now the boring landscape and the hum and vibration of the bright yellow school bus wasn't helping, he could feel himself drifting to sleep.

In a vain effort to hold off sleep, he pulled out his cellphone from the breast pocket of his jacket, checking his texts. He had gotten a single text, from his mother, he smiled as he read his mothers vain attempt at texting and couldn't help himself but to say it out loud "Luv u, hav a g8 tyme, c u at the end of the semester...kiss, kiss" he chuckled.

"Aww, thats sweet"

Darren's head spun as he heard the soft, female voice behind him, he had intially thought he was alone on the bus, since it hadn't made any stops, but now he saw a pretty girl behind him, her arms draped along the back of his seat, her hair tucked neatly under a woolen cap. He marvelled at the colour of her eyes, they were an aura black, but not in a cold way, in fact, they were alive with feeling, although he couldn't tell which ones. With a quick glance he saw a rucksack just at the side of her, it looked creased and laid-on, so he guessed she had been asleep, that was why he hadn't seen her.

"Y-Yeah...my mom's just learned how to text but sometimes i wish she'd hadn't" The pretty girl chuckled "I'm Alexandria" she said finally "Who are you?" I blushed a bit at her directiveness "Darren, Darren Leonard" She smiled and patted him on the shoulder "Nice to meet you Mr Leonard...so, is this your first year at Yokai Academy?" Darren nodded, he thought back to a few days ago when he'd first applied for a spot in the Academy.

He had found this leaflet one night on his way back from his part-time job, he had picked it up and read it on his way home, what originally was a piece of trash he was going to toss in the trash can was now an interesting choice for a graduate school, and the best thing about it was, it was free.

Not that they were poor or anything, but Darren had grown up with many things he didn't have that other children have....for one, a father.

"Yeah...you?" She nodded "I'm excited, its sort of a family tradition thing, my sisters went there, well three of them at least, i don't know about one of them...anyway, now its my turn" Darren whistled at this "Four sisters?" She nodded, chuckling "Yeah, Rosary, Cassie, Elisia and Samantha...my dad doesn't really know when to stop" Darren felt a slight twinge of jealousy as she mentioned her father, he felt guilty almost instantly, sure, he was jealous when everyone else mentioned their fathers and unknowingly made fun of the fact that he did not have one, but Alexandria had been so nice to him, he couldn't help but look away from her.

As not to show suspicion, he faked a chuckle "Wow, wish i had a sibling..." "You want one? i have four, take your pick" They both laughed...just as they entered the dark forests and Darren's phone went dead in his hands.

Darren scrunched up his brow at the dead phone and pressed a button on the keypad "The hell..."

"Look!"

Darren looked up from his phone and his eyes widened "Holy mother of god..."

Standing in front of them, outside the bus, was the largest castle Darren had ever seen, it towered into the sky and practically touched the clouds, the windows were full of light from the lightbulbs inside and students milled around the front entrance, some talking, some staring.

The bus driver turned to face them and gave them a toothy grin, his teeth looked sharp.

"Welcome to Yokai Academy"