building on both sides. The seats are stadium style and almost make a circle save for the one entrance that prevents the circle from being complete. The rows go up high, making me feel surrounded by empty chairs. A cold shiver runs up my spine and I rub my arms to abate the sudden chill. I have an uneasy feeling about this building and its undeniable emptiness. I follow Alec as we climb the cement stairs to find our seats. The red and white chairs form a pattern: red, white, red, white. I sit beside a girl in red and Alec sits beside me, taking the chair on the end of the row.
There is a small platform in the middle of the great room with a large clear box sitting in the middle of it. The box is about seven feet tall, four feet wide and the sides look as though they are made out of glass. I am curious as to its purpose.
“What is that?” I ask Alec, nodding my head in the direction of the big container.
“We call it the Reddix. It’s the newest being in sentient technology,” he responds dryly.
“That thing is sentient? What does it live off of?” I ask interested.
“Fear.” He gives me a stony look. A knot forms in my stomach and rises to my throat. I can’t respond, though I am sure my face has betrayed my thoughts. I watch the people file in, familiars and pure bloods. The pure bloods talk among themselves with excitement in their voices. The familiars in red have sullen looks on their faces as they wait in anticipation. I wonder if they have seen a Draining before and know what is coming. Other people in red look confused and are probably as oblivious to what is going on as I am.
“Hi again,” I hear coming from beside me. I look over and stare into friendly light brown eyes. Enforcer-658 greets me with a small smile. Her furrowed brows and her disappearing smile tell me she is just as curious as I am about what we are about to witness. The bottom lids of her eyes are tinted pink, like she has been crying recently.
“Hi. I was so distracted that I didn’t notice that it was you sitting there. How are you?” I ask and give her a warm smile, trying to push my discomfort to the back of my mind.
“I’m fine, all things considered. How are you?” she asks as she tucks a brown wave of hair behind her ear.
“About the same. How do you get along with your pure blood?” I ask, curiosity getting the best of me. It’s really none of my business.
“Oh she’s great,” she responds with a smile and a nod of her head. The way she diverts her eyes and twists her hands in her lap makes me wonder if she is lying.
“That’s goo…” A noise from below distracts me and keeps me from finishing my sentence. I see that everyone is seated and Enforcers carrying guns fill the large room. The room falls silent with the added presence of authority. I shift, uneasy in my chair. Alec senses my growing discomfort and explains their presence.
"They are here to keep the peace and to make sure everything goes smoothly."
"Oh. Why do they need to keep the peace? What is going to happen?" I ask, afraid to discover the answer.
"You will see." Alec's face is hard, tense and his mouth is taunt. Whatever is going to happen seems to make him uncomfortable as well. Or maybe it is being here with me that makes him uneasy.
The Enforcers take their place at each row. A familiar face paces the room, making sure the Enforcers are obeying unheard orders. Roderick’s confident posture puts off an air of arrogance and authority. He looks around the room at the pure bloods and familiars in red. His lips curl into a devilish grin as though he enjoys the tension and unease of the room. Just seeing him makes me uneasy. Memories from his encounter with the boy and old man during Training Day come back to me. I turn my eyes away so I don’t have to look at him.
The uncomfortable silence is broken as I hear the click and clack of heels on the cement floor. Dr. Kendall saunters into the room, her white lab coat swaying with
There is a small platform in the middle of the great room with a large clear box sitting in the middle of it. The box is about seven feet tall, four feet wide and the sides look as though they are made out of glass. I am curious as to its purpose.
“What is that?” I ask Alec, nodding my head in the direction of the big container.
“We call it the Reddix. It’s the newest being in sentient technology,” he responds dryly.
“That thing is sentient? What does it live off of?” I ask interested.
“Fear.” He gives me a stony look. A knot forms in my stomach and rises to my throat. I can’t respond, though I am sure my face has betrayed my thoughts. I watch the people file in, familiars and pure bloods. The pure bloods talk among themselves with excitement in their voices. The familiars in red have sullen looks on their faces as they wait in anticipation. I wonder if they have seen a Draining before and know what is coming. Other people in red look confused and are probably as oblivious to what is going on as I am.
“Hi again,” I hear coming from beside me. I look over and stare into friendly light brown eyes. Enforcer-658 greets me with a small smile. Her furrowed brows and her disappearing smile tell me she is just as curious as I am about what we are about to witness. The bottom lids of her eyes are tinted pink, like she has been crying recently.
“Hi. I was so distracted that I didn’t notice that it was you sitting there. How are you?” I ask and give her a warm smile, trying to push my discomfort to the back of my mind.
“I’m fine, all things considered. How are you?” she asks as she tucks a brown wave of hair behind her ear.
“About the same. How do you get along with your pure blood?” I ask, curiosity getting the best of me. It’s really none of my business.
“Oh she’s great,” she responds with a smile and a nod of her head. The way she diverts her eyes and twists her hands in her lap makes me wonder if she is lying.
“That’s goo…” A noise from below distracts me and keeps me from finishing my sentence. I see that everyone is seated and Enforcers carrying guns fill the large room. The room falls silent with the added presence of authority. I shift, uneasy in my chair. Alec senses my growing discomfort and explains their presence.
"They are here to keep the peace and to make sure everything goes smoothly."
"Oh. Why do they need to keep the peace? What is going to happen?" I ask, afraid to discover the answer.
"You will see." Alec's face is hard, tense and his mouth is taunt. Whatever is going to happen seems to make him uncomfortable as well. Or maybe it is being here with me that makes him uneasy.
The Enforcers take their place at each row. A familiar face paces the room, making sure the Enforcers are obeying unheard orders. Roderick’s confident posture puts off an air of arrogance and authority. He looks around the room at the pure bloods and familiars in red. His lips curl into a devilish grin as though he enjoys the tension and unease of the room. Just seeing him makes me uneasy. Memories from his encounter with the boy and old man during Training Day come back to me. I turn my eyes away so I don’t have to look at him.
The uncomfortable silence is broken as I hear the click and clack of heels on the cement floor. Dr. Kendall saunters into the room, her white lab coat swaying with
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