CHAPTER SEVEN

Michelle led Nick down the damp dark staircase.  Nick was trembling all over.  For some odd reason he trusted this girl. Why?  Nick couldn't quite put a finger on it, but there was a feeling inside of him.  Good or bad?  Once again, Nick had no clue.  But this feeling was inside him, and it continued to confuse him.  When they finally reached the bottom of the staircase.  They came to a long hallway.  Everything around them was made from stone.  The walls and floor.  Torches that were fastened by a metal basket lighted the hallway.  Michelle continued down the hallway and Nick followed.  After what seemed like hours of walking they came to an old wooden door. There was a sign on it.  A red circle with a black stake going through it.  Under the symbol were four letters, SVSS.
 
"What does that stand for?"  Nick asked.
 
Michelle shook her head.  "I'll tell you inside," she said.  She then took something from her neck.  It was a silver card with same initials on it.  She pressed her hand against one of the stones.  It flipped over and revealed a small black screen. Michelle took the card and pressed it against the screen.  There was a small beeping sound, and then silence.  The door then swung open.  

Nick saw before him yet another long hallway.  This time, however, it was all made out of steel.  Nick looked over at Michelle.  Her back was turned and she seemed to be bending over something.  "Are you alright?" he asked.  

Michelle nodded.  "Just taking out my contacts," she said.

"Contacts...?"  But before Nick could say another word, Michelle turned around.  Nick gasped slightly.  Michelle's eyes were no longer brown.  They were now a pale blue, very piercing.  

Michelle smiled.  "I have to take them out because there is a contact scanner down here, you know, to see if you have contacts in."

"Why is there a contact scanner down here?"

"Well," Michelle paused.  "I'll tell you later, come on."  

She took his hand and led him down the hallway.  They were no more that half way down when a red line appeared in front of them. Michelle took no notice of it.  She walked over it like it wasn't even there.  The moment she was on the other side, there was a flash of light.  It was so bright that Nick had to close his eyes.  When he opened them, Michelle was on the other side, perfectly fine.  

"Come on slow poke!  Keep your eyes open when you do.  Don't try to go to quickly either, it may think you're an intruder."

Nick was confused, but hen realized that she was talking about the line.  He took a deep breath and stepped over the line slowly.  There was a flash of light, right in Nick's eyes, he tried to close them, but he remembered what Michelle said and kept them open.  After the light, there was nothing but darkness.  It was as if someone had turned off the lights on the hallway.
 
"Oh dear," he heard Michelle say, "I forget that people who aren't used to it get temporarily blinded."  

Nick gasped.  "I'm WHAT?!?" he said in a panicked tone.

Michelle grinned.  "Yes, but Charlie can fix that, no problem."

Nick shivered.  "Who's Charlie?"  He heard Michelle laugh.  

"One of my friends."

"Oh."  

Michelle took his and led him down the hallway.  A few minutes they came to another halt.  Nick heard another beeping sound, just like the one they heard at the wooden door.  Michelle led him through it.  When they were inside, he heard more sounds. Machines working and people talking.  Michelle led him to the left.  They went through another door and came to a halt at a counter top.  Nick heard someone laugh.

"Oh boy, not another one."
 
"Yeah, his name's Nick."

"Oh my god!  You don't mean Nick C..."

"Yeah, I do.  Now hurry up and fix him up.  I have a lot to do with him."

Nick felt someone put a hand on his shoulder.  

"Well Nick, my name's Charlie.  I'll have you fixed up in no time."

Nick felt Charlie lead him across the room.  
"Sit down."  
Nick sat on a very soft chair.  He felt Charlie tilt his head up.

"Open your eyes," Charlie said.  

Nick opened his eyes.  He felt two drops of liquid go into each eye.  Nick sat there for a moment.  All of a sudden he felt an amazing amount of pain enter his eyes.  He screamed out loud and started to rub his eyes violently.  He felt Charlie take them away.  Nick shut his eyes tight and yelled.  "What the hell did you do to my eyes?  I'll be blind for life!  Are you pulling them out with scissors? AAAAAHHHH!"

"Nick, open your eyes."

"NO WAY!!!  THEY'LL POP OUT OF MY HEAD!!"

"NICK!!!  Just do it!"  

Nick squinted the tiniest bit just enough so that he could see the outline of Michelle's head.  Then he shut them tight.  Wait a second...  He opened them wide.  He saw Michelle looking at him.  Nick jumped a little because her eyes were staring straight through him.  All of a sudden Nick felt like the dumbest person of the planet.  He smiled nervously.  "Oh, right," he said sheepishly.  

Michelle laughed.

Nick looked over at Charlie.  He was very tall.  He looked a bit like Kevin, only taller with brown hair.  His hair had blonde tips and he seemed to have attempted to spike it.  It looked like a bunch of weeds.

"Well," Michelle said breaking the silence. "Nick, Charlie, Charlie, Nick."  

Charlie put out a hand and Nick shook it.  "Nice to finally meet you," he said "Welcome to the SVSS!"  

Nick shook his head as he stood up.  "What do you mean finally?"  

Michelle shook her head.  "I'll show you later."

But Nick wasn't done.  "Okay, what does SVSS stand for?"

Michelle sighed.  "It stands for The Secret Vampire Slayer Society."  

Something in Nick's head hit a spot of knowledge.  For some reason that name sounded so familiar, he just couldn't hit what exactly it was.  He shrugged.  "Oh, uh cool."  

Michelle raised an eyebrow.  "It sounds familiar, doesn't it?"

Nick's jaw dropped.  "How did you know?"  

Michelle smiled.  "I'll show you."  

They said goodbye to Charlie and went out the door.  When they stepped outside, Nick's eyes opened wide.  Before him was an entire building filled with people.  It reminded him greatly of a mall, only with no shops and LOTS of floors.  There were lots of elevators that went up and down.  Nick could see a lot of people hurrying here and there.  Michelle took his hand and led him down the nearest staircase.  When they reach the bottom, they turn a corner.  As they turne, Nick smacks into the man carrying boxes and knocks him down.  The boxes fall and one bursts open.  A wooden stake rolls out of it.
  
"Oh!" the man said in a small voice.  "So sorry, must be more careful I guess from now on."  

Nick shakes his head.  "No, it was my fault, I guess I came around the corner too..." The man looks up at him and gasps.  
"Robert?"  

Michelle smiles.  "No Mr. Greenway, this is his son, Nicholas Gene."  

Mr. Greenway takes off his hat.  "Mr. Nicholas Gene Carter, my goodness, you look so much like your father.  I remember him. Such a wonderful man.  Too bad he retired, he would have been a great teacher."  

Nick was totally confused.  "What?  How do you know my dad, and retired?  Retired from what?"  

Michelle goes over to the old man and whispers something in his ear.  

The man smiles.  "Ah, well when you're done, come see me in the training area up stairs."  He puts his hat back on and collects the boxes.  He then turns and disappears up the staircase.  

Nick looks at Michelle in confusion.  "Who was he?  And how did he know my dad?"  

Michelle doesn't answer.  She just takes his hand again and leads him into a nearby room.  The room that they enter has plaques all over the walls.  In the center of the room, there is a glass case with a wooden stake on a purple satin pillow inside of it.  There is a rail that goes around the case and there is a small plaque on the side of the glass case.  Michelle pulls him over to the glass case.  

"Your father, Robert Gene Carter, was the greatest slayer that the SVSS ever had."  

Nick's mouth drops open.  His head turns and he reads the plaque:

THE STAKE OF ROBERT GENE CARTER        
RECORD KILLS: 301 (182 males, 119 females)
RETIRED: JANUARY 1, 1991