The Blood of a Nightlock

Chapter Eleven

The campus was silent. It was so quiet that I was pretty sure you could whisper and it would be the loudest intrusion in the world. I'd never seen it so silent. I'd never seen a group of students who didn't know what to do. The final death toll was seven students, three teachers, and two Chosen. The week after the attack was the hardest. Classes were canceled, training was enforced, and everyone was sad. Everyone's combat classes had enhanced a little, making sure that everyone knew enough to subdue a vampire and get away. That was the plan. No one would go into the real world without knowing how to save themselves. It was no longer about protection. They needed to know how to save themselves. They needed a shot if it came down to them versus a vampire. We were at war and that was clear.

Raven and I left our dorm and started across campus for the courtyard. In the field outside of the courtyard, the school was hosting a vigil to honor our fallen. I thought it was a nice gesture, but knew with it came a lot of sadness and memories. I had a lot of sadness going on inside of me as it was acknowledging the sadness of others might be difficult because of that.

Raven had been silent since the attack. She hadn't talked much unless it was with Dr. Harden. I wouldn't say she was shutting me out, I just think she didn't know what she was even thinking to be able to express her feelings to me. I wasn't sure if Dr. Harden was helping her or not. Dr. Harden had been babied in the psychology world. She was a teacher and shrink for a renowned school straight out of graduation. Typically recent graduates weren't offered big schools like Briarwood. She was though. Maybe that's why I found it hard to have sessions with her. Maybe deep down I thought she wasn't qualified enough just yet. Her first real challenge was speaking with a sixteen-year-old girl with a shattered psyche days after she found out vampires existed and her family had been murdered by them. After our first session... I never went back.

I watched the rain fall along the glass windows of the office. I drew my knees up on the chair and bit down on a nail as I watched the water race down the glass to meet larger droplets and fall from the pane. A tear slid free of my eye and ran down my cheek as I watched the rain. Thunder cracked along the sky causing me to jump. I was still shaky and scared just days after the loss of my family. I wasn't sleeping. Sleeping brought nightmares. I wasn't eating. I barely got out of bed. None of it felt real. It felt like a terrible nightmare. 

The door opened and the young blonde woman slipped into the room with a polite smile. "Hello, Wren." 

I didn't respond as I quickly brushed the stray tears away with the palm of my left hand. She walked across the room and sat down in the chair behind the desk. 

"My name is Dr. Harden." She said calmly. "I'm a psychologist for the school. I also teach here."

Nothing from me. 

"I heard about what happened to you and thought maybe you'd like to chat. I'd like to see how you're doing?"

"How I'm doing?" I asked quietly. "How would you be doing?"

She nodded slowly as she watched me. "I can't begin to imagine what you've been through, Wren. I want to help you. I want to guide you to healing."

I thought about it as I bit down my nail again. "Do you ever get better?"

"I don't know." She said honestly. "I think maybe you learn to cope with it and it just gets easier little by little."

"What do I do?" I asked her quietly. "What happens now?"

She watched me. "I'm not sure what the plan is. My job is to make sure you're on a course of healing."