Friday, May 29, 2020
Bernard Kelly 4/17/20 Pd 2 - LATE
Unsa Munir 4/28/20 Period 2 - Blog #3 (LATE)
Lillian Tong PD1
5/29 Martin Zeng Period 1
Martin Zeng Period 1
Modern Mythology 2020
Blogger #32
How is what you’re learning applied to any other classes/the world around you?
Mr. Olsen, my physics teacher gave us an extra assignment after the AP tests where we choose theoretical or practical physics and from there we are doing assignments based on our choice. I chose practical physics and I’m finding it challenging but it has been made somewhat easier from the differential equations that I’ve been learning/learned in calculus. Its taken quite a while for science and math to line up in my educational career. I never thought I would see the day. In our Mythology class I’ve been using the ideas that I’ve learned and tried to use them to understand the events that are happening in our world right its almost like its a psychology class. An example would be blame game thats happening among the world leaders in order to take the blame off themselves. If they truly cared they would have admitted to their own incompetencies and the countless lives they have negatively affected. I understand why they would do it. If they didn’t they wouldn’t keep their job but I still can’t agree with their decisions. Being able to delve deeper into the underlying reasons behind the actions that people take gives the news an extra dimension of applicable thought and self-reflection.
What are the updates around the world/community regarding the virus?
Our current situation is that New York City is on the brink of officially ending the pause phase very soon. A bit sooner than I expected but a welcome surprise. Governor Cuomo intends to reopen the city but in a very limited fashion. Many businesses that do not require close contact between people are being reopened for the public to use. However social distancing protocols, face masks, retail pick-up only, and limited capacity are still in effect and large gatherings are still prohibited. The city is taking quick action in order to ensure that people make the best and safest decisions possible regarding going outside because they know that they cannot keep everyone inside when every week the weather is getting warmer and everyone is itching to get outside. Around the country there have been much more drastic reopening measures that have already lead to expected spikes in cases/deaths. I only hope that the virus is contained as well as possible while also reopening the economy. There has to be a balance or a lot more anger will be pent up inside the population.
My personal feelings and thoughts about what is happening right now.
I personally believe that what is happening right now is still very surreal even 2 and a half months into the lockdown. Even though I’m more of an indoors person I still miss the outside world and can’t wait for things to go back to normal. Hopefully our government takes the best steps in order to ensure that we can go back to normal as soon as possible. However, I don’t think that things will return to complete normalcy anytime soon. I believe that people will be much more conscious about cleanliness in public and the such. I really don’t want classes to be online instruction in the fall because I shudder at the thought of having to take online classes for classes that will probably be very challenging. My performance and work ethic has already been severely affected by online learning and I’m scared of what online college classes will do to my mental health and work ethic. Everytime I think of what it will be like once we return to normal I can’t envision it because it feels like we’ve been in lockdown forever and that I spent the entire school year at home. Everything that happened before the virus seems so distant that the pre-corona era jokes actually have a bit of backing behind them.
5/28/2020 Cesar Velez Period 5 (LATE)
Thursday, May 28, 2020
5/28/20 Lillian Tong PD1
5/28/2020 Iris Lee Period 5 (LATE)
5/28/2020
Period 5
What is it like working from home?
Now that I have school from home, the only commute is from my bed to my desk, which is pretty nice. However, it was difficult to adjust to remote learning. I was used to seeing my friends and in-person learning. It is more difficult now because I'm in a setting where I normally would come home and have a place to relax and unwind. It just feels like hours of homework everyday while your family also expects you to do other things around the house. Overall, working from home is just a sad and irritating adjustment.
What are the updates around the world/community regarding the virus?
Some states in the US have started to reopen. States like Texas, As of New York, it is anticipated to have businesses reopen soon. On May 10, there was a report of 190,000 people tested for the virus in the duration of two weeks. There is about 360,000 people with the virus and only about 1/6 of them actually recovered. The virus has killed over 23,000 people.
Your own personal feelings and thoughts about what is happening right now.
I personally feel sad about everything that is happening right now. Especially since New York's cases are very high in numbers. Also, not knowing if someone you are standing right next to has the virus is very frightening. Everything used to be so accessible but now we have to take precautions and a bunch of businesses have closed. I sure hope that the number of cases start to reduce and everything can go back to normal. I miss seeing my friends and being able to hangout with them and talk to them in person.
5/28/2020
Period 5
Sophomores 2020
Your own personal feelings and thoughts about what is happening right now:The strangest part when thinking about the current situation in the world is that it grew from something many of us joked about into something massive, that affects each and every one of our lives in completely different ways. We're all suffering a reality that nobody anticipated would reach this point of gruesomeness and chaos.What it's like working from home:Working from home I feel was a negative change for me personally. It suddenly became so much more difficult to communicate with teachers and your peers for something that if we were still physically in school, would take less than 3 minutes to talk about at the end of class. I enjoy not having to make the commute, but at this point I would take it if it meant life could feel more normal again.
Learning about the world/your community based on reactions:
I feel in a way as if people across the world's true colors began to show during quarantine. Even those who viewed themselves as extremely cautious and careful and followers of the rules are some of the same people you see acting the most carelessly, and taking the least precautions. While in the other hand, others who might not have anticipated such a sharp change in daily life where everything has suddenly become a danger are embracing the needs of others and doing their part, like frontline nurses and essential workers.
5/14/20 Michael Zverev Period 7 (LATE)
Tuesday, May 26, 2020
4/17/2020 Timothy Yao Period 1 - LATE
5/25/20
Modern Mythology Blog: April 17
What is it like working from home?
Working from home is slowly becoming more tolerable, there aren’t that many significant
occurrences. My family works from home so there isn’t much time to interact with them
despite being with them all day. I enjoy having the voice chats on the discussions because
the teachers and classmates bring up interesting things to talk about and it fills space
between boring times. This work that we received has become more tedious, but we get
used to it.
What are the updates around the world/community regarding the virus?
People are slowly easing in relations to the quarantine, apparently more rural areas have
nearly fully re-opened. According to an infection rate map I saw, apparently almost all
infections are isolated to urban areas of the US, New York being the largest in amount, so
rural areas are more or less safe to re-open in a limited regard. Still we should exercise an
extent of caution in this.
Your own personal feelings and thoughts about what is happening right now.
Personally, I’m indifferent. I didn’t have much to do anyways and being forced to stay home
made me realize all the things I’ve forgotten to do, mainly I’ve been dedicating more time to
my hobbies and interests while at home. Still I hope that we re-open some time soon, but we
might be like this for multiple periods, apparently in person colleges are aiming to end before
the winter since that’s when it’s expected for the virus to hit again.
Friday, May 22, 2020
5/21/20 Derek Coffey Period 1
5/21/20
1. What are the recent updates around the world regarding the virus?
At this time in our collective battle against the virus, there have been many different sources of information. The news networks, social media, and of course reactions from friends and family all contribute to our collective knowledge about the current status of the “invisible enemy”. At times it has been difficult to know where to go for unbiased, unfiltered facts about important information such as the mortality rate and safety of certain activities. The differing perspectives seem to many times be fueled by political sides and personal experiences. For example a nurse working in the ICU seeing people breathing with the help of a ventilator on a regular basis is going to have a different opinion than a small business owner who just wants to be allowed to open as to have a chance to survive the economic hardship. This is essential to understand when talking to people in regards to the virus as everyone has a unique experience that has lead them to shape their own opinion. With that being said, there are certain facts that need to lead our decisions as a local community, state, and country in the upcoming weeks. First off, we are seeing through the data that the coronavirus is not nearly as deadly as we once anticipated. This has nothing to do with doctors opinions because statistics do not care. People under 60 that are healthy are extremely likely to recover from the virus. Secondly, the states that have been reopening are showing it can be done safely and without leading to a second wave that infectious disease experts such as Dr. Fauci has been warning about. States such as Florida have been doing an excellent job by utilizing their private sector and local governments to make sure that businesses do have the choice to open while following all of the social distancing that we have become accustomed to in the last two months. These two points that the virus isn't deadly for people under 60, and we can reopen safely (hence Florida, Georgia, and many other states) should be large factors as we consider how and when to reopen the country.
2. I am learning a lot about my community as well as family and friends throughout the pandemic. I’ve learned a lot about people's priorities including my own, as every activity that we’ve enjoyed our entire lives have been stripped from us. Personal liberty has been taken in the name of safety. Also I have learned a lot about my friends and who I will continue to be close with for the rest of my life and who maybe we shared just a brief moment as high school friends. Based on the reactions of the many people I've spoken to about the virus I have listened to many different viewpoints ranging from those who think we should have never shut down and those who believe we cannot open without a cure (which is nonsense).
3. My own personal opinion on the situation before us is fairly simple. We have all sacrificed a great deal to contain the health crisis to this point. This was not our fault as Americans. For me personally, one day everything was normal. I had my first game of my senior year baseball season. As many of my peers I was looking forward to completing my high school journey with events such as prom, graduation and many more. The next day, everything changed. And frankly I am not upset about missing out. Why? I have a friend who lost his Dad to covid. Nothing I could miss out on would be able to compare on the scale of losing a family member. So I am thankful everyday for the health of my family and pray it continues. Many more people would have lost their mothers, fathers, grandparents if we didn’t sacrifice all that we have. Maybe a million Americans would die if we continued with our business. So it was the right decision at that time when our hospitals were reaching capacity, and there was still much to learn about the coronavirus. 2 months later, we find ourselves with the inevitable repercussions from the shutdown. Nearly 40 million Americans have applied for unemployment. Suicides have skyrocketed as well as drug use. And being in New York, it still remains unclear when our normal lives will return. Most hospitals are currently less than half capacity and losing more money everyday from the loss of elective surgery which they make most of their money from. We have done our part by staying inside to prevent a disaster and flatten the curve. Now it's time to get our Country back.
Thursday, May 21, 2020
5/7/20 Belinda Zhang Period 1
Modern Mythology PD 1
05/07/20
1. What is it like working from home?
With the AP tests beginning next Monday, remote learning has been especially difficult
this week. This year, the AP tests are being administered digitally at home, marking an
unprecedented moment in AP exam history. The tests are open-book, have multiple forms, and
will consist only of free-response questions in efforts to deter cheating. Our teachers have been
incredibly supportive in helping us prepare, providing us with review material and hosting
Google Meets to explain key concepts, go over AP rubrics and practice questions, and answer
our questions live. However, without in-person instruction and practice, it has been hard to get
feedback on my work in order to identify and understand my mistakes.
Of course, maintaining focus and self-discipline are also great challenges when studying
at home. To help combat this, I’ve started to use the SelfControl app on my computer and utilize
the Pomodoro studying technique. The Pomodoro method divides work into 25-minute intervals
with 5-minute breaks in between, helping me stay focused since I’m only required to stay on task
for 25 minutes at a time. Following this technique also helps to create some structure in my
studying schedule. I use this website to time the intervals: https://tomato-timer.com/. Meanwhile,
the SelfControl app allows me to block certain distracting websites on my computer for periods
of time such as YouTube, Instagram, Netflix, etc.
Reflecting on the past 2 months of working at home, I feel that I’ve experienced certain
“stages” of productivity and enthusiasm, and perhaps other people might be able to relate to this.
I can best compare this idea to the seven stages of grief, except it’s the stages of… a global
pandemic. But firstly, of course, I’m aware of the immense privilege in even having the option to
work from home and being able to stay in a safe household where I can have time for myself.
Around the beginning of quarantine, or the first “stage”, everyone around me had a surge
of motivation to be productive and make the most out of this time stuck at home, declaring that
we would not only get ahead on work but also pick up some new hobbies, get into shape, learn to
cook, you name it. But this just ended in me being quite harsh on myself, feeling guilty or
insufficient if I wasn’t studying, exercising, baking a cake, and reading a new book all day and
every day. In “stage” 2, I noticed that many started to accept that it wasn’t necessary to be
constantly productive and I too realized it was alright to slow down and take some time for
myself. But in the third stage, I took this permission to relax a bit too seriously, falling off the
rails for a bit until stage 4, where I began to find my balance. Currently, I am still working
towards completely achieving this balance while also growing to appreciate the smaller, more
mundane things in everyday life.
2. What are the updates around the world/community regarding the virus?
As of May 7, 2020, there are a total number of 3,912,156 COVID-19 cases worldwide,
1,292,623 cases in the United States, and 337,421 cases in New York State. The CDC recently announced six new COVID-19 symptoms which included chills, repeated shaking, muscle pain,
headache, sore throat, and the new loss of taste or smell (https://www.gbmc.org/the-cdc-
announces-six-new-covid-19-symptoms).
New York remains the most impacted state in the US, with 337,421 total cases and
26,365 total deaths, and New York City makes up 173,288 of these cases. The New York State
on PAUSE order is still in effect. NYC has announced that starting on May 11 th next week, the
city will work with the lab company BioReference to test up to 140,000 people for COVID-19
antibodies free of charge, testing 5,000 people a day (https://www.bioreference.com/how-to-get-nycs-free-covid-19-antibody-test/). This information will help the CDC estimate the total number
of people who have been infected with the virus and collect demographic data from those being
tested. The tests also allow the CDC to learn more about how COVID-19 affects the immune
system and how it spreads among those exposed. Also, yesterday morning, NYC began its
subway shutdown, closing the subway system for the first time in 115 years in order to carry out
overnight disinfection of trains, stations, and equipment. For those traveling, the subway is now
remaining closed from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. daily.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/06/nyregion/nyc-subway-close-coronavirus.html
There was also recently a health alert sent out regarding a pediatric multi-system
inflammatory syndrome that is observed among children and is potentially associated with the
coronavirus. Symptoms resemble those of shock and Kawasiki disease, including fever, cardiac
inflammation, and abdominal pain. PICUs in NYC have reported 15 patients of ages 2-15 who
have been hospitalized with symptoms associated with this syndrome. Some of them had tested
positive for COVID-19 while others had not.
https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/han/alert/2020/covid-19-pediatric-multi-
system-inflammatory-syndrome.pdf
3. Your own personal feelings and thoughts about what is happening right now.
As said by Max Brooks in his take on the pandemic in the article we read for class today,
having a “unified, single voice” is crucial in handling the virus. Furthermore, he notes how we
need to be letting facts and science based on the advice of qualified experts dictate that voice.
Yet, I feel that we not only lack unity in our country right now, but we also have been witnessing
many actions that go against facts and science. There was no centralized national response to the
pandemic and conflicting information, some false, about the virus still continue to circulate,
resulting in divided reactions and approaches to the pandemic. Some Americans still believe that
the flu is more of a threat than COVID-19, while some claim that the virus is a “hoax” and others
protest social distancing guidelines, even comparing quarantine to slavery. Many protestors in
states like Michigan, Florida, NY, and more have broken lockdown guidelines, underestimating
the virus and fighting for inessential enjoyments such as haircuts while medical professionals
push to help COVID-19 patients fight for their lives. In Las Vegas, Mayor Carolyn Goodman
had called for the reopening of nonessential businesses and casinos, while refusing to take any
responsibility in providing social distancing guidelines to do so safely. I am very concerned
about our lack of a unified voice, and the dangerous and irreversible effects that may result from
it.
Furthermore, not only is there disunity among approaches to the pandemic, but also
among our communities. Although COVID-19 has most of America at home, the tension
between racial groups seems to have only grown stronger. At the onset of the pandemic, the
unsubstantiated hostility towards Asian Americans was appalling and dangerous. And recently,
recordings of violent social distancing arrests in NYC of people of color starkly contrasted
photos of officers handing out masks to non-POC groups gathered in parks, causing public
outrage. These arrests happened in areas including Alphabet City and East New York, and
disturbing footage spread on social media afterwards. Looking forward, as our ability to defeat
this virus depends on working together, I can only hope that our communities will come out of
this pandemic more unified and empathetic towards each other.
Sunday, May 17, 2020
5/8/20 Benjamin Zhu PD1
- Working at home is both convenient and tedious. It’s convenient in the sense that I don’t have to wake up early everyday to do an assignment, I could submit it any time of the day. However, it’s also tedious because finding the motivation to do work at home by yourself could feel boring and stressful. And as far as my experience goes, for the most part it’s alright, but at times I would forget a few assignments here or there cause staying at home for two months makes it feel like school isn’t in session anymore. Yet this vibe also relieves a lot of stress as well since I’m not consistently worrying about the work.
- As of now, the US is still the country to have the most incidents and it doesn’t seem like it’ll change anytime soon. In fact we are still increasing by the day. China on the other hand, relieved lockdown six weeks ago and for the most part it seems to be doing fine with a few minor cases popping up here and there. As of US, NY has the most cases in all of the United States with around 350,000 cases and nyc alone makes up half of it. The number is still increasing by the day but it seems that we are past the peak since we are gaining less and less cases everyday.
- Personally, I just wish the virus will end soon because being stuck home for two months gets extremely boring. I’m also annoyed that the rest of the senior year is ruined for everyone. I had so many plans for future events but they were all canceled. Also, there’s been rumors that this virus might even last till end of the year and it’ll suck if college’s first semester starts as online classes because most students won’t have the motivation to study at home. It’s hard to focus without someone teaching directly in front of you.
Friday, May 15, 2020
5/6/20 Dominick Villamor (LATE) PD 7
Wednesday, May 13, 2020
5/13/20 Yaying Zhao PD 7
Alexis Ofshtein 4/30/20 (LATE) Period 2 - Blog #3
5/12/20 Jeffrey Zeng PD 7
Tuesday, May 12, 2020
5/11/20 Victoria Zhu Period 8
Vampire Narrative Winners - 2020
Kevin Chen
Ms. Fusaro
Modern Mythology PD 02
The Chinese Vampire
This is a pitch for a television series. What you’re about to read is the pitch for season one of the show “Tale of Vampires” where our main protagonist, Eric Chen, is about to tackle the struggles of racism as the result of an unexpected pandemic. Please note that this is only season one. Everybody has their backstory, this is Eric’s.
The Chinese Vampire: Episode I – The Chinese Virus
Eric Chen, a Chinese-American Vlad High student, enjoys the sunset with his friends. Laughter and joy fill the air. Eric abruptly awakens from his daydream. Mr. Johnson discusses emerging cases of sickness in China. Connor, your stereotypical football jock, asks Eric if he has the “Chinese virus.” The class laughs, but Eric shrugs it off; Connor is a moron. From the hallways at school to public transportation, Eric notices more people glaring at him. One evening, he receives a mysterious notification from WeChat that reads, “PHASE ONE”.
I
The Chinese Vampire: Episode II – Troubling Times
In the following months, the cases spread all across Eurasia. Small businesses owned by Chinese-Americans start to close down from vandalism and threats. Eric's father, a pediatrician, is clearly distressed; his usual patients have canceled future appointments. Eric’s exhausted from school, where his friends seem to be avoiding him. The days go on. There are twenty million worldwide cases with a 33% mortality rate. Paranoia’s rampant. Everyone is required to quarantine themselves. Eric reads archived articles online that state that 0.01% of the infected are invulnerable to the disease. These isolated cases have one thing in common: the craving of blood.
The Chinese Vampire: Episode III - Welcome to New Asiatopia
Asian-Americans are assaulted and threatened daily. WeChat, an app upon which the Chinese community heavily relies, provides communication and updates. Connor shatters Eric’s window with a brick and shouts “Go back to China!!” Eric’s terrified. Suddenly a notification from WeChat appears, reading “COMMENCING”. Eric’s father enters the room and urges Eric to quickly pack their belongings. WeChat has ensured their safety. They enter an underground facility. There are several other Chinese families. Heavily armed guards are everywhere. An older gentleman introduces himself as Ming of “The Council,” which owns and operates the underground base. Eric finds the base suspicious. Ming welcomes them to New Asiatopia.
The Chinese Vampire: Episode IV – A Familiar Face Appears
The rules are simple. Number One - no questioning The Council’s authority. Number Two - everybody needs to contribute. The adults handle intensive labor. The children attend daily lectures on engineering before engaging in hours of cleaning. Eric sighs as exhaustion gets to him. ScallionStem, a schoolmate from Vlad High, offers assistance. Eric smiles with some relief. The two become good friends.
The Chinese Vampires: Episode V – Must Uphold Routine
Nearly two months have passed. Eric and the other members of New Asiatopia have adjusted to the underground lifestyle. The Council has been brainwashing everyone that they should follow routine via WeChat. Those that disobey the rules receive harsh punishments. One day, ScallionStem rushes to Eric. He catches his breath and says that Chairman Xi Jinping was in the highly restricted “Council” room. Why is the leader of China at this underground base? How did he get here?
The Chinese Vampire: Episode VI – Sleepless Evening
Eric’s unable to sleep. Having heard what ScallionStem said, his own curiosity grows. The lights are currently offline in New Asiatopia. Citizens are mandated to stay within their dorms. Eric hears a voice outside his dorm. ScallionStem and some new faces are awaiting him. The boys are planning to investigate further. They silently travel to the ominous Council room. Two soldiers stand outside. Some scientists enter the room with an authorization card. The boys receive a brief glimpse of incubators.
The Chinese Vampire: Episode VII – Commence Infiltration
In the next few days, ScallionStem organizes a plan to infiltrate the Council room. They sneak into a scientist’s dorm to retrieve an authorization card. Eric determines the perfect timing to strike would be 2:00 a.m. because the troops would go on their hour break. ScallionStem wants to avoid garnered suspicion. They wait a week. Their plan goes accordingly. They enter the illuminated Council room. Fear travels through Eric’s body. There are endless rows of incubators containing human-like creatures. A countless number of scientists are analyzing the creatures. Ming appears to stand next to China’s Xi Jinping.
The Chinese Vampire: Episode VIII - Grave Danger Revealed
The focus is on Xi Jinping. The boys are puzzled about his presence in New Asiatopia. Finding some conveniently located files, ScallionStem takes a look at what appears to be statistics and diagrams. Eric, having aced the AP Statistics exam, offers assistance interpreting the data. He can’t believe it. There are apparently 15,000 humans remaining on earth. Eric doesn’t understand “Project CoronaVampirus,” which appears to have failed. Footsteps approach. “Freeze!” says a thundering voice. The boys are in trouble.
The Chinese Vampire: Episode IX - Project CoronaVampirus
Eric can’t move. The troops have tied their limbs with rope. Worried for their lives, ScallionStem says that they won’t disclose any information to the others within New Asiatopia. Chairman Jinping laughs as he steps forward. Eric demands to know what the files mean. Ming remorsefully admits that Project CoronaVampirus was never intended to eradicate 99.99% of the world’s population. China was on the verge of creating the world’s most powerful army. Their “Feng Shui” serum was projected to enhance the human body to be capable of running faster, lifting objects triple their weight, and more. The scientists apply anesthetic gases to the boys. Eric falls unconscious.
The Chinese Vampire: Episode X - The Vampire Awakens
Eric regains his consciousness. What happened? Several corpses lie in front of him. ScallionStem and his friends are dead. There are gunshot wounds. Lifeless soldiers are everywhere. There are two holes in each of their necks. Eric looks down at his blood-soaked hands. Is he responsible? Eric’s head is spinning. He feels sick in his stomach. Ming enters. He explains that Chairman Jinping authorized the serum to be injected in Eric and the others. Eric is furious. His eyes blaze a crimson red. Eric storms out of the room and all Chinese personnel fly multiple feet away. Soldiers approach with machine guns. Eric knows he can’t deal with them all. Knocking down the main entrance, Eric looks back at New Asiatopia and swears vengeance. The moonlight illuminates the lifeless Earth. Eric looks at the overhead clouds, a nostalgic sight.
SECOND PLACE - DEJON KURTI
Dear Netflix and Affiliates,
I would like to first thank the board of directors for taking the time to review what I believe will be the rebirth of vampirical stories in our time. The movie I’ve created, Bloodborne, is a film dedicated to putting the complex nature of these beings—humans turned killers—on the big screen in an attempt to not only display their frightening nature, but to highlight self-questioning and purpose in a universe as vast as our own. It is without a doubt that this will be a thriller packed with terrifying moments, but what will distinguish this movie from the rest is the emotional connection and understanding audiences will share with creatures who were designed from the start to take over humanity. The narrative I’ve created for you is only a small glimpse into the movie and will hopefully clarify some key questions you have. We will be following the story of John Bray (as told from his perspective), a vampire-turned-protagonist who realizes what he must do. John, along with his friend Alison, are on a mission to stop the Dark Covenant—a following of vampires dedicated to restoring dark forces upon our physical world—from unleashing death across the globe. While this is only a general gist of the plot, I hope each of you will creatively think about the many different possibilities this brings to the table.
Yours Truly,
Dejon Kurti
----
Bloodborne
By Dejon Kurti
As expected, the monastery was empty. Every fiber in my being hoped that France was where we’d learn the truth about what those cultists had planned. I still remember Father William’s last words:
“God creates no two creatures alike, John. Your only mission is the one you choose.”
The image of his mutilated body, his face almost unrecognizable then, still haunted me.
In many ways, I still didn’t know what I was. The countless times I had fed on innocent people to supplement my neverending existence, the joy I took in slowly watching the life leave a person’s body as quickly as their blood drew into mine—these were experiences that seemingly confirmed the evilness I embodied. Alison and I weren’t like the others though, fanatically obsessed with Satan and reclaiming the underworld’s glory in our time… Whatever that meant.
“Ah, Sénanque Nabbey is as beautiful as the pictures make it out to be.”
“We don’t have time to take pictures, Al. Sun’s going down and they know what we’re searching for.”
She rolled her eyes and followed me past the lavender field. When we had reached the entrance, the doors were already open.
Alison looked at me and gave me that nod of hers. The sun was still up, though setting quickly—if they were here, they were here as humans. We pulled out our pistols and quickly scanned the main hall, moving with intensity and focus down the room.
“I’ve got nothing.”
“John, come here,” Alison had said shakily.
Three monks rested at the base of a cross, dead. Their necks had been slit and they were left to bleed out, but there was a path of blood behind them. Judging by the darkened color and strong odor, the blood wasn’t fresh—this had occurred two, maybe three days ago. The way their necks had been cut too… That wasn’t a vampire’s mark. The sheer size of the impact wound alone indicated some kind of claw or talon.
“They died to something else, Alison.”
“Do you want to wait for the sun to set before we follow the blood stains?”
I saw the concern in her eyes almost immediately.
“The Dark Covenant is on our trail. We don’t have time to waste—trust me, the devil isn’t here.”
I was good at even deceiving myself of my own confidence.
We followed the path down a spiral staircase dimly lit by torches until we reached a locked door in the depths below.
“Flashlights out.”
I shot the lock and kicked the door open. Alison took the lead and we quickly cleared the corners. It was yet another hallway, but I had an eerie feeling. As I shined my light across the stone walls, I saw marks and engravings. After what felt like an hour of us walking, we saw a large, open room filled with bookshelves and dimly lit by candles.
It was a library.
Alison and I steadily walked across the oakwood floors. I slowly moved my hands across the books that lined the shelves, feeling their dust against the tip of my fingers. As we neared the center of the library, I felt my fangs coming in.
“Sun’s down,” whispered Alison.
When we turned the corner, the first thing that caught my eye was the pentagram drawn with blood. A dark, scorching fire blazed in the center, but near it was a large black book.
I bent down and wiped the ash off its cover to reveal what we had been searching for:
The Metaphysical Connection to the Underworld.
This was the key to opening up our world to the one hidden beneath it, but more importantly, it was ours at that point.
“Mr. Bray and Ms. Loft, what a pleasure to have you join us today!” Vlad shouted from one of the balconies above.
“Did you hear them?”
“I guess not.”
As we looked up, vampires slowly appeared in each of the balconies that surrounded us.
“You two are smart, I’ll give you that. You somehow figured out that the book of uprising laid here. It’s a shame you’ll be handing that over.”
I grasped the book firmly now.
“Are you sure about that?”
We were easily surrounded with the likelihood of the entire monastery above being surrounded.
Vlad’s smile quickly faded as he stared me down.
“So be it.”
A vampire immediately jumped at us from the balcony to my right. With speeds I didn’t know I was capable of, I shifted the weight of my body to thrust the book into his rapidly-approaching neck.
It was safe to say he was dead.
The rest of his henchmen started dropping down from the balconies into the depths of the library. Our guns were worthless—a vampire’s speed and reaction time forced you to engage in some kind of melee if you wanted to kill one. There were only three guarantees I knew of: a snap of the neck, a blade through the heart, and fire.
Two lunged at Alison. She quickly dodged one and roundhouse-kicked the other into a shelf. I turned to see another two coming from behind us. I quickly strafed left, tripping one, and threw the book at the other. Before he could even get up, I snapped his neck with outstanding force and flew into his ally. He threw me off him and landed two blows to the body only to have me catch his arm on the third and tear into it with my teeth.
His screech lasted only a second before Alison took off his head.
“Alison, I’m gonna use the book.”
“Are you crazy? The only rift you’d create is one down there.”
“Better than staying here. I’ll close it as soon—”
Before I knew it, I was hurled all the way to the pentagram. I looked up only to see a blur of black come at me before Vlad had me in a chokehold.
“You’re a VAMPIRE, John. Why are you so insistent on protecting these mortals?”
“Be-because man is still good.”
He hissed and before he could plunge his dagger into me, was shot by Alison in the back. It barely hurt him—I could see that—but it got his attention.
I kicked out his right knee and threw him into the eternal flame behind us.
It was then we saw a dark-blue, winged beast with an upper-body as strong and wide as the legends we’d seen in New York City.
“Oh my God.”
“I hope your Romanian is good John.”
I grabbed the book, screamed “deschide limitele iadului,” and everything changed.
We had gone to a much darker place.
Benjamin Cavallaro, Period 6, 03/25/24
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