Born At Midnight

"Relax," Derek said in a voice so low she was certain no one else heard it. And she could barely hear him thanks to the thumping of her own heart.

"Introductions wil happen over lunch," a female voice said. Kylie thought it was Holiday again, but she couldn't be sure. They al continued to stare. Stare at her. Her mind raced and her heart pounded. Gushing sounds echoed in her ears. Tearing her gaze away, she eyed the door and fought the urge to run. Run fast and run hard. But face it, she'd never been a good runner, and too many freaks stood between her and the door. Then, oddly, she remembered something she'd learned about wild animals. If you run, they think you're dinner and wil chase you.

Oh, double crap. Okay, deep breath. Then another one. Her lungs expanded. These weren't wild animals, just weird-ass teenagers. Right then, Kylie's phone beeped with another incoming text. Probably Sara. Kylie ignored it. And for the first time, Kylie decided she possibly could have been wrong about Sara's situation being more difficult than her own. She wasn't a hundred percent certain of that, but something deep in her gut said this wasn't just about her going to Mark Jameson's party.

But what else could it be about?

And why? Why of al the freaks in the room had she been singled out? Was it because she didn't twitch her eyebrows? Oh, she could twitch her brows as good as the next person. And darn if she wouldn't be practicing that as soon as she got alone. Problem was, she just didn't understand the whole twitching thing. Was it the Shadow Fal s Camp version of a secret handshake?

"Come on. Let's get things moving," the singsong voice said again. "Returnees, outside. Newbies, hang right here."

Kylie experienced the tiniest bit of relief when the crowd stopped staring and started shuffling around, reaching for purses and backpacks. Or at least most of them stopped staring. Kylie looked over to the right and saw the black-haired boy with bright blue eyes standing there, his gaze locked on her. Lucas Parker. She recal ed his name, even though it had been a long time since she'd seen him. I'm glad they left, she recal ed her dad saying. Take my word on it, that kid is going to grow up to be a serial killer. Kylie felt a fist wrap around her heart and squeeze. Was she real y at a camp with a possible serial kil er?

Could it real y be him? Of course, she could be wrong. It had been, gosh, over ten years. Chil s tiptoed up her spine, and then he turned and moved into the flow of other returnees out the door.

Kylie saw Miranda take a few steps. She stopped in front of Kylie and said, "Good luck." Kylie couldn't tel if the girl was being a smartass or serious, so she just nodded.

The blond boy stepped behind Miranda and grinned at Kylie. "Wouldn't want to be you," he said as if joking, then he fol owed Miranda out. Knees locked so she wouldn't crumble, Kylie came to her senses long enough to realize that at least half the crowd had gone. And of her bus buddies, the only ones remaining were Pale Girl, Goth Girl, Derek, and the guy with al the piercings.

"Okay," Holiday said. "Now, what I want is for al of you who know why you're here, to move to the far left. Al of you who don't, move to the far right."

Kylie remembered her feeling that this was about more than her trip to the police station and started to move to the right, but she noticed everyone shifting to the left. Not wanting to be singled out any more than she already had been, she went to stand beside Derek. He shot her a look of disbelief. Deciding to practice the whole eyebrow thing, she crinkled her forehead. When she looked over, only four people stood on the right side of the room. One of them was the pierced boy from her bus. Holiday looked at both groups and Sky walked in and stood beside the redheaded leader. "Okay, righties, come with me. Sky is going to talk to everyone else." Holiday started out, then stopped and glanced back over her shoulder. Her gaze slapped right into Kylie. "Come with us, Kylie."

Shocked the women knew her name, she shook her head. "I know why I'm here," she lied.

"Real y?" asked Holiday.

Deciding to take a stab at it, she said, "I got caught at a party where drugs were found."

A few snickers fil ed Kylie's ears.

Holiday frowned at the snickerers and motioned Kylie forward.

"Is it because my parents are getting a divorce?" she asked, feeling desperate.

Holiday didn't say anything, but then she didn't have to. The look she shot Kylie reminded her of her mom's don't-go-there stare. And the one time Kylie had gone there, she'd been grounded for a month. So Kylie fol owed Holiday and the four others out of the dining hal . When they walked past the crowd standing outside, Kylie felt al the eyes turn toward her. Miranda nodded and mouthed the words "good luck."

For some reason, Kylie suspected the girl's intentions were genuine.

Then Kylie spotted Lucas Parker standing beside the goth girl who'd raised her hand and asked about Kylie in the big meeting. They had their heads together, whispering, and they both stared at Kylie as if she didn't belong there. And damn if Kylie didn't agree with them. That's when Kylie realized that Lucas was dressed goth, too. Or at least he wore a black T-shirt. Of course, he looked real y good in that shirt. It fit his upper torso-

his very lean yet muscular upper torso-like a glove. So unfair, how guys didn't have to fol ow any fashion guidelines to look good. Realizing she was staring at the guy's abs, and that the goth chick was smirking at her, Kylie turned away and pretended she hadn't noticed the girl's rude expression. Now if she could just pretend none of this was happening. Right then the pierced guy fel into step beside Kylie. She glanced at him and tried to smile. They might be strangers, but at least they'd ridden the same bus and he seemed just as clueless as she was. He leaned in. "You wouldn't have brought any drugs with you, would you?"

Kylie's jaw dropped open in shock and mortification. Just shoot me now. Friggin' great. Thanks to her little slip in the dining room, everyone now considered her a druggie.

* * *

Holiday, her red hair flowing down her back, led them into a smal er cabin with a tin roof, located right behind the dining hal . From the woodenplank porch hung a sign that read CAMP OFFICE. Kylie and the other four fol owed her to a back room that looked like a classroom.

"Have a seat, guys." Holiday leaned against the desk in the front as she waited for everyone to settle in. Kylie felt the woman's gaze on her every few seconds as if she thought Kylie might try to bolt. Much to Holiday's credit, the idea had crossed Kylie's mind more than once. Hence the reason she chose the desk closest to the door.

Yet something kept Kylie from running, something besides the fact that she had never excel ed at the fifty-yard dash. Something more than fear of being caught trying to escape.

Curiosity.

For an unknown reason, Kylie sensed that whatever Holiday had to say, it was going to explain things. And Kylie desperately wanted an explanation.

"Okay," Holiday said, and offered everyone what appeared to be a relax-everything-is-cool kind of a smile. Nevertheless, it was going take more than a smile to convince Kylie.

"What I have to say is going to be a relief to most of you, because deep down you've known that something was ... different. Some of you have known it al your life, some of you have only recently come upon your destiny, but either way, this is probably going to be a shock." Holiday's gaze shifted to Kylie. "You guys are here because you are special. Gifted."

Holiday paused and Kylie waited for someone to ask the question, and when no one did, she blurted it out. "Define special."

"We've al read about the supernaturals, thing of legends, and from childhood, we're taught that they don't exist. The truth is that they do exist. Not everyone in the world is alike. And some of us are a lot more different than others. Some of us were born like this, some of us were changed. But no matter how this happened to you, if you are here it is because this is your destiny. It was chosen for you."

"Wait a minute," Kylie said before she could stop herself. "What are ... I mean, are you saying that ... that things like ... like-"

"Vampires exist?" Pierced Guy asked. "Oh, shit. I knew I wasn't crazy. That's why I got real y sick."

Kylie had to swal ow to keep from laughing. She'd been about to say things like angels, but this was ... it was stupid. The boy had obviously done too many drugs. Everyone knew that ... that vampires and crap like that didn't exist.

She waited for Holiday to correct the guy. And then waited some more. During that second delay, Kylie remembered how cold Pale Girl's touch had been. She remembered Blond Boy's ever changing eye color, she remembered Miranda's disappearing toad. No. She refused to let herself start to ...

"That's right, Jonathon," Holiday said. "They exist. And yes, you were turned last week."

"I knew they weren't just dreams," said the other girl. "The wolf I dreamed of. It was real."

Holiday nodded.

"No." Kylie held up her hand and shook her head so hard that blond hair brushed back and forth across her face. "I'm not going to believe this."

Holiday met Kylie's gaze. "I'm not surprised that it's you, Kylie, who finds this the hardest to believe."

"What am I?" blurted out the other sandy-haired girl.

What am I? The girl's question vibrated in Kylie's head. Not that she had the least bit of desire to ask it herself. She didn't believe in this crap. I do not believe.

Holiday smiled at the girl and gave her a soft accepting look. "Your birth mother was fairy. You have healing gifts. And I know you have suspected this."

The girl's eyes widened with what appeared to be relief. "I healed my little sister, didn't I? My parents thought I was crazy," she said. "But I knew I'd done it. I felt it when it happened."

Holiday gazed at her with sympathy. "That is sometimes the hardest part of this. Knowing what we know and not being able to share it with others. But very few ordinary humans can accept us for who we are. This is part of the reason you are here-to learn how to deal with your gifts and how to live in a normal world."

Kylie's mind raced. She recal ed the strange things that had been happening-the return of her night terrors and ... Soldier Dude, the stalker that only Kylie seemed able to see. Panic started to unravel her logic. She closed her eyes and desperately tried to wake herself up. It had to be a dream.

"Kylie?" Holiday's voice had her opening her eyes. "I know this is hard for you to accept."

"It isn't just hard. It's impossible. I don't believe-"

"But you are scared to ask, aren't you? Scared to ask the reasons you are here, because deep down, you know you belong here."

I know that neither my mom or dad want me. That's why I'm here. "I shouldn't be here," Kylie snapped. "I haven't been having dreams of wolves. I have night terrors. I'm hardly able to remember my dreams. I haven't been bitten by a bat, and I haven't healed anyone."

"Vampires and werewolves are not the only supernaturals that exist." Holiday paused and then pressed her palms together in front of her. "What do you want, Kylie? Proof?"