My world tilts in all directions as Andrew Jr.’s body slams into the thick wall behind him. I’m whipped from the controller’s seat like a ragdoll, and find myself slamming into the robot’s left temple. Before I can register the pain properly, Andrew Jr. is gripped tightly around the neck by an unseen hand and lifted upright from his crumpled position on the concrete ground. I lie panting in the far corner of the control room, a nasty bruise already forming over my left eye. Warm blood trickles down the side of my face.

 I feel my exterior’s broken form straighten underneath me, as it’s raised higher into the air by my attacker. Pain racking at my brain, I clamber to my feet, my legs swaying as the floor beneath me is shifted. Through the eyes of Andrew Jr., still shaded by the sunglasses, I see the petite face of the girl, her thin red lips twisted into a gruesome smile. And as she holds my exterior upright against the wall with untold strength, I realise something.

She’s not human.

“Why aren’t you struggling?” She asks innocently, peering into Andrew Jr.’s covered eyes. I groan softly in pain, the sound automatically projecting through his robotic mouth. Staggering back to the controller’s seat, I force myself to take a breath. The left side of my face is covered in blood from the onslaught it took to the far wall of the cockpit. Shakily, I shove my hands back into the gloves before me that control my exterior’s physical motions and bite my lip.

“You can’t hurt me.” I say through the mouth of Andrew Jr., wincing as my head throbs in pain. A thick red line oozes down my cheek, staining my sweatshirt. “Please…”

The girl raises her free hand to her lips. Her covered eyes twinkle. “Shhh… It’ll all be over soon…” She says, grinning widely. The colour drains from both Andrew Jr. and my faces as her front canines lengthen into glistening white fangs.

Shit… not a red! I think wildly, beginning to thrash my exterior’s body around to loosen her grip. The hand around his neck only tightens. From my position, it’s like the girl is scrunching a giant coke can. My exterior’s insides rattle in protest at the pressure in his neck.

“Don’t fight it, human…” She whispers, extending her incisors towards my exterior’s neck. Jesus… this is gonna be so hard to fix! I think, my mechanic addict brain instantly envisioning the process of covering the two bite marks with the latex material I use for Andrew Jr.’s skin. I gasp in fright as the giant vampire moves closer in…

“AVA!” A voice booms suddenly, followed by a loud ‘pop’, like someone’s just uncorked a bottle of champagne at a wedding. The red’s body freezes up and she releases Andrew. Jr. instantly, as if he’s just electrocuted her. I lean forward in my seat in confusion, trying to get a better look at the events unfolding outside.

The red girl stumbles backwards, her perfect face a mask of shock. After a few seconds she drops to one knee, her hand rising to the back of her neck. I program Andrew Jr. to bend down in attempt to help her (yes, despite the fact that she almost killed poor Andrew Jr.’s circuits) but the girl only slumps forward, apparently knocked out. I gasp through my exterior’s mouth, noticing a small red tipped dart wedged crudely into her neck. Slowly, I extend Andrew Jr.’s hand to tug it out…

“I wouldn’t do that, if I was you.” The same voice from before says sternly.

****

“I wouldn’t do that, if I was you.” I call out, shoving the tranq gun back into my backpack and jogging over to the human as he kneels beside Ava’s limp body. He looks up, startled by my presence, although I can’t get a good read of his expression, since he’s covered up in a hoodie and sunglasses. It bothers me a little, as to why he’s hiding his face, or at least eyes behind the glasses. What does a human have to cover up, anyway? Is this guy blind? I try to keep my voice at its usual calm monotone as I address him. “This is my sister.” I explain, thinking up a decent excuse for Ava attacking the guy. “She’s schizophrenic. Sometimes she has these… episodes… I’m sorry that she attacked you like that…”

“Is that what you tell everyone?” The human asks, his lips curling into a knowing smile. I don’t frown, as it’d drop my levels down into the lower numbers, but questions linger in my mind. This guy knows something. I can feel it.

“Yeah.” I mutter, slinging Ava’s arm around my shoulder and getting to my feet. “That’s because it’s true.” I scrutinise the human as he remains kneeling on the slippery pavement. “You okay?”

He recovers instantly, rising to standing like nothing has happened. I narrow my eyes at the… abruptness in his movements.

“Are you hurt?” I press on, feeling a little agitated. I toss the emotion away as soon as it comes, almost like a reflex. Not now, Cole. Bubbly, bubbly happy, remember?

“N-no.” The human says, his voice catching slightly. “I’m alright.” Then in a softer voice, he adds. “You got her before she could bite me.”

“It’s her condition.” I explain calmly. “She thinks she’s a vampire sometimes and goes around on a ‘hunting spree’.”

“Riigghhhttt.” The human says, flashing the same, knowing smile. I flinch, feeling uneasiness wash over me. My monitor buzzes, bordering on a two. Automatically, I fill my head with rainbows and unicorns, hoping they’ll distract me from my emotions.

“If you’re alright, I should go.” I say tightly, taking a step back from the strange human.

“Don’t go.” He whispers, the words barely audible. I tense up, the hairs on the back of my neck rising. Ava lets out a low moan from beside me. I prop her up against my shoulder, her lolling head nuzzling the side of my face.

“What?” I ask, the words tasting funny on my tongue. The monitor at my wrist buzzes, my levels verging on one. Control it, Cole. I urge my brain. Think of your happy spot…

“It’s just…” The human’s timid words break my band of concentration and I bite my lip, barely having managed to reach a somewhat stable level three. What is he trying to say?

The human opens his mouth again, as if to force himself to speak. His voice carries the same, pained tinge. Is this guy hurt or something?

“It’s just…” He whispers.

“Please say what you’ve gotta say.” I say with as much tightness as I can muster without dropping my levels. “My sister needs to get back to the… erm… mental hospital.”

At that comment, the human flashes another of his famous knowing smiles. And then finally, he sighs. “Okay… I’ll say it.” He says, before uttering the six words I thought would never leave his mouth.

“When did you become a Nazaree?” The human… guy asks.

I purse my lips, sweat beginning to trickle down the back of my neck. I shiver, despite the warm summer’s air. “What’s that?” I ask, wincing as my voice breaks. The fear of being ‘found out’ drops my levels back down, my monitor sending a frenzy of spine tingling buzzes through my body.

The human snorts, unfazed by my reaction. “Come on…?” He breaks off, as if searching for something…

My name. He wants my name… I think to myself with another shiver.

“It’s Cole.” I say through my teeth.” Happy spot… happy spot…

“Right… well, you don’t have to hide your identity from me.” The human says, his voice almost reassuring, despite the pained edge it carries. It still sounds as though the guy is hurt in some way, despite his unscathed body.

“What do you mean?” I ask, actually considering what this guy truly is. I mean… it makes sense, in a way. Who else besides some criminal would cover their eyes? Okay Cole… he can’t be a red since he couldn’t fight off Ava, clearly too small for an orange and big for a yellow, too snarky for a green, he’d have to be mute if he were blue… I doubt he’s blind like an indigo… he’s not a purple…? Before I can begin my mental assumption of what colour he is though, he answers my question.

“Because I’m Nazaree too.” And before I can prepare myself for what’s to come, the boy raises his hoodie and flicks the glasses off his face.

Impossible. I think.

His face is just as I’d have imagined it in real life: angular, sharp featured with mousy brown hair and glinting eyes. The eyes of a yellow.

“Andrew Lawson?” I breathe.

The boy seems puzzled that I know his name, but nods all the same.

And in that wild moment of shock, fear and relief, I forget all about my levels. Suddenly, my monitor beeps loudly, the band around my wrist tightening. I can feel the four needles that attach it permanently to my skin pumping in happy juices, but it’s too late.

“T-t-too m-m-much… e-m-m-motion…” I stutter out, before my body convulses in a series of strenuous fits.

Ava slumps off me, landing in a crumpled heap on the pavement as I begin to shrink…

Too much emotion…