ELECTIONS - Northumbria Students Union - Northumbria University

STUDENT CULTURE WriSoc Serial - The Finale
WriSoc SerialThe
Finale
So far:
Lexi has started second year by stumbling into the wrong lecture room. Even worse, the
lecture she crashes is on the subject of highly secret magic and she fi nds herself cursed.
Attempting to rescue new friend and talented wizard, Natalie, Lexi fi nd herself at the
mercy of an immortal vampire with only a 2HB pencil between her and certain death.
[Part 8]
The pencil I’d jammed into my hair was slippery with
blood but unbroken: apparently it had raked a cut
across my scalp when Vesperian threw me to the
ground.
‘Foolish mortal,’ Vesperian crowed, leaning over me
close enough I could see the madness in his eyes.
‘My bride and I will tear open your throat as our
wedding feast!’
My fi sts clenched at the thought of Natalie being
forced to kill me. Was Vesperian planning on
controlling her somehow after her transformation?
Or would she be instantly transformed into a
bloodthirsty monster? With those thoughts still in
my head I reversed my grip on the pencil and drove
it as hard as I could in the approximate direction of
his heart.
Vesperian staggered. The blood spreading slowly
across his shirt was so dark it was almost black and
already clotting. I kicked him as hard as I could,
rolled onto my knees and drove the pencil upwards
as he dived towards me. This time it hit his heart.
Or at least, it hit something. I could tell because he
began to writhe, his skin drawing unnaturally tight
over his bones. I scrambled away, still on my knees,
as he began to glow from within. By the time the
fl ames started I was crouched behind a side table.
36 nu:life
When they stopped, I got to my feet and looked
for Natalie. She’d been suspended in midair by
Vesperian’s magic but it was already wearing off : she
was falling by degrees, like a puppet whose strings
were giving out one by one. I went to catch her and
got there just as the spell collapsed entirely.
At least, I thought stoically, I had broken her fall.
Then again, whoever had been responsible for
changing her into a wedding dress could at least
have got rid of her Doc Martens. They were going to
leave on hell of a bruise. I prodded her in the side,
entirely from friendly concern for her well being.
Mostly. Probably. At least half.
‘Lexi?’ Natalie muttered, opening her eyes. ‘Why are
you in my-’ Her eyes opened wider as she clocked
our surroundings, the wedding dress, the blood I
could feel matting my hair. ‘New question: why aren’t
I in my bedroom?’
‘It’s a long story,’ I said, helping her to her feet. ‘I’m
not sure I believe it.’