Narrator's POV
Wednesday, October 7th, 2026
2:30 am
Kalisha and N are lying next to each other in bed, cuddling and resting during night time. But screams are heard, and Kalisha is awake by the sight of N freaking out. She tries shaking his body and calling his name to wake him up.
"N...N...N!"
His body contorts. The painful shrieks are so loud that Shani and Jymia barge into the room to figure out what all the commotion is about.
"Kalisha, wetin' dey go on?" Jymia asks.
"Ki lode ti o fi n pariwo freaking out? (Why is he screaming and freaking out?)" Shani asks.
"Emi ko mọ paapaa. Mo ko gbọ ariwo, mo de ri bayi (I don't even know. I heard screams, which woke me up and I saw him in this state)." Kalisha explains.
N stops freaking out. He opens his eyes and catches his breath. Kalisha hugs him, trying to keep the situation under control.
"Are you alright? You had me, and everyone worried." She tells him.
"Yeah... I'm alright. I just had a nightmare. But I'm doing fine." He explains, still catching his breath.
"I'm glad you are feeling well." She says, hugging him even tighter and not letting go.
"Sha (Anyway), is everything alright now?" Jymia asks.
Kalisha lets go of him and faces Jymia.
"Yeah, everything is alright. We will handle the rest. Continue what you both were doing." She informs them.
"Okay," Jymia replies.
"Mo bura, Kalisha man pade awon ajeji okunrin. (I swear, Kalisha be finding the strangest guys)" Shani mutters to Jymia.
They both leave the room, closing the door behind them.
*********
"What type of nightmare did you have?" Kalisha asks him.
"Anytime when I fall asleep, I always dream about the same horrific event I've experienced as a child." He explains.
"I want to know everything that happened." She told him.
He sighs.
He explains the incident to her, despite not knowing the full exact details. She is tearing up after he shared his frightening memories.
"Oh my god... I am so sorry that happened to you." She said while crying and sniffling.
He hugs her.
"It's alright, thank you." He comforts her.
"What happened to the police officer that caused all this? Did he get caught and put in prison?" She asks.
He stops hugging her. She grabs the nearest paper towel and wipes the tears away.
"I don't know," He replies.
"You don't know? You must know something."
"I legitimately don't know any information about the officer, what happened to him, or his whereabouts."
"So what have you been up to your whole life then? You couldn't even find out if some justice was served or not?"
"I've tried so many times. I've searched all around the world to find this one officer, but I never got the right person."
"Wait... Why did you travel around the world? You know you could search everything up on the internet."
"I did use the Internet, but I never got closer to the right target. Also, I traveled the world to search for racist Caucasian male officers that got away with police brutality."
She is shocked and bewildered by what he just said.
"What exactly did you do to those officers?"
"I killed them"
"Why did you kill them?"
"Why not? They don't deserve to live for being racist and abusing their power. Plus, I thought I could at least get a chance to find and kill the officer who put me in so much hell."
"Okay... Let's picture this. Let's just say that the same incident happened to you, but this time, it was a black officer. Would you go on a hunt and kill every black cop in the world?"
"Why are you doing this?"
"Just answer the question!"
He sighs.
"I hate to admit it, but yes."
Kalisha punches him in the shoulder.
"Why is everyone attacking me today?" He asks, rubbing his shoulder to heal the pain.
"I can't believe you would hunt and kill black people for revenge. Would you kill me then?"
"No, I would not kill you. I don't harm women or children."
"What if it was a black female cop? Would you kill all the black women in the world?"
He gets off the bed and heads to the door.
"Where are you going? You're not brave enough to answer difficult questions!?"
He turns around and looks at her.
"Why are you flipping my story and making me look like the bad guy?"
"Sharrap! (Shut Up!) It's all about you, isn't it? You always play the victim and expect everyone to feel sorry for you. Well, how about me and how I am feeling? Have you ever thought about how hard it is for a female vampire?" She explodes on him.
"People always think that all female vampires are just a Succubus. They claim that we're only good for luring mortal men to have sex and then kill them after we fulfilled our satisfaction. Well, I hate being labeled as a Succubi—it's a sexist term. Plus, I hate having sex with human men, they never satisfy me, and I don't find them attractive." She adds.
He walks back to the bed and sits down again to listen more clearly. She starts to cry again.
"Do you want to know what hurts about being a female vampire? I see all these beautiful and strong mortal women like Rihanna, Beyoncé, Michelle Obama, Simi, Sade, Zendaya, and many more. Do you want to know what they all have in common?" She asks.
"What?" He asks.
"They all had their periods. I know you must think I'm crazy for saying something like that, but it's true. All those mortal women had their periods, while I never experienced menstruation in my entire existence. Many women will say that I am lucky, and it's a blessing that I never went through that pain. But honestly, I find that having no periods is a curse. Many mortal women in the world went through that process, and they are considered strong and empowering. Does that make me less of a woman for not having my period?" She explains while still crying her eyes out.
Silence fills the room.
"Answer me, goddammit! Don't go quiet on me again."
"What am I supposed to say? It's a personal and sensitive topic for someone like me to discuss."
"I don't want you to form a discussion; I just want you to answer one question."
She repeats the question again and patiently waits for his response.
"No, it does not make you less of a woman for not having your period. Honestly, it makes you unique."
"Maybe it does... But I still want to experience the pains, the cramps, and the burning sensation around my abdomen. I want to go through the same struggles that all the mortal women experience. I want to be as strong as them."
"But, you are strong."
"How the fuck am I strong? I am dead! I can't have my period. I can't pee, poop, fart, get sick, or do anything. The only thing I can do is suck blood, cry, and have sex. I find it ironic that I cannot have a period when vampires are known for blood. It doesn't make sense how I consume so much blood, but no blood comes out of my body. The only time blood comes out is when I am injured, and that's it. I even question every day how my mother gave birth to me." She explains.
"What also hurts is that I can't live my life. I can't use any mirrors, which makes it hard to do my makeup and hair. I can't go out when the sun is up and experience the beauties in life. I can't worship any higher power or go near anything spiritual, even though we try to break the rules and pray as much as possible. I can't get a well paid night job that doesn't involve sex or working in a club. I couldn't even go to school; I had to be homeschooled by my parents and other family members. Life hasn't been easy for me." She adds.
She gets another paper towel to wipe off the tears.
"I feel your pain. I may not experience how it feels like being a female, but I have gone through a lot of pain. Just yesterday, I've been shot thirteen times by a racist cop and dealt with another officer that did nothing. I also lost loved ones as you did. I had to survive on my own throughout my life, and it was not easy." He tells her.
"How did you even survive after your parents died and your house burnt down?" She asks.
"I don't remember much, but I do remember living in the woods during my growing up process. I ate a lot of animals and humans to keep me going each day. I had to steal books from the library when they were closed to learn as much as I can about life. Thankfully, I was never caught. Then I started my plan to get revenge and traveled everywhere to find that officer. Ever since then, I've been killing a lot of racist white police officers. But I'm not killing them only for myself; I want to bring justice and stop police brutality from happening any longer."
"I understand what you are doing, but life isn't about holding a grudge and getting revenge. Revenge will kill you! Also, you have to learn how to move on."
"How can I move on when that motherfucker is still roaming the streets somewhere?"
"How do you even know he is still alive? Probably, he's dead by now."
"I know he's still alive, and I can sense that he is somewhere in Virginia."
"Why Virginia? Of all the states you could go to, you chose Virginia. It's a boring-ass state; nothing happens here."
"I never checked Virginia before because I thought nothing racially significant happens here. But after doing my research, Virginia does have a lot of racist people and events. Most notably, the Charlottesville incident that happened in 2017, where the KKK caused havoc. Back in 1619, Jamestown was the place where all the Africans got kidnapped from their land and sent to Virginia to be enslaved. Slavery always existed before 1619, but that's when it became severely worse—leaving a lot of damage to African-Americans and America for an eternity. Plus, many police brutality cases happen here, but not that many people are aware. So I believe that the racist cop who killed my parents and cut my tongue in half is here."
"You don't have to do this."
"Why not?"
She sighs.
"Because... mo nifẹ rẹ"
"Are you calling me a chicken?"
"No! mo nifẹ rẹ doesn't mean chicken. I lied about that."
"What does it mean?"
"I love you."
He raises a brow and comes closer to her.
"What?" He is confused.
"I love you," she sweetly replied.
"Do you mean that?"
"Yes!"
"How can you love me when we just met like hours ago? Plus, we still barely know each other."
"I loved you ever since I laid my eyes on you. You had this vulnerable but handsome look that sent chills down my body. When I saw how you looked with your muscular body and chiseled face, I did not want to let you go. Plus, learning about your tragic life, I want to be there for you and not let you go down the path of darkness. It's not healthy living a life full of hate."
"But aren't you tired of these police officers getting away with crimes that they committed? Aren't you tired of seeing people with the same skin color as you being harassed, bullied, assaulted, mocked, and killed? Don't you want to change?"
"Yes, I won't change, and I am extremely tired of racism, just like everyone else. But there's a more positive way to handle this."
"Nothing gets accomplished by being positive; it always ends up in a race war. Then when someone or more people die and money gets destroyed, that's when the government and the media start to pay attention. But usually, it takes a while for the change to happen."
"I understand, but I still feel like there's a better way to stop racism than using violence. That's what they expect all African-Americans to do and react. We need to show that we are stronger than them and won't stoop to their level."
"I need to show you something."
He gets off the bed. He takes off his scarf and his jacket. Then he removes his shirt, revealing his upper body. His muscular body hypnotizes her as his six-pack gives her butterflies, and his muscles are smiling at her. But she is also mortified by the number of scars and wounds he has. Then she figures out why he showed his body to her.
"Is this where you were shot 13 times?"
"Yes, and it still hurts, but I'm getting used to the pain. This is why police brutality needs to stop so that no more African-Americans end up like me."
"I hope this isn't inappropriate, but can I touch your body?"
"Yes"
She comes closer to him. She is stretching her arms, letting her hands feel on his abs and muscles.
"Does it hurt when I touch you?" She asks.
"No," he replied.
She loves every second of his body, and he smiles while looking at her. They both make eye contact; their eyes are communicating with each other. Her hands slid upon his chest, then graces smoothly over his neck. Now she is touching his face. He grabs her waist and pulls her closer, their bodies coming together. She tiptoes and plants a kiss on his lips. They kiss slowly, savoring every single moment. Her hands moving down, touching his body again. The sensual tension is burning inside them as they wanted each other so badly. But the pressure is too much for her as she is not ready yet to take it all the way. They stop kissing and let each other go.
"N? Can I ask you something?"
"Yeah, ask me anything?"
"Do you want to go on a date with me tomorrow night?"
"Yes," he says without any hesitation.
She is joyful.
"I got a perfect diner we could go to. We could eat more delicious food that isn't human blood or meat."
"I would love that."
They hug each other. Then the door starts to open.
"AWWW!" Jymia and Shani said in unison.
They stop hugging and face them.
"Eh... Why is he shirtless? What happened to his body, na?" Jymia points out.
"I'll tell you later. All that matters is that we're officially going on a date."
Jymia smiles, while Shani has a skeptical look on her face.
"Ṣe Mo le ba soro fun iseju die (Can I talk to him for some minutes?)" Shani ask Kalisha.
"Bẹẹni, ṣugbọn maṣe ṣe ipalara fun u (Yes, but do not hurt him)." She replies.
"mo ṣe adehun (I promise)"
Shani signals him to come, which makes him follow her. They went to a different room and talked alone.
********
There's a awkward silence between them. But Shani made the first move.
"I-I-I'm sorry" she struggles to say.
He is in shock that she spoke English to him.
"I didn't know you speak English."
"I don't. I know some, but not the whole library of the English language."
"Okay. So your sorry? For what?"
"Slapping you sef. It was rude for me to lay my hands on you, I apologize."
"Why did you do it in the first place?"
"Because I love my aburo, that means younger one in Yoruba. I'm always there at her best and worst times. I don't like seeing my aburo heartbroken."
"Why would I break her heart?"
"I'm not saying you will break her heart. But her last relationship ended badly for her, which left her depressed for a whole month and a half. I never want to see my aburo depressed again. So I wanted to talk to you privately to tell you to never take advantage of her. She is strong and deserves to live a satisfying life. I want you to be there for her not only for her best moments, but her most vulnerable moments. Take care of her, but don't treat her like a baby because us Yoruba Tribe queens are goddesses. Do you understand what I am saying or is my English hard to understand as well?"
"I definitely understand you. I will never do anything to break her heart. I will be there for her no matter what and I will give her the satisfaction she is yearning for."
"omo daadaa (Good boy)" she pats his face and leaves the room.
*******
He returns to Kalisha's room.
"Did Shani hurt you?"
"No"
"That's good"
"What do you want to do since there's three hours left before sunrise?" She ask.
"How about we lay down on the bed and cuddle some more?" He answers with a question.
"Cuddling is nice, but we already did enough. Let's watch TV."
"What TV show do you have in mind?"
"How about Big Brother Naija?"
"Never heard of it, but I don't mind watching it."
"I can't wait for our date tomorrow."
"Same here"
She smiles. They sit back down on the bed, covering themselves up, and watched the TV show until it reached 6am.