No way. It just wasn't possible. I couldn't believe it. Who'd have thought that he was the one who saved me four years ago?
I gaped at him in disbelief. I couldn't tell whether he was lying or not, but he simply wasn't the type to make jokes. I was about to ask him for details when more vampires came barging through the door. He immediately lifted me to my feet and stood in front of me. The vampires looked furious, showing their fangs and giving out low growls. I didn't think we stood a chance against them. He looked fine though. He didn't look scared or troubled. He looked rather confident. Then, they plunged forward. In one fell swoop, I was in his arms and he had moved across the room. He ran through the door into the wide open space. The vampires followed and I could have sworn one of them almost tore my legs off with his claws. I held onto him tightly. I was afraid I'd die if I let go and get eaten by one of them. I hang on even tighter when I started getting dizzy. We entered the forest and stayed hidden behind a huge tree. I heard the vampires' yells and grunts. I didn't move an inch. I thought I stopped breathing for a moment. I looked at him. He seemed calm but his eyes were alert. As strong as he was, we were outnumbered. It would have been foolish of him to try and fight especially with me as a burden. We listened as the leaves rustled in a distance and it became quiet.
"How did you find me? Why did you come to save me?" I asked curiously.
"Don't assume things. I was passing by and heard your voice. It seemed strange to me how the princess of the Church would be hanging around here."
"What were you doing around here then? This doesn't look like a place anybody would be wandering around in."
"I was on my way home. It's not far from here." He said; his tone implying it was the end of the conversation.
Then, I was thrown sideways and hit a tree. I struggled to get back on my feet and saw that we were surrounded. Those guys, they were still lurking around. I should have kept quiet earlier. Somebody grabbed my foot and I kicked him hard. The vampire grunted in irritation. I ran away from him only to get knocked on the ground by another. I grabbed the rock right above my head and swung it with force onto the vampire. He staggered back, both surprised and in pain. Then somebody kicked me from behind and I fell on my stomach. That moment, I knew I should be expecting bruises and muscle pains when I get home. A vampire grabbed my arm and turned me face-up. Then I saw his other hand swinging and his claws glistened in the dark. I just closed my eyes and waited for what would happen. Nothing happened. I opened my eyes and the hostile vampire was gone. Instead, it was someone else with a kind face and a gentle smile. I recognized him immediately. I looked around and saw the three other vampires who just arrived at the scene. They were pureblooded vampires who I usually saw with Kai – his friends. Apparently, they were on their way to Kai's home when they heard the commotion. I considered myself lucky. Help came right on time.
I was still shaking in the car as I sat there on my way home. Kai was surprisingly kind enough to offer me a ride. His driver came by the warehouse where I was held hostage. The five of them defeated all those part-human vampires and called the Council after tying those troublemakers up. The Council sent their men in the forest and collected the vampires. I was curious and really wanted to ask the officer at the scene about what would happen to those vampires, but remembered that they weren't allowed to share information about how their government works as much as how we humans weren't allowed to share information of the Church to them. It was quite chilly in the car and I felt their eyes boring holes through me. I didn't care. I was tired. I was drained. It was an eventful night – a terrifying one. My father was waiting by the door when the car pulled up on the driveway. He looked very concerned. When I got out of the car, my father immediately gave me a tight hug.
"I'm fine." I lied. Physically, yes. But I was still in shock and my hands were trembling.
"Thank you." My father spoke to the five vampires who got out of the car to greet him.
"You're welcome. Your daughter was lucky that Kai was passing by the area or else it could have been too late." The kind vampire spoke softly. He glanced at Kai and Kai averted his eyes.
"No. They weren't planning on hurting me. Well, they could have but I don't think they wanted to kill me. I was a hostage. They wanted to use me as a bargain." I said calmly.
"A bargain? For what?" My father asked.
"For a better treatment. To be able to be with their families, from both sides." I looked my father straight in the eyes. As much as I hated the situation, those vampires' sentiments were understandable.
"It has been a long night for you. You must be tired. Get inside and rest." Father placed his hand gently on my shoulder and gave me a smile. I stared at him then let out a sigh.
"Thank you." I said sincerely to the five vampires who rescued me. I headed inside and went to my room. I closed the door behind me and jumped on the bed. The warm bed gave me comfort. I was safe. It never occurred to me that something dangerous could happen again. I thought the incident four years ago would be the first and the last. My tears started falling and I sobbed. I fell asleep on my pillow soaked with tears. The next morning, I couldn't move my body. Well, I could but it hurt. I got out of bed, quite painfully, and checked myself in the mirror. I looked horrible. I got bags under my eyes with dark circles around them. I cried the night before so it wasn't a shock, but it was still unpleasant to see. I heard a knock on the door. It opened and my father came to see me.
"I brought you breakfast. You must be hungry. How are you feeling? I called the school; you don't have to go today."
"Really?" It was great news to me. "Father, isn't there something you can do for those vampires? Give them something, or give them a little assurance that things would be better. Or abolish the law. Or give everyone equal treatment. Surely there's something you can do."
"I did not create the law, but it presented itself when vampires lost control and killed their own families. Plus the decision is not entirely up to me, members of the Church and the Council approved of the law; even if it was up to me, I wouldn't get rid of it. The laws are there to keep the humans safe. We cannot be complacent. These are vampires we're talking about. They're unpredictable. I can't let them hurt anyone." His eyes were desperate for understanding. "Don't think too much about this. The Church and the Council will handle it." His words gave me an uneasy feeling. Do something? I just hoped it wasn't something cruel.
I spent the entire day on my bed. I got up early the next day. My father insisted on driving me to school, I couldn't say no. The school still seemed a little empty when I got there. I waved goodbye to father and made my way to the library. The librarian was an early bird and was already on her desk. I greeted her a good morning and wandered around the shelves. I found my spot and sat on the carpeted floor. I took the first book I saw on the shelf in front of me and started reading it. I was getting so absorbed in the book when I heard somebody clear his throat.
"You're here early." It was Kai. He was leaning against the shelf with an open book on his hand.
"I slept almost the entire day yesterday and couldn't wait to stretch my legs." I said jokingly. "Why are you here early?"
"It's too noisy at home. Everybody's been discussing about how to handle the protests and riots going on in the city. I wanted to read in peace." He slowly sat across me and went back to reading. I stared at him. For the first time, he looked rather friendly. The light from the window illuminated his face and I was able to clearly see his features. It was ironic. He was a vampire but he looked angelic.
"What do you think about the issue? Do you think they should make changes with the law?" I asked out of the blue. Even I was surprised with myself.
He thought about it for a minute before speaking. "No, I think things are great the way they are. It's more important to keep the peace."
"But the peace has already been disrupted. And the protests won't stop until the governments do something about it."
"It's not something we have a say on, like you said 'unless the governments do something about it'. We should just leave it to them."
"But what if instead of solving it, they get rid of them?"
He stared into my eyes and I felt myself blushing from his gaze. Then he got on his feet and left without a word.