Morning came and my eyes are still wide open, staring at the empty old ceiling. I restrained myself to think that much, since I've been aware of his capability to read and control my mind.
I don't want my mother's effort to be wasted at all, and also I seek not to see him again. Everything is peaceful right now.
I stood upon the bed and went out of the house, the sky was gloomy and still dark. As the wind is simply blowing freely in the air.
The cold of the morning slipped through the blanket wrapped around my body and my eyes was trailing every single step my feet had taken.
Solvania Villa is surrounded by hundreds of trees, that prevents me to see the depths of the forest, only the path full of autumnal leaves is visible.
As my eyes darted towards the infinity of this path, someone grabbed my hand and pinned my back upon his muscular body. It made me conscious, as my eyes traveled widely to the figure of the man's shadow, whose hands are covering my mouth.
I tried to mumbled and fought for my freedom, but his other hand is wrapping around my waist.
"Shhh..." He put his head on the side of my cheek and whispered, forming an airy sound through my ears.
He smelled like flowers in sweetness, as the hood covers the entirety of his identity. His fragrance is able to captivate every single woman on earth but, probably except for me.
A couple moments had passed, and he finally released me from being a hostage. I took a deep breath, filling my lungs the oxygen that it lacks.
"Who are you?" I gasped out with a heavy breath. My eyes went blurry to see the man in clarity.
I rubbed both of my eyes, the same time he took the hood off his head. His hair ruffled in featherweight, as his long beautiful eye lashes flickered twice, before his dazzling brown eyes underneath his glasses met mine.
He was wearing a red jacket and a blue pants, his heart shaped face gave more favorable emotions to his defining features. As his rosy thin lips parted from each other, the beard on his jaw made him more masculine, as well as the glasses he's wearing gives him additional touches.
"Don't be scared, I'm not a bad person." He raised both of his hands to his side, like being caught by a police.
I became entangled by the deep serious emotion underneath his eyes. His stares are melting me, it is strong and effective.
"Why did you dragged me in sudden?"
"He's here, I saw him...a beautiful lady like you should not wander around in a deep dangerous forest like this." his pupils dilated, stating the fact of his anxiousness and terrified state.
"Who is he?" I asked out of curiousity, his neck muscles reflexes, whilst his Adam apple moved up and down consecutively.
"He, who shall not be named..."
"Who?" The urge of bizzarreness within me, insisted to know the peculiar person he's pertaining to.
"The vampire..." I never blinked once, the moment he stated the species.
"The va—" he cut me off, by putting his index finger between my lips.
"Shh... listen, I know people might think I'm about to go insane by believing a fictitious thing but, believe me. Vampires do exist." his breathing is steady, and the way he talks is logical and consistent. I know people would never relate his revelation because, their principle is always to see, is to believe...and I never contradicted to it, even I—myself, wouldn't believe not until I saw it within my own eyes.
"He wears a black hood that covers his face, I saw it with my very eyes. How he devoured the people, who saw his real identity."
A minute of realization hit me, is there any other vampire than him? The one I've met didn't kill me the moment I saw his face. Even his eyes penetratedly looking at me, the flames of the hidden past and the rhythm of different stories buried underneath it.
"How did you discovered the reality of vampires?" although, he looks scruffy and yet, the way he speaks and his appearance, doesn't seem to look an ordinary man looking for woods in the middle of the deep huge forest.
"I am a Parapsychologist, me and my team was investigating the said rumors about the people suddenly vanishing upon climbing the peak of this mountain. Some claims, that a preternatural phenomenon that cannot be accounted by the natural law or knowledge exist, which stated—what people called myths."
As far as I know Parapsychologist are studying and investigating about paranormal happenings around us. And therefore, it is their nature to go through those things themselves.
"Everything was going well at first but, the moment we were about to climb the secluded path towards the peak of the mountain. The time seems to stopped, I was behind them, busy collecting the small incredible mushrooms I've never seen in my life.
I heard a prolong screamed from one of my colleague, I raised my head and saw it with my very eyes. She saw his face but then, it was also her time to bid farewell to Earth." his eyes became reddish, as tears forming on the surface of his eyes slowly run down his cheeks dramatically.
"He raised her up high and suck the blood out of her, everyone begged on their knees for mercy but, instead he slaughtered them all in a single flick of his fingers. I hid behind the bushes unable for him to see me but his eyes met mine. I know his been aware of my presence so, I ran away as fast and as far as I could. Fortunately, I survived. I know it's either you'll believe me or not but, just as you know I never lied a single word from what I have said." My feeling were hesitant to pertain whether my assumptions were true, whether the vampire is really him— the one I know.
"Does he wear a black robe?" My eyes squinted scrutinizing his face emotions.
"Yes, a black robe under his black hood." I heaved heavily, lifting and sucking all the oxygen inside my lungs.
"I am Nesii by the way, you ar—" before he could ever finished his words, my legs thumped heavily as I put the full momentum on my feet to arrive as quick as I could to the house.
One thing that was on my mind, is my mother. If the vampire really lives in this mountain by chance, then we are baiting ourselves to him. I know the pertanacious risk this may lead us.
I barged into the door and silence met me however, a sound of someone playing a piano is echoing along the entire halls. The song reminds me of something—right! I remember now, the song is exactly the same song played on my dream. The dream I had for three consecutive years, the dream of the mysterious man in that luxurious restaurant.
My eyes roamed around to find my mom but not even her shadow, was caught betwixt my eyes full of worries.
I sauntered towards the open hall, where the sound came from and a broad shoulder of a man, playing the piano was there, facing his slender back against me.
His hands simply played the tiles with the grasp of experience bonded on his fingers. Whilst, his pointed nose was the only thing that overlapped, as the black hood covered the rest of his face.
"Finally, you're here," his voice was toneless and cold. The rays of the sun reflects to his nose, that has a glassy pale skin color.
My knees was about to give up, losing a hope for the thought of being too late.
"Where's my mother?" I clenched my fist, as my eyes was filled with tears whilst flouncing off towards him, and grabbed the collar of his robe.
My anger wasn't consumed of only to my mother but, to all whom he dragged to hell with me. Raven, Celeste, Dr. Marriano and the innocent Parapsychologists.
"Be careful with your anger, my lady." a smirk was lifted on his lips, with his brows furrowed in darkness.
"Who the hell you think you are? Do you think you own the world, the life of the human beings?" his dark face became more darker and yet, in the single blink of an eye his face was devoid of life.
"I don't own a single life on Earth but in any circumstance, I seek human blood to live. Therefore, you live for me to live." He stood from the piano's chair which made my hand slipped off from his collar. I stepped backwards, as his feet moved forward. Until my back felt the solid wall of the dead end.
I was entrapped between his arms, his eyes enlightening a flame within and his face glowed to deform into his beast shape but, he had coped with his madness and remained his human figure.
He lifted his hand, as his fingers was about to eagerly clutch my face, but he didn't proceed and instead bent it out of frustration.
He can't hurt me? He could but he dare not, why?
"Where's my mother?! Did you kill her, like how'd you killed everyone else?" my voice shattered like a broken glass, filling every corners of the room with it's sharp and tingling sound.
"You assumed to much," he said in a gravelly voice.
" If not, then what should I expect to someone who doesn't have a guilt to end one's life by his own hands?"
"Fine… you have two choices, be my slave and I'll spare your mother's life or either I'll take the curse away and you can live your life freely however you want but, forget that you ever had a mother," I'm trapped between two difficult choices that both, pays a sacrifice for the other half to live.
He turned his back against me and was about to leave but I opened my mouth and spoke once again.
"What did my mother do, that provoked your anger ?"
He turned his head a bit, with his face covered by his hood.
"She breached the agreement, and try to keep you away from me."
"That is just a small thing, how can you be so ruthless?" he meandered back in a fast pace towards me, and grasp my neck as his eyes flamed in redness. Like a fire burning hundreds of corpse.
"An agreement, is an agreement… don't ever tell me what I should and I shouldn't do!" he roared that made me deaf, a prolong whistling sound appeared on my ear.
"Just be grateful that you're still alive," he let's go of his hand on my skin, and left me on the floor.
"You have until tomorrow to make up your decision, you already know where to find me. If you don't come by midnight, then don't ever think again that a mother ever exist in your life," by then, he vanished in the wind and left me dumbfounded.
I gathered myself up the floor, and walked out of the house feebly. The man I met earlier run towards me, and held me up. Helping me to walk in a stable way.
"What happened?" he asked, with a deep worry in his voice.
I broke in pieces, the pain, the wounds didn't feel anything at all but, what's living in my heart is painful than any other thing in this world.
The pain squeezes my heart, feeling every single piece of glasses planted around it. My arms encircled around the man's neck, I wasn't thinking of any embarrassment from my surprising action. I just feel the need of a warm arms to hold me, and tell me everything will be alright.
"Okay, I won't insist to know what happened just be okay," his one hand wrapped around my waist, as the other one carressed my hair gently.
I bursted out the pain within me, his shirt might probably get drenched with tears in any moment.
"Thank you," I uttered with a genuine gratitude. No one has ever sympathized me, he's the first person to ever do it in my life. And I was never more than grateful.