Dusk
"In other news, a woman was found dead on the side of the Meadow Ville Cemetery. It is believed that a wild animal killed the woman. The police declared the incident an isolated case, and the citizen of Meadow Ville didn't have to worry about it. The identity of the victim is still being ascertained..."
The TV suddenly lost its sound, and I guessed who did it when suddenly the food I was eating flew into the air. I haven't even finished eating my favorite food, and another villain has arrived. I looked nasty to those who disturbed my food and wasted it.
"What happened to your animal diet, Dusk? You got sick of it and haunted last night?" Vladimir said, clenching his two hands in great anger.
"It's not me, Vlad. Did you ask Renwick?" I dropped the cutlery I was holding and wiped the side of my lips. I don't feel like eating anymore, and I don't even know why I'm suddenly explaining to my brother.
"Renwick said he's in the club the whole night," Vladimir answered.
This wicked botherer of mine nursed his anger before asking me in a friendly way. "I only had that woman for a quickie inside my car. After that, I sent her home. Why do I have to explain myself to you?"
Am I aware that that woman returned to the cemetery after I dropped her off at the address she said? People don't know how to be satisfied.
"I think they're back, Dusk."
"Don't jump to conclusions, Vlad. It's not you, so chill out. Why don't you join Renwick in his clubbing escapades?"
They always see me when they both need more help. Renwick and Vladimir are nasty vampires and paranoid vampires. I'm lucky to have Morana on my side, and at least it's balanced.
"It's not Dusk, brother," Morana justified my alibi, which came from nowhere. She loves to appear and re-appear like a ghost. "He's rolling in his bed all night while reading a book."
Morana showed our brother the books she lent to me last night. I finished reading all that, so I wanted to return to the library to buy a book, especially a book by Serene, that I couldn't stop reading. Her choice of words got me, and up until now, I'm still thinking about the novels themselves.
"Renwick is right, after all. You're bored and trying to cross the light," Vladimir said, looking at the book I'd already read. "It's still not my style."
"I know your style, Vlad. Is it the psychiatrist you've been talking to for almost a month?"
He's busted, and all Vladimir do is cloak himself in the dark, avoiding answering Morana's question. Morana laughed loudly and suddenly disappeared. And, like, after they barged in and destroyed my peace, they will all leave me here feeling annoyed. I can't stop thinking about the food Vladimir wasted.
It doesn't matter; I'll catch the deer again in the woods where I got the one that Vladimir threw away.
I shook my head and left to go to work. I have to finish many reports that the school dean is asking for today. I am one of Meadow Ville University's best professors. I received many awards, including those I earned a hundred years ago.
"Dusk Dario?" I turned when someone called my name. "It's you. How come you didn't age?" His eyes widened upon realizing who I was. The corner of one of my eyes twitched, and then I remembered who he was. Delfin Morales, one of my classmates at Meadow Ville University. I was about to speak, but a girl called Delfin.
"Good morning, sir! I apologize to my grandfather," she bowed and guided her grandfather's way out of our lawn.
I should work on my graves to avoid suspicion just like this. I breathed a deep sigh before riding into my car. After wearing black shades, I drive my car away from my garage.
***
"I'M FEELING like wanting to drown myself tonight. There is a newly opened bar outside Meadow Ville. Who wants to come with me?"
I was listening to the discussion of my fellow professors inside the faculty room. But it's not just their conversation that I can hear. I also hear the noise outside our faculty up to the university quadrangle. I took a deep breath and opened my drawer to get the earphone I was hiding there. It's boring to listen to the stories about the woman found dead on the side of the cemetery and Ms. Bitavarra's invitation to drink even in the middle of the busy week.
That woman wouldn't be dead in cold blood if she became content with the pleasure I gave to her—another evil nature of humans.
"Matt, let's go to the library first. I have books to check and to buy."
My eyes widened when I heard that soft voice talking to somebody else. I can't be wrong. It was her - the woman I met in the library yesterday. I dropped my earphones and stood up, which made my co-professor glance at me.
"Will you come with us, Mr. Dario?" Ms. Bitavarra asked, but I didn't answer it. Instead, I quickly gathered my things and brought them out of the faculty room. "He's weird."
I heard that, but I just ignored it. I'm not weird. I don't want to be with them to avoid the possible trouble that could happen.
Every student greeted me, which I didn't even notice. I need to find someone, but I can't hear her anymore. I stopped in the middle of the students already entering their respective classrooms. The bell rang, but I remained to stare into the void until a professor caught my attention. I turned to him, and he immediately said goodbye to leave upon noticing that my eyes were dark.
I stood up straight and breathed heavily before walking towards my classroom.
All my students arranged their seats when I got inside. They greeted me, and I immediately went straight to the topic we had for today. I know they have attended to their beadle, who directly passed me a copy afterward. The students who transfer to my class are not new to me, but there is one name that I think I have read somewhere.
Beauty Carisi.
I looked around for her among my students sitting in front of me. Again, I heard your voice earlier, which is why I immediately left the faculty. It was from her, and she was busy talking to the girl next to her. She can't distract me, and I still have much to do.
I have many more tasks to do...
Beauty has lovely eyes, a beautiful face, and soft long hair. Those eyes went wide when I accidentally summoned the air, which made all the curtains dance. The adoration I saw was replaced by fear upon realizing that all the windows were closed.
She left instead of talking to me for a long time as I watched Beauty walk away from me. I saw that she turned to me for a moment before leaving altogether. I kept looking until she disappeared with that guy I thought was Matt. But I could still hear that man's voice from where I was standing until the cry of a crow awakened me.
That crow transformed into human form, which is my brother. "She's beautiful," a voice that I hate to hear said. I glanced darkly at the owner of that irritating voice. "Have you heard about the girl they found dead last night?"
"What about it? Vladimir went nuts a while ago because of that." Renwick laughed loudly, so I pulled him into the classroom. "Don't tell me you think they're back."
"Yes, I am. From where you dropped her off, that woman got lured towards the newly opened bar outside Meadow Ville."
And she was then dumped inside Meadow Ville, right next to the cemetery, in cold blood. There was a pattern we could follow, but my attention wasn't there. I was bored with my everyday work, and now our whole clan awakened because of the uncontested woman who was attacked last night. I know that someone wants to frame up our family, and that's why Vladimir is hot-headed.
"I think they will attack tonight, luring another set of weak warm-blooded beings."
***
I busied myself digging my own grave inside the Meadow Ville Cemetery. I managed to hire someone who could make me an epitaph stating the date of my death every fifty years - ten epitaphs in total. This is the wisest decision I have ever made in my entire life to stop the suspicion that I will never get old or die.
I'm simply undead.
I kept digging until I was awakened by a scream not far from me. I stopped and circled my eyes around the cemetery. My veins throb when I smell blood nearby, which makes me clench my hands and let go of the shovel. I left the grave and followed the scent that made me lose control.
"Shoo! Shoo!" I heard a woman's voice repel a crow. I stretched my head as I tried to conceal the urges I had right now. "Go away!" My jaw clenched as I kept on listening to the woman's voice. It is sweet and soft. I had heard that already, but I could not name where and who's the owner because of the urges until that voice called me. "Mr. Dario?"
My eyes widened, and I breathed heavily. The crow quickly flew away, and I slowly regained control of myself.
"Ms. Carisi." I turned my back so she wouldn't notice the difference in my eyes and the tension in my veins in my hands and jaw.
"What are you doing here?" she asked me.
"I'm visiting someone's grave here." I slowly faced her. "Did you hurt yourself?"
"Ah, I slipped and rolled down here." I saw her lift her leg, and my jaw tightened again when I saw her leg bleeding. "This is just a small cut. It's far from the star- Mr. Dario?"
I couldn't believe that her blood would make me lose control. As the group of dark clouds covered our spot, I cloaked in it and left Beauty alone there...