"Bailey, did you see papa?" from the book she was reading, her eyes transferred to her sister, who had just entered her room; her hair was messy, dusty, and sooty. She also looked short of breath.
"Nope, I didn't see him." As her sister came closer to her, she frowned. Where did she go, and why does she look so messy?
"Eww, Hailey, where did you go? You're full of cobwebs!"
"Nope, I didn't see him." As her sister came closer to her, she frowned. Where did she go, and why does she look so messy?
"Eww, Hailey, where did you go? You're full of cobwebs!" she voices out what she wanted to ask at her sister.
"I've been looking for Papa since yesterday; did you not notice? He didn't go home last night!" her attention from her books is now completely gone.
She was too occupied with reading and studying, so she didn't notice it. Her midterm exams are near, so she keeps studying well.
"It's impossible, Hailey, no matter how far our father went. He'll always go home at night." She helped her sister remove the cobwebs in her hair.
"Exactly! That's what I'm trying to say!"
"Look," Hailey waved a piece of paper in her face, "it was a map for a forest. I don't know what this is for, but I saw it in the attic. I also last saw Papa in the attic." She took the paper and opened it.
Their father was a researcher; he would go to random places where strange creatures had been seen. Of course, she doesn't believe in such things. Her grandmother, father, and only her sister believes in that kind of creature.
She examined the map carefully. The other part was familiar to her; it was the creepy side of the road towards her school. She didn't know that it was a huge part.
"I didn't understand what's written on that; did you understand it?" she stared at it carefully, and for some reason she did understand it, like she didn't struggle. But she didn't understand why she understood the words, whereas it was her first time seeing this kind of word.
"The one who possesses such power will be the rightful heir to the vampire's throne." She frowned, and her eyes are now locked at her sister. She's sure that they're just making it up again.
They are too childish; they'll create such words.
She was 19, for goddamn sake!
"Vampires are real!?" she's shaking her head at her sister and taking the books again that she placed on her study table earlier.
"Vampires don't exist, Hailey. You have to accept that, and you're already a teen. Stop believing in something that you can't see." She said finally, turning her back on her sister, who's now making a face.
She was only six years old when her mother died. She died after giving birth to her sister, Hailey. She stands as her mother and a sister; her father isn't always around, so she's trying to guide her sister.
But her grandmother makes that impossible by telling all those 'vampires' stories and her 'experience' to a vampire's tribe.
"You never saw gravity, but you still believe in gravity; how's that?" she faced her sister and raised her eyebrows.
"Gravity is science; it was proven by scientists and researchers. Vampires are fictional; you have no proof that vampires are real." She's ready to drop some evidence and studies about their arguments. She will not lose because of the things that she didn't believe.
"Bailey, if you don't believe in something, don't make me do the same. We have different perspectives and beliefs." She was stunned, and her jaw dropped at what her sister said.
Her sister was only thirteen years old, and she talked to her like that?
Or maybe her sister is right; her sister's whole life is telling her about the things she shouldn't believe.
Did she already control her sister's choice to believe something? But she just wanted her to open her eyes to reality! That's all she wanted. Like her mother did.
"Look, Hailey-"
"I'll go take a shower and look for Papa." She turned her back at her, and she was left there stunned. Did she cross the line? Did she do something wrong?
She put her hands in her face, and she frustratedly looked at the map that was already on the floor. She stared at it for a moment and took it.
"1880-1981, she was the reason why vampires do survive." She softly read the small words that were written behind the map.
"Vampires, hah..." She wanted to laugh because of that; her life is not for fantasy. Why is her whole life all about talking about vampires.
She stood up and wondered if her father had not come home yet; it was the only thing she had seen from him. Is it possible that he's just around the location?
She was walking back and forth, her father never failed to come back home. Did something happen to their father?
She suddenly felt nervous because of her thoughts.
Hailey was a father's girl; she was always looking for their father. Her sister can't take the pain if something bad happens to their father.
She took her cellphone and immediately dialed her father's number.
'The number you have dialed is unattended; please try again later.'
''Pa, if you receive this voice message, call me."
In the middle of her thoughts, she heard a knock on her bedroom door. She looked at it and saw her grandmother entering.
"Your father is not home yet. Did you call him already?" she simply shook her head, and she continued to dial her father's number.
"I couldn't contact him..."
"Perhaps your father is being castaway among the tribes of vampires; maybe the one who took--"
"Grandma, please stop. Vampires don't exist, stop it, 'la. I am no kid, let me rest for your vampire obsession." The pain was visible in her grandmother's eyes, she saw it over and over again when she was a kid when she always told her Lola to stop.
"You have to believe me this time, Bailey. I'm saying this to save your father, not to cloud your mind."
She took a small piece of paper from her pocket.
"Your father can be dead or alive, depending on what creature he encountered. Open your eyes; there are two worlds in this universe that you can't control to exist."