It gets late. Around eleven at night, I say my goodbyes to Aunty Rosemary.
"I believe you wouldn't want to see me again," I say uncertainly.
"On the contrary, I would love to see you now and then. Just don't tell anyone about it."
I feel happy about it. I have never been able to trust the adults in my house. Not even my father. It will be a great idea to have someone to talk to, someone who holds both mental sanity and maturity, unlike the people around me.
This is the very first time I have been out of my house for such a long time. Nineteen hours, and it will need another four hours to reach home if the train is not late. A silent prayer crosses my mind like a reflex. I don't want to sit on the railway platform after having a heavy meal. I am already drowsy.
I would have stayed overnight if Aunty Rosemary asked me. I could tell, she was not in the mood to let Felix and Art stay at her place. I couldn't blame her. She also has this idea that I am safe with them. When I come out of her place, Felix and Art follow me like puppies.
"How long are you going to follow me?" I ask as politely as possible.
"Until you reach to safety," Felix states.
"I will not go home now," I say. Not that I have any other place to go, but who cares? I want to shake them off, even though I know they will not leave me alone.
"Your home is not what he meant," Art says. "You will find it difficult to believe, but right now our house is the safest place for you."
I roll my eyes behind them. I am not going back to that god-awful place. I look at their back and think of saying it to them out loud, but my lips seal themselves. There is no point. Instead, I look around myself. This road should take me to the railway station, but it looks a little intimidating.
"Let's take the longer route. I am calling a cab." Felix takes out his phone from his pocket.
I laugh and taunt him, "Have you ever sat in a cab before?"
"If I say I want to call home and arrange for a car, will you come with me?" he asks me back.
I fall silent. They offered me a car this morning when they found me walking to the station. I had politely declined and continued walking after that. It wouldn't be any different even now. However, just to irk them, I announce, "I want to take the shortcut."
"It doesn't seem safe," Art says.
"It's just dark," I shrug.
"We sense something in there," Alp answers. Felix has started to go through his phone by then.
I bring some firmness in my voice and say again, "Look, I am not asking you to come with me. I am going to take that shortcut because I am tired and I want to reach the station as soon as possible."
As I start walking I hear a very plausible point, "Wouldn't a cab be a better option if you're tired and want to reach the station as soon as possible?"
I don't need to look at Felix to understand his annoyance. Mission successful... I smirk and keep on walking. After a while, I hear only my footsteps. They actually left me alone? I frown at the thought. Where did their loyalty go? I wish I could ask Aunty Rosemary to come and see the behaviour of her beloveds. Stupid idiots... I murmur and keep on walking.
The road takes me through a garden. Running the flashlight over the area, I see a skeleton of what seems to be an ornamental garden. Very soon it will be a new project of a construction company. It happened in several places in my town. Things are changing massively. It seems to be a different world than the one I live in. Somehow, my world still manages to be one from a couple of decades behind.
The rustling sound comes from behind me. I can feel someone behind me. Someone is following me. Of course, they came this far only because they wanted to be with me. Be it the truth or a lie, the fact is that they won't let me get away that easily makes me weirdly comfortable. Of course, I will not let this rule my head, but the knowledge of having Felix and Art around gives me the same feeling as the one I had every time they saved me from the school bullies.
"I thought you were getting a cab," I say turning. Instantly a gasp leaves my throat. In front of me stands a giant of a man, baring his teeth hungrily. Our eyes meet for a second before I feel a strong hand holding me still in my place.
"Let me g-go," I yell with all my might. Then I realise, I am unable to open my mouth anymore. By some strange spell, I am transfixed in my place. I start breathing shallow, my body trembles in fear. I don't want to die here like this. A cold stream goes down my spine when I try to observe his face closely.
The man widens the gap between his teeth. His elongated fangs catch my attention. I have read many novels featuring the vampires, but in most cases they are the good guys who save their girls from perils. While my rational mind mocks me for bringing in the comaprison, another side of me feels quite certain about it. Tomorrow morning, people will find my bloodless, cold corpse in the garden, and I will be the face on the breaking news section for the next week. I make another feeble attempt to move my hands and to push him away. My legs still disagree with my decision of running away.
"Hey," a jolly greeting rings in my ears. Almost too good to believe. I close my eyes and wait to find out what happens next. Maybe, tonight is not the night when I die.
Felix says, "You dare to touch our girl!" It is not a question, but more of an exclamation. He is surprised. The man in front of me leaves a disappointed grunt but does not say anything in return.
"You couldn't smell us on her?" Art asks. His voice sounds animalistic. I have read about heros who growl in anger or lack of patience, but never heard anyone actually do that in real life. Well, until now.
The man finally releases me. "She smells like a virgin," he comments. His voice makes my heart stop for a moment. For a man of this physique or stature, he has an unbelievably sweet and soft voice. Almost feminine. "She is yours?"
""Yes," Felix and Art answers together. Felix grabs my hand and pulss me away from him.
"No wonder she was resisting," the man says and gives a curt nod to me. The next moment, he vanishes. It is like there was nobody around me. I would think of it as a dream, but my arms hurt so much. I look around curiously. Once again, my body starts feeling the night air, and hell, it is cold. My hands shake violently. Dropping my backpack, I kneel down on the ground.
"Don't want to boast, but—" Art stops speaking the moment I look at him with a cautionary glare.
"Can we take the cab now? It's waiting outside," Felix says.
I nod. My mood for adventure is ruined now. I look up at them and mumble, "I don't think I can walk. My legs feel numb."
"Of course they do. It's a result of the resistance." Art comes closer and says, "I am going to take you to the cab. Is that okay?"
I nod again and extend my hands. Soon, he lifts me in his arms like a bride and starts walking confidently, like I weigh nothing. From my periphery, I can see Felix picking up my bag and following us. I turn my attention back to Art.
"Was he going to rape me or something?"
"Yes, and more."
"Kill me?" I ask again thinking of the man's elongated fangs.
"There are worse fates, Francesca," Felix says from behind us. "His last victim was caught in a void. Can you imagine being in a place where there is no light, no sound, no air, water or fire, no sky to look at and find hopes, not even thoughts to keep you busy?"
"Sounds ominous," I reply. He was not a man. The question of whether he was a vampire sounds too silly in my head, so I skip it.
I have never noticed how sexy their lips are. My eyes dart from Felix behind us, to Art, and my throat seems to have lost its ability to produce sound. Suddenly something, an inexplicable feeling takes over me. I inch towards them, keeping my eyes trained on the two of them. Should it be Felix or Art? I want both of them. They have always been there with me at school, and even though I never enjoyed their company much, I have noticed how smooth they are with girls, and those particular memories wake up something inside me.
I grab Art by his collar and crush my lips with his.
At first, he goes still. The night pauses around us, letting us stay in that moment a little longer. I move my lips impatiently, but not for long. Soon, his hand gets a grab of my hair, and his mouth opens up. He slides his tongue inside my mouth, taking charge of everything I want to do. He holds me close to him, safe and secure.
In my mind, a thousand fireworks go on. Congratulations, Francesace, someone says inside me, for your very first kiss.