In search of humans, who I can interact with; I currently find myself in a small city of India, by the locality humans call this place Itanagar. This place is not densely populated unlike other cities located in 'India'. There's not a lack for diverse customs and culture in this place, I came here since this place is not very popular with other humans. And so, places like this are very popular among the undead…
When I first came here there wasn't anything unusual about this place, everything seemed awkwardly normal, nothing out of place, no internal disputes among humans of this place, which was quite surprising and weird for me, so I stayed here for some time decrypting their language, although they speak 'Hindi' which is commonly used by humans who resides in India, they have many other native languages they used.
As I continued to observe their behavior, one thing stands out that they don't particularly like the humans that live along them and vice versa, I find it very ironic…
"I-is someone there help us?"
I heard someone scream as I was crossing a bridge.
It's not like I don't want to be found out by some humans particularly, I just want to ask some questions but not now, I still have to check some stuff first, and I don't want to get in danger myself.
"Stay away from me, what are you…" I heard the human screaming; I could feel the fear in its voice. It's not like it's my first time seeing some human get devoured by a night creature. I think it's their fault to disturb the creatures that they are meant to not see…
I could hear footsteps of something approaching me fast, to my surprise, it was a human. The first thing I noticed about it was the long hair and a sweet fragrance. I could hear the fast and loud thumps from its chest, I could tell it was frightened, in disbelief and seeking for help.
"Can you help me mister, there's something chasing me I-I can't describe what I is but I… I think it killed my brother… please help me…" it kept pulling my clothes, crying and screaming…
I don't know if I should help this sorry thing or ignore and continue my observation on this place… "there it comes mister, what should we do…" it's trying to push its problem onto me… how annoying.
it kept wailing and pulling my clothes. It could have just continue running and I don't think the creature would have wanted to follow such an annoying creature. I think there's no other choice then helping this thing "stand behind me, don't move…" I instructed it and I step forward to see what the creature was…
With a distorted growl it came out of the shadows, it walked in all fours with the body of a dog, it had no head… the sounds of the blood pumping loud and clear from its headless neck, it wore a type of ornament around its neck with the heads of humans,
"Koki… the undead human, I have heard about you" it said in a low-pitched voice.
"…" I didn't reply anything, it was surprising that it has heard about me. "don't do anything stupid and just stay behind me you'll be okay…" I said to the human behind me, it nodded and silently stood behind me.
The creature started growling once more, "Are you trying to protect that thing from me?" the creature questioned again not taking another step towards me, almost as if waiting for an answer. "Yes…" I replied, it went silent for a moment before growling loudly again, clearly irritated by my answer, "you know once a human sees me… see us, we can't let it loose? It can sense and see us don't you understand it?" it said in a very agitated tone.
"what's there to understand?" I asked getting ready for it to pounce at us at any second.
The creature started laughing, "I didn't know you'd be so naïve; I've heard you have roamed the lands of this world for ages, there's a certain respect for you among the creatures of the night. You are one of the oldest deities that's still sane and not corrupted by the passage of time… you of all creatures should know how humans have pauperized the balance among the living and the undead…" it continued to speak,
"you're trying to protect such an insignificant creature here that's almost laughable, why are you doing this…" it's about to attack at any moment I could feel it, "I never sided with you creatures, nor do I have any motive to save this human, I just had a notion to protect this one… so it's better for you to back off…" I tried to bluff, since it already knows about me. The creature paused for a moment, the blood from its headless neck boiling, almost as if its charging something, "then you leave me no choice…" it started attacking with a beam of blood from its neck, I took the human in my arms and dodged the beam taking few steps back… it looked very corrosive as it melted the pillar supporting the bridge, I quickly got off the bridge, leaving the creature on the other side of the bridge, "you're doing a mistake!!" it screamed and growled while throwing another beam towards me, I dodged it swiftly minding my steps carefully. It launched itself from the other side directly towards me with its giant claws, I caught its claws with one hand while holding the human with my left hand… "Go away…" I said calmly tossing it to the wall, it started growling again, before the dust cleared it hit me with its blood beam once again, there wasn't time to react so I stopped it with my hands… I jumped back to create some space between us. Before I could do something, it trapped me in some kind of trap, all I could see was blood around us, I lost sight of the creature… "Are you okay human?" I asked still looking out for the creature to come out, "I'm okay, although I feel like puking you have been shaking me a lot… what is this place?" the human replied, it sounded like it was at ease finally, does this sorry thing think I can protect it against such a creature easily…
"Stupid…"
"What do you me-"
Before the human finished its sentence the creature pounced at us from my blind spot, inches away from killing the human in an instant if I hadn't reacted fast, it would have been torn in half…
If I want to protect this human, I think I have to focus, I am already handicapped since I'm carrying this human with one hand, the creature seemed confident in this pool of blood, the creature attacking me from every angle, "you won't escape me, even though your one of us you're still a human, you are weak…" the creature said with confidence that it can either tire me out and defeat me.
It's genuinely been eons since I actually fought something, my fighting senses have dulled since. But I surely have dealt with bigger problem than this headless dog, during my early days I remember getting attacked by multiple night creatures who thought I was an ordinary human, I wonder if I was actually one of them, that I would have sympathized with it more. It's getting annoying…
"I am going to throw you human, don't panic" I instructed the human,
"You can't just throw me"
"Are you going to use me as a detour to escape yourself??" the human sounded very distressed again… It's getting ANNOYING!!
Without a second warning I toss the human up so I can use both my hands freely at least for 5 seconds…
The creature once again jumped at me, but this time I grabbed one of its limbs, I dig my nails into its skin and tore one of its limbs from its body and tossed it away once again, the creature growled in pain… I caught the screaming human safely.
"I almost passed out" the human exclaimed.
With one of its limbs missing, its movement should be hindered greatly…
"The blood around us…" the human said looking around, seems like it was the creatures doing, finally the creature was getting weaker. "Curse you… human…" the creature sounded in pain, "why is my arm not regenerating?" the creature wailed and growled, the limb I tore slowly disintegrating in thin air.
I walked up to where it was lying, "I am going to kill you…" it screeched at me, I don't feel anything particular towards it… "I haven't killed any night creature, don't force me to do it dog…" I said looking at it… "you don't have the right to pity me… you're… not one of us human…" it screamed before pouncing at me once again, why is it so arrogant? I even gave it the chance to retreat… does it wish to die by my hands? I don't have answers for all this. I took a leap dodging its sorry effort to attack, "wait here" I told the human, I distanced her from me and the desperate creature, I got below the creature, tearing it apart from its stomach in half, the creature screamed in pain before slowly disintegrating like its limb; drenched in blood, I approached the human who was sitting there with no sign of running just staring at me. "It's over, human…" I said looking down at it blood dripping from my face.
The human started crying, I think it was tearing up from relief maybe I couldn't tell…
"What happened human?" I asked
"My brother…" it replied while tears run down its face.
I can't empathize with someone losing a close one, I never got attached to someone so much.
"it's not your fault, night creatures are cruel, they don't want to be seen by the living, you and your brother should have ignored it and everything should have been fine, at least you're alive?" I said crouching down to her.
it continued to cried with no sign of stopping.
"it's still night time if you can see night creature, I think it's not safe for you to be out at night, you should head home. One's home is a sacred place where they can't enter without one's permission."
"I can accompany you, maybe," I said.
The human nod and stood up. We started walking towards the human's house, we didn't spoke to each other throughout the walk. The human looked pale, its eyes red and swollen from crying, we reach the humans house, I couldn't sense any other living creatures from the house, it seems like the human and its brother were the only one's living here… now it's only the human.
It stepped inside the house, I tried to follow the human but some unknown stopped me to enter, so I stayed outside.
The rules for the night creatures are applied for me as well, I wonder what I am…
"are you going to come in?" the human asked looking at me.
"I still don't have your permission to come in…"
"fine, come in…" the human said rolling its eyes,
I tried coming inside again, this time I entered with no difficulties.
"it's my first time in a human's house…" I looked around scanning the house, there wasn't anything unusual, nothing peculiar… there was some pictures of other humans hanging on the walls,
"Come sit here," the human pointed at the chair. I took the chair and sat down. "Do you want something? Water?" the human asked going to other room.
"I don't drink nor eat human" I told the human.
"Alright…" the human said, it stayed in the other room for 4-5 minutes and came back, it took a chair and sat beside me.
It was holding something in the cup, it seemed something hot steam coming out from it, "what are you holding in your cup human?" I asked with some curiosity. "it's tea… you never heard about it?" the human asked in a confused tone.
"Tea… I have heard about it but I have seen one having it since I am not allowed to enter places where the living resides."
"Is it hot? human" I asked.
The human paused for a moment before answering. "Yes, it is, my name is Sarah stop calling me 'human' it's weird," the human said taking a sip from its 'tea'…
Sarah, do humans give away their names so easily, I thought all names bear heavy meaning and is not meant to be given away so easily.
"what are you?" Sarah asked looking at me, "I mean you're seriously not human with what you did to that 'thing', but you don't look distorted like that thing as well, instead you look… like a human? What are you?" it asked with curiosity. I don't even know myself human…
"I don't know." I replied looking down, the human didn't say anything
"Do you have a name at least?"
"As long as I can remember I was called and I remember myself as Koki"
"Koki…hmmm…"
"what?" I looked at Sarah.
"nothing!!"
I could tell it was thinking something but kept it to itself.
"How long have been able to see night creatures?" I asked, there are not many living beings who can see us, I find them very unlucky.
"I don't know, that thing was the first one I encountered, me and my brother were coming back from one of his friend's birthday party when I heard a dog's cry, it was very loud. My brother couldn't hear it though…" Sarah looked down, its face looking pale again.
"If only I didn't try to check it and ignored… I tried to follow the voice, it was sitting ideally, but as soon as it heard my scream it started charging at me, my brother didn't even know what was happening, the creature launched at us crushing my brother in an instead, then it consumed him with it-its headless neck… it was horrifying, my brother he didn't even know what was happening, it's all my fault" the human said with pain and guilt in its voice, I am impressed that it didn't instantly made Sarah mentally unstable her mind must be very strong,
"if it wasn't for you I don't know what would have happened to me… thanks, Koki." Sarah said with eyes full of tears, the human sounded grateful for saving it.
It's not normal for someone to suddenly start seeing those creatures, they can either see them since birth or after they have researched very much about them who try to contact them on a daily basis. It seems very unusual. Something is surely happening in this place. But I don't think Sarah knows about all this it's too innocent and naïve to have knowledge about the night creatures.
Sarah wiped its tears "So you're a night creature as well? Why aren't you attacking me though?" Sarah asked looking away,
"I just wanted to, don't question me human" I said, even though I just saved this human why does it have doubt in its voice…
"Fine-fine, I won't ask, now that I can see you people, will I get attacked every night? Like if I went out of my house I mean?"
"As long as you ignore them, they won't attack you. You just have to make it seem like you can't see them and it should be okay."
"Quite difficult if those things look like that…" Sarah said with some concern in her voice.
"That wasn't anything, there are creature who take forms of things one desires in order to lure the living into seeing them, until they are seen. They don't have a soul so they blindly go around searching for someone to steal their soul thinking they can be alive again if they take their soul, I pity them" I should at least let Sarah know something about them to better protect itself from them.
"I see… then what about you?" Sarah looking at me her eyes fixed at me. "I too don't have a soul, but I stopped searching for one decade ago, I think it's pointless… although I share some traits with vampires too, some thousand years ago I-" Sarah cut me mid-sentence "wait wait wait, what do you mean 'decades ago', 'thousands of years ago'?"
I look Sarah with a confused look, "what? I don't understand did I say something wrong?" I asked
"I can't believe this, how old are you???"
"Umm I don't know myself I have lost count"
"…"
"What? Do you think I am lying human?" I raise my eyebrow at the human.
"Damn… I believe you please continue what you were saying…"
It still doesn't believe me I know it…
"As I was saying there were some blood sucking creatures who called themselves vampires, I was remember I was exploring eastern Europe learning about Christianity where I was invited by those creatures for some kind of feast. They gave me one of the humans they hunted to taste, they told me to bite its neck, since that part of the human is quite vulnerable and easier to drink their blood from…" I look at Sarah who was looking at me with disgust visible on its face…
"They offered it to me, why are you giving me that look?"
"Nothing I am just flabbergasted; I can't believe I have to believe whatever you're telling me…" Sarah explained herself.
"Tch… And so, I tried as they told me, I found the taste of the blood quite metallic, it wasn't as sweet nor tasty as they exclaimed but when I was finished drinking the blood out of the human, for the first time in my life I wasn't hungry, there was a weird satisfaction, I also felt lively for some days. I have tried every kind of things from human made food to poisonous snakes there wasn't anything that made me feel that way, but I still don't know if I'm related to them or humans or the night creatures… it's as if I don't belong to anyone yet I belong to everyone…" I am telling all this to this human like it will understand me, I wonder if some of me wants some kind of connection with someone…
"I don't know what to say… am I first human you ever talked with?"
"Yes, if I remember correctly."
"Well umm leaving all the complicated things aside I think you're a sweet guy… quite strong too?" Sarah said, I can't comprehend what she meant saying that, with some redness emerging from her cheek…
"…" I look at Sarah, but Sarah just looked away. Strange…
"What are you going to do about your brother? Won't other humans question his sudden disappearance?"
Sarah's face once again saddened "I'll do something about it, maybe I'll tell everyone he went missing… I don't know."
"it's almost 1am I think I will sleep. I have to go to work tomorrow," Sarah paused for a moment,
"Where are will you go do you have a home?"
"Sunlight is harmful for my body, it takes ages to heal if I get hurt by it so I will have to look for shelter,"
"Oh…" Sarah wants to say something but its hesitating, "what do you want? Just say it human, I can sense what you're feeling easily Sarah." I said as I got up from the chair.
"After what happened today, I think I don't want to be alone…" Sarah said fidgeting, "I mean my brother's room is empty as much as I feel sorry for him, I don't want to deal with something as terrifying as that thing from earlier…"
I already told it nothing can enter its house if it doesn't allow them too and yet is this human afraid? I can't tell, I guess I will not have to find shelter if I can just stay here. Very well protection in exchange for shelter, "I agree then, I will stay here with you human."
"Thanks," Sarah said in a low voice, leading me to her brother's room. She told me good night and went back to her room to sleep apparently.
It was certainly a weird night, a human who suddenly started seeing night creatures, I have never heard of something like this happen before, if Sarah saw some kind of ghost, or a lost soul it would somewhat make sense but… there's definitely something happening in this place, I will start my investigation tomorrow...