Chereads / Embers Of The Night / Chapter 5 - Chapter Five:

Chapter 5 - Chapter Five:

The bus pulled up at the stop and Mia and a few others alighted. She took the left to the grocery store and began shopping. She walked around filling her basket with some fresh fruits and vegetables. She also put some milk and cheese in there as well.

As she continued filling the basket, Mia couldn't shake of the feeling of being watched but anytime she turned back, there was nothing suspicious and everyone was going about their normal activities.

After paying for her stuff, Mia walked out with her hands filled with bag. She was glad because this was going to last her for weeks and now she didn't have to come up with excuses to why her friends couldn't come over.

The sun was at its peak when Mia walked out of the store. She put her bags on the bench beside the entrance and sat down as well to book a cab since it would be too tidious to walk to bus stop.

As she waited, the feeling of being watched crept up to her again. It was a shadow lurking just beyond her sight giving her an unsettling feeling.

She looked around, she eyes scanning the sparse crowd. A few people passed hurriedly, some had their faces buried in their phone and the others just going their way.

But then she caught sight of the figure from across the street. Even though she couldn't see the person properly, Mia could feel their eyes on her, piercing and intense.

Mia's curiosity battled with unease. She turned her attention to her phone and pretended to scroll but the sensation of being observed still lingered. The person remained still, their gaze unwavering.

A chill danced down her spine? Who was this person? Why was the person watching her? Whoever it was didn't have good intentions, she was sure of that.

As minutes passed, a cab pulled up in front of her and she heaved a sigh of relief when the driver called her name.

"Yes," Mia said, getting up her feet immediately. She packed her bags and climbed into the cab, asking the driver to drive quickly . The driver who couldn't understand what was going on stepped on the gas.

Mia was finally able to breathe properly. She looked outside the window to see if the person was following her but there was no one so she decided to just enjoy the ride.

The driver drove smoothly into the alley Mia usually passed and she suddenly felt that uneasiness return to her?

'What's wrong with me? Why am I feeling uneasy? Is something bad about to happen? But I use this route all the time so why is this happening?' She wondered.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the driver slamming on his brakes, suddenly jerking Mia forward.

"Oh my God," she gasped, her heart racing.

The cab screeched to a halt, tires skidding against the pavement.

"What's happening?" Mia asked, fear enveloping her.

"Stay down!" The driver yelled in fear as he watched her through the review mirror. Mia panicked as she instinctively ducked,her heart pounding in her ears. She peered cautiously through the window, trying to make sense out of the situation.

Ahead of them, a group of figures loomed, their faces covered with the dark nose masks they were wearing along with their dark clothes. Mia frowned wondering why people would dress like this in such a hot weather. But her fears were dismissed when she realized these people meant danger.

Some of them were blocking the way ahead of them, others blocking the way behind them and some moving towards the car, emitting an aura of menace.

The driver's grip tightened around the steering wheel, and Mia could see his knuckles turn white.

"What do we do?" She whispered, her voice and body trembling as a cold air hit them.

"Just hold on. I don't think they'll still stand in our way if I threaten to drive," the driver said in a steady tone, despite the fear in his eyes.

He shifted the gear into reverse,and the cab began to move back slowly but the figures kept approaching, their intentions unclear.

Mia's mind raced. She could feel the tension in the air, thick and suffocating. Whoever these people were, wasn't good news at all.

But why did they choose to attack in the middle of the day? As the cab retreated, one of the figures dove towards their cab with an inhuman speed and before the driver could react he was yanked out of the car.

Mia let out a screem of horror as she watched the driver being tossed to the other group of people.

"Please, please don't hurt him,"she begged, drawing attention to her. The one who ya led the driver out of his car smiled as he walked to her with calculated steps.

A slow unsettling smile spread across his face as he looked at Mia. It was a smile of warmth or kindness,but a rather chilling curve of his lips that made her shiver in fright. Her breath caught in her throat as he looked at his pale face and bloodshot eyes.

His eyes glinted with a predatory hunger, reflecting a mix of danger and….anger?

The way his smile stretched almost seemed unnatural,his canines elongating . The corners of his mouth crept up as he reached for the door handle.

Mia closed her eyes and braced herself for was coming to get her, her heart was racing madly and she was sure she was going to die but nothing happened .

The air around her felt thick, suffocating and filled with dread and she could almost taste the darkness that surrounded this man.

She could hear his breath and then she felt it against her face. She knew he was drawing closer, ready to unleash whatever torment he had in store for her. She felt him put his nose in her neck and inhaled deeply.

"So sweet," his low whispers made the hairs on her body stand.

Just as she felt his cold fingers on her cheek, a sudden commotion broke the silence. A figure burst into the circle, shattering the tension that hung in the air. The stranger moved with a speed that startled her, placing himself between the bad man and her.

"Leave her alone," the stranger said in an authoritative voice that made even Mia tremble.

"Or else what?" The bad man challenged him. "Look this is none of your business so just walked out of here ," he added.

The stranger who had his head bowed all this time slowly lifted his head and Mia glanced over his shoulder to see that the bad man's eerie smile had disappeared, surprise flickering across his face as he stepped back, momentarily taken aback.

"L…L…" the bad man struggled to speak.

"Now what were you saying again?" The stranger asked in a mocking tone.

The bad man quickly fell to his knees and clasped his arms together.

"Forgive us sire, we didn't have a choice. We don't want to die," he begged and Mia almost felt pity for him but then the stranger suddenly turned his back towards her and she instinctively covered her face with her hands as if it would shield from any potential danger.

************

Lysander watched his little human climb into something Alaric had told him was called a cab and he was about to go back home when he had a strange feeling of impending danger.

He tried to brush it off several times, thinking it was because he wanted to be close to this human again but the feeling was so strong that he could only follow her at a safe distance in other not to scare her.

He was about to turn back when he saw the cab driving into the alley but he suddenly heard a loud sound that hurt his eardrum because of his sensitive hearing. He turned to see the man controlling the cab being pulled out of it and he immediately sensed something…..VAMPIRES.

Lysander didn't know he appeared in front of the human, shielding her from the vampire in front of her but he knew one thing for sure….he wasn't going to let anything happen to her.

He watched the other vampire act high and mighty until he actually caught a glimpse of him. Now he was kneeling in front of him begging?

Lysander wanted to push his claws into this man's chest and rip out his heart for causing so much fear to his human but he remembered Alaric's words.

"Remember to keep your fangs to yourself."

And by that he knew he had to keep his claws to himself as well.

He slowly turned to the human and she fearfully covered her face with her hands, causing him to feel that tug in his heart again. It had become a habitual thing ever since he met her.

"Please don't hurt me," she said, peaking at him through her fingers.

Lysander's body trembled in anger as he stared at her red eyes and wet face.

That bastard made her cry.