BLOOD AWAKENING CHAPTER 1: DEVIL IN THE DARK

BLOOD AWAKENING CHAPTER 1: DEVIL IN THE DARK

A pavillion of myriad stars lingers on the firmament; for the first few hours of darkness, there seemed no sign of an upcoming rain. Busy as before, the boulevard owns a hundred and more people probably going home. Streetlights are on providing them sufficient illumination.

The clock swings its hands; and the lingering stars hide behind the dark clouds. A drizzle had managed to empty the street as fast as a bullet train. Few of the passerbys had taken shelter. They went to the nearby stores dreaming of wet-free coats and paper bags. But, emerging on the street corner, a lass of fair complexion, brown hair, and tired eyes continued walking. She likes a little of the heavenly teardrops; it doesn’t matter if she get soaked sooner. All she is thinking is the embrace of a warm comfortable bed ready to ease the aches of all day work.

“Mari!” shouted Louisiana, a forty-year-old seller at a bake shop where she always buy herself good bread rolls. “Aren’t you taking shelter?”

Mari rushed to approach her. It was the aroma of bread rolls that tickled her senses first as the vicinity between her and the bakeshop dwindled.

“No, I’m fine with my anorak. This will keep me warm till I reach my apartment,” Mari replied as she neared Louisiana.

“I’ll go with you. I’m closing the shop. Just a few sec,” Louisiana said as she entered the bakeshop.

Her stomach growled. The aromatic bread rolls just got her senses even deeper. This is the same shop where she always buy herself bread to eat. And Louisiana, has been a good acquaintance of her ever since.

“Here, this gonna be weather-perfect, and it’s my treat.” Louisiana handed her a paper bag with a fluffy warm bread.

“Thank you so much! I love you, Lou,” she exclaimed, eyes brightened while receiving the paper bag.

Both of them proceeded walking fast-paced along the dim light of the streetlights. Usually, the light is adequate in this area but the rain had it’s way of bringing darkness.

“You shouldn’t be walking alone. I bet you haven’t heard about the vampires,” Louisiana started the conversation not to feel the coldness slowly creeping in.

“What about them?” Mari replied, her hands covering the paper bag with bread.

“Rumors are spreading fast. Some says the vampires are breaking the pact.”

Long ago, the wolves, humans, and vampires signed an agreement to stop the feud. It was a relief for everyone. An almost never-ending battle had tarnished the joy among children, brought the smell of death to almost every city, and everything back then was shrouded with fear. However, everyone knew the vampires were just compelled to agree with the pact. If it wasn’t their old king doting on too much for their prince, the pact wouldn’t be made. No one exactly knew how it happened. No backstory was told. If ever there was, surely it had faded along the passing of ages.

“Impossible, their king’s been loyal to it…or maybe those are the rebel vampires.”

“No, Mari, some says it’s all about the pact. You better be careful.”

Louisiana’s voice was filled with worry. She’s just human and if ever a new war commences, she is scared to death by the mere thought of her children to experience what their ancestors had been through.

“This gonna be my way. Careful,” she reminded Mari again, afterwards she dashed towards the right direction of the road.

“Thank you again for the bread! Be careful too!” screamed Mari before Louisiana’s profile vanished in the dark leaving her alone.

“We have the government and the wolves,” uttered Mari to herself.

That should be her assurance. Though there’s an existing truce, it’s an enduring hearsay that humans and the wolves never trusted the vampires and the vampires are just waiting for a perfect comeback, to rule. How true that is, no one knows.

She’s been living a peaceful life because of the pact. It had made everybody, especially her, to think everything would go smooth. But the vampires, if they wanted can dominate both humans and wolves. The thought of it made Mari fret.

Her anorak is completely drenched, soaked in water. Soon enough, the water will seep making her shirt wet. Still, it would take few more blocks to reach her apartment. Treading on the water-filled pathway, the water sloshed filling her shoes. The rain poured heavily. It had forced her to find shelter on the nearest establishment she could see first. She cannot count the times she cussed over again. But just few more blocks and she’ll be fine. She’s dreaming of sprawling on the comfort of her own bed. Or maybe a good hot chocolate drink partnered with the warm bread she’s carrying.

“What does a pretty young lass doing out here?”

Mari jerked. It was an old man around his fifties that had halted and shocked her. He is wearing a black suit with a black hat. On his right hand is a cane made of wood.

“This is my way home, mister,” answered she, raindrops pattering on her face.

“I have to go. You better get going too, mister. It’s not good to get under the rain for too long.”

With full concern, Mari uttered those words. She knew such concern very well. As a nurse, she’s seen elders admitted to hospitals because of the rain.

“Should I?” the old man said, grinning. He didn’t look like he have the concern for his health at all.

“Of course and besides…” Mari’s eyes widened. She has remembered what Louisiana had just told her. Vampires. Shit.

Sebastian was amused. Certainly, humans had their unique way of humor, good sense of it, perhaps. He could sense of every thread of concern affixed to her words, but then, everything about the rain making him sick is just nonsense—at all. Vampires don’t catch colds nor fever.

Sebastian grinned. “Besides?”

“N-Nothing…”

Mari’s voice is evidently trembling not because of the downpour but because of what she had realized. She remained calm. She tried. But, instinct got the best of her. Run.

Quickly, he pulled her arm as she tries to trace her direction back. “You’re ain’t going anywhere.”

Fifth victim for tonight. He’s been roaming around the city to find clean blood as possible. He needed it for his self-benefit. The pact had made their race feast on animals which to his knowledge never equal the nutrition they can get from fresh human blood.

Sebastian’s instinct started to get its appetite. His fangs started to grow. Sooner, it penetrated Mari’s neck. Sebastian wanted to drain all her blood. Damn. Her bloods tastes so sweet. Mari screamed in pain, but to no avail; the rain had made her voice like nothing. Soon enough, Sebastian felt her blood on his veins. Beholding his victim unconscious on his arms, without any considerations, he dropped her—literally.

He felt a sudden jerk. His hands suddenly became uncontrollable, his legs shaking wild; eyes dilating and then shrinks and dilates again. His vision blurred to the extent he cannot almost see. His ears seemed to amplify even the sound of raindrops hitting the street; it’s so loud that his resort would cover his ears.

“What have you done to me?!” he shrieked in pain.

Shit. He repeatedly cussed. His head is aching like a thousand mallets striking him all at once. He’s dying to steady his breath. One hand massaging his temple, the other on his knee to have support.

“What have you done?!”

Perplexed, he asked Mari as if her unconscious rain-soaked body on the street would answer. The pain has subsided. This had never happened before, to him, to no one. Decades of consuming human blood, acquiring for himself, had made sure of this claim. No account had at least heard for such phenomena. This got to be different, something…something extremely incredible.

“Shit! Somebody’s here.”

For one final glance, Sebastian studied her. Afterwards, he left her unsure if the faint heartbeat will make her lifeless or not. One thing for sure, he’ll marvel on tonight’s circumstance.