Laura - Sohodol Canyon
We strolled silently down the mountain route. Silence followed as soon as he admitted I was an abomination. I'm not sure why hearing it from his lips stung so much. I still felt more pain from his words than from the stake I once drilled into my heart. The astonishment I felt at not dying is only surpassed by this one today. Why should I care what he thinks of me?
Without my consent, dreams and hopes keep seeping back into my heart. For a little while, I allowed myself to imagine Paul is unlike any other I'd ever met. In my foolishness, I become enchanted by this little spark filled with possibilities, believing that maybe, just maybe, I have discovered something destined for me.
In fact, this is exactly what I need. His harsh words have to change the way I'm starting to see him. He's no chivalrous knight in shining armor coming to save me from a bleak existence. He's my way out, the key to what I truly need: death.
Disappointment fills my heart like a sack of stones. There's no point in dreaming when reality always dashes my hopes. Groaning, I increase the length of my strides.
First and foremost, I must rescue those girls. It must be just as terrifying for them as it was for me when the strigois took me. Their parents sob in their homes because they haven't heard anything about their girls and don't know whether they'll ever see them again.
I march down the empty road. The wolves closed it, so there’s no chance someone will drive by. It’s great to have an entire natural reservation and let people in only when you want to.
As I watch the sun disappear behind the mountains, the tent appears in front of me. I stroll by it without stopping at our campsite.
“Where are you going?” Paul yells from behind me. Echoes dash from one rocky wall to another, further and further away until it becomes nothing more than a whisper.
My determination is strong, and my steps are resolute. "I'm heading to the village to meet people. Someone must be aware of something."
“I’ll turn soon, and it’s not safe for my wolf to be near humans.”
I don’t look back because he might convince me. “Then stay put, doggy.”
Pessimism looms as I wander down the empty lane, nighttime shadows blending into the dark. I pay little attention to which direction I wander since I know the road leads right into Runcu village.
Nowadays, even the most remote locations have asphalt roads and street lights. The mere fact that I remember carts with horses going through the dirt shows my age better than the way I look.
Good-looking houses with freshly painted fences rise one next to another on either side of the street. The river hums on its path beyond the row of dwellings on the left. I distinguish another sound, a rhythmic click on the pavement behind me.
I come to a halt and glance back. Likewise, the sound stops when the stalker's paw freezes in mid-air. A magnificent, massive wolf stands behind me, his silver mane highlighted by the street lights. I'm sure if he stood on his back limbs, he'd be taller than me.
His eyes resemble Paul’s, but they are darker, wilder. He snarls, showing off his perfect white teeth.
“You’re most welcome to bite me after I save those girls. Agreed?”
A combination of a howl and a bark comes from his throat.
I bring a finger to my lips. “Shhh! You’ll wake everyone up. Can’t you see how silent everything around us is?”
He looks down.
“Perfect idea! Look up for yes, and down for no.”
The wolf growls in displeasure.
I shake my head. “That’s not how we agreed.”
His eyes dart to the other side of the street. A little girl no older than ten stares at him. “Look, daddy, what a pretty doggy!”
A man rushes to her side and grabs her hand while I barely hold back a peal of laughter. That’s the second person calling him "doggy" today. This will hurt his ego. Good!
"I'm sorry," the guy adds, still clutching his daughter's hand. "Does it belong to you?"
"Yeah." I grin. "I know he looks like a wild wolf, but he's been trained and is quite well-behaved." I get a glimpse of Paul out of the corner of my eye and whisper, "Right?"
The little girl frees herself from her father’s grasp and runs toward the wolf. His ears drop when she starts petting him with great enthusiasm.
“Elena! Come back here this instant!” the man yells, scampering toward us.
"It’s safe. Don’t worry." Truly, I don’t know that for sure, but even if I can’t read Paul’s or the wolf’s thoughts, I somehow know they won’t harm a child.
"This is the first time I've seen her smiling since her sister disappeared." The man brings a hand to his face, covering his eyes. He doesn’t want his daughter to see him cry.
“I don’t want to pry, but how long ago was that?”
“A week ago. The police haven’t found anything yet.”
“I’m sorry. Where did it happen?”
He exhales heavily. "She went to the store down the street and never returned."
"Can I ask one more thing of you? Can you give me something of hers? Something that would have her scent? Just in case my dog can find anything during our walks."
The man takes out a scarf from his pocket. “I take it with me everywhere I go to feel her closer. You can have it.”
"Thank you," I respond as I return my attention to the child. She hasn't stopped patting the wolf.
I remember the dogs I had when I was a human girl myself. There was this spot they couldn’t help themselves but whimper in ecstasy.
“Oh, you might try to scratch him at the joint of his front limbs and torso.”
The wolf growls, but the girl does it anyway. His left foot starts rocking in the air as he lets out a frenzied yap of delight. I giggle along with the girl.
Laura - AliveThe world is teeming with life and sensations I couldn’t see before. The air itself sizzles with electricity, and my skin tingles under the sun’s warmth. My heart is beating so fast that I can hear its thumping in my ears. Oh, how good it is to be alive. But then again, what is death?It’s a void, a nothingness, the absence of everything.So even though death is the ultimate lack of all existence, isn’t it also a state where we are given a chance to start anew?I’m not sure what I expected, but the reality is better than anything I could have imagined. Every day is a new adventure, and I love every minute of my life, full of laughter, hugs, and kisses. I must admit, destiny has one hell of a way of playing tricks on a girl. When I was young and wanted to live, I died. When I was an abomination and wanted to die, I was born anew. Sometimes, nothing goes the way you want it to, but not always what you want is what you get. And maybe it’s for the best. I am free of my c
Paul - The Retezat MountainsAuburn leaves fall kissed by the cold winds. A cold mountain that still hasn’t welcomed winter. An owl hoots a few times and, as I pass, flies away, out of reach. I can feel the change in the air, now thick with the scent of incoming rain. The sky above the tree’s canopy is gathering heavy clouds, soon to be released in a torrent of droplets. The first few stars peeking through the dark gray curtains are a sign that I don’t have much time left to find Laura. I know I'm close. To her. And I know why she ran away, putting distance between us. Because I'm possessive and selfish, not wanting to give her what she needs. I can't give her what she wants without losing everything I love. And I love her. But it seems I'm doomed to lose her anyhow.I've lost so much time denying reality, turning a blind eye to the truth. "I'm coming, Laura," I whisper to myself. The trees seem to go on forever, the forest floor stretching into the distance. Laura is nowhere in s
The Gypsy Witch - Her hutMy nose scrunches. A sweet smell permeates the air, like a mixture of old spices and fresh herbs. There’s a slight vibration below my feet; the ground seems to shake with every step I take. Something will happen soon. Hehe! I should better ask the key. I reach into my pocket and take out the instrument of my favorite art. The key is a simple piece of metal for any ungifted person. But for me, it is a tool that can open the secrets of the future. I turn it over in my hand, feeling the smoothness of its surface. Cleidomancy is one of the most powerful and ancient forms of divination. It is the art of reading the future by observing the movements of a spellbound key. Some say the spirits of the dead are the ones who turn the key and direct the motion. Hehe!A witch never looks directly at the key. Instead, she always studies it from the corner of her eye, making sure she isn't seen peeking. Otherwise, the key won't move.My fingers are tingly as they seem to b
Laura - At homeI find myself lying on a bed of black velvet inside an empty room with no windows or doors. The walls are lined floor-to-ceiling with bookshelves, each filled from top to bottom. The books are all different sizes and shapes, but they all have the same purpose: to fill the emptiness inside me. “Because I’m hollow on the inside,” I whisper to myself. Under the blanket next to me, there is a figure wrapped in the same black velvet. I reach out and remove the cover, revealing an old man. His skin is wrinkled and pale, and his hair is entirely white. He looks as if he is sleeping. He slowly opens his eyes and looks at me. His hand comes up to touch my face but loses its vigor halfway through. “Are you real?” I ask him.He sighs, closing his eyes. Only a whisper of a breath escapes his lips. “Don’t be afraid, Laura. I’ll always love you.”“No!” I scream. “This can’t be real. This man can’t be Paul.”His strong features and soft gray eyes are the same. His voice is the sa
Alisa - Stryga Inc, her officeBefore entering my office, I stroll down a short hallway and pass my assistant’s desk. Official-looking diplomas and the like hang on the wall behind her. I catch a glimpse of FB reflected in one of them as she turns off her tablet and looks up at me. Does anyone even consider this company an actual workplace? Every employee is a glorified receptionist, and most of them dawdle their time away in front of their computers without doing any real work. When did I become the most diligent person around? “Good morning, Miss Cristescu,” she says, making a good show of turning toward her computer screen as if she has tons and tons of work to do. Her voice is light and cheerful enough, showing that she hasn’t noticed my mood today. Or that she couldn’t care less.If I were to say anything to her, I would fire her on the spot. But starting to dispose of the people who annoy me would leave me working all by myself. So I just nod and continue on my way. Sighing,
Laura - HomeFearing I could drop the puppy from my shaky hands, I slowly set him down on the floor. He immediately starts whimpering and wagging his tail, but I'm too scared to pick him up. I back away slowly, watching him from the corner of my eye as he scrambles to his feet. My legs feel like jelly, and I sit on the couch's edge. Several decades have passed since I've last seen Iustin, my maker. The night I met him was the night I died—the night I became a strigoi. I look at my shaking hands, remembering those times.He was the one who turned me into one of them, holding my dead body in his arms for three days and three nights, keeping my soul trapped inside and forbidding it from going to the other side. For a long time, I thought he lied to me about the process until I did the same to Alisa and turned her into a strigoi as well. He helped me escape the strigoi Council's tight grip, and I owe him my life if my life counts for anything. Iustin covered up my ability to read minds