chapter 4: The creature at night

Raven's POV

Raven Blackwell couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off about the man sitting across from her. His demeanor was distinct from anyone she had ever encountered, and he exuded an enigmatic aura that piqued her curiosity. Despite her inability to pinpoint what set him apart, Raven had an inexplicable intuition that he was different - a feeling that resided deep within her.

Furthermore, Raven couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity with the man. So familiar, in fact, that she found herself comfortable in his presence despite having just met him. She had spent the day working tirelessly, yet she didn't feel the need to retire to her home as long as he was there.

“ get a grip Raven…” she said to herself.

While she stole another glance at the man, Raven observed him lost in the book he was reading, oblivious to his surroundings. What she would give to have him focused on her, she thought.

The moonlight illuminated his face, adding a surreal touch to his appearance. It was as if he didn't belong in the earthly realm, but was a being from another world altogether.

Raven's eyes traced the contours of his face, from his hairline to the shape of his nose. She noticed how his eyelashes fluttered every time his icy blue eyes skipped a line in the book. Suddenly, the man lifted his gaze, catching Raven staring at him. She quickly averted her gaze, feeling her cheeks flush with embarrassment at being caught.

“ you know, you are free to stare… I understand that I’m a spectacular sight to behold” he said from where he was sitting with a smirk.

She snorted, the man was mildly arrogant. It showed in the way he carried himself.

“ If I keep staring, I’ll have more work to do by morning” she replied, going around the shelf to place more books on the empty slot.

He chuckled, “ why are you working this late by the way?” He asked her.

Raven shrugged her shoulders, “ I have to finish up this work this night. By tomorrow, my students will troop in here to get materials for their research and projects” she told him.

He nodded his head, “ you work here, at the University,” he said rather than asked.

She frowned, how did he know about that. She didn’t recall telling him that information. Maybe he might have read her ID card information, she thought.

“ Yeah” , she said.

“ History?” he asked.

“ yeah…” she nodded. He sure knew quite a lot.

He smiled as he went back to what he was reading. Raven sensed that he was done talking but She wanted to talk to him more, so she continued the conversation.

“ Why are you still here by the way. The ceremony ended hours ago…” she muttered. Not that she was not happy to have the company, his company. She just wondered if he was as attracted to her as she was to him; that is if she could call this feeling that she had an attraction.

“ I’m reading… love reading at night” . He responded.

Raven smiled, perfect excuse. He could as well read in his own house. She didn’t point that out to him though.

“ you know, I still don’t know your name…” she mumbled.

The man stopped what he was doing and turned to look at her. He had a strange look on his face. She saw him open his mouth to speak and then close it again as if he was unsure of himself. When he didn’t speak up, she smiled.

“ if it’s a bother, never mind” she told him.

She didn’t know why he couldn’t reveal his name, maybe he was a prominent personality. He had been invited to the opening ceremony of the State University New library after all. Only high profile guests had been invited and had attended.

“ Lumiére” he whispered as the name rolled out of his tongue.

Raven blinked, she barely heard him but the name was as clear as the wind. The name was rare, but she was sure that She knew that name from somewhere. Maybe from one of her students.

“ Lumiére…” she whispered, testing how his name sounded with her voice.

He was about to say something again when the weirdest sound filled the room. She looked around, Wondering where the sound was coming from, only to see Lumiére pull a phone out from his jacket, rolling his eyes when he saw the caller ID.

She blinked, what the hell…!

Why would he choose that kind of sound as his ringtone, she thought as the sound of a bird chirping filled the room.

“ What!” Lumiére spat into the phone. Gone was the smooth voice that had pulled her in. He sounded harsh on the phone and she wondered who was on the other line.

There was a brief pause before he sighed and ended the call. She watched him as he stood graciously from the seat, eyes on her.

“ I’m afraid I won’t be able to continue this conversation… I have to leave…” he said as he walked towards her.

Raven lost the ability to speak as he walked, or rather stalked towards where she was standing. It reminded her of a documentary she saw once, of a Cheetah moving towards it’s prey.

He smiled at her and then scoffed, “ I’m sorry you’ll be missing this sight…” he said with a smirk.

She blinked, realizing what he had just said, “ don’t give yourself too much credit… you’re just like every regular guy” she lied.

He frowned, before shaking his head gently. The look on his face revealed the fact that he knew that she was lying.

“ nothing about me screams regular… “ he sassed as he walked past her laughing.

She turned around as he left the room, closing the door behind him. She didn’t know how long she stood there still hearing the echo of his laugh. It was the sound of a door closing that pulled her out of her trance.

Nothing about the man screams regular. Nothing at all.

“ you need to go home Ma’am…we’re locking up the library…” the security guard that had just entered the room told her.

She sighed, looking at the rest of the book still on the trolley. There was still work to be done, but for now, maybe she needed to rest.

“ Give me a minute to pack up” she told the guard who nodded and left the room.

It didn’t take her long to pack up her things and leave the library. Getting a cab was not as easy as she thought it would be. It was almost midnight and she was still out.

A thought popped into her mind, one that sounded like a warning, ' be careful of the dark, you don’t know who’s watching'. Where the warning had come from, she didn’t know.

Raven frowned, looking around her, suddenly aware and conscious of her surrounding.

“ Maybe I should walk to the gate” she whispered to herself as she adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder.

She took the narrow path behind the library. The route was closer to the gate. She was well aware of how dark and lonely the path was.

To fill up the void, she started humming a song. The sound came naturally to her even though she couldn’t recall listening to it before. As she hummed, she followed a series rhythmic steps that kept her mind occupied.

Raven walked down the narrow path, her footsteps echoing in the silence of the night. The moon was full, casting eerie shadows on the trees that surrounded her. She clutched her bag tightly and quickened her pace, feeling uneasy in the darkness.

“ it’s just the birds” she told herself.

Suddenly, she heard a rustling sound behind her, and she turned around, her heart pounding in her chest. Out of nowhere, a creature jumped at her, snarling and growling. The creature had fangs and it’s eyes were sharper than anything Raven had ever seen.

“Shit!” , she gasped in fear.

The creature bared it’s teeth at her and she saw its fangs. It could tear her apart in seconds, she knew.

Raven didn't have time to react, as the creature was on top of her immediately.

Instinctively, Raven fought back. She kicked and punched the creature, surprising herself with her own strength. The creature tried to bite her, but she managed to push it away, scrambling to her feet. She could see the glint of its fangs in the moonlight, and fear gripped her.

“ what the hell are you!, Stay back!” she shouted at it, but it rushed towards her again.

Just when she thought all was lost, a man wearing a red robe appeared out of nowhere. He moved with lightning speed, attacking the creature with his bare hands. Raven watched in amazement as the man fought the creature, dodging its attacks and delivering swift blows.

She blinked, trying to understand what was going on right now. She watched the red robe man grip the neck of the creature and slammed it into a wall.

The creature snarled, sensing that it was no match for the man, it pushed off the wall with inhumane speed and backed off, disappearing into the darkness.

Raven stared at the man in disbelief, unable to speak. He turned to her and looked at her for a moment. He started to move towards her but stopped when she staggered backwards out of fear.

“ Who are you?” she asked with a shaky breath.

The man frowned, though she could not see his full face because he was wearing a mask that covered the top portion of his face. He inclined his head slowly to the left, giving her one final look before running off into the night.

“ oh my goodness!” she muttered, holding her chest.

Raven stood there, shaking, trying to comprehend what had just happened. She felt a surge of adrenaline coursing through her veins, and her heart was still racing. She realized that she had fought back subconsciously, tapping into her survival instincts perhaps.

She knew she needed to do one thing; leave there immediately. So she ran straight ahead, with her heart pounding against her chest. Perhaps luck was on her side, since it was too much of a coincidence as a taxi pulled up at the corner of the street.

“ Get in,” the driver ordered.

Raven looked behind her , but threw caution to the wind as she climbed into the waiting taxi.

“ Hallingway street…” she told the man who had already pulled the taxi into motion and was heading towards her home.

As the driver drove, she couldn't shake off the feeling of unease. She wondered what the creature that had attacked her tonight was and why it had attacked her. She also couldn't stop thinking about the mysterious man who had saved her, her savior.

Raven had a lot of questions and their was only one person who could answer them.

Granny, she thought.