THE STING OF THE VAMPIRE'S BITE

Keilah's POV

I was sprinting through a dark forest, my legs burning with every step, begging me to stop. My chest heaved painfully, each breath sharp and ragged, but I couldn’t stop—not with the terrifying noise echoing from behind. I didn’t know what I was running from, only that something—or someone—was chasing me.

The trees thickened, the shadows deepened, and before I knew it, I found myself trapped in a narrow, dark room. The walls were painted in a dark, unsettling red paint. When I reached out and touched the surface, the paint oozed into warm blood and started trickling down the walls and then pooled at my feet. A scream tore from my throat as panic surged through me.

I jolted awake gasping, sitting upright so fast I nearly collided with the twins’ heads hovering nearby. Squinting against the harsh sunlight flooding the room, I groaned and stumbled to the window, pulling the curtain back to shut out the merciless light.

Just as I closed the curtains and flopped back onto the bed, grateful for the darkness, a rustling sound made me open one eye. The twins had walked over to the window, their small hands grasping the edge of the curtain. With a swift tug, they pulled it open again, flooding the room with light.

“Seriously?” I groaned, sitting up with a frustrated sigh. "Can't we leave it closed for just five minutes?"

I swung my legs over the side of the bed and trudged back to the window, pulling the curtains shut again. I gave the twins a pointed look before heading back to the bed.

But the moment I settled into the pillows, the sound of the curtains being dragged open filled the room once more.

"Really, do you two ever stop?” I muttered, glaring at the twins. They stood by the window, grinning innocently, as if they hadn’t just undone my one attempt at peace.

I sat upright, rubbing my temples as I glanced at the twins standing by the window. "Seriously, can't you let your aunt rest for just five more minutes?" I said, trying to sound stern, though the sight of their innocent grins softened my frustration.

They nodded in unison, their little faces glowing with mischief. “No.” “ Mom told us to watch over you, and when you wake up, to tell you to get a fresh warm shower and have something to eat,” Avery, the more talkative of the two, explained.

I groaned, raking my fingers through my hair with both hands, trying to shake off the remnants of my dream. "Okay, now I get why I woke up with your little cute faces hovering over me," I said with a tired chuckle. "But do you both mind telling me where your mother is?"

The twins exchanged a quick glance before answering simultaneously but with different answers.

“No!” Zoe said stubbornly, crossing her arms.

“She went to see Dad,” Avery blurted out.

I raised an eyebrow, amused, and turned to Avery. “Thanks for the information, buddy.” He beamed at the praise while her sister shot him a look of pure fury.

“That’s called betrayal, Avery!” she snapped, crossing her arms. "We have to protect Mom."

I chuckled softly, turning to her. "I'm also your lovely aunt, Zoe. It’s not a betrayal to let me know where your mom went.”

Zoe wasn’t having it. With a huff, she stormed out of the room, her small feet stomping against the floor. Avery hesitated for a second before darting after her, calling out, “Zoe, wait!”

I reached for my phone on the nightstand and quickly dialled Cora’s number. After a few rings, her voice finally came through, slightly muffled. “Keilah, give me a second—”

“Why the hell do you keep on running after Ethan?” I cut her off, my voice sharper than I intended.

The line suddenly cut off, and I blinked at my phone, realising Cora had actually hung up on me. A chuckle bubbled up from my chest, a mix of disbelief and irritation. "Are you fucking serious?" I muttered under my breath.

I immediately called her back, but this time the line was busy. She was avoiding me. Typical.

Rolling my eyes, I quickly typed a message:

let me hope you didn’t forget that today is Auntie’s death anniversary, so I humbly request you collect yourself and get back home this instant.

I hit send and tossed the phone onto the bed before heading out of the bedroom and into the living room. As I approached, the sound of bickering reached my ears. The twins were at it again, their voices raised in a heated argument.

"Why would you tell her?!" Zoe whined, hands on her hips. "Mom said it was to keep it a secret!"

"Because it's not a big deal, Zoe!" Avery shot back, crossing his arms defiantly. "Aunt Keilah deserves to know!"

I stepped into the room, rubbing the back of my neck. “Alright, that’s enough,” I said, interrupting their squabble. They both froze and turned to face me, their little faces flushed with frustration.

I sighed, softening my tone. "I’m sorry, you two. It’s because of me that you're fighting. Now that I’ve said sorry, how about you two make peace?"

They both exchanged hesitant glances, neither willing to be the first to give in. But after a moment, Avery held out his hand. "Truce?"

Zoe glared at him, then sighed dramatically before shaking his hand. "Truce. But next time, don’t tell Aunt Keilah everything."

I smiled and ruffled their hair. "Thanks, you two. Now, how about we all get some breakfast while we wait for your mom to get back?”

The twins looked at me with identical expressions of amusement, as if I’d said something silly.

“Aunt Keilah, it’s past breakfast already,” Zoe informed me with a giggle. “We had ours earlier.”

Avery chimed in, “Yeah, we’re going to the playroom now.”

I smiled and nodded at them. “Alright, enjoy your playtime.”

They grinned and dashed off. Once they were out of sight, I made my way into the kitchen, deciding it was time to make myself some breakfast, even if it was technically closer to lunch. I rummaged through the cabinets, settling on a simple meal of toast and scrambled eggs.

As I sat down at the table with my plate and took a sip of the coffee I had brewed, my mind drifted without warning—to Ralph. My chest tightened, and I felt an ache deep inside me, one I thought I had buried long ago.

I stared down into my cup, my fingers absently tracing the rim. Why am I even thinking about him? I scolded myself as I shook my head to snap myself back.

I had made a choice—to leave behind that world, to distance myself from the constant pain and danger that being with Ralph entailed. And yet, no matter how far I ran, the shadows of the past clung to me, refusing to let go.

I brought the cup of coffee to my mouth, desperate for a distraction, but as I took a sip, the scorching liquid burned my tongue. I jolted, hissing in pain as I set the cup down. Great, I thought. The sudden pain was enough to crack open the fragile walls I had built around myself, and for a brief moment, it was like the floodgates were ready to burst.

But from the corner of my eye, I saw them—Zoe and Avery, peeking around the doorframe of the kitchen, curiously watching me. I sighed inwardly, knowing exactly who had put them up to it. Cora. She had undoubtedly told them to keep an eye on me whenever I was alone, ensuring I didn’t fall apart in front of them.

Swallowing the pain and biting back the sob that begged to escape, I stood up, grabbing the cup of coffee and pouring it into the sink. “I added too much sugar,” I said loudly enough for the twins to hear, forcing my voice to sound casual for them to leave.

Without looking back, I opened the fridge and grabbed a glass of cold juice, sipping it slowly. I saw the twins leaving and I forced myself to eat everything on my plate, even though I felt numb. Once my plate was clean, I stood up and headed back to my bedroom, leaving the lingering heaviness behind me.

In the bathroom, I stepped into the shower, letting the water cascade over me. The warmth soothed my tense muscles, and as the steam filled the small space, the tears I had been holding back finally came. Silent sobs wracked my body, and I leaned against the cool tile, the water mingling with my tears as they washed away.

When I finally felt a measure of relief, I turned off the shower, wrapped myself in a towel, and opened the door to head to my bedroom. But I froze, startled, when I saw the twins standing right outside the bathroom door, their small faces filled with concern.

"What are you two doing?" I asked, my voice a little sharper than I intended. "This isn’t good, you know."

The twins exchanged a guilty look before Zoe spoke first, her voice soft. "Sorry, Aunt Keilah..."

Avery quickly added, “Mom told us to—”

I cut him off gently, shaking my head. “I know. I know your mom told you to watch over me, but listen, I’m a grown woman. I don’t need to be watched by kids. I’m perfectly fine. Okay?”

They both stood there, quiet for a moment, avoiding my gaze. Then Avery, always the braver one, finally looked up at me, his eyes full of sadness. “But... we know you’re not fine, Aunt Keilah. We hear you cry every night in your bedroom.”

The confession hit me like a punch to the gut, my heart twisting at the thought of them hearing my pain. I crouched down to their level, forcing a smile onto my face despite the guilt swirling inside me. “Oh, you guys... Thank you for looking out for me and caring so much. But trust me, I’m fine.”

I hesitated, then added, “Whenever you hear me crying, it’s not because I’m sad. It’s just... the movies I watch before bed, you know? Some of them are really emotional.”

They both stared at me, not entirely convinced, but too young to argue. I reached out, ruffling their hair softly. “So don’t worry, okay? Go back and play.”

Zoe gave me one last uncertain look before nodding slowly. Avery hesitated but followed her lead, and together they turned and walked back toward their playroom.

As they disappeared from view, I stood up, letting out a long breath. Sad movies, I thought bitterly. If only that were the truth.

By the time I slipped into a pair of jeans and a soft sweater, I heard the twins' excited voices echoing from the living room. They were welcoming their mother back, their laughter and excited chatter filling the house.

I grabbed my phone from the bed and quickly stuffed it into my bag, making sure I had everything I needed before heading out. But just as I reached the door, Cora appeared, blocking my exit and pushed me back inside and closed the door behind her and leaned against it.

"Keilah," she said breathlessly, her voice filled with an intensity that made my skin prickle, "you have to help me.”

I blinked, confused by the sudden rush, and frowned at her. "Help you? Cora, what’s going on?"

"Please, Keilah, I need you to find that vampire," she continued, her words tumbling out in a hurried mess. "You have to make him take away whatever spell he puts on Ethan. I can’t stand it anymore. I need Ethan in the lives of his kids. I need him to look at me again... like he used to."

I stared at her, stunned, my brain struggling to catch up with the flood of words pouring out of her. My mind whirled, trying to process her frantic request. And she looked deadly serious, her eyes wide and desperate.

“Cora..." I began slowly, choosing my words carefully, "what the hell has gotten into you?" I took a step closer, studying her face for any sign that this was some kind of cruel joke. "You remember I told you I don’t know where he went, right? He disappeared without a trace. Not even Ralph knows where he went. He’s... he’s just gone.”

But Cora was shaking her head even before I finished. “I don’t care how long it takes. You have to find him. You’re the only one who can.”

Her words hit me hard, and I took a deep breath, closing my eyes for a moment to compose myself. I could feel the weight of her desperation pressing down on me, but I also knew I couldn’t give her the answer she wanted. There was no finding Damien. He had vanished as if he never existed, and I didn’t have the energy to chase ghosts.