Chapter 1.

" 'HELP!' she screamed, but they didn’t listen.

They thrust the golden dagger into her chest, and her blood spilled out. They collected it into a golden cup and served it to him.

He drank from the cup as though it were ordinary wine, and just like that, the vampire king’s curse was broken.

The end!"

She ended the story with a squeal and a bright smile, but what she got in return were long faces.

"What?" she blinked, confused. "You don’t like the ending?" She searched their faces for answers.

"Who’s the Vampire King?" a tiny boy’s voice rang out from the group.

She blinked a few times at him. "What? Are you a newcomer? I’ve told this story countless times already."

"He is a newcomer," another boy replied. "My cousin. He arrived yesterday and he’ll be staying for the weekend."

"Oh." She nodded in understanding. "Okay then, let’s start the story from the beginning again."

"Yaaayyy!!" the group of children cheered in excitement.

She smiled and adjusted her seat when...

"Dua!" a voice rang out.

"Long, long ago—" she began, ignoring it.

"Dua!!" the voice called again, louder this time.

"Fuck," she muttered under her breath.

Turning back to the children, she pouted. "Looks like the story will have to wait till later."

They pulled long faces, some pouting, and some huffing.

Dua chuckled. It was always like this whenever she postponed a storytelling to later.

Tiptoeing, she left their gathering, and hurried up to her apartment.

About to open the door, the voice rang out loudly again, "Dua!!!"

Dua heaved a sigh, shaking her head as she pushed the door. "What?!" She yelled in response. "Why do you always yell my name like you're announcing a criminal who's on the run?"

"Whatever," the young woman, looking slightly older and more mature than her, spoke.

"So why did you call me?" Dua asked.

The older woman tossed a few notes at her that ended up splattering on the floor. "Go get Dad's meds," she instructed.

Dua bent and picked up the notes: a few dollar notes, and a prescription note. "Why spend money on meds that aren't working?" She sulked quietly but she was clearly heard by the older woman.

"Do you have a better idea?" The older woman inquired, slightly irritated.

"The hospital..." Dua didn't finish before facing a backlash.

"If you have money for the hospital bill then hand it over," the older woman demanded, her palm stretched open before Dua.

She scoffed, continuing, "and do you think I enjoy this? Do you think I also don't want him being taken care of properly at the hospital?"

"Sis, you didn't even let me finish..."

"Keep your damn words to yourself, and learn not to hurt others with it!" The older woman yelled and stormed off.

Dua heaved a deep and heavy sigh. It was always like this almost everyday. A fight with her older sister regarding their situation.

"It's not like I said anything bad, she didn't even let me finish. Who's hurting who with whose words now?" Dua sulked in the empty space, her eyes pooling with tears.

She stared at the prescription note in her hand, being reminded of the year, their whole predicament began.

Ten years ago their father was diagnosed with a heart disease, at least that was when she and her sister got to know of it after discovering their father's meds in the ceiling where he and their mother always hid it.

Two months later, their mother died from a fire accident at the factory she worked. Sure, they were compensated, but what could ten thousand dollars solve? Their debts increased, and their father's condition worsened.

Now ten years into the predicament, and all they could sustain is bigger debts and little paying jobs that did nothing to ease them, and no miracle to turn the situation around.

Sighing again, Dua turned and left the house. "Gosh, I need to get rid of this damp feeling," she muttered to herself, blinking her tears away.

Getting to the front of the house, she smiled at the gathering of the children a few feets away. "And here's the perfect solution to the problem."

"Okay, who wants to hear some stories?!" She squealed as she approached them.

Seeing her, they cheered in excitement, gathering around in their usual spot to hear her stories.

Taking her seat at the foot of the tree in the far end of the compound, she began. "Once upon a time, there was a Vampire King cursed by an old witch for his ruthlessness. But she wasn't like the Vampire King, she was merciful to leave him a cure. Find the one girl with a unique tattoo on her right arm, her blood will break his curse," she narrated.

"But since I already told you the story's ending a few minutes ago, that would be all for now," she smiled widely at them as she rose from the foot of the tree where she sat.

"I have a question though," it was the same kid from earlier who had asked who the Vampire King was. "What unique tattoo does he need to find?"

"Oh," Dua chuckled, "I have a sample here."

She rolled up her sleeve on her right arm, revealing a delicate jacaranda branch wrapping around the her right arm, with small, intricately designed flowers and leaves spreading towards her shoulder. The flowers are a vibrant purple hue, gradating from light lavender at the tips to deep plum near the branch. The branch itself is thin and curved, with tiny buds and leaves sprouting along its length.

"Wow! Beautiful!" The boy exclaimed.

Dua chuckled, "I know, right?"

"What's the Vampire King's curse about?" He asked next, putting Dua in a mini pause for a few seconds.

"That..." she paused, fumbling for an answer. "I haven't thought about that yet. I'll come up with something later," she smiled.

The boy furrowed his brows in confusion.

"What's his name then?" He asked another question.

Dua lifted her chin, thinking of an answer. "Probably Alexander," she answered.

"Probably?" The boy was more confused.

"Yeah," Dua laughed, "because this story only exists in my head," she explained but it did nothing of easing the boy's confusion.

"But..." the boy was about saying something but Dua didn't give him a chance to, she ran off.

On the road, Dua breathed in relief. "What an inquisitive boy," she shook her head.

"But then Dua," she muttered to herself, "what's the Vampire King's curse about? Why didn't you think about that?"

She had been crafting fantasy worlds since she was little, having a dream to be the world's famous author. But her reality sunk in quite earlier, so she quit and instead entertained the children at the yard every night with her stories.

"Death? Disease? What should the curse be about?" She was still lost in thought when something shifted in the air.

A shadow flickered across her vision, too fast to understand, and too real to ignore.

Her steps faltered. "What?"

A sharp pain struck the back of her neck so hard her breath hitched. The world around her spun, and then... darkness swallowed her whole.