B4

“We're late, Dad!”

Linda shuffled her feet worriedly. Her eyes stared at the line of trees darting outside the window of the car they were traveling in towards Alas Purwo (Purwa Forest). Aryadi held the woman's two hands, who constantly squeezed each other nervously. Linda turned to the man who had been her adoptive father for years. Aryadi embraced and patted the vampire-woman's shoulder gently.

“Think positive, Lin,” Aryadi said calmly. For a moment he was silent, then took a deep breath. “Or at least you can … consider this all the result of my mistake, as you said earlier at the Black Wolf tribe headquarters. If that could make you a little more relieved.”

Linda jerked her hand and looked at Aryadi with a look as if she had been offended.

“That won't change anything, you know,” Linda hissed, suddenly feeling angry. “Yes, I could think of you that way, but this worry won't diminish one bit. I feel like ….” Linda half raised her hands in the air, then threw them down in despair. “It'