2 | Nora : The chase

She took her final breath, with her loved ones in her thought. There are many ways to die, but dying in a place where you want to be with your loved ones may be quite nice. With that in mind, she died. Not in a bed, in a street full of people or even with bullets in her stomach. But underwater, with stones tied on her feet.

Suicide, that's what killed her. She lived in vain, she died in vain. At least, she died without any regrets...

****

Summer came, the new family moved in town. Well, that's what the citizens told us. Rumours spread fast in this city. Well, yeah this is one of the smallest city in US.

With only 3.079 people in town, we know each other quite well. I don't have much friends, but i know the kind ones.

And one of them was Max, my childhood friend who lived across the street. Yeah, he is my intel. The one who told me all the news in Beaufort.

I closed my book, it was a fantasy novel that my father bought for me last week. The protagonist died because of suicide, she was in love with a vampire. But the vampire rejected her because she was a witch. The protagonist never knew that the vampire was also in love with her, and he was looking for a way to be with her without any threats.

By the time the vampire looked for her because he found the way, she already died. The vampire did not saw her body, but without him knowing. The protagonist already cursed him with the forbidden spell, and he already marked her. Making them knew each other existence, wether they're alive or not.

And yeah, at the end the vampire died in suicide too. In the same river, in the same way, but he did not die because of that. He died because he did not drink any blood for months. Who tought that vampires don't breathe? Well, i don't.

"Nora, Max's here!" My father screamed. I rolled my eyes, i told Max not to visit me this week because i want to finish my novel. How did he even know i just finished it?

"Nora!" Father screamed again, making me scream back to answer. "Yeah dad, i'm coming!"

I changed my clothes and brought my jacket. I just knew that Max would take me out somewhere. Now, where the hell is my purse?

"Looking for your purse? You know you don't have to bring that thing, i'll pay." A sound came from the door, making me flinch in surprise.

I turned my body around, just to see Max leaning on the wall inside my room. "Oh really? I feel very honored to be treated by someone who doesn't even know how to knock." I said sarcasticly, putting my purse inside my shorts pocket.

The only response that Max was an idiotic giggle, making me roll my eyes annoyed. I walked pass him as he patted my head, turning my hair into a messy bird nest, again.

"Stop messing with my hair in every chances you get Max or you'll regret it!" I screamed as he ran. Every time he patted my head, i mean messing with my hair, it always ends with a chase. And i have to admit it, this shitty brat never lost.

"Oh come on, you never caught me Nora. Not even once, how can i even regret anything?" Max snickered as he ran into the streets.

I stepped out of the house after screaming a simple bye to dad, continuing my chase to Max. For our family it's normal, this kind of chase happens every day. So this is like a tradition for me and Max, and i have to admit it... this kind of thing is fun, especially in this dull old city. "Max! Don't run that fast, i'm not a superhuman like you!"

"Well try turning into one baby! Maybe you'll like it you know?" Max screamed as he ran, i rolled my eyes as i chase after him. "Screw you Max!" i shouted.

Max laughed, and we continiued our chase. The range of our chase is unpredictable, so literally we never knew where it'll lead us to. We just knew that it was fun, delightful and precious moments. And i loved it.

***

"MAX! Where are you?!" I screamed. The sky has finally turned dark, and it seems like we're still continuing our chase. And here i am, at the edge of the forest of this town.

Well, it's not like this is my first time coming here to play with Max, so i'm quite calm. In this forest, there is nothing for me to be afraid of. There's no bear, mountain lion, or even snakes. Well, that's if you play in the edge of the forest like me.

I and Max have never touched the center of the forest, it's kind of you know? Dark.

I stopped running, i haven't eaten my dinner yet so i'm quite tired. Especially after reading that vampire novel all night... oh yeah, i haven't read the epilouge yet. Well, i'm quite certain about the ending though, i bet there'll be no plot twist so i'm not going to continue reading it. The story was not that interesting anyway.

I groaned in frustation, where the hell is Max?! "Max come on stop hiding! I'm tired you know? Lets go home! You win, i lose okay?" But the only answer i heard was silence.

Okay, this shit is starting to scare the hell out of me. There'll be no snakes right? Because right now i can't even see my own hands. "Ugh, Max! Come on, stop your shitty jokes now. It's too dark, i can't even see my own hands! Turn your flashlight on right now and i'll bake you some brownies okay?"

Once again, silence became the answer. Ugh, i can't go home without Max. He'll probably lost himself in this forest and famish to death. "Max! Get your ass out of here right now okay? Maax!"

And now, the silence that became the answer once again finally became a horror. The gust of wind blew the forest trees, making the atmosphere of this forest somehow become spooky. "Max, come on. I wanna go home, dad said he'll cook some bacon for dinner and i'm starving you know."

All of sudden, a voice came from behind me-- surprising me because of the silence that had previously taken over. I turned my body around, with my eyes looking sharply at the bushes i stood in silence. There's a silhouette of a man, making me certain that sturdy silhouette is Max. "Ugh, finally Max. What the hell are you doing--"

"Nora?" A voice came from behind me, making me turn around in surprise. It was Max. "M-max? What are you doing here? I thought you were there." I pointed at the dark bushes.

Max furrowed his eye brows confused. "What are you talking about? I was at the edge of the forest when i heard you screaming from here. Do you even relaize that right now we're in the middle of the forest?"

And now it's my turn to furrow my eye brows confused. "Wait what? The middle of the forest? Then what should we--"

"Hush hush hush." Max cutted me off, he then smirked pridefully. "Who do you think you're talking to? Of course i already marked the tree down with this little knife, your very welcome Princess Nora."

I rolled my eyes again, Max always has a way to make me tired of him. And he also have many ways to make me love him like a brother, so yeah i just slapped his arm as an answer. "Oh, shut up. Lets go home, i'm famished you know?"

"No wonder you're so fat Nora, all you ever do is eat eat and eat." Joked Max with his usual annoying tone, making me glare at him annoyed. "Chill down girl."

I just brushed him off and walk through the forest. I never thought that i actually went to the middle of the forest, i thought the middle of the forest was kind of creepy. But, i definitely saw a silhouette of a man back there. Was it just my imagination? Yeah, maybe that's because i'm hungry or something. "Hurry up Max, you're such a slowpoke!"

"Wait? What did you say? You never even won at any of our game once! You're the slowpoke!"

"Oh shut it loser, you're scared of dark. That's why you always bring a flashlight with you isn'it?"

"No, it's not!"

"Oh really?"

"Nora!"

****

Without them knowing, there was a pair of red eyes watching them in silent. Keeping an eye to the chosen one, waiting for the right time to awake the monster in it. It's just a matter of time, i have to wait patiently. That what he thought, but the faster it is the better isn't it? With that desicion, he disappeared in the dark, turning himself into one.