Creatures of Darkness

Xavier furrowed his brows as he stared at the human on the bed. Pursing his lips, he walked slowly towards her but paused when he saw her widen her eyes and curl herself into a ball at the corner of the bed.

He looked at her pitiful eyes and rubbed his forehead, 'Great.. Now she's back to her scared self.'

Racking his fingers through his neat blonde hair, he sighed exasperatedly, "You don't know where you are?"

Skyla bit her lips as she shook her head making him narrow his eyes. Instantly, Xavier leaned forward making her lean backward reflexively. Ignoring her reaction, he rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he murmured, "Hmm… are you pretending that you don't know or being honest?"

Skyla blinked at him in response as she remained mute, making him frown. He stared at her hard, pressuring her silently through his eyes.Biting her lips, Skyla furrowed her brows as she fought the urge to turn away from his pressing eyes. She stared right back at him resolutely, making his lips twitch.

After a couple of seconds, Skyla was about to give in when she heard him sigh finally. She watched as Xavier straightened his posture and looked at her skeptically.

'Did I win?'

"Well, at least it looks like you are not pretending"

'I think I did'

"For now," he concluded

'Or not' she thought aggrievedly.

Skyla exhaled before she looked at him, enquiring through her eyes, 'Well?'

Xavier looked at her dumbfoundedly. He was impressed by her ability to change from one state to another within a snap. Nevertheless, he still answered her, "Zaria City. And you?"

Skyla scratched her cheek as she asked meekly, "Is there a place called City A here?"

Xavier tilted his head with a small smile on his face and asked back, "What do you think?"

"Ah! I guess not," Skyla nodded her head immediately while her mind was screaming inside, 'The heck!'

She lowered her eyes as she tried to remember the incidents that happened before the arrival of the vampires before her.

"Ah!" Skyla gasped as she remembered a white light envelope around her before darkness sunk in and the arrival of the vampires. She tilted her head as she thought of the picture frame.

'Was that a gateway? A portal?' like those in fantasy books.

Shaking her head, she groaned as she clutched her head, 'No way...No way.. This cannot be happening.'

She gripped her hair as she mumbled, "How am I supposed to return back home?"

On seeing her immersed in her thoughts, Xavier wondered whether she hit her head along the way to his place. He couldn't understand why this human before him was unyielding unlike the rest.

He tapped the bed again trying to gain her attention and said while pointing at the foot of her bed, "Change into those"

Skyla glanced at the vampire before she slowly looked at the new clothes at the foot of her bed.

Fresh clothes!

She nodded her head when she noticed the vampire turn around to leave. Pursing her lips, she asked softly, "Are those real?"

Xavier turned back cluelessly making her roll her eyes. She pointed at his fangs and asked, "Are those..real?"

He raised his eyebrows bemusedly before his lips curved. He took a step towards her and asked playfully, "Do you want to test it?"

Skyla widened her eyes as she shook her head rapidly. Xavier smiled, exposing his fangs and said, "It will only take a minute-"

Before he could complete his words, he saw her jumping from the bed, grabbing her clothes and dashing towards the washroom leaving him speechless.

"Pffft-" laughter escaped his lips when he heard the door slam shut. Shaking his head, he held his abdomen and said while laughing, "Don't worry… you are not my type"

Skyla leaned against the door panting heavily. His words rang inside her mind knowing all too well that he was referring to her blood.

'Well, at least I'm not flavourful to him'

Letting out a sigh, she slapped her forehead as she scolded herself for her loose tongue. Why did she have to ask him the obvious?

But it still felt too novel for her..

Vampires… those beautiful creatures of darkness.

Now she understands that the explanations for Vampires in books and movies are not just mere exaggerations or illusions..

They are beautiful, gorgeous, pale and irresistible.

No wonder most of her classmates loved vampires and raged for a vampire boyfriend.

Suddenly a knock on the door jolted her from her thoughts. Skyla turned around swiftly and glanced at the door uneasily until she heard his low chuckles. She frowned as she dropped the clothes on the ground irritatedly.

Xavier cleared his throat as he controlled his laughter and said, "Come out fast and let's have some breakfast"

Then he paused and said teasingly, "Breakfast for humans…"

Instantly he was greeted by a loud thump against the door making him laugh out loud. He made way towards the kitchen with the words, "It's been a while since I have had human food"

…

Skyla scowled at the door before she turned around, grumbling under her breath. Shaking her head, she proceeded to pick her clothes when her eyes paused at the bandages across her arms.

Pursing her lips, she lifted her eyes at the mirror in the corner. Skyla walked towards the mirror and stood in front of it. Taking a deep breath, she lifted her eyes slowly as she studied her reflection.

A gasp escaped her lips when her eyes came across the several bandages all over her body. Her arms were tapped while her legs were scraped from the falls. Her eyes focused on the bandage across her chest with its tip peeking out from the collar of her bloody white shirt.

Skyla groaned as she looked at her reflection, "I look terrible"

Her eyes shifted towards her face making her purse her lips. There were small scratches across her face as well as her neck. Skyla stretched out her hand and touched her face in the mirror as she murmured, "Is this what he meant by his protection?"

'By throwing me in front of the real monsters?' She shuddered when she thought of the two ravenous vampires she met yesterday.

She scoffed ridiculously, "Should I even believe his words?"

Yet her mind argued, 'If you didn't, then you wouldn't have followed his voice.. You would have died there"

Skyla frowned. She knew that it was true… if she didn't follow his voice, then she would have died there either in the hands of Daniel or through loss of blood.

She sighed and shook her head when all of a sudden, her face froze. Whipping her head towards the mirror, she stared at her shocked reflection and mumbled, "Will he be here? In this place?"