6 The Myth of the Pencil

"Almost Done," Lewis said while taking a deep breath.

Then he turned and looked at Margaret who was standing outside the hexagonal shield.

"Margaret, proceed with the evacuation and clean-up procedure. Make sure no human remember anything abnormal." He said while maintaining his channeling of energy on to the pendant.

"Yes, Master." Margaret kneeled down. Then getting up she looked towards Lisa who appeared to be concentrated on channeling the energy.

"Lisa. I know you are holding back on your energy towards the ceremony and using it for something else. Still, I said nothing till now because your home encountered an invader. But don't think I will continue to pretend to be blind towards everything you do." Lewis looked at Lisa who held back some of her energy from channeling to the pendant with an annoyed expression. He could understand why she did so. She might want to save up the energy to kill the invader. Despite her looking like she was concentrated on the ceremony, with his experience he could tell she was controlling some spell while channeling the energy.

Releasing a deep sigh, he said in a harsh tone. "Release the restraint you put on Margaret."

"Selfish bitch." Nightmare woman grunted from the side but no one paid any attention to her.

Lisa snorted and looked at Margaret with a threatening gaze.

"I will not do anything against your wishes, Elder Lisa," Margaret bowed her head and said to Lisa.

Lisa did not reply but turned back her attention to the energy summoning portal and the accumulated massive dark energy that came out from the pendant in the barrier like sac they created. It has crystallized but still was suspended in the energy sac. The ceremony had entered the last phase and will be over soon. Even though she investigated the situation at home through her hidden protective features and found its safe, she could not help worry deep in her heart.

The invader was not strong. That itself made her extremely wary and restless.

If he was not strong, how did he manage to get in through her strong illusion barriers and other defenses?

If he was weak why was he still conscious and not lost in her spell?

If he was a low grade, how can he act composed and unnerved with all the mind controlling mechanisms she installed in her home?

Margaret, who sensed the removal of restraints that prevented her from getting out of the hall, began to move the illusion bound residents to their respective rooms as if the 'party' had ended. When she opened the door and got out, she saw Mary, the nurse aide who brought Lewis before to the hall, standing still in front of the door with her eyes vacant.

'Coming close to my illusion, hmm.' she sneered inside. She then took control of the illusion bound residents and commanded them to leave to their respective rooms. She instilled fake and similar memories on each of them so they can remember the birthday 'party' and talk about them tomorrow.

The illusion bound residents walked to their room with a similar expression like Mary and slept. After pushing an empty wheelchair near the elevator, she instilled new memories in Mary and woke her up.

"Thank you, Mary, for coming back and helping on the cleanup," Margaret said politely as she entered the elevator.

Mary who just woke up nodded and replied before entering the elevator herself, "No problem, Margaret."

In the elevator looking at the empty wheelchair that used to belong to Lewis and Mary who continues to talk to her illusion made Lewis, she sneered on the inside. 'Lisa. Lisa. You old hag. Just because you have higher birth and status than me, don't think I will be weaker than you all the time. We are of the same race, there will be a day I will become more powerful than you. That day, I will trample you under my foot. If Lewis did not ask me to do something else, I would have given a good visit to your house now.'

Calming down, Margaret remembered that she had to arrange a fake body for Lewis so he can fake his death tomorrow. She took her cell phone and dialed a number. The call did not connect saying there was no connection available.

Margaret grunted her teeth and looked towards the window. She could see a thin layer of energy enveloping the entire building.

"Lisa you bitch." she scolded aloud startling Mary.

***************************************************

"Status?" Viette did not understand what Boian meant, so she questioned him again.

"Even the term vampire is an inaccurate name to call us. We belong to different races and groups with various features. Blood feeding is just one of many of these features and various groups possess the same craving for blood. Some races feed on things more grotesque than blood. So you cannot say everyone belongs to the same group just because they have similar characteristics. Each individual's status and power they hold determines what abilities and characteristics each one has." Boian explained.

"Are you weak against silver and why do stories show people stabbing your heart with a wooden stake."

"Like I said status determines that. Some are weak against silver and some are not. But the heart is important for all."

After pausing, he continued "So based on the status, you can both see brainless blood feeders with nothing but the thirst for blood as well as highly intelligent and noble individuals who can control their bloodlust. Most blood feeders lack emotions so they focus on their feeding. Ahmmm. Why should I tell you all this? As a human, you should not know this. I will erase your memory before I go. You will not even remember me by tomorrow."

Viette lifted her head from his shoulders and looked at him with her pitiful cute eyes. After taking a half dozen short breaths she asked him with a low voice.

"So, I cannot remember you later? Or you are lying before and you will kill me?"

Boian could not help but smile. 'Anything else?' he thought inside.

"Why are you smiling? Are you going to kill me right? You are just lying before when you said you will go after drinking blood." She continued to ask as two drops of tears flowed down from her eyes.

"No. I will not kill you. I won't even harm you. Based on the strict rules of the Treaty, I can not even drink too much blood and affect your daily life. Or I will get killed. So you don't have to worry. Just close your eyes and lie down. It will not even hurt as much as an ant bite." Boian explained.

"Hmm. Ants are nicer than you. They never bit me at all." Viette snorted. The two drops of tears have reached her lips with the right tear slightly faster than the left. She stretched out her light pink tongue to lick the tear and then made a cute gesture with her tongue.

Boian could not help but get attracted by it. He suddenly got an urge to rush forward and catch her tongue with his lips.

'Dangerous.' he took a deep sigh.

He did not feel like this for decades now. As years passed by, his desire and feelings got stable. He could live like a stone even when 1000 world shaking beauties stood naked in front of him.

'ehhe..ehh' he coughed lightly trying to get his thoughts together. Maybe not 1000 beauties that will be hard. Nine - ten will be fine.

Boian gently looked at Viette who wiped the nearly filled eyes that may break open with more tears.

He was sure he was not a person who was a slave to carnal pleasure. He was not someone who falls in love with any girl he saw. Furthermore, there was that angel.....

Boian patted her head. This made Viette look back at him.

"Are you going to drink my blood? Can you drink animal blood instead of us?" She asked.

"No. Some blood feeders do, but I don't like doing so." Boian's reply was simple.

Viette stretched her head and curiously observed Brad before asking "If I make a cut and give you some drops of blood will you not do this."

"Are you scared of me?" Boian asked.

"No.." Viette shook her head. Then seeing Boian looking at her straight on, she lowered her head and said " a little."

"Then why did you make me sit here and watch this Vampire romance movie."

"That's because...that's because I have always fancied about getting a boyfriend. I never had one before. Also, I like vampire stories. So..so....so." Viette struggled to find words.

"Is that so?" Boian mocked.

"You know that will not happen. We are different and we cannot be together. Spending this much time with you itself is wrong." Boian said while observing her. She still had her head lowered and her left hand kept tapping on the bed as if she was nervous. But she never left his arms and still sat extremely close to him. He needed to turn to get hold of her and bite her neck. But with her sensitivity, she will be alerted and she will get scared. He somehow did not want her to cry.

"And few drops will not be enough. Even if the blood was taken fresh from the wound, some including me prefer having them directly by our self. We take it from a good artery and our saliva can heal the wound for you so you will not feel face any health problems." He did not know whether he was annoyed or excited when she asks all these weird questions. But he felt like it was his duty to answer her.

"Why does it has to from the neck? There are other arteries all around the body." She yet again asked another question.

Boian frowned but still answered her after some thought. "There should be an artery in the neck, something what you humans call cart something ah carotid artery. It supplies blood to the head I believe. It's mainly psychological."

"Psychological?"

"Have you seen an animal hunting its prey? A predator bites the prey's neck when hunting it. It weakens the prey, and the hunter gets control over it. It can understand the prey and control its life and death. Like that, it gives us a feeling of dominance over you and makes you weak to resist. It's an instinct developed for our own safety. The low-level blood feeders do not even know that and they bite anywhere they could get hold off." Boian suddenly had a cruel look as his lips curled into a smile.

"So you consider me as a prey?" Viette asked while the dam holding the tears in her puppy eyes got smashed to smithereens as drops after drops of tears came out.

Her words hurt Boian as he felt something stabbed him. A guilty conscious? He could only raise his left hand which was free to wipe her tears and mumbled in her ears. "No. Viette. You are not a prey at all. You are my benefactor. You will be my helper and I will be thankful to you."

Viette stopped crying as a slight smile blossomed on her beautiful face.

But suddenly her expression changed as a sadness becomes clear in her eyes. She stopped tapping and hugged Boian from the side. She moved further close to him and rested her head on his shoulder while hugging his right hand with both hands.

"What is it?" Boian asked with a smile.

"You will erase my memory when you leave. Then I will not be able to remember you. I want to remember you and the moments I spent with you. I don't want to forget you." She said while laying on his shoulder.

Boian could feel wet drops on his shoulder and he could not help soften. But he remained silent.

"Can you contact me as a human or be together with me pretending to be a human?" She asked with hope.

"Can you pass me that paper and pencil?" Seeing Boian being silent, she asked him to pass the paper and pencil on the table. Boian, after a slight pause, did what she told him to do.

She wrote a number on the paper. "This is my number. Call me and don't forget about me. I don't want to forget you. Even if I did, I don't want you to forget me. Can you take the pillow under you?"

Boian turned his head to the left and bend his free left hand towards his back as his right side is hugged by Viette.

Suddenly his left arm was grabbed from behind and was strongly held behind his back. His right arm could not move as he felt like two snakes have wrapped onto his arm. A penetrating pain was felt as his left chest was stabbed.

With a cough, Boian slowly turned his head towards his chest only to see a pencil penetrated deep inside with a small hand slightly holding it. He turned his head further to see Viette who was laying on his shoulder now half standing with her legs locking his right arm and a beautiful smile on her face.

"It is really true. 'John Wick' movie could be right. You could really kill people with a pencil. Sometimes even...VAMPIRES."

A soft laughter echoed through the room.