His name is Stefan

I suddenly laughed breaking the silence, while he was holding me tightly and pointing the knife at my throat. I know I shouldn’t be laughing at this situation but I just can’t help myself. I must have gone insane. He let go of me and turned to face me.

"Why are you laughing?", he looked stunned while staring at me.

"I do not know either"

I covered my mouth to restrain myself from laughing. I just find this situation amusing like how can he be a vampire, and his face tells me he's dead serious about it. Is he on drugs? He may have shown me his fangs but people can fake those.

"Wait so let's repeat, you're a vampire."

I stated as I point at him and he just stared at me. His stares made me feel uneasy, but I just ignored them.

"Can you do something to prove that you are a vampire?"

Because I still can't believe that the handsome creature in front of me is a vampire. Maybe I’m just dreaming? I may have fallen and banged my head someplace in the forest, and now I'm dreaming.

"Why do I need to prove myself to you" He frowned at me and I took one step closer to him.

"Aren't you afraid of me? You don't seem shocked when I told you I'm a vampire. Why? ……. What are you exactly?"

I’m afraid of him after seeing him fight earlier and how he threw the knife on his opponent with those merciless eyes. I’m scared as hell but there's a strange part of me that believes he is who he claims to be. I should be running like hell right now, but instead, I find myself in the middle of the forest staring at his ocean eyes.

"I’m just a human"

"You're lying. I don’t believe you."

I scoffed in exasperation. I'm not convinced by him either!

"I'm not lying ---"

Suddenly we heard the howl of an animal.

"Let's go you're not safe here"

He grabbed my arm and drew me in closer, but I pushed him away.

“Where are you taking me?”

If this is a dream, I swear I need to wake up now.

Despite my protests, he still grabbed me and dragged me out of the woods. Even though I tried to escape him, I was unable to do so due to his overwhelming strength. He was walking straight as if he knows the whole forest very well. While he was dragging me, I was trying to get the knife from him. I need that knife to protect myself

“What the hell are you doing?”

I cut my hand while getting the knife from him, but I was still able to shove him away. Seeing my palm gushing in blood made me realized that this isn't a dream.

“I’m not going you if that knife will keep you in peace, then fine”

The guy shook his head as he walked towards me and pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket. He wrapped it in my hand and I stared at him as he finishes tying it.

“Let’s get out of this forest”

This time he didn’t force me to come with him but he walked away first. He looked back at me when he notices that I wasn’t moving in my place. As much as don't want to follow him, but I need to get out of the woods, and he appears to know the route. Plus, I have the knife with me in case he tries to do something bad. I sigh and followed him. When we were quite close at the entrance of the forest, he faced me looking straight into my eyes.

"For the last time I will ask you, why are you here? Are you a witch? Or a hunter too? Why can’t I read you?"

I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

"I’m neither of those things, I’m just here to find something”

I wouldn't be in this predicament if Brandon hadn't buried my camera here. My brain hasn't grasped the fact that he's a vampire yet.

"That's impossible! How did you see the hunter earlier even when he inactivated his invisible rune"

As I was perplexed by his question, he gave me a dubious look. Is it why he couldn't attack him before because he couldn't see him?

"Hey answer me!"

He snapped his fingers in front of my face because I spaced out, absorbing everything that this guy has been saying to me.

"I do not know !!"

"Can you see his mark?"

I gave him a blank stare indicating, I don’t understand a thing that he said.

"His tattoos!" He clarified.

"Ah, his tattoo on his neck and nape?"

For the second time, he looked amused.

"How can you see a hunter's mark if you're just a mundane ?!"

"I do not know!"

In the middle of our conversation, I suddenly remembered my phone so I quickly took it out of my pocket.

My eyes widen when I saw how many missed calls Jensen left. I opened his message.

Jensen the greatest dork

Go home now. Mom here. I will kill u.

"I need to go now!"

I was about to go when he grabs my arm. He seems to have a habit of grabbing someone’s arms.

"Wait!"

"What now? Are you going to feed on me?"

His face went dark. Okay, that’s a bad move, Celine. I shouldn’t have said that because based on his face he might consider doing it and I can't die tonight because I haven’t avenged my precious camera yet.

"I'm not going to feed on you,” he said like he meant every word that came out of his mouth.

"Whatever!"

I turned away from him and began walking away, but he was quick. I hardly took five steps and he was already in front of me

"I need you to help me"

"Nah-uh not gonna happen, dude"

I shook my head and walk by past him. I thought he would now leave me alone because I’m already out of the forest and he didn’t appear to be following me but I was taken aback when he reappears in front of me.

"He has my brother! And I need to save him"

"That's not my problem"

Sound heartless as it seems but if what he stated is true then we are not dealing with normal people here and there’s no way that I’m going to be dragged into this problem. I can't put myself or my family in jeopardy.

He was about to say something when I interrupted him.

"I saved your life so please do me a favor leave me alone"

I walked away without looking back.

"we're not done yet “

I heard him say but I didn’t bother to look back or even say a word. I was walking along the middle of the road seeking a ride and was relieved when I saw a car approaching. As it gets closer, I noticed that the car looks familiar. It stop in front of me and the door in the driver’s seat opened.

"Clark?"

I almost cry when I saw my cousin. He jogged towards me and I automatically leaned at him because my legs feel weak.

"Hey you, okay?! Jensen told me everything. We were worried"

I can feel the concern in his voice.

"I want to go home please"

Clark nodded "Okay, I'll take you home"

He assisted me as I sit in the front seat. Both of us put on our seatbelts and Clark started driving.

"Did something happen in the forest?"

Since we've arrived, Clark has pulled over to the side of the street. He looked at my hand, which was covered in a handkerchief but the blood was still visible. If I tell him the truth, he'll probably think I'm insane, especially because I don't have any proof, so instead of responding, I just shook my head.

"Are you sure you are okay?”

I nodded as I smile weakly at him.

“Thanks for the ride”

I got out of the car, and with each step towards our house, the memories from earlier came flooding back. I can vividly remember those runes of the hunter most especially the vampire's ocean eyes. When I enter our home, I noticed my mother sitting at the dining table with her laptop and a stack of documents. I assumed she wouldn't see me because she appeared to be extremely busy, but I was mistaken.

"Oh hey sweety, you’re home. Have you eaten dinner? How’s your groupings?”

I will guess, that lie came from Jensen because if my mom finds out about what happen she will make a big deal out of it and we will be both dead.

"Yeah, I already ate dinner. Anyway, I’m exhausted so I’ll head to my room now. Good night mom."

I head upstairs, directly to my room, which I immediately locked. I dropped my bag and enter the bathroom to take a shower because I was sweaty and stinky. I didn’t notice that I was in the bathroom for almost an hour because I was too absorbed in thinking about what happened. I’m also beginning to doubt myself because I seem calmer than I should be. Is it because of my dreams about Celestia, Nadia, and Lorenzo that I became familiar with vampires?

When I went out of the bathroom, I held my chest because I thought my heart just stop beating for a second when I saw the vampire guy sitting on my bed.

“What are you doing here?”

I hissed as I comb my hair using my hand. Good thing I was already done dressing up before I went outside.

"I told you we're not yet done"

I took a deep breath as I stuffed my dirty clothes in the basket and I also check the lock in my room in case that someone might walk in, especially Jensen, that guy doesn’t know the word knocking before entering.

"and I also told you that I'm not going to help you, so leave me alone!"

How on earth did he find my house? Did he follow me?

"I still don't believe you"

In a blink of an eye, he is now in front of me. I’m still not used to his speed.

"A mundane can never see a hunter's mark"

"Did you follow me?”

I asked ignoring what he said. I also lowered my voice since I was concerned that others, notably Jensen and my mother, who were still up, could hear us.

"Yes"

I scoffed in disbelief. How can he be so honest? Does he know how weird it is that he followed me at home?

"Hey mister….whatever your name is---"

"it's Stefan" he replied, and I was taken aback.

"Ha?"

"I said my name is Stefan"

How can his name be as attractive as his face? No. I shouldn’t be affected by this.

"So? I don’t care”

I suddenly felt guilty about my mean attitude to him so I cleared my throat and I will try to explain to him in a nicer way, that I want no part in this situation.

"Listen to me okay, I’m not the kind of person that you think. I don’t have powers; I swear even if you compel me, you’ll find nothing”

“How did you know that vampires can compel mundane?”, he stared at me suspiciously and his stares make me uncomfortable but I’m trying to keep my cool so he won't see that I’m affected.

“in movies”

That’s a lie, I learned that in my dreams about Celestia, Nadia, and Lorenzo.

“You can see the hunter’s mark in with that you can help me identify the hunter who abducted my brother even if he tries to change his face”

This situation is starting to stress me out, I feel like I should have just turned a blind eye earlier and just run away, if I had done so, perhaps I would be at peace right now.

"Please, I need to save my brother"

He begged and I can see the sincerity in his eyes. My lips are pressed together as I consider what to do because I'm conflicted; I want to help him, but this isn't a typical missing person case, and I can't risk my life for a stranger.

"I'm sorry but I cannot risk my life so please just leave"

I can sense the disappointment in him and I feel guilty about it but I just can’t. I took a deep breath before he looked at me again.

"If ever you changed your mind, just tell me"

He walked toward the window and he jump from there. After he left, I locked my window and closed the curtains. I sit at my study table and took out my notebook containing information about the vampires in my dreams. I took my pen and wrote everything that happened today.

****

I wasn’t able to sleep well last night because every time that I will close my eyes I remember vividly everything that happened yesterday and it’s like Stefan’s ocean eyes are hunting me. Since I can’t sleep, I tried to do some research and I read my notes about my dreams.

I was startled when I heard a knock on my door.

"Celine!! Aren’t you awake yet? We’re going to be late!!”, my brother shouted.

“I’m coming”

I stared at my reflection in the mirror and put a concealer under my eyes to hide my eyebags. I don’t want to look problematic when I go to school because I’m sure if Brandon sees me like this, he will taunt me endlessly and I don’t feel like fighting with him.

***

I was spacing out the entire class. During our break, I was holding trash in my left hand and my phone on the right, and when I was about to dump the trash but I threw my phone instead and I just realized it when I arrived at the classroom. Good thing, when I came back, nobody took my phone. On our way out of the school, we cross paths with Brandon and his friend, my cousins and my brother expected me to shout and attack Brandon like a lunatic mad girl but they were shocked when I calmly walked by him as if I hadn't seen him.

I stayed that way for days and it’s a relief that Stefan is not showing up because he will just mess with my mind. But the other reason why I was restless for the past few days is because I feel like someone is stalking me. I don’t know if it’s Stefan but if it's not him it will be bad, so just in case I always bring my pepper spray with me.

"I'm going out with Daniel this coming Thursday and I need you to help me to find a dress", Faira said enthusiastically. I put my things in the locker and closed it then I faced her.

"You're beautiful no matter what you wear"

I replied lazily, I just don't feel like going to shop with her besides she has tons of clothes to wear so I can’t understand why every time she has a date, she needs to buy new clothes.

“Wow is this new year new me? But the new year is still far. You know, you’re acting strange and we’re worried. Tell me honestly, are you dying?”

I rolled my eyes in her exaggeration.

"I’m not dying!”

"That’s good because I’m not yet ready to cry for your death. Anyway, wait for me, we’ll have lunch together, I’ll just go to the comfort room”

I nodded as if I have a choice. I leaned against t my locker and took out my phone as I wait for Faira. Few minutes have passed and I’m starting to get bored so I decided to go into the comfort room to check on Faira but I was stunned when I saw a familiar guy from afar. He was walking towards me while his hand is in his pocket.

My eyes widen and my heart start beating so fast when I realized that Stefan is here! I started to panic, thinking If I should run but I think that’s too late because he is already near me. In the end, I decided to turn my back and pretend to be busy. I froze when I felt that someone is behind me.

"Celine"

Hearing his voice made my heart skip a beat. How on earth did he know my name? Since he is here, I have no option but to confront him.

"What are you doing here? Are you stalking me?”

"Yes"

I was speechless with his honesty and e didn't even flinch as he said it.

"Why, didn’t I tell you to leave me alone?”

I noticed that some students are already looking at us, perhaps because they’re seeing a new face.

"I can’t do that, with what you did to the hunter that night, there’s a high chance that he might come to you."

My expression changed and fear rushed to my veins.

"And why is that so? He wanted to take revenge because I hit him with a rock?"

I moved closer at him and lowered my voice because someone might hear.

"Not only just because of that but also, you have seen his face and his runes or tattoos, whatever you call it. In case you don’t know him, he is dangerous because he had killed so many people including mundane”

I gulped. I’m so stupid, why of all people that I will hit a rock, it’s the hunter who seems to be a serial killer.

"I’m sorry if I’m stalking you but I just need to him again to find my brother."

I massaged my right temple because I feel stress by the fact that a dangerous hunter might be after me.

"Hey Celine let's go"

Faira cut us off before I could respond. She grinned at me and clung to my arms with her hand before pulling me away.

“Who is that guy?”

She whispered in my ears as we walk into the hallway.

“Just someone, who’s asking for direction,” I said as an excuse.

“Okay just be careful in talking to strangers”

-----------------