Chapter 3

Enjoy..

"I lay awake, trying to find a comfortable position for sleep, but I failed. I attempted to ignore the voices in my head, yet I failed again. A sense of foreboding tells me she will become a part of me, never leaving like my shadow. Just the thought makes me wish for death.

'I'll finish reading my book!' I declared, grabbing my bag filled with all my favorite books. I eagerly opened the second chapter, curious to learn more about vampires. Chapter Two: Is there evidence they're real?!

Imagine encountering a vampire, seeing them feed on someone's blood. What if they fed on your blood, my dear? The voice returned, making me drop the book in panic. I stood frozen, looking around to see if someone was messing with me.

'Who's there?! Show yourself!' I feigned bravery, trembling. What's happening to me lately?

Sure of your strength to face a monster, Alicia? His voice became clear, and I realized he stood behind me. A monster? Then what? Did he call me by name?

His steps approached, freezing me with fear. His hand casually played with my hair. 'Where did your courage go? Afraid to face your own nightmares for days?!' He moved my hair away from my neck, replacing it with his head. He sniffed my scent strangely, his warm breath colliding with my skin.

'Cold... you're cold,' I stuttered, wanting to turn and confront this creature. He grinned, acknowledging it. 'If you want to see me, just turn around. I won't end you so quickly!'

Mocking, he laughed eerily and stepped away, stopping in front of me. 'Raise your head and look at me!' Terrified, I complied, meeting his crimson glowing eyes. 'What are you?' I exclaimed, shocked by his non-human appearance.

'Hmm, I don't know about you. You've read myths, so perhaps I'm one of them.' He walked towards my fallen book, picking it up carefully. 'It's not nice to mistreat a book that provides you knowledge like this!' He remarked, extending one of my hands to place the book in it.

'Come to the forest feared by your human kin at night, and don't tell anyone about our meeting!' He vanished suddenly, leaving me in horror, unable to glimpse anything but his eyes." The terrifying figure wore a mask to conceal his features. I sat in fear for five minutes before feeling the door open, and Lucas entered, carrying my breakfast. I momentarily forgot I hadn't eaten due to my shock!

'Alicia?!' He exclaimed, surprised, observing my motionless body. He placed the food aside and approached me, waving a hand in front of my face. 'Something's not right. You're not okay.'

I raised my gaze, looking at Lucas with the same vacant expression. All I could recall was the stranger's talk, labeling himself as a monster.

'I want to go out for a while. I might be late, so don't worry!' I directed my words to Lucas, who watched me without uttering a word. Suddenly, he straightened up, holding my face between his hands and making me swallow a strange pill.

'You'll be fine after taking this!' I nodded, grabbing my coat before opening the door, ready to go out. Suddenly, I felt some strangeness in my body, as if I had regained my energy. The sun was setting as I stood in front of the entrance to the ominous forest. I had eaten outside in preparation for whatever the monster wanted from me.

'Advance further!' His voice echoed in my head as I encouraged myself to step into the forest without hesitation. The place seemed even scarier than I had heard, with no cover inside the forest!

Oh, I won't be able to contact anyone if something goes wrong.

'You're brave to confront a monster in the late hours in a forest full of creatures craving to tear your small body apart!' His voice resonated in my head as I halted upon reaching a frozen lake. This time, his voice seemed clearer, confirming he was atop the tree in front of me.

I lifted my gaze, and indeed, he was there. Nothing had changed except for his attire and mask, now adorned with eerie symbols.

'Why do you always cover your face?' Despite my fear, curiosity drove me to ask him. He looked at me and burst into laughter, his voice loud, surprising me. Wasn't he supposed to frighten or kill me?

'Instead of fearing me, you keep asking if I feel cold or why I always hide my face!' He added calmly, making me gaze at him in puzzlement. He's right, but I can't stop obsessing over him!

I should be angry that he doesn't stop causing me headaches and ask him why he specifically bothers me!

'Don't worry, my dear! You'll know everything in due time.' He said, snapping me out of my reverie before looking at him in shock. 'Can you read minds?' I asked, overwhelmed with curiosity. He looked at me, laughed again, and this time, he fell to the ground, clutching his stomach. Am I so amusing to him?

'You know? It's my fault. I waited for a girl who loves myths to be terrified by me! It's ridiculous. You see a monster in front of you, yet you feel curiosity towards it?' He continued, making me wonder why I don't stop thinking about him!

I should also be angry that he doesn't stop causing me headaches and ask him why he specifically bothers me!

'Don't worry, my dear! You'll know everything in due time,' he said, pulling me out of my distraction before looking at him in shock. 'Can you read minds?' I asked, overwhelmed with curiosity. He looked at me, laughed again, and this time, he fell to the ground, clutching his stomach. Am I so amusing to him?

'You know? It's my fault. I waited for a girl who loves myths to be terrified by me! It's ridiculous. You see a monster in front of you, yet you feel curiosity towards it?' He continued, making me wonder why I don't stop thinking about him!"At that moment, I settled for sitting close to him, hoping it would make him stop laughing. He approached me calmly, placing his hand on my forehead, strangely warm this time.

'Do you feel cold?' he asked, and I responded by pulling the sleeves of my coat, attempting to warm my body. Surprisingly, he pulled me suddenly, embracing me in his arms.

'Weird! You don't act like monsters. What's your name, I wonder?' He embraced me even more, letting the warmth of his body transfer to mine, and suddenly fell silent, burying his head in my neck. My body shivered entirely, my heart rate increased suddenly, and a strange feeling told me I knew this person!

'I truly want to tell you who I am and what I do, but everything in its own time! If I tell you now, you'll easily recognize me, and I want your troubled heart to get to know me.'

I'm really not okay. He even sensed my tension. What does he mean by his words?

'Time is running out. I'll take you home!' He quickly stood up while I looked at him, bewildered. He suddenly bent down, carrying my body in his arms, and I found myself in front of Lucas's house!

He disappeared, and I don't know where he went, but he returned as usual. I let the book slip in panic. I stood frozen, looking around, trying to confirm if someone was messing with me.

'Who's there? Show yourself!' I tried to appear brave, trembling. What's happening to me lately?

Sure of your strength to face a monster, Alicia?!

The voice became clear enough for me to realize its owner was standing behind me, freezing me with fear. A monster? Then what? He called me by name?

His steps approached me, making me more certain that someone was behind me, and his hand casually reached to play with my hair comfortably.

'Where did your courage go? Afraid to face your own nightmares, depriving yourself of sleep for days?' He moved my hair away from my neck, replacing it with his head. He smelled my scent in a strange way, leaving his hot breath to collide with my skin.

'Cold... you're cold,' I stammered, wishing to turn and confront this creature. He grinned, acknowledging it. 'If you want to see me, just turn around. I won't end you so quickly!'

He mocked, laughing eerily, and stepped away, stopping in front of me. 'Raise your head and look at me!' I never moved due to fear, but he extended his hand to lift my chin toward him until our eyes met, and my pupils widened in horror.

'What are you?' I exclaimed in shock, staring at his non-human appearance. 'Hmm, I don't know what about you. You've read myths, so perhaps I'm one of them.' He walked towards my fallen book, picking it up carefully.

'It's not nice to mistreat a book that provides you knowledge like this!' He remarked, extending one of my hands to place the book in it. 'Come to the forest feared by your human kin at night, and don't tell anyone about our meeting!' He suddenly vanished, leaving me in horror, unable to glimpse anything but his eyes.

A drug? Wait, were those morning sweets a drug?.

...