Vernon was never easily getting sick. But when he did, he broke his jaw.

“You need to get a pen inserted.”

It was a Tuesday, few days into the long awaited winter break. Vernon was lying on the bed in room of hospital ward, accompanied with three other patients, which is most of them are older than him self. He could pouting the whole day but let alone moving, his jaw feels hurt so much that he almost couldn’t feel any pain of it. 

He get visited by a doctor, which is actually told by the nurses, “You will be on dr. Boo’s care.” From what it seemed, dr. Boo is one of the specialist in the hospital. Vernon wasn’t sure what his part is, maybe he was a surgeon or something like that. To be honest, dr. Boo was more like a ordinary middle aged man who had sort kind of funny like person face, quite different with what Vernon thought surgeon looked like. He had small body frame with light complexion, thick cheek and tiny lips. But it was true that the way of his speech was very well mannered and he explained things clearly. Another thing that made Vernon sure that he was some respectable person in this hospital was the amount of people who followed behind them. Vernon wasn’t sure who they are but it seems like dr. Boo is the teacher and the rest of those two are his students because sometimes dr. Boo asked them, “So why we need to inserting a pen on this patient?” and they all getting panicked to answer but tried anyway. One of student was a tall and skinny young man who had thick eye bag under his eyes and thick lips. Another one is the young man who had big sharp eyes and thick lips.

When the students was able finally to answer the question, the doctor went along with explained Vernon and his parent about his arm, the operation procedure and what should be done to support pre operation’s preparation along with had-to-be-done wise advice about to be more careful with riding motorcycle when he still doesn’t have the license yet. Vernon was actually lucky because the doctor was able to changed the cause of his cause of accident was fell from the stairs instead of fell from the motorcycle, which is somehow stupid in his opinon. However, things will be getting tricky if it was found out that Vernon is still underage. So it helps Vernon to acclaim his family health insurance.

“You heard that!” exclaimed Vernon’s mother. “No more riding motorcycles when mom wasn’t around.”

It was actually hard for Vernon to do talking since he couldn’t move the jaw but he gives the eye of  halfheartly answer: “I know, I know…”

“Thank you so much dr. Boo. Oh, when will the operation take times?” asked the parent.

“We will schedule that tomorrow, around 10 am. By that time I’m asking the kid to get fasting starting from tonight, 6 pm”, answered dr. Boo. “Don’t worry, you will probably only get admissed for around 3 days. You will still be able to continue your winter break, right kiddo?”

The doctor and his followers then left.

****

The second day went quite fast. Vernon was sleeping early during Thursday night because he just doesn’t feeling like doing anything with his jaw injury, which is making him able to wake up on 5 am in the morning sharp, probably a record because he always been waking up on 7.30 am during schools days. Realized nothing to do about, he continued sleeping, and woke up again for breakfast at 7 am.

“The operation will be on 10 am”, said the big sharp eyes student, right after taking Vernon’s blood pressure. Dr. Boo hasn’t showed up yet.  “How do you feel today?” It still hard for Vernon to move his jaw so the student realized and went on, “Do you still feel hurt?” and then Vernon nodded.

Dr. Boo wasn’t coming until Vernon sent into operation room. When he arrived, he was told to changed his clothes and entered his operation room. He then saw dr. Boo, accompanied by another doctor and one of his student. “Alright, we will begin the anesthesia.”  Vernon was told that he wouldn’t able to feel anything, so maybe it was another good chance to take another sleep. After an injection of milk like liquid medicine entered his IV line, he felt his whole body was heavy and fall into deep sleep.

****

 Vernon was woken up at recovery room but his whole body still feels heavy. He just able to be fully recovered after arrived on his previous ward by noon. His jaw still hurt, but at least he could move tiny inch of it. His parent and sister accompanied him at the room worriedly, somehow readily helping him when he needs something. “Milk?” “Tv remote?” Sometimes, being sick wasn’t bad at all.

He was really tired however, even he had been sleeping all day. So maybe another sleep wont hurt. After he ate his dinner, he watched some football match on TV for a while and then ready to sleep. His dad who accompanied him tonight was already sleeping on the couch across his bed. Now it’s all low tone noise from TV that leads him to sleep.

Vernon somehow awake.

He was sure it should be his dream. However, he could see clearly he was still on the same bed room and same ward with is pitch black. The only source of light was the TV, but not the same soccer match that Vernon watched before, it was on searching mode, leaving blurried gray images and noisy sound.

What even weird that Vernon could feel his body is functioning 100% healthy. He could move his jaw. He could barely stand before but now, he could just erected his upper body easily by him self.

Curious, what kind of dream he was having right now, he alighted from the bed, carefully, taking his IV fluid bottle from its hanger pole. His dad was no where to be seen and other patient that in the same room with his also gone.

“Dad?”

He checked bath room but it was just wide opened. Vernon then continued going out from his room. He opened the door, which was leaving hemight sound. It was also pitch black outside. And somehow, cold. He couldn’t see anyone, neither his dad or nurses.

“Hello?”

He walked slowly across the corridor. His room was located on the nearest side to main table of nurses station. There was no sign of someone stayed there. He then later continue to another side of corridor. This side somehow brighten by a dim light coming along from an opened door. Vernon could felt cold breeze from the door. From the openings of the door, Vernon could saw black night sky, along with moonlight of full moon.

Suddenly, Vernon’s body went numb. He could feel chill from his whole body. His leg felt heavy and couldn’t move an inch from its current position. Progressively, the cold he felt becoming intense. Without any warn, he felt an temperature as cold as ice touched his neck. It was a hand, a very cold and slender arm, with sharp nails that rubbed his neck bare skin. Vernon immediately took turn of his neck but the cold hand grabbed his neck and comes with such power that makes the turn feels really heavy. Vernon wanted to scream, but he was breathless because the hand choked his neck.

When he was able to take a peek, it was a shadow of tall person, dressed in long black coat. It wasn’t very clear because of the current lighting, but Vernon was able to look at his face. It was a long haired person, who had face that could be described as some pretty face on old paintings with skin as pale as marble and bright red lips. He had hazel eyes and currently piercing Vernon with terrifying gaze, and reflected the moonlight. Vernon was 90% sure, this person wasn’t human.

It was very quick when the creature leaned toward Vernon closely. In slow motion, he opened his mouth. That was the time when Vernon saw his long canines, each side. He was now 100% sure that this person not only human but also a vampire. And now this creatures probably going to Vernon’s blood.

The creature inded moving his jaw close to Vernon’s neck. Vernon wanted to break free the creatures harmful grip, tried to moved as much as he could but his power was nothing to the creatures. By a second, he could feel a sharp thick constintency arrived at his neck, penetrating his skin. It was a burned pain, the most intense pain that Vernon ever feel in his life, beating the pain when he got his jaw dislocated. He could feel blood flowed throughout his head, ear, shoulder went through to his neck. His upper clothes was wet from little amount of blood, as it turned out the creature also drink his blood.

Later, Vernon couldn’t feel anything. His body started to feel heavy and he fell down.