3rd Chapter : "wait for me"

 

Bla bla bla can't he just shut up already?

 

She rests her elbow on her desk and literally throws her head in the palm of her hand. It felt a hundred times heavier, not to mention that the teacher's reading was giving her a massive headache.

 

She doesn't remember when she started hating History. It used to be her favorite subject. Maybe it was because she was hungry or maybe it was because of the new teacher. She didn't like his face, nor his voice, nor his hair, and especially notthatoutfit.

It wasn't her fault though. Whoever individuality decides to wear that ugly green shirt should not be allowed to teach.

 

Jeongyeon glanced at the clock on the wall for what seemed like the twentieth time since she stepped in this classroom in the last minute.

 

3 more minutes.

 

She sights in relief and loud enough for everyone to hear. Everyone, including the teacher who stopped in the middle of his sentence.

 

Momo was the only one who turned to her best friend, not believing her ears, whereas the other students were fighting back their laughter threatening to be heard and waited impatiently for the teacher to take action.

Momo did however, notice the lack of participation and interest of her best friend in the last hour, and kept wondering where did that come from.

 

Jeongyeon was always the most studious one out of the two. Always paying attention in class, answering questions, going to the board and well, getting the best grades.

 

"Miss...Yoo, am I right?" Starts the teacher once he’s in front of the brunette's desk.

 

Jeongyeon lifts her gaze to meet his and lazily nods her head to answer him.

 

"Does my class annoy you?" He asks warningly, with a raised eyebrow.

 

Jeongyeon pulls her hand away and leans further in her seat. Crossing her arms, she looks at him in the eyes before answering bluntly.

 

"A lot actually"

 

Snickers erupted everywhere in the classroom. No one could believe that Yoo Jeongyeon, the girl who used to be every teacher's favorite student, would ever dare talk in that tone to an adult. It was almost as if she was...turning bad.

 

Momo however, had an absolutely different reaction from them.

If they were under different circumstances, she would’ve probably laughed her off at Jeongyeon’s bold act. But these weren’t different circumstances, and Momo was almost certain there was going to be serious consequences.

 

Her eyes widen, still not believing what was happening. She doesn’t feel like the person whom the teacher is glaring at is her best friend. It felt like a totally different person. And this totally different person was the absolute opposite of the Jeongyeon she knew.

 

"You will come and see me after class"

 

The teacher turns around and walks to his desk. Somehow, the view and words trigger something in Jeongyeon. Blinking rapidly, she soon realizes what she has done and her hands immediately cover her open mouth as her eyes widen, not understanding what has taken over her to react the way she did.

 

Looking around the classroom, she sees that all eyes are on her. A pair of amber ones catch her attention more than the others.

 

She hasn't noticed that she shared history with the one of the new girls she saw earlier in the hallway, and right now, she was looking at her over her shoulder.

 

The bell rang and she shot an amused smile in her direction before collecting all of her stuff and leaving the room with the others.

 

Soon enough, she was the only student left in the classroom. Jeongyeon quickly stowed her books in her bag and proceeded to the teacher's desk.

The man known as Mr. Leroy, was standing in front of his desk, leaning against his table with arms crossed. He was surprised to see his student come up to him with her head hung low. She was either a good comedian, or not the same person he had to deal with seconds before class ended.

He shifted positions and cleared his throat, clearly disturbed by her change of demeanor.

 

"To say that I was shocked by your behavior is an understatement"

 

Jeongyeon felt uncomfortable. She wasn't used to being scolded or talked to in this way, with clear disappointment. Especially not by a teacher.

 

"Especially after all I've heard about you from the teachers around here. And I've only heard good things." He continues, only making her feel guiltier.

 

"I'm sorry. I won't do it again. I don't know what got into me. I'm not like that I promise." She lifts her head and looks at him with pleading eyes.

 

The teacher softened at the sight.

 

"I know" He sights, already knowing he wasn't going to punish her. "but I still want to see your guardian" He finishes.

 

Jeongyeon nods her head although she still feels like she’s being wronged, wondering what Haneul's reaction would be when he'll receive a phone call from her teacher, complaining about her to him.

 

"Yes sir" She says faintly.

 

Mr. Leroy gestures to the door with his head and Jeongyeon walked away without saying another world.

 

She hardly even stepped outside the classroom when she was pulled by a certain blonde haired girl.

 

"Who are you and what have you done to Yoo Jeongyeon?"

 

Jeongyeon opened , but nothing came out.

 

"What the actual was that in there?" Momo was still looking at her with the same concerned look.

 

It's been four weeks since she almost lost her best friend in that car accident, but fortunately, she lived, but hasn't been the same since then and Momo would be an if she blamed her for it. It's not that Momo didn't like this new side to Jeongyeon. She actually did. It was time for her to start living a little, and have fun, explore the world outside of its rules. It's just that she was scared she'd end up throwing her life away, and let the darkness take in all the light in her, let the bad swallow the good.

 

"I have no idea"

 

The despair in Jeongyeon's voice almost makes her heart break.

Something was definitely going on with her.

They would've gladly continued their chitchat if it wasn't for the third party who decided to intrude.

 

"Hey"

 

Momo lets go of Jeongyeon's shoulders. Her jaw drops to the ground the second her eyes land on the new girl who addressed them, drool already accumulating in the corner of .

 

Jeongyeon elbows her, silently asking her to behave, but Momo couldn’t help it.

 

Additionally to her amber eyes, the girl’s same light colored hair fell perfectly around the small defined face and her dimple would appear from time to time whenever she’d move her jaw, talked or smirked (because the girl didn’t smile, Momo had  noticed). Her tall figure and heavenly proportions were not just something to be jealous of. Her beauty was impossible to describe in words, and Momo could only conclude that she wasn't human.

 

"I just wanted to say that, that was a pretty bold move you did in there” She said, flashing a smile in their direction, revealing her impossibly white and perfectly aligned teeth.

 

Momo suddenly felt Jeongyeon squeeze her arm.

 

The second the amber brown eyes laid on her, Jeongyeon felt the hair at the back of her neck stand up.

 

This is the first time she's ever been this close to the girl, and she was feeling uneasy for some reason.

Momo, clearly and completely still dazzled by the girl's beauty, laughed awkwardly while patting her best friend’s back.

 

"Yeah, bold" She laughs "That's typical Jeongyeon"

 

The brunette was too focused by what she was feeling to say anything.

 

The girl lets out a melodic laughter.

 

"Well, nice meeting you Jeongyeon. My name is Tzuyu" She then looks at the blonde girl with an amused expression "and you are..."

 

"Oh yeah right. I'm Momo" She answers a little too fast, “Momo like peaches yep” She expands her hand then takes it back in case it was too sweaty.

 

Tzuyu watches the action with an amused expression. She would have to have some fun with this Momo sooner or later.

 

"Delighted to meet you Momo, that's a very nice shirt by the way. I love the Ramones" She says, gesturing to the red band tee she was wearing.h

 

"Thanks! I love you too" She excitedly answers, only losing her smile when she realized what she had said.

 

Her cheeks flushed red in absolute embarrassment, and the fact that Tzuyu's smile widened only made it worse.

That was definitely not what she wanted to say.

 

"One last thing. Can you guys show me the way to the cafeteria? I'm getting hungry"

 

She steals a glance in Jeongyeon's direction, who hasn't said a word since she showed up, and during that minor fraction of second, her smile turned into the most mischievous grin she's ever seen in her life. It was enough to make her blood run cold in her veins.

 

---

 

Taking Tzuyu to the cafeteria was not a problem since both of the girls were already headed there for lunch. It sure didn't seem to bother Momo anyway, who couldn't stop talking to her.

 

Eventually, their paths separated. Tzuyu walked between the tables, looking for a familiar face, whereas the girls went in line to get their lunch.

Destiny only wanted them to stand behind non other than Dylan Jackson.

 

He was the one who noticed them at first. Or more likely, he recognized Jeongyeon, whom he almost never talked to, and felt the need to talk to her.

 

"Jeongyeon, hey!" He greets her.

 

Normally, the brunette would be on cloud nine just because Dylan Jackson was talking to her. She's always had a crush on her brother's best friend, and unfortunately, she wasn't the only girl. But today was different, because she saw the pity in his green eyes  and decided  she didn’t want to be part of whatever would come next.

 

"How are you feeling?" He continues, flashing a faint smile in her direction.

 

At that moment, something clicked inside Sam. The same something that overcame her in class minutes ago, and the same something she felt like fighting for the past month. It was absolute annoyance.

                                           

"I'm fine thanks. Stop looking at me like I'm sick or ing dying"

 

Dylan reacted just like anyone would've reacted in this kind of situation. He lost his words, obviously taken aback and hurt by Jeongyeon's answer. He wasn't really used to hearing her swear. Actually, he doesn't think he's ever hear her swear before...

Then again, it's not like they used to hang out 24/7.

 

"Yeah right. I'm sorry" He smiles sheepishly, which somewhat relaxes her a little, "Anyway" He continues, "I'm having a party at my place tonight, and I was wondering if you'd swing by"

 

Dylan then tilted his head to the right to be able to look at the shorter girl hidden behind her best friend. "You are invited to come too Momo"

 

The boy brings his hands together and fixes his gaze back on Jeongyeon, waiting for her answer.

 

The brunette was deep in thoughts. She didn't know if he was doing this out of pity, or if he genuinely cared. More importantly, she didn’t know if she was allowed to do this. Wouldn’t it be suspicious for the girl with the dead family to show up at a house party a month after losing them?

 

Before she could deny his offer, Momo rested a hand on her shoulders and stepped in:

 

"Yeah sure. Just text her the address and a time. We'll definitely be there"

 

 

 

And indeed they ended up showing up that night, at 9:14 pm to be more exact (Momo had  insisted they show up late), in that particular neighborhood, in front of that particular house with the different light effects and loud music.

Let's just say they were thankful that school started on a Friday or else, Haneul would've never let them go out.

 

"Ready?" Asks Momo from the passenger seat.

 

"Whenever you are"

 

They both step out of Momo's car and the music automatically gets louder and definitely more audible. They watch the teenagers either devouring each other, or throwing up the whole content of their stomach in the grass, with disgust.

 

"Already drunk?" Wonders Momo before looking away.

 

The second they walked on the porch, the front door slammed open, revealing non other than Dylan.

 

Jeongyeon couldn't help but feel her cheeks heat when their eyes met. His tight black shirt fit him perfectly and did his muscles absolute justice. His dirty blonde hair was messier than ever and stuck to his forehead with sweat. He was definitely her type and certainly still is.

 

"Girls!" He exclaims with a smile, "You came!"

 

He approached the both of them, wrapping them in a tight hug.

 

"Eww get off off me you're all sweaty" Momo pushes him away and Jeongyeon wants to kill her in the spot.

 

No slap could bring much sense into her anyway.

 

She, unlike her, didn't mind the sweat, nor the beer scent. Not at all. At least, not when it came from him. Plus, she thought he still managed to smell good.

 

Dylan backed away laughing, hands up in the air as if surrendering.

 

"You're just in time for my favorite moment ever"

 

Minutes later, all three of them were sitting in a circle, around a table, along with a few other teenagers. Everyone was dancing downstairs and the music was too loud. Jeongyeon guessed that that was the main reason why they’ve gathered up at the second floor in the guest’s room.

 

"Your favorite moment at parties is when people gather up to tell fairytales?" Asks Jeongyeon.

 

She never would've thought that Dylan was the type of boy who'd believe in all of this stuff. Not that she did mind.

 

The same boy rolled his eyes at her.

 

Being her brother’s best friend meant that he used to often go over at their place, and Jeongyeon and Momo used to hang out with the older boys sometimes. But that only allowed Jeongyeon to know a few things about him not more. 

 

"They're not fairytales, but urban legends, and some of them are true and actually really mysterious" He shrugs his shoulders "And to be honest, I find them quite entertaining".

 

Jeongyeon nodded her head and eyed the teenagers sitting around the table, waiting for one of them to speak up.

 

"Let's get this started. I live for this kind of " Says the girl sitting to her right.

 

It was non other than her best friend, who soon made a move to grab one of the beer bottles that was tempting her since she sat down.

 

"I've heard that blood bags were being stolen from the town's hospital lately, and that camera footage couldn't catch the thief in action" She starts after taking a gulp of her bottle, catching the attention of everyone around her.

 

"Yeah, I heard about that too" States a random boy.

 

"Jeong, your uncle works at that hospital. Can you confirm that rumor?" Asks Momo.

 

Jeongyeon rolls her eyes at the question. Of course Momo knew about that. The person who told her about it in the first place was non other than herself.

 

"Yes. Someone keeps stealing from the blood bank and they still can't find the thief."

 

The teenagers nod their heads. One of them decide to add more information, pouring fuel into the fuel:

 

"I also heard police stations were getting a lot of missing person reports lately. Maybe there's a link?"

 

Momo, along with the others, hummed approvingly at the idea.

On the other hand, Jeongyeon didn't know if she should believe this, or if they all just planned it beforehand and they were just playing around, inventing stuff as they advanced.

 

Squinting her eyes, she asked that one question everyone was waiting to hear:

 

"Are you guys implying that there's a vampire in town?” No one dares to answer, “You guys can't be serious"

 

She didn't know If she should take this seriously, or just play along.

 

"Why not?" Replies Dylan.

 

Up until now, he was hugging his knees, but he suddenly leaned in dangerously close to her and opened his mouth in a snarl as if he was about to reveal a set of fangs.

Their little moment of staring into each other's eyes was rudely interrupted by an indiscreet snicker.

 

They both turned to look at the person sitting on the sofa. Jeongyeon was surprised to see the girl she first saw Tzuyu with. She was even more surprised she didn't see her when she first sat down. Was she not part of the circle before?  Maybe she skipped her without meaning to?

 

"I'm sorry it's just that..." She stops in mid sentence to sit on the edge of the sofa "Do you guys really believe that a vampire is the one behind these events?" She asks, smirking.

 

"Who else would steal blood bags from a hospital? And for what reason?" Defends Dylan.

 

"If a vampire is hungry, trust me when I tell you that he'll be looking for fresh blood instead of some refrigerated one"

 

"What if he's hiding?" Speaks up Jeongyeon, making the blonde girl turn her head in her direction. She, herself, couldn’t believe that she was starting to acknowledge the clues and taking the matter seriously. She didn’t do it because she had suddenly decided to believe the story, but because for some reason, she wanted to go against the new girl, "What if he's keeping it low profile so he won't get chassed? or something like that"

 

The blonde girl known as Sana, leans back, taking in Jeongyeon's words. She keeps her emotions to herself, refusing to let anyone see through her reaction because in reality, Sana hasn't thought about that option yet.

 

She her lips before saying anything else:

 

"Then, if it's the case, he won't be able to hold himself any longer and will be soon out for some fresh blood inside a fresh human body" She answers.

 

As if on cue, a loud howl is heard from outside and Jeongyeon doesn’t command her feet to push her up but they still do.

The sound had made her blood run cold in her veins. Her hands moved to cover her ears, and try to, at least, muffle the horrific cry.

 

"Did you guys hear that?!" She hastily asks, opening back her eyes when the sound stopped.

 

For some reason, she was alarmed, on the verge of panic. Her body was trembling, but it seemed like she was the only one fazed by the noise. Every teenager looked at her in absolute confusion and concern. All except Sana, whose smirk only widened, just like her eyes.

 

"Hear what?" Questions Momo, concern and worry evident on her features.

 

The best friend tries to bring Jeongyeon in her arms, but the latter refuses the offer. The rest of the circle look around the room for anything unusual, but they see nothing but and sweaty and drunk teenagers.

 

"It was a dog...I mean-I don't know if it was a dog. It was so loud! It was-it was-"

 

Jeongyeon couldn’t find the words to describe it. All she knew was that she wanted to go hide in a closet, or somewhere safe, far far away from whatever that was.

 

"Ha ha ha. You're not fooling us Yeonnie. Almost got us with that one"

 

She was too shaken to acknowledge the fact that her crush gave her a nickname and she was about to protest when a weird feeling invaded her.

 

It was back. It was the same weird attractive feeling she felt this morning, that same heat, that same calming breeze and automatically, her head snapped in the direction of the door.

She waited for it to open, but nothing happened. She doesn't know why she was expecting it to, but she did.

 

Her feet started moving without her being fully aware of it. She ignored her friends calling her name, she ignored Momo who was suddenly held back by Sana’s grasp, and walked, leaving the room.

 

The stairs were her next destination and soon enough, she was standing in front of the house’s front door.

She was like attracted by a magnet, and there was no stopping her. It was almost as if she was hypnotized in a way, compelled to move, but she realized soon enough that it wasn’t any of those, because hypnoses meant that she was controlled by something or someone else when Jeongyeon was actually under no one else’s control but herself. That feeling, that heat, that breeze, was non other than her instinct.

 

Her hand dropped on the knob and with no second thoughts, she opened the door. She was not fazed to see a boy standing alone in the front porch.

 

His once hung low head lifted up and Jeongyeon was met with the clearest blue eyes she's ever seen. She couldn't decide if they were beautiful or the absolute opposite, repulsive.

He flashed her a smile the second she stepped outside, closing the door behind her.

 

"I'm sorry" She finally speaks when she realizes how odd her behavior must've been, "I just got out for some fresh air"

 

The stranger just smiled, burying his hands in his dark jean pockets.

 

"It's okay"

 

They both stood in front of each other, not figuring out that words were overrated.

 

To say that it was awkward was the least. Whereas Jeongyeon kept looking around, noting that a lot of the teenagers that were outside just disappeared, he kept his eyes on her.

She could feel his gaze boring a hole in her skull.

 

"Hey, do you want to see something I just recently discovered?" He breaks the silence a second before she decided to go back inside.

 

The brunette girl shrugged her shoulders, obviously still attracted by the boy in front her. That's the only reason why she was still around him.

 

He flashed her one last smile, before leading the way to the house's back garden. It seemed like he knew his way around and it made er wonder what kind of relationship he had with Dylan.

 

"So, how long have you been friends with Dylan?" She asks as they kept walking.

 

"Dylan huh? Oh yeah. I've known him since we were kids. We always used to play in this same garden" He nonchalantly answers and mentions for her to keep following him.

 

However, Jeongyeon stopped in her tracks the second he finished his sentence. Knowing that he was lying, a new sense of danger invaded her, and a little voice in her head told her she should run.

Dylan lived in another state most of his life. He came to California two years ago. There was no way this stranger and him used to know each other, or at least, play in this garden together as kids.

 

"Euhm. I'm sorry but, I just remembered someone was waiting for me inside. I should go." She lies hoping he wouldn't notice, "Nice meeting you"

 

Turning around, she was ready to sprint back to the front porch when she just ended up bumping into something, or rather someone.

 

"I'm sure whoever it is, they can wait"

 

"What the-"

 

She looked behind her only to realize that the boy was no longer there, but had indeed, found a way to get front of her, and more importantly block her way.

 

"That's not- That's not possible!" Her voice is trembling and threatening to give up on her.

 

The boy's hungry eyes stared right into hers, and Jeongyeon watched as they turned from clear blue to a dark red and veins grew under them like roots of a tree.

As predicted, her voice betrayed her, and she couldn't scream for her life. Soon, his teeth prolonged, turning into the sharpest fangs she's ever laid eyes on (and she's only seen plastic fake ones)

 

"Oh but it is darling"

 

In a blink of an eye, Jeongyeon found herself pinned against the wall of the house. The boy had a hand at each side of her head, making sure she wouldn't try to escape. It's not like she could. He'd end up catching her anyway.

 

"You smell so good"

 

She watches in absolute terror as his pink tongue wet his lips.

 

Now that she had noticed it, she thought about how his mouth looked redder than any normal mouth would ever be. Unless he used lipstick, that must've been a red substance/liquid… blood.

 

“You smell different. A delicious kind of different”

 

Her thoughts  were panicking. Her heart was racing. Her limbs were failing her.

 

Did someone manage to intrude some drug in her? And if so how? She hasn’t had anything since she stepped inside the house. Was she hallucinating? But what if she wasn't? Do vampires really exist? What exactly is this creature threatening to take the life out of her? Was it even a vampire?

If it was, then she was already doomed. There was no way she'd escape him.

 

She has watched enough TV shows and read enough books to know about their unhuman speed and strength. She, a normal human being, a teenage girl, couldn't stand a chance against him.

 

Her thoughts travelled to Momo, and wondered how she'd react when she'd learn about her death. She hoped she wouldn't be too devastated and that she'd keep being her joyful self and follow her dream to go study in Chicago, just like they planned.

An image of her uncle appeared in her head and it made her heart twinge. Poor Haneul would have to lose the only family he had: his brother and his nephews all in a matter of less than two months. She hoped he'd stop working so hard, and actually take the time to focus on more important things. Maybe he could finally start looking for a girlfriend.

 

Her brainstorming didn’t end up being some dumb last moment of hers, or just that so called ‘seeing your life flash before your eyes’ kind of experience. Certainly, she was impressed she could recall it all but it didn’t mean her end.

 

From the moment of opening her eyes, seeing her much younger parents and a pretty much unchanged Haneul, around her and her crying brother, then next thing she knows another baby is added to the lot with rounder cheeks and eyes that soon became part of her routine and learned to calm her even in the most stressful of situations. Then it was kindergarten and how Momo insisted on defending the new kid from the bullies and taking her under her wing, only for said child to leave its nest without warning (they used to be neighbors, but Jeongyeon had noticed that the house next to Momo’s turned silent and empty during summer. Momo never talked about it). Primary school and high school weren’t much of a shift. It was just her first kiss, first heartbreak, first hangover, first time she noticed how popular her brother was with girls and how much Momo hated it. And finally, a blinding white light, the sound of wheels losing control ever so echoing in her head, and the crash of a surface before the plantation a deafening darkness: death. But her hand could still feel a breeze and she could still feel the air press around it because something or someone was pushing. No, she was sure of it, someonewasrunning her way and it was no longer the wind tickling her hand but the touch of a warmer skin and the sound of a whisper, so pleading, so sorry, rising from darkness itself :

 

“wait for me”

 

She couldn’t explain it  and she certainly does not know why she remembered how much she used to read in her free time at that  precise moment, and one thing struck to her most.  A book she had briefly scanned. In the long list of things that vampires hate, there's the most known clichés such as: garlic, crosses, sunlight, holy water. But she remembered seeing in a very old myth, another weakness, much less known one.

 

"Vampires are also unable to cross running water”.

 

Her eyes dart to the swimming pool on her right. It was no running water but it was water still. If she could just escape and run as fast as she could, then maybe she’d make it.

 

The creature catches her indiscreet glance.

 

"It won't work" He smirks as soon as he sees the horrified look in her eyes. He missed this. He missed chasing humans. He missed how it made him feel all excited and pumped. "It's not pure water. It's not a natural source" He continues.

 

Jeongyeon clenches her jaw.

 

She has two different options: either believe him, close her eyes and wish for a quick and painless death, or, consider the fact that he could be bluffing and take actions.

She doesn’t think long about her decision, already knowing she wouldn't give up without a fight (time was a luxury).

 

The adrenaline kicks in, she bends down and quickly goes under his arm. She doesn't recall ever running this fast in her life and even considers joining the school’s track team with Momo.

 

Jeongyeon almost makes it to the pool, when she sees his silhouette stop by her side and his arm move, aiming for her neck and she thinks that its over, that her head will be chopped and that, at least, she wouldn’t feel any pain, that it will be a quick and unnoticed death, but something kicks inside her.

 

The trigger is pulled and her weapon releases its energy. She instinctively turns around just in time for her hand to raise up right by her own profile. Her fingers wrap around his flesh in a tight grasp. His movement stops.

 

None of them can actually decipher or begin to understand what had happened or what was happening. His dark red eyes are wide open and forehead wrinkled, betraying even the faintest hint of a worry. Jeongyeon can undoubtedly feel it.

 

"How the-"

 

The vampire doesn’t get the chance to finish his sentence for he is propelled in a matter of seconds into the pool.

 

It happened so fast that Jeongyeon almost didn't see it. But she did. She did see the huge black dog that jumped out of nowhere, taking the vampire in between his fangs and she almost her arm in  the process. 

 

"Yeon!"

 

The brunette turns in the direction she hears her name being called from. She immediately recognizes the voice and catches onto the desperate tone. It was Momo.

 

Jeongyeon looked back at the bubbles rising to the pool's surface. She could see movement down there, movements that caused splashing at the surface, and although the view was blurry, she could still make out the pile of darkness in the blue water, too large for her to have seen it anywhere else.

The girl granted them one last glance before rushing to meet her best friend. She didn't want her to be anywhere near that mess, and to be honest, neither did she.

 

Once again, Jeongyeon ran, this time towards the front porch, out of the back garden, and once again, her eyes widened in horror when she saw teenagers running all over the place. Running away would be a more appropriate expression to describe the situation. Countless of them were still leaving the house, running to their cars, either picking each other up if they fell or completely ignoring the calls of a friend to wait  for them. She wondered how come she hasn't heard all the screams before but recalled she was in a predicament herself.

 

A part of her was starting to panic along with the others but another part, an oddly much bigger part was enjoying the disaster. It felt as if her body was being refilled with energy. She loved it.

 

"Yeon!" Shouts a relieved Momo as soon as she recognizes her favorite brunette.

 

She senses that something is off as soon as she sees Jeongyeon's terrified look or the way her chest heaved, insinuating that she was struggling to control her breathing, that she had been running.

Immediately after, Momo rushes in her direction and doesn’t wait a second later to drag her away from the house, to the safety of her car. Once both girls inside the vehicle, she makes sure the doors are locked before starting the engine.

 

"Are you okay?" She asks once she estimated they were far enough.

 

"What happened over there? Why was everyone so freaked out?"

Jeongyeon only answers her best friend's question with another one.

 

The blonde girl's hands start trembling as she started recalling the turn of event their supposed to be peaceful and undisturbed house party, took. Fortunately, Haneul's apartment wasn't far from Dylan's house. Momo stopped the car in front of the residence and turned to look at Sam.

 

"Can I crash over? I don't feel like staying home alone after tonight. I promise to tell you everything inside" She asks, to which Jeongyeon reassuringly smiles.

 

"I was about to invite you to stay the night"

 

The two girls left the car and walked to the edifice’s entrance.

 

The walk to the apartment was done in absolute silence. None of them uttered a word, too shaken by their respective night.

Jeongyeon took the key from under the rug and opened the door of the apartment. As expected, there was no sign of Haneul inside. He probably was still at the hospital.

The brunette closed the door behind her, making sure she locked it twice, before heading to her room, and closing the door as well.

 

"You go first" The words fall out of Momo's mouth so fast she doesn't even remember thinking about saying them or wanting to.

 

Jeongyeon nods her head, takes her shoes off then sits on her bead. Momo mirrors her actions.

 

"You're not gonna believe me" She starts once her best friend is sitting in front of her.

 

"Try me"

 

Taking a deep breath in, Jeongyeon thinks about the different ways she could say this and which one would be best. How should she start? Which part should she emphasize on? And how would she finish?

 

"I was attacked by a vampire"

 

“you were attacked by a what now?” She blinks, leaning slightly forward. Maybe she heard it wrong?

 

The astonishment on her face is evident. Jeongyeon gives her time to recover, in silence, and Momo lets her when she realizes that this actually wasn’t a poorly made and thought joke. Jeongyeon was completely serious.

 

She let the information slowly sink in before mentioning for her best friend to continue.

 

And so she did. Jeongyeon told her about everything, trying not to miss any single detail. From the moment she saw him as soon as she opened the door, to when she was saved by some weird huge black dog.

 

"Did you get bit? Or hurt in any way"

 

Momo was relieved as soon as Jeongyeon shook her head.

It didn’t mean she was any less refusing the explanation, she still didn't know how she should deal and what she should do with it.

Her beliefs were at stake. Her foundations and pillars, everything she relied on was fragile and wouldn’t hold, everything felt on the verge of crumbling and she was afraid there was no safety net nor inflatable mattress at the  bottom of this. Afraid. That  was the world.  And whenever Momo was afraid and clueless, she’d resort to the second thing she knew best (first being running, but that didn’t look like an option) : humor.

 

"Too bad. I would've loved to have a vampire best friend"

 

Jeongyeon knows what her best friend’s trying to do. She understand how she feels, how she thinks how she acts, she understands her, and she understands that Momo needs her coping mechanism, so Jeongyeon follows along.

 

"What if I ended up killing you?" She retorts, a smile tugging  at her lips.

 

"I’ll stop showering just in case" She answers with a shrug of the shoulders.

 

It was odd. The the way Momo just believed Jeongyeon’s words without further questioning. She knew there was an unbreakable bond between them, a blind trust, but if the roles were reversed Jeongyeon would’ve tried to slap some sense back into Momo, and that’s exactly  what Momo  would’ve been doing at the moment  if she didn’t witnessed what she had witnessed inside that  house,  right after Jeongyeon’s departure.

 

Her smile faded to be replaced by a serious facial expression.

 

"No but, all jokes aside. I think that what you just told me explains what happened while you were missing"

 

Jeongyeon doesn’t miss the way her eyes had lost their usual twinkle. Whatever happened during her absence must've really fazed her best friend and the others as well.

 

"And what happened exactly?" She dares ask.

 

Momo's eyes closed. She replayed the scene in her head.

 

There she was. Dancing with the new girl that wouldn’t let go of her, staring right into her eyes like nothing else mattered, because they made her feel what she felt.  She would not, for the life of her, look away. She promised herself even. As long as Sana was looking at her like that, as long as Sana had her full undivided attention of her, Momo wouldn’t dare look anywhere else. 

The teenagers had long forgotten about the stories and focused on drinking (Momo refrained from doing the last part. She was a responsible driver). Their last talk was about their first times and how some of them had the most embarrassing of experiences. Truth be told, Momo couldn’t relate to any of the case scenarios and she was thankful for that.

 

Everything was doing great, everything was fine for the next few minutes. Then Sana’s eyes left her for the first time, making Momo halt in her dance steps and realize that everyone around them had done the same, that the music had stopped.   

All eyes were on the boy who came in carrying a body in his arms.

 

"Someone call 911" He had shouted.

 

Dylan was the first one to rush in his direction. Both boys had laid the girl down on the ground and when Momo approached the body, the first thing she noticed were the two red holes on the side of her neck. It was enough to send chills up her spine.

Her first instinct was to check for a pulse, and as predicted, she found none. Dylan and her shared a look. They knew it was too late.

Sana who had followed, hissed by her side. She let out a series of curses before rushing to the front door, fleeing the scene before anyone else. 

 

"There's another body outside" Had shouted a girl next to the window

 

Momo took a deep breath and re-opened her eyes. The film in her head immediately stopped playing.  She looked at her best friend and was thankful that she was still alive.

 

"A girl died, and another boy was found unconscious. He was still alive but extremely weak"

 

An image of the girl's lifeless body, drained of all colors appeared in her head. The boy looked less of a mess, but deep down, she knew that there was no way he'd be able to survive.

 

"Both of them had marks on their necks" She adds.

 

"Oh my god"

 

It was a normal reaction, a formulation and a saying that could be proof of happiness, terror or sympathy. It was one or another someone could let their emotions be known in a harmless way. Yet, as soon as the words leave , Jeongyeon feels the weigh of thousands of bricks falling on her head, one after the other.

 

"" She winces in pain, holding her skull.

 

"You okay?" Worries Momo as she scooted closer to her.

 

The pain fades immediately after, as if nothing had happened.

 

"Yeah sorry" She manages to let out however confused she was, "It must be my brain who can't accept the fact that the supernatural exist"

 

Momo understands.  She takes note of Jeongyeon’s affirmation, noticing that she had fully accepted that explanation as a truth.

 

"What if it was a werewolf that came to your rescue? You said it was a huge dog " Asks the blonde girl, looking for more questions than answers.

 

"If it's the case, then, we will not have to worry about the vampire anymore" Jeongyeon, way too calm about this, lays on her back and rests her arms under her head.

 

Momo, although hesitant, takes the side next to her. Her eyelids get heavier by the second as she rests her head on the pillow. She fight afainst  her tiredness, knowing that this wasn’t a time to fall asleep so easily. She still yawns.

 

“You’re right. Werewolf bites are deadly to vampires.”

 

 But that's not what's important, thinks Jeongyeon.

 

She couldn't stop herself from wondering why the werewolf came to her rescue. Was it on the good side? Was it some sort of human protector?

 

If so, then why didn't it interfere when the two other teenagers were attacked? Maybe it didn't know about the vampire then...

And was it the werewolf whom she heard howl at the beginning, when everything started?

Speaking of, she still couldn't understand why she was the only one who was able to hear that cry. What if, after all, she imagined it?

She also began thinking that maybe something was up with her after all. What if everything was happening to her for a valid reason, because she was different? In a matter of four weeks, she escaped death twice. Was it all a coincidence?

 

Realization hit her harder than a slap to the face.

 

“He said I smelled different” She remembers, slowly sitting up in the midst of recalling the scene, “he said I smelled different yet after finishing off two teenagers before me”

 

It wasn’t coherent. Why would he say that to her? Was she exaggerating?

 

“Momo he-”

 

But said best friend was already sprawled all over the mattress, drool already forming at the corner of . Jeongyeon rolled her eyes in annoyance, watched her and debated on whether she should push her so she could clear some space for herself, or find a more efficient way to clear her thoughts.

 

Knowing that even if she laid in her bed, she wouldn't be getting any sleep, she opted for leaving her room, possibly explore her living room.

 

After changing into her pajamas and putting on some flip flops (because walking around bare foot is a big no no for her), Jeongyeon headed to the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water.

Maybe it could help refresh her thoughts, try to look at the picture from another angle, figure out another explanation, try to understand what was happening to their quite and peaceful neighborhood.

 

She shivers, arms instinctively going up to hug her torso. They never get to do so, because Jeongyeon notices that their balcony is open when it shouldn’t be. Then it’s warmth that settles, for a brief moment, and that feeling tugs at her stomach once again.

The familiarity pulls her towards the opened door and she steps foot outside only to be whipped by the unbearable heat.

 

After tonight, she should've learned to never give in to that feeling and attraction again, since it only led her to trouble. Still, Jeongyeon put a foot in front in front of the other, getting closer to the railing and as she leaned in, she got a good glance at the road ahead.

 

A few cars were parked on the sidewalk, not more than three, but it wasn’t the most memorable aspect of the view she got to see.

 

Sat next to one of the cars, black long fur so dark it could’ve blended with the night if it weren’t for the moonlight, pink tongue dangling from its mouth, ears pointing towards the sky, was non other than the creature that saved her life an hour ago, either by chance or intentionally. And on top of the hood of that same car, was a slimmer and much more human figure. Blonde long hair, jeans and a chic camel fringed leather jacket, she got down, head looking the whole time in the direction of the balcony and Jeongyeon could’ve sworn she saw her smile before leaving nonchalantly. The followed followed almost immediately.

 

It was her. It was Tzuyu's friend, Sana, and Jeongyeon was going to go after her.

 

Not thinking twice about it, she rushes back inside and at the same time the apartment’s front door opens, giving her the second fright of the night.

 

"God! You scared the out of me" She immediately regrets her words, for, the second they leave , the pain she experienced earlier comes back and it seemed like it was a lot worse this time.

 

Haneul doesn’t apologize. He just shuts the door behind him, puts his bag on the ground and rushes to his niece’s side, wrapping her in his embrace.

 

"Are you girls okay? Where's Momo?" He asks, far more than concerned.

 

Jeongyeon then knew that he knew about tonight's turn of events. She felt it in his hold. He was still afraid he’d lose her, he almost did a month ago.

 

"Momo's sleeping in my room. We're both fine"

 

Her uncle lets go of her, hands still in reach as he inspects her face. He falls back on the couch when he’s reassured and removes his glasses to massage the spot between his eyes. Jeongyeon takes a seat next to him.

 

"I came as soon as I heard about a boy who transferred to the hospital after some party went wrong” He takes a deep breath, preparing himself to reveal the truth, “He unfortunately didn't make it" He stops, thinking of a way to announce what came next, "he was euh...lost too much blood…"

 

Jeongyeon doesn’t react.

 

She was in her little mind, debating whether she should tell him about what she told Momo, but she knew her uncle was a man of science, and that he'd surely think she was crazy if she talked to him about vampires and werewolves.

 

"Yeah" She says only because she felt like she needed to say something.

 

Her uncle turns his head in her direction. She could almost see the wheels turning inside his head.

 

"What happened exactly?" He asks, to which Jeongyeon answers with a simple shrug of the shoulders.

 

"I don't really know. One second we were having fun, then someone screams that there was a dead body outside".

 

There was no way she was going to tell him the truth.

Haneul seemed to believe her, for he slowly nodded his head, while still thinking about the case.

 

"That’s sick”

 

A few minutes pass with the two of them in absolute silence. Haneul was still trying to digest the information and ease all the worry he had been feeling for his two girls when he heard the news. He was watching his niece the whole time and knew that he needed to take her mind away from whatever happened even though she looked unfazed.

A party is supposed to be a place were people have fun, dance and not care about what happens tomorrow. Haneul knew that because he used to go out most of the time when he was around her age too. A party was supposed to create good memories, not regretful ones. They were supposed to make you feel alive, not take away your life.

 

Meanwhile Jeongyeon was thinking about the girl she saw outside and wondered about the reason behind her visit, or if she had followed Momo in order to find this address. The thoughts alone were enough to make her shiver and she would’ve continued her brainstorming if it weren’t for Haneul.

 

“By the way, I received a call from your teacher a few hours ago" He starts wanting to change the subject.

 

Jeongyeon rolls her eyes. Just the mention of that teachers makes her head ache.

 

"I'm going to have coffee with him tomorrow" Continues her uncle, "He wants to talk to me about you"

 

Jeongyeon only nodded her head, not knowing what she could answer to that. She might've looked unbothered on the outside, but on the inside, she was thinking of the different ways she could cut off that teacher's head.

 

"But right now" Her uncle stands up from the couch, "I'm gonna head to sleep".

 

Noticing that she stayed seated, he turns to look at her,

 

"You're not coming?"

 

The brunette shakes her head.

 

"I'm gonna stay here for a while"

 

Haneul nods, bends down to depose a kiss on her forehead then wishes her a good night, but before disappearing into his room, he makes sure she hears him:

 

“I know you don’t like talking about your feelings and that’s   the only reason I’m leaving you be right now. You lost a classmate today, it’s okay to be upset. You can always talk to Momo or to me about it”

 

Two. She lost two classmates.

 

Jeongyeon doesn’t correct him.  She send her uncle off to sleep with a reassuring smile and stayed with herself in the darkness of the living room, with the only light allowed being that of the  moon. Unlike what she thought she'd do, Jeongyeon didn't end up watching TV, but spent hours thinking about what she witnessed at Dylan's party, over and over again.

 

---

 

Meanwhile, a few miles away, were laying the bodies of two teenagers, a boy and a girl, on different autopsy tables.

The medical examiner performed the last diagnostics and tests on the corpses before receiving the detectives in her lab. Unexpectedly, they came accompanied.

 

"Doctor" The older officer clears his throat before mentioning to the newcomer with his hand, "I present to you Mr. Jace Leroy from the...Special Squad"

 

She has never heard of the special squad before, but then again, she has always been curious when it came to dead bodies, and nothing else. So she doesn’t bother asking.

 

Little did she know that this Special Squad, was a secret agency of a few people specialized in cases that the police or military couldn't solve, because they didn't have the required knowledge, weapons nor power. In other words, they dealt with the supernatural, and acted in the shadows.

 

"Both bodies were drained of their blood" She gets up from her seat to walk to the bodies.

 

With her pen, she mentions to the injury on each person's neck.

 

"It seems like the blood was from these two...holes. Everything else seems clear. No suspicious bruises, and drug tests are on the way but they don’t seem to have had any reaction to anything of the kind"

 

Jace Leroy immediately understood what it meant. It's been almost two years since these creaturesdisappeared from this town. He didn't expect them to come back this early.

 

"Do you gentlemen have any suspects yet?" Interrogates the woman.

 

For once, she was genuinely intrigued and wanted to know how the culprit did to make it seem like some...creature drank the blood out of these bodies. At least that's what the public would conclude as soon as they'd hear about the case.

 

Little did she know once again that, that was exactly what happened.

 

The forensic doctor, being a woman of science, thought that the one behind these murders was just some sick person who wanted to cause panic, and to be talked about. Probably a teenager. Someone from the party.

 

"Everyone who went to the party is a possible suspect. That's why my partner and I will be at the high school first thing Monday morning, to interrogate the students and reduce the list"

 

He didn't mention it, but that's also one of the main reason why the police department called for Jace Leroy's help. And also because he was the most experienced one from his agency.

If there was any supernatural creature in that high school, Mr Leroy will surely find out about them.