Blood Moon: Chapter 4 - Prophecy. Strangers.

Robyn was pressing the buttons on the TV remote. The image on the TV flickered continuously as the channel changed. She finally stopped when Ashley robbed the remote from her.

“You’re gonna spoil the TV.” She switched it to Channel E!.

Her mind was not thinking straight. In fact, she could not think at all. What Jack said in the afternoon was...confusing her. But she had agreed to him. She laughed in her head. Damien is gonna kill me.

Ashley asked her to take the trash out and shooed her off the couch. Robyn was cursing in her head as she took the trash out of the house. She dropped the bag of trash into the trash can beside the mail box and slammed the cover on it. The sound of tin against each other was loud in contrast with the quietness around her. The dark and cold made the silence looming. She was going to go into the house when she had the feeling of being watched. She turned around immediately but there was nobody in the dark.

She was to turn to her house again when she saw a shadow at the corner of her eyes. It came out from nowhere. It was tall, even taller than the man in brown leather jacket. It was a man. It was so dark outside and the moon was hidden by the clouds. He was wearing dark clothes and a long black jacket. She could not see his face but she could tell he was walking in her direction and he was looking at her.

She felt a chill down her spine. She had the same feeling as when she saw the bright red flame on the news. Her natural human instinct was telling her this man was dangerous. The little voice in her head was yelling at her, telling her to run into the house but she could not move. Her feet were glued to the very spot and she felt dizzy.

Maybe this is a dream. Otherwise, why could she hear voices in her head that were different from the little voice she used to hear and were telling her not to run? Her heart jumped to her throat and stayed there, throbbing madly.

Run, idiot! Run!

He was nearing her and was going to grab her. She was going to see his face when she heard a howl.

A dog? Both Robyn and the man turned to the direction of the animalistic howl. It sounded big.

A large animal leaped out from the bushes in the dark. It growled. Such a beastly snarl. It was facing her and the man, standing in a position that made it ever ready to jump if anyone moved. Robyn could not see it clearly but she was sure of one thing — it was not a dog.

It had long black fur and eyes that glowed an eerie yellow like a cat’s. Its body was like a dog’s but taller, with longer and more elegant yet strong legs. Its body was as long as she was tall. Its paws were as big as her hands. She could see its short sharp teeth and two long canines. She could not see them but she knew it had claws.

It was too incongruous that her mind refused to recognise the shape of the animal. But now she did recognise it.

A wolf. A big—black—wolf.

It was so bizarre yet fascinating. She had never seen such a beautiful animal before nor had she ever been so close to one. She was too amazed by the animal that she did not notice when the man had disappeared.

It was she and the wolf alone now. For a moment, she thought it had a humanly stare. It looked at her gently. But the gentle, humanly stare changed into a beastly one in a blink of an eye. It drew its legs beneath its body and it snarled at her, revealing its gum and all its teeth.

Robyn knew what would come next. One did not have to be a genius to know that. Then, from ten feet away, it leaped — towards her. Robyn instinctively turned and ran as fast as she could. It was a surprised that she could move at all.

What are you doing? Scream! Cry for help! A part of her thought so.

But the other part of her thought otherwise. No. People will kill it!

She half skipped and half ran because of her ankle. Her heart was pounding so loudly in her ears. She did not run into the house. It could be dangerous for both Ashley and the wolf. Why do I even care about the beast that is going to eat me right at this moment? Instead, she ran toward the bushes that separated her house from the house at the back.

Oh, good, genius. You just have to choose the house that is left vacant weeks ago. Who’s gonna safe you now?

She jumped through the tall bushes and fell down. Oh, no. Why do I have to fell down now? She was half crawling and half pushing herself up from the ground when she turned back to look at the beast, her heart beating madly in her chest that it almost hurt. When she did, she froze.

It did not jump out from the bushes and lunged at her. It was gone. Just like that. Robyn was still sitting on the grass when she looked around. There was not a trace of it. She blinked rapidly. What the hell happened?

When she was spacing out, the bushes rustled. She wanted to jump to her feet and run but her knees were like jelly. She could not even stand. She used her elbows and legs to push herself away from the bushes. And then, it came out.

“Robyn?”

She looked up at a half naked Damien with only his pyjama pants on. He gawked at her. She opened her mouth but nothing came out.

“What are you doing here?” He grabbed onto her arm and waist and pulled her onto her feet.

“A man came out from nowhere and was going to hurt me but a wolf jumped out from the bushes and save me from him but then he got hungry and chased after me” was what she wanted to say. But she could not make it out of her mouth. She was still in a daze. All that she said was, “I should ask you the same question.”

Damien looked surprised and confused for a moment. “I...I was on the backyard when I heard noises over here. I thought it was a burglar.”

“Did...did you see it?” Robyn leaned onto him when she lost balanced while trying to walk. He was so much taller than her as she was only at his chest level. His body did not feel like a sixteen-year-old teenager’s. His muscles were strong and firm like a fully grown man.

“See what?” He had an even more confused look on his face. “Don’t tell me there’s really a burglar.” That confused look quickly became a worried one.

Robyn shook her head. “No, no.” She gave him a smile that she hoped was reassuring. “I have to go back inside. Night.” She walked back to her house limping. She was hoping that he would not notice but it was too obvious.

He asked her what happened and she lied to him. She told him she twisted her ankle when she was running down the stairs. And he believed it. Telling him that it was partly because of Jack was not a good idea.

She walked carefully back into the house, trying not to hurt her ankle again. When she walked into the living room, Ashley was still watching the TV, unbeknownst to what happened to her sister a few minutes ago.

And then, she saw the look on Ashley’s face. She was staring at the screen as if she had seen a ghost. Her face was as white as snow. She turned slowly when Robyn called her. She motioned Robyn to sit beside her.

That was when Robyn saw the news and immediately she knew the reason for Ashley’s reaction. Robyn felt frightened herself, too.

Another victim, at the border of Donnsville. But it was not just that that frightened her. The news showed a young girl lying on the dried leaves, under some bushes with her limbs stretched out like a dead doll. She was pale to the point of looking white, literally. Robyn thought for a second that she did not have hair until she noticed there were strands of bright pink hair. The rest of her hair was dyed white.

Her heart stopped. She knew Ashley recognised the girl, too.

“...found by a couple. She was confirmed to be dead for at least 42 hours...” the reporter in the TV said.

Robyn gaped at the image of a decomposing corpse. The rain for the last few days had done its job at making it hardly recognisable. Ashley scooted over and hugged her in her arms. “Promise me you won’t let anything happen to you.” Her voice was shaky and unstable but imperative and commanding. Robyn simply nodded.

That man...was I so close in becoming the next victim? She shivered at the thought. She felt a little grateful to the black wolf, even though it tried to eat her.

****

“Hello?” Robyn shouted. She called out to her parents, Ashley, Damien, Stella and even Jack. But the only answer she got was her own echo.

It was awfully cold and dark. Nobody was around. The only thing she saw was an old Georgian clock, ticking slowly and lethargically, and a blood red moon. Then, she heard breathing. It sounded near but there was nobody around. And she could hear the sound of a wind-up key turning, like someone was winding up a doll or a clock.

The clock struck twelve and the turning-key sound stopped. A melody had filled the air. It sounded like a music box. It was sad and eerie. It was familiar but she could not remember when or where she had heard it. It was strange but she...liked it.

A shadow flew passed her in front of her eyes. She jumped. She turned around but it was gone. And then, it flew passed her again, this time from behind. It was so fast she could not see it clearly. The melody was gone but the breathing became louder and it sounded even more threatening than before. Before she knew it, she was running. Something was after her. It was a familiar feeling. A feeling that she used to had when she was little.

Ghost fear. The fear of something unknown and surreal.

She kept running but it always seemed to catch up to her. She turned around to see its true form but there was nothing. However, it was right in front of her when she turned back and it rushed towards her. It all happened too fast. There was a flash of light, followed by an excruciating pain in her stomach. The shadow had gone right through her.

Robyn jumped in the bathtub. Her eyes wide opened and her mouth gasping for air. The water was all over the place. It was the first time in her seventeen years of life that a nightmare made her so agitated and frightened that she almost screamed out loud.

She was still sitting in the bathtub, eyes unset and heart pounding wildly like she just ran a marathon. The droplets on her face were a mixture of water and her sweat. The dream was unbelievably real and vivid in her mind. She could almost feel the pain still.

She looked at the bathroom clock. It was exactly twelve in the midnight. She had fallen asleep in the bathtub for almost three hours.

Her head felt heavy and her body was so light. She let out a deep sigh. Everything had happened on the same day. It was difficult for her to cope. Everything seemed too illusory and incongruous, and disturbing that she even had a nightmare. And she had ended up not getting a good sleep.

****

The weekends were not any better. Ashley was too afraid to let Robyn out of her sight. Robyn could not imagine how she would react if she ever tell her about Friday night. Then again, even she herself was not in the mood to go out on the streets. The image of that man still lingered in her mind, intending to ravage her from within. And, of course, she remembered the enigmatic black beast. She thought she was going to break anytime as her heart was beating so very vigorously in those couple of days until it was arduous to breathe, and staying in the house, one way or another, made it even more unbearable.

Robyn did not believe in Monday blues until now. It was much worse than terrible. It was atrocious. She could feel her spirit getting exhausted in her every waking minute. She intended to hide it but she was betrayed by the dark half moons under her tired eyes. Fortunately, Damien did not come to school, again.

I wonder who he is visiting this time. She laughed in her heart.

The atmosphere in the school was tense. Almost everyone was worried and timorous. There were still some stubborn, ignorant people who never cared.

Robyn walked into the class to find Jack half sitting and half leaning on his desk, talking with his friends. She assumed they were his basketball teammates because one of them was holding a basketball. He stood up straight when he saw her, smiling softly.

“Good morning.” His golden eyes were searching in hers, anticipating. His friends appeared to be doing the same.

She looked at him quietly for a moment. “Good morning.” And she smiled.

The weak smile on Jack’s face curved into the brightest grin she had ever seen.

The rest of the day went by in a daze. It felt like she had not done anything except walking around like a living corpse. She had not taken any notes nor had she paid attention in the class at all. So she ended up staying in the class copying notes she borrowed from Stella long after others had left. After finishing the notes, she packed her things and left the classroom.

There were a few students still lingering in the hallways. Besides them, it was only her in the hallway. She pushed opened the glass doors and walked down the stone steps towards the yard without paying attention to her surroundings until she noticed something.

The insects in summer were starting to retreat into their nests from the cold. Although they were less compared to the beginning of summer, there were, however, some still loitering in the bushes, calling for one another. But now, it was quiet. Too quiet. There was no people, no insects, no wind, not even a tiny movement or sound.

Robyn could hear the bee-like sound as well as her heartbeat in her ears. It had never been this quiet in the neighbourhood. She could not even hear the sound of cars from the nearby traffic light. It felt like she was sucked into an alternate dimension, completely isolated from everybody else. The bee sound in her ears got louder, and so was the heartbeat. Her heart was pounding fast against her ribs. It almost burst open her chest. She turned and turned to look around for somebody. Even a fly would make her feel better. But there was none.

The silence was intimidating. It was daunting and it made her skin crawled.

She was about to snap and scream when the glass doors behind her flung open. The kids from earlier rushed out of the building, laughing like lunatics. And almost miraculously, the sounds came back. All the sounds she used to hear and was dying to hear a few moments ago came gushing into her ears. She never knew noise was so important. She never knew one could love noises so much. No, they were not noises. They were music to her ears. She laughed in relief.

But there was something that was still bothering her. Something was wrong. Something strange was going on around her.

She needed some fresh air, which could not be awarded by staying at home. She rode on her bicycle and headed downtown. It was not far away. Nothing was ever too far away in Donnsville. It was a small city but it had everything — shopping malls, pubs and bars, hair dressers, restaurants, groceries stores, schools, parks and et cetera. Donnsville denizens never had to go out of town to get something, not even for medical treatments. There were clinics at almost every corner of the city, and also a large hospital, the Donnsville Hospital. All of them were the properties of the Kenningtons, Jack’s twelve years older brother and his wife. They were the kindest and best doctors in town.

The Kenningtons was the wealthiest family in Donnsville. Their house was the most well-known place in town. It was near the woods and people called it the Manor. Its very existence stood in contrast to the rest of the southern style houses because it was the largest house and its style was a mixture of modern and Victorian colonial architecture. Robyn had never been there. She had only met Jack’s family once when Ashley went to the hospital for a minor surgery. The family used to live in England and had only moved here a few years ago.

Robyn was riding around aimlessly until she saw a book shop on Flinders Street. It was small and was painted black-green. It was right in the middle of the row of shops, sandwiched by bigger and brighter shops. It looked old, shabby and worn out. Even its glass windows were yellowed and greyed by age and dust. But something about it attracted her. There was no name but only a wrought iron sign with a black symbol hanging from the wall.

She fastened a chain around a lamp post with her bike and placed a lock on it. She then walked right into the shop. A bell rang when she pushed the door open. It was poorly lit inside and it smelled of rotten pages and old books. The bulb hanging from the ceiling was old and dim and the sunlight from the outside was blocked by stacks of dusty books. Almost everything was aged and dusty. She walked around the tall racks and touched the books. The books were ancient. They seemed to be even older than the books in libraries.

And there were strange, eccentric decorations and furnitures. There was a deer head hanging on the wall, along with weird paintings and old photographs. There were also odd-looking statues that resembled animals, gargoyles or humans with strange features and body parts. The ambience made her skin crawled.

Then, she saw a book. It was much smaller than the others on the rack. Its cover was black but was sombered by age. There were dimmed gold letterings on the somber black cover that read Transylvania. She opened it and flipped through the pages and stopped when she was on the prelude page.

Darkness descends upon the land to wrap the world in night’s black embrace. The restless dead stir within their ancient tombs, and creatures born of shadow rise to quench their savage hungers. Whispers echo from the crypt, beckoning with the promise of dark desire, and those who heed their call are forever lost in the night.

She turned to the last page for the author’s name. It was someone named Nox but there was not a last name. The words sounded like curses that doomed anyone who read it. It did not give her a nice feeling.

“The time is near.”

Robyn was startled by a voice that came from behind her. She gasped and dropped the book. She turned to see a woman in mid thirties with frizzy dark hair and glassy grey eyes. She wore an old floral dress that was long enough to cover her ankles. She was rather pretty but Robyn noticed that she was blind. She must be the owner. She must have been here the whole time but Robyn did not take notice of her.

“I’m sorry?” Robyn added great amount of curiosity in her voice.

The woman grabbed her hands. “The prophecy.” She said it with a hard firmness as if she was saying it was something that she should know.

“I...don’t know what you are talking about.” Robyn tried to pull away her hands but the woman tightened her grip.

“When the moon of blood meets its zenith, heaven shall be tainted by blood. The ruler of hell shall reign the land, and vanquishes the one consecrated to God, until the holy one never subsist again.”

Robyn could only stare. The glassy grey eyes were haunting and they do not look like the eyes of a blind. She finally pulled away. “I really don’t—”

“Please go before the history repeats itself.” She held her hands again. “Please save yourself, Elizabeth.”

Robyn’s eyes widened. The woman was a lunatic obviously, she thought. But she could not deny what she said at all. She swallowed hard. She pulled away her hands and hurried out of the shop. Her eyes were blinded by the sudden brightness.

When her vision came back, she gaped at the lamp post she had chained with her bicycle. The chain was dangling with the lock, which was unlocked. Her bike was nowhere to be found. She took off the chain and lock and leaned onto the post. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. She let it out in a bitter laugh.

Why do bad things always happen to me? She dumped the chain and lock into her backpack along with her ribbon bow. She had to take off her blazer and roll up her sleeves because she was burning furiously inside. She cursed the woman for predicting useless things about ruler and such instead of telling her what was going to happen to her bike.

She was about to walk down the street to find a cab when she heard a loud honk. She turned around to find a red Mustang parked on the road side beside her.

“What are you doing here?” Jack stuck out his head from the window and asked in such disbelief and shock.

Robyn was a little surprised. “Nothing. Just hanging around.” She shrugged.

“Alone?”

Robyn simply nodded.

Jack sighed and frowned at her. “Please get in the car. Now. It’s not safe to walk around by yourself at this time, especially on a street this quiet.”

She smiled to herself. Jack had always managed to be a gentleman under any circumstances, even when he was angry.

She walked around the car and went into it. “Did you walk here from school?” Jack helped her to put on the seat belt.

“No, I rode here on my bike.” She replied as if he had just mentioned something ridiculous.

“Where is it now?” He arched an eyebrow.

It was Robyn’s turn to heave a sigh. “Gone. Stolen.” Jack giggled at her answer. “That’s not funny.”

He apologised and went back to his serious self. He drove off the road side and down the road. “Did you go into that shop?” He saw the look on her face and added, “You know, the dark, old one without a name.”

She looked at him for his sudden curiosity. “No.” She had turned away. “It was too creepy.” She did not know why she had lied.

She heard Jack let out a quiet, suppressed sigh. “From tomorrow on, I’ll fetch you.”

Her jaws almost dropped. “What?”

“Frankly speaking, I don’t feel safe to let you be alone. You are such a magnet for bad luck.” There was not a hint of playfulness in his voice. He was serious.

“Okay, for this conversation sake that I’m unlucky, you still don’t have to go through the trouble to take me to school and take me home again everyday. Besides, Ashley can do that.”

“She has to work. No need to trouble her.” He suggested considerately.

“And there’s Stella.”

“Her mother has to fetch her, two little sisters and a brother, for God sake. Do you think there’s time or place for you?” He blurted as-a-matter-of-factly.

“Well, then Damien—”

“Absolutely not.” He cut off her sentence before she could finish. He said it through his teeth.

“But—”

“No more buts.”

And that was pretty much the end of the discussion. The sun was setting when Jack took her home. After taken a nice warm bath, she sat at her desk to finish her school work.

She stared blankly at her French textbook. She was stuck at a sentence. She did not know how to interpret it. She took a deep breath to rest her strained brain. She then turned to the window. She jumped a little when she saw the branches of trees swaying violently in the rain in sync with the strong wind. She thought for moment they looked like thin, crooked fingers stretching out to her.

It had been raining rather frequently for the past few days. It had been awhile since Alabama last had such frequent rain.

She climbed into her bed after packing up. Her eyes were tired but her mind was still too worked up about the things that happened on the last few days. She gazed at the ceiling for almost an hour before she finally fell asleep.

Robyn looked up into the sky. There were only a few distant stars shining dimly. There were almost no clouds. The malicious blood red moon glared at her. She looked away and down on her feet. She was standing on nothing but absolute darkness. Everything around her was pitch black with a red tint.

She waited patiently. For what, she did not know. She knew it would come. And then, an indolent ticking sound echoed in the darkness, and she could see an old Georgian clock with its second hand moving torpidly. When the minute hand struck twelve, a familiar melody rang in the air. It was familiar like she had heard it from somewhere before. Not in a dream, but in reality. The melody was soft and calming, but it made her mood changed. She became gloomy all of a sudden.

Why had not it come? She was anxious. But right afterward, she heard breathing. Whispers, to be exact. They were everywhere. She could not find the direction they were coming from. There was a swift intense feeling of fear pressing onto her. Her chest tightened and she could hardly breathe. She started running intuitively and she had wanted to scream but she had no voice.

She stopped abruptly when a dark misty shadow appeared before her. It was holding a long, sharp and pointed object in its hand — if a puff of dark swirly smoke could be called a hand at all. She glared at it when it darted towards her impetuously. It went straight through her body and then, there was a brusque, intense pain at her stomach. It was throbbing so badly that she could not help but pressed on it. Her hand touched something wet and sticky that was oozing out from her belly. It smelled of copper or metal.

Robyn threw off her blanket. She sat on her bed, panting and sweating heavily. The pain was too real and it stayed. She could still feel it. She pressed onto her stomach to make sure there was nothing seeping out from it. She felt relieved when the only thing she touched was her dry and soft pyjama. She wiped off the sweat on her forehead and was about to lie down when she had a familiar feeling — someone was watching her. She looked up and to her horror, there was somebody standing at the corner of her room. She instinctively turned on the bedside lamp but when she turned to the shadow again, it had vanished.

She swallowed and blinked. It must be the residues from her dream, she thought logically. She felt stupid. And she laughed to herself. She turned to the lamp to switch it off and she took a glimpse at her radio clock. The red digits glowed coldly at her. It was twelve at midnight.

Blood Moon: Chapter 3 - Bitter. Pain.

Robyn walked down the road toward a T-junction. There was a pole with three green plates at the top at the end of the road, each pointing at a different direction. She turned to the road which one of the green plates said Lucifere Street. As she turned, it had started pouring without forewarning.

Robyn instinctively covered her head with her hands and ran as fast as she could. Her house was still a little further down the road. Oh, no. I’ll be soaking wet.

She ran for another minute or so before finally reaching the porch of her house. She began patting and brushing water off herself from head to toe. That was when she realised something. Something fascinatingly strange.

She touched her hair and clothes. Strange. She took off her backpack and examined it. Very strange.

She was not wet at all.

She gaped at the water pouring from the sky. The rain splashed onto the ground so mercilessly. Everything outside was wet. The road she walked on was glistening with water. Now this is something that doesn’t happen every day. She was surprised she could still amuse herself despite the bizarreness of the event.

She blinked. And again. She shook her head and went into the house.

After that, she wet with her usual routine — dipped her feet in the cold water, ate the leftovers and finished her homework. Nelly was peculiarly quiet that day. She just lay there like a dead dog with occasional moans that sounded like she was frightened by something. For some reason, it might have been Robyn that she was afraid of because she would not let Robyn touch her. It annoyed Robyn.

Nelly had never been like that since the last time he came over to her place. It had only occurred to Robyn after awhile that Nelly had always acted like that whenever he was around.

It was still raining outside but it was not as heavy as one hour ago. She was lying face down on the bed, scribbling aimlessly on the notepad next to her calculus textbook. Her mind was tired from looking at all the questions. And then, she heard a car drove up at the driveway outside. She rose up from her bed lazily and looked down the window. Ashley was stepping out of the car. She’s early today, she thought. She was about to turned away when something — someone, caught her eyes.

There he was. A tall figure in a brown leather jacket and dark grey hoodie, with the hood over his head. He was slightly leaning against the boot of the car, hands in the pockets of the jacket with his head tilted up. He was staring at her. She could not see his eyes or his face but she knew he was. For a moment, she thought she knew him or maybe seen him somewhere before. She blinked hard. But when she opened her eyes again, he was gone. There was not any trace of a man had ever been on that spot.

Robyn broke away from her stare at the empty spot beside the car when Nelly let out a very unnerving moan.

****

A man dressed in a pair of torn jeans and a dark grey hoodie was standing on the tip of an antenna on one leg, under the big grey moon. He had no trouble balancing himself on it. The hood was pulled over his head so that his face was well hidden under it. The rain hit on his face but he gave no attention to it. He began to stretch out a leg and stepped onto the air. The rain gathered beneath his foot and solidified into a thick layer of cold crystal. He took another step, another block of the cold crystal formed from the raindrops. With every step he took, the seemingly cold crystal was formed under his feet.

An uneven path of thick ice was formed behind him. It had led him to another antenna tip. He hopped onto the next antenna, balanced himself effortlessly. The ice melted into water in an instant and splashed onto the smooth concrete roof —in this case, the floor, as if it did not remember it being an ice a second ago. There was no need for him to form the icy path but he was having fun with this.

He smiled to himself. Ice began to form from beneath his Nike sneakers, sloping downward, to the edge of the roof. This time the icy path was smooth and shaped like a skateboarder’s launch ramp. Again, it was unnecessary, but he liked it. Let’s treat it as a practice.

He bent his body down toward the icy path until his body was in a position that is impossible for a human to still be able to balance itself on the pointed tip of an antenna. He dropped and glided on the path like a professional skater. He reached the end of the path and then, it felt like he had stopped in mid air.

Then, a gush of angry wind splashed on his face and the rain lashed at him. The feeling was familiar to him to the point that he was so used to it. It was the feeling that he loved and the very reason he was doing these things.

The feeling of falling.

It was terrifying and ghastly but relaxing at the same time. These feelings came in an equal fervour, in a complex mix like a cocktail. It was exactly what he needed at the moment.

He kept falling and saw the lights of the building swiped pass him like lightning. He closed his eyes. But soon enough, it all came to an end. He was only a few feet away from the ground but he did not set his feet on it. In fact, he was nowhere to be found.

A young girl with silky red hair that was pulled back into a high ponytail was holding a black umbrella, standing beside a lamp post just below the building. She was staring at the very spot where the man had vanished. Her face was emotionless.

The man in dark grey hoodie came out from an unlit alley besides the building. The light of the lamp post shone on him, revealing a simper but the hood still shadowed his face.

The red-haired girl rolled her cornflower blue eyes and headed towards him. She moved the umbrella closer to him and over his head. “Satisfied?” Her voice was cold but with a hint of concern.

“Not really,” he answered, still smirking. “Still not high enough.”

“Not enough?” Her voice was pitched with disbelief. “This is Sears Tower, the current tallest skyscraper in all America. What else do you want?”

He put on a thinking face playfully. “Let’s say...the tallest building in the world?”

He noticed the girl had tried to avoid looking at his face a few times when she was talking. She could not take his smile. Nobody could take his smile, even for their kind. And she admitted that to him through her eyes. It was impossible not to return a smile when you have looked at his.

“Oh, stop simpering,” she complained. It was too much for her. She cleared her throat and braved herself to look at him. “Well, sorry to put this to you but there isn’t one.”

The man raised an eyebrow at her, looking as if he was waiting for her to enlighten him.

“Every few years there would be a new tallest building. Every country wants a ‘tallest building in the world’. You could never go to the tallest building in the world because there isn’t one.”

He chuckled and nodded in agreement. “Clever.”

The girl smiled triumphantly like a child.

“Now, Billie, let’s go home.” He turned but a hand held him back.

“Not until you tell me what happened.” She stared at him like her eyes had just become an X-ray machine.

He returned the gaze and was quiet for awhile before he answered her question. “Nothing.”

“When people say there’s nothing, it usually means there is something.” She tilted her head up a little, trying to look wise and intended to pull the secret out of him by force.

He stared at her for another long time and he sighed. He gave up. “I feel...ambivalent.”

****

Robyn woke up the next morning to the smell of bacon and egg. She liked that feeling. She brushed up quickly and changed into her uniform. She went downstairs and skipped the last few steps of the staircase. The sound made Nelly ran towards her. She was shaking her tail vigorously as if she was excited about something. As if she had just seen her owner that had been away for awhile.

Robyn patted her furry head. She was glad Nelly was back to normal.

Ashley had started eating with a morning paper in her hands. Robyn put her backpack on the couch and went to her breakfast. They talked of their parents who called last night when Robyn was sleeping and something about Ashley’s workplace. Robyn glanced at her watch, then forced a whole piece of egg into her mouth and gulped down a glass of milk. She nearly choked on that.

“I’m off.” Robyn said without looking at her sister while she grabbed her backpack and walked to the door.

“Robyn,” Ashley called out to her just before her hand reached the door knob. “Be careful.”

Robyn was confused for a moment. Ashley often said that to her when she went out but this time it sounded different, like she was really worried. “O-kay.” And she ran off to school.

Robyn had a car. A 70’s Plymouth muscle car. It used be her Dad’s. It had been in the garage for quite some time now. She only ever used it when she really needed it. Driving that old steel junk around was not a proud thing to do. That was why she preferred to walk to school. Otherwise, standing beside that junk would draw attention. And that was the last thing she wanted.

It was funny. Even though her house was just next to Damien’s, they had never gone to school together nor had she ever ran into him on the way to school. Until now.

Damien was leaning against the wooden fences surrounding his garden, smiling brightly at her, cleanly dressed in his uniform. He did not pull up his sleeves and he was even wearing the ridiculous tie. “What took you so long?” He moved and took her backpack off of her back. He then dropped it into the storing space of his Suzuki race bike and passed a helmet to her.

She took it mindlessly when she was still looking at him, confused. “Were you waiting for me?”

“Yep. Ain’t I great?” He grinned sheepishly while he got onto the bike.

“This is the first time ever I’m going to school with you.” She put on her helmet and got onto to the bike, too. This was not the first time she rode on his bike, though.

He kept quiet and he kept on pulling his sleeves over his wrists. That was when she noticed. She grabbed his right hand without warning. He was shocked. He tried to pull it back but it was too late.

Robyn looked at his bandaged hand, then at him. “What happened?” Her voice sounded like a mother worried about a child.

He tried to pull away again and it worked. “It’s nothing,” he answered flatly. “I got hurt fixing my bike yesterday.” He made a gesture of grabbing something and letting it go a few times. “See, it’s fine.”

Robyn crossed her arms in front of her chest and glared at him. “Why do you get hurt over fixing your bike so often? Two weeks ago it was your left leg and a month ago it was your neck.”

“Really. It’s nothing. Now, c’mon. We’re gonna be late.” He grabbed her hands and put it around his waist. He started the engine and rode towards the school. She knew he would not tell her the truth even if she stuck a knife on his throat. So, she let it go.

They, actually, arrived earlier than expected. Robyn sat at her usual place, waiting for Stella to come. Damien had run off to answer a call just before he stepped into the class. Robyn was half day dreaming when she heard something shocking. Not terrifying, but shocking.

A group had gathered at the centre of the class. People were talking loudly. There were Dina — the richest girl in school, Lex — an airhead footballer, Johnny — the bossy class president, and Penelope — a cheerleader, another airhead. Those four were the only ones she knew aside from Damien, Stella and Jack. They were the famous four — the Gossip Group.

“It’s on the news last night and the paper this morning,” said Dina the Rich Girl.

“It was terrible. Two bodies, but no blood or wound. Not even a bruise,” said Penelope the Cheerleader.

“What’s so terrible about it? It could have been poison,” Lex the Footballer suggested as-a-matter-of-factly.

“Didn’t you pay attention to the news? The bodies were drained of blood! How could somebody lose all the blood without a visible wound?” Johnny the President suggested.

“Must be some sick, sadistic, psycho killer. Murdering the girls by draining their blood and let them die a torturous death. I pray it won’t happen to me.” Dina swallowed hard and held on to the cross pendant of her necklace.

“You worried too much.” Lex gave out a mocking laugh.

“Lex, it all happened in Ellens Creek! Hello? That’s, like, the town right next to Donnsville.”

I really should start reading newspaper or watching the news.

That explained everything. Both Ashley and Damien. Overreacting siblings and worrywarts. But Robyn felt warm inside, albeit a little annoyed. She was smiling to herself when a silhouette appeared and blocked the sunlight from the windows. She looked up and her dark green eyes met with a pair of glimmering amber eyes. They just stared at each other for awhile.

Robyn finally broke the silence. “What do you want?”

Jack laughed bitterly. “Good day to you, too.” He turned away but stopped. He sighed and turned back. He opened and closed his mouth a couple of times before he finally spoke. “I need to talk to you.”

Robyn opened her mouth to talk but she could barely start her sentence when he interrupted her.

“I’ll meet you at the gym after school.” His voice was so low. It was almost like a whisper. He saw the expression on her face and added, “Please.” He said it firmly.

He went back to his seat just before Damien walked in with Stella. Somehow, she felt like somebody was glaring at her. She turned to her left. A girl turned to the front just as Robyn looked at her. A girl with curly blond hair.

The entire school was talking about the murders. Apparently, the victims were young girls about Robyn’s age. Every place, every hallway was echoing the incident. The teachers were agitated. The students were restless. No one seemed to talk about other things. And that made it worse for Robyn because Damien would not let her out of his sight. It was beyond the point of overprotective. If it kept up, she would not be able to meet Jack.

Yes, she had decided to meet him. She was not sure why. The little voice in her head was telling her to.

Fortunately, Stella was on her side. Damien was half walking by himself and half pulled by Stella when he went home. Why is he so worried?

“It’s dangerous now! First Riverdale and now Ellens Creek.” Damien explained before he left.

Robyn was confused. “Riverdale? But it was just a fire.” Well, an abnormal fire.

He was silent for a moment like he was thinking about something. He was edgy. “Well...they’re both bad incidents. It doesn’t hurt to be careful.”

Yes, both the incidents weren’t good thing obviously. But how were they related? Seriously, this boy worried too much.

Robyn closed her locker and put an arm through one of the straps of her backpack, leaving it half hanging on her back. She took off her prussian blue ribbon bow and unbuttoned her cuffs. There was not anybody else on the hallway. It was just her. She walked to the staircase which leads to the gymnasium. Her heart was racing faster by the second and her stomach had curled into a knot. She was still nervous to be alone with Jack.

She had reached the staircase. She looked down the shiny stone steps and pondered. She was having a headache. She hated him but his tone when he asked her was so convincing and impossible to resist. Finally, she took a deep breath and ready to walk down the stairs.

That was when she felt a sudden push on her back. One of her feet slipped off the step and she had completely lost control over her body. There was nothing beneath her feet and her body felt so light. Her mind went blank and she knew what would come next. The pain, the screaming, the tears. All in the order.

However, that moment never come. Her body did not feel the smoothness and hardness of a marble floor. Instead, she felt something soft yet firm. It was a little cold.

She opened her eyes slowly and they met those beautiful golden eyes. They were so gentle. They were filled with concern but it quickly changed to fury when they looked up the stairs.

“Liz—” Jack paused for a second. “Robyn, are you alright? Are you hurt?” He was touching her body gently as if she was a thin piece of glass that would break at even a light touch.

She was going to say she was not before she moved and felt a sharp pain on her right ankle. She let out a groan that she did not mean to. Immediately, he held her upper waist with one hand and her legs with another. He lifted her off her feet like she was no heavier than a baby. She was surprised and it felt a little uncomfortable.

“I can walk. Will you please put me down?” She made her voice sounded as cold as possible to hide her nervousness. But he did not listen. He bent down for her to pick up her backpack on the floor and he carried her to the first aid room beside the gymnasium.

He took care of her wound like he was used to doing it. As expected of an athlete, she thought. He was in the tennis and basketball team. And he was the president of the literature club.

“You twisted it a little. But nothing bad. It will be back to normal after a day or two.” He said with a gentle smile on his face. Robyn could not help but return it with a faint smile.

“Thank goodness,” he muttered when he was closing the first aid box. It was low and Robyn guessed it was supposed to let only himself hear it.

And that was the last thing he said after taking care of her twisted ankle. He carried her to his red Mustang and drove off the school grounds.

They were so quiet. Neither of them spoke. She was beginning to be choked by the silence.

“It was Amanda.” Jack spoke all of a sudden. It startled her. His eyes were still on the road.

“Huh?”

He looked at her, surprised, but it disappeared very quickly. He stared at her like he was studying her. Then, he laughed to himself. “I’m sorry. I forgot.”

Forgot what? She was more confused than ever.

He was still giggling. “I forgot that you never remember the face of the people in the school. Let alone their names.” He cleared his throat and he became serious again. “Amanda Snow. A girl in our class. She did it.” His eyes were fixed on the road again. “I’m sorry.” He sounded apologetic.

“Oh.” That was all she could say at that moment. Then, it finally occurred to her the real question. “Why would she want to push me down the stairs?”

He gave her a look and she immediately understood. Pieces of the puzzle were all put together now. The couple at Puffie’s, curly blond hair, the uniform and the girl that glared at her in the class. How can I be so slow?

She looked at the road and realised they were not going to her house. “Where are we going?”

“Well, we didn’t really talk. So...” They stopped at a park. She immediately recognised it. It was the park. The park they used to go. And she had not been here for a year.

It was an amazing park. The trees and bushes were as green as ever. When it was spring, the flowers would bloom everywhere. When it was autumn, everything would be golden and green. She remembered there was a fountain at the centre of the park and the couples would sit around it.

Jack stopped the engine but they did not get out. They just stayed in the car.

“Robyn,” he called gently. He looked so serious and troubled. “I hope you understand that Amanda and I have only been together for a short while. There’s nothing—”

“Nothing between the two of you?” Robyn finished his sentence.

“Yes.” He shook his head. “No.” He let out a frustrated sigh. “I don’t know what I am saying.”

Robyn heart sank. She was hoping that he would change but he hadn’t. “You really don’t have to explain it to me. If you do that, you will have to explain every single relationship you have been through with, well, almost every girl in the school.” She laughed bitterly.

“The way you put it...It seems like Ally or whatever the name is going to join your ex-girlfriend club real soon.” She was not looking at him anymore. She could feel warmth welling up in her eyes.

“No. Listen, you don’t understand—”

“Yes, and I don’t want to.”

He opened his mouth but nothing came out. He looked defeated.

“They were your victims.” Just like me.

He turned to look at her in great disbelief and grief. “No!” He was almost shouting. “You’re not like them!” Robyn was surprised by his last sentence, and so was he.

He had calmed down now. But Robyn had not. The stinging warmth in her eyes was overwhelming. “Don’t even bother. You and I are over.”

Jack held her hand and looked at her pleadingly. “Robyn, please listen to me.”

“You don’t know about love, do you? Because you’ve never fallen in love before.” Robyn could hear her voice shaking. She was fighting her tears back.

Jack sighed in disbelief. “I do know. I do have somebody I love.” He looked at her like he was trying to tell her something but could not. His grip tightened upon her hand.

She tried hard to hold back her tears but she could feel a tear had rolled down her cheek to her chin. She wiped it off immediately. She shoved his hand away, grabbed her backpack and jumped out of the car. She walked right ahead without knowing where she was heading and ignoring the pain at her ankle. Jack got out of the car and was right behind her. She wanted to walk faster but her ankle was hurting and she limping heavily.

Jack was crying for her to stop before she hurt her ankle again but she ignored him. Then, all of a sudden she was lifted off her feet.

“Put me down!” She hit him on the chest with her backpack.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what else I can say.” He looked down at her apologetically. “I’m sorry.”

She stopped struggling and waited for him to continue.

“I can’t take it any longer. I can’t take being hated by you. Have you any idea how I felt when you’ve ignored me for a year but when we started talking again you were as cold as ice?”

He looked at her with a grieving face. She looked away.

“At least let me stay by your side as a friend.”

Blood Moon: Chapter 2 - Boys. Contempt.

Robyn woke up in the morning, trying to put the dream at the back of her head. It was strange for a dream to remain so vivid in her mind as if it was real.

She put on her long-sleeved white shirt and red pleated plaid skirt. She turned to her mirror and tied a prussian blue bow on the collar of her shirt. She stretched her hand out of the window and felt the weather. It was a little cold. She took out her long-abandoned Lucien East High School dark grey vest from her closet and put it on before she put on the black blazer.

It only took her twenty minutes to arrive at school by feet. It was only around the neighbourhood. As she walked toward the school compound, she saw hundreds of students with black blazer and either dark grey khaki or red pleated plaid skirt. Some of them were wearing the school’s sky blue polo shirt. She frowned at the boys’ tie. She always thought their neck ties were ridiculous — red with thin prussian blue stripes.

She walked up the hard cement steps absent-mindedly until someone caught her eyes. A boy was leaning against the steel railing of the stairs, talking casually with his friends. He had short seal brown hair, heavy brows and a rectangular face with a slightly hooked nose. His skin was so beautifully pale and translucent against the bright sunlight. He wore his tie and entire uniform neatly like a gentleman. The white shirt and black blazer only made him looked paler. She was staring at him unintentionally again. She could never explain why he always had a kind of power to draw her towards him. His amber eyes looked at her. She quickly looked away and walked pass him.

When she walked into the building towards her locker, a voice called out to her from behind. “Good morning.” The boy looked at her with his mesmerising golden eyes and smiled gentlemanly.

She turned her gaze away from him. “Mornin’,” she replied without looking at him.

“Why so serious?” The boy went in front of her and walked backwards, making it impossible for her to not look at him.

“For your information, I’m always serious,” said Robyn coldly, still not wanting to look him in the eyes. It was not difficult to avoid his eyes as he was almost a foot taller than her. “And you’re blocking my way.”

He went quiet for awhile. He went back to her side. She did not have to look at him to know that he was frowning. “Why do you always act like this in front of me?” His tone was more serious than before.

Robyn flashed him a quick smile. “Gee, I don’t know.” She sped up to lose him but he still managed to catch up to her. Robyn, annoyed, turned around he nearly bumped into her. “Would you quit following me?”

He smirked. “Well, we’re going to the same class. So, technically I wasn’t following you.”

She narrowed her eyes on him. She took a quick glance of the surrounding and pointed at the girls’ washroom. “Jack, I’m going to the washroom. If you don’t mind, you may come, too.” She looked at him triumphantly.

They stood quietly for a moment before Robyn walked towards the washroom.

“Lizzie,” Jack called from her back. He waited for her to turn around before continuing. “Can’t we go back to how we used to be?”

Robyn swallowed hard and gripped on her books tightly. Do not give in to it. “No.” She stared at his disappointed eyes coldly. “And stop calling me that.”

****

She walked into the washroom, leaving Jack standing on the same spot, frustrated. He frowned a little. It won’t be easy after all. He forced a smile toward his tennis teammates, who were waving vigorously at him, and a few cheerleaders who were passing by.

He began to walk away when a voice called out to him. “Thought I told you not to bother her again, Kennington.”

He turned around to see a boy with spiky ash blonde hair was staring at him furiously with his violet eyes. Jack returned the gaze. He stuck his hands into his pockets. “It’s none of your business, Quinn,” he said in a deep voice. He moved his gaze onto the boy’s pocket. He stared at it for awhile and frowned. “Stop bringing such dangerous stuff to school. People would think you’re up to no good.” He smiled to him gently.

The boy gave him a stiff smile. “Thank you for your concern. But I believe it is necessary to have it in order to make some things to stay away.” His words were filled with caustic
sarcasm.

****

Robyn was walking in circles in the washroom for a few minutes before she went for her locker. She peeked through the door gap and checked if he was still there before she stepped out of the washroom. After taking some books, she went straight to her history class. She really wished she would not to see that beautiful face again. But that was impossible. She had to bear with it until graduation.

When she arrived at her class, she looked at the front most desk for a second. It was empty. So were most of the seats. It was still early before the bell rings. She walked straight to the back and sat at the last desk. Stella was already there, sitting in front of her. She pulled out a folder where she had kept her homework from her backpack and gave a stack of stapled papers to Stella.

“Oh, thank you, thank you!” Stella grabbed the papers and smiled brightly. She read through them quickly and looked up. “Oh, god! I can’t believe you have finished it. I haven’t even started.”

Robyn was about to reply when she saw a figure walked pass and sat at the desk on her left at the corner of her eye.

“Morning, ladies.” The voice was husky but boyish at the same time. She knew that voice.

Robyn and Stella looked at the boy, overcame by surprise. Those mysterious violet eyes and cute spiky hair. He had an oblong face with a somewhat pointed chin, an aquiline nose and bushy eyebrows. The tie was hanging loosely around his neck. It was him. Robyn had a sudden urge to throw herself into his arms but she restrained it.

“Damien. You’re back.” Her voice was trembling. With happiness.

“Finally!” Stella almost jumped from her seat. She could not stop smiling. “You’ve been gone for almost a week.”

“How’s your uncle?”

He played with his hair on the back of his head. “Better. Still bedridden, though.” He shrugged.

“You must be very close to him to fly all the way to Ireland,” said Stella. Damien gave her a faint smile.

“How come you never mention anything about him before this?” Robyn looked at him curiously. He shrugged and gave that same smile again.

Damien was Robyn’s brother. A brother she never had. Even though he was a year younger, he was much more mature than her. He was tall and fit with a footballer’s figure. He had been living next to her since forever. They grew up together, the very reason he could be a little overprotective of her. They were close but there was always a distance between them. There were things she did not know about him. There were a lot of things that he had kept from her. For instance, she was never allowed into his house. And he travelled a lot. Often something to do with visiting his relatives or friends. What kind of people has relatives and acquaintances all over the world? She always wondered about that.

****

“Erghh...” Damien pushed away the jelly in his tray.

Robyn and Stella were eating rather enjoyably before he made that sound. It was small compared to the noises in the cafeteria but they could still hear it. If there was one thing in the world that he hated most, it would be sugar. He never ate sweet things. He loathed them. There was once he threw up the food in his mouth when he tasted sugar in it.

However, there was one particular person that he hated as much as sugar.

“Hello.” The trio jumped a little on the voice.

Damien looked up with a sharp stare. Yes. Him. Jankin Xavier Kennington. “Why, hello, Kennington.” He stared coldly at Jack who was smiling brightly. They never got along. Never.

“That would be a waste, Quinn.” Jack picked up the cup of jelly. He scooped a spoonful of it and put it into his mouth. “Sugar makes the world a better place.” He grinned.

They stared at each other silently. “What do you want?” Damien asked firmly.

“I wanted to borrow something from Stella,” Jack explained. He turned to Stella. “May I have the notes from today’s history class?” He eyes were fixed not on Stella but on Robyn.

Robyn ignored it and continued having her meal.

Stella blinked. Obviously she was wondering the same thing as Robyn — why would the top student borrow notes from a girl who got C for every history test?

Stella did not hate Jack like they did. She could never hate anyone. They were the only two persons in school who were not fond of him. Stella agreed to give it to him after lunch and he thanked her.

Just when Robyn thought he was leaving, he sat right beside her. He leaned close to her. “Perhaps there’s something about my face that you can’t bear to look at it,” he whispered in her ear.

Robyn could felt her face grew hot. Her heart skipped a beat. His voice was so soft and gentle. It was like a siren’s song that was luring her to him. She breathed heavily and put down the fork in her hand. She looked up and stared straight into his amber eyes. “Yes, actually.” She took in another deep breath. “I never liked your face.” It was loud enough for the neighbouring tables’ students to hear it. They stared at her incredulously.

Jack smiled brightly. He was almost laughing. He leaned even closer to her. “You’re lying,” he breathed in her ear. Robyn could not look at him. He would easily realise that she was nervous. There was a moment of awkward silence. Robyn could see the anger was building up inside Damien as he was clenching fists more and more tightly. However, strangely, he started to loosen up his fists and the anger in his eyes decreased by the second. When had he learned to control his temper?

“Maybe...I should give it to you now.” Stella interrupted the silence. She rose from her seat with her tray of finished meal. “Come with me.”

“Sorry to trouble you,” said Jack gentlemanly. He followed her out of the cafeteria but not before he gave Robyn a long stare. He was smiling but somehow it was not reflected in his eyes. He stared with an unfathomable look in his eyes. It was as if he was trying to tell her something.

Robyn was staring into the air blankly when Damien held her hands. There was a solemn look on his face. “You should stay away from him.” His voice was deep and even huskier.

Robyn was going to ask “Why?” but she stopped when she looked at his scowling face. She gave him a reassuring smile instead. “It’s not like I would deliberately go anywhere near him.” Not after what happened.

****

Damien Quinn spent almost the whole seven hours at school watching Jack Kennington. That was the main purpose for him at school, not studying.

He was homeschooled until Robyn went to ninth grade. He decided to go to school with her after what he saw that day.

Robyn brought a boy home on that day. He hated that boy the moment he saw him. That preppy and classy brunet gave out a peculiar aura around him. And he recognised that aura. It could never be mistaken. He’s dangerous. He would never let him get close to Robyn, not when he had that aura. But the boy knew he was watching him. He shot Damien a nasty look before he went into her house. That look was the cause of all his actions from then on.

Damien walked out of the class after everyone else when the bell rang. He was about to meet up with Robyn and Stella who were having French class when Jack approached him. He was leaning against the wall, smirking. “You know, you might as well set up surveillance cameras around the school. That way you wouldn’t be so exhausted.” He walked away, still grinning.

Damien, pissed, followed suit. He was in almost every class Jack was in. Sometimes even he himself thought he was a psychopathic stalker. Suddenly he felt vibration in his pocket. He took out a flip phone and answered it. The moment he did so, his face fell and he frowned. He pondered for awhile and sighed. “I’ll be there. But after school.” He hung up before the voice in the phone could say anything.

****

After school, Stella and another friend — not a close one — of Robyn, Emily Dallaghan dragged Robyn to Puffie’s Sweet Bar. It was a sweet shop down the street that sells every kind of dessert you could think of. From milkshakes and smoothies, to ice cream and cakes and candies. Obviously, Damien was not with them. He was gone the moment the bell rang, as usual. He might have run away because he overheard Emily inviting them during class. At least, that was what she thought.

Robyn sat down on the shocking pink cushion, or rather, she was pushed down by Stella and Emily. The shop was decorated like the sweet house in Hansel and Gretel. Candies, cookies and ice cream were everywhere, up on the walls and on the tables and chairs, too. All the cushions were of shocking pink. Disgusting, she thought. She had been here for a few times, and none of the time she came on her own will.

She had braced herself for what is going to happen. A girl with dyed-white hair and pink highlights would drop three menus onto the tables and walked away without looking at them for once. Robyn had always liked the lime and raspberry milkshake — the only thing she ever liked in the shop, but not that waitress.

Jenny. Robyn named her Jenny the Scary Rabbit. She was a full-time waitress here. Only a few years older. She dressed like a cute doll but she never acted like one. She was like a cute rabbit that made people think she was cute but the moment you got closer, she would bit your fingers off.

But that never happened. A rather tall girl with short blonde hair came instead.

Emily and Stella looked through the menu but Robyn only glanced at it for a second and pushed it away. She was kind of surprise not being able to see that scary rabbit. Not that she wanted to see her face, though.

“Where is that girl?” An infuriated voice shouted from the back.

Robyn turned sideways to peek at the woman who shouted. It was the owner of the shop. The devilish look on the middle-aged, fat woman’s face was bloodcurdling.

“The hell I know. She didn’t even call.” The tall waitress put her hands on her hips and looked down on the older woman.

The woman let out a loud bitter laugh. “Didn't show up for work since last night and without leaving a call. She is so fired.” The woman then stomped into the kitchen like mad cow.

Robyn and Jenny never got along. Well, not as if they had ever talked more than a minute. Robyn could not quite grasp the reason Jenny hated her since the first time she was there. Then again, one could never understand what a lunatic is thinking.

The tall girl came back awhile later and took their orders. After that, Robyn did not speak a word. Emily had done all the talking. Stella was listening to her patiently and was trying her best not to lose it. Robyn stared at Emily’s mouth. How can she talk for hours without stopping? This should be listed as one of the biggest wonders of the world. All she talked about was the boys at school — who was cool and who was not.

“…date Jack Kennington,” Emily jumped up and down on her seat.

Robyn, who had lost interest in Emily’s continuously moving mouth, felt her heart skipped a beat. Stella elbowed Emily on the arm while she was looking at her.

Even though it had been awhile ago, that name still had the power to stir her up inside and make her feel uneasy. She looked away from them and turned to the door where a couple had come in through. Her heart stopped. Her chest tightened. The milkshake she just sipped was stuck in her mouth, unable to be swallowed.

The couple sat at a table at the corner with their backs facing her. But she knew it very well who the boy was. Those beautiful silky seal brown hair and pale translucent skin. She would never mistake him for someone else. The girl, however, was a mystery to her. She had curly sun blond hair with slightly tanned skin. She was wearing a sky blue polo shirt and a red pleated plaid skirt.
Stella and Emily did not seem to have notice about the couple. Robyn drank her milkshake in seconds and left the shop, telling the girls she had work to do.

****

The boy turned sideway and looked at the back of the girl who had just left. His eyes were cold, or rather, unable to express his emotions. He stared at her until she was out of sight. The blond girl cuddled closer to him, holding his left arm tightly. He moved it away.

Twofold: Prologue One - Lady Blue

When the sun was the highest in the sky, a boy in silk clothes stuck his head out of the dark tunnel. His eyes were blinded by the warm rays of the heaven’s eye. He blinked. His eyes then wandered around the surroundings. Nothing was familiar to him. The warm rays shone on his face and the sound of rushing water deafened him. His curious eyes observed everything carefully. A couple of birds flew away just as his eyes laid upon their nesting tree, as if his scrutinizing stare had frightened them away.

As he took his step towards the waterfall, a little girl in blue appeared before his eyes. She stepped on the slippery stones and took off her pointed leather shoes. She kicked the water aggressively, raged. Her rose lips were moving so fast as if they were trembling. He could not hear her voice over the rushing water and he moved closer. As he approached the back of the girl, she turned and faced him. She screamed at the top of her lungs like she had seen a ghost. The boy put his palm over her mouth, afraid that her screams will bring him troubles. She shoved away his hand angrily.

“God’s eye, is that hobby of yours? Scare people?”

“Most definitely not. It’s a gift from the Lord.”

The girl appeared to be even more unpleased with the boy with that answer. “Think you’re being funny?”

“No, milady. No means to be rude. Not at all.” He stared at her apologetically.

She let down her arms on her hips to the sides. She stared at the older boy and smiled.

“First time here?” The boy nodded. “’ve been here several times. Mostly when I’m outraged.” The boy kept quiet. “I reckon’d you should come more often. Helps free you from worries.” He kept quiet still, only nodded occasionally.

“Don’t you think the sound and smell of the mother nature are the best cure in the world?” The girl closed her eyes and emerged herself into the worry-free air.

She opened her eyes and looked at the boy. “You don’t talk much, d’you?”

“Pardon me.”

“Mind if I ask why you came?”

“I…got lost.” He looked away from her as he answered.

“Sheer dumb luck. I’d been looking for millenniums before I found here. Big brother told me of it. He found it when he sneaked out from practice.”

The girl went on with her stories and the boy sat close to her and listened to every one of them with curiosity. Never in his fourteen years of life had he heard about anything like these. She was like a book that tells the adventures of life and lured him to go into the exciting new world. Just as the story was at the peak, the book was closed. The girl ran out of the forest, leaving him lusting for more of her tales, but not before they promised to see one another a day later when the sun shines on the west. They gave each other a name that only they shall know. One of Llonydd; another of Eirian.

As agreed, the boy came to the noisy water the day after when the shadows pointed to the west. He sat on the rocks, waiting patiently for his Eirian. She came through the thickest trees in the forest and showed the brightest smile when she saw him sitting there. She was happy to have met this quiet friend but perhaps her feeling was nothing compared to his. He urged her to continue with her tales, even though her tales were merely tales of quarrelling with her family, playing with friends and doing unlady-like things, or bravery, as what she called them. Day after day they would meet at the same place, at the same time, sharing tales of each other and playing by the water which led to the discovery of a strange mark on the boy’s chest by the girl. The mark was wing-shaped. It was a mark from birth, as told by him.

On that very same day, the boy gave his most treasured friend his most precious belonging, a gift from his mother -- Engel. He took a silvery, angel-shaped jewel off of his neck. He put it onto her. Delighted, she promised to be his best friend forever. She kissed him on the cheek before running into the forest like she usually did.

The next day, the boy waited at the same spot. He was as excited and anxious as usual to see his friend, a friend that had come to make him laugh and talk in a way he never did before. He waited and waited until the sun had retired and the moon awoke along with the diamonds of the night. The girl did not come. And so was the next day, and the day after, and months later. She never came again. The boy was devastated and heartbroken as he thought his friend had abandoned him.

“No matter the rivers of time and mountains of distant, the path to you shall never be destroyed. I shall find you or, at least, wait for you till the sun never chases after the moon again and till the sky and earth are no longer apart.”

Blood Moon: Chapter 1 - Girl. Beginning.

The wind howled quietly in the air, tousling the yellow leaves on the ground and lashing onto anything in its way. The moon reached its zenith high up in the air, looking down to the earth with its pale grey eyes indifferently. A few wolves cried hungrily from afar. Everything else was sleeping soundly. A pair of shadowed eyes schemed across the street outside the forest from behind one of the many trees. The dark figure breathed in the cold damp air slightly as if sniffing like a curious canine. A smile stretched across the shadowed face.

Near. It’s near.

A dark red liquid was dripping from its coat onto the dried leaves under its feet. The sound was small but so clear in its ears. It turned to the slim figure lying motionlessly on the ground behind it. It had been a terrible long time since it had last done this. How memorable and remarkable the feeling was. The girl was so very young and beautiful. It almost felt sorry for her. Almost.

It raised its left hand as if it was touching an invisible wall. A rush of heat flow from its chest to the entire body and then gathered around its palm. A flash of red flame sparked off from nowhere and grew in size with the number of trees. All the trees were engulfed by the bright, angry red flame in a blink of an eye. The body was no longer in sight, the same for the dark figure.

****

A girl with long wavy auburn hair was sitting at the very last desk at the corner of a white classroom. Although her bangs had covered most of her eyes, it was clear that she had long eye-lashes and dark green eyes. She did not have a tall, skinny body like the other girls at school. Instead, she only had a height of five feet four and a...healthier figure, as she called it. She was as pale-looking as always. And quiet, too. She did not like to talk much, one of the many reasons she was branded as a Nobody.

To put it simply, not many people knew of her existence. She did not blame them, though. It was her primary goal to not standout in the crowd, or better yet, to not get any attention at all. She had an average height and figure, an average look, and average grade in the class, which was why sometimes even the teachers forgot about this particular student. Even the name, Robyn Winston, was so ordinary. What a sad, average girl I am, she thought. But this was because she did not know what was coming.

Mr Morgan, her English literature teacher, asked a question and waited patiently for someone to answer. She knew the answer but she would never raise her hand. She was not particularly interested in literature. She had only taken it because of her. The last bell rang before Mr Morgan could get an answer for his question but he still managed to torture them with an assignment to interpret one of Tennyson’s poems before they flock out of the class.

Robyn slung her backpack on her shoulder and was ready to leave when a hand tapped on her other shoulder. She turned to see a girl slightly taller than her, with straight jaw-length red hair smiling brightly at her. Her pale green eyes glimmered at Robyn like fresh emeralds.

“Could you, perhaps, help me with the assignment?” She bit her lower lip and looked at Robyn pleadingly.

Robyn sighed. Does she even have to ask?

“It’s a yes, right?”

Robyn gave her a faint smile and rolled her eyes.

She jumped onto Robyn and gave her a hug, with a huge smile on her face. “You’re the best, Robyn.”

“You know, I took literature because of you. Don’t you think it’s ironic that you are relying on me?” She grinned.

The girl pushed her hair behind her ears. “Well, I’m not gifted in literature like you are. You should thank me for dragging you into this.” She crossed her arms in front of her chest and grinned like a child who had just won a fight over a toy.

Stella Stravinski, Robyn’s first friend at Lucien East High School. She was rather popular among the boys because of her delicate features and personality. She was always down to earth and selfless to the point that she could not reject any request for help from people. She even had difficulties to reject a boy. She and Robyn were practically from different polars of personality. Robyn was private, self-conscious and quiet. Stella was kind and compassionate to everyone she met, and bright. Despite of their differences in terms of personality, they became the best of friends over the years since seventh grade.

Robyn walked down the usual path to home. She was living in the greenest neighbourhood in Donnsville. Bushes and trees were everywhere. The sweet and calming scent of the flowers and leaves was always in the air. She breathed in slightly. She loved this place. She loved the subtropical climate the most. Hot and humid summers; Mild and rainy winters; And the contradiction during autumn when pink blossoms bloom brightly against the golden leaves and bright blue sky. Most of the houses in Donnsville were built in southern style — spacious and airy with tall ceilings, large front porches and veranda, and roofs with dormers. Evidently, Robyn’s house was one of them. Hers was a two-story, pale green house with a wrap-around porch and three gabled dormers on the roof.

She strolled toward the large green front yard and then the dark cherry wood door. The moment she opened it, a fluffy golden fur ball came rushing down the stairs and pounded onto her. That would be Nelly, her beloved golden retriever. She patted Nelly on the head and looked around the house. She fed her some snacks and went up to her room. The walls were painted in alizarin red with the floor carpeted with cream coloured soft carpet. There was a large dormer window on the other side of the room. It had a dormer window seat with matching colour to the walls. Her queen-size brass bed was covered with white and grey blanket, bed sheet and pillows, decorate with pale blue floral print. The room was bedecked slightly in Victorian style, like all other rooms. Her room, however, was darker than the others.

She closed the door and put away her backpack and books. She took off her black shoes and socks and stepped into the bathtub half filled with cold water. It was her little quirky habit. After changing into her normal clothes, she tied up her auburn hair and heated up a plate of leftover spaghetti.

Robyn was not the type of person that enjoys after-school activities. She very seldom hung out with her friends after school, including Stella. The sun had set. She sat in front of the television for hours. She was not actually listening to the reporter reporting on the weather. It was not until a flick of an image on the television that she paid attention to the news.

“...started last night at Riverdale without an apparent source. The firemen said it might have been a natural forest fire intensified by chemical combustion. As—“ The reporter stepped aside and revealed what looked like red, transparent fire, burning furiously. “— you can see, the fire has a very peculiar colour. The firemen are still trying to put it out. Up until now, there is no report of injury or death. Hopefully, there won’t be any until the very end...”

Riverdale, the town about five hundred miles away from Donnsville. A forest fire? How could it have happened with all the humidity in the air? And there wasn't a lightning storm. She stared at the screen, hugging the pillow tightly.

The bright red flame continued to flicker on the screen. A feeling of uneasiness bottled up from the bottom of her stomach. She could not understand why she was so afraid, why she felt that the fire was neither naturally nor chemically illuminated, and why she felt as if there was something coming. She was not afraid of the fire but something else. Something unknown.

She jumped a little when the front door closed. An adult, and more beautiful, version of herself came walking into the living room.

“Why so jumpy?” said the twenty-five years old woman.

Robyn sat up straight on the couch and clenched her jaws. She bit her lips. “You’re late today.”

“Some extra works.” She took off her coat and hung it on the hanger. “Did you cook?”

Robyn stared at her plate on the coffee table. The woman’s eyes followed her gaze and then rolled her eyes. “Sluggish pig.” She walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. “Go order some Chinese. I don’t feel like cooking.” She poured the apple juice into a glass and gulped it down her throat.

Who’s the pig now? Robyn picked up the phone and order some noodles from a nearby Chinese restaurant. After putting down the phone, she turned to the woman. “Ashley, I need your help on calculus. Are you free?”

“More numbers? As if it’s not enough to look at them 24/7,” she whined.

Robyn frowned. “Fine. Sorry for asking,” she said bitterly.

The woman who was called Ashley put away the glass and looked at Robyn apologetically. “Oh, come on. You’re my little sister. ‘course I’ll help you. But not before I have my bubble bath.” She smiled at Robyn and walked up the stairs before Robyn could say a word.

Robyn slid down the couch and was about to change the channel when Ashley shouted like a trumpet from upstairs, “How many times have I told you not to leave the clothes around? And clean off the dust on your desk!”

Robyn sighed. Ashley was a typical Virgo. A complete clean and control freak, unlike Robyn, who's also a Virgo. Robyn wasn't as sensitive about cleanliness as her, and she didn't like to take charge of things, too. But it couldn't be helped, Robyn thought. Ashley was in charge ever since their parents moved to Spain as she was the only adult in the house.

****

It was raining outside when Robyn was sound asleep in her warm bed. It was only a mild rain. She had her first dream in weeks.

There was this old Georgian clock which its second hand was ticking slowly and sluggishly as if it was spoiled. The minute hand was only a few millimetres away from the roman number twelve. But finally, the clock struck twelve with a melody ringing all over the air. The moon was high in the midnight sky but it was neither silver nor yellow. It was red. The surrounding sky was infected by its redness to the point that the sky looked like it was bleeding.

It was a strange dream. Dreams are bound to be illogical, silly. The little voice in her head said so. It must be because of the forest fire I saw on the news. Yeah, it must be.

Hello~

Hihi, it's me, Miharu -chan =) (like you would know who the hell I am XP)

This is a blog I created solely for posting my novels.

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