The Last Vampire

by Mary Danganan

  Her eyes dropped to the floor as if she knew the answer to the question. I held her shoulder and shook her lightly, waking her up.

  “Kirsten, now it’s your turn. Tell me what this book is all about.”

  She did not bother to meet my eyes, but she collapsed on her stool. Her eyes were still on the floor, leaving her with a shocked expression.

  “This book was probably thousands of years old. I never knew it even existed. Famous historians all over the world have said it was true, but I thought it was too much of a sappy story to be a reality. It was believed to exist, but I doubted if it was true.”

  I could not grasp the ideas she wanted me to absorb. I was lost in her words. “So, what now?”

  “The handwriting was real. The mellowing of the pages was creepily untouched. It was genuine, everything. No Photoshop or any enhancements involved, just pure authenticity.”

  My jaw almost fell on the floor. She went on with her study, telling me every finding she had discovered.

  “This book tells about how vampires thrived in the world. What’s spooky about it was the fact that it was written like a daily account of things.”

  I was not blinking anymore. “Like a diary?”

  Finally, her eyes courageously meet mine. Her face was pallid as ever as if her blood ran out from her system. Her lips had turned dry, but she was able to mouth the following words.

  “Yes, and it tells how vampires consume humans.”

  Chapter 7: Jorge Savage

  “Where are you going, son?”

  I could feel the airy, inaudible steps of my father as he walked behind me. It was another vibrant day, as bright as my mood the moment I opened my eyes this morning.

  “I’ll just go for a walk, father.” I was a bit nervous about committing a white lie, although I knew my father would know that I was concealing the truth. I turned around to face him, eager to see if my statement was at least believable or not.

  “Oh, is that so?” His sly smile made me uncomfortable. There was nothing to worry about, anyway. My father had longed for me to meet and go out with someone special. It had been his dream for me, and so was my mother’s.

  Perhaps, the humans were right. Life was indeed short. The concept might be an impossible fact for the vampires, but living the days to the fullest was worth the risk. It could have turned out to be a bad decision going out with a human, but it felt somehow right. Peyton still shook the hell out of my insides, but my hunger for flesh and blood had been replaced by my desire to see and spend some time with her.

  “I’m happy for you, son. I hope she’s the one.” My father’s words struck me like a lightning from the angry heavens. It was a bittersweet wish that reflected the facts before me. I really hoped she was the one, and that she could embrace me for who I really was…

  “I better get going, father. See you after sunrise.” I waved at him before zooming out of our huge house, trying to hide the worry from my face.

  *****

  Wandering along the tranquil, breathtaking park of Kingsville, I surrounded myself once more with nature’s comfort. The fresh air I breathed and shared with humans made me feel free as if I was a bird soaring the vast skies.

  Strolling in this paradise was similar to a sweet dream. I felt like I could do anything I want, and become anyone I want. As I took more steps and stared at the birds chirping on the thick branches, my lips curled up without me knowing it.

  My heart was warm, fuzzy and joyous. The sun rays glowed through me, shining upon my skin as if I was part of this wonderful bunch of perfect creations. I felt like I belong.

  It felt like home.

  The day I saw Peyton, I knew there was something different. At first, I felt hesitant to push my limits and face my fears. I was too cowardly to approach her, face her and stare at those big, doe eyes.

  Thank heavens, they gave me another chance to see her. Another reason why I loved this place occurred on another bright, sunny day just like today. An effervescent, adorable lady walked up to me, working her guts up to speak with a vampire. I knew fate was not fooling around this time. The signs were crystal clear—and I had to make my move before I regret that the opportunity’s gone.

  “Hey!” I heard her lively, sweet voice. I looked around and captured a simple yet beautiful lady standing near me, waving one hand high in the air. She wore a dark pair of jeans and a white shirt, her hair tied up in a messy bun.

  Goodness, she was the most stunning woman I had ever seen.

  I ran towards her direction, meeting her halfway. We stood before a tall, thick tree, shading us from the sunlight’s brightness. I did not mind it though, her luster was enough to light up my dark, lonely world.

  “I knew you are going to come around today,” I spoke to her, keeping my eyes darted on hers. I did not want to miss a moment. Memorizing every inch of her face and features would be my favorite hobby to do nowadays.

  She shrugged her shoulders, keeping an exuberant expression on her face. “Well, you caught me around.”

  We walked side by side along the pavement, staring at the kids playing around the wide community lot. Several elders were playing chess nearby, killing time with their close friends in the neighborhood. It made me yearn for the impossible, and I knew that I could not make it come to life. But what if I could live a normal life? What if Peyton could be the answer to my unending what-ifs?

  “Someone’s too quiet today.” Peyton bobbed her head to my side, breaking my early daydreaming. I shook my head a little, trying to erase all the thoughts that roamed around my head. It was not the best time to drift into imagination realm.

  “I’m just thinking of how happy these kids are.”

  Peyton looked at them and smiled, amused by the kids’ young, carefree ways. “I swear, my kids will be as happy as them. I don’t want them to feel what I had undergone before.”

  Peyton sat on one of the benches, her legs exhausted from the long walk. I settled beside her, making sure that she was doing okay. I peeked on her beautiful face to check if she needed something or wanted to rest in the meantime. She looked happy, but her eyes were shrouded with tears. I could not understand why, but my heart ached to see her cry. Putting one hand over hers, I squeezed it tight and tapped it gently with my other one.

  “Hey, what’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. Just old, silly scenes from the past tracking back memory lane for a swift replay session.”

  I wrinkled my brows, unsure of what to say. I wrapped my hand around her shoulder, making her feel she was not alone.

  As if on cue, her tears began to fall one after the other. Instead of making things better, I messed up. I stared at her eyes, frightened that I had made a great mistake for bringing something wrong up.

  “I’m sorry, Peyton.”

  “No, it’s my fault. I’m such a crybaby for nonsense things. God, I need to change my ways.”

  I knew she was lying. She was strong and brave, and I could tell that she would not cry over things easily. Peyton’s tears were rare as gold, and only the most heartbreaking things could make a lasting wound in her chest.

  “Peyton, you know you can tell me anything.” I tipped her chin, raising her delicate face to meet mine. Even though tears rolled on her cheeks, she was still striking.

  “My parents died in a car accident when I was seven. I was then left at my aunt’s house, playing dolls with my cousins. They told me my parents went away, and that they had to work for me to live. I lived with my aunt’s family from then on. At first, they treated me as one of their own. I was living a good life, and I was too happy playing with my cousins that I forgot about missing my parents.”

  Wiping her tears, Peyton started to calm down as she went on with her story.

  “But things changed when my aunt took all of my parents’ savings. They told me that they could no longer provide for me since raising six kids would be impossible for them. I was asked to pack for my things and be sent to an orphanage. There, I was bullied and hurt.
”

  One tear was followed by another. The tremors of her past were truly painful. I could not be more proud of her now that she had become a beautiful, successful, young lady despite what she had been through.

  “I know, I know. My life’s a mess, and I’m pitiful, but please don’t feel bad for me. I’m over that stage and I’ve moved on. Okay, maybe a little, but I’ll soon get there.” The melancholy in her eyes soon disappeared, and an outburst of colors flashed as she smiled at me. My heart was beating fast, and I fought my desperate want to kiss her lips.

  “You’re a fighter, and I know you’re better than anyone else. I believe in you, Ms. Hunt.” I gave her a reassuring grin to which she laughed off. The sound of her chuckle brought chills to my bone, but I loved it.

  “How about you, Jorge? You know me all too well, but you’re still playing the card of a mysterious, good-looking, alpha guy.”

  I fell silent for a few seconds. Not now, Peyton. I was not born ready for this.

  “Nothing’s exciting with my life, though. That’s why I opt to know yours.” She rolled her eyes in response to hearing my excuse for a number of times I could no longer keep count. I sighed heavily when I was certain that she would not dare to ask another question about who I really was.

  “Anyway, how’s the pub?” I tried to divert the subject, spinning the topic completely off of my life. Her eyes lit up as if there was something cheesy going on with her job.

  “There’s this weird case I’m trying to work on.” I watched her as her eyes sparkled with both thrill and horror. Deep inside of me, I felt a sharp punch in my gut. As if I knew what was to come, my heart beat in loud, strenuous thuds.

  “Tell me about it.” I kept a fake smile although I knew my face looked sour. She scooted a little to face me, her wonderment over her new assignment as grand as that of the sun’s size.

  “Someone’s sending me creepy stuff lately, but I believe he’s a reliable source of a big news.”

  I nodded, but my heart was shattered into pieces. There’s something wrong in here, and I would be too naïve not to anticipate that it had something to do with peril.

  “What sort of stuff did the source send to you?” My ears were ringing, and my eyes were starting to cloud with confusion. My head’s all over the place, and my mind’s thinking of a thousand reasons what this source wanted from Peyton. She cupped her chin as she recalled the things she received from this cryptic man fondly addressed as reliable.

  “At first, he sent me some weird photos of dead bodies together with old news clippings about unexplained deaths in Kingsville. Then yesterday, he left a box which contained an ancient looking book with old writings I could not understand.” She paused for a moment and searched for her pocket. After pulling it out of her jeans, she browsed her gallery and showed me a photo of the book.

  “Here! This is the cover of that creepy book.”

  I was trembling inside, my flesh pulsating over what it was. As I swam my eyes over her smart phone’s screen, I almost fell off from the bench.

  “I visited Kirsten the day I received the present. She said this one’s a myth. Although a lot of researchers had testified for its existence, there were no sightings or discoveries of this book. Now that I have it, their theories come to life. It’s pretty messed up, right?”

  She was still talking about the book, and how the photos correlate with the news clippings sent alongside them. Even the death of the old widower matched with these apprehensive bunch of parcels, rekindling the trend of unidentified murder cases. This bizarre truth slapped before my face was impossible to happen. It could not be.

  “Kirsten and I believe that a vampire could really exist. It might be the cause of everything.” Her fury reverberated in my ears, almost making me deaf. She called our kind it. She believed that we were a loathful race, a menace to their world.

  “Hey, speak up. What do you think, wise man?” She was smiling at me, her eyes pure and innocent. Peyton knew nothing. I could not afford to drag her along this pitfall blazing with flames and ashes.

  “I’m sorry, Peyton. I need to go.” I stood up from the bench, my feet wobbly for reasons I did not know why. There was a lot going on in my head, and I could not afford to sit pretty and ignore the merciless killings.

  I could still hear her, but her words turned obscure for me to comprehend. Helplessly, I ran as my feet allowed me to, trying to hide my inherent speed for the humans to see. They could not see me exposed. They would hate me and make me suffer the worst death ever.

  But against all these things, one question remained in my head. Never in my life did I attempt to binge on humans, and my father pledged to never do that again. We were the only ones left. It’s far impossible to occur, but it just did.

  If it was not between the two of us, then who the hell did this?

  Chapter 8: Peyton Hunt

  My day had transitioned from a tremendous, perfect date into a bummed, me-time flop. I had to make some quick tweaks to my daily planner, and coffee overdose could be a good substitute for a romantic lunch date. Well, it could be far off of its principal, but I needed to make it work.

  I was seated near the window, obsessing over the light, fluffy clouds. It reminded me of how easy it was being me around Jorge. Whenever I was with him, I felt like I was liked and loved by someone for who I really was.

  But now, everything turned into a dark smoke of bafflement. His sudden departure was totally out of the picture, and I could have never anticipated it. Was he shocked of my odd speculations about my secret source? Was I too preoccupied with thoughts that I started to look like I'd lost it?

  I turned away from the skies and focused on the cup of coffee before me. Right before I took a sip, I spotted Kirsten heading inside of the diner. When she was to step inside, I waved my hand up in the air, grabbing her attention.

  “Kirsten!”

  She squinted through her glasses, scanning my face as I beamed at her. Her expression changed upon recognizing me, walking her way towards my table.

  “Hey, Peyton! You with anybody?” She looked around the diner, hoping for someone to approach us and sit with our small, circular table. I shook my head in disappointment, remembering the silly act I did early this morning.

  “I thought you were with your crush.” She lowered her glasses, continuing her search over the place. The place was busy with a lot of people eating their lunch out, making Kirsten’s search difficult. Basically, she did not see him yet, so that’s another disadvantage for her not to find Jorge.

  “I told you, Kirsten. He’s not around.” I tapped her shoulder, trying to console her for her unpaid efforts. She gave me a dismayed look.

  “I thought I was to see him around.”

  “Well, me too. But there’s a sudden change of plans. He left.”

  Kirsten’s eyes changed into a wide pair the size of saucers. “What? He ditched you?”

  With her disbelief, the day before me flashed in speed replay. “Maybe, yeah. I don’t know.”

  Her brows wrung in unison. “You two are completely complex.”

  “Yeah, I don’t know. Guess we really are.” I exhaled audibly, turning my gaze to Kirsten’s eyes. “He just left after I told him about that anonymous gift giver.”

  She took my cup, sipping from it as her eyes examined mine. “He thinks you are crazy.” She giggled at her own pun, but I found nothing to laugh about. I thought of her words, considering the probability of their factuality.

  “You think so?”

  “Hey! I’m kidding!” She laughed again, but she stopped after realizing the awkward silence that surrounded her. She turned her expression into a sober one, cupping her chin as she studied me once more.

  “You don’t have to worry a thing, Peyton. Something must have come up that needs to be done.” She placed a hand on mine, keeping my hopes up.

  “Am I too weird?” I looked at her. For the first time, I was troubled by what others might have been thinking of me. I used to be a da
redevil with a go-getter attitude. A spitfire with a heart filled with courage. I was brave and young and goal-driven, knowing what I wanted and what needed to be done.

  Why was I too conscious of what people thought of me? Or rather, why was I too worried about what Jorge thought of me?

  “Relax, girl. This will pass, and you two can reset your date. Why don’t you text him?” She took another sip from my cup, enjoying her free drink. When her words registered in my head, I realized how much of a loser I was.

  “I don’t know his number, Kirsten!” Kirsten almost spat the coffee off of her mouth, shocked of what I had said. I was too busy with all the flowers and butterflies to realize how little I know about Jorge.

  “So let me get this straight for you. You are dating your crush, which is a dream come true. But you don’t know where he lives, who are his parents, how many dogs he owns, whether he likes blue than yellow and now, even his phone number?” I watched as her lips tightened, hoping for me to at least answer one of her questions. I sank into my chair upon hearing her words. It was a tough call, a wake-up call telling me that the sun rose from the east, not from the west.

  “I only know that he loves reading books. All sorts of books.” She was not blinking, astounded by the revelation I spilled out of my seat. I was stunned to learn this too because I was too blinded by my own emotions to see this truth.

  “Okay, one last question. What’s his favorite book?” She was squinting as if waiting for me to drop the bomb so I could explode into pieces. I did her a favor with a short, embarrassed shake of a head. The shade of scarlet filled her face as if she was ready to rant like a mother to her child.

  “What the hell are you two doing? Are you even going out?” Her voice was starting to get a little loud, which had me alarmed. Some of the people in the diner started catching up, staring at us like stupid fools wearing matching pajamas outdoors. I tried to calm Kirsten down, but she looked triggered up to her own boundaries.

  “Don’t tell me this crap’s happening on you again. I’ve had enough and I don’t what you to be left once more by the people you love and trust. This is simply self-torture.” Her voice bellowed as her anger was replaced by concern.