BLOODSUCKERS

The mysterious guy...

CHAPTER 1

My mother died three months ago. The first month I remember every night; those days come to my mind like flashbacks daily before I sleep. But after that month I can’t recall the other two, not a single minute, maybe because I haven’t been sober even one day. But it’s the only way not to feel pain. Every night I go to a different party where I don’t even know anyone. I no longer have any friends, but as long as there’s alcohol, it’s fine. 
I know my grandmother and my siblings are waiting for me at home, but why can’t I feel anything? It’s as if my soul were empty; I feel a weight on my chest that doesn’t even let me think. It’s as if my mother took my soul with her. When dad died, I was a baby, so I can’t understand—why do I miss him? All these emotions cloud my vision. Every night, this thought circles in my head. All these thoughts disappeared when I heard my phone vibrating in my pocket. It was Derek, my brother. 
—What do you want!?— I answered in an irritated tone, although I was relieved because it made me stop thinking about mom.

—Amelia’s worried. Are you coming back? It’s already 4 AM. I don’t even know why I’m asking; I already know the answer,— Derek said in a tone of anger and disappointment.

I knew my grandmother was worried. She had already lost her daughter and didn’t want to lose me too. 
—Sorry, I didn’t check the time… I’m on my way. Don’t worry,— I said, searching for my jacket on the table.

Without saying another word, my brother hung up. 
It was so dark I couldn’t see anything when suddenly, a deep voice said, 
—Were you looking for this?— 
A guy asked, extending his hand to give me my jacket.

—Thanks,— I said, unable to see his face because the night was so dark, and I was so drunk. I could only see his intense blue eyes, as clear as the sea.

—Do you want me to walk you home? In that state, I doubt you can even get out of here,— he said with a mocking smile on his face.

I could no longer even speak, so I just nodded. 
As we left the party, he asked where I lived. Abington wasn’t very big, so he quickly knew where it was. After five minutes of walking, my feet no longer responded, so he had no choice but to carry me home. 
I opened my eyes and recognized the park, so we were just a few blocks away. But I could swear I just blinked, and I felt the wind running through my hair when the guy with the nice eyes laid me on a chair outside my house. Maybe because I was so drunk, I lost track of time. 
Derek came out onto the porch because he heard noises and saw me there, lying on a chair. Our eyes met, and he gave me a look of pity. After all, I was his little sister. He helped me up and said,

—Are you going to sleep here, or do you want me to take you to your room?— 
He said in a now calm voice.

—To my room,— I said, laughing.

—That’s what I thought. Just don’t make any noise; Amelia and Isobel are already asleep,— he said with soft laughter.

That was the last thing I remembered from last night when a delicious smell of honey filled the room. I ran down the stairs because I knew it was Pancake Day, and that meant if you’re late, Derek eats them all. When I got to the table, Derek and Isobel were already there. I gave a reproachful look because the plate was empty. I didn’t say a word when Isobel pulled a plate out of the microwave.

—I heard you come in late last night, so I figured you’d be hungry,— she said, giving me a smile.

I just smiled back. Despite being sisters and almost the same age, we were never close, so I wasn’t good at showing her my feelings. I want to believe it’s because we don’t share the same father, but the truth is, I’ve always been afraid of being replaced. 
I sat next to them and ate the pancakes as if I hadn’t eaten in weeks when the doorbell rang.

—I’ll get it,— I said.

I went to the door, and it was the mailman. It was a letter for Amelia Avery, my grandmother. I walked over to the couch where she was sitting, handed her the letter, and she brushed my hand when she took it. She went cold, with an expression of anguish and fear on her face.

—Are you okay, Grandma?— I asked, confused.

She got up without saying a word and walked to the TV stand, where she kept a chest of personal things. She took out an old but pretty ring. It was silver with a somewhat large purple stone.

—Harper, dear, I know you don’t believe in all this, but I had a premonition. I saw death in your life. You’ll be involved in many problems, tangled with death itself. I want you to take this ring, which belonged to my mother. It will protect you from all evil while you wear it,— she said in such an anguished voice that I didn’t even think to challenge her.

—Thanks, Grandma. I will,— I said, a little confused.

Some people come to my grandmother because, supposedly, she’s some kind of medium or seer. But the truth is, I don’t believe in those things; I’m skeptical. But the way my grandmother told me that left me thinking—what did she mean by saying she saw death near me? Every night I thought about whether it made sense to stay alive if all I did was suffer. But thinking I might die made me reconsider my question—did I really no longer want to live, or was I just too sad? 
Life was something very complex. It didn’t come with a manual at birth, but I knew it wasn’t my time to die yet. So I took my grandmother’s advice and put on the ring. I still had a lot of living left to do, but I remained intrigued. 
Back in my room, I couldn’t stop thinking about the mysterious guy who had taken me home. Those sexy eyes that, just by looking at me for a few seconds, made me feel like he was piercing my soul. 
I could swear I knew him; that gaze was unique. So from a cabinet in my room, I took out three yearbooks: Derek’s, Isobel’s, and mine. I looked through them more than ten times, but my mind had lied to me. Apparently, I had never seen him before. 
Maybe he was cute, but I hope never to see him again. He’s a jerk and an idiot. He just left me lying in a chair. He couldn’t even knock on the door and wait for me to go inside. It seemed like he ran away or just wanted to get rid of me quickly to return to the party.

*Ring, Ring, Ring* My phone vibrated in my pocket.

It was a message from some idiot named Jordan or Jaden. I couldn’t remember his name because I was so drunk that day. I went to a party with him one night, and it was the worst day of my life. He left me and tried to sleep with me without even saying hello. Obviously, I wasn’t going to reply. So he wouldn’t keep bothering me, I took my phone and thought about telling him to go to hell, but I was more polite and just blocked him—but not before checking the location of the party. Obviously, I had to go; it was in the woods and not far from home. 
Most of my clothes were dirty, so I went to Isobel, hoping she wasn’t in her room. Unfortunately, she was there.

—Could you lend me a dress? Most of my clothes are dirty, and I don’t have anything to wear,— I said, trying not to seem like I was asking for help.

—Only if you let me go with you...— she responded, challenging me.

—Fine, but you’ll stay close to me,— I said, annoyed.

She pulled out a red dress from her wardrobe that I would never wear, but since I had nothing else, I had to accept. 
I tried to disguise it with black boots and my leather jacket. I let my hair down so it would be more noticeable than the dress. 
We left the house without making a sound so Derek wouldn’t say anything or get angry. In my mind, all I had was the strong desire to meet that guy from yesterday again. The curiosity was stronger than my resentment toward him.