Moonlight Dance: A Vampire's Tale

Chapter 2

The sound of labored breathing echoed through the forest. If they catch up to me, I'm done for! He dragged his exhausted body forward, constantly glancing over his shoulder as if some terrifying creature was chasing him. I never should have entered this forest! What the hell was that thing? He recalled the human-like but unnervingly twisted figure, its decaying, pus-ridden skin shining under the moonlight. The memory sent a shiver down his spine. What a terrible stroke of luck!

He had fled into the Blood Mist Forest at dusk. This fifteen-year-old boy was trying to escape from two people who were bent on killing him, but little did he know that he'd deliver himself straight into the jaws of a roaming low-grade vampire. He had lost track of how long he'd been running, unsure whether the creature was still on his tail. All he knew was that he was utterly spent. I can't run anymore! Finally, he collapsed beside the trunk of a thick alder tree, clinging to the bark, panting heavily.

"You seem quite afraid of them, don't you?" A melodic voice rang out from the treetops, shattering the forest's silence like a needle falling onto stone.

Startled, the boy jumped back. "Who's there?!"

The moonlight just so happened to illuminate the figure perched in the branches above, allowing him to see her clearly. A girl in a white dress sat casually on the tree branch, her bare legs swinging in the air. "Them?" she mimicked, curling her fingers into a mock claw. "Those ugly, stinking things?"

"You know about them?" The boy was surprised. "They're... they're monsters! But you—a girl—why are you in a place like this?"

By now, the boy had somewhat calmed his breath. He stood with his hands on his hips, waiting for the girl in the tree to reply. "Me?" She tilted her head slightly. "I live here."

I've never heard of anyone living in this damned cursed forest. "Not funny, miss," he scoffed. "Are you even real, or am I hallucinating?" He slapped his palm against his forehead for emphasis.

"I'm not lying." The girl pointed into the distance. "You entered at dusk, didn't you? Then you ran into one of those hideous creatures and sprinted away in terror, didn't you? You've been running for about half an hour now, haven't you?" Her lips curled into a mocking smile on her delicate face. "I bet you'd keel over and die, but look, you're still alive."

"You really... live here?" The boy's nervousness had mostly faded by now. Meeting another human, even in a place as terrible as the Blood Mist Forest, gave him a glimmer of hope, even though she seemed like just a frail girl. "Sorry about earlier, I was just shocked." He pressed a hand to his chest, still visibly shaken. "I didn't expect to meet anyone here." He glanced up at the alder tree. How did she even climb up there? "Can you come down so we can talk?"

The girl didn't answer right away. Instead, she raised her chin and examined the boy. "Oh, I'm unarmed," he added quickly, spreading his hands wide. He was wearing only a tattered shirt and linen pants, with worn-out slippers barely holding together. "I wandered into the forest by mistake. I mean no harm."

The girl snorted softly. "I know. I was just teasing you." Then, with a graceful leap, she landed lightly on the ground, startling the boy into taking a step back. "Now, tell me, why did you run into the forest?"

The boy observed her, leaning casually against the alder trunk, arms crossed, with no sign of further sudden movements. He finally began to speak. "It's because of debt," he sighed. "My family used to live in Eaststone, and I lived with my parents. But my father was a drunkard and a gambler—the worst combination in the world." He smiled bitterly. "No matter how hard my mother worked sewing clothes for others, she couldn't fill the hole he dug with his gambling. A while back, the creditors sent thugs to our house in the middle of the night to steal everything of value..." His voice slowed, as though the memory caused him physical pain. "My parents tried to fight them off, and I was knocked out quickly. The next day, when I woke up..." He paused before continuing, "They were dead."