Even if the road was blocked, even if the future wasn't bright, even if no one accepted her, even if her forced smile didn't appeal to anyone, even if everyone despised her…

she wouldn't go back.

She would stay in her place, waiting for the road to open, she would never back up, and would never give up… wasn't that what her dad told her to do? And she was up to his will, she backed her chest with determination, locked her head on bravery and with a searchlight by her hand sneaked out of her home.

The dark way didn't scare her, the chill that ran through her spine was never a sign of fear, it was her determination.

Street after street, alley after alley, she reached the park that no one walked in. Lifting the "stop" tape that covered the entrance, she entered. Her breath short but consistent, her body trembling but moving. 

A leave fell on her shoulder, she jumped back. She tried to deepen her breath and stood again. She wore her broken smile because her dad always smiled, she mimicked everything her dad had done or used, because it was his way of life.

The road that drowned with leaves came to an end, a small sliding yellow downhill, at its end the backyard of the old school building. She slid down, her searchlight led her way but the back of the building had only one locked door so she walked around with one hand touching the wood of the building as she moved. On her way, a watery drop fell on her cheek, she wiped her cheek, viscous, she thought as she pointed the searchlight at her palm but there was nothing, she could feel the liquid, but she couldn't see her hand wet. she looked up, there was a broken window, but it was empty. The night must be very deep. That must be the reason she couldn't see the sparkling of water.

She continued her way, reached the front of the old building where there was no door but a few tapes that she slid between.

The searchlight switched to the wide but short-ranged mode, the floor was broken, jointed wood tiles everywhere and the lockers' doors fallen on the ground. If she was to wear a slipper here, her feet would eat as many nails as they please.

She walked in, the letter said in the upper floor, she walked up the stairs. 

one stair broke as she stepped on "agh!" She screamed but then shut her mouth with both hands, otherwise, the one who ate the highschool boy might eat her as well. She pulled her bruised leg and continued her way to the second floor.

On the second floor, the corridor was narrow, she switched to the long-ranged mode of the searchlight and the corridor had more than five doors on the right side, on the left it had multiple windows to park view.

following the letter, her pencils case should be in one of the classrooms, she rotated the first doorknob, it was locked. She gave a sigh, how would she find her case if the classes were closed?

She would think of that later. She moved to the next doorknob, rotated, locked as well, the third the same, the fourth too! She decided. If the next one wouldn't open, she would ask an adult tomorrow to come and get her the case…

She touched the fifth knob, as she rotated *click* the sound echoed through the corridor, She opened her mouth wide, her eyes sobbed with tears… Because the door that unlocked wasn't this… It was the first door.

Ignoring her sobbing eyes, she pointed the searchlight toward the fist door. Slowly opening, its squeaks felt like knives through her throbbing heart. As it opened, She heard steps, walking slowly and gently but very clear to her ears. Even though she couldn't see it, something was approaching. She stepped back, the thing's steps got faster

!!!!

She ran backward and the thing ran breaking the tiles under it… 

With every step she took a part of her life flashed through her head. Yea, she had a funny dad, he always listened to the radio, he loved the jokes channel. He used to memorize the jokes, tell them to her, she used to laugh, and he used to tell her that he had memorized them because he loved seeing her smile… 

Her mother loved that as well, loved seeing them laughing. Where was that mistake then? Her father was parting some of his income for children with heart diseases, he was good to all, no one complained about him, her dad was the cleanest person on earth… Then what did he do wrong?

Why would God take him? Why would he die of a heart attack? Wasn't laughing good for his heart?

After his death her life became black and white, people became inexplainable and blunt, she couldn't understand humans, she couldn't laugh for any type of joke, even though her mom memorized a lot of jokes for her, no one made her laugh. And with time, she forgot how to smile. When children her age wanted to play with her she would accept, but her frozen face would just repel them. In school, people stopped asking her to play with them, eat with them, study with them, and eventually, she became outcasted…

She had to smile, she had to force a happy face, and the result was a devil with a malignant smile…

When these memories flashed through her head, she felt relieved… Death wouldn’t be that bad, she might see her father after all…

She let her stumbling body fall on its back… she wouldn't live by running anyway… she would have died either way…

But that was before that thing grasped her legs…

I will die! She came back to reality.

She screamed "Heeeeelp!!"

She shouted "Pleeeeez heeheeelp"

She was being dragged…

Anyone, just anyone please help me…

she couldn’t scream anymore, her voice wouldn't come, she was so scared that her voice couldn't even whistle.

She whined, even though it was hard to scream, it wasn't so hard to whine, her tears flowed like a river as the hands tightened on her legs dragging her faster…

Everything would end…

…

She would die…

….

….

….

She closed her eyes…

….

….

….

Something cracked, some glass broke, the thing that grasped her legs got lose and a lot of things clashed together, broke, and scattered. She wouldn't open her eyes, she was so scared to open them. 

Things kept clashing, some glass broke, a small broken wood tile fell on her leg, she trembled but didn't open her eyes.

After some time, the sounds faded, and light steps got closer to her. She faintly whined, her tears sobbed at each side wetting her ears and lips… the steps stopped by her ear… She would be eaten.

"Are you okay?"

hah? 

She opened her eyes, but the tears made her vision blurry, and the night didn't help her sight at all.

"You don’t need to open your eyes, you can fall asleep, this is a dream," the boy said.

She closed her eyes again, her heart never getting better, her pounding sound very high that her ears can hear it clearly.

An arm slid under her knees, she trembled but didn't make a move, another arm under her neck.

"M-my case."

"Don't worry I'm looking for it."

And with a single flex, her body got carried. After some time, she opened her eyes and got a hint of the familiar face. When she closed them again she said: "Thank you."

"Where is your house?"

"We are your fourth neighbor. Hehe..." 

"Really?"

"I see you when you go out, I'm sure," she said, both of her hands gripping to her case, "Thank you, Ray, I-I-I'm really grat-grateful"

Her eyes sobbed again. Yes, she could never think of what had happened like a dream. That dark, those sounds, the broken tiles, the unidentifiable steps, her grasped legs...

What she had experienced and felt could never be a dream.

"We are friends so it's fine. When you need anything, please tell me."

His voice felt determined and confident as if he decided her answer for her. 

Ray was someone who lent her a pencil when she needed, he asked her if she was alright as well. When she sneaked out of school he was also the one who asked her about the reason… he was a good friend.

"Thank you, for being my friend."

"You're welcome."

In no time Ray dropped her in front of her house and walked to his. The first thing Emily did in her house was taking a hot shower, she kicked all of the events she had experienced out and looked with a new pair of eyes. The next day, she awoke early in the morning, did her breakfast and took another shower, when she got out it was already pretty early, but she used this extra time to wait in front of Ray’s house.

When Ray got out she jumped "Good morning!"

Why did I scream?

She tensed.

"Good morning," however, when Ray smiled at her, she relaxed again. As they walked together to school she smiled. That was when Ray said, "You aren't good with smiles right?" 

"I guess so heh, but still it's important to have some facial expression in the morning."

"I don't think so, you are good the way you are. A smile would appear naturally when you are happy."

She was struck by what he said and didn't really know how to answer. Still, she believed it was truthful. He was saying that she shouldn't run, a step in a while wouldn't be a bad approach either.

Yea, Ray was a good person, when they entered the class together everyone looked at them with popped eyeballs but he didn't give that much attention. Although people stopped approaching him he didn't get affected by that and didn't really care. 

Still, when she needed something he would listen to her and would ignore the other people. She knew it was somehow sympathy to her but with time she began to love this side of him, the caring side.

She began to notice many things about him as well. Ray was handsome, handsome enough to take the eyes of the other girls, his eyes had some alluring glow to them, maybe inside a dark place they would be noticeable. Ray would shorten his steps when they would walk together, because she was much shorter than him. When Ray stared at the board for more than five minutes it meant his mind was busy with something else.

And if Ray muttered, it meant he was talking to something she couldn't hear or see. 

In no time she forgot the reason she was observing Ray for, but couldn't take off her habit of observing him. When Ray talked a barrier would form around them, she wouldn’t hear any other thing beside his talk, when Ray moved she would move behind, one time she found herself in front of the bathroom waiting for him… without her noticing, it became a second nature for her to look for Ray every few seconds, and this nature made some people annoyed.

The day came when she was called out. At the school backyard where no one was, a blond girl came and told her to not approach Ray anymore. The woman had multiple veins popping up her forehead and a clenched pair of hands.

"I just can't," she replied casually, "I became so attached to him that I can't leave him."

"What are you saying! One day he will leave you, you are a devil, he will leave you when he knows your true face."

"I might be a devil, that's why I'm attracted to him. He's a devil hunter, I've been hunted long time ago..."

"Hah! what are you saying! Are you stupid? I'm bullying you."

"I don't mind."

On that day, she opened her locker in front of Ray and deeply sighed, her pair of shoes wasn't there. She opened her bag and took out a spare pair of shoes.

"I will buy you a pair later," Ray said.

"Why?"

"I know I'm part of the reason they are bullying you for."

She looked at him, her lips parting a bit… 

"Yea."

What were these feelings? She didn't understand, she really didn't. Her heart pounded differently around him as if her heart gave Ray some kind of superiority… She felt something was wrong, she felt that what was happening to her was wrong.

And they took their way home. Along the way, she asked Ray to come to her house, but he refused, as the final exams approached he had to study, he wanted to be a doctor, that was his ambition…

Then what was hers?

In her house, she wondered what was her ambition? Time flew like a plane, the year came to end in no time, spending her time with Ray felt as light and fast as a gentle breeze…

Why her time was flying when she was around him?

She took a bath, and when she got out her mom was already waiting for her in the table… she looked at her mom's smile… it was genuine and tender, her voice was warm, a voice that would force anyone to smile…

A disgusting voice…

Since when did she enjoy this warm environment?

Since when did she need ambition?

She put the rice in her mouth and she felt like vomiting… something was wrong. Something was missing.

She ran upstairs to her room ignoring her mom's calls…

What was with these pinkish walls? What did that pink teddy bear do in her bed? What was happening, things weren't normal… something was wrong. 

Love? Ambition? Happiness? What was happening, something was definitely wrong, something was definitely missing.

She looked around her room, her room spun, everything moved so fast and a headache stroke her mind, she grasped her head with both hands, shook it, hit it…

What was this?

Why was she here?

Who was she? What did she want? And what was this place?

She looked at the wall, touched it with both hands, and hit her head against it, once, twice, thrice…

She kept hitting her head, countless times until something fell from her eye, she looked at the ground… It was an eye lense… 

She looked at the mirror… Her eye wasn't blue… It was red…

Yeah…

That made sense, she now remembered…

She wasn't a human, to begin with.

She was a vampire.

......

A vampire princess falling for a human child! how humiliating. 

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Chapter ends

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Hi dear readers, I hope you are fine.

I wish to hear your thoughts about the series so far. In a few chapters, the events will turn and some good characters will appear. However, I want to know what do you think of it by now? and what do you predict will happen later?

Thanks.