It was the morning sun that awakened me from my awkward slumber.

All night I had tossed in my bed. It was a horrible night. Thunder had rolled from horizon to horizon, sending blinding flashes of lightening through the glass windows of my room. I couldn’t bring myself to rise from my bed and draw the curtains. Instead, I curled myself into a ball and pressed the pillow over my ears. Each time the thunder rattled the window panes I had a strong urge to jump out of the bed and rush to Nana’s room, but I managed to check my impulse there. I was fifteen years old now; not a child of five who could run and hide her face in her lap whenever a thunder struck out there!

But the thunderstorm was not the only reason behind my fretful slumber! Another image gnawed at my heart all night. The image of Lina’s dying face! Memories of her dark eyes wide with fear, her bluish lips quivering and frothing at the corners kept on surging back into my mind all through the night.

Had I been repentant? I had asked myself again and again. No, I hadn’t killed her with my own hands, but it was I who had condemned her to death! And, every time I had sought death for someone in my mind, that person would inexorably fall to their death immediately.

Was I a demon? I used to ask myself when I was a child. But there was no one who could give an answer to my question. I hadn’t told anyone about it, not even to Nana. I guess I was too afraid to speak of it!

As I grew up I had learnt to control my impulses. It had already been many years since bloodlust had engulfed me in such a way! But that bloody fucker there had thrown me off balance today!

I had sent my best friend to death today! And I didn’t repent for what I had done. My heart was still in turmoil.

I jumped down my bed and ran to the washroom. I was too late for school!

As I hurried to prepare for school I wondered why Nana hadn’t appeared yet. She must have been busy with the household chores, I told myself. But when she didn’t show up even at the breakfast table I started to worry about her.

Dragging my schoolbag I ran downstairs. One of my aunts who happened to be coming upstairs at the same time, almost clashed with me and shouted, "Why are you running, you brat? Can’t you look where you’re going?"

I didn’t look at her. None of them liked me and I gave them bullshit!

The door of Nana's room was ajar. I pushed it open carefully and peeped into the room.

Nana lay in her bed, her back turned towards me. She was so still that for a second I was afraid that she might have been dead! My heart started to beat faster. Even the thought that she might be dead was too much for me.

I slowly went round the bed and stood in front of her. She lay there with her eyes closed, her face calm and serene, as if she was in a sweet dream!

'Guess she's asleep?' I thought and started to come away. Just then she slowly opened her eyes.

"Mimo, why are you still here? Isn't it the time for school?" She asked in a weak voice.

"Nana! I was just going to leave for school, but I thought I might check on you before I go," I said, coming near her. "What's the matter? Are you ill or something?"

Nana smiled. "I feel a bit weak today. But don't worry! I'll be alright by the time you are back from school," she tried to assure me.

The strain in her voice didn't escape my ears. 'She is really ill!' I thought. But I didn't say anything. I knew she didn't want me to be worried.

So I plastered a smile on my face and said, "Alright! I'm going to school then. See you!" Saying this I came out of her room and ran towards the front door, dragging my bag behind me as always. I was going to be really late today.

All along the way to school I thought of ways to avoid our Art teacher. Knowing her, I was sure that she had forgotten what she had told me yesterday, but I chose not to take any risk. If Nana was well I would tell her everything and would ask her to come and meet my teacher here. But she was ill and there was no way I was gonna bother her now!

How could I have known then that a much heavier blow had been awaiting me at school?

As soon as I entered the classroom I noticed a familiar figure sitting in the desk by the wall on the first row. As I entered she turned around and looked my way.

My heart beat seemed to have stopped. My limbs froze.

For, sitting on that desk, turning her head halfway round and looking at me intently, it was none other than Lina! My best friend whom I had left to die just the other evening!

I turned and tried to run out from the classroom. But I couldn't! My legs felt like they were screwed to the ground.

Just then the teacher entered the classroom. Seeing me standing there awkwardly, she raised her eyebrow.

Hastily, I went to sit in my own desk. But my mind refused to work properly.

'How could she be back from there? How could she have survived? I kept asking myself, without any hope of ever getting an answer.

When the school ended I didn't feel like returning home immediately. Instead, I wandered about the wild bank of the river.

I couldn't go home and see Nana lying ill in her bed. Something in my instincts had told me that she was really very ill.

I couldn't make myself believe that Lina was still alive and kicking!

How could she have survived there? I really didn't know!

Wandering about restlessly I arrived at the old abandoned jetty where the dilapidated remnant of an old warehouse still stood on the riverbank.

This was a favourite place of mine. I often came and sit there at the jetty. The place was known to be haunted and even the most desperate vagabonds avoided it. But I had always preferred its eerie melancholic ambience.

It was to this place that I came now and stood at the dark jetty, lost in my own gloomy thoughts.

Someone was coming from behind me. Stunned, I spun around, only to find Ruy standing there a few feet away from me, gazing at me with a half smile on his face!

'Why are you here? Did you follow me?' I snapped at him.

"No? But I was looking for you anyway!"

As he spoke, he came closer and stood by me. I drank in the familiar heady smell.

'Strange!' I thought. 'How come that I hate this boy but just love his smell?'

As I thought about it, I drew closer to him unknowingly. Suddenly, he drew his left arm around me and pressed me to his body. With his right hand, he pulled up my chin and gazed into my eyes.

I was so surprised that I forgot to resist him. A strange impulse gripped my heart and I drew my arms around his back, allowing our bodies to press harder against each other.

Ruy's right hand rested against the left side of my head, his fingers curling into my hair. His lips pressed against mine and started to move slowly, opening up my lips bit by bit.

I closed my eyes as the warm and wet tip of his tongue slowly entered my mouth and found the tip of my own tongue, sending a wave of shock through my whole body. I trembled and held him tighter. As our tongues rolled and entwined each other, his right hand touched my throat lightly and slid down my collarbone. Slowly his fingers opened the upper buttons of my shirt and crawled inside. Just then I felt the taste of raw iron on my tongue.

His lower lip had started to bleed from my bite!

As his blood oozed into my mouth I felt a jolt down my spine. With all my strength I thrust him away from me and jumped back. Ruy lost his balance from my sudden thrust. By the time he recovered his balance I was already running out of the jetty.

As I took the turn into the dark alley I saw a lone figure standing in front of the old warehouse. My heart sank as I recognised Lina standing there in the faint moonlight, her eyes fixed at me.