.....chapter 3...A Vampire Tale~

Early that night, when it had just become dark out, Dravyn walked along the neighborhood, thinking of past memories. He walked down an alleyway and into a gang of boys. They didn’t notice him at first; they were all too busy surrounding something. Then Dravyn realized that it was a girl and that she was being held to the ground by one of the boys, while another was just about to pull her pants off. Then it hit him. That was Veyta they had! Anger flared up inside him and he bared his fangs, growling.1

One of the boys turned and saw him, nudging the boy beside him. The leader strode up to him fearlessly, obviously having no idea he was facing a vampire.2

“Let her go,” Dravyn ordered coldly, giving the boys a fair warning.3

“And if I don’t? What are you gonna do about it?” the leader asked, holding a knife up to Dravyn’s chest.4

Furious, Dravyn grabbed the leader’s hand and threw him forcefully against the wall at the end of the alley. Another one tried to jump him but he was thrown back into the other boys. The leader tried to strike him again but this time Dravyn lost his temper and ripped the foolish boy’s neck with his incredibly sharp fangs, taking the life from him. He threw the body away from him in disgust. Fearfully, the other boys ran away. Dravyn could’ve caught them, but he didn’t want to scare Veyta more than she already would be.5

He hurried over to her, hoping she hadn’t seen everything he’d just done. She clung to him, sobbing into his chest. He put a comforting arm around her and kissed her forehead. The sobs soon stopped and she looked up at him warmly.6

“Thank you so much Dravyn,” she said.7

He smiled and held her close. He loved the feel of her warm body pressed up against his.8

“How did you get them to go away?” she asked wonderingly. “I know you’re strong, but it was five against one.”9

“Let’s just say they listened to my reasoning,” he said smoothly. He knew he’d have to tell her soon because if she found out the wrong way she’d fear and hate him. He couldn’t bear to let that happen again. It had hurt too much last time and he didn’t think he could stand to take it again this time.10

Veyta, not wanting him to leave, accepted this answer for now and just lay in his gentle arms as he cradled her. Finally he helped her up and asked, “Would you like me to walk you home?”11

She nodded and he glimpsed a look of fear cross her face as she remembered the gang. He vowed silently never to let anything hurt her again. He would be her protector from now on and no one would ever bother her again. He put a comforting arm around her and she gave him a look of warm gratitude. 12

While walking to her house, they talked for a while and he even allowed himself to open up to her more. When they finally got to her house he kissed her lightly and watched her walk inside. Veyta didn’t begin to wonder how he had known the way to her house, without even hesitating once, until she was already inside. She glanced out the window, but he had already gone. When he was with her she felt safer than she ever had in her life. Like tonight, he protected her from those boys.13

That night she dreamed that Dravyn was a vampire, and that that was how he had saved her the other night from the gang. She stood in front of him, staring into his clear blue eyes, but strangely she didn’t feel afraid. As if reading her mind, or close to it, the sorrow left his eyes and was replaced by joy. In her dream she knew that despite what he was, she still cared for and loved him. Love. That was a strong, powerful word. She then realized that it was true, even in reality she loved him. It didn’t matter that they barely knew each other. Despite that he was centuries old, they had so much in common. True, she didn’t know much about him yet, but she could get him to open up soon enough.14

She awoke feeling as if the dream had been only half finished. She couldn’t help but feel a longing curiosity. She had wanted to know what would have happened in the dream. She got out of bed, wondering if her mother had come back yet, though she doubted it. By the time she was downstairs and making herself a bowl of cereal for breakfast it was already 12:32 and her father came in, smirking.15

“How can you wake up this late?” he asked wonderingly. Veyta had never been a morning person like her mother and father were and she couldn’t understand how the hell they could wake up so early and yet still be in a cheerful mood.16

She just shrugged in response and quickly ate her breakfast. Someone then knocked on the door and her heart leaped as she thought it might be Dravyn. She hurried to open the door but was disappointed to see it was only Mark, her boyfriend. He must’ve sensed her disappointment because he frowned and said, “I thought you’d be glad to see me,” sounding slightly hurt.17

“I’m sorry,” she apologized halfheartedly. She still cared about Mark, but he couldn’t compare to the way Dravyn made her feel when she was around him. “It’s just that I was expecting someone else, that’s all,” she said, biting the inside of her lip.18

He just shrugged, trying to hide his emotions, but he never succeeded. She felt terrible for hurting him and knew that she would have to break it off with him soon before it became too much for her to handle. “Mark,” she began, “We need to talk.”19

She stepped outside her house and he looked at her worriedly. “Are you okay?” he asked. Strangely she felt like laughing. Here she was about to dump him and he was asking her if she was okay.20

“Look, Mark,” she said, “I don’t think we should continue seeing each other. I think I would like to start seeing someone else now, and so should you.”21

She thought he would be upset, but instead a look of relief swept across his face and he said, “Really? Good, because I was thinking the exact same thing.”22

This time Veyta laughed aloud and soon he was laughing too. They talked for a little while and then she kissed him on the cheek and he left. 23