Chapter 24

Annika

The morning light permeated into the room through the windows blind and settled on my face. I quickly dragged the blanket over my head properly to stop the light from blinding me. I shut my eyes tightly to force myself back to sleep and hissed at my stupidity of forgetting to close the window blind before sleeping the other night.

My eyes suddenly opened wide on their own as the events of the other day began to rush back into my memory.

I left school early to meet up with my mother and I overheard her talking to my stepfather about all he has done. I remember standing on the edge of a bridge and the last thing I can remember vividly was dropping into water and allowing it to drown me.

I stood up from the bed hurriedly and checked my surroundings. ``Where am I? Why am I still alive?” What is wrong with me? Is this afterlife?’

Different questions run through my head and I couldn’t find a reasonable answer to them. But the only important question I have is - why am I still alive?

The light coming through the window blind was burning my skin. I wondered why my skin is so sensitive to light all of a sudden. I moved closer to the window to close it, but as I was about to close it, I looked down and saw two men talking about something. I looked closely, trying to figure out who they were but I couldn’t.

Because I don’t know them.

As one of them lifted his head towards the window, I quickly shifted to the side and hid away from him. By the time I checked again, both of them were gone.

I heaved a deep sigh of relief and moved to a seat on the bed. I held on to the hem of the nightdress I was wearing nervously. That made me observe the cloth, I don’t remember owning a pink nightdress because I hate the color pink.

Suddenly the door of the room opened and I lifted my head to see the most beautiful man I’d ever seen in my entire life. He was tall, well built, he had a chiseled jawline and a beautiful smile. My heartbeat increased as he smiled at me, his hands in his pocket.

“You’re awake,” He mentioned as he walked closer to me. I stood up from the bed and began moving to the end of the room.

“Who are you?” I asked as fear began to grip me. His entrance into the room came along with coldness.

“I’m Andro. I saved you the other night. Tell me, how do you feel?” He asked, placing his hand on my forehead. I quickly slap his hand.

“Why did you save me?” I asked.

“Because you called out to me in my dreams” I raised my eyebrow at him in confusion. I walked away from him towards the door, ready to leave and the next thing I know, he was in front of me.

“How---did--” I couldn’t find the right words to say. I was terrified, beyond terrified.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he held my wrist tight and I struggled to remove my wrist from the cage of his large palm.

“I’m leaving. Please let me go,” I begged.

“You can’t leave even if you want to. I can’t let you leave no matter how much you beg. It’s impossible” as he talked, he began to walk towards me and I was forced to walk back into the room till my back pressed against a door.

“Why?”

“It will be too dangerous for everyone around you. So, it’ll be better for you to stay here for the meantime”

He touched a strand of hair and placed it back at its rightful place. When he looked into my eyes, I stopped breathing. It was as if something in him was calling out to me.

“Will you let me go? Not now, maybe later”

“It depends,” He replied.

“On what?”

“A lot of things. But first, you need to use the bathroom, you’ve been out for three days and you stink,” He winked at me before opening the door my back was resting against and led me into the bathroom.

“Someone will bring you some fresh clothes very soon. Take your time, princess” He added before walking out of the room. I heard the door being locked from outside and I concluded that I was a prisoner in this place.

The bathroom was luxurious. It had more space than my room at home. The floors and walls were made with marbles and the lights were incredible as well. As I turned to check other things, I saw my reflection in the mirror. I looked sad, pale, and abused. The conversation overhead haunted me. I sat down in the bathtub and wailed my eyes out.

I began hitting myself, hating myself for surviving when I shouldn’t have. Even if he had tried to save me, I shouldn’t have survived. I hated myself so much. I stood up from the bathtub and opened the drawer, knowing I was looking for something. I picked up the first razor I saw lying in the drawing.

When the people I trusted and had so much faith in, did that to me, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to live through it, so it’s better to end it as soon as possible. I watched as my blood began to escape from my vein in large quantities. I sat on the floor and waited for what I’d wished the most to come to pass.

After thirty-five minutes, nothing happened. The blood dried up and the wound closed back up. In confusion, I tried again, again and again, I screamed out in frustration and yelled.

The door of the bathroom suddenly opened and I saw Andro rushing into the room.

“If you come any closer, I swear that I'll cut you up with this,” I threatened him. That didn’t affect him, as he walked over and twisted my arm till I dropped the razor.

“Stop hurting yourself woman, all you’re doing is in vain” He yelled at me.

“Why is it not working? Why can’t I just die and stop leaving this miserable,” I screamed.

“Why are you trying to hurt yourself? Answer me,” he grabbed my shoulder. I ignored his question. I’m not about to pour out my life story to a man who I barely know.

He turned my face towards him and I noticed his eye had already turned black, which was strange.

“Your eyes,”

“None of your fucking business,” He growled.

I nodded, realizing it wasn’t my business for real. But why can’t I just do that business of mine successfully?

“Can you please tell me why it didn’t work?” I pleaded as a fresh bout of tears rushed down my eyes.

All of a sudden, he pulled me closer to his body. He was holding me so close I could feel the energy radiating from his body to mine. It wasn’t cold anymore.

“If I had known you hated living so much, I wouldn’t have turned you”

“Turned me into what?” I asked.

“A Vampire”