Chapter 4 Third Chapter

Sweet Aphrodite's POV

Nightmares never left me since that day. Scene of vampires killing me, draining out my blood, haunts me in every sleep. It feels like dying in my sleep every night.

The vampire in front of me grabbed my neck before burying his face on it. I shouted in pain as I felt his sharp fangs piercing through my skin. Then he began to suck my blood. It is painful. I can feel how my blood being forced out from my body.

"Stop!"

"Sweet, wake up!"

A slapped across my face woke me up. I sat as I try to catch my breath. Irene handed me a glass of water that I immediately accepted to drink. The beads of sweat and tears rolled down my face. My heart feels like it is trying to escape from my rib cage as it is pounding so hard.

"What happened to you, Sweet? These past few days, this always happens." The concern is evident in Irene's voice.

I swallowed the water then shook my head after finishing it. I smiled at Irene to reassure her. Stella is just at the bedside, quiet and displaying her blank face.

"Thank you for waking me up and sorry for the disturbance," I gently said to the two of them and put the glass on the table near my bed.

Irene sighed and shook her head before standing. I watched them walked out of our room. I closed my eyes and touched my chest, feeling the beat of my heart. It is slowly calming down

I don't know if that really happened. Are those encounters true? Does he exist? And why do those things suddenly ruined my ordinary life? Just almost a week ago, my life was normal.

Why does it need to change?

I can not stop freezing in the mid of my tasks, overthinking. I almost got late because of my slow movements. Stella and Irene went out first because I was too slow today. I sighed and forced myself to focus.

When I went out of our apartment, I automatically stopped just to stare at the place where the last encounter happened. I can recall it detail by detail. And I am sure that the man who saved me in the comfort room and that night is the same. I closed my eyes and remembered his details. He has a pair of gray eyes. He is tall and kind of muscular.

Is my imagination just too strong?

I just woke up in my bed after that encounter.

Was that just a dream?

Or am I sick?

I shook my head and began to walk. There is no time for me to be mentally ill. I have no family, I only have myself. No one's gonna take care of me... so I can't be sick. I am all alone. I want a happy life for me.

I flinched when Sir Pablo glared at me for being absent-minded in his class. I faked a cough and sat straight.

"I hope that this class is now very updated about the controversial news," he started after he checked the attendance.

"There are more victims, Sir. With the same pattern. Dry skin, two holes in the neck, and loss of blood," Michael, my classmate uttered.

"So, what are your theories about it?" Sir Pablo sounds like he's challenging us. He raised his brow and folded his arms in front of his chest.

I bit my lips when the interest grew inside me.

"Sir, it could be made by some of the cult or weird organizations. Only gore, crazy, and sadistic people will do that kind of crime."

"Or maybe a giant snake!"

I suddenly remember the dead woman that I saw last time. The victim of that monster. The descriptions are exactly like what's on the news.

"How about you, Sir? What do you think?" asked Jean.

If I share my theory, would someone believe me?

He pushed his eyeglasses lightly before nodding. "Vampires did it."

There's a long silence after he said it. I saw how some of my classmates stared at Sir Pablo like he has three heads. Some covered their mouth to suppress their laughter. While I, on the other hand, was surprised.

I stared at him in awe. It's like a relief to realize what he just said. I am not alone. I am not crazy. It is true.

Our break time is after the third class. Instead of eating my snacks, I made my way to the teachers' faculty.

I readied myself and gathered all my confidence as I stood in front of the faculty's room. I knocked first before pushing it to open.

Then I greeted the professors and looked for Sir Pablo. I saw him busy reading a thick book.

His table is on the corner. I saw the pile of newspaper on his table and the others with the headline about the controversial news are scattered. There are a lot of books too and I can't help but notice that it is all about vampires.

"Good morning, Sir," I greeted politely to get his attention.

His brows furrowed before he looked at me. He fixed his eyeglasses and raised his brow to me. The intimidating aura that he emits makes me nervous.

"What can I do for you, Miss Villegaz?" he asked and signaled me to sit that I immediately obliged.

I pulled the chair then sat, placing my bag on my lap. I clutched on it to ease my nervousness.

"About the news, Sir..." I started.

The way he leaned on the table from his swivel chair told me that I caught his full attention. He smirked a bit and nodded.

"So, you're interested, huh?"

I slowly nodded. "Yes and I want to talk about your theory that you just said in the class."

He put his elbows on his table then he rests his chin on his hand. "The vampires. Everyone believes that they are just a myth. Fictional... imagination. But I believe that they exist," Sir Pablo said.

I inhaled sharply and stared at him. "I think I met two of them."

His eyes grew bigger and his lips parted. He remained like that for few seconds then he blinked consecutively, gaining his composure again. Sir Pablo sat properly and clasped his hand, looking so interested more than ever.

He stared at me intently. "Really? When? Where and... how?"

"Last Monday, in the girl's comfort room. I was locked inside then the light went off. Every time it's dark, my mind begins making up scary things that's why I thought it's just an imagination. But it happened again, last Tuesday when I am from work. I encountered another one again and he had a victim," I uttered in a low voice, not wanting to be heard by other people. "And those creatures are scary. They have pale skin, fangs, red eyes, and long nails. They nearly killed me but someone came to save me."

He remained silent for a moment. I waited for him to speak, desperate that someone would believe me. Desperate to prove that I am not crazy.

His face became even more serious. He smiled a bit at me before sighing.

"I believe you. It's not just a myth anymore. You are a witness."

"But no one would believe us because it sounds impossible and-"

"Of course, it is hard to believe. That's why we are going to gather shreds of evidence to prove it. I mean, I am going to find it. I am not going to risk a student for this," he said with finality in his voice.

I shook my head. "No, I am in, Sir. I also want to really prove to myself that I am not crazy. I want to see it with my own eyes with you. To finally confirm that I am hallucinating."

He moved his head disapprovingly. He seems firm with his decision that I needed to persuade him for several minutes to let me come with him.

"I'll think of it," he sternly said and he glared at me.

I closed my mouth to stop my smile, satisfied that he's giving me a chance. He shot his brow up like he remembered something.

"You said that someone helped you. Then it means that other than us, someone knows that vampires do exist. Who is that person? He or she could help us."

The details of the mysterious man flashed on my mind. I suddenly remember his unexplainable effects on me. I sighed and shook my head. "I don't know him. He's a stranger."

But he knows me. I don't know how.