Vampire Shadows
Chapter 8

That’s how I ended up running in the woods.

I’ve been running for hours and I think I’ve finally lost them.

I sat down under a tree, breathing heavily. The woods was still scary, even though it was morning. I reached out my back pocket, and thankfully, my phone was still there. I tried switching it on, but noticed that the battery was dead.

I then, decided to close my eyes and recollect all that has happened lately. Firstly, my mom is dead! I can’t believe I never got a chance to apologize for all I’ve done, or at least, put a smile on her face. It’s not totally my fault though, she has always loved Kara more, and I can’t do anything to change that.

And then there’s the whole Vampire scenario. My mom is a Vampire! And those guys who tried to capture me too. They killed my mom and now they want me. I wonder why they didn’t kill me like they did to mom. or why they are going to get a promotion just for capturing me. What do they want from me?

Then, there’s my sister Kara. She has been missing and it’s Killing me cause I don’t Know if she’s alive or not. Or, if she managed to escape or if she has been caught.

Then lastly of course, I’m thinking of how to get something to eat! I can’t possibly just die of hunger. Not after escaping from those blood suckers.

I stood up after a few hours of resting, my feet were still sore from running. I started walking, although, I didn’t know where I was going to, the forest was thick, and I think I’ve been going deeper into it, instead of out.

There’s no sign of a village or at least a Hamlet close by. I’ve always hated the idea of living close to the woods, away from the world, away from parties and malls. Well, now here’s the result of building a house in such a secluded place.

Wait, did mom build our villa just so she could do her Vampire stuff? ….

“Ughhhh, it doesn’t matter now”. I sighed in frustration.

What am I supposed to do? I’m running from “vampires!” . According to books I’ve read, those creatures are damn good at replaceing people. They have a strong sense of hearing and are really fast. I’m sure I will not last even a second.

.

After hours of walking, I finally spotted a small town. Well, I wouldn’t call it a town because, it was more of a community. It looked really scanty and I could tell that only a few people lived there. It kinda felt off to have people living in such a thick forest. But I guess, life happens every where. There was this little sign by the entrance that reads “Every one is welcome”. This brought a sense of peace to my heart. I walked in, the place was busy, as everyone went about their chores. looking around intently, I noticed that there were all females and children.

“Good day” I heard a voice say from behind, startling me. I turned around slightly scared, but chilled after seeing who it was.

Not that I was familiar with her, but her face looked very friendly, and the big smile on her face showed that she was a nice person.

“Hello.” I said Returning the smile.

Her big shiny green eyes reminded me of Kara. Her eyes look exactly like that. Her hair is black and thick, I like the way it curled on her shoulder. She’s young and should be about my age. That made me feel comfortable.

“I’m Chloe.” She said, in a tone that I guess was demanding for my name in return.

“ I’m Kendra” I said still keeping the fake smile on.

“I have never seen you around.” She said in a jolly manner.

“Well, I’m not from around here. Actually, I lost my way while exploring the woods with my friends. I’ve been stranded since yesterday, with nothing to eat or drink.” I lied confidently. I’ve always been a fantastic actor.

“Ohhh you poor thing, come on in, you must be starving.” She said worriedly. She really is a nice person. And I’m glad I found this place.

I followed Chloe as she led me to a tent in the middle of the community. It was the biggest tent there. Maybe that of the chief or something.

We were welcomed by a really young woman whom Chloe introduced as her mom. Not that I cared but the lady looked a bit too young to be her mother. She looked like she was in her mid twenties.

“Lunch is about to be served Kendra. But first I think you should take a shower” Chloe said while looking at me.

That’s when I noticed how disgusting I looked. My milk top was a little bit stained with mom’s blood and of course dirt from all the adventure I’ve had lately. I looked at my clothes, then at Chloe. Hoping she would not suspect anything and change her mind. But there was no hint of suspicion on her face. So I quickly took the offer and went to shower.

I changed into a pair of jeans, shirt and a big sweater that Chloe gave to me. It wasn’t the prettiest set of clothes I’ve seen, but at least it

clean and a bit cozy

.

Chicken, barbeque ribs, Nachos, apple pie, meat loaf, clam chowder and even hamburgers!. Everything was on the table. “How on Earth did they get all these in the woods.” I thought to myself. But didn’t hesitate to dig in. I was hungry and I could eat the whole town if I had a chance to.

.

After the meal, Chloe said I could stay with her as long as I wanted. She took me to her room and we sat there and had a short chat.

I fell asleep Soon. and at the moment everything felt normal.