The Vampires Obsession

pte

ng than being woken up by loud,

eep interrupted. I tried covering my ears with a pillow, ho

aunt yelled

sleep, I opened the door, which I was certa

up nicely? Did she really

nd landed on my head like a block of iron. She

ou, too, Tita," I

hink you're some kind of princess, Astr

it just

er felt like a princess in this house

. Then go clean

have clas

eyes. "I don't care if you're late or don't go at all. Why

her barrag

liyah shouted from some

phelia warned bef

he door shut and stretched my li

taining my few belongings, and my favorite thing in the world: an old dresser

had died, leaving me to live with a wicked relati

bratty son, Eliyah, a grown

er gotte

s, I wasn't an angel. I wouldn't let

unt Ophelia s

helia?!" I shouted

I made my way

s of coffee that day while scrolling through her phone. As usual, she

ld pe

o a bun and put on

n, aside from being rudely

ht not have inherited my mother's kind heart, but

d on the stove, I g

row

dishes before going to bed. I

rgotten to wash

dinner?" my aunt

uh

her phone on

d in broken English, laughing lightly. "That's

ven more

n't ea

brows s

home before eight, you shouldn't bother coming back? I locked the door.

ckly shut it when the aroma o

and lowered the heat. Then

eturned her atten

he sink, troubled

as str

ember coming h

as waking up at dawn after dr

king, I touc

felt u

M

ed in the kitchen wearing a white polo shirt and noth

ooks exactly

s phone towa

closer to see what

es wi

ne who looked exactly like me-lyin

body tur

like. The girl in the photog

Eliyah slowly tur

t out a ne

not always get along, bu

stunned

ad happened last night

true... why wa

liyah suddenly

e, Ma. I ca

way when he tried

my head frantically. "She

do you

hotograph again befo

e clothes are

ed at m

eart

ren't my

g I owned, and I'd never seen this o

own any n

ose wer

n it," Eliyah observed with

ut of my thoughts. "You're not a ghost. I can still

that's n

you so bothered, Eliyah? Astra is right here

est of breakf

chool, leaving me to wash th

t we never commuted together. Not t

g my chores, I

but I was the only one who slept there. Eliyah was

s and a towel. Just as I was about to

oo

mear of blood

d went

g it away. Then I shut the window and headed downstairs to take a s

I stepped out o

ol

n Aunt Ophelia suddenly

e aside as she entered the bathroom. "When you leave, close the

y to freeze when I saw tha

n I'd closed

pushed it open, but that window was old, rusty, and

a. She opened it,"

mirror and began combi

y father's height. My round eyes had s

began feel

e

rength slipping away. I hadn't been sick in a long

on, only to notice that my lips

ropped t

ion had di

t, praying that I was

m again, my refle

t some fantasy dream. It's

y bag, and deliberately avoide

I made sure the

in tonight, I'd sleep

for months, but only now did

irs, dizziness forced

st

ching me from t

k? Maybe you should skip school a

breath, trying

ouse would only m

body felt hotter with every step and

itchen to get a

tra

ped th

floor, sending shards sca

along my arms as

else wa

hat v

ounded s

ad come from i

when she saw the mess. "What's wrong with you? You were perfectly fine ea

up the broken pieces

I'll handle

to argue, I no

cle to Riversi

el and restaurant management. Despite her harsh

r's sake, sh

tra

fr

nd, was staring at m

re al

hy would I be at s

ed me and pi

pulled out her phone and showed me a photogra

asp

I don'

hat had happened that mo

being

osts, but what other exp

n't loo

y forehead, only to snatc

ng up! Are yo

ng," I replied wit

I was afraid sh

sual, burning my skin with an inte

alive. Perhaps I should have applied sunscreen. My skin

, gi

approa

aid, crossing her arms. "Tell Astra to go home. She

turned t

ey

rupted him. "You'r

int of him trying to win you ov

ound me beca

head, growing louder until I could

tan suggested, stepping closer. "If you ref

ded w

before his hand could make contact

widened

rby gasped as Krista

ed, rubbing his arm. "It fel

thin

voice

se of what had happened

n. We need to g

hand and hurried to

inside, I noticed e

need to

thought I

went viral on Facebook, right? The one who tried to save a wom

nts crowde

quickly blu

a hero

d you s

that you w

t

, just

Dahlia shouted, tryin

was t

turned blurry. I couldn't even tell whet

tra

voice

classroom, rushing down the stairs and

tra

ra

ic, but to the

e and sat on the toilet, desper

le

ught the voice had

was

tra

clutching my head. "

echoed i

rly f

, each echo intensifying the dizziness

resist, the more

yet cold, sending a

y world, Astr

comprehend what

hat something wa

't just a

were withering away, yearning f

cubicle. My vision blurred until I could barely s

h

struck me

d I collapsed onto t

wallowed e

nts of memory began flashing through my m

nig

walkin

chasing af

to hel

s st

he b

oo

uch

, I'd known that n

it hi

een desperately trying to

't sur

lly died