ACT II

Lord of The Flies

“Where there are Flies, there is Flesh. They are man’s companions from death and beyond.” -Count Dracula, “Dracula” (Netflix)

Chapter 9

Light Hidden By Drapes

But how can I let such wishes happen if I never give anyone a second chance? Is it because I cannot get the second chance I deserve? Was it because every time I give such opportunities for my enemies to change for the better will just manipulate me again, refusing to change for their own betterment and for society? I had an edgy dream with the slogan, “If I were to be a villain to change society for their betterment, so be it.” in such a lawful evil way.

That is why wishes stay as wishes, and hopes become false in the end.

But my personal wish for my birthday is not just a complete recovery, but also for my personal and absolute freedom. My mother is too old to work for our finances, she is too weak, and has many comorbid illnesses that include both physical and mental. My brother has his own family such as his wife and daughter to take care of and he doesn’t even have a job with lots of debt in his hands. To the point that he can no longer give me a birthday gift.

That is until… It is the 29th of July.

***

“What?! R-Really?! You’re joking. No, wait! I must be dreaming then!” I shouted in excitement.

“It’s true, Klei. But I have a few rules that you must follow. No bringing knives outside, don’t stir trouble, come home by 5, and don’t ever drink, you hear me?”

That is until I rolled for persuasion and got NAT20 in my head, “What if I come home by 8? I take my pills at 8 and that is the time when you sleep, right? I promise I won’t be late!”

“Fine-”

I ran outside but he stopped me.

“But another thing!”

“Yes, father?”

“You disobey one of those rules… you will never go outside, ever again. I swear to you, this is your only chance.”

“Thank you, thank you, thank you! I will not let you down! I swear on me’ mum.”

“Alright… go.”

I ran to the outside world while putting on my favourite black facemask with a skull’s mouth printed over it. I know that one thing I must do…

***

“Is that the Malkavian symbol from ‘Vampire: The Masquerade’?” the lady from the same bench I was sitting on asked me in a calm tone, yet excited internally.

“Oh, this? I just got this tattoo on the back of my right hand just a while back. It’s still new so it’s a bit shiny, for now.” I replied, with pure charisma as if I rolled NAT20 for seduction.

“Is it authentic?” she asked in the most mistress-like tone of her voice.

“Why yes, it is indeed. How do you know about the game? It is rare to find someone with the same interest as I do about ‘Vampire: The Masquerade’ in such a country.”

“Oh yes, I’ve played the tabletop once. Ever since, I played the Bloodlines game on the computer. Plenty of bugs and it crashes too much, so I never got to finish it until I finally reached Chinatown.”

“My dear, there is an unofficial patch regarding that. Also, would you mind telling me about yourself? You seem interesting.”

“The feeling is mutual. My name is Ashley.”

“The name’s Klei, people used to call me Voltaire.”

“Voltaire, interesting. I should call you that instead, if you don’t mind me. I do not mean to put pressure into such, just because it ‘used to be’ your alias.”

“Of course! No sweat, love. It’s an infamous and famous name among the people I’ve been with around for a while. Now they are gone.”

“What happened to them?”

“They… disappeared, let’s just say that.”

“Ah, I see. But where did you get the tattoo?”

“I got it from my nephew, he’s almost the same age as me though. Filipino families are quite weird, ain’t it?”

“Indeed it is… I couldn’t agree more than that.”

“So, you’re telling me you don’t come from here?”

“I was raised in America, then in Yorkshire in London, then when I went here to visit my grandmother where she taught me Tagalog.”

“But you were born Filipina?”

“Pure-blooded yes, both bloodlines from my parents.”

“Quite interesting. Do you happen to read books?”

“I do love books, they’re fantastic.”

“What do you think of gothic-horror novels? Perhaps, Lovecraftian fiction, or poetry books?”

“I’ve heard of H.P. Lovecraft.”

“And his cat?”

She giggled, “You’re funny.”

“I feel like you and I are going to get along, despite my indifferences with other people, I could only distance myself just to get along with the others.”

She looked at me, observing from head to toe, “Hey, if you ever need someone to talk to, or if you’re lonely. Just text me.

Here’s my number.” She lent me her business card.

I looked down at it after taking it, reading it, expecting to be some psychiatrist, but no, it says “Close Friend Card”, and under it was her number and name, plated in gold, and her address, just in case.

“Thank you…”

“Well, I have to go now. I’ll catch up with you later, okay?”

“Alright, farewell.”

She walked away, then stopped, “By the way, I’ve been looking for you, for a while now. Good bye, Voltaire.”

“Wait!” I halted.

“Hm?”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Madam Ashley Gwenuivere.”

“The pleasure is mine, Mister Voltaire Robillos, my lord…”

***

Now you may be wondering, how did we know each other’s surnames? She and I may be one of a kind, quite literally I must say so.

I spent the time walking around the streets of Guagua, only to find someone familiar.

“Well if it isn’t Klei, the Vampire Prince of all Guagua.” says the ugly pale man with a slightly chubby build, glaring with a smirk towards my direction.

“Fritz,” I spoke in utter hatred for this abominable man, “I remember when we first met, we were so close, we were the best of friends. But what happened?”

“We are still lovers.”

“We never were, you’re delusional, and arrogantly narcissistic.”

“Oh c’mon, Klei.”

My heart grew bigger, but not in a romantic way, more quiet of the opposite, as my spite for this person gives me the hunger for flesh and not just blood, almost driving me into a frenzied state, “We were best friends. Then, Angela and I became lovers back in 7th grade.”

“And you still look as if you’re in 7th grade, you never aged.”

“I’m done with the vampire delusion-”

“It’s not a delusion, Klei. I saw you that night, roaming around the streets, I was a witness of one of your murders, out for blood.”

“Shut up! What matters to this day is that you broke Angela and I apart when we were in love, now I have a split personality that manifests as the same person as Angela, named Vayne. All because you felt jealous, then raped me!”

“Raped you? Surely you enjoyed it.”

I almost went catatonic, emotions numbed, and my eyes twitching into the glaring stare of oblivion into his eyes. I spoke…

“Kill yourself.”

And thus, his willpower was so weak, he took his hands and clawed his own throat until he bled to death, until of course, there is no more of his throat left to the point his head was severed off from the rest of his torso. Everyone was terrified, and I laughed maniacally. Until I calmed down a bit more after laughing so hard, I just walked away with emotions all numbed. Even after everything vampire-related that happened to my reality, I still refuse to believe they exist. That is until the next night, Fritz’s group of vampire friends came to avenge him.

I did the same ability, except this time, I just made them kill each other by a glance of an eye with a few words, “Kill each other, now.”

Ever since, the entire vampire society of Guagua feared me. That is until I thought I could grow my empire of vampires to take over other places and make my own establishment that governs all vampires to do my bidding and for more power. I felt as if I was the best of all here as everyone was just weaker prototypes that are younger generations. Myself thinking, “I couldn’t do such a thing, even if I wanted to. Why? Is it because of my humanity? No, absolutely not! I found the difference that there is no difference between a vampire and a human, everyone who sin against their neighbour must be perished, and every0ne who does good for the betterment of society and to themselves are rewarded. But what is stopping me from my evil plan? All because I think these are none but delusions.”

So, I had to make sure they exist, by seeing them with my own eyes while sane. But how do I know if I’m sane? What if the things I see and experience are real or not? I’m not sure anymore. But I had to do what my master told me. But no, I shouldn’t. I don’t want any trouble or any particular political bullshit in my life. I just want to be free, and everyone to be free, where everyone will fight for their own wars and not be forced into some bureaucratic shit. But I feel like soon enough, I have to change my mind.

Until the illusion is broken, it turns out I killed someone who I thought was Fritz, who never even existed, and the mass murder at the bar who I thought were vampires out to kill me.