E D W A R D

It was Malcolm. I remembered him from the old days in the high school of our vampire society. He was my senior and yet he hadn't changed a bit-one of the several perks of vampirism.

He had been known for always possessing a somber personality, open-minded and absolutely frank. The ladies around us drooled over him-didn't matter if they're humans or vampires. He had this aura that made the people around him feel out of harm's way.

He'd always considered me his little brother, one he'd always protected even if the consequences were damned and yet his presence didn't take away the pain with which I was hit a while ago.

I deliberately dropped her and felt a little less than any pain when I heard her crying. Why should I care about her feelings if she couldn't give a damn about mine? If only she knew how messed up all of this was and how much chaos was revolting in my head!

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your lady Ed?" He said invading my mind.

I peeked at her over my shoulder and the annoyance was vivid like winter morning mist on the ground on her face. I decided to continue our little skirmish until she finally would come to me and admit it was her fault.

"She's no important." I waved my hands nonchalantly and walked towards him, almost jumped.

Malcolm invited me with opened arms and hugged me back. It felt so great to finally be at ease after so long. I wondered the last time I'd felt so good about something or someone-and of course it was before my universe intertwined with hers.

"Where have you been young man?" He asked grinning widely.

"Just running some errands." I responded drawing back from him.

"So I'm your 'errand' now?" She scolded from behind and the voice seemed it'd escaped from cynically pouted lips.

I sighed out of patience and gave her a hard glare she couldn't ignore. This girl, this perfect example of a nuisance human being, I wished wholeheartedly at that moment if perhaps Mason would not worry much if I dropped her off in two pieces.

"Who's that 'no important' again?" Malcolm asked pointing towards her.

I wasn't in my right head to explain him everything that had happened in the last week, how I ended up in Riverdale with this borderline exasperating girl.

"Long story Mal." I shook my head in a tedious mood.

"Well you can tell me all about it on the way." He insisted shaking my right shoulder. "I've got nothing but time."

We both eyed towards her direction to call her attention and even then, knowing too well our intention, she stood glued to the ground in out-and-out remonstration.

"Aren't you coming?" Malcolm asked politely. Too polite for a vampire.

"No." She rebuked rather quite smoothly judging by her mood on her face.

Malcolm stared at me in a state of befuddlement. His brows knitted together to form wrinkles between his forehead. Awe was clear on his face unbalanced between fear and appreciation.

I knew begging her wouldn't have gotten us anywhere and I would've given anything at the moment to have a glass of neat AB Positive.

So I ran along the narrow path until I got in front of her and as she blinked a couple of times to predict my next actions, I hauled her up throwing her on my shoulder and returned back to him as she quivered persistently to reach out of my grasp.

He looked at me with twitched questioning brows.

"She isn't as obedient." I stated.

Her hands indefatigably smacked my back until they're sore and after a moment's break, they sustained with their routine, at least she wasn't bored.

"So are you going to tell why you left your mother?" Malcolm asked.

As I processed his words, the hitting stopped and the ears were heaved intruding in the conversation.

"Next." I asked.

I'd have agreed to any sort of converse to kill this time but not her. Talking about her would just make things worse than they already were and besides we're being eavesdropped which I didn't prefer.

"I don't understand. Why would you abandon the only person you'd held so dear?" I could tell his eyes were trying to read my expressions to make out a reasonable answer.

"I didn't abandon her. I was just given a task." I admitted.

"Which is . . . ?" There was a moment's pause for my turn to answer but I couldn't come up with the best excuse or the courage to speak the truth.

Malcolm had loved my mother like his own and he hadn't likely needed another reason to detest Mason's sole existence. He had lost his brother to Mason's cruelty and angering him was the last thing I needed to do.

He still grieved his loss and took me as a means of redemption for himself, which I didn't mind, but he would always be a big brother to me.

"Ed! Look!" He groaned with a warning tone as panic made its presence noticeable in his voice.

We came to a halt just as he pointed towards Lisa. I bewildered as to what his gesture could mean and then I hastily but tenderly put her on the ground, perching her back on the grass while kneeling myself before her. Not long after he joined.

Her forehead had gone red with quite a few veins popping out here and there. Her lips were tainted with purple bruises and her nose had the abrupt symptom of bleeding.

I then realized she wasn't really an expertise on staying upside-down for too long. I tended to forget that she was too fragile to numerous countable usual circumstances.

Her eyes bleakly opened and closed moment after another as she adjusted with the fresh headache whilst a few tears rolled down from the corners of her eyes proving how much pain dwelled in them.

I drew her head up by my hand beneath her nape and perched it on my arm meanwhile curling a hand around her knees to haul her up. She was unconscious now and the suitable heartbeat rate confirmed it.

We persisted on our way after then though all the while I felt an intrigued gaze falling upon my actions and observing them with extreme attentiveness.

"How did you end up with her?" He inquired.

I thought for a while as what to say and truth seemed a rather good option; besides I had nothing to hide.

"She's my task." I murmured.

No wonder I was captivated enough to know how he must've acted upon by my words. And to my surprise there wasn't an inch of amusement or the attempts of inquisition on his face.

He hadn't moved a muscle on his perfectly inclined jaws and narrowing eyes. His face held the looks of silent obstinacy and screaming troubles. He gazed at me ever so darkly as if in a threatening mood and whispered,

"Don't ever mention that during your stay in this place." He sounded too daunting and out of instincts I nodded.

I knew vampires like us repelled Mason and other high-class arrogant dudes but the sight of repugnance on Malcolm's face drove me over the edge.

Of course he was worried about my safety and well-being and lividly furious even at the mention of the topics concerning him.

His face held that look for a long while until he sighed it away along with his worries.

He knew he'd never get over his loss but we got to live, we had to, with a hope that tomorrow might be better, that we'd find some sort of so-called relief and redemption before burning in Hell for an eternity, that we'd have enough good memories to kill the time when we're being tortured by the demons.

But eventually that was where we're supposed to go, to pay for our sins and to be a better soul for a next life, for reincarnation.

She believed that, the myths, the afterlife, she was naïve enough to think there was good hidden in the deepest cores of a sinful one. She had hope, the hope she might be holding onto firmly right now like one would a night pillow during a nightmare.

"You've a hell lot to tell me." He reminded.

Without anymore exchange of words he led me before a gigantic X shaped branch that might've crisscrossed long ago before I was born.

A few branches caressed by the thin rays of sunlight and wrapped up by newly bloomed leaves dropped down from the trees along with buds of freshly prepared flowers spreading wide across the floor to contrast itself with a wedding aisle.

The sweet aroma filled my senses and weakened them as Malcolm tucked away the small grass strings leaning down from above and gestured for me to go on.

When the path was clear and the vision was unmistakable, the first thing my eyes perceived was a giant round waterfall situated at the end of a ring-shaped village. I could see many people around the houses that met the composition of eighteenth century.

They seemed to not be fancy or the kind to show-off. My guess was that they never really blended with the humans. They were all nature lover as their beautiful farms and gardens would suggest. It wasn't just a community but a vastly spread colony.

I looked at Malcolm with utter curiosity and majestic appreciation radiating from my eyes.

"Welcome to the Kismet." He greeted.