HELLO MY LOVELY READERS! Here is chapter 4, this is for all of you. Thank you for all the kind reviews, I really appreciate all of your kind words! Hope you enjoy!
Chapter 4: New friends, flirting vampires, and a killer ring.
MAI'S POV
I walk into the mass room. There's many vampires talking excitedly about the upcoming mass. I walk down the aisle and sit next to a few human orphans in the front row. Two of the girls have brown hair, the girl sitting next to me has shoulder length black hair. They are speaking in hushed tones, but I hear them perfectly.
"Which one do you think is cuter? Goro or Hansuke?" The first girl with brown hair asks.
"Neither. They are both vampires. They would probably suck our blood if they had the chance." The second girl with brown hair says, she sticks her nose in the air and crosses her arms.
"Nana! You shouldn't say such mean things. Both Goro and Hansuke are here to save their souls. You shouldn't assume such horrible things about them." The girl with black hair says.
"But it's in their nature Anna. They're vampires! They need to suck our blood to survive." Nana says in a matter of fact tone.
"That isn't entirely true." I say interrupting them. They all look at me.
"Oh! You're the new girl! Mai, right? I'm Chika! This is Nana and the girl sitting next to you is Anna." The first girl with brown hair says. I smile and greet them.
"And why do you think I'm wrong? Vampires do need to drink human blood to survive." Nana states.
"I know. But some vampires don't drink human blood. They drink fake blood." I say.
"And how do you know that?" She asks, her voice sounds slightly annoyed.
"Because my best friend is a vampire and he doesn't drink human blood. Instead I always see him heat up a packet of fake blood and drink it."
"How do you know he doesn't drink human blood when you're not watching?" Nana asks.
"Because I've been with him since I was five. I've never seen him ever hurt any human or drink human blood. Plus, I know him like the back of my hand. He wouldn't even touch human blood. Every time I fell and scratched myself, he would clean my cut and burn the tissues containing my blood. He always said 'human blood creeps me out! Do you know how many diseases that could flow through your blood?' He's actually terrified of drinking human blood." I smile, remembering Peter. I miss him. I haven't seen him because he had a mission to attend over seas.
"You still don't know..." Nana mumbles, but she stays quiet after that.
"So, which vampires did you say were cute? Which one is Goro and which one is Hansuke?" I smile teasing Chika. Any vampires that are familiar with the girls are potential suspects. She blushes.
"Um... Ummmm..." She points to a man in a black suit and tie. He has black hair that barely reaches his neck. His red eyes are looking into the woman he's talking to. Both of his hands are in his pockets and he looks relaxed.
"That's Goro. And that's.." She points at a guy wearing a black suit and tie with shoulder length black hair and red eyes. "Hansuke." She says, blushing.
"I'm guessing you like Hansuke better than Goro?" I ask, and her blush deepens.
"W-well. They're both really nice and super handsome. Goro is really charming and a real ladies man, but Hansuke has more of a... Mysterious look to him. You know?" She says. I look at Hansuke. Well, he is definitely handsome. He's sitting down alone, silently reading a black book. He looks up when he feels my stare and we meet eyes. I blush, embarrassed he caught me staring and he smirks, before turning back to his book. I look away, he kind of reminds me of Naru when he smirks. Wait, why am I thinking of that jerk at a time like this?
"Aren't they handsome?" Chika smiles dreamily. I laugh. I bet the reason why she comes to mass is to see them!
"I guess."
"Who is this beautiful young lady?" An unfamiliar voice asks. I look up to meet red eyes. It's Goro. He smiles, takes my hand in his and kisses the back of my hand. He holds my hand for a little too long. I smile at him kindly. Before I can speak, Chika does.
"Goro, this is Mai. She's new to the orphanage. Mai, this is Goro, he's been to this church for a couple of months now." She excitedly introduces us. His red eyes never leave mine.
"May I please have my hand back?" I ask Goro. He's a little suspicious.
"Oh my! Please excuse my rudeness. I suddenly got lost in your beautiful caramel eyes. And this hair-" he grabs the ends of my hair gently, "it's so long and beautiful... It's as black as night." He says, letting go of my hair. He looks into my eyes. Okay, this guy is super suspicious! He totally fits the suspect's description. Friendly with the girls of the orphanage and likes young girls with brown eyes and black hair. This is suspect number one.
"Goro-san, w-" he interrupts me.
"Just Goro, please." He smiles.
"Goro... Um, why do you come to church?" I ask.
"To save my soul." He replies without hesitation.
"Oh."
"Well why do you come to church Mai?" He asks. I hesitate. Shit. I wasn't expecting him to return the question.
"Well... To pray." I say.
"To pray? Pray for what?" He asks. Why do I feel like I'm the one being interrogated?
"To pray that my parents are happy in heaven."
"Oh dear, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked. No wonder you were hesitant. That is indeed personal."
"No, it's fine." The church bell rings, signaling that mass is starting.
"Well, I'll pray for your happiness. I'll pray for all of you lovely ladies." He smiles, then he leaves, taking a seat four rows behind us.
"Isn't he charming?" Chika asks.
"Yeah, a real ladies killer." I state. The pastor begins his speech and everyone listens to him, taking in every word. After an hour and a half of talking, he finally brings his speech to a close. I sigh. Finally! I could investigate. I look at Anna.
"Do you talk to every one here? Or just Goro and Hansuke?"
"Well, the only other two vampires we talk to are Livia and Hisao. They're talking over there." I look to see a vampire woman with long blonde hair, wearing a black formal dress, talking to a vampire man with short light brown hair, who's wearing a dark blue suit and tie.
"Why don't you talk to anyone else here? There's tons of people and you only talk to four?" I ask.
"Because they're the only ones that actually have conversations with us. Everyone else just greets us and leaves."
Hmm. The female vampire is definitely not the suspect. I'm 100% sure it was a man's voice in my dream, so she's scratched off the list. Could it be that Hisao guy? He doesn't look that suspicious, but I haven't met him directly so I can't be sure. Goro is definitely suspicious and Hansuke, well I haven't even talked to him yet. Time to be charming. I spot him in the same spot, reading the same black book. I stand in front of him.
"Hello. I'm Mai.. um I just got to the orphanage yesterday." I say. He looks up from his book.
"Oh, your the girl who was staring at me earlier." He says closing his book. I notice a black ring on his pinky.
"No, I mean yes, I was staring but it's not like I was trying to be a creep or anything... It's just um..."
"It's just?" He asks. A hint of a smile plays on his lips. It's just that I'm trying to see if you killed two girls and is about to kill another one? No! Of course I'm not telling him that! I'll use Chika!
"It's just... Well this girl I met said you were really cute and she pointed at you, so I was just... Seeing if what she said was true." Sorry Chika!
"And was it true?" Now he's smiling. My face is as red as a tomato and I could tell he's toying with me.
"Umm, look here mister! I came here to apologize for staring! Not for you to make fun of me! I didn't mean to stare... and I wanted to introduce myself..."
"Well that was quite the introduction Miss Mai. I'm Hansuke, Hansuke Ine." He offers me his hand.
"Mai Taniyama." I shake his hand.
"So What are you reading?" I ask pointing to the black book.
"My notes on an experience held a few days ago."
"Experiment? Are you a scientist?"
"Yes to both questions. I was trying to figure out why the experiment failed."
"What kind of experiment was it?" I ask. He smiles.
"You know curiosity killed the cat?"
"I don't remember myself being a cat." I state. His smile widens.
"Animal testing."
"What kind of animal?"
"Now that's a question I can't answer. I could lose my job for giving you that information."
"Oh, sorry."
Animal experiment? How weird. What is he experimenting? On an animal nonetheless. New shampoos? The sound of someone calling my name snaps me out of my thoughts. I see Anna waving at me, standing next to Livia and Hisao. I wave back.
"Got to go, my friend is calling me. Bye Goro." I say, walking towards Anna and the two vampires.
"Good bye Mai." He says.
"Mai this is Livia and Hisao. Hisao, Livia, this is Mai." Anna introduces us. How nice of Anna, she probably thought I wanted to make friends at mass. Which is understandable because I was asking her tons of questions about who she talks to.
"Hello Mai. Welcome to your new home." Livia says, shaking my hand. She has a soft voice.
"Thank you."
"Pleasure to meet you Mai." Hisao says shaking my hand. He has a deep voice, it has a soft ring to it though.
"The pleasure is mine." I say.
"So are you in school Mai?" Livia asks.
"Yes, my last year of high school."
"Ah, cherish this last year! You have prom coming up! Who are you going with?" Livia asks excitedly.
"Oh, um, I'm not going with anyone..." I say, scratching the back of my head.
"How interesting... Why wouldn't anyone want to bring a beautiful girl like you to prom?" Hisao asks. I blush. What is with these vampires? Flirting at church! Really?
"I.. Don't know.."
"I'd take you. Well, If I was in high school." Hisao smiles. Livia hits Hisao with her purse, reminding me of Ayako when she does so.
"Hisao! She's underage so watch what you say!" She glares at him. He just laughs softly and smiles at me. I watch as his eyes travel to my hair.
"Your black hair is beautiful." He states.
"Um. Thank you." I say. I feel tension in the air. Livia looks upset. Hisao is staring into my eyes. Anna looks uncomfortable.
"Well, Anna and I must go. I don't want to get scolded for lingering around the mass room. Goodbye. It was nice to meet you both." I say, taking Anna's arm and pulling her along with me.
"Goodbye." Hisao says while Livia waves.
"Talk about awkward!" Anna laughs.
"Tell me about it!"
"It's time for lunch, wanna grab a bite?" She asks, pointing toward the dining room.
"I'm actually not feeling too well. I'm gonna go lay down, sorry." I give her an apologetic smile.
"No it's fine! Feel better! I'll see you tomorrow at Mass!" She says, entering the dining hall.
"Thanks! See you!" I run upstairs to my room.
Who could it be? Goro? Hansuke? Hisao? I sigh and take my phone. I text Yasu.
"Quickly go to the mass room. Interview Goro, Hansuke, and Hisao. One of them could be the suspect." I text him. He texts me back almost immediately.
"Got it boss." He writes. I close my phone. Goro and Hisao were the most suspicious. But Hansuke, there was something off about him. I couldn't really put my finger on it. Maybe it's because he does experiments on animals? All of a sudden, I feel really tired. I lay back on my bed. I could use an afternoon nap. I close my eyes and drift to sleep.
Dream World:
I open my eyes to meet light blue eyes.
"You again." I say, getting up from the black floor.
"Well, hello to you too Mai." Dream Naru says, he pretends to look hurt. I sigh and run my fingers through my hair.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to say that... I'm just a little frustrated. I want to save the third victim from dying, but I'm getting no where with the information I have. I didn't mean to take it out on you." I say.
"Don't worry, I'm here to help. I have something to show you." Dream Naru offers me his hand and I take it. The scenery changes automatically. We're in the back of the church and it's night time. A small park is in the back of the church. There are two swings, monkey bars and a blue slide with a sandbox on the bottom of the slide. There's the second victim, siting on a swing. I notice that her face is emotionless, however, tears are falling from her eyes. There's dark figure behind her. The figure sits down next to her.
"What's wrong?" The figure asks. She doesn't answer him. He stays quiet for a while.
"Do you want to leave this place?" He asks. The girl turns her face to him.
"Of course I do ! Who wouldn't? I can't stand another day here! There's nothing but rules rules rules. You can't do this you can't do that. Stop yelling, don't run, never hug a boy. I always somehow get in trouble and then everyone starts avoiding me because they're scared I'll get them in trouble too." She says.
"They don't understand you." He says.
"They don't. At all. It's not like I wanna break the rules. It's just that... I want to be free. I feel trapped here. Like I'm tied down to the church. I feel like I'll never be able to escape."
"What if I could help you escape?"
"How? The last time I ran away, they found me immediately."
"I have a house, in the woods that no one's ever seen. I could give it to you and you could be free."
"They will find me... They always do."
"No. They won't find you. I'll protect you." He says, offering his hand.
"Choose. Will you stay here, trapped forever. Or will you come with me and be free from your chains?" He asks. She thinks for a few seconds, then grabs his hand.
"I want to be free." She says, hope filling her eyes. The dark figure pulls her away from the back yard of the church and into the woods. We follow them. We pass the entrance to the hidden passage that leads to the church, going deeper into the woods. Finally, I see a small wooden cabin. They enter the cabin and we follow. Inside is a small fire place. A green couch sits across from the fire place. A table for two is inside the tiny kitchen to the left, a slightly open bathroom door is next to the kitchen, and there's a closed door to the right of the fire place, that most likely leads to a room. I watch as he shows her around. Then he finally gets to the closed door.
"This is your new room. Go ahead, go in." He smiles. She enters the room and we follow. She freezes at the sight of her new room. There's a bed with chains on each corner. She quickly turns to the dark figure.
"Um, I think I want to go back to the church..." She says. The dark figure walks into the room and locks the door behind him.
"You are home." He states.
"NO!" She screams and runs past him. He grabs her arm and pushes her on the bed. He holds both of her hands above her head as he sits on her stomach. He chains her left wrist to the top left side of the bed.
"No! Stop! Please let me go!" She screams. She can't move because she's just a human. The dark figure is a vampire, so he's ten times stronger than her. He chains her other wrist.
"Now you were just too easy to get. Much to my connivence I didn't even need to use my developing power on you. You're so easy to manipulate. Didn't Father Kimura say that Rebellious thinking of yours was going to get you in trouble?" He laughs, getting off of her stomach and going to the end of the bed. He grabs her left foot.
"Let me go!" She screams, kicking the dark figure with her free foot. Her hits doesn't effect him at all as he chains her ankle, then he grabs her free foot and chains it too. She screams and cries for help. The dark figure duck tapes her mouth shut.
"You're much prettier when your not screaming your lungs out." He says. Hair is covering her eyes and he gently pushes it out of her face.
"Your beautiful black hair is covering these beautiful honey brown eyes. Oh, you remind me so much of my wife, before I couldn't resist the urge to drink her blood anymore. Her blood was so delicious. It was so rich and creamy, like the color of your eyes." He says. The girl eyes are silently pleading, telling him not to kill her, but he just laughs.
"I know what you're thinking, but I was given this power for a reason; To make this power stronger and to take over the vampire throne. No hard feelings, but I need every ounce of your blood to make it happen." He says. He turns her head to the side, then bites her neck. He sucks her blood for about a minute, then lifts his head. His lips are covered in her blood. He takes a plain gold ring off his pinky and places it towards her bleeding neck. Suddenly, the ring starts absorbing her blood. I gasp in surprise and horror. The ring suddenly turns black and I watch as the girl passes out from lack of blood, then the dark figure puts the, now black, ring on his pinky.
"It's no fun when she's passed out." He sighs. Then he walks out of the room. I look at Dream Naru. What. The. Fuck. The scene changes back to the dark black place I always wake up to.
"The ring is called sânge ring. It's an ancient Romanian ring that absorbs blood and gives the person wearing it the power to control people. The more blood the ring absorbs, the more powerful the control over people gets." Dream Naru explains. I've seen that ring somewhere before... Then it hits me.
"Naru! I need to wake up. Now!" I say panicky. He smiles.
"Bye Mai." Then he disappears and I feel the familiar tug of me waking up.
End of Dream
Get ready for the next chapter! Thank you for reading! ~ Moonlinny ❤️