'Cause everyone needs a friend to hold
When it's cold outside
And there's no place to go
Everyone needs a friend to hold
All alone I cried
There was no place to go
I remember when nobody cared
But you

On the side of Me - Corrine May

They were both running far. She almost tripped but he has her hands. The vampire was fast and she is not. "Goodness sake." he muttered. He grabbed her and carried her in her arms. She was wounded of course. But can't she move any faster. They will be much faster this way. She held on his shoulders. She didn't even understand why she agreed to him. He killed them. But even the first time they saw she saw goodness in him. She saw change. The sunrise was almost there and they needed to hurry. She was losing blood. And surprisingly he wasn't attracted to her blood. Something that made her curious. Herrick will be after them. She knows that. If Mitchell doesn't come back to him soon enough he'll find out. Mitchell took her to an old cottage and laid her to the bed. She was bleeding hard. The Englishwoman tremble as she speaks an old Latin spell. Her hands glowed as it heals the wound. Thankfully she had brought the book of spells with her. The one thing that Herrick wants to use against humanity.
"I have to go." he muttered. She grasped his hands. "Mitchell."
He turned to look at her. "I'll be back."

"Mitchell!"
Mitchell woke up and noticed that George was shaking him hard. "You've slept on the couch and you've been mumbling all night long."
"It's night time already?"
"Yeah. You slept so hard."
Debbie ran down the stairs and noticed the two guys. "Hi.."
"Hi.." they both said in chorus.
"I am going.. to make some tea. Would you like some?" she asked.
"Yeah sure." Mitchell said.
"No. Thanks." George replied.
"Okay." she smiled and headed off to the kitchen.
Mitchell stared at George. "Why are you like that?"
"Am I like what?"
"You've been treating her cold."
"I am not."
"I can see it clearly, George."
"Well.. You can't blame me. I'm not used with some witch around!"
"SHHH!" he shut his mouth before Debbie could hear them.
"Mitch here's your tea." she said walking towards them. "Everything okay?"
The two nodded. She stared at them confused.
She walked out.
"She's nice.. once you get to know her."
"How can I be sure that she won't threw some magic on my face?"
"I can hear you both you know." she said, smiling.
The two stared at each other for a moment.
She took a sip on her tea and smiled.
"See? She's been stalking on our lives."
"George it's just a week!"
"It's like a year!"
She walked towards them and glanced at George.
"I can hear the two of you perfectly. You don't need to whisper."
"Witch skills?" George asked.
"No. Just my skills."
She sat down and looked at them.
"You shouldn't be like that to someone older than you George." she smiled.
"How old?"
"You really want to know?" she took a sip.
He nodded.
"She's a-"
"798"
George's eyes widened. "You're an immortal?"
She nodded.
"You're like-"
"I'm hundred years older than Mitchell."
"You're like a living legend."
"But not the best one." She looked down remembering her brothers and sister. They were the best ones. They should've been the ones that lived, not her.
"You perform witchcraft?"
"Of course.. that's why I'm a witch."
"How many spells do you know?"
"A book or two."
George nodded and turned to Mitchell.
"So?"
"So what?"
"What do you t'ink?" Mitchell asked.
"I guess.. she's pretty cool."
"Badass." she corrected.
George turned to her. Debbie stood up and took the cup to the kitchen. "I'm going for a walk."
"I'm coming with ya." Mitch said, standing up.
"Mitch?" George called.
"You can stay. I'm not going anywhere far." she said. But Mitchell insisted.
"Well be back in a bit."

Debbie exhaled and rubbed her arm. The leather jacket she was wearing was making her comfortable.
Mitchell walked beside her. The weather is nice. It's a bit cloudy which makes it easier.
She didn't glance at Mitchell, and he thought she was angry.
"Did.. George-"
"No. I'm fine, Mitch." she smiled. "I just needed air to breathe."
She swayed her hands and watch as the leaves of the trees suddenly fall. She smiled.
"You... perfected the magic?" he asked.
"Not yet." she said. "I still can't perform the harder ones."
"Debbi-"
"No Mitchell." she glanced at him. She knew what he's thinking. He asked her a dozen times if there's a spell of making a vampire turn into a human. She never heard such thing. Or maybe no such thing existed. That made her feel sad for Mitchell. If she could only repay him for what he had done for her.
"I'm still hoping..."
"Y'know, Mitch... You don't have to change. You can still be human if-"
"I can't, Debbie. I still kill. I crave. I get hungry. I can pretend I am a normal person but I am not."
"Being normal is not about what most people do. It's what makes you feel comfortable. That's normal."
He looked at her.
"Just accept what you are-"
"A monster."
"A person." she corrected. "A person that wants good."
"But can't do good."
"You do. If you haven't done anything good then why am I still alive?" she grabbed his hands. "You protected me when I needed protection."
Mitchell grabbed her near and buried his face on her shoulder.
"I am thankful for that Mitch."
"Why do you do this?"
"Do what, Mitch?"
"Make everything feel okay?"
"You are the one who made everything okay."
"You're always there."
"You too."
"You saw everything.. I killed the-"
"But it wasn't you. It was Herrick that killed them."
"You're not the monster, Mitch." she cupped his face on her hands, making sure that he's staring at him.

1968. She stared at him. Three years had past and he was still there protecting her. She doesn't know why but Mitchell was always there.
"Are you sure you're going to be alright?" he asked, glancing at her. She nodded.
"I'll go to London... then maybe he won't find me there. If I get any luck I'll go to Syria and try to find a friend."
"If he finds you... call for me. I'll help." he said.
She stared at Mitchell. Why me, Mitchell? Why are you doing this for me?
She took her bag and looked at him one last time.
"Thank you for trusting me." he said. He walked away but she called for him.
"Mitch!" she said, raising her hand. She ran towards him and hugged him tight. "Thank you for saving me."
Mitchell buried his face on her hair. He grabbed something from his pocket and placed it in her hands. "Keep this."
She stared at it. "Mitch this is.."
"That's my only picture from home."
"You're so young." she laughed.
"Keep it."
She smiled and removed her ring. "Keep this too."
Mitchell shook his head. "But that's your..."
"It's just an old ring... nothing special. No spells or anything. But it's been with me since I was 22."
She held his hand and closed it. "Keep it, Mitch. So you can remember me."
Mitchell smirked.
"Last train to London!" a man shouted. She turned to look at the train.
"I better be going." she said and ran towards the train.
Mitchell stared at her as she went up the train and find a seat on the window. She waved goodbye with a sad smile on her face.

On the late 1910's. It's been centuries and Maya and Deborah had found Daniel and Katrina on the bay of Netherlands. Maya was still the one who was protecting the book. On the fall of that year, they traveled to Bristol where Maya met Herrick. Maya had met vampires before and knew they had no quarrel with them. She even pledge alliance with the man knowing the power he has in the place. But Maya saw the eagerness in Herrick's eyes. she saw the darkness in him. Debbie saw it herself when Herrick looked at the book. His eyes widened as if he found a treasure. Herrick tried to explain to Maya what could the revolution do. But Maya insisted. That's why they fled. They ran away from Herrick. But Herrick will never stop until he finds the book.

They were walking on the side of river. Mitchell stared at her for a long time. Her hair that was once curly but now laying straight on her back. Her brown eyes that has somehow shine. She didn't notice his stare. She just simply stare at the river.
"Mitch." she called, her eyes still fixed on the river.
Mitchell was a little bit surprised. "Yes?"
"Why.. What... What did you see in me that you think worth.. saving?" she said, looking at him straight in the eyes. She'd been dying to ask the question. She's not the best witch. She couldn't bring Mitchell's humanity back. She can't perform heavy spells. She's the most useless one.
Why me?
Mitchell looked away from her eyes. "Because..." he said. "Because that day that Herrick and I went to spy on you. You were the only one.. the only that seemed to be different."
"Different?"
"Maya and everyone else is like hard. But you.. you.. you're not the youngest but there was something in you that worth living."
"You mean Maya and the others doesn't worth to live?" she raised her voice.
"No. no. no. That's not what I mean." he said immediately. "You looked weak and fragile."
That's it. I knew it. He pitied me. she thought.
"But I was wrong. Among all of them.. you were the strongest. You care for others. You wanted to be a witch because you want to help. You tried to fight me back that day even if all others are dead. You tried to get up and fight."
"You saw.."
"Courage." he smiled. "I wasn't that brave you know. That's why I was surprised when you tried to fight me but failed."
She looked down to her hands and nodded.
"And you.. you still accepted me after what I did." he said.
"You saved my life. I owe it to you. If I start to push you away that won't be good." she said.
"I actually didn't I just.. spared you."
"It's still the same, Mitch." she said. "When Herrick first introduced you that night he taunted us, I knew you were not that bad. I knew you were just being dragged by that bullshit curse you have. I'm really sorry I can't help you get your humanity back."
Mitchell just simply smirked. She wrapped her arms around his torso which surprised Mitchell. "You're still warm."
"Heh." he laughed. "Do witches love to cuddle?"
"We love to cuddle our victims before we kill them." she joked.
Mitchell laughed but stopped. "Really?"
"I am joking, Mitch." she said. "I better let go, someone might think I'm your girlfriend or something."
Mitchell smiled. "Are you not?"
"What not?"
"Nothing." he smiled.
"Let's go back. George might be angry at me for taking his boyfriend away." she teased.