Blood.
There was so much blood.
It was all over me—my face, my hands, my hair, my arms.
I could taste the blood in my lips.
Blood that had been shed.
Blood that came from someone else.
I should be used to this,
Shouldn't I?
I am a vampire after all…
But there is something different with this blood…
The smell, the taste.
It wasn't human.
I looked up, and saw the woman lying before me.
Dead.
I heard a muffled sound beside her.
The man who made the sound was wounded.
Badly.
'Excuse me sir, are you alright?' I went over to him, and tried to sit him up.
He looked up at my face, and almost instantly, scuttled away.
His eyes burned with fear, he shook as if he were an earthquake itself.
I was about to step closer, when I noticed the mirror in front of me.
My hands were covered in blood.
Her blood.
His blood.
I choked a sob.
And there was that devilish cackle, coming from behind me.
I turned around.
She stood there, her silvery long hair. Her pale, perfect skin. Her flaming red eyes.
Katerin Anerize Kent. Or rather, the monster.
Her lips curled into a smile.
'Atanashia… I will and always have been a part of you. Forever.'
She reached out her hand.
'The beauty and the beast. The human and the monster.'
She slowly turned into dust.
I turned to the man and the woman,
And I realized.
I was smothered in vampire's blood.
And as I looked to the man,
He cowered even more.
..
'Father?'
..
'I-I'm sorry, Father… I-I didn't mean to…'
***
I awoke with a start.
Sweating, panting.
Have I gone crazy?
Why am I dreaming as if I were Atanashia?
I threw the blankets off the bed, and walked to the windowsill, where a jug of water was set.
I took the glass beside it and poured water.
Drinking slowly.
It was a dream.
And the first one I ever had, since the death of my mother.
A nightmare.
***
Evanjerin, you look pale.
What? No. The hell. That's just our normal complexion.
If you say so.
The two were skating their way to school, simply because Atanashia refused to travel in a limousine.
Frankly, I would have preferred the limo, because I wouldn't be recognizable until I stepped out of the car, but let Atanashia have her way. She rarely does.
Your friends were worried.
Oh?
Yeah.
Well, I'm fine now.
What're you going to tell them?
I had strep throat.
Okay..
***
'Goodness, have you heard, Atanashia? Adelle Visioyn disappeared.. I bet it was Jigoku Shoujo.'
***
So it was true. Jigoku Shoujo is the real deal.
Send her to hell, and pay for it with your soul.
Not a bad deal, if you're immortal and seemingly never going to die.
I was on my laptop, on my desk. It was almost midnight, and I couldn't sleep.
I wanted to see if the Jigoku Tsuushin site is real.
Maybe, just maybe… Since I was immortal, I wouldn't have to pay with my soul.
Maybe that toad could just disappear.
Just maybe.
***
I was watching the twins' mansion while sitting atop a tree.
Ichimoku Ren materialized beside me.
He gently touched my shoulder, and whispered, 'Ojou?'
I gave no reply.
And he whispered once more,
Ever more softly than I have ever heard him speak,
So soft that the words would have been gone,
Carried by the wind,
If it were not for his closeness…
'You have a message.'