Past is coming out slowly
tearing the graves to take over
Present and to change
Future for Forever.

//Night//

** Shade **

Driving is my second favourite thing to do, well first favourite? Looking at Dawn's innocent face. Being a vampire, it is weird to say that I love long drives. But it is my dream to go for long drives with Dawn, which is destined to remain a dream only. Sitting beside me, she is lost in the forest world. I don't know why she has this obsession with forests; she has even named it. Silly girl! A smile forms on my face seeing her arguing like a 10 year old, with Rain.

☆☆☆

As she snatches the money from me and goes for that floral shop, I know I need to be with her. She is not safe as I can smell a female vampire lurking somewhere close. Being pretty sure that Dawn will not let me accompany her, I have quietly followed her.

But she has caught me off guard when Marie has pulled me inside the shop. I can feel the anger rising inside Dawn. As soon as we come out, she lashes at me, mockingly. I am amused seeing her angry face. She is looking cute with the red tip of her nose. The tip of her nose gets red whenever she is angry or is laughing out loud. I have an urge to touch that red tip but a piercing scream touches my vampire ears. It is loud enough not only for me but also for Dawn. I have realized that we need to leave immediately.

The scream has scared her. I can feel the fear inside her emerald eyes which has darkened after hearing the scream. I try to lighten the mood by making jokes but she is too afraid. Her body is trembling with fear. So, at this moment I have done, what I think is best to do. Entangling our fingers, we make a dash for my car as rain drenches us breaking the sky with thunderous applause.

☆☆☆

We are already close to the destination.

"Hey Vin. What's the time?" I cut a poor Melvin who is feigning interest while talking with Rain about different shades of lipstick. Melvin gives me a grateful look as he replies, "It's 6:50." Then he shouts turning towards Rain, "Baby! It's already 6:50. You need to touch up right? So do it fast." I smirk nodding my head, seeing Melvin.

The weather outside is not good. The rain has stopped a few minutes back. But the thunderous growls are still hitting the car's glasses accompanied with sudden electrifying flashes. The wind is howling as I drive carefully. But amidst all these, Dawn is still quiet. She has not uttered a word after the incident in the forest. Her eyes are wandering in a forlorn land with a blank look on her beautifully crafted face. I know she is thinking that we should have searched the source of the scream and helped that lady. But I couldn't. I was helpless. If we would have done that, then we would have fallen in their trap. They are using all those who are close to both of us as a pawn. But I can't let Dawn walk into the den of death.

Gently keeping my palm on her bare shoulder, I try to bring her back to us. As soon as I touch her, she shivers and turns towards me with an expressionless face. Pulling away my hand I ask her, "You okay?"

After my question also, she is giving me the same blank look, as if she is not present in this planet at all. Then after a few seconds a small smile appears on her face. Just a small curve as if she is trying to bring out a smile, but something is holding her back.

Disappointed, I turn my gaze in front as I can't take a risk to look somewhere else while driving, that too with two mortals. I keep on driving when I feel a warm breath hovering over my neck. What the hell! I can smell Dawn but what is she doing so close. She has perplexed me. Her hot breath and sweet smell of blood is driving me crazy. I tighten my grip on the steering wheel to refrain my inner animal from winning. Then she speaks, in her sweet, silky but a feeble voice, "That scream was... Marie's."

I am too shocked to say anything. How can she know? It is insane. I glance at her from the corner of my eyes and see her pulling herself away from me slowly, leaving the lingering hotness over my whole cold body.

☆☆☆

"Hey stop!" Rain screams in my ear. Well, not scream but, it is too loud for me.

"Dawny! We've reached! Wake up." Rain smacks lightly behind Dawn's head while I halt the car with a screech.

"I am not sleeping Rain." Exhaustion is clear in Dawn's voice.

Pulling over the car, I park it along the street where other cars are parked. Both the girls get down and head towards the main gate. Strangely, this premise is free of thunderstorms and lightening. Not a single cloud is visible in the sky. But the moon is missing. A familiar darkness is lingering in every corner. Darkness, which can be found only in our world.

Thud!

My thoughts break as Melvin closes the car's door and waits for me to get off the car.

"Mm... Shade. I need to ask you something." Melvin is looking at me with a frustrated look as I come out of the car shoving the keys into my pocket. I arch an eyebrow gesturing him to continue.

"I can't control my instinct when I'm around Rain. I just go crazy. How do you control yourself so efficiently around Dawn?" He trails his fingers through his hair nervously.

I put my arms on Melvin's shoulder. "I just make myself remember one thing. In front of me is standing not my prey but my sole light in this dark world of mine."

Pulling away I look at him. He has totally freaked out as he frown his eyebrows. I smile a little. "It's like a war between our love and our inner animal. And you just have to let your love win against the beast living inside."

Melvin is staring at me sternly.

"What?" I ask him as he keeps on staring at me.

He shrugs his shoulders. "Nothing. It sounds nice while speaking. But it's too hard to do in real." Smiling, he put his arms on my shoulder and says, "Let's go. The Love is waiting for the Animal." With a small smile on both of our faces, we head into an unknown world.

☆☆☆

We are standing in front of the open entrance of an ancient manor, awestruck.

"Ha... have we co... come to the right place?" Rain grips Melvin's hand tightly. "I mean it's so spooky here. We need to walk these freaking lonely path to go to those two women standing at the door."

Dawn is looking at the manor with all interest, not at all scared. "It's beautiful." She mumbles, but because of the silence we all can hear it.

"Are you crazy? How can you compliment such a scary place as beautiful? I mean who illuminates the front yard of the house with yellow lamps and the house with dim blue fairy lights? It's as if we will enter a mystic world. And look at this old iron gate. It's even rusted." Rain scoffs looking at the iron gate whose designs belong to the late eighteenth century.

"Stop it girl! It's not old. It's an ancient design, and it's also rarely found. It's very expensive and needs hard labour to craft such designs." Dawn is stroking the rusted gate gently with a wide smile on her face. "For God's sake just look at it by throwing away your shitty fear!" Dawn's tone becomes harsher but softens again as soon as she looks at the manor. "It has such a homely ambiance. It's so... cozy. I'm going inside to talk with those women. Come with me." Dawn pulls Rain inside holding her hand, bold and fearless while Rain keeps on screaming "No... no... no... please."

"Why is Dawn behaving like this?" Melvin looks at me, confusion fully plastered on his face as a frown appears on his forehead.

"Don't know man. She's behaving as if it's her own home." I speak staring at the retreating figures of Dawn and Rain.

"Better follow them before they land into any kind of trouble." We head for them, suspicious of everything.

Though it is dark, still the yellow lights are illuminating the long path and the garden. The garden has various types of flowers. But all are unknown except one. Blue royal orchids, my favourite flower, are adorning the two sides of the path. Keeping our pace as normal as possible we run where those two women are giving something to Dawn and Rain.

"Are you sure this is where the party is?" Reaching there, Melvin whispers in Rain's ear.

"Yeah. I have called the number given in the notice. The lady who has picked up said it's actually the theme of the game. To give some hint, they have decorated the manor in this way."

"Okay. If you say so."

"Sir, take this, please." The two women in complete black with dark red lips and open long black hair give each of us a welcome card. My eyes travel from one face to another. They are alike, probably twins.

In the dimly lit light, I look at the cover of the card. It is really going well with the uncanny atmosphere. It has the backdrop of a misty forest which has an eerie blending of green and black. On the top it's written Maithli's Den and at the bottom, Hidden with Secrets in a pale white colour creepily.

But what has caught my eyes most is the fire covering three sides of the card. It is as if the fire is real. I close my eyes and some scenes, unknown to me flashes hastily. It is hazy not that clear but I can see that a tree is burning and then I hear a crystal clear voice whispering, 'I Love You, Fridolf.' As the beautiful voice lingers in my ears, I can hear the crackling of leaves and branches. A sudden pain shoots through my dead heart.

"Shade... Shade!" A shrill voice brings me out from the unknown yet familiar world.

"Huh?" I turn around and meet with Dawn's curious eyes.

"In which world are you? I'm calling you for the past 3 minutes." Dawn bursts out as she glares at me.

"Mm... nothing." I can't tell anyone what I have seen. Fuck! I don't even know what is the meaning of those flashes. Who the hell is Fridolf and why I'm having these flashes? It is the only question chewing up my brain.

"Shade! You again zoned out." This time it is Rain. Melvin is watching me suspiciously.

I look at the card once more and ask the women in black, "What'll we do with this?"

One woman answers, "You'll need them inside. It's a part of the party."

I am getting more and more suspicious. Why so much suspense in a freshers party? I mentally note that I need to be more cautious today. My vampire sense is telling me something will happen.

"Okay. But where're the rest of the students?" Melvin is also getting suspicious with all the weird preparations.

"They're inside. Most of them have already arrived. This manor is sound proof so you'll not be able to hear anything from outside." The other woman replies while staring at Dawn.

"Happy with all the interrogation? Now come." Dawn is behaving really strange.

As soon as all four of us step inside the manor, the oak door, on which a strange symbol is crafted, closes behind us with a slam. In front of us is a long dark passage. Wall candle holders are mounting with small candles flickering, painting the walls with light and shadow. But simultaneously, a loud noise of music is piercing my ears.

"A sound of music is coming. Let's follow the sound." I hold Dawn's wrist to step ahead but I can't move. Her wrist is as cold as my body. I can't feel any difference. I can't feel her warmth. I turn to look at her, but the vision shocks me. Her face is pale as if someone has sucked out every drop of her blood. Lowering my head, I bring my lips to her ear whispering her name. She shudders hearing her name and slowly blood returns to her face. She looks at me and even in that dimly lit passage I can see fear and confusion in her eyes.

Her soft rosy lips part but again meet each other. I can feel she is trying to speak but something is stopping her. I pull her closer and look straight into her eyes, "You can tell me anything. Any. Thing."

She again opens her lips and this time she says, "Mm... actually..." She lowers her head tearing her eyes away from me. Touching her chin with my index finger, I lift her head up making our eyes meet again, "Tell."

Whatever it is, it has scared her like hell. I can hear her pounding heart. But she has not turned away her gaze this time. She is looking straight into my eyes as if she is trying to suck out some courage from me. And then she slowly whispers, "I think... I've been here... before. Maybe it's my... um... Home."

☆☆☆

Hello friends!!! This is it. The next chapter. Everything is slowly unfolding. I hope you liked this chapter.Thanks a lot for all the reads, votes and comments and also for the advices. Also sorry for the late update.

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Thanks a lot for reading it. I'll be updating again within two or three days, I hope so, as I'm judging few awards so, it might get late but I'll update for sure and sorry once again for the late update.
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