1: Sun- kissed ☀

“The vampires do not own the body they possess. They undergo on the so called metamorphoses because their appearance constantly changes. This only means that their appearance isn’t stable.  They keep their body appearance they had prior to their death and basically they do not age. They project a look that ranges from human- like to ghoulish form depending from their emotions or motivations. So, they usually transform to their ghoulish form when they’re starved.”

Khala Lilla Cruz was immersed as she listened to her professor giving lectures about the famous mythical creature in her subject in Lit 167E, The Vampire in Literature and Popular Culture. She’s a freshman in her course in Literature in a high- end university in Cavite.

She grew in a family with uncanny obsessions of anything relating to vampires. Sa katunayan ay may isang tagong hardin sa bahay nila kung saan may kulay gintong rebulto ng isang lalaking nakatayo sa pinakasentro ng hardin na kung nabubuhay lamang ay tiyak niyang napakakisig at napakagandang lalaki. Kakatwa ding nabubuhay doon ang variety ng mga rosas at iba pang mga halaman na sa ibang bansa lamang nabubuhay.

Her parents were also gifted with good genes which were obviously passed to her the reasons why she was often pertained as the goddess of their university. Her creamy white skin often flushed with such compliments. Her small face matched her smoldering doe-shaped brown eyes with thick curls of lashes. Her tiny nose was high- bridged and her thin lips shamed the reddest of blood. Her long hair was  naturaly  curly velvet of light butterscotch blonde which made her skin even paler.

She started to suspect her parents two years ago at the night of her 17th birthday. She saw her parents enter the hidden garden. Kitang- kita niya ang ang pag- aalay ng mga ito ng pulang likidong nasa kristal na goblet at pagluhod sa harap ng rebultong nasa sentro ng hardin na tila ba’y sinasamba nila ito. Isa pang kaduda- duda sa mga ito’y ang hindi pagtanda ng mga itsura nila sa kabila ng paglipas ng taon. Given that his father is a doctor and her mom is a dermatologist, it was comprehensive that they were both self and beauty conscious but it couldn’t explain why her parents looked 20 years younger than their biological ages.

There must be an explanation. Something beyond Science can expound. Kaya nga ng tumuntong siya ng kolehiyo’y pinili niyang kumuha ng kurso sa Literature at ngayon ngang nasa pangalawang taon na siya sa kurso’y nauna sa electives niya ang subject na ito.

“In popular cultures, we have two kinds of vampires.” Pagpapatuloy pa ng professor.  “The first one is the original vampire, they are what we call the ghouls who after they perish can possess another body of a recently dead while the other one is the turned vampire which generally refer to the human who turned vampires and they continue to exist with their own bodies but can also turn into animals typically known as shapeshifters.”

Nahinto sa pagsasalita ang professor ng magtaas ng kamay ang isa niyang kaklase upang magtanong.

“Ma’am, how do we identify original vampires from turned vampires?” Someone asked.

“Well, one distinction between them is their reflection.  Human vampires continue to have reflection while the original ones don’t inherently have one. Another distinction is the pockmarks of human vampires where they have been bitten. This pockmarks look like natural moles, though.”

Unawarely, Khalla lifted her hand to touch the two moles on the crook of her creamy white neck.

...🍷...

Khala lowered down her gaze as she walked along the pathway towards the study hall. Hindi na bago sa kanya ang lantarang pagbubulungan at pagsunod sa kanya ng tingin ng mga kapwa niya estudyante sa tuwing napapadaan siya sa kahit saan mang bahagi ng unibersidad. She wasn’t bullied though; in fact her goddess- like beauty made her the most famous student in the university. However, she never got used to it. She was always shy. Her beauty never gave her confidence.

Bumalik sa reyalidad ang lumilipad niyang isip ng banggain siya ng isang grupo ng aligagang babaeng estudyanteng sa mismong tapat ng university chapel. Tila ba’y may hinahabol na kung anoang mga ito at sa nangyari’y nahulog ang hawak niyang aklat na kahihiram pa lamang niya sa library. Narinig niyang sumigaw ng sorry ang isa sa papalayong babae at bagaman ‘di na makikita ng babae’y sinuklian na lamang niya ito ng isang ngiti.

“Okay lang.” Bulong niya sa hangin saka pinulot ang nahulog na aklat.

She was always like that. Hindi siya ang klase ng taong madaling makadama ng inis o galit. Sabi nga ng mga kaibigan niya’y reincarnation yata siya ni Virgin Mary dahil sa pagiging napakapuro niya. Pero gustuhin man niyang mainis o magalit ay hindi yata iyon nakaprograma sa sistema niya. Isa pa, naniniwala siyang mas magaan mabuhay ng walang galit na nadarama.

Tumayo siya ng may ngiti sa mga labi ngunit agad ding napalis iyon ng mapako ang tingin sa paparating na lalaki na walang dudang siyang dahilan ng pagkakagulo ng mga babaeng estudyanteng nasalubong niya. Her lips slightly opened in awe.

The man strode towards her the way someone walks in a catwalk, his hands in the pockets of his black linen pants. Tucked in his linen pants was a loose white long- sleeve shirt with wide V- neckline showing his collarbones. He must be between 18- 20, his height 6’1, a lean model- like body any man would envy. Sa bawat paggalaw nito’y tila sumasabay ang hangin rito. And when he passed by her, his sweet scent filled her nostrils enough for her to feel intoxicated. He smelled like roses and marshmallows.

At tila ba’y may sariling utak ang mga paa niya dahil pumihit siya paharap sa direksyong tinahak ng lalaki. At laking gulat niya ng bigla’y huminto rin ito sa paglalakad at pumihit paharap sa kanya. Just as then the wind blew harder shaking the sleeping old acacia tree in front the university chapel. Its tiny rounded leaves set afloat and its sun- kissed flowers joined them. And Khala swore she had caught a glimpse from a living god.

He has this intense dark eyes covered with thick curls of lushes. His nose was high- bridged, angular and aristocratic. His lips almost looked like it was painted with blood. His sexily tousled hair with fringe set apart at the middle that brushes his perfect eyebrows was as black as a starless night. And only this man could pull out such hairstyle looking so trendy, fierce and sexy.

Hindi alam ni Khala kung paano niya nagawang salubungin ang marubdob na mga mata ng lalaki. Ang tanging alam niya lang ay kung paanong hindi na niya magawang iiwas ang mga mata mula rito. She had met several good looking men in her life. In fact, her father was one of those. But this man in front her was an exemption and beauty itself couldn’t give him justice. She wasn’t vain, in reality she even didn’t care about personal appearance. Never did once that she met a man eye- to- eye. But she thought there was always a first time for everything.

Air was stacked in her throat when the man inched closer in a painful slow pace. And no matter how she wanted to step back, her treacherous feet wouldn’t let her do so. Astounded, she hitched her breath when he lifted one hand and stroked the moles on the crook of her neck using her long delicate pale finger and surprisingly, his mere touch felt so warm her body trembled in heat.

She gasped, her eyes widening in horror when the sinfully beautiful man lowered down his head to her neck that she almost convulsed when his warm breath fanned her stiffed neck where her veins start to throb. The man edged closer, almost kissing the crook of her neck and no matter how she wanted to push him away, she was as if under a spell that she was deprived of even moving a single muscle.

“Eizen!” Someone  with a remarkably appealing voice called and the man froze. “This isn’t the right time.” Dagdag pa nito na tila nagpabalik sa katinuan ng pangahas na lalaki. Bagaman nanatiling tila tuod sa pagkakatayo ay nakahinga ng maluwag si Khala ng iangat ng lalaki ang mukha at paatras na humakbang palayo sa kanya.

Two meters away, from the back of the sinfully handsome man stood another two men sharing equal inhuman beauty. At nakasisiguro si Khala na isa sa mga lalaking iyon ang tumawag sa pangalan ng lalaking kaharap niya.

Magkasingtaas ang dalawang lalaki. The first man looked domineering though. He was wearing a black and white white button down shirt tucked in his black pants. What were remarkable to him were his purplish- blue eyes matched with prominent brows and thick lashes. His nose was perfectly angular, lips as red as blood. His shiny buttery blonde hair was sexily twisted in small sections with fringes in a messy side sweep. Kapansin- pansin dito ang suot na itim na choker sa leeg.

The other man looked more laid back. He was wearing a loose white long sleeved shirt with an open front laced up with black trimming tucked in black fitted pants. It was her first time to see someone with gorgeous hazel eyes. His high- bridged nose was paired with irresistible thin cherry lips. His hair was a fabulous ash gray with fringes that were swept upward though some strands were brushing the sides of his
brows.

Khala’s eyes drifted back to the gloriously god- like man in front her whom the two equally beautiful men called Eizen. He stared at her in burning intensity, his fists clenched tight and his teeth were gritted as if he was enduring something. Tila anumang sandali’y bibigay ang kanyang tuhod sa matalim na pagkakatitig sa kanya ng lalaki. Kung may galit man ito sa kanya’y ‘di niya alam. But she was certain that it was her first time meeting this man so there was no way that she had done something from the past that might had offended him.

Kitang- kita niya ang pagtaas ng adams apple ng lalaki ng lumunok ito. Gayunpaman ay hindi kabawasan sa taglay nitong kagandahan ang malamig at matalim na ekpresyon ng makinis nitong mukha. She was even more stunned when the wind wafted around them and his sweet intoxicating scent was more distinct. She swallowed hard, wondering how such sweet scent can burn her throat.

Lumapit ang dalawang lalaki sa kanila, and this time, the sweet scent of roses and marshmallows were mixed with pomegranates, chamomile, vanilla and lavender. She felt like she was inside a luxurious scent shop. And she wondered again, how could these three mysteriously beautiful men who apparently represent the falling of the leaves smelled freshly like summer?

Bumalik siya sa reyalidad ng bumulong ang lalaking may buttery blonde na buhok sa lalaking nagngangalang Eizen na hanggang ngayon ay nananatiling matiim ang pagkakatitig sa kanya. But a second later, his stance became relaxed as he unclenched his fists. Tila mga modelong sabay- sabay na tumalikod ang tatlo at naglakad palayo sa kanya.

Pero hindi pa man masyadong nakalalayo’y humintong muli ang lalaking nagngangalang Eizen at hindi niya maipaliwanag ang nararamdaman ng muli itong lumingon sa kanya. The wind blew hard and tiny leaves and yellow flowers from the acacia rained over them. And when the sun kissed his pale skin, it was as if she went back to summer right in the middle of cold December.