THREE

Love. Its a common factor. A general notion and a subsequent reaction to most things. The feeling is usually attested towards positivity. Like saying 'she loves cooking'. Cooking is what she loves and with the word love, one would assume nothing could come in between. I stood on a belief in it but at the same time, I resonated more with Shakespeare. A more Shakespearean note on the balance of love and loss was my sort of thing. Take Romeo and Juliet for example.

"...good night, good night ! parting is such sweet sorrow that I shall say good night till it be tomorrow" Natasha read out from her copy, the taste of milky heat filling my throat as I took a sip through my straw, eyes following through the words from my own copy.

A well crafted story of two hearts that beats for each other even from afar, despite their differences. I envied the bubble of romance Mr William built with twisted words I could never understand to save my life. I envied it until it burst and left nothing but nonexistent drops of mist and the smell of the fragrance that would soon fade away. That was the thing with love. No one truly knows how it feels until you do and until then, its just a bubble. One pin and it disappears like it never existed because it never really did.

"Hence will I to Friar Lawrence's close cell, his help to cave and my dear to tell."

The straw fell away from my lips when I heard his voice. It was the same boy from earlier, his voice smooth as the words. The syllables drew slyly through his voice and I could already imagine Natasha dying a thousand times if she weren't standing for the role of Juliet.

He was sitting up front, a comfortable angle for my eyes when they lifted to see him. From where I sat behind, his back was fully seen, along with a slight outline of his face as he bent to read from the book on the desk. The vampiric smell was there and quite stronger since his sister was right behind me, her hot bloody breath flowing down my neck even if she was at a reasonable distance.

I had once faced their kind and the smell was something I could never forget. My repulsion from the bloody breath and sharp stained teeth that matched the hungry eyes. For some reason, his aura felt...different. He was a vampire. Any creature like me would know but unlike the usual fear and defense instinct to protect ourselves from them, I felt nothing. Just a slight itch in my nose from the vampire smell. They reeked so bad and I hated it.

Apart from the smell, the sight was honestly therapeutic though. There he sat, a creature reading through lines of romance and peace like the thought of having a veiny taste wasn't running through his mind. But then again, Romeo and Juliet ended with death just like his kind ended everything. Death.

I was no different with a curse like mine.

My eyes fell back to the pages I had gotten too distracted to turn and just then, my phone blasted off a loud tone from the edge of the table, the screen showing off the alarm I set. 3:30. Classes for the day were over.

"Amira, no phones during classes," The teacher said sternly from where she stood, eyes throwing daggers at me from the top rim of her spectacles as she loved to call it.

"I know," I said calmly with all eyes on me. Including his. "That was actually the alarm for three thirty. which means the end of class."

Everyone laughed.

"Well thank you for that Miss Smith," The teacher said as everyone packed their things, the end of other senior classes in the school building echoing through the halls.

"You're welcome," I said with a smile.

She didn't smile back unlike the boy. But that was soon out of sight when Natasha appeared with her own smile.

"And that is why the whole of South Nile loves you," Natalie said. I scoffed as the others around agreed before stepping out of class.

Others followed from behind and just as Natasha opened her mouth to speak, Natalie appeared with a blank look, shoving the screen of her phone to our faces.

"Father wants us at home now," Natalie said, causing me to furrow my eyebrows, thinking of a lie to fabricate in order to go straight to the station.

Natasha looked at me, confused as well. "Just me and my sister."

"Oh ok, cool. Ill see you around then," I said to them and walked around Natalie and away, a sigh of relief falling out of me.

It was a rush for the next few minutes, my mind pressing images into my brain of the file I received as I flung my hand forward for a taxi. A file on Natasha's family with a brown note that slipped out when I dumped it on my desk.

'do not trust anyone'. The handwriting was the same as the letter from when I first got here. A letter that led me to south Nile. A letter from my father and although it was easy to question the warning. Anyone of the Grey family, or just anyone.

I knew exactly what it meant because even I felt it. Something never felt right with Natasha's family and hopefully whatever the detective had to say to me behind Mr Grey's back confirmed it further.

***

South Nile police building stood as the tallest of all buildings around. Even the church and it was enough to show which had more power. The people here protected law more than religion. My eyes scanned it through the window for a few seconds, memories coming to terms with the familiar brick front steps and the side plants that looked duller than when I first saw them. It rained that night, the detective being the last to leave and then the only one to see my bloody wet self as I shook from the shock. It was my first deer kill. The first time I ever tasted fresh flesh and blood as a wolf due to the curse and I was in pain.

Safe to say police stations weren't exactly a comfortable place.

"Amira, good afternoon," a woman who walked right in with me said with a smile.

"Hi Mrs. Winchester. Detective Henry said I should come in later today," I said to her blankly.

"He should be in his office then."

That was the end and I appreciated that as we parted ways. I went forward to his office and she went off to wherever. Just like the Grey family, Mrs. Winchester was a big red line and it didn't help that I could smell she and Mr Grey's affair from a mile away. I always wondered how no one noticed because just like the new vampires in my class, it stank.

First door on the second floor, and I was in, the detective seen through his open door typing his way through depressing cases. I knocked on the door to get his attention and it worked. A smile spread through his face so wide that it could have pushed his nose off his face. I didn't smile back.

"How was class?" He asked as I walked in to sit.

"I think you and lady Capulet could hit it off if she wasn't such a whatever can not be said,"

"Romeo and Juliet? that's fascinating," he said as she closed his laptop and stood to his feet to close his door.

"So what am I doing here?" I asked.

"An autopsy was done on the body found. Turns out its Mr Winchester who according to his wife, had been on a work trip for two weeks until yesterday,"

"Well what a sudden turn of events. She didn't seem sad earlier," I said as I leaned into the seat comfortably, visibly enjoying the conversation

"People deal with grief differently,"

I scoffed.

"I can see that except that's no sign of grief," I said to him. "So what's the cause of his death?"

"Thankfully for you, its not a werewolf. Neither is it any creature I know of. The marks are different, but the body was drained blood with visible signs of struggle. We ruled it out as animal attack as always but..."

Drained of blood. The words echoed in my head as I remembered the vampires. That was their dominant trait; draining humans of blood.

"But that's not why I asked you to be here."

"What?"

"I ordered a full test on the animal you left in shambles during one of your meals," I cringed at his words. "Letharia vulpine. A poison to meat eaters especially wolves and foxes."

"Wait what?" I sat up and asked in shock.

"It was used years back against your kind and every other predator by mixing it with powdered glass and putting it into animal carcass as a trap to be eaten. Its also poisonous to other animals and insects but apparently not rabbits," he said, placing a file on the table in front of me to read through. I looked at him with worry, unable to read the words.

"What does that mean?"

"This..plant only grows in less polluted areas, and dry environments, two attributes South Nile doesn't possess. So it means it was planted there on purpose,"

"But the deer was alive. I remember struggling to trap it,"

"It wasn't a deer you ate Amira, it was a moose. A grown one strong enough to overtake a lone wolf but somehow it couldn't because it was already dying," He explained.

My ears rang for a while as I controlled my breathing, trying so hard to hold back the fear. Someone was trying to kill me and although it wouldn't be the first, it wasn't exactly a good thing either.

"So someone inject it?" the detective nodded. "Why? To kill me?"

"Well, I would say so, but you're not exactly the only wolf in town,"

"Yes but I'm the only one who feeds more because of whatever was placed on me,"

"True, but don't stick to that thought. It could be for any reason and the last thing I want you to do is worry. Your father is taking care of it," Detective Henry said and it caught my worried attention, causing me to look right him pointedly. "He reached out a few hours ago and I wouldn't tell you anything so don't bother asking."

A long time absentee who seemed concerned of my wellbeing was the least of my worries, so I didn't question the detective. I wanted to though. To know who the man was and why now of all times he would care. All those years of pain and running, he decides to be an invisible father.

"And how exactly is he taking care of it?" I asked.

"His men are testing the animals in the area for you," he replied and swallowed a little too thickly like something heavier was in his mouth.

"What? What else?"

"He's searching for a way to fix your situation,"

"Huhn?" I sat up straight this time.

"Every curse can be broken just like it was made so he.."

"He wants to fix me!" I said angrily, causing detective to signal a silence sign. "Why can't he do that face to face or why he couldn't prevent this years ago?"

I felt angry for no reason. There were reasons to think of, but it didn't feel enough to warrant anger. I was just angry.

"You need to calm down," he said cautiously

"I need to go home," I said and stood to leave.

The detective didn't try to stop me and I couldn't even stop myself. My ears rang louder this time as every wall felt like it was enclosing on me. I rush out faster, quickening my steps and ignoring my fast breath until I reached outside, silently apologizing to whoever was hit by my shoulder. I could breathe well again, the cool air hitting my face as I thought of what the detective said.

I had a man out there claiming his right to protect me as a father who had no idea who or where I was till I was lost. Till I was cursed. I felt my chest squeeze as I bit my lip to hold back my tears, my mind stringing up the past.

I was so lost and rejected, the unseen curse latching onto my skin as they laughed at me. I felt its cord wrapping around my soul like hot iron, causing my mind to scream in pain and letting my throat dry up then itch in hunger. It was the worst uncontrollable day in my entire life and it all bored down to one thing. Love. Or a thing I thought was love.

I placed both palms on my knee as my thoughts hindered my breathing, my hair therefore acting as a shield to the outside world.

"Amira?" I heard a soft voice call out from behind me. It sounded harsh in my head, like the ones from my past. The strong ones that made me lose my mind. "Amira?"

I didn't answer, too afraid to look and see those monsters but with a hand placed on my shoulder, it jolted me to stand and move away. It felt like fire on my skin even if the hand touched my clothes. I looked at the person, my hand holding my shoulder protectively and first thing I saw was red hairs dancing to the breeze.

Up close, she had freckles across her white skin with blue eyes but the smell was harsh and worse. My skyrocketed emotions didn't help the situation.

"Hi, I'm Luciana. I'm new in school," she said with a smile. Nothing like I remembered vampires to be. It didn't make me less cautious as I adjusted my bag and composed my self.

The harsh memories were gone like the wind, completely blown away as I focused on the present.

"Hi, I know who you are," I said to her. "Apart from the name. Its nice to meet you."

I attempted to walk away but was stopped.

"We mean no harm in the town," she said, making me turn to face her. "My brother and I will leave as soon we get what we want. I promise you, we mean no harm."

I swallowed as hard as the detective and I then understood why it looked so hard. I swallowed the harsh words that threatened to pour out and it was indeed heavier.

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked her

"Because you're one of the Grey projects and you know who we are,"

"The what?" I asked with a frown.

"The Grey family project," she replied like I should know the word project.

I did know the word. In fact I had pile waiting for me in my backpack for extra credit on some subjects but regarding being a project myself? No, I didn't understand that.

"A project? Did you just call me a project?" I asked angrily, making her take a step back with arms raised in surrender. It made me control myself.

"That family is known to work on creatures with special cases. They have a newsletter online used to update people. No one knows who you really are but when I got here and noticed you and them, I guessed and got it right," she explained and seemed like I should understand the crap she was spouting but I didn't. "You don't know anything about that?"

I didn't say a word, feeling too shocked to speak as my heart felt uncomfortable in my chest.

Donald Hicks said a day is just a measurement of time and whether it turns out to be good or bad, it is entirely up to you. At that moment, standing in front of an enemy who may or may not know more of me than I did, right after learning someone requires my head on a platter, with my blood reeking of poison, my soul felt the need to disagree strongly.