Illusion

Los Angeles, California..

Anina didn't know how to cope with these sudden events taking place circulating her. She was messed up. The sudden disappearance of her so called vampire husband creeping the hell out of her.

Everything was okay before she got angry, suddenly something snapped in him and he disappeared in front her eyes. She was anxious since the morning. Good thing, it was weekend, so no classes to pressurize her more.

She was in the hall room, sitting in front of the television. Changing channels as nothing was helping to divert her mind from that arrogant vampire. A full bowl of chips was on her lap but still untouched.

Huffing thyself, she stuffed some chips in her mouth muttering sweet curses to the poor vampire. She was getting frustrated as the time passed. As she was searching for some answers but more things were adding upon her bag of thoughts.

Sun set, evening rolled in. Still, she was cooped up in the sofa, gazing nowhere particular. Her mind was all over the places. She didn't even try to cook lunch or have it. Nothing was setting her at peace.

She got call from Louisa who asked her for a hangout but she refused. Her mom was away. She didn't bother calling her as she, herself was messed to understand the things happening with her, what she would've told her mother.

Weekend passed. After sulking the entire weekend, she was now at the classroom sitting on her regular place. Louisa didn't come as she went to her father's office. Anina thought, 'It's good she is not here. She wouldn't have to answer to her questions.'

Waiting to face her husband during class was the dreadful thing she was contemplating to happen. But her mind went blank, when the class started after the Professor arrived.

What surprised her more was that, the English Professor wasn't Vladimir anymore. He was someone else. 'How come it be?' she thought. 'Did he leave? After all of this just happened? He didn't even inform her!' Her mind was racing with questions.

She was hurt unknowingly. She surely needed answers. Silently enduring the whole class time, she went out in hurry. She wanted to call him and ask but she remembered, she didn't even have his number.

Sheer irritation was the feeling she felt. 'How can she be so dumbed?' she gritted in annoyance at herself. Not thinking anything more, she marched towards the English Literature Professor's office.

At the same time Jack blocked her path with a cheeky smile. Anina closed her eyes to calm down as she didn't want to create any scene with one of her best friend.

"Hey Nina! Going somewhere?' Anina nodded calmly, "Jack, let's talk later. I've some work to do." Jack narrowed his eyes as he could say after years experience of being her friend that she was serious.

"Okay! I won't ask anything but I know you are bothered by something. Anyway, meet me later, I will be in the canteen." He smiled. Anina was always been grateful that Jack wasn't like Louisa who loved to coaxed the secrets out of her.

Anina didn't reply but left in hurry. Jack didn't give much thought over this as always knowing these types of things happened with her when she was dealing with her mood swings. He was a happy going guy. Never took things so serious.

He felt, life is only one and too small to complicate it with negativity and at small issues. Jack was a player but with full of life. He loved food like no other. He was like fresh morning of spring. So bright and colourful.

Otherside, Anina made her presence in front of the professor's office. She took a deep breath and went inside after knocking. Professor was in his late thirties. He was handsome and a cheerful guy.

Anina greeted as she entered. Professor smiled greeting back. "So Miss Reynolds, what makes you come here?" Anina was surprised that he knew her. "You know me?!" she softy whispered.

"Yes, why won't I, Miss Reynolds? We met last week at the first introduction class, right? Professor cheerfully replied. Anina was speechless. "No..how can you be..last week there was Vla...," her voice got stuck in her throat as she shivered unknowingly.

"Are you okay, Miss Reynolds? And who are you talking about?" the confused professor asked. Anina who was in daze, blinked. Coming out of her puzzled look, she looked straight to the Professor who was in his chair waiting for her reply.

"Nothing, Professor. It was a mistake..." she voice paused, noticing the name plate of the professor on the his desk. It said everything that she felt horrified to believe. Not only the man was different, also he was not Vladimir, for which she felt relieved.

Terrified of the thought she felt, If he was Prof. Henry Martin, then where was the "Prof. Vladimir Knight", she knew? She looked at the professor and muttered, "Sure, it is a mistake." A sheer mistake she concluded.

Feeling suffocated all of a sudden she hurriedly left greeting the professor for the last time. She ran, coming out of the office, where her trembling feet took her. She stopped when she find herself in an isolated place behind the canteen area.

Her trembling hands reached the place where the tattoo was. As she touched, she felt nothing. She sensed the emptiness surrounding her soul. She was baffled. She felt pained.

'Where is he? What is happening with her?' she was asking herself in silence. Running her trembled hands through her loose straight curls, she felt the hard rock still on her finger. Two rings were adoring her ring finger with an engagement ring and a simple wedding band.

They were shining brightly that means he would come back, she realized. She steadied her terrified shivering self. She needed to find Jack to understand the situation.

"He saw Vladimir last week, right?" she questioned herself. "Also have to find out, where the hell is my so called vampire husband!? What would I tell mom?" she groaned.

Going to the canteen she looked for Jack but he was nowhere. It was already late as classes were finished. She didn't know how her day went too fast, getting everything tangled in a whirlwind of questions.

Not wanting to stress herself more she felt for home. After getting home, she didn't feel like cooking at all. Sprawling on her back in bed, she stared at the ceiling in faze. Everything went through her mind that was happening since last few days.

Nothing was normal. The eerie silence. Not seeing Vladimir around after that morning. No call from her mom. Everything was a puzzle. She felt terribly low, after facing these incidents.

Closing eyes, she thought ordering food later. She was exhausted, needed rest. As she was falling asleep, she heard her phone ringing. She took the call not seeing who it was, "Hello.."

From the otherside, she heard her mom talking, "Hey honey, how are you? I'm so sorry I couldn't talk to you last few days after I left for business trip. I was so packed up with everything." Her eyes opened so fast registering every single word her mother pronounced.

"Mom, what are you talking about? We talked the day you left. Vladimir called you and you talked to me..." Anina in panic talked to fast that her mother had to stop her, "Honey..honey..talk easily. Not getting you at all. By the way, who is this Vladimir, huh? Is there something I don't know, my little girl. Do you like the guy?" She could feel her mom was smiling.

But she felt like crying at that time. She calmly asked again, "Mom, are you sure we didn't talk?" "Yes honey! Moreover, my phone fell into the water the day I arrived here. Yesterday, I bought this new one." Anina stayed still, absorbing the reality.

"Mom, talk to you later. I need to have dinner," she cut the call not bothering to hear the reply. She felt heaviness in her heart. Her heart was cracking. She looked at her ring finger that was still adorned with those rings.

Going in front of the mirror she glanced at her neck, no spark on the mark was visible there. It looked lifeless for the first in her life. Just plain as always. Not like it used to be when Vladimir entered in her life. Feeling of emptiness surrounded in her heart just with his name.

Everything was like a dream, she felt. There was no Vladimir Knight in her life. She had no forced husband. "Why does it hurt so much when I never wanted him at first? Is my life becoming an illusion?" she cried out.

The Vampire Husband was never her. The Wedding. The night with him. His kisses, touches were nothing. It felt like a nightmare to her now.

Everything that happened, never happened.

She faced something that was beyond her knowledge and imagination. She felt him. She waited for him. Now she realized, he was never there in her life except these rings she wore.

"He was an illusion of mine. Illusion...." she uttered with the unknown grief, she hold in her heart. She cried out with heartache, as her whole body trembled vigorously. She felt bared as her illusion was breaking apart.

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