Chapter 11 The Yellow stone

"Maka, it's you. I never thought you were coming."

The room light was off, so I could not see what she was wearing.

The cold breeze entered my room as the night skylight shone through my window. She stepped closer, and I felt my heart racing. This was the first night in the house without my mom, and I had trouble sleeping.

Maka stepped in front of the window. I noticed her frill black dress and a star with a blue stone on her chain.

Her hair was neatly tied into a bun, her dark eyes shadowed by her long eyelashes, and her lips were as red as a blossoming red rose. She stood there staring at me, "Maka, please sit down."

She sat next to me on the bed, I felt calm, and my heartbeat was no longer so aggressively trying to pop out of my chest.

Her hand moved gently over mine as I inhaled as if I jump into ice-cold water. I stared at her and locked eyes as she expressed no emotion. "The yellow stone is still glowing," she smiled.

It was not too dim nor too bright, "that stone never glowed in decades."

"What does it mean, though?" I said, feeling like I was asking a bunch of dumb questions.

"You will soon find out," she whispered.

"Why can't you just tell me?"

She lay beside me placing her hand on my chest, "your heartbeat is so calm," she looked up.

I opened my hand and placed it on her back. She exhaled as I touched her. Maka looked up at me; her black eyes had a slight red glow. It was the most beautiful eyes I had seen.

I took my index finger and ran it down her back. This moment I wanted to last forever. She took my right arm and brought my wrist to her lips. I knew what was about to happen and was anticipating this moment.

She looked up at me, holding my wrist; she took my wrist, biting into it. The burning I felt was unlike anything else. It was worst than being stung by multiple bees.

My veins felt inflamed, and my eyes rolled as she pushed her sharp teeth deeper into my vein spiking through my body. My heartbeat was faster, and my head was filled with darkness, like a dark cloud swirling around my head.

I'm paralyzed, and there's no way I can move. I feel like a little mouse on a lion's paws even though I asked and allowed something like this to happen.

She comes closer, I close my eyes, already anticipating, and the first thing I feel is her cold breath beating against my neck. The next thing I feel touching me is those lips, dry but soft but slightly moist by her tongue before pressing it over my skin. Right after, the tips of the fangs slowly pressed there, and then the blood rises to my face, leaving me completely red.

Before biting, her cold icy tongue dances through my skin, and the next thing to come is her fangs ripping my flesh. It's sensational and tempting. As much as I wanted to escape this unbearable pain, I had the urge to stay there.

The more she sucked my blood, the more power I felt. The power I had never felt made me feel calm and relaxed.

The more she sucked my neck, the less painful it became. It was as if she was using a fire extinguisher to put out the flames I felt within me.

I stretched out my body as she began to suck harder. I want this; all my sadness faded for that moment.

I felt exhilarating, overwhelming, like floating on this soft cloud. As she began sucking slower, it became painful, and I didn't know what to do. I want to move, but she keeps me in the place.

She stopped and looked at me.

Her eyes were bloodshot red, which people would be scared of and running for. I found this unusually attractive; the blood dripped from her fangs onto the white sheet I had dry clean two days ago. I felt spikes through my pores, gripping the sheet.

As my body took control of my mind, I was shaking. Maka pushed me down, holding me flat on the bed. The blood dripped down upon my lips as I felt my breathing above my lips.

I ran my tongue over my lips, licking off the blood, then she grinned, "You're ready," she whispered.

I looked at her, confused, "ready for what?"

She placed her hand under my top when I felt something warm rush through me. Is it her? Her lips were close to my neck as she kissed my ear before climbing onto me.

The following day I woke up, and Maka was gone. For a moment, I thought it was all just a dream until I saw the blood on my sheet. The blood had stained into the white sheet.

I climbed out of bed, realizing I was naked. I quickly stood up and grabbed the sheet off the bed folding it.

There was a knock on the door, "who is there?" I said

Jia mumbled something.

I recognized her voice as she was probably thinking she was going to school. I looked over at the clock; it was 4 am. Wait, it's only four o'clock in the morning, and Jia is awake?

I walked to the door, "hey, it's not time for school yet. Why are you up?"

Jia rubbed her eyes, half asleep, "mommy."

Realizing it was her first night sleeping without mom, I told her to go and lay down on my bed. She was holding her brown teddy and rubbing her eyes. I took her by the hand and laid her dozing off to sleep.

With the darkness and sound of someone chasing me, I ran as fast as possible. I could hear heavy breathing; without looking back, I continued running. All I saw were trees.

As I ran faster and faster, whoever was chasing me was getting closer. I tripped over a rock lying on my back. The shadow came closer and closer, and my heart pounded as it grabbed me by the foot.

I pushed my nails into the gravel, hoping to grip onto something solid enough that would help save me from being dragged any further into the forest. That's when I saw between the dark trees red eyes peeking out all around me.

Fear struck within me. "No, no help, please," I screamed.

Jia had woken me from the nightmare and handed me the teddy. I laughed, "I don't need that."

"Jia wait, why are you awake?"

She looked at me and said, "sleep."

I closed my eyes when I heard birds chirping and the bright sunlight through the window. I covered my eyes.

Next to me was Jia; she was still asleep. It was 06h23am, and we both were booked off for grievance absence that week. I could do it with some more sleep.

I moved to the edge of the bed and saw the rolled-up sheet. Remembering what had happened last night, I stood up and walked over to the mirror. My face had grown a lot of beard hair overnight. I rubbed my beard.

I saw the yellow stone in the mirror. It was glowing brighter than yesterday. As I gripped it, I felt my neck hurt abit.

I rubbed my palm over my neck, noticing two bite marks. The blood had dried up on my neck. I can't remember a thing last night except for Maka biting me.

I switched on the washing machine lazily, thinking about what I would do for the day, and usually, Maka video calls around this time.

I kept rubbing my wrist until I turned it around. It had a 3cm star on it that looked like a glowing tattoo, I rubbed it, and nothing happened. I picked up the razor blade and started shaving the long beard off.

Too much has happened these past few days. I shouldn't worry about a beard that should not be there.

My face was now cleanly shaved, and Jia stood behind me, "hey, it's not a school day. You can sleep abit more."

Jia shook her head as she walked over to me, taking my hand. I followed her downstairs, where she sat by the table, patiently waiting for me to make her cereal.

"Jia, you know it's not the school you can go back to sleep after this?"

Jia shook her head as I pulled the chair opposite her and watched her finish her cereal, waiting for the screen to light up and expecting Maka. That never happened.

After weeks of knowing each other, it's the first time that she has not called. I was concerned. I tried her cellphone, but her phone was off. I tried sending her a text which bounced back.

A text never bounces back. It switches to pending until recharge is loaded, but this only happens if the number has been deleted.

Shit, and I have no idea where she stays.