Chapter 5: A dream

"Please… Mom, stay! Don’t leave me!"

The voice pierced the stillness of dawn. My attention snapped toward the sound, and there she was—a girl, her small figure sprinting after a woman whose back was turned to her.

"Mom!" the girl cried, desperation spilling from every syllable. No matter how fast she ran, she couldn’t seem to close the distance.

The forest was cloaked in the eerie half-light of dawn, where shadows stretched long and the world teetered between night and day. Trees loomed like silent sentinels, their twisted branches casting strange silhouettes on the ground. It was dangerous to be out here at this hour. What were they doing?

"Mom! I’m coming with you!" the girl shouted, her voice cracking. She was closer now, so close I could see the tear-streaked mess of her face as she darted past me, completely oblivious to my presence.

"Stay away!" the woman yelled, her voice cold and sharp like a blade. "Go back home! Go back to your father!"

She didn’t even look back.

The air grew thick, and unease coiled in my stomach. Something wasn’t right.

Then it happened.

Two men emerged from the shadows, gripping the woman’s arms with brutal force. The girl dropped to her knees, crying out in terror.

"Jane," one of the men sneered, his voice venomous. "Did you bring it with you?"

The girl nodded, trembling.

"Almira," the other man said with a sickening grin, "stop this nonsense. We need to end your life now, sweetheart. Shall we do it in front of the kid? Who is she, anyway?"

"Don’t touch her!" the woman spat, her voice fierce despite her helplessness. "She’s Señor Alfredo’s daughter! Please, don’t hurt her!"

"Will you comply if we don’t?"

"Nooooo!" the girl screamed.

I couldn’t just stand there. My instincts screamed at me to intervene, even though fear clawed at my chest. "Don’t!" I shouted, stepping forward.

Every pair of eyes turned to me—but something was off. They weren’t looking *at* me. They were looking *behind* me.

I turned, and my breath caught.

A wolf.

But not just any wolf—a massive gray beast, its fur rippling with power. It stood at my height, 5’6", with piercing gray eyes that glowed in the dim light. It was unnatural, otherworldly, and terrifying.

The men stared at the wolf with mocking grins.

"Ooh, a knight in shining fur," one of them jeered.

In an instant, the air turned violent. The wolf lunged, and chaos erupted. The woman fell to the ground, blood pooling around her.

"Nooooo!" the girl wailed.

The wolf attacked the two men with a ferocity I’d never seen. They fought back, but they were no match for the beast’s speed and power.

Then, a gunshot rang out.

Darkness swallowed me

I bolted upright, gasping for air. Sweat drenched my body, and my heart pounded like a drum.

"A dream," I whispered, trying to steady my breathing. "It was just a dream."

But it had felt so real. Too real.

The clock on the wall read 4:03 a.m. I groaned and stumbled downstairs, desperate for water. The house was silent, save for the creaks of old wood beneath my feet.

As I reached the kitchen, the back door creaked open, startling me. I nearly dropped my glass when I saw who walked in.

"Isabel!" I hissed, clutching my chest. "What the hell, Sabel? You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"Shh!" she whispered, waving me off with a sheepish smile. She held up a small telescope. "Just stargazing. You know, my morning habit."

I rolled my eyes, downed my water, and sighed. "It’s too early for this. Where’ve you been, anyway? Why use the back door?"

"Relax, Cas. Just catching the constellations. And you?" She arched an eyebrow.

"Thirsty. Going back to bed now."

"Goodnight, then! Oh, by the way, it’s your first weekend in Mistletoe. Maybe do something fun instead of hibernating?"

"Yeah, through sleeping," I muttered, trudging back upstairs.

--

The next day, I woke to find a note on the fridge.

*"Eat. Had to leave early for work. Love, Sabel."*

Isabel worked part-time at the town’s public library, which meant I had the house to myself. I heated up the food she’d left and ate in silence, the dream still lingering in the back of my mind.

By noon, Mang Pitoy, our friendly neighbor, came by to fix the leaky kitchen sink. He was accompanied by his young daughter, Gaile.

As they worked, I couldn’t help but notice the way Gaile’s eyes darted nervously around the room.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

Her father sighed. "She’s just spooked. Been hearing too many stories about this place."

"Stories?" I pressed.

"There are… things in Mistletoe," Mang Pitoy said cautiously. "Vampires. Gaile claims she saw them once when she was little."

"Vampires?" I echoed, half-amused.

"It’s true!" Gaile insisted, her voice trembling. "They killed our cow. And Isabel’s boyfriend, too… he was bitten. That’s why he died, isn’t it?"

My stomach dropped. Isabel had never mentioned a boyfriend, let alone his death.

"Really?" I asked, feigning calm.

Mang Pitoy hushed his daughter, but the damage was done. My mind raced, connecting fragments of dreams, strange encounters, and whispered warnings.

There was something about this town. Something dark, lurking beneath the surface.

And I was going to find out what it was.

---

That evening, I found myself wandering the forest, drawn to the edge of a cliff that overlooked the sprawling woods below.

"Wow," I murmured, marveling at the view.

"Pft."

The sound startled me, and I turned to find Vander Laurent standing a few feet away. His gray eyes glinted with mischief.

"Is death attractive to you?" he asked, his tone mocking.

I frowned. "And you? Do you always sneak up on people to spout cryptic nonsense?"

He smirked, stepping closer. "You’re one step closer to falling, Cassandra. Are you aware of that?"

"Not afraid," I shot back, meeting his gaze. "I’ve kissed death hello and goodbye before."

For a moment, his smirk faltered, and his eyes—once dark gray—shifted to a pale yellow-green.

A chill ran down my spine.

Whatever Vander Laurent was, he wasn’t human.

And somehow, I knew he wasn’t the only one.