NIGHTS OF HALLOW

Im a vampire that can drink you dry? ”

Gasps filled the air and the villagers around turned alert.

Perdita couldn understand what was happening. Just some minutes ago, she had been selling her buns before this vampire came inside the market and to her stall of all places. It was obvious the man was here to cause trouble to the humans which she will not allow.

Her gaze on the man turned fierce and clutched her skirt to keep her emotions in place.

”What do you think you are doing Mister? ” Her question made the smile threatening to show on Sthenas lips widen.

”What am I trying to do? ” Sthena clicked his tongue in pure fun of enjoying the little show ”Aren you brave to ask a creature of the night that question? ”

Sthena chuckled and continued ”Isn it obvious that I came to buy your buns but you never paid attention to me. Is this how you treat your customers? So unfair and unjust? ”

Sthenas words pricked a nerve in Perditas head and she glared at him ”So what if I don want to sell to you? There are other stalls to buy buns from. ”

Sthenas tilted his head ”Im not blind not to see them. I only want to buy your sweet and appetizing buns yet you treat me so unfairly. So this is how vampires are treated by humans and the church thinks we are the ones inflicting pain on you poor souls. ”

”What pain is greater than being sucked dry by you leeches ” The first villager who insisted that Perdita knew Sthena shouted at him.

Sthena slowly turned to face the man with a smile as if meaning no harm ”The pain of the heart ” He answered and the smile on his face vanished.

Perditas eyes narrowed at the mans words. She couldn help but curse her luck today. Of all stalls this man could go to, it was hers!

Sthena looked at the villager and said ”Do you know that if I pull your heart while drinking your blood, it is pure pleasure to my kind? ”

At this moment when the villagers saw the look on the vampires face and the words he uttered, they quickly began to disperse not wanting to be drunk dry by him.

Sthena turned to Perdita and the smile returned to his face ”Your buns are burning ”

Perdita gasped and quickly went to the buns she was baking. She brought the tray down from the oven and kept it on the table. When she opened the lid of the tray, she felt like crying. Everything had burned and some turned black.

She looked up and glared at Sthena. She had been occupied with the mans trouble she forgot her buns and they were all damaged except for a few that were still edible.

”You damaged my buns! I demand the payments! ” Perdita pointed at Sthena. Her hands shook from anger and she felt her throat go dry suddenly.

She held her throat and bent down. No, no, no, please not now. She silently whispered while holding her throat that itched for something warm.

Sthena silently watched the human who was subtle with her movements. If he hasn noticed what was odd about her since he came here, he couldn be mistaken with what he saw now.

He walked forward and stood in front of her stall and said in low voice only for her to hear ”You know, you shouldn accuse me of something I didn do. It is your negligence that caused you. ”

The itch on Perditas throat increased and she coughed to ease the irritation. She looked up at Sthena with her heartbeat thumping with fear ”What are you talking about? ”

”Your buns ” Sthena gave her a knowing look ”You have been subtle and careful with your movements, but don think it will last forever in the eyes of the humans ” The seriousness in his tone couldn be denied by Perdita that he knew what she has hidden for decades now.

Sthena reached out and took two good buns from the tray on the table. He smiled at the pale Perdita and walked away.

He knew!

Perdita held the tray in a tight grip as fear slowly crawled into her body more than the itching in her throat. She quickly poured herself a glass of water and gulped down everything. But it didn stop the itch, rather it increased and all she wanted was to run away.

She quickly put her things away and closed her stall and ran home. People who saw her pitied her. Her buns got burnt and she had a vampire visiting her shop and causing trouble for her. They all thought it was the vampires fault.

If only they knew.