Chapter 10

“THANK YOU, Ingram. I enjoyed the movie and the dinner,” I sincerely said while Ingram was driving back to our village. This was the first time we went to eat outside. This somehow made me feel better.

It seemed that Ingram had been avoiding my questions about himself too much to the point that he was forced to invite me outside just to distract me. Nevertheless, it worked. Because after watching a romantic film where my favorite actors were the main characters, he took me to a seafood restaurant which was also my favorite. Too bad, I was the only one who had fun eating. He said he was still full. He may not be as excited as I was about the whole going out thing, but it still made me happy to be accompanied by him.

“Did you have fun, too, Ingram?”

“To be honest, it was my first time watching a movie. I had a lot of time to do it before, but I didn’t go. I just thought I’d feel more alone there especially since couples are usually the ones who visit the movie theater. And now that I’ve finally experienced it, I think it’s nice. I enjoyed watching you more than the movie, though. The way you laughed and smiled back at the theater, the way your eyes sparkled, that was more fun to watch.”

I could feel myself blushing. At the same time, I felt warm inside. Because this was the first time that Ingram shared something about his self. “Ingram—"

I wasn’t able to finish my sentence when I heard a loud sound from the car’s roof. I was still recovering from shock when a man suddenly fell on the hood. I screamed when he pressed his face on the windshield. The car swayed.

The stranger was very much alive, and he was looking at me and Ingram with a creepy grin on his face that I had goose bumps when our eyes accidentally met. His eyes were different. They were red. My heart pounded. I had never felt this terrified my whole life. Even if Ingram was now driving fast, the stranger never fell on the ground.

Ingram cussed and held my hand while his eyes remained on the road. “Brianna, listen to me—”

I quivered when another man smashed the window beside me. I don’t know how it happened, but he was able to run as fast as the car. Just like the first guy, his eyes were red, too. I gulped. What kind of creatures are they? And why are they following us?

“I will stop the car. Whatever happens, promise me never to step out, Brianna. Just stay here,” Ingram calmly said when he glanced at me. He drove faster than before. Despite the situation, I found myself admiring him for not losing his composure. “I will keep you safe, I promise.”

I shook my head. “No. Let’s just call the police or you can stop by the nearest station and—”

“The cops won’t be able to deal with them, but I can. I need your answer now, Brianna. Give me your word.”

I nodded even if I was still worried. “I-I promise.”

Ingram looked at me and smiled. “That’s my girl.”

I nearly jumped off my seat when the men began smacking the car louder than before. I didn’t have the chance to respond when Ingram suddenly stopped the car, which threw the guy on the hood away from the car. But he recovered fast and when he approached the car, he was no longer alone. There were now three men against us.

Ingram quickly kissed me on the forehead. “We will survive this, I promise,” he whispered before stepping out of the car.

I froze when I saw how the men surrounded Ingram right away. All of the red-eyed men were wearing black leather jackets. And they were as tall and as muscular as Ingram. He looked like they knew them. Just like him, the men had foreign features, too. Did they all come from the same country? What did Ingram do for these guys to hunt him?

I covered my mouth with my hand out of shock and despair when I saw how they punched and kicked Ingram. My tears fell down as I glanced around. There was no one else on this highway. There was no one I could ask for help. Why was this happening? Why now? And why in this place? My hands were still shaking when I searched for my phone inside my shoulder bag. I sniffled in despair when I found out that it ran out of battery.

I tried to search for Ingram’s phone, too, but I couldn’t find it. I was still panicking when I turned towards Ingram’s direction. He was now kneeling on the ground while the men kept on attacking him. They were just in front of the car that’s why I could see them clearly. And with every attack, I could hear the painful sounds Ingram was making.

That’s why I was surprised when he stood up and the men suddenly flew as if they were tossed away. One of them was able to get up quickly and jumped into the light post and walked through the electric wires as if it was the most natural thing to do. I had to blink many times to make sure that I was seeing the right thing, but it was real. What stunned me more was the fact that Ingram jumped towards the man’s direction. The two men followed afterwards, and they all fought there.

They moved swiftly that I lost track of what was happening. Before I knew it, Ingram was already in front of the car. There were now traces of blood on his cotton shirt. Blood was also dripping from his neck and arms. I hurriedly went out of the car and came to him. I no longer see the men from earlier.

“What happened? Who are those guys? How did you manage to jump that high? You even stood and fought on the electric wires, for crying out loud! I don’t understand—”

“It’s complicated,” he said and evaded my eyes. “I will explain it to you next time. Right now, it’s best if we’d get going.”

He assisted me towards the car, but I pushed his hand away. There were so many questions in my head. And I won’t calm down until I get the answers. “That was dangerous, Ingram! We almost died! What is going on? I need to know the truth.”

He looked straight into my eyes. “You really want to know? Fine. I stopped the time. I dealt with those men on my own. They were sent by Sullivan who was playing a trick on me. He sent regular Knights which meant that he didn’t want me to die yet. Because those Knights still had no idea about what the real battle is. They were sent to inform me that Sullivan was able to follow my traces. He’s now in this country. He’s my greatest enemy, you see. When the Knights weakened, I burned them so they wouldn’t have a chance to heal themselves. It’s in their nature and mine as well. Because we’re Vampires, Brianna. That’s the truth.”

I looked at him with my mouth wide open. When he stepped towards me, I immediately stepped back. My body went stiff. What on Earth was he spouting? And why did he look like that? He was just kidding, right? Then why did he seem so serious?

After a while, Ingram laughed. But that laughter didn’t reach his eyes.

“I was just fooling around. Those men escaped. It happened so fast and maybe that was the reason why you didn’t see them running away. Now, let’s get out of here before they return.”

Once more, he guided me towards the car. I didn’t refuse him this time for fear that they might come back like he said. I tried to ignore the absurd things he said although I couldn’t forget the earnestness on his face when he told me he was a Vampire.

“Next time, don’t joke like that again, Ingram, not on situations like this.”

He didn’t respond. When we’re both in the car and he was driving, I was shocked for the countless time tonight when I saw that the bleeding on his neck and arms were now gone. I leaned in to check it. “I swear I saw your neck and arms bleeding a while ago. How come they disappeared—”

“My body can heal quickly.”

I almost pulled out my hair out of growing frustration. “Do you even hear what you’re saying, Ingram? Do you know how crazy that sounds to me?”

“You’re right. I was being crazy when I insisted on saying those words. You’re just imagining things, Brianna. The blood on my shirt was not mine but theirs. Contrary to what you’re thinking, I was able to fight back somehow before they escaped. The wounds and the bleeding you’re talking about must be a product of your imagination.”

Ingram ended our conversation with that. I tried to bring it out these past few days, but he refused to talk about it. I don’t know what to believe in anymore. I was even beginning to doubt even the things I witnessed that night. How could an ordinary man like Ingram and those guys do those things? And how did his wounds heal quickly? Everything just seemed too impossible for me. Maybe Ingram was right. I just thought I saw something.

Just thinking about it makes me feel like I’m losing my sanity.

“Brianna?”

I looked at Ingram when I heard him call out to me. That’s when I remembered what he said a while ago. “You’re a fan? Really?”

“While reading your novels, I felt like I was listening to your heart speaking. I saw and got to know your heart through your works, Brianna. And I saw your heart drowning. That was what you’ve been trying to say all this time, wasn’t it? But nobody could see that. Nobody could hear your heart. But I can. I can save your heart, Brianna. That’s… the only thing I could say about me as of the moment.”

“How can you save my heart when you’re like that?” I asked bitterly. “I know I could trust you. But how can I keep trusting you if you keep refusing to show me who you really are? I’m scared, Ingram. I’ve been hurt too many times before. And if you’re just going to break my heart, too, then don’t let me get used to these things. We better stop now before I end up getting hurt. Because I don’t think I can survive another heartbreak.”

Ingram opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but he changed his mind at the last minute. Because it was dark, I couldn’t see what kind of emotion was playing in his eyes. A sad smile formed on my lips. I removed his hands on my face and turned my back from him.

Seconds later and I felt his warm arms around my waist. He embraced me from behind. He was still not saying anything. My eyes began to water. I closed my eyes when he softly kissed my hair only to open them quickly when I no longer felt Ingram’s embrace. When I turned towards him, he was no longer around.

“Ingram?”

I searched for him in every corner of my apartment, but he was nowhere in sight. I stormed out and peeked at his apartment. The door was closed, and the lights were off which meant that Ingram was not there. Where did he go? And how could he disappear without me noticing it?

I felt a soft wind around me, that was the same wind that I felt back when I still had dreams about a stranger who made love to me. All the hair from my nape and arms rose as I hastily went back in my apartment. I don’t know what’s happening anymore.

Did you leave because you knew you’d end up breaking my heart, Ingram?