Monsterstruck

CHAPTER XV: UNHAPPY ENDINGS

            The space was ablaze, slowly slithering into a fireball. Verona felt it’d toast her alive as she stayed put in her position waiting for him to answer.

        “Get out of here Verona!” Tim admonished sharply.

        “I won’t until you answer me,” she demanded firmly.

        “Damn it, don’t be such a pain in the ass!” He growled as he scooped Verona and banged the door, weaving his way out with Verona cradled in his arms. They were oblivious before that they didn’t notice that Barbara had nudged the candle in the room. The neighbors flocked outside and in the nick of time, a fire truck pulled up in the scene.

    “Why didn’t you just left me there and die?” Verona asked throatily.

     Tim fished something in his chest pocket. It was an antique necklace that he had bought during his trip in Cambodia.

        “Here keep this as a remembrance. I bought that in one of my trips in Cambodia. I’m sorry Verona. I am not good enough for you; for you to leave your monster life and start anew with me. I’m sorry neither myself don’t know if I felt something for you. And besides, it won’t make any sense. You’ve been a good lover to me Verona, and I’ve been foxing this whole thing up. Truth is, I’m scared, really…not because you’re a monster. But because I tried to fight my inner demons every day, goading me to kill you with my cresclunar. But I just can’t…and I don’t know why. Maybe I’ve felt something for you…maybe mercy, or maybe not. Either way, I don’t want to find out. You’ve been kind enough for me to spare me alive out of that room,” he said matter of factly.

        Verona wanted to kiss him and forgive him. But she restricted herself from doing so. She had to keep her promise.

        “No…You kept me alive Tim. You could have just left me there and burnt. But you saved me, even though you loathe me. You’ve been good enough to save me whatever your reason is.” Verona said gratefully.

        Tim pursed his lips. He didn’t know what made him save her.

        “So, this is the hardest and heartbreaking part, to bid goodbye for good to the one you have ever loved. But I have to keep my promise…” she mumbled in a hoarse voice.

        “I’ll never forget you, Verona. Bid Adela goodbye for me. I care for her. Take care of your baby.”

        “Our baby Tim.” Verona rectified and threw her arms around him for the last time.Tim heaved a sigh and smiled bitterly at her and mouthed ‘Sorry’.

        Verona understood his point. He was right; it won’t make any sense if he felt the same way too. If they became a family, he won’t be happy. There is no happy ending between them, the two different creatures. They won’t become one. He’s human and he’s a cresclunar owner seeking revenge for the death of his father, who was also a cresclunar warrior. On the other side, she’s a monster, shape shifting human, who was a f****d-up tramp.

        And after the words being said, they never saw each other again.

        “Tragedy.” Blaze quipped bitterly.

        “Yeah, it was never a love story,” Verona said matter of factly.

        “Maybe he had loved you.”  Blaze backpedaled.

        Verona just shrugged off her shoulders and turned to look at Vygnet who was dumbstruck now.

        “Vygnet?”

        “I don’t want that to happen to me… with Craig.” Vygnet croaked.

        Blaze guffawed.  “History repeats itself.”

        Verona clenched into her teeth and chided her.

         “Now you, young lady, I hope you got the moral of my story, don’t fall in love with a human and don’t trust one. The only thing you had to keep on Craig is that cresclunar.”

        Vygnet instantly scowled.

         “Sometimes I just wish that my real mother was a human...so I didn’t become like this. I hated her for hooking up with a guy who must be a yoma too or an ordinary human. I don’t know. I just hate my f****d-up existence. I wish I’ve never born in this world!” 

        “Don’t ever say that maybe your real mom must have some valid reasons!” Verona bristled.

        “Valid reasons? Like what? Like she can’t raise me and give me a good life? Or was she just an immature teenager then? f**k, that’s not valid enough to leave her child!” Vygnet countered furiously.

        “But she left you in an orphanage, right? You must be thankful that she left you there, not by the creek!” Verona spat.

        “The hell you knew about my real mom huh? It seems like you knew her?” Vygnet asked suspiciously.

        “Damn it, ladies stop fighting over it.” Blaze butted in.

        “Or how I wish she just aborted me or just like yours, miscarried me,” Vygnet added sullenly.

        Verona burst into a sudden outrage. She slapped her.  Vygnet was agape as she held her cheek.

        “So, you’re saying that I miscarried my child intentionally huh? You don’t know anything Vygnet, you don’t know anything about how I endured my pain, how I became a train wreck after he left. How I’ve lied to Adela about my past job and about how the relationship of Tim and I ended. You don’t know any spec of my sufferings as I carried my child without a father to be called.”  Verona interjected, fighting back her tears.

        Vygnet snapped her mouth shut and stared at her morosely.

            “Hey, please calm the f**k down.” Blaze egged as he unscrewed the beer and chugged it.

        Verona stared blankly at Vygnet. Vygnet’s smoldering black eyes were ripped with anger and lost for her biological mom.  Verona seemed to absorb all the anger that snapped out of Vygnet’s veins.

        “Ain’t no mother in this world doesn’t want any good for her child. She must have some reason why she left you in an orphanage. You must be grateful that you’ve got a caring and loving mom, and that’s my sister, Adela.” Her voice dropped in a somber tone.

        “Yeah right, sorry just flood of emotions. And I didn’t mean to say that you intentionally miscarried your baby.” Vygnet mouthed, annoyed. “But if that woman showed up to me one day to say sorry for leaving me, I’ll swear to the fiery pits of hell I won’t forgive her.” Vygnet said with full of conviction and grabbed a bottle of beer in Blaze’s ice chest.  There was an awkward silence that enveloped at the rooftop. The sky was dusted with stars. The three creatures savored the picturesque night sky as they chugged their beers.

        Verona turned to Blaze. “And you, young man, keep Vylet in your eyes and don’t let the scumbag in you ruin your friendship,” she reprimanded.

        “I’ll be better next time,” he said.

        “And Vygnet, you ought to know that the likes of Craig will be the death of us. You should keep that in your mind. A lady yoma is only for a Claymore (Male yoma) not for a human.” Verona chided.

        “But mom once had an affair with Craig’s dad. He is a cresclunar owner right?’ Vygnet shot back.

        “Which also turned out as a tragedy.” Blaze butted in.

        “Yeah, see? A yoma and a human love affair will always end up as a tragedy. Set your goals straight Vygnet. You can’t marry Craig; you can’t want him for you. You’re only friends with him because of the cresclunar.” Verona emphasized the last sentence.

        Vygnet did not longer insist her point. She didn’t contemplate either, for they were right. It won’t work out. It was hard not to love Craig for he was the first guy who made her feel that she was not alone, that she could count on him when it came down to crunch. He was her knight in shining armor, armed with his laser sword as he used to say in third grade.

        “It’s been a night. Bye.” Vygnet mumbled flatly.

        She launched herself and soared up in the night sky until she spotted a lone drunkard soul waddling. She swatted him right quick leaving him face down in the ground. Her hate rimmed eyes unleashed the dangerous monster in her. Hate for her real mom who had forsaken her. Hate for being a yoma and doomed with being one forever. Hate for she couldn’t have the man she only loves. Hate for having no one at her side at hard times for her foster mom lost her sanity and she couldn’t count on Verona as her family.

        Maybe this killing spree was her escape from her f****d-up life. She shrieked in agony as she was down to her last prey for the night, a pregnant teenager.