Blood of Mary

FIRST ENCOUNTER

CZELVIE took a deep breath.

"DO you think I'll pass?"

"Is that even a question? I'm sure you will. I have so much faith in your intelligence, Czelvie. You should too," said Clyde.

Clyde is just the same age as her. He’s also from the orphanage. Though he's been adopted when he was twelve, they remain in touch even now that they're already sixteen. In fact, it was he who informed her about the scholarship program at Xavier University.

After taking the exam, she invited Clyde to a fast-food restaurant near the school. Her initial plan was to treat him for lunch as thank you gift for everything that he has done for her. It may not be much but she was able to save from the allowances that Mother Theresa gives her every week. But in the end, Clyde insisted on paying for their food. She just promised to treat him the next time they meet.

"How's the orphanage?"

"Well, still the same. Children come and go every day."

"How about you? What are your future plans? You're turning eighteen in two years. I heard that's the age limit that you could stay in the orphanage. But I guess Mother Theresa has no plans of letting you go. You've been there the longest and also her favorite.”

She smiles. "I know, right? I'm her favorite child."

When she was younger, she feels bad whenever couples chooses other kids and not her. But she eventually got used to it and accepted the fact that she'll forever stay with Mother Theresa, and she's fine with it.

"Aren't you curious who your real parents are? Don't you have plans to look for them?”

Just a year ago, Clyde happened to meet his real parents. He found out that he was kidn*pped and his parents have been looking for him for years. Lucky him.

In her case, as what she knows, her mom brought her herself to the orphanage. If she still wanted to see her, she would have gone back for her a long time ago.

Growing up, living in an orphanage was never easy for Czelvie. At school, she met a lot of people who teased her for not having parents. And though she’s close with most of them, there are some kids in the orphanage who also teased her for being the oldest. Saying that nobody likes her that's why she's still there.

Though there are still some times that she gets affected by it, she always chooses to think about those people who love her and how much she wants to be with them, most especially Mother Theresa.

Thanks to Mother Theresa, even if there were a lot of them in the orphanage, she was able to make her feel like she have a mother that she can always lean on.

With all honesty, as a kid, she used to dream of having her own family. But now, she’s already happy and contented with having Mother Theresa as her Mom. Even after she graduates, she's actually planning to stay in the orphanage and help her. In that way, somehow, she can be able to give back to Mother Theresa for all she has done for her.

“You look happy.” Mother Theresa said with a smile when she arrived.

She doesn’t want to be over-confident but she really feels like she got a high score on the scholarship examination she took that day. Maybe it showed on her face.

“I’m always happy, Mother Theresa. Especially whenever I see you.”

“Stop flattering me. I might believe it.”

They both laughed.

As much as she wanted to share with Mother Theresa everything that happened that day, she wants to keep the scholarship a secret until it was confirmed.

She’s heading closer toward the main door of the orphanage where Mother Theresa is when she saw something move in her peripheral view. It was around the woody area on the left side of the orphanage. She’s definitely sure it wasn’t one of the children or an animal.

“What’s wrong, Czelvie?”

She forced a smile. “Nothing, Mother Theresa. Let’s get in. It’s already getting dark.”

It seems like Mother Theresa didn’t suspect anything and smiled at her too. “Alright. I bet the food is ready. Maybe Shiela is already looking for us.”

She just smiled and guided Mother Theresa inside.

Since she was a kid, she always sees silhouettes of human figures surrounding the orphanage. Most of the time, they hide around trees. As she gets older, at some point she thought that they could be vampires. But if they were, they should have attacked the orphanage already. So she thought that maybe they were just spirits and that she have a third eye. It used to bother her when she was a kid but now, as much as possible, she pretends not to see them.

It was already nine in the evening but Czelvie was still in the kitchen washing the dishes. With the number of children staying in the orphanage, finishing the job fast by herself was such a struggle. Kevin was supposed to be there with her, Shiela’s son who eventually became her best friend. They had a bet that she came up with but ended up losing. Now she regrets why she has thought of that stupid idea.

She was almost done when she accidentally cut her finger with the knife while washing it.

“Shit.”

It was just a small cut but it was bleeding.

“Why so clumsy, Czelvie Grace.”

She was about to rinse it with water when she heard the sound of broken glasses. When she turned around, she saw a man with red eyes staring at her. It seems like he came in from the glass window since it was already broken into pieces. She immediately grabs the knife in self-defense.

It was just a small cut but maybe that’s how sensitive vampires are when it comes to blood that one of them smelled it. But it’s not like that was the first time it happened to her. Maybe this vampire is just so thirsty for blood to detect hers from that small wound.

Despite her fear, not a single word came out of her mouth. Not even a sound. She was so scared at that moment but she still managed to think about everyone’s welfare. If she screams and alarms everyone about the intruder’s presence, there’s nothing they can do to help her. She will only put their lives in danger.

Unlike the stories she often hears about vampires from her classmates, like how elegant, aristocratic, and good-looking they are, it seems like she has encountered the worst among them.

All her life, she has never encountered another vampire. So she couldn't be sure if his looks were normal for vampires. He was wearing ragged clothes. He was also very skinny and looked so sick. Without his red eyes, he just looks like a homeless person.

She was far away from the door. But even if she was near, it would still be hard for her to escape. Even with the knife in her hand, she knows she has no fight against this monster. But then, fighting back is her only option to survive.

And so, she raised her shaking arm, pointing the knife towards the vampire when he starts to move towards her.

“D-don’t you dare come near me,” she said with her shaking voice.

And it just made the vampire laugh. “Do you really think that would frighten me?” He then grins and licks his lips. “What is this smell? Was it your blood? It smells so good.” His voice and words brought chills to her entire body.

Her knife was no use for self-defense as her body stiffened when he start to run towards her. It just took him two seconds to reach her. And in that two seconds, she never thought it was possible but she managed to think about a lot of things. A lot of happy memories flashed in her mind. Is that a sign that she’s going to die?

He was an inch away from her when suddenly, someone appeared behind him. Things happened so fast. In just a snap, they both disappeared. With the man’s bloody-red eyes, no doubt, he is also a vampire.

It was brief but she was able to see his face clearly. Unlike the first vampire, the man was an accurate example of how her classmates describe vampires. He looks like those men she sees in foreign magazines.

When she thought it was over, someone suddenly appeared in front of her. It was the same handsome vampire she saw just a while ago.

“Are you okay?”

She finds it weird that a vampire looks so worried about a human like her. But then, she still nods in response.

“Good to know that. Don’t worry, we’re just around to protect you. You’re safe now,” after he said that, he disappeared once again.

She heard that there are vampires who protect humans. They’re commonly known as the Vampire Queen’s Army. Maybe he was after that vampire who tried to harm her. She’s just lucky that he came right on time.

After her close-to-death experience, her legs gave in. She fell to her knees and started crying. She thought that was going to be the end of her.