Reincarnated Soul

Four : Forbidden Fruit

--Two Months Later--

“What position are you applying for Miss? Cassandra… Athanasia you say?” She talks to me but she’s not even looking at me, she’s focusing on the cash register.

“Any position ma’am, I can do anything that you require me to do.” I said, hoping that I can get a job today.

“But I don’t have any background information about you aside from your name, you don’t even have a resume. I don’t even know if you have some criminal records”

“I don’t have any of that ma’am, and I’m not a bad perso--”

“I’m sorry, just find another job. We don’t need you here”

Fail.. I’ll try to find another one.

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“Good day, sir. You might need a helper, I can be--”

“Sorry, we’re not hiring. Try to find other shops that are in need of employees.” I’m not even finished with what I’m saying.

“Okay sir. Thank you”

Fail.. I’ll try to find another one again.

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WANTED: JANITOR

“Hello ma’am, I saw a poster in front of your store that says you're hiring a janitor.” Maybe this time, I could get a job already.

“Oh, yes I’m very sorry I forgot to take that off. We already have hired a janitor” Oh no, this shouldn’t be like this.

“But is there any other position that is available?  I’m good at everything ma’am”

“I’m very sorry dear we don’t have any vacancies anymore.”

Fail.. 

Fail.. 

Fail.. once more

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I went back home with a hopeless look. I released a big sigh before I sat on the couch. I’m still lucky that I’m still able to live here in Dylan’s apartment. I only have three days left before the landlord collects the rent. I need to find a decent job before that because if not, I won’t be able to stay here anymore.

“Why is it so hard to live this life… how I wish you’re here to help me Dylan” I let it all out, along with the tears in my eyes. It starts to flow even if I did everything to hold it in. 

I just miss him so much. Every corner of this apartment reminds me of him. That’s why I don’t want to leave this. At least I can still feel his presence in this place. I want to get lost in this feeling. I miss all the memories and all the plans that we made together. I miss his hugs, kisses, his touch, his body, everything. I never expected that it’ll all turn out like this. I never expected that I’m gonna be so alone, feeling so empty. I can’t help but to blame myself. Aside from my mother, I really do blame myself for what happened. How foolish I am. How foolish I am to kill him.

I saw our picture on the top of our small refrigerator. I stood up to reach it. This is our first ever photo together. It is the time when he brought me here in the city. My first time going out of that magical forest...

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--Flashback--

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“Dylan what are you doing? I’m not allowed to go to the city”

We’re now on the borderline of the magical forest, a little more step then it’ll be the city already, where mortals live. I am not allowed to pass the borderline. Only vampire guards or armies are allowed to. They are the ones who get some humans from there to bring to the kingdom for our supply of food.

“Do you trust me Cassandra?” He looked at me deeply into my eyes as he touched both of my shoulders. Why can’t I say no to this man?

“Yes, I trust you with all my heart”

“Then, let’s go. I will not forsake you Cassandra” as I look at him, I feel assured and secured. Even if I feel a little afraid, when he said that to me I don’t know but I became at ease. That’s how passionate my love for him is.

He then held my hand and pulled me through the borderline. After that, I already found myself standing in this part of the city. I did it. I made a huge decision in my life, and it is to follow my heart. Even if I was hesitating at first, I'm able to make it through.

“Come on Cassandra, I want to show you something” I can see the excitement in his eyes and I feel so happy seeing him like that. He’s always like that when he is with me. I always love looking at his sparkling grey eyes and his stunning smile. It makes me fall in love with him again and again.

I just followed him while we’re still holding each other’s hands. Not too long, I already saw a lot of people running around the corner. I saw some kids playing while holding a balloon. There’s a lot of huge tents standing along each corner. Each tent has people playing around. They are all happy based on what I’ve observed on their faces. 

“Wow” I said as I looked around. I’m really amazed.

What caught my eyes the most is the huge wheel with small cabs surrounding it where few people are sitting inside. It’s my first time to see a huge mechanism like that! It is slowly rotating. I wonder how it moves. What makes it move? Do humans have powers too? 

“What’s this place Dylan?” I asked him as I stopped walking. It looks so good here. There’s no place like this in the magical forest.

“It’s what we call a funfair. I really want to bring you here because I know that you’ll love he--” before he even finished his sentence, I hugged him right away. I really appreciate his effort. He wants to make me happy and I am very touched by his actions. I’m so lucky to have him in my life.

“Thank you, Dylan”

“I love you, Cassandra” hearing those words from him made my heart flutter. I am always having this romantic excitement towards him and I can’t control myself. I hugged him even more tightly before I moved away.

“I love you too” after that, he touched my face and then he kissed my forehead. I really love this feeling. First time in my life, I felt this and I don’t want it to end. I feel like I’m the happiest vampire alive.

“Let’s go! Let’s ride the Ferris Wheel!”

“What? Ferris wheel? What is that?”

“That’s the big wheel over there” 

SO THEY CALL IT FERRIS WHEEL! NOW I ALREADY KNOW! WHAT A FUNNY NAME IT IS.

Dylan held my hand again and took me near the Ferris wheel. It is really huge and tall. How can humans build this huge thing? They are weak compared to us but.. Just how?

We fall in line, and as I observe, a lot of women are looking at my man. It makes me feel uncomfortable. I can see that they like Dylan, they are fantasizing about him. I FEEL LIKE I WANT TO CRUSH THEM ONE BY ONE. I WILL SUCK THEIR NECK UNTIL THEY RAN OUT OF BLOOD.

While we’re still on the line waiting for our turn, I held both of Dylan’s hands and faced him. I raised both of his hands to show all the women that were looking at him that DYLAN IS ALREADY TAKEN. HE’S MINE.

“DYLAN YOU LOVE ME RIGHT? RIGHT?” I said with a loud voice. I want them all to hear it. I saw that Dylan is a bit confused on what I’m doing but I just continue doing it.

“Yes, I love you of course. I just said it earlier. Why do you suddenly ask that?” Oh dear, he’s very clueless. He didn’t even notice that a lot of women were looking at him.

“AGAIN DYLAN? I CAN’T HEAR YOU” 

“Why are you like that Cassandra? You’re acting strange” he’s totally confused!

“DYLAN, JUST SAY WHO’S YOUR LOVE. SAY IT LOUD AND CLEAR” 

“YOU, CASSANDRA. I LOVE YOU. ONLY YOU”

“Very nice, I love you too” and then I kissed his cheeks. I saw the women glancing at me before they turned away. Well, beat them coz’ Dylan is MINE. 

“Oh so that's why you're too loud hmm?” he just noticed and realized that just now. He looked at those women and then he looked at me after. “Cassandra, even if they stare I don't care because I already have the woman of my dreams and it's you” 

When he said that, I felt something warm on my chest. He also gave me some butterflies in my stomach. 

“I know, Dylan. I just want them to be aware that you are already taken” 

“Awwww you're so cute my love!” The next thing that I felt is that he's pinching my left cheek. It kinda hurts but it's fine as long as it's Dylan. 

“Next in the line please” I heard a man say. 

“It's our turn, Cassandra. Let's go” then Dylan held my hand and pulled me near the first cab of their so-called Ferris-wheel. 

Dylan purchased two tickets and then we went inside the cab to sit. Before a man shuts the door of the cab, he pulls up the camera that is hanging on his body. 

“I'll take a picture of the two of you,” he said as he aimed the camera at us. Dylan then held my hand even more tightly and smiled at the camera. That's what I did too. I looked at the camera and smiled. 

“Okay, say cheese in three… 

two… 

one…” 

*click*

*flash*

--End of Flashback--

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I just found myself crying even more. It really feels so surreal. As if it is just like yesterday, when he's still here by my side, but now he's gone.

My heart is aching and I can't breathe properly anymore. I hugged our picture and closed my eyes as tears fell. Day by day, I'm feeling this emptiness and grief. I miss him so much. 

I let out a big sigh, before I wiped all my tears. I stood up to bring back our picture at the top of the small refrigerator when I heard something fall. 

*cling*

I looked down on the ground and I saw a tiny key. Where did it come from? I checked the back of the frame of our picture and I saw a very small case. So the key comes out from here. 

I got the key and stared at it. “What is this for?” I looked around. I searched for the things or boxes that may be of use to it. It's my first time seeing this key and I'm not familiar with it. I tried it with our drawer, cabinet, even the door, but it doesn’t fit. I searched in every possible corner of this apartment until I saw something under our bed. I bent down, just to see it clearly. It’s a small wooden chest. It’s my first time seeing it, I am not even aware that there’s a chest under our bed!

I examined it carefully, until I saw a tiny padlock. I tried to use the key that I got, and guess what? It fits!

I’m very curious about it and I want to know what’s inside. That’s why I slowly opened it. To my surprise, I saw a bunch of money inside! I can’t explain what I feel right now. There’s a lot of money inside this small chest. Aside from that, I saw a note…

“For Our Wedding”

This is the time that I cried again. For the nth time I cried once more. Oh Dylan, you’re full of surprises, even if you’re already gone you are still able to amaze me! I never know that he has this thing, that he saves a lot of money like this, for us. He’s really preparing real hard for the wedding but it didn’t even happen.

“I really love you Dylan. I can’t explain how happy and lucky I am to have a man like you in my life” I said as I closed the chest and put it under the bed again. Now, I don’t have any problem anymore about the rent of this apartment. All I have to do now is to think of ways on how to make this money grow. I need to build my own business.

I then wipe again my tears and took my notebook on the table inside the room. I started to jot down every possible business that I can build. But before I even finished writing a word, I started to feel very dizzy. My stomach feels something uncomfortable, in a way that I actually like to vomit. I covered my mouth because there’s really a feeling that I am about to explode or something.

I stood up and went to the bathroom, and after a few seconds I vomited. I don’t know what’s happening to me. I feel sick all of a sudden. Maybe I ate something wrong? The last food that I ate was pasta that had been given to me by the neighbor. I actually don’t eat food like that because as a changed vampire I’m used to sip pig’s blood but when I saw that pasta, I craved it right away. I ate it, and I loved it so much. Maybe there’s something in it that I’m allergic to? 

After a few minutes of vomiting, I went out of the bathroom lacking strength. I feel like my energy was drained or something. I should not be like this. I shouldn’t feel weak. Maybe I could buy medicine? Dylan used to buy medicine back then when he felt sick. Maybe I need medicine too? But is it effective for vampires? What if there’s a huge side effect?

I really don’t feel good. Maybe I should try to buy one. I can’t take this feeling.

I took a little money from the small chest and went down to the nearest pharmacy that I know of. I don’t actually know what to buy. I have no idea about the medicines. I just kept on looking and looking , thinking that maybe I can see something familiar, the one that Dylan always bought when he’s feeling sick. Maybe I can see that and buy that.

“Hello ma’am can I help you?”

I’m surprised when the pharmacist approached me and asked. I feel shy. Maybe she noticed that I’m having some trouble in choosing what I should buy.

“Ughm...yes? Ughm… I actually feel sick right now. I vomited a few times this morning and I really like to eat pasta, which I should not be eating and I am not actually eating before” My goodness why did I say that, about the pasta thing? I’m so nervous in a way that I don’t even know what to say! 

I cleared my throat.

“Ughm… do you have any idea on what medicine I should take?” I don’t know why but when I asked that, the pharmacist smiled a little.

“Ma’am, I don’t think you need any medicine” I’m very confused! Am I not correct? If they feel sick they eat medicine, right? Wait, did she know that I’m not human? Is it not suitable for vampires?

“What? Why? I’m really not feeling well right now and... I am not a vampire”

And now she bursts into laughter. Okay what? What did I say? Is it funny? I just try to say that I’m not a vampire because maybe she is suspecting that I’m not human. I’ll be in trouble if that happens, if she discovers what I really am. She’ll scream and think that I’m going to suck her blood. Well, sometimes I want to but I can control myself already.

“Ma’am, have you tried to check if you're pregnant? Based from what you told me earlier, those symptoms may relate to being pregnant”

Wait…

What?

I WAS FLUSTERED.

I didn’t even think of that. So this is what it feels like? Symptoms of being pregnant? It’s actually possible because I made love with Dylan before he died. So it’s possible that I’m having our baby?

“D-do you think so?”

“Yes, ma’am. I can give you a pregnancy test to make sure?”

“I’ll buy one”

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I went home having the pregnancy test that I bought. It’ll be my first time doing this. So humans are using this thing to know if they are pregnant or not? Very interesting, we don’t have anything like this in the magical forest.

First thing is that I read the instructions. I just need to follow each procedure to be able to know the result correctly. So I need to take a few droplets of my urine to the small hole of this pregnancy test thingy. Then I’ll wait for a few minutes before I can see the line.

One line will show up if I’m not pregnant then two lines if I am pregnant. Okay. I’m a bit nervous but, okay. I’m nervous because it’s my first time but at the same time I am very excited. 

I went to the bathroom and did every step.

After that I waited…

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And waited…

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Until a line formed…

Then...another line formed…

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It’s confirmed.

“I’m pregnant”