The Vampire In My Dreams

Octavia was running. She didn’t know where she was going. She didn’t know how she got there. All she knew was that something was chasing her. The forest was endless. Tall trees surrounded her like walls, their branches reaching toward the dark sky as if they were trying to stop her escape. The moon above was covered by thick clouds, allowing only small pieces of silver light to pass through. Her breath came out in small white clouds. The air was freezing. Too freezing. Octavia wrapped her arms around herself as she ran, her feet sinking into the wet ground beneath her. She could hear it behind her. The sound of something moving through the trees. Fast. Heavy. Not human. She didn’t dare turn around. Every instinct inside her told her that if she looked back, she would see something she could never forget. "Run..." A voice whispered in the darkness. But she didn't know if it was warning her or calling her. The branches scratched against her skin as she pushed forward. Then she saw it. An old gate. Standing in the middle of nowhere. A giant iron gate covered with twisted vines and strange symbols carved into the metal. She had never seen it before. Yet somehow... It felt familiar. Like a place she had visited a thousand times. Octavia slowed down. Her hand reached toward the gate. The moment her fingers touched the cold iron, a strange symbol began to glow. A crescent moon wrapped around a rose. She pulled her hand away quickly. "What is this place?" A growl answered her. Her blood turned cold. The creature had found her. Slowly, she turned around. Something stood between the trees. Something tall. Something that looked almost human. But it wasn't. Its eyes reflected the moonlight. Its movements were unnatural. Fear filled her entire body. She stepped backward. The creature moved closer. Then suddenly— A cold wind swept through the forest. The temperature dropped. The creature stopped. Someone else was there. Octavia felt a presence behind her. A person. A stranger. She couldn't see his face. The darkness covered him completely. But she noticed the details. A black leather jacket. Heavy men's boots standing firmly against the wet ground. A silver watch reflecting the moonlight. A ring on his finger engraved with the same symbol from the old gate. And around his neck... A silver necklace with a sapphire-blue stone. The same necklace she had seen in her dreams before. The stranger stepped in front of her. "Stay behind me." His voice was deep. Calm. Powerful. And strangely familiar. Octavia froze. She knew that voice. Not from reality. From somewhere else. From every dream she couldn't explain. "Who are you?" she whispered.He didn't answer. The creature moved toward them. But the stranger didn't move back. He stood there like he had been waiting for this moment. Like he had protected her many times before. The air around him grew colder. The scent of rain and something mysterious filled the forest. Octavia didn't understand why, but being near him made her feel safe. The stranger lifted his hand. The ring on his finger caught the moonlight. The symbol glowed. The creature suddenly stopped. For the first time, it looked afraid. Octavia stared. Who was this man? What was he? The stranger turned slightly toward her. But his face remained hidden. Always hidden. "You shouldn't be here," he said softly. The stranger looked at the necklace in his hand. His fingers tightened around the sapphire stone. A sadness crossed his voice. "Not yet." Before Octavia could ask a question, the forest began to disappear. The gate. The bridge hidden beyond the trees. The stranger. Everything faded like smoke. "Wait!" She reached for him. But her fingers touched nothing. The last thing she heard was his voice. "I will find you." Octavia woke up suddenly. Her eyes opened wide as she sat up in bed. Her room was dark. Her heart was racing. For several seconds, she couldn't remember where she was. Then she felt it. Cold air. The same cold air from the dream. She looked around. Nothing was there. At least... Nothing she could see. Slowly, she noticed something beside her pillow. A small black thread. She picked it up. Leather. Her hands trembled. Because she knew exactly what it was. The same material from the stranger's jacket. Octavia stared at it, confused and afraid. It was impossible. Dreams weren't supposed to leave evidence behind. But somehow... The stranger from her dreams was real. And somewhere in the darkness, hidden from her world... Someone was watching over her. Someone whose face she had never seen. Someone whose name she did not know. Someone who had been waiting for her long before she knew he existed.