Newborn

PART THIRTY-ONE

It wasn't until I reached the city that I realised multiple roads were blocked off due to Vivid—which was an annual light festival held in the heart of Sydney. The light festival was beyond beautiful if you weren't a newborn vampire.

The streets were flooded with crowds; people of all nationalities and ages, who had come to bask in the beauty of the light display. Sydney was lit up in bright, alluring colours. Buildings all over the city sparkled with glamorous lights, making my sensitive eyes burn. Eventually, the crowd grew heavy and roads were blocked off, so I was forced to pull over and park.

Of course, being in the city, there was nowhere to legally park, so I just pulled over in an alleyway and risked the ticket. From there, I continued my mission on foot, which slowed me down. I was wearing a black, pleather jacket that had a grey hood sewn into it, and swiftly pulled the hood over my head so that it was harder for people to recognise me as the wanted criminal from the news.

Still, policemen patrolled the streets as people stared in awe at the beautiful lights. I was near The Rocks, which was an expensive area near the harbour, and it would take approximately ten minutes on foot to get to the closest station. I needed to get a train to a suburb called Auburn, which was where I was meeting with Reed.

As I made my way through the harbour, I pushed past endless crowds which were watching the visual art displays in a state of awe.

Just don't breathe, I told myself firmly.

In theory, I wouldn't feel bloodlust if I didn't breathe. Or, at least that's what I hoped. I couldn't risk losing myself in a blood-frenzy right now. If I did, Reed would surely die.

Music met the air as I quickly rushed past The Museum of Contemporary Art, where a giant flash display was being projected on the building.

I stopped for a moment, staring as light streamed over the building as though it was a screen. Images came to place. First, the building became colourful, as though it was made of Lego Blocks, and then the windows appeared to move in and out in sections. Of course, they weren't actually moving, but the optical illusion created a trick for your eyes. And for a moment, I almost believed the building was somehow, magically shifting shape.

It became harder to focus when I got closer to Circular Quay station because the crowds grew bigger and louder. There were a few indigenous humans, covered in artful designs of white paint as they played the didgeridoo. People crowded and danced around the group, cheering them along. Tourists stopped and took pictures and video recordings with their phones. I even noticed a few young girls taking pictures with a selfie stick.

A little further up, there was an interactive art display of lights where bystanders crowded around and danced to the music. As they moved, their bodies tipped off lights that streamed through the air and onto the cement area.