LIRA: Book I

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: To Trust A Vampire

One chilly night, Lira had a very strange dream. Only, it was too real, too vivid to be a dream. She saw herself running around a green forest, the cool wind sending tendrils of her black hair whipping behind her, her bare feet touching the moist earth. The trees rustled with delight, their leaves creating a soft music that soothed and calmed the forest. Flowers bloomed as she touched the plants; the grass glowed with radiance whenever her feet touched the ground. She gave a peal of laughter when a vine snaked itself around her waist and raised her from the ground and settled her to sit on top of a sturdy branch. She gazed on the horizon before her, the sun shining brightly beyond. The branches swayed and leaves hastily shielded her from the blaring sun. High on top of the tallest tree where she sat, she witnessed waves after waves hitting the massive boulders near the shore. The sea before her was a splendid sight; the blue water sparkled as the sunrays kissed its face. Then she saw something afloat the sea. A great ship was approaching near...

Lira suddenly woke up when she heard a loud banging sound. She jerked her head up and saw Yumi sitting on her bed, tears streaming down her face as she continued to slam her fist on the wall. Lira threw the blanket covering her and ran towards Yumi. She shook Yumi's shoulders, trying to wake her up. "Yumi! Wake up, Yumi!"

Yumi blinked several times until she finally realized Lira anxiously shaking her shoulders. "Oh Lira, I'm sorry. I was having a nightmare, I guess." She gave Lira a shaky smile. "I'm alright now."

Later that day, Mari didn't join them with their meals. She was even missing during their morning classes. When Lira and Yumi were about to check Mari in her room, they saw her walking towards them looking tired and haggard. She joined them for lunch and explained her absences. "Dysmenorrhea is killing me. I wasn't able to sleep this past few nights either. No amount of concealer can cover these eye bugs."

Ian, Lira observed, was missing too most of the times. And since they were not taking same classes, she hadn't seen him recently. She saw him later that day when she passed by the garden, sitting underneath a tree, lost in his thoughts.

"Hey there," she said as she approached him. "I haven't seen you much lately."

"Sorry, I have been busy these past few days," he said, giving her an apologetic grin. He scooted to the side and Lira sat beside him. "What brings you here?"

"Whenever I miss home, I usually come here in the garden," she answered. "It makes me feel at home. So what about you? What are you doing here?"

"I guess I miss home, too. But most of the time, whenever I feel tired or stressed out, I come here and let the trees heal me."

Lira gave Ian a quizzical look.

"All living things have energy within them. That includes trees. They can share their energy to you or absorb the negative energy from you and they release it to the earth," he explained. "Here, I'll show you." He placed Lira's palm flat on the tree's trunk. "What do you feel?"

"I feel a very faint vibration coming from the tree." She stayed quiet for a minute, her palm still pressed on the tree until she felt that soothing warm sensation spreading from the tips of her fingers towards her hands then climbing to her arm. "Hey you're right! It does make me feel better."

Lira went back to meet with Yumi a moment later for their DAVA meetings. Mari, as what Yumi informed her, was not feeling well and was in the clinic taking a rest. They were now in the open field learning about basic weaponries, and their instructors were showing them knife throwing. Lira spied Matt on the far side of the field, absent-mindedly flipping a knife in the air and easily catching the knife by its hilt. Really, he's going to get himself hurt, she thought. She made her way towards Matt, waited for him to catch the knife after which she grasped his wrist before he could throw the knife again. Matt was startled to see Lira; he looked at her face then at his wrist then back to her face. Lira briskly dropped hold of Matt's wrist and said, "Do you plan to cut yourself?"