Shorter days, Longer nights

Chapter 3 || Mythical creatures

I sat staring at the woman engaged in their conversation. Observing each gesture, trying to pick up bits of the talk among them. From what I had gathered so far, Eva's foot was incapable of staying still and Jaycee could win a record for how calm this woman was. Eva was likely nervous but why would she be nervous? I was the one stuck among three strangers in a random house. Probably because she had brought me here after the... incident. 

'The incident' was still flagged as 'danger, do not proceed' in my mind. So I didn't. Sometimes it was good to listen to the warnings of your brain. Something I took far too long to learn and practised for even longer. 

The women now stood in the kitchen. Since they had backed away from me, I'd witnessed their transition from what appeared to be an argument to embracing each other, only to return to a disagreement. Though my analysis skills proved unsuccessful, they seemed to be finally concluding.

I quickly gathered myself to not raise suspicion of my vain attempts at eavesdropping. As I saw them huddled together on their way back to me, I couldn't help but perceive them as a gang approaching a greater purpose. They all took a seat around me as if they were about to give me the birds and the bees talk. Eva deliberately placed herself on my right.

"You probably have a lot of questions," Eva spoke. Her tone remained soft.

"Y-yeah," my voice came out hitched. I couldn't handle myself in case of a kidnapping and it showed. 

"This is going to be hard to hear, but I need you to know we're all here for you," she resumed. She paused for a moment to gather her thoughts. When it seemed like she had it all planned out, she continued "How much do you know about vampires?"

I stared at her in disbelief. I waited for a few moments just to see if they'd all burst out laughing but after examining the seriousness of their expression, I replied. "You had me wait here for..." I paused as I gained awareness of my cluelessness as to how long it had been. "I don't even know how long just to discuss mythical creatures?" I continued.

Eva's gaze shifted to Anna and Jaycee as if she were reconsidering her ideas. Anna gave her a small nod of reassurance. Finally, she spoke. "They aren't exactly as mythical as you believe."

Once more I was left without words. "You can't be serious," I replied, letting the annoyance show in my tone. I wanted to get away from these psychos, now more than ever. Even after all this time of being strangers, Eva wasn't one to be superficial. In fact, she was quite the opposite. So her suggestion made no sense. Could time change someone this much? Or was this just a big prank and the other two were hired actresses. 

"I can prove it," she replied.

"I really don't think you can," I replied.

"Just trust me," she paused before continuing, "please."

Despite the foolishness of Eva's suggestion, I decided to play along. I wasn't going to be a bad sport. 

"Okay, I guess" I responded, uncertain of what I had just committed to. There was a good chance that I was simply allowing three strangers to make a fool out of me but it was too late.

Eva focused my attention on her arm by resting it at her front. She used her thumbnail to lightly scratch over the surface. Searching for assurance, she looked up at me. Once she felt satisfied, she focused her gaze on her arm. Grimacing, she pressed harder into the surface. My confusion quickly turned into a mix of terror and disgust when she dug her nail into her skin. Blood oozed out as she proceeded to move her thumb forward.

"What the hell are you doing?!" I yelled as I reached my hand out to stop her. Her arm shot up to put a halt to my own. She carefully refrained from letting her soaked thumb come in contact with my skin. Her tight grip left a visible mark on my arm when she finally pulled away. Gripping the now red part of my arm to offer some relief, I continued "You people are insane!"

As if unfazed by my comments, Anna presented a tissue box in front of Eva. At once, she pulled out multiple papers using only her fingers. Slowly, she dragged the tissue up her arm, wiping the free-flowing blood off the source. As the red mess cleared, the part where she had made a cut became visible. I watched in utter shock as it healed in front of my eyes. Progressing from the part where she had dug her thumb in, her skin joined itself back together. Setting aside the insane part of this, it was almost satisfying.

Within only a few seconds, her skin was so smooth that I questioned if I had ever witnessed her do that. Doubtful, I ran the side of my own thumb over the area to guarantee that my eyes hadn't deceived me, my jaw unable to close itself to my mouth. Hesitantly, I shared my gaze with everyone that had already been looking at me. I could see it on their faces, the nervousness they wore. For a little bit couldn't process what this meant. Then it finally dawned on me. It could all be real. Everything that I'd ever read in story books as a kid could be these people's reality, and yet I still couldn't let myself accept it.

"There has to be another explanation," I spoke. I saw the worry wash over Eva. She looked up at the woman standing at her side. Anna placed her hand on Eva's shoulder giving it a light squeeze before nodding. The woman wore a small smile on her face as if my reaction was one that she had been hoping for. The sight was reminiscent of a daughter looking at her mother as her last ray of hope.

"I can show you more" She replied. For the first time since I'd been here, I saw a little bit of hope in her eyes. I had just refused to accept an unexplainable act performed for the sole purpose of convincing me and yet they seemed more hopeful than before. My curiosity only spiked.

I simply nodded, not wanting to show even a hint of curiosity.