Coffee musings and dreams

Red eyes and nights out

So how exactly does a French-English girl become a vampire overnight?

Believe me, I asked the same thing myself when I got out of bed a year ago to find my eyes had gone red. And I don't mean bloodshot. I mean my irises were as red as the Bloody Mary I'd had a few hours ago. I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say you could hear my shrieks outside the student village. Thankfully the other students in my lectures that day weren't clued up about vampires that much so I got a lot of compliments about my "cool red contact lenses". But then, when you have skin as dark as a coffee bean, I guess vampirish paleness doesn't show up that much on me. 'But how in the world did I end up undead?' I hear you ask. Well, I'm still alive. The undead are, ironically, not dead. It just means I'll live a lot longer than I planned to live. And have a strong dislike of mirrors. 

I'll answer you straight. I sincerely hope you'll be my friend because if you don't, I haven't bitten anyone yet but I might have to... only joking. I'd been to a concert with my friends Gillian, Sammy and Khadijah from board game society and was having a great time. The music was awesome and I had even discovered a few songs I hadn't appreciated before but now wanted to listen to on repeat. We decided to hang around in the theatre's bar a bit longer to have a couple drinks and I especially was looking forward to a Bloody Mary. My friends have always gone for sweet cocktails but I can't stand them. Save the pina coladas for the beach! My friends got their cocktails first and as I went to collect my Bloody Mary a handsome lad with a thick black side fringe came up to collect his espresso martini with me. 

"You look really similar to the drummer of the support act - did you copy him?" I teased him. He picked up his glass and laughed heartily, causing his side fringe to fall away from his ears. To my surprise he answered:

"I'm actually his twin brother! I play for all sorts of bands and was lucky I got to be with him tonight. Doesn't often happen you know." He grinned, showing off whitened teeth and the beginnings of a moustache.

"I've always wanted a sibling - and a twin would be awesome!" I gushed stupidly. "Do you two get along?"

"We do actually - but we have our differences. I love a good cocktail but he's teetotal." he smirked. He focused on me then:

"I see you like a Bloody Mary,"

I smiled and said:

"Yeah. Fancied something savoury tonight."

My friends in the background, feeling forgotten, added cheekily:

"She hates anything other than a Bloody Mary - and espresso Martinis are her pet hate!"

"Guys!" I half-shrieked as I turned to them, mortified. They winked at me.

"Sophisticated taste, then." the lad smiled warmly. 

"I guess..." I replied and changed the subject: "what do you do during the day then? What's your job?"

The lad (who I'll refer to as Floppy Fringe as A. I never asked his name and, B. He doesn't deserve one) quickly answered:

"I don't go out during the day much. I work as a sound technician for this tour company and we never stop, you know... You have to sleep whenever you can and, erm, that's not ..." he pauses to search for the word, "practical - at night because we're up late packing up and getting on the tour buses again to head for our next gig." he finished.

Did I detect a slight nervousness to his voice? Looking back now it should've been obvious to me. Nevertheless, I thought his first statement a bit odd. Perhaps justifiable though. I'd be shattered if I had an aggressive schedule like that: I've never been a night owl. So I said to him:

"So I won't be seeing you again if you're busy sleeping."

"Just another casualty of the night then." He winked. 

He was definitely interested in me, I thought. And he said his last statement so charmingly I thought I'd keep playing with him.

"Can I get your WhatsApp?" I asked, reaching into my purse for my phone.

He got out his phone and passed on his details before calling over to my friends, "You can have your friend back now!", which made them laugh. I of course went back and Khadijah immediately remarked on how I'd bagged my first boyfriend.

"Slow down mate! I don't even know his last name!" I protested, giggling, but I was very pleased my friends hadn't minded my encounter with Floppy Fringe. I went on to enjoy my drink slowly while chatting for another hour or two before the bar closed and we parted ways. Buzzing from a great night out, freezing from the cold air of the city outside, we walked (or in Sammy's case wobbled) back to the student bloc. Sammy left us first as her flat was the only one outside the student village then I left Khadijah and Gillian (who live in the same apartment block) to head back to my place. I was humming my  favourite song from the night quietly to myself as I strode along the concrete paving stones when I saw something flicker in my blindspot. I froze. I could see and hear nothing so I laughed it off as me being hyper-sensitive at night. Of course no one's going to mug you Helene! There's streetlights about and CCTV's for goodness sake! I thought to myself. The night air was as cold as marble and as thick as treacle. The streetlamps beamed a syrupy glow onto the grotty concrete footpath, which my chunky boots clumped on. I was almost at my apartment block's front door when I saw something flicker from behind the bike shed. I felt a pin prick on my bare shoulder but dismissed it as nothing while I fumbled with the keys, now at the front door. I still mix up the flat key with the main door key even today and that night was no exception. I found the key that fit the front door and turned the handle. When I stepped inside, where there was a large mirror in the hallway, I heard a faint gasp and someone behind me say almost inaudibly:

"Damn it"

The pin pricks stopped itching. I knew that voice - it was Floppy Fringe! What was he doing stalking me? I shut the door and it locked behind me. Not a soul was there.

"Well that was odd." I thought dumbly. Perhaps someone had spiked my Bloody Mary - I knew I should've asked Khadija to watch my drink! Dang it! I thought again. But I felt completely fine, just the usual wooziness from the alcohol. I collapsed onto my bed, falling asleep as soon as my head touched the pillow. I slept deeper than I ever had done.

And that is how I woke up the next day and discovered I was a vampire.

****

Hi there, Laura Animalgirl here. This short story is a first foray into a new idea I have for a book. It is like a seed germinating now and I have no idea whether the idea will last long enough to turn into a new Wattpad story (I got the idea from a dream I had a few nights ago) . But I'm loving writing again now college is finished so you'll see more content right here in this book. You can think of it as a prototype for the real, polished beauty of an actual book :)

So perhaps you'll join me on this adventure? :D See you there,

Laura Animalgirl