White Lie?

When I woke up, I was lying on a couch in a dimly lit room. My neck was throbbing and I could feel a bandage wrapped around it. Confused and disoriented, I tried to sit up but a sharp pain shot through my body.

"Take it easy," a familiar voice said from the shadows. It was Professor Darking.

"What happened?" I asked, my voice hoarse.

"You had a bit of an accident," he said, stepping into the light. "You fainted in class and hit your head."

I remembered what had happened before I fainted, the sharp pain in my neck, the sound of galps, the rough tongue. It couldn't have been a dream. I looked at Professor Darking, and he seemed different somehow. His eyes were darker, and his skin was paler than before.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice softer than usual.

"I'm fine," I said, trying to sound brave. "Just a little dizzy."

"Good," he said, his hand brushing against my forehead. "You should rest for a while. I'll have someone bring you some food."

As he left the room, I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was terribly wrong. I remembered the warning he had given me earlier, the way he had hypnotized me, and the fangs in my neck. 

As he opened the door and was about to step outside, I had the courage (out of God-only-knows-where!) to whisper, "Are you... a vampire?"

Professor Darking stopped in his tracks and turned to face me, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. For a moment, he said nothing, just looked at me with those dark, piercing eyes. Then, slowly, he walked back to the couch and sat down next to me.

"Amira, what are you talking about?" Professor Darking asked, a look of confusion crossing his face. "Why would you ask me that?"

"I don't know," I stammered, feeling embarrassed for bringing it up. "I just had a weird feeling, and with everything that's been happening lately, I couldn't help but wonder."

"Well, I can assure you that I am not a vampire," he said, his voice firm and unwavering. "I don't know where you got that idea, but it's not true."

I nodded, feeling relieved and foolish at the same time. "I'm sorry, I must have been imagining things," I said, trying to sound casual.

"It's alright, Amira," he said, patting my hand. "I understand that starting a new school can be overwhelming. But you don't need to worry about anything. I'm here to help you and guide you through everything."

I smiled weakly, still feeling uneasy about the whole situation. I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something off about Professor Darking, something that he wasn't telling me. But for now, I decided to let it go and focus on my duties as the class representative. After all, I had a lot of work to do if I wanted to make a good impression on my classmates and on the school staff.

"He is indeed a vampire," my mind told me. "But he thinks his hypnosis made me forget, so play along Amira. God only knows what he would do discovering I know his secret."

I tried to act normal, but my mind was racing with thoughts of what could happen if Professor Darking found out that I knew his secret. Could he hurt me? That good man who saved me from my monstrous brother, could he be evil? I didn't want to take any chances, so I decided to play along and act as if I believed him.

"Thank you, Professor," I said, trying to sound sincere. "I appreciate your help and guidance."

He smiled, his eyes glinting in the dim light of the classroom. "Of course, Amira. I am here to help you in any way that I can."

As we walked out of the classroom and into the hallway, I kept a close eye on him, watching his every move. He seemed to be walking with a sense of purpose, as if he had something important to do. I followed him, keeping a safe distance between us, until we reached a door at the end of the hallway.

"Amira, I have to go now," he said, turning to face me. "But I will see you tomorrow in class."

"Alright, thank you, Professor," I said, nodding my head.

Before he could open the door, I spoke up. "Professor, if I may ask, what's behind that door?"

He turned to look at me, his expression unreadable. "That, Amira, is none of your concern. Just focus on your duties as the class representative, and leave the rest to me."

With that, he opened the door and disappeared inside, leaving me alone in the hallway. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about him, something that I couldn't quite put my finger on. 

“Be a good girl, Amira,” my mind spoke to me again, “Don’t test a vampire!”

But of course I was not meant to be a good girl. I opened the door, and went after Mr Darking!