|•| ANDRÉ BAUDELAIRE |•| The brazen music that threatened to strip the building off its foundation faded into the back of my mind when I waltzed out of the bar, pushing my head backwards—more like I was trying to push my hunger to the back of my mind and dabble in something that could distract me.But then, I knew it was only a matter of time before I allowed it to take over me, wield me and use me as a weapon. It was very ironic how I was trying to keep it together, yet I couldn't resist grabbing a drink in a confined bar that crawled with weak humans, baring their necks to me and beckoning at me with the thought of having just a bite.It was hard to stay sane in such a loud environment where I drowned in the rhythm of the heartbeats of adrenaline-pumped humans that I wanted more than nothing than to rip their skin off with my fangs and drain them of every drop of their blood.The moon soaked the quiet streets of Nocturneville with its glow, illuminating every inch of the vast surro
|•| DESIRÉE DOYLE |•|My fingers were working on the keyboard of my laptop at a speed that terrified even me. It almost made me feel like I was levitating, pouring out each word that swirled in my head non-stop, bobbing the soft music that flowed through my earbuds.But all of a sudden, one of the buds was yanked out of my ear, eliciting a frown from me, and halting my work. I swung my head up and was met with a grinning Iris who was tossing a chip into her mouth."Hey!" I chided her, "I was working!" I frowned.My best friend only let out an eye roll that indicated that she couldn't be bothered by what she just pulled off. She hadn't wiped her makeup off her face and her hair was still tightly locked in a bun. The only thing that had changed was the sports bra she was clad in and a pair of baggy sweatpants."What?!" I shot at her when I saw that she was still grinning at me. I pushed my laptop aside, tucking my hair behind my ear."Oh, relax, will you?" she huffed."Iris, I swear to
|•| DESIRÉE DOYLE |•|I flipped onto the next page of the book in my hands, curling into a ball underneath the covers, shoving Doritos aggressively into my mouth while I thinned out the rest of the world, completely immersed in the book. It was funny how I had read two books today and was on my third.The first was around midnight. I had finished my chapters around one, and I couldn't sleep anymore. So, I decided to play around with the book one of the broken series. 'One more chapter' that was what I told myself until I read through the night, looking like a zombie the next morning.Oh, well, and the second, I kind of didn't pay attention in my classes today and I might have been absent-minded at work, stealing some time to myself to read and complete the second book breezily.The third and last book was the most complicated because of how high the stakes were, and let's not forget the numerous mind-fucks and plot twists. It was compelling, addictive and thought-provoking."I must be
|•| DESIRÉE DOYLE |•|It didn't dawn on me how much of a bad idea this whole thing was until Iris was pulling over in the parking lot that wasn't far from the grandiose frat house, that struck me like it was going to come collapsing alongside its foundation because of how loud the music in there was. For a fleeting moment, I found myself wondering how deafening it would be inside this house if the noise was this much outside.Not only did my breath quicken, my palms grew sweaty and my stomach churned with nerves that made me feel like I was about to throw up any moment from now. Heck, I could have sworn I felt my hands rock with tremors. I was also subtly—okay, totally irritated at the thought of being sandwiched in a space filled with horny students and reeked of alcohol, drugs and sex."Oh, wipe that bored off your face. We are here to have fun!" Iris chided me playfully and I forced a smile on my face, rolling my eyes."I don't look bored," I defended myself with a huff, stepping o
|•| DESIRÉE DOYLE |•|"Look who grew wings!" the bunch of losers all huddled up beside the arched window that led into one of the lecture theatres whistled at me, causing me to tug harshly at the hem of my dress, miraculously hoping that it would grow a few inches.My cheeks flushed in embarrassment and irritation simmered through my veins, clashing with the surges of anger that brewed within me."Would you mind bending just a little?!" one of them yelled, but I didn't give a response to them or the snickers that were directed at me by other students lurking in the hallways. Instead, I quickened my steps in a haste to get out of there, wrapping my arms around myself.A strong sense of revulsion gripped me in the guts when the breeze swayed my dress a little. I didn't know what was more triggering. The catcalls and dirty stares I had been getting all day or the incessant echoes of the cruel words he hauled at me because of my dress choice, that night, at the party.I cursed inwardly, fi
|•| DESIRÉE DOYLE |•|I might have forgotten just how breathtaking the neighbourhoods in Nocturneville could look in the evening. To be quite frank, if you wanted to bask in the allure and sheer beauty of the streets, evening, during sunset, couldn't have been more of a better choice.It was simply exhilarating to soak in the sight of the seemingly quiet surroundings that were bathed in the colourful glow of the sky, which struck me as the brush strokes of a painter on a canvas. A perfect blend of orange, red, pink and purple augmented the beauty of the green trees that occupied each side of the road, morphing into an aesthetical view I wanted to capture on paper or camera and ogle at it for the rest of eternity.The atmosphere, although eerily cold, was quite serene and allowed me to gather my thoughts. Thoughts I had been desperately trying to tuck somewhere and pretend they didn't exist. I had drowned it in work, getting busy, so I wouldn't get the chance to think, but I knew it was
From the moment our eyes clashed, and those lucid blue orbs weirdly tugged at my heartstrings, I knew she'd be a pesky little inconvenience and I was right. The kind of control she was beginning to have over me only made me despise her more than I did. Have you ever been in a position where you wanted to try your hardest to turn a blind eye to whatever was going on around you, but somehow, the complexity of the situation would beckon to you like a siren and before you know it, you are all tangled in an annoying web that you are unable to get out of?Not only did her smell invade my senses, not only did her eyes haunt me in my sleep, and not only did she have her presence somehow etched in my veins, but I also found myself poking my nose into something that was clearly not my concern.The night was getting darker, and the street was quieter than it was this evening. I could see it through the arched windows in the corner where I lurked in the bookstore, watching every customer file out
|•| DESIRÉE DOYLE |•|I crouched to grab the carton of coffee beans but the band that held my hair together was suddenly yanked off it, allowing my hair to pour over my shoulders. Mocking sugary giggles came up behind me and I dropped the carton to the ground with a thud, not caring if it got damaged in the process. I spun around, my lips set in a thin line as I stared impassively at Stacey and Dana. Stacey's shimmering lips were curled in a taunting smirk as she flipped her red hair which was styled to perfection over her shoulder. Her eyes were twinkling with mischief, laced with a hint of dare that was enough to tell me that all she wanted to do was rile me up.Dana was flat-out glaring at me, her eyes brimming with so much disgust as she twirled a strand of her hair around her fingers."What do you want?" I asked, utterly bored at their incessant poking. It was beginning to get boring. It was as if they had nothing exciting going on in their lives and they chose to make mine miser
|•| DESIRÉE DOYLE |•|“So, do you sleep?” I asked the grey-eyed man leaning against the kitchen cabinet. A curious smile pulled at the corner of my lips.He chuckled, his eyes gleaming with amusement. “You are very curious, aren't you?”“Hey!” I chided him, laughing as I chopped the bell peppers on the tray. “You can't blame me. I have had a lot I have been wanting to ask you.” I defended myself with a Cheshire grin.It was nightfall. André and I were in the kitchen in the Castle. I was staying over at his place and he told me he wanted to cook me dinner. I didn't oppose but I strongly wanted to help out. I didn't just want to sit upstairs and leave the cooking to him alone. I'd be bored out of my mind.I knew I could have chosen to catch up on the books I wanted to read but a huge part of me wanted to spend time with him.I'd have asked him since I found out about what he was but let's just say we have been too busy catching up. André was insatiable. He want
|•| ANDRÉ BAUDELAIRE |•|The classical novel in my hands dived down on the list of things that grabbed my attention when I look up for the umpteenth time tonight.A view of sheer perfection unfolded before me.Her wavy honey blonde hair was swept up in a neat high ponytail, the strands swishing sideways as she bobbed her head occasionally, scribbling down in her hitting pad as her eyes drifted between the screen of her laptop and her note.Her full perfectly glossed lips were pulled in a light frown, her thick dark lashes fluttering now and then. Her blue eyes were overly luminous because of the blue lights oozing off the screen of the device.Her fair skin that could easily suffer a mark popped with an empyrean glow that was as bewitching as it was captivating.I couldn't get enough of her just sitting there and focusing on school work.Heck, I couldn't control the dark, possessive rage that swept through me for a moment because I wasn't the object of her attention
|•| DESIRÉE DOYLE |•|“Do you want me to pick you two up later?” the chauffeur’s eyes strayed to us through the rearview mirror and I'm forced to look up from the book in my hands. My gaze intuitively flowed towards the dark-haired girl beside me as she worked her fingers through her voluminous curls that she surprisingly let down today, a black shade perched on the bridge of her nose.“No, Idris.” She met his eyes. “Just send my car over. Des and I will head back home together. “Come on.” She said to me, leading us out of the car.The car sped out of the parking lot in no time, leaving the two of us alone. My attention was fixated on the car awkwardly, watching it disappear into the busy streets of NocturneVille. “You have barely spent five minutes with me and you have a book in your hand already.” Iris spoke up sarcastically.My head snapped towards her, my eyes widening a fraction. “What? No! That's not true.”“Isn't it?” she hit me with her best intimidating yet subtle
|•| ANDRÉ BAUDELAIRE |•| I didn't think the Castle was going to be empty when I returned. As much as Ophelia liked to step out for fresh air, she hated being in town. It was contrasting because even when she knew she wasn't particularly a fan of being outdoors, she'd still step out to feel connected to the world around her. She claimed that being outdoors was always too hostile for her—for her magic. But it didn't mean that if push came to shove, she wouldn't outrightly discard that and do whatever she needed to do. Just like she had been poking her nose in what wasn't her business recently. A necessary evil, she claimed. She wasn't in the garden and certainly wasn't in the woods either. So, there was only one place she could be. A place she hadn't been in about three decades now. The church. The populace that attended the NocturneVille Church had drastically reduced over the years. Most especially since people began turning up
|•| ANDRÉ BAUDELAIRE |•| I didn't think the Castle was going to be empty when I returned. As much as Ophelia liked to step out for fresh air, she hated being in town. It was contrasting because even when she knew she wasn't particularly a fan of being outdoors, she'd still step out to feel connected to the world around her. She claimed that being outdoors was always too hostile for her—for her magic. But it didn't mean that if push came to shove, she wouldn't outrightly discard that and do whatever she needed to do. Just like she had been poking her nose in what wasn't her business recently. A necessary evil, she claimed. She wasn't in the garden and certainly wasn't in the woods either. So, there was only one place she could be. A place she hadn't been in about three decades now. The church. The populace that attended the NocturneVille Church had drastically reduced over the years. Most especially since people began turning up dead recently. So much for having faith,
|•| DÉSIRÉE DOYLE |•|I stirred awake, catching a whiff of his aftershave lingering on the sheets that were carelessly wrapped around me.I pushed my hair off my face tiredly, my eyes drifting through the room, catching my panties lying carelessly away from the bed—a blush crept up my neck to my face—before it occurred to me that he wasn't in the room with me.Unlike the first time I woke up in bed with him to find him missing, I wasn't freaking out and going out of my mind. Instead, it gave me time to come to terms with the fact that we spent the entire night exploring our bodies. But somehow, I feared that it might not have been enough because I lacked experience in bed and I might not have been able to satisfy him last night.My chest twisted, and embarrassment washed over me. I didn't know why my insecurities decided to weaponize themselves against me, conjuring an image of a dark-haired bitch pleasing André in ways I never would. A frown mounted on my face, and I shook my head to
|•| DESIRÉE DOYLE |•|The moment those words left my lips, I knew I had just allowed everything else to go up in flames. I knew I was venturing towards an edge that'd change everything, but a huge part of me didn't care.Andre's eyes thickened with want, his breath shallow and heavy. I could see the restraint swimming in his eyes, even though his hunger for me was slowly overshadowing.“You have to understand that there's no coming back from this. Do you really want to risk everything and completely blur the lines between what we have?” he whispered.“I don't care. I am not going to stay in a world where you do not exist.” The weight of my words released a sharp breath from him, his eyes conveying his surprise.“You'll be the death of me.” His knuckles glided over the skin of my face in a dainty caress and my skin erupted in flames.I inched forward desperately, brushing his lips against my tentatively. With the way he crashed his lips against mine, stealing my breath from my lungs, I
|•| DESIRÉE DOYLE |•|I drowned out the eerie silence trailing behind me from outside when I stepped into my apartment. I switched on the lights, tossing my bag somewhere in the disorganised space. My muscles and limbs ached from standing all day and I could barely feel my legs. The only thing I wanted to do was to get in bed and sleep the whole day.I shimmied out of my jeans, kicked off my sneakers, and sauntered into the kitchen to fetch myself a glass of water.I didn't miss how weird the atmosphere seemed when I came back to the living room. It flat-out felt like I was being watched, goosebumps creeping onto my skin. The coldness from the inside radiated outwards and I felt myself shiver from the effect. Even if I wanted to dismiss everything. I couldn't dismiss the sheer curtains that were blowing fiercely. I mentally cursed myself for forgetting to lock the windows.I suppressed a shiver, garnering the courage to advance forward. I hastily dropped my glass of water on the centr
|•| DESIRÉE DOYLE |•|I hummed in satisfaction, wiggling my newly painted nails under the lights hanging over the Queen-sized bed of Iris’ room. I had doubts about trying red colour on my fingers but I didn't think it'd turn out so well. I giggled, picking up my book and throwing the covers over my head to continue reading.The door to the bathroom was abrasively flung open, causing me to push the covers off my body at once. With furrowed brows, my gaze flitted to the taller girl marching into her closet like a giant alien. A worried sigh escaped me, my eyes fixed intently on the entrance leading to the closet as I patiently waited for her to step out.Iris’ mood swings can be linked to two things. Her hormones and the possibility of someone getting on her nerves. It was either the first one or the second one. It could be both at times too and it always made her a ticking time bomb threatening to go off. However, call it a gut feeling or whatever, but I strongly believed that it wasn'