Louisa's POV I didn't know why Mr. Weasel didn't like Darren. I didn't see any bad aura around Darren. He was always sad. That was true. I washed and chopped the vegetables while telling myself in my mind. I couldn't get rid of the horrible image of a flying vampire with a pair of mad eyes in the dark forest. Long black hair and razor-like long nails. What possibly is a vampire looking for in the middle of the day in the woods? I thought to myself. "Lisa, what do you want me to do with the meat?" I was pulled back to reality by Darren's voice. Mr. Weasel was snorting heavily around my neck. I guessed it was because of the side effect of anesthesia. I answered, "I've made some cumin sauce, and let's soak all the ingredients inside." Darren nodded. He looked at Mr. Weasel, frowned, and asked, "Do you want to put him down?" "He's not that heavy. He's just fluffy. I can barely feel him." I smiled at Darren and put the diced meat into a bowl of sauce. Darren sn
Louisa's POV When I woke up the next morning, I saw Mr. Weasel lying next to me, pressing his body firmly against me. His furry little body felt so warm in the chillness of morning. The dim light was pouring through the window and the fire in the furnace was out. I rubbed my eyes and heard the sound of chopping coming from outside. I jumped out of bed and stretched my arms. After a whole night of sound sleep, I felt so refreshed and ready for a brand new day. Mr. Weasel woke up as well. He didn't look very happy, though. "I can feel my legs now," he said with annoyance, "They're so itchy." "The wounds are closing. When new flesh grows, it's normal to feel itchy. I'll change the bandages for you." I said and held him on my lap. He stayed there put like a stuffed toy and let me unwrap the bandages on his legs. "It's getting much better!" I checked his wounds and said with great relief. I dashed some more Fenugreek potion on his wounds and wrapped it up carefu
Louisa's POV That was the first time I had ever seen Aegir Sea in my life. I had heard it a thousand times in Uma's bedtime stories and I had dreamed about it a million times in my mind. It was the place where giant ocean monsters emerged from the surface and waved their huge tentacles to drag poor fishermen's boats into the darkness of the deep sea in volatile waves. But on that day, the sea was quiet and gloomy. Having been stuck in the woods for days, I was relieved to see an open area with endless stretches of water for a change. Above our heads, layers of thick dark clouds were gathering. Underneath the sky of roaring waves, the sea was calm, pulsing rhythmically and breathing with cadence. I wished I could have more time to enjoy the magnificent view, but I couldn't. The spartina plants were dancing from side to side in the gentle breeze. Uma said, this wheat-like plant is the only one that can survive in the estuary area because the water contains too much sal
Louisa's POV "Why are you here?" I heard a voice in the darkness. "Mother, is that you? I miss you very much..." I wanted to open my eyes, but I couldn't. I had never heard my mother's voice. But somehow I just recognized it. I would give everything to see her face and hug her. "You shouldn't be here. Go back," she said. "I can't go back, mother. I'm dead. Please let me stay with you," I begged. "Concentrate. You were born to achieve amazing things in your life, but you're always distracted." "I don't want to achieve anything. I'm not afraid now. I just want to see and be with you, mother," I murmured. "That is the very thing that is distracting you. Death isn't the only way for you to reunite with me. Death has never torn us apart. If you concentrate, you'll see that I have never left you." "Mother, I'm ready for this moment. I'm always prepared," I whispered. "You're always prepared to die, but have you ever prepared to survive?" I was speechless. "Go b
Louisa's POV The inside of the salamander's rock cave was dark and humid. Darren set up fire at the entrance of the cave, because of the smoke rising from damp firewood. "I can't believe that you've taken them back to where we live. You're so stupid," I heard the voice of the black salamander. The brown salamander explained, "They need a place to hide from the rain. They don't like water." "Can I eat that rat?" she asked. Her brother replied patiently, "He's a weasel, and no, you can't eat him. He's supposed to eat us. Not the other way around. He can't eat us because we're too big for him. We can't eat him because he's the girl's friend. Leave him alone." "I might want to eat that girl. She's tiny. But she's still meat." "She's my friend. You're impossible." "Come on, you know she'll eventually get herself killed. What kind of people in their right mind would chase a weasel into a salt marsh and get trapped? You've made too many two-legged friends. HUmans, vampire
Louisa's POV When the two giant salamanders walked into the cave, the black one didn't look happy at all. "I won," she said. "Whatever you say, sis," the brown one rolled his eyes. "I'll never talk to you again!" she said and disappeared into the darkness. The brown one didn't follow her, moved next to me, and said, "Do you want me to show you around the cave? We've got some pretty awesome wall paintings." "Let's take a look at wall paintings with Mr. Salamander," I said to Darren. Darren looked a bit doubtful. "Are you sure you want to go? The cave can be a very dangerous place. People can't breathe inside," he said. "I promise to you that I won't get myself killed this time. Let's go, Darren. I want to see wall paintings. We might find something for Mr. Weasel to eat," I dragged him and said. Mr. Weasel was sleeping soundly in the basket. Darren sighed, took up a wooden stick as a torch, and followed Mr. Salamander into the darkness of the cave. "How long h
Louisa's POV "What do you mean, Darren?" I was still in the clouds. "I guess we can let the ghost explain it to us," Darren said. Then, he suddenly moved towards a huge rock and disappeared behind it. Then, I heard a man screeching behind the rock. "Ahhhhh!" It wasn't Darren's voice. "Please don't kill me! Please!" the voice exclaimed. Then, Darren reappeared again, holding a white ghost in his hands. "That's the ghost!" the salamanders cried out together. I took up a firing wooden stick and moved it closer to the ghost. I saw a man, who was about my height, covered underneath a ragged white sheet. "You're not a ghost! You're a..." I said and pulled off the sheet bluntly. Then I saw him. A skinny boy with a round face as pale as a piece of paper. "Ahhh! Take that torch away from me!" he yelled. I saw the skin on his porcelain face melting like wax because of the light of the torch. I moved the torch away. The wounds on his face immediately healed.
Louisa's POV "Stay away from him!" I yelled, grabbing the vampire's cape with my hands as he flew past me. As soon as he realized his cape was torn off, he turned back his head. I saw a lifeless pale face with giant fangs and a pair of mad burning eyes. My heart was about to jump out of my throat. But I gathered all my courage and waved his cape in the air. "I'm here! Look at me!" I shouted at him. "What's your strategy now?" Mr. Salanmander asked me. "To get his attention," I said in a trembling voice. The vampire looked at me with a tilted head. "Now you've got his attention. What now?" Mr. Salamander asked. "Can you catch him with your tongue?" I asked. "I can catch any flying things," Mr. Salamander said, "But what for?" "I had to tell him that his son was still alive," I said. "Do you think he will understand you?" he asked. "We'll have to find out," I said. "I hate