Chapter 2

Love story

"According to vampire folklore the physical signs of a vampire are by their pale skin, an absence of a reflection in mirrors, fangs and red glowing eyes. Vampire, also spelled vampyre, in popular legend, a creature, often fanged, that preys upon humans, generally by consuming their blood."

"They are believed to get out from the coffin at midnight to prey on humans and suck their blood. They are also believed to be the "undead" saying they crawl up from the ground. In ancient times they were believed to be ugly, grotesque monsters but in the twentieth century, they are now the center of the fiction world where they are hot and handsome far from the dead nasty corpse body. Who wouldn't want a fucking fucky hot and handsome vampire right?" 

"Ms. Meranza, language." My professor stopped me from speaking. Hindi ko na iyon pinansin at nag patuloy na. 

"I mean...Everyone loves it. The best example is twilight, the most famous fiction story about a human falling in love with a fucking fucky handsome vampire."

"Ms. Meranza, Language. I will put a minus in your research if you continue cursing," masungit na saad niya. 

I can't help but rolled my eyes. Ito talagang professor ko na ito napakastrikto. Sungit, sungit pa. Buti sana kung mataas siya nag bigay ng grado, kaso hindi. Puro lang rin pa research. Hindi naman nagtuturo. Ang dami daming pinapagawa tapos mababa parin magbigay ng grado, kung makaasta ang subject niya parang major, kahit minor lang naman. 

"Did you roll your eyes, Ms. Meranza?" 

I sighed deeply then closed my eyes before turning to him. I flash my sweetest smile to Mr. Karungkong. 

"No sir. It's just that my eyes are a little bit itchy today," I said trying to sound sweet so I could continue presenting my fucking fucky research. 

Pinaghirapan ko kaya ito kaya nga ako napunta sa kagubatan kagabi para lang dito. 

Nangunot lang ang noo niya pero hindi na nagsalita at hinayaan na ako mag salita. 

"The character of Edward Cullen, from the famous novel, twilight. He is a vampire who has moral and his bite is an erotic experience." I pursed my lips. The image of oozing hot edward cullen makes me wet. I swallowed hard then continued. 

Get a hold of yourself, Steia. 

"A person may become a vampire in a variety of ways, the most common of which is to be bitten by a vampire. Other methods include sorcery, committing suicide, contagion, or having a cat jump over a person’s corpse. Vampires are often depicted as being repelled by garlic, running water, or Christian implements such as crucifixes and holy water. In some stories vampires may enter a home only if they have been invited, and in others they may be distracted by the scattering of objects such as seeds or grains that they are compelled to count, thereby enabling potential victims to escape." 

"Real vampires, on the other hand, believe that their physical, mental, and emotional health will deteriorate if they don’t feed—either on blood or on energy. There are three types of real vampires: sanguinarian, psychic, and hybrids. Sanguinarians feed on very small amounts of human blood, generally just a few drops.... And that is my research." My fucky research. 

"You did not have any conclusion, Ms. Meranza, you just really searched everything," saad niya. 

"Because it's research." A fucky research. 

My mood changed because of the girl Alta was talking about a while ago. 

"What did you say?" tanong ni Mr. Karungkong. Bingi na rin ba talaga ito? Hindi ko na lang ulit siya pinansin. 

"Who has a fucky question?" Nakangiti kong tanong sa mga kaklase. Nagtatawanan lang ang mga ito. 

Alam naman nila na mahilig ako mag salita ng "fucky" sa kahit anong sinasabi ko. Nakasanayan ko na ata. Itong professor ko na ito lang talaga ang may problema. Wala pa kasing jowa, medyo matanda narin kaya siguro ganyan. 

"Ms. Meranza!" sigaw niya. 

Muli, hindi ko ito pinansin. Nagtaas ng kamay ang kaklase ko na nasa pang apat na row. "Yes, Martin?" 

"Do they bite people’s necks?"

"No... usually, because it’s painful and highly unsanitary. Some of the sanguinarians use a syringe." Tumango tango siya pagkatapos ko sagutin ang tanong niya. 

Galing lang naman ang lahat ng alam ko sa internet. Wala talaga akong conclusion, nakalimutan ko na gawin dahil nga sa nangyari kagabi, pinapatagal ko lang talaga ang oras para matapos na. Kung tutuusin ay kaya ko namang gawin ang conclusion ngayon pero wala atang gana ang utak ko na magisip.

Sigurado talaga ako sa nakita ko kagabi. 

"Are they real?" tanong ng isa. 

Good question. "Yes. They are." I said firmly. The room went silent for a second right after it was filled with laughter. 

I rolled my eyes. I've already been here. Some of my classmates don't believe in vampires. I mean... I can't make them believe in vampires because even I didn't see one, but that was before. 

What I saw last night is real vampires. Since I was a kid, I always read and watched everything about vampires. I know every theory, that's why I'm sure that they are real. 

"Patawa ka talaga Steia!"

"Kakabasa mo kasi 'yan, akala mo totoo na!"

"Wala ka sa libro uy!" 

"Hayaan niyo na, paniniwala niya 'yan e." 

Ilan lamang iyan sa nga sinabi nila sa akin. Kinuyom ko ang palad sa inis. Huminga ako ng malalim saka pinikit ang mata. 

"Totoo ang sinasabi ko, nakita ko sila kagabi sa gitna ng kagubatan. Oo, mahilig ako magbasa tungkol sa mga bampira kaya binigay ko ang lahat ng kaya ko para sa research na ito." Bahagyang nanahimik ang mga ito. 

"I was in the woods, hoping to see one of them but I'm lucky because I saw a cult of vampires. They're like performing rituals." 

"Sira kana ba? Bakit ka gumagala ron?" Tanong ng isa.

"Seryoso ba 'yan?"

"Shit! May nawawala kayang babae sa kabilang bayan! Ang sabi baka daw nakipagtanan o nag rebelde pero nakita na lang kaninang umaga na warak warak na ang damit at Bali ang mga buto, duguan din. Patay na." 

Nanlaki ang mga mata ng iilan. Kung ganon tama nga ako, bampira nga ang nakita ko kagabi, maaring ang ritual kagabi ay sa pag aalay nung babae? 

"Omg!" sigaw ng babae kong kaklase. 

"Hala? Seryoso? Eh bakit ngayon lang namin narinig 'yan?" 

"Ayaw ipakalat ng ibang bayan kasi baka daw matakot bigla ang mga tao." 

"Omg! Baka ako ang isunod nila! Ang ganda ko pa naman!" saad ng maarte kong kaklase. 

Sana nga siya na ang isunod dahil napaka arte niya! 

"Ibig sabihin totoo ang sinasabi ni, Steia?" Of course! I'm fucky right!

"See? I came here to prove that I'm right." 

"You saw them with your own eyes, making it real to you but we didn't." My eyebrows furrowed as I looked at the direction where the voice came from. 

The guy is sitting in the last row, in the corner of the room. He is wearing a black hood jacket that covers his hair, that's all I can see from where I am. 

Fucky! Sino naman kaya ito? 

"What do you mean?" I asked. 

"Yes you saw them but we didn't, you can't make us believe in everything you are saying," sabi niya habang nakayuko parin. Nakayuko siya kaya hindi gaano kita ang mukha. 

"What if you're making it all up?" He lifted his head up and that's when I saw his fucky face. 

My eyes narrowed when I saw his chiseled pale face, foxy cognac eyes, pointed nose and thin pinkish lips. His hood is still on his head that's why I can't have a glimpse of his eyebrows and hair. 

Bakit parang ngayon ko lang nakita ang lalaking ito sa klase namin? Oo may nakaupo sa dulo pero hindi ko napapansin. Siguro ay hindi ko lang rin pinapansin pero... Ngayon ko lang talaga nakita ang lalaking ito. 

Inalis ko ang iniisip sa utak. "Why would I make it all up, mister?!"

"Because you're a vampire addict. You like novels about them, you even choose it to be your research. Who's the person in the right mind will choose a vampire as they're researching when they are not even real," he said monotonously

"They are real! I saw them last night!" 

"Then why are you not dead?"

My head tilted. "W-what?"

"A dead body is found with broken bones."

My eyes narrowed. "S-so? Where's the fucky connection?" 

"You're wrong Ms. I guess you didn't put all your effort into your research." 

"Fucky, what?!"

"If you saw them last night, then you would be dead together with the corpse of the lady who is said to be a victim of vampires." 

I stiffened when I realized what he was pointing out. 

"Because they didn't saw me! I ran away!" pagsisinungaling ko. Hindi ako tumakbo ng makita ko sila. Hindi ko alam ang nangyari pagkatapos ko silang makita. Pagkagising ko ay nasa kalsada na ako, malayo sa gitna ng kagubatan. 

He take off the hood of his jacket showing his thick eyebrows and shining dark hair. 

"There's no vampire in this town. This is not a fictional world nor twilight where a handsome and hot vampire will fall in love with you. They're not real, there's no Edward Cullen here and you're not Bella." 

Fucky! How dare he say that to me?! What's with Bella these days huh?

"You've been consumed by your love for fictional novels to the point that you're trying to make your life be like one of it." 

"You're not in a love story, Ms." He smirked.