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Chapter 24: The Job Offer
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2020-09-11 11:25:44Related chapters
Vampire of the New World Chapter 25: Flora's Prayer
On her way home after getting hired by Pablo, Flora reflected on what she had just been told inside the interview room. She knew that she should be happy for getting a job with good pay that also allowed her to live with her daughter. Finding a job had been more difficult lately because of the recent typhoon that destroyed the livelihood of many of the people of Cardena. Farms that grew rice and other crops were flooded while fruit-bearing trees were toppled down by the strong winds. Flora knew that many people were looking for a job and she was quite lucky to have been offered one. Surely, she could not let a good opportunity pass. Still, there was something heavy that weighed on her mind that kept on warning her to stay away from Orsica.Confused and very much worried about her future, Flora did what she always did whenever faced by big decisions and events in her life. She went to church.The church Flora went to was almost three centuries old and had withstood the many disasters th
Last Updated : 2020-09-12Vampire of the New World Chapter 26: Flora's Surprise
“Surprise!” Flora held her hand against her breast as she felt her heart skip a beat. She had just switched on the lights when her daughter jumped from behind their battered sofa to surprise her. With her mind still occupied with thoughts of an unknown future, Flora was extremely jumpy.“Oh, help!“ cried Flora to all the saints, her face briefly displaying her fright before beaming into a smile when she recognized that it was her daughter who jumped at her. Flora lowered herself to hug Nadi who was only too happy at scaring her mother out of her wits.Flora kissed her daughter and let herself be pulled towards the sofa. She saw her friend Perlita standing up from where she hid with Nadi behind the furniture. Perlita, as always, had her necklace of synthetic pearls hanging around her neck and wore her sarong over a white shirt. She greeted Flora, gently pressing her cheek against hers and joined her at the sofa.“So which one of you thought about scaring me to death?” Flora asked her d
Last Updated : 2020-09-13Vampire of the New World Chapter 27: Flora Makes a Promise
The two women were silent for a few minutes as they both processed in their minds what Flora’s future was going to be. In Perlita’s mind, it was akin to a death sentence based on the stories she had heard about Orsica and its infamous resident. How many stories had she heard over the years about the people and the boats that had gone missing while sailing close to the island? Recently, she heard about a relative of a friend who was supposedly hired by the rich recluse but was not heard from again. Some say that the person was still in Orsica and very much alive, enjoying working in the island while properly cared for by the master. Still, there were others who asserted that the person had not communicated with friends in the mainland and was most probably dead. The body would have been kept hidden or buried somewhere within Orsica, but it was more plausible that it was thrown to the shark-infested waters surrounding the island. Perlita’s own grandfather was also said to have sailed to
Last Updated : 2020-09-14Vampire of the New World Chapter 28: Flora's Story
Very early morning before dawn, Flora finally closed the door of the house that had been her shelter for many years. She had a lot of fond memories of the house, having lived in it for so long, but she also remembered painful experiences that she endured while living there – the death of her mother as well as the news of her husband’s unfaithfulness.It was a small one-storey house made of light materials with just two rooms. It had a small backyard that used to have cages for chickens that her mother raised when she was still living but was replaced with fighting roosters by her husband, Tunying. There was a vegetable garden that Flora tended from which she would pick tomatoes, bitter gourd and horseradish to augment the food that she bought from the market. Flora hoped that the next tenants would tend the garden and take care of the house as well as she and her mother did. When Flora got married, her husband had come to live with her in the house. She had returned from Malen a few y
Last Updated : 2020-09-15Vampire of the New World Chapter 29: Leaving Home
Flora heard a metallic click as she pressed the padlock to the door of her home. She saw that Nadi was looking at her intently as if sensing her sadness at leaving the house. Flora forced a smile and took Nadi’s hand as they walked towards a small truck where Perlita was waiting. “Come on, Nadi! We’re going to our new home!” said Flora, swinging Nadi’s hand as she tried to be cheerful. Nadi looked down at the ground and allowed her mother to pull her towards the vehicle. “Look! Aunt Perlita’s here to see us off.”Nadi glanced at Perlita who was looking at her from the back of the truck. The truck was used to transport fish and other goods to and from Cardena but seats were installed for passengers at the back. Perlita’s brother lifted Nadi to the back of the truck where Perlita was waiting and then helped Flora get on. Nadi yawned, obviously sleepy after having only a few hours of sleep.“Hi, Nadi!” greeted Perlita and moved to the end of the seat to give her friend and Nadi more spa
Last Updated : 2020-09-16Vampire of the New World Chapter 30: Crossing the Sea
The crew in charge of security continued to rummage through Flora’s bags and thoroughly searched it for any other devices that were prohibited on the yacht and the island. Flora could only look on as she saw her belongings being searched. She tried to recall Pablo’s instructions and could not remember if he said anything about mobile phones being prohibited. Perhaps they were written in the contract which she was not able to read thoroughly on the day of the interview. Flora knew that Perlita would worry that she was not able to contact her, but there was nothing she could do about it now.The crew found a small mirror that Flora kept in her bag and asked Flora about it. “Do you have any other mirrors in your bag? Mirrors are not allowed either. The master said there’s no room for vanity on the island. We also don’t want you breaking it and hurting anyone.”Flora answered that she kept no mirrors except for the one the crew found. She let the crew take the mirror away. She did not real
Last Updated : 2020-09-17Vampire of the New World Chapter 31: A Trending Video
At the mention of the Devil’s Sea, Flora remembered stories about the area of the ocean east of Cardena known for mysterious disappearances of boats and other marine vessels. It no longer bothered her as much as it did when she was younger when Perlita would tell her scary stories during lunch break at school. Back then, Flora got too scared that she would find it difficult to sleep at night, hearing all the nocturnal noises and interpreting them as something more terrifying.One of the most prominent stories that she could recall was the strange disappearance of a research vessel sent by the government to conduct surveys in the area. It was manned by a small crew of scientists and loaded with their state-of-the-art equipment, but the vessel stopped transmitting messages shortly after entering the Devil’s Sea. The vessel was found several days later after an intensive search, but all of the crew were missing. The technical equipment were still on the boat and food had been set on the t
Last Updated : 2020-09-18Vampire of the New World Chapter 32: Arrival at Orsica
Flora got more agitated the more that Eva opened her mouth to convince her that the boat they were on was the boat on the video that was trending in social media.“How can you say such a thing, Eva! Surely this could not be that boat. Why would they want to ram small fishing boats?” Flora told Eva.“Who knows? We can’t really tell what their motives are from a short video,” said Eva.They were silent for a while and Flora bowed here head to look at Nadi who was still sleeping on her lap. She was glad that her daughter was sleeping as Eva spoke or she might also get worried with such horrible stories.Eva watched the rock formations as the yacht passed by them. Bored, she rose from her seat and went to the railing to get a better view. She chuckled as she remembered seeing the expression on Flora’s face when she mentioned that the boat there were riding could be the boat on the trending video. She did not really think much about it, she only wanted to amuse herself by triggering Flora’s
Last Updated : 2020-09-19
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Vampire of the New World Chapter 169: The Grotto
The water was clear and Lisa had no trouble seeing the cave opening just ahead. Before swimming through the opening, she took a quick look behind her and saw Nestie just behind her. Lisa gave Nestie a quick wave and shot through the opening of the cave with broad strokes of her arms and legs. Lisa swam to the surface and was quickly amazed at what she saw. The sun shining through the opening of the grotto made the water luminous, turning it from emerald to a glowing neon. She looked at her hands from under the water and saw the fine bubbles on her skin turning her hands into silver. She looked up at the ceiling and saw the ripples in the water reflected on the high dome of the grotto, giving the cavern an otherworldly appearance. The stalactites hanging from the ceiling glinted in the green light and looked like numerous fingers reaching for the water below. Nestie’s head bobbed out of the water and he quickly wiped the water from his face with his hands. Lisa watched his friend’s re
Vampire of the New World Chapter 168: Entering the Grotto
The boat glided over the water, leaving ripples in its wake. The boatman jumped aboard and started the engine, steering the boat towards one of the many islets that dotted the sea. Nestie turned his head and looked at the cliff that they had just descended. He swallowed hard before saying to Lisa. “I can’t believe we descended from that,” he said. “Are we going back the same way?” Lisa smiled as she saw the expression on Nestie’s face. Her friend took the front seat on the boat while she sat behind him. “Do you want to?” Lisa asked. “I don’t know if I can make it,” Nestie replied. Then, he added. “Maybe I can, but you will have to pull me up.” Lisa laughed at Nestie and pinched his back. “Ow! What was that for?” asked Nestie, rubbing his back which Lisa had just pinched. “For being so adorable!” Lisa answered. “Look ahead of you and enjoy the scenery. Don’t you think the islets and the rock formations look stunning?” Nestie loo
Vampire of the New World Chapter 167: The Way to the Grotto
Upon alighting from the tricycle, Nestie saw the ocean and the tall cliffs that surrounded a wide beach. They were a short distance from the sandy coast where several boats were docked. Out on the sea were numerous islets that rose from the water like the backs of turtles or upturned boats. Several of the islands were connected to each other like a pearl necklace, the sea between them becoming labyrinthine for boats to navigate through. Fortunately, the islets also served a purpose in protecting the moored boats on the small beach where Lisa and Nestie were standing as well as the inner islets in the archipelago from the strong currents and big waves coming from the open ocean. “Do you like what you’re seeing so far, Nestie?” asked Lisa who had just paid the tricycle driver and stood beside Nestie to admire the scenery. “I’ve seen so many coasts in my life, but this is still breathtaking!” remarked Nestie, drinking in the scene before him. They were on top of a cliff
Vampire of the New World Chapter 166: Planning Their Morning
Lisa woke up from the sound of birds outside the window. She slowly opened her eyes and saw the room flooded with golden light. She stretched her arms and rubbed her eyes before sitting up in bed. It looked like it was going to be a good day, she thought as she looked around the brightly-lit room. Celie was still sleeping soundly so Lisa silently got off her bed and prepared to take her morning shower. It was good that Celie was able to sleep without any incident. Her cousin needed to have a good night’s rest if she were to look great for her birthday party. After taking her shower and putting on her usual comfortable clothes of jeans and a cotton shirt, Lisa noiselessly left the room. She then walked to Nestie’s room and knocked on the door. “Come in, Lisa,” came Nestie’s voice and Lisa twisted the door knob. “How was your sleep last night, Nes?” asked Lisa. Nestie had already changed and was combing his hair. “Very well. Thank you,” replied Nestie.
Vampire of the New World Chapter 165: Lisa's Thoughts
Lisa lay in bed with her blankets to her neck. Celie was right. It was a cold night. Lisa, however, could not figure out why Celie insisted on having the windows open despite the cold. Her cousin’s actions had been a bit erratic and illogical these past days, thought Lisa. She knew that her cousin tended to be unpredictable at times even when they were young. Back then, it could just be attributed to their youth; Lisa, herself, remembered doing some wild things with Celie. However, they were now grown women and very much in control of their actions. Lisa could understand Celie’s predicament of having to live under public scrutiny and always acting as a model figure for her father’s citizens, but Celie’s sudden disappearances and escape from her security detail were quite irresponsible. There was a quick snort coming from Celie’s bed and Celie moved restlessly to one side. Lisa looked at her cousin and wondered where she had gone after her photo shoot at the Home for the Elde
Vampire of the New World Chapter 164: Talk With Celie
“Is that you, Lisa love?” came Celie’s drowsy voice as Lisa entered the guest room. The lights were off and Lisa could only tell from the dark shape over the bed that her cousin was already lying down as if ready to sleep. “Yes, Celie,” said Lisa, looking at her cousin. “It seems too early for you to be sleeping. Would you mind if I turn on the lights?” Lisa switched on the lights and saw that her cousin was in bed with her blankets drawn up to her neck. There was a soft moan from Celie. “Oh, sorry. Is the light too bright?” asked Lisa. “N-no,” came Celie’s reply. “Keep the lights on.” Lisa was about to walk towards her bed when she noticed Celie’s face. Celie’s face was ashen and her lips were pale. “You look pale, Celie. Are you sick?” asked Lisa worriedly. “No. I’m alright, Lisa. Don’t mind me. I just feel tired, that’s all,” came Celie’s reply. “Sorry to hear that,” said Lisa. She nevertheless went towards Celie and
Vampire of the New World Chapter 163: Going Back to the Adobe House
The gates to the Adobe House opened slowly to allow the van to enter the grounds. There were soft knocks on the van’s window that made Lisa look at the person making the sound. She saw a young woman outside the van offering her garlands of sanaria. After a short pause, Lisa decided to lower the window and bought several garlands from the young woman. The young woman beamed, briefly showing her white but misaligned teeth. She thanked Lisa before walking off to find other buyers of her sanaria garlands. The sweet smell of the fresh garlands filled the van as it drove inside the Adobe House grounds. Lisa took a deep breath and was quickly reminded of her time as a young girl in Cardena. She remembered that there used to be plenty of sanaria growing wildly in nearby vacant lots and she and Celie would compete on who could pick the most. The flowers were brought to the kitchen were the kitchen maids would take some of their time to turn them into garlands. Sanaria leaves that did
Vampire of the New World Chapter 162: Apparitions
The rain fell just too heavily and too sudden that Lisa could not tell if she did see what she thought she saw. She remembered seeing banners pinned on the trees outside as they entered the building earlier and knew that she could have imagined those to be something else. There was another flash of lightning followed by thunder and Lisa knew that it could be another one of the freak weather disturbances that she and Nestie had been seeing more frequently lately. “Toto, you have to stay calm,” said the nurse to the old man. She had come to the old man’s assistance when she found him to be distressed. “It’s just the rain. It will be over soon.” Lisa walked over to Nestie who was looking at the nurse as she tried to calm Toto. The two friends wanted to help the old man, but knew that the nurse would be able to do a better job. The nurse turned to Lisa and Nestie and gave them a smile. “He’s always like this during thunderstorms. Crying like a child.” “Ju
Vampire of the New World Chapter 161: About the Devil's Sea
Toto placed his wrinkled hands on top of his notebook. He took off his glasses and looked at his audience around the table. They had all finished lunch and were listening to him as he read from his notebook. "Why did you stop?" said an old lady. "Go on. I want to know what happens next." "Yes, I want to know what happened between you and Clara," asked another bright-eyed old lady. "You had me talking for almost an hour. I think I deserve some breather," said Toto. He coughed, prompting Nestie to grab the pitcher and pour cold water onto Toto’s glass. “Thank you,” said Toto to Nestie after taking a few gulps of water. Lisa was amused. "You mentioned the Devil's Sea. Is that a real place?" Toto gave another cough and set down his glass on the table. "It's real alright. You don't hear a lot of stories about it now, but in those days, there were a lot of boats that went missing in that area." "You mean like the Bermuda triangle?" a
