Crimson Angel

  * * *

  The feeling was odd when we crossed the boundary again.

  “Is this the only place where we can go back home?” I asked.

  “There are several boundaries.” Len said as we walked through the woods. “One lands in South Africa and I believe there is one in China. The one close to the Grimmels links right to the England but by measures, it will take us a shorter journey to travel from West Italy, which is closest to the Morganthes, to England than from Morganthes’ castle to Grimmels’.”

  “I see.” I could not believe there was even a calculation on this.

  We passed through the dramatic invisible barrier, landing on a mountain in Italy. What took place in my life for the past two weeks were still hardly believable. It was a complex of various feelings and pain.

  We promised to stay in Bloodland every once in a while. I would visit my own home, the Grimmel estate and Len would spend time with his family. All the same, we preferred residing in the human world. Winnie did a lot of shouting and interrogation after my return. Due to my missing, police were called on and the whole town was investigated. I was even believed to be kidnapped. What amused the people was I left no traces when gone. No evidence suggested I left the town through any transport and Len as well as George became the first suspects of my kidnap. Winnie mentioned about them but nobody figured out their real identities.

  When I finally did appear in my own doorway, Winnie rushed out and threw her arms around me. There was so much explanation to do. We did a good job telling her everything though. She fainted when Len and I showed her our bloody eyes and fangs to convince our identity. She spent months recovering from shock. As soon as George was rescued after the incident, he followed us and continued serving Len.

  Len actually brought a house next to Winnie’s and soon, I possessed two homes in the human world. Winnie loved Len very much and agreed he was the right guy for me. Len did not really bother to go back to school at first but I talked some sense into him. At least, we had to finish the semester.

  People at school were in sheer astonishment when they saw us show up again. Everyone thought I eloped with Len but I could not blame them for thinking that way. I explained to the cops I ran away from home instead of being kidnapped by Len. The class stared at me as I entered the room. Due to the drastic changes of my appearance, the girls all thought I had gone to do a cosmetic surgery, which I reckoned was a relatively absurd idea. The boys, worse than I could expect, believed Len did some sort of magic to transform me with evil spells. We both laughed at that.

  Now, it’s been a year. We are no longer at school, living leisurely in our own house instead. Remember Len mentioned about the business between blood souls and humans? Well, we work sometimes. Once, swine flu spread across the Europe and all the presidents went into panic. The Grimmels, having an excellent reputation of medication, provided aid in exchange for tones of goat’s blood. Len and I joined in to help and believe me, it was a fascinating job to work in laboratory, inventing vaccine and medicine to do some good deeds. After all, creatures with fangs can be good-natured.

  Another significant change in life is Winnie finding a new boyfriend. The new boyfriend is no strangers- he was George. That surprised me but Len seemed to have predicted that. I have no problems having a new father though, especially when he is a kind man like George.

  Jim, Bess and Roy are all living near us. Bess and Roy have a house of their own, fairly romantic. Lately, Jim has finally convinced his parents to let him lead a free life. He no longer has to worry about love and marriage. Frequently, we five have gathering and crazy outings.

  The first place Len and I went after returning home was the amusement park. We did take the picture in that stall. Sarcastically, Viktoria and Edmond were in the Silver Tower and would not be free in ten years or so. It was a pity I could not boast about the picture. Speaking of Edmond, his parents searched throughout the town for him. He disappeared on the same day as me but without return. I once considered telling the truth to his parents yet Len stopped me. His words made sense though.

  “I would rather leave it the way it is now.” Len spoke. “Do you think his parents can bear the shock of their son becoming a vampire better than they accept the fact he might go missing for some time?”

  I had to agree to what he said.

  After the trip to the amusement park, I now decide to have another ambition in life. That is to travel around the world. Hopefully, we can finish this task before eighteen. Wait a second, that won’t be necessary. My parents rushed to do this because they could not spend much time in human world. Now, Len and I have more than a century to live on (If by chance nothing bad happens), what’s the rush?

  We will live our life to the fullest, do as we wish and only care for the present.

  With Len, I have no regrets.