The Other Realm

It was the weirdest day of my life. First, my alarm did not ring to wake me up. When I woke up, I glanced at my alarm clock. It was already ten in the morning and I was late for school. I glared at my alarm clock and muttered a curse under my breath. Why hadn't it woke me up?

I climbed out of bed in a rush and brushed my teeth. Next, I hurried to my closet to get my school uniform. But to my annoyance, it wasn't there. Angrily, I stormed to my mother's room to demand for my uniform. Infuriatingly enough, she wasn't in her room.

"Mum?" I called out in a rage. I was spoilt and treated everyone like a servant. I thought that everyone should obey my orders like a slave. I was rude to even my mother sometimes. Most of all, I had a bad-temper. No one really liked me. I had no friends.

There was no reply. "Mum? I'm not playing games."

There still wasn't a reply. I wasn't spooked out easily, but I was, this once.

I thought of the ghost stories people had told me before. Missing people taken by ghosts, going after their family members next. The quiet of the house shrouded me and I felt it pushing me down.

I clambered down the stairs to the kitchen, hoping she would be there. But she wasn't.

At this moment the doorbell rang. I rushed to open the door, already blaming Mum for going out without telling me— in my head. She must have forgotten to bring her keys again. She was just so forgetful. She was wasting my precious time I needed to get to school. I was seething with fury.

However it wasn't her. It was someone else.

It was a man, standing at the door, his skin as white as paper. You would have thought he was dead if he was lying still.

"I am looking for Conrad Johnson," he said.

"I am he," I replied.

He gave me an once-over, as if not believing that I am the one he is looking for.

"You have to follow me," he said.

"And why should I?" I was suspicious of him. Who would come to my door, looking for me and demanding me to follow him immediately?

"Or you would end up dead." That sentence was made, cold and threatening, sending shivers scuttling down my spine. Every single hair on my body stood on its delicate end. Instinct told me this wasn’t some prank played by teenagers down the road. He wasn’t kidding. At all

"Now listen, I'll call the cops if you do anything to me." I whispered, my voice betraying my calm expression.

The man, irritated now, picked me up by my collar and slammed me against the nearest wall. "This is the Other Realm. There are no cops here. Follow me. You are new here. Amelie asked to see you."

I was shaken and took a deep breath. What the hell was he talking about? What Other Realm? What about me being new? Who was Amelie?

I did not know what to believe. I didn't believe in the supernatural world and everything he said contradicted what I grew up with. I could tell he wasn't lying but what was he talking about? Unless this was a bad dream. That thought made me relieved for some reason, and I took a deep breath. "Look, I don't know what you are talking about. Leave me alone. Go and tell your jokes to some other people. I am not in the mood for them. Your jokes suck by the way."

He didn't put me down. Instead, he grabbed me and dragged me out of my house. I kicked desperately at him, in hope that he would put me down. However, my kicking did not do him any harm. He threw me into his car and locked the doors before I had the chance to escape.

He drove his car into town. I looked out of my window. I would know where he was going. I had stayed in town long enough to know my way around. Maybe I could escape with oppurtunity presented itself. I would be able to return home. However, the town wasn't the same as usual. It was very different. The church that was meant to be beside the bakery wasn't in sight. I began to think that that guy was right and I started shivering, though it had nothing to do with the chill in the air.

Soon, we reached our destination. It was a run-down house. In snake-like speed, the man had unlocked the car doors and opened my door. He dragged me out of the car and into the building.

"Hey!" I cried angrily, to hide the fear rising in my throat. "Let go of me!"

He ignored me mostly. The only respond was a tightened grip on my arm.

We entered the building. Inside, were a few people, as pale as the man who had brought me there.

"Where am I?" I whispered, fearfully.

The elegant and graceful woman sitting in the center of the room smiled briefly at me, showing her gleaming white teeth. "You're in the Other Realm, Conrad. I'm Amelie. The man who brought you here is Mr. Morrell."

"What is the Other Realm?" I asked.

"You've asked the right person. You're new here," Amelie said. "But we have enough people here in the Other Realm. We don't need more. But you won't go to waste. Come here, kid."

Gingerly, I stepped forward a couple of steps. When I was close enough, two fangs slid out of Amelie's neck and her eyes were filled with hunger. She was a vampire. A girl stepped forward and stared hard at Amelie. "Mum, he's not your food."

Little did the girl nor did I understood what we were feeling. I felt a warm rush and started hyperventilating. She was hypnotizing. Her rich-colored eyes held my dull normal ones. She smiled a sweet smile at me and suddenly looked away. Sunlight caught on her porcelain white skin and was reflected off in shards of brilliant light like diamonds.

Meanwhile, as I learnt later on, she was feeling fluttery. Her legs felt like jelly and she could hardly stand properly. She felt worthless, next to me. I was the most handsome boy she had ever seen. I was the one she had been looking for.

Using our attraction as an advantage, Amelie advanced towards me hungrily.

The girl sighed and pushed her mother against the wall with amazing strength, turning to look at me. Her eyes held a message: I will not let anything happen to you.

"Jessica," Amelie snarled. "Let go of me."

The girl didn't obey. I could see her mother trying to struggle out of her grasp but the girl was too strong for her.

"This is disrespect," Amelie snapped. Still, Jessica did not budge. She didn’t seem to be listening to her mother. Instead, her eyes were locked on mine. I couldn’t seem to turn away from the power they held.

"Oliver," Amelie said quietly.

A man came over and tried to help Amelie but it seemed as if Jessica was too strong for him as well.

Jessica raised her mother as high as she could and threw her against the other wall. Amelie slammed against the wall and collapsed into a heap on the floor.

Jessica grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the room. My human speed was not satisfying enough for her. She gathered me into her arms, not seeming to mind my weight and started off. The wind whipped against my face as she ran silently into the woods.

Finally, she stopped and put me down with gentle fingers. We were in a cave. Still, I could not tear my gaze away from Jessica's angelic face.

"Hi, I'm Jessica," Jessica offered me her hand and helped me up. I felt weak beside her

"Guess you know that I'm Conrad," I said.

"Yeah, call me Jess," she smiled

"Then, you can call me Con," unable to resist smiling back.

"Sure. Now listen, we have to try to find a way to get you out of here. I guess you have to come and live with me. Your house is not safe. Your house is not protected."

"But... I can't... you won't... you won't eat me?"

Jess shook her head sadly. "I'm the only half-vampire here. Half-human, half-vampire. I can eat human food or drink blood. But I cannot drink human blood. I can only drink animal blood. That is part of what makes me special. And I am also stronger and faster than most vampires, you know."

I was dead curious and wanted to find out more. "And Amelie's your mother?"

"You can say it that way. She was the one, who made me a vampire. But a part of me refused to change. And here am I. The only one who is this weird creature, fitting into neither the human community nor the vampire," Jessica sighed.

I couldn’t see how she, as beautiful as she was, could be strange in any way. She looked perfect. My heart strummed a melody of love for her and I felt like touching her skin to see if it was as soft as it looked."How old are you?" I asked, trying to ignore my desire.

"Fourteen."

"Awesome! I am fourteen too!”

"I am still growing. That is also what makes me special. I was changed when I was a new-born, Amelie worked as a doctor then. She saw me when I was born and changed me that very second. Most vampires don't grow. But I grew up. With Amelie.

"Come along now. You must be hungry." Jess guided me towards a small and sweet cottage near the cave.

"You don't live with your mother?" I asked.

Jess shook her head. "I moved out when I was ten. Mum could drink my blood."

"You can get yourself settled in the spare room," Jess said as she took me inside the cottage. "You can get your things later. Okay, I'm going into the forest," I noticed then that we were in the middle of a forest. "To hunt. Can you prepare yourself some breakfast? Everything you need is in the fridge."

I nodded my head. Jess waved me goodbye and left the cottage. I watched her back as she sashayed out of the house, flowing and gentle. She was so graceful. I couldn't seem to keep my eyes off her.

I was interrupted from my day-dream when my stomach snarled. I went into the kitchen to get some ingredients to make a simple sandwich.

I opened the fridge. Well, she really had everything. Apple pies, cakes, eggs, milk... everything! I was so hungry, the aroma of the food contributed too, I thought I would just eat everything in the fridge. The fridge was almost as big as a supermarket. There were aisles of food. I could imagine one climbing inside to get food with a trolley. It was that huge.

I decided not to make a sandwich, instead, to go for something tastier such as apple crumble. When I was a kid, my Mum had taught me how to make one.

I got out the ingredients and was just about to make one when I heard the glass window shatter. I froze on the spot. Slowly, with my whole body shaking violently, I turned. Through the now open window, Amelie had gotten in, fangs out, hungry; thirsty. Her eyes were beyond human reasoning and glowed red. I didn't know what to do. Amelie was hungry, and Jess wasn't here to save me. My heart slammed against my chest as beads of cold sweat rained down my cheeks.

I backed until my back touched the wall. I had no escape. The door was too far away for me to run towards. As if I could even outrun Amelie.

I was tremendously afraid. No, that's an understatement. No words could describe my immense fear. I thought my death sentence was sealed. My family, friends, neighbors, everyone; everything, flashed through my mind.

My thoughts went to Jess last. I would miss her. Miss her so much. She had been so nice to me.

Jess, I thought, begging some sort of help message that can be sent from my brain to hers. Help me.

And that was all it took. Jess was right there. She stood between me and her mother.

"Jessica!" her mother shrieked due to her hunger and annoyance. "Get out of the way!"

"Oh, I will. But first, get out of my house," Jess said coolly.

Amelie growled at her fiercely.

Jess flashed out her fangs as well and stalked her mother.

I could see the fear in Amelie's eyes and she said. "I am not afraid of you, Jessica."

Jess grinned. A kind of wicked grin. "Oh you're not, are you?" she hissed. "Of course not. However, I know my mother very well. She's being sarcastic right now."

Amelie faked right and went left. Jess didn't react that quickly this time.

Amelie pushed me down onto the ground and her face was close to mine. Her fangs pushing against my throat.

"Mum. MUM!" Jess was yelling. "GET OFF CONRAD!"

Amelie laughed wickedly. "I'm not letting my meal go."

"Mum," Jess hissed. "Don't make me do that."

Amelie ignored her. She was just about to bite me when Jess threw her off me and into the wall.

"Con, Con, are you alright?" she whispered anxiously.

I nodded my head weakly, but I was still shuddering. It was a near-death experience. Jess was so concerned about me, making my heart tingle and I assured her the best I could that I was fine. She looked towards her mother again.

"Stay here," Jess whispered. "Right here. Don't move."

I obeyed. I trusted Jess. I knew she wouldn't let me die.

But as soon as Jess was out of sight, Amelie moved towards me.

I can see that my daughter abandoned you and left you to fend for yourself. What a good daughter she is to me. She is so filial to me. She left you here alone. For me to have you."

I couldn't reply. I sort of believed her. Why else would Jess be gone? Now, when I need her most?

At that moment, Jess came back and tossed a bottle to Amelie. Amelie caught it and guzzled it down. Then she looked curiously at me. "Why am I here?"

"To kill me," I said, trembling at the experience.

Jess had left to get more bottles of blood for her mother.

"Ah, yes, thanks for reminding me," Amelie's eyes were filled with hunger again. She pushed me down and pressed her fangs to my throat...

Pain rushed through my veins, screaming in my brain. It hurt, hurt so much, but what could I do?

There was no one to save me. No one left. Remembering how I had called Jess, I thought of her name. But she didn't arrive. The seconds tick by. Amelie dug her fangs deeper into my neck. I could feel warm and sticky blood on my neck. My blood. She sucked up my blood. I felt faint as I heard her draining me. There was nothing I could do.

'Fight!' my brain urged. 'Fight Amelie.'

But I was too weak to fight. My eyelids seemed too heavy. And I was alone. I breathed my last breath.

"Goodbye," I whispered. "Goodbye."

Amelie was still drinking my blood. My eyes closed and I left my body.

Or at least I thought so. I opened my eyes soon after. Jess was kneeling anxiously beside me while I was sprawled on a mattress.

"What happened?" I asked and my voice came out scratchy.

"You won't like what I am about to tell you," Jess murmured. "I bit you. I made you a 'special' vampire, like me. Did I tell you? We'll stop growing at twenty."

"So I am a vampire?" I couldn't wrap my head around that. I have never imagined that I would ever become vampire, least a ‘special’ one. In fact, I have never believed vampires are real until I was brought here.

Jess nodded. Her expression was... anxious. "I... I had to. Or else you would have died. Only disadvantage is that you cannot return to Earth. I couldn't let you die..."

"Thanks anyway," I said fervently. "I'm grateful to you. I owe you with the rest of my... existence."

"Thirsty?" Jess asked, changing the subject.

I nodded. My throat was parched now that she pointed it out.

"Come on, let's hunt," Jess smiled.

She took my hand and we headed into the forest. We hunted deers, cows, and a few lions until we were full. It was kind of fun actually. And sure was easy. It was instinctive.

"Let me guess. You are hungry," Jess guessed. “You need to fill your human side.”

"Yeah," I replied, grinning at her, and at the same time, marveling at her perfect figure.

Jess took me back to her house and got me a bagel. It was the best I ever tasted.

"It's good," I praised her.

She blushed. "Uh... thanks."

A thought struck me.

"Does Amelie know about... me?"

Jess grimaced a little. "Yeah, maybe, I don't really want to talk about it. I don't like her. I hate her worse, now that she has done something to you."

My heart thudded harder when I heard that. I decided to test her.

"What do I mean to you? Why do you care about me?" I asked, carefully choosing my words. I did not look at her, instead, looked down at the white polished plate where the bagel once was, before it was hungrily gobbled down by me.

"From the moment I saw you," she said thoughtfully. "I knew that I had fallen in love with you. I love you."

My heart warmed with a curious feeling when I heard that. My mouth started to form the words I hadn’t dared to say before. "I love you too."

"Good. We can live together," Jess smiled.

I smiled back at her. "Yes."

Jess leaned closer to me so that our faces touched. I moved an inch forward and pressed my lips against hers. She tasted of lilacs and me. I groaned in contentment. Never mind I was stalked by some crazy vampire, never mind I would never be able to return to earth. It felt right. Just to be together.

THE END

Word count: 3,106