I knock the door. Gabi opens it with her eyes closed.
«Come in, Kitty. I'll take you a pajama.» She staggers back in the home and I follow her, trying not to collide with her that walks slower than the hamster in her brain now.
«It's morning.» I remember her.
«Yea, whatever.»
I sit at her long wooden table, the glass top making it fancy to reflect its owner.
«I need to talk to you.» I say, my headache bumps in sharp twinges of pain as I think at what happened just an hour ago. Since I left Mikael I've been out of my mind, dominated by the fear. I got lost in the city I lived for twenty years and when I found Gabi's house and my lucidity a terrible headache stole my consciousness again. Luckily now I'm safe. It's not so important if I'm not, I just wanna feel at home enough time to calm down.
After some minutes, Gabi throw me an aspirin and I accept it, ignoring my brain screaming it's better to take medicine only if it's necessary.
«Ok. Let me drink a coffee, maybe I'll start to understand some of your words in the next few hours.» Gabi takes a big mug and another sharp twinge of pain bursts in my head as I see the writing "Las Vegas" on it. «So, what's the matter?»
«Do you remember Mikael, the guy I met on our stupid holiday in Las Vegas?»
«Don't tell me you're still thinking about him, he probably forgot you already.»
«It would be great, but I don't think so. He's here, in Flint.»
She spits the coffee. «What the...?!»
«He also entered my home. My bedroom and my bathroom, to be clear.»
«And you didn't call me?»
«We discussed.» I rage to shut her for a second. Obviously it doesn't work, she can't help it, talking it's her art and you can't stop an artist making his art.
«Oh shit. You have to hide? I can keep you here for some days.»
«Well, I don't wanna hide, but I have to make him go far away from Flint, from me.»
«Ok.» She says with nonchalance. But I know she wants to know more and I know I need to talk about Mikael with someone I trust.
«He's... special.» I state, confused.
«Be more specific.»
«He's...» Come on, I can do this. She's my best friend, she won't send me to a psychiatric hospital. She'll call me crazy, fake we don't know each other from the elementary school when we're out, but she'll stay my crazy bestie, always ready to love me and help me, crying with me and raising me up when I fall, and sometimes laugh at me to make me stronger. «He's stronger than an average human. Don't ask me why I'm sure of it.» I hold the tears when the dead John pops up in my mind. Gabi should have noticed my pain, 'cause she doesn't comment. «He acts like the devil, punishing bad people, but he's worse than his victims. He's not just a rich nobleman, he's a king, a monster, and he has power over many people. Before we left Las Vegas, he gave me a ring, a present that turned out to be a trap, a means to control me.»373Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs84wduGVzO
«You know what's sure? He fucked up your mind.» Her eyes run on me, curling up her upper lip. She looks like she's watching an alien that she doesn't like.
«I know it's hard to believe. Please, just listen to me and try to convince yourself I'm telling you something totally normal.»
«Oh, no, I don't need it. My whole life is crazy as fuck, I don't mind listening to your shits out of this world.» She shrugs, leaning on the table with her damn mug from Las Vegas. Her expression changes fast from weirded out to bored.
I take a sigh of relief, or anxiety, I'm not sure. «He asked me to accept his nature. I believe his nature is his mysteries, his aggressive behavior and his violent vision of love that I still can't understand. I think I can't bear it anyway, as I can't stand to be controlled by the ring he gave me. I'm not myself when I wear it.»
«Is the ring a metaphor of something?»
«No!» I throw the ring on the table, exasperated. Gabi examinates it carefully with her perfect porcelain-like hands. «With this ring he bound me to his world and him, but... I feel something for him also without it.» I admit, running a hand through my hair, looking down at the table.
«Sure you do! This wonderful ring is an excuse to deny you love him and his nature is bullshit to force you to accept he's an asshole and he can do whatever he wants. Wake up! Stop hiding your fears and face the truth. Tell him you deserve a better man and you'll find it if he doesn't stop being rude and violent, if he's really attracted by you he will change.»
«But...»
«And don't blame a ring for you being in love with...» She looks at the rooftop, her mouth open.
I puff. «Mikael!»
«Yea, him.» She states, hand on hip.
I gesticulate nervously, trying to find the words. «I don't want him to be someone else to please me. I don't even want to love a monster.»
«Girl, be clear. What do you want: love him or leave him?»
Love him, it seems he came out from an X movie! Leave him before he decides you'll be the next victim. What if you broke is black heart and he takes his revenge? My heart craves for his love and my mind begs me to run away from him.373Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiDVJLWMo20
«I don't know.» I say hanging my head, hands in hair.
«Ok, break your thoughts down. Why do you love him and why do you hate him?»
This is the hardest question you could ever do, thanks Gabi. I give her a smile that reflects the words in my head and she rolls her eyes. «He's bad and it makes me feel good. I'm the only one he pays attention to and be nice with, he makes me feel a queen, his queen. But he also hurt me and this makes me hate him, until I see the pleasure in his eyes. The joy he finds in pain scares me, but his happiness is mine and if my tears can make him smile...»373Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKBKDldqeKz
«Don't dare to end this sentence.» She hushes me moving a finger in the air. «This isn't love. A sane human feels happy when he sees his partner smiling, not crying.»
«Yea, a human. He's something else and he's amazing if you can catch the light in the darkness. I kissed him in Las Vegas, if someone was asleep the energy created by the union of our lips woken everyone, 'cause everyone should have felt that.» I do my best to ignore Gabi yawning. «His black tear burned my hand, but I could only feel the colored fireworks in my stomach closing my eyes and keep kissing him.» I get out of my dreams and I shrug, stealing a sip of Gabi's coffee. «I felt so good I can't bear my stupid life anymore. Now I know what I could have and it's thanks to him. If I will have it, it's because he wants me to have it, he's the only one he can give it to me.»
«You talk like a total virgin.»
«I kissed some guys, but I never felt what his lips gave me that night in my whole life.»
«Ok, I think I have a solution. Since I don't consider his stupid behavior a big problem and I don't believe in black tears and super strong humans, I think you have to introduce him to me so I'll give you a sincere opinion.»
I nod.
«What time is it?»
I check the clock. «It's...»
«It's time for shopping!» She shakes her fists with a big grin. Before I can realize what's happening, she takes me by the arm and she pulls me out of home as I try to keep the balance.
«Muah!» She sends me a kiss and I roll my eyes, watching the short dress as his paillettes scratch my skin.
«Why do you want me to wear a cocktail dress? I already told you he won't care about the outfit, he doesn't seem to care about what I am, do, wear or think at all. He just wants me to love him, it's all about him now.»
«Shut up and turn, I want to see if your back is exposed enough.» I obey, rolling my eyes as soon as she can't see them anymore. Then I see Royce.
«Oh my god.» I whisper.
«What?» I hear Gabi's breath on my neck as she looks over my shoulder. «Jesus Christ, is it Royce?» She's not afraid of him as me, it takes me some minutes to understand what she sees. Mikael left some big marks on his body.
Suddenly our eyes meet and widened. I take a step back, treading on Gabi's feet and falling on her. I feel the paillettes trying to cut my skin, but I can't move. Royce keeps watching me as the cashier hand him his bags. When he has them all, he runs at the exit, but the automatic glass door doesn't open in time and he shatters it, throwing himself out the shop. Everyone hurry to see what happened, but before they can reach him he stands up and runs away. A wide smile slowly opens on my face.
«What the fuck?» Gabi swears, pushing me off of her.
«Yesterday Mikael beat his ass. That's why we discussed.»
Gabi gives me a disgusted and shocked look. «Everytime you say something about Mikael I feel more on his side. He became your knight and you got angry? Anyway, you'll need a better dress to make him forget you. Come.» She takes my hand, but I stay on the cold floor, hypnotized by the ice blue dress right in front of me, on a stylish dummy. «Don't tell me you like that. You can't walk in Flint wearing a Disney princess dress.»
I sprint to it with my hands straight forward. The sleeves, tight on the arm and large and decorated at the end, are lighter and thinner as the shirt under the shining blue bodice on it. The cloak is made of the sleeves sophisticated material, so long it touches the floor, forming a kite shape with his point, like the end of the sleeves. The skirt is long to the ankles and it's lighter than the bodice and darker than the cloak. I hug the majestic dummy.
«Do you like it, ma'am?» I turn to the assistant and I nod smiling so hard my fat cheeks hurt and almost force my eyes to close. «Good. It's 1.500.000$.» She says with a smile.
«It's not the right dress, sorry miss shop assistant. Come on Cat, let's move on.» Gabi gives me a move your ass or I'll kill you smile. I would obey, but I'm too fascinated by this dress, my brain is off.373Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7qsR2bUSbK
«I want it, Gabriela.» I turn to my dream and caress the cloth. How can an elegant shining dress be so soft and comfortable?
«No, you don't!» She snarls.
«Yes, she does.» I don't recognize the voice immediately, but as I feel inferior to the speaker I realize who just defended me.
«Diana.» I whisper, turning to her superior gaze.
«Katrina. It's nice to see you.» She says, paying the dress.
None of the three of us speak a word until we're out of the shop. Gabi can't resist to mind other people's businesses. «Can you at least introduce yourself?»
Diana's body is always tensed as she tries to move in elegant, not so natural ways, so I can't really understand if she's pissed of. «I'm Diana Strain, Mr. Blake's... assistant.» She finds it hard to say the last word, a little bit of anger slips out of her perfect, red matte mouth. Her lipstick's color is darker than mine, it's enough to make me feel a joker kid compared with her. I hung my head. «I found out you want to meet Mikael. He's disposed to dine with you this evening.»
Gabi nods with enthusiasm, but I hesitate and two joyful eyes and two superior ones move on me.
«I'm sorry, I can't. I'm not ready, I still need time.»
Gabi opens her mouth, but Diana talks first. «It's ok, take your time.»
Gabi grits her teeth, but she holds the insults popping in her mind probably to prove she can be elegant too. She can't be polite for other reasons.
We walk home, Diana carries the shopping bag like a personal shopper without enthusiasm. No one talks until Diana leaves the bag on the table at home and walks away without a word, then Gabi starts bubbling about the bitch that found the dining room to put the bag on it with impossible ease, like she already saw her home a thousand times.373Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR2nCbiobBo
I missed spending some time with my bestie. Our pajama party has been a success: we watched a horror movie and she laughed at me while I screamed, hiding behind the pillow with which I beat her later, until tiredness won over us.
I would like to sleep all morning, but when Gabi sprayed whipped cream in my open mouth I understood we would have to go to the history course.
My classmates already put the music on, like the din of the students chatting loud in the corridor isn't enough to set my head on fire. My face contorts in pain.
«The teacher is absent!» A girl screams at the door, jumping like a child.
The students go crazy, but a deep, severe voice hushes them. «Good morning. I'm your history supply.»
Everyone sits down and the chatting gets little to silence. The pain slowly fades away as the voices give way to the sound of papers.
«He's the sexiest man I've ever seen.» Gabi whispers in my hear, shaking my arm. «Do you think he's in his forty? I would say he's between twenty and forty years old, this guy has no age!»
«Do you have the history book? I have it at my parents' home.»
«I have never seen a lighter shade of eye color than his. They are so light I can see they are grey from the last desk, they're wicked, inhuman.»
I raise my head instantly and I see him, his hungry eyes on me.
«I would definitely spend the day in a dirty bathroom with him.»
«Gabi.» I put my trembling hand on her arm.
«There's something intimidating in him. Anyway, whoever refuses him just because he's dominant is a fucking idiot.»
«Gabi!» I whisper a little bit louder.
«What?!» She covers her mouth when she realized she talked too loud.
«He's Mikael.» I whimper, observing her eyes widening.
«Today we'll study vampires. What they are, what they do, where they live, how they are born. If they are magical creatures of a better version of humans, if they are bad or good.» Mikael walks among the sixty eyes on him, his steps slow but determined, waving a piece of chalk.
«We're here to study history, not fantasy stories.» A guy says, making my heart jump in my chest. Luckily Mikael doesn't even turn to him, but that doesn't calm me down a bit.
«Maybe some of you already know what a vampire is.» He looks around, forcing everyone to look down with his intimidating air, then he reaches me. «Katrina Dobra, please, stand up and tell your friends what is a vampire.»
Gabi looks at me wide-eyed. I'm not sure what's rolling in my mind, but when I can't understand it there's nothing or too many things. She can't help me now, I have to deal with Mikael by myself.
I stand up and I start. «Vampires are fictional beings.»
Mikael scowls at me, curling his upper lip in an expression of disgust mixed with anger. He looks at my finger, free from his blood ring. You can't control me anymore, monster.373Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMUOFcZFm2Q
Get ready for a verbal fight on vampires! And, since there's Mikael, the fight can't stay verbal for long.373Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR0rVTo2FOJ
You: I'm bored! You promised me to be dragged in Mikael's hell, but you're just writing about him destroying Katrina's world.373Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡylo2SPV30b
Me: Two chapters to enter Mikael's world. Around five chapters to fall in the hellfire. You're warned: what you're reading now is nothing compared to Mikael's brutality of his vampire personality. There will be also psychological violence.373Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfMpoOuNC3v
