Chapter 17: Chapter 17

PRESENT

CHAPTER 11: HUMANLIKE

That was close, Gualtiero thought, running away from Diana and the waitress as fast and as far away as he could. He almost gave in to the bloodlust and fed on the waitress’ blood right there. It was stupid of him to agree on going to a café packed with people. He knew Diana couldn’t ever know about his true nature. It would scare her away. It should scare her away. He thought about the lie Anastasia told her about him having a girlfriend. Why would a familiar lie about the vampire she should be protecting?

An idea got stuck on his head all night. Something humans do that maybe he could do too. He took out his phone from his pocket and stared at its wallpaper. It was a photograph of someone underwater while scuba diving. It looks as if the photograph was taken by a professional. The image captured all the good angles of the scenery and he found it soothing and beautiful to look at. He had an idea in mind that was definitely more soothing and beautiful and maybe he would get to it soon. First, he realized, he needed to learn how to navigate his phone.

The encounter with Diana left him busy with his thoughts. It was really not a coincidence he was at the library at the same time she was. He had been following her since sundown hoping she would talk to him again after she seemed disappointed about his reaction over their near kiss. It turned out she theorized wrong about why he did not want it to happen. Maybe he should have just gone with it. Perhaps it was better that way. Maybe it was better she thought he had a girlfriend so it would be easier to be close yet so far away from her to keep her safe. He still hadn’t found the vampire who murdered Roman. Whoever it was is still out there and Gualtiero was certain Roman wouldn’t be their last kill.

Diana having Romanian roots also completely surprised him even when he didn’t say anything about it before. He grew more curious upon knowing she had a diary that once belonged to someone named Iosif Michea. He recognized that name. This automatically made him curious to read the diary. Although he knew it could be just a freaky coincidence. Iosif Michea is such a common Romanian name anyway.

Even so, he couldn’t shake the feeling that his attraction with Diana Aguero ran deeper than he would have imagined. Maybe she wasn’t so innocent after all. Maybe he shouldn’t have told her his real name and where he came from.

He hated overthinking things. He was used to having a very mundane existence until Diana came along. He touched his face and remembered the feel of Diana’s soft lips on his skin. He smiled at the memory. Of course, she is an innocent, sweet human he imagined her to be. He doesn’t have to stalk her or steal the diary for him to trust her. And even if it turns out to be the worst decision he would ever make in his life, he is willing to face the consequences.

“Hey,” he typed a text message and sent to Diana. He waited a few minutes but did not get a response. Perhaps ‘hey’ was very much unlike him and it made Diana cringe. He laughed at himself imagining Diana making fun of his word choices, but he could tell she liked that about him. He thought about calling her to make up an excuse on why he disappeared so fast from the café but he realized he didn’t really have a good excuse. Besides, it would save him from embarrassing himself if this phone call wouldn’t materialize.

He sighed. It was way past sundown and he should be feeding on animals already so he decided to walk into the abandoned area around where he lived. More accurately, where he compelled the poor old lady to transfer the ownership of the property to him.

He enjoys the walk while he hunts for his next prey. Sometimes he comes across humans but he has learned over time to avoid them. It always shortened his stay in a particular place if he made that mistake of feeding on humans, because he cannot stop himself from totally draining his victim’s blood. Whenever he leaves an evidence of his victim, vampire hunters suddenly start showing up to hunt him and others down. He thought about the Malkavians whom he once lived and traveled with. He felt a pang of sadness as their horrible deaths crossed his mind. If he wouldn’t be careful in hiding his true nature, it might be him dead next. He had since then learned to live in solitude with very minimal human interactions.

He saw a stray dog by the sidewalk and was eyeing it to be his next prey when he heard raucous laughter approaching where he was standing at. Drunk humans probably. He could smell alcohol on them so strongly even from a mile away.

“Look who we got here! Hello, there, Walter,” the drunk human said. It was Oliver. His body kept swaying as he struggled to enunciate his words better. “I know your secret. Do you think I am stupid? I know it’s you. You murdered Roman,” he accused.

“You stink,” Gualtiero said matter-of-factly, pointing out that Oliver smelled very strongly of alcohol.

The two guys Oliver was with laughed so hard at what he said.

“No, I don’t. I know what you are. You stink,” Oliver sniggered. The other guys laughed even harder at that.

Gualtiero was taken aback. How did they find out his secret?

He continued walking ignoring Oliver and his friends, but Oliver didn’t stop there.

“You’re a monster, Walter. Your good looks won’t save your black soul,” he added. “You really think Diana would ever like you? You suck.”

At the mention of Diana surely not liking him, he felt an uncontrollable rage and attacked Oliver right away. Oliver’s friends were too stunned to do anything.

“Yes, Oliver, I suck,” Gualtiero murmured and sunk his teeth deep into Oliver’s neck. Oliver couldn’t even scream as his blood was being sucked out of him. He didn’t know about Gualtiero being a vampire. He thought Gualtiero might be a serial killer, but what was happening to him at the moment was even worse than that possibility. It was horrible and unbelievable. What was Gualtiero doing? How did he get those fangs? Oliver thought maybe it was the alcohol making him hallucinate something bordering on insanity.

“Gualtiero, stop!” Anastasia’s voice made Gualtiero jump. Oliver’s friends tried to run away upon coming to their senses and realizing what was happening, but Gualtiero chased them down.

“Let them go, Gualtiero, let them go!” Anastasia pleaded. She couldn’t control her emotions anymore as she started sobbing. “You’re not a monster. Please, let them go.”

Gualtiero looked at the two guys straight in the eyes and whispered. “You would forget seeing me here. You would both go home and won’t remember this ever happening.”

“We did not see you. We would go home now. This didn’t happen,” the two chanted robotically in unison as if being under a dark spell. Then they left, walking away from the scene in autopilot mode.

“Oh my God, what were you thinking?” Anastasia confronted. She checked for Oliver’s pulse. He was still alive, but barely.

“He knows what I am,” Gualtiero explained.

“You could have compelled him to forget. What is going on with you? Do you know why familiars serve vampires? It is because we believe you deserve to exist in this world, that you are not monsters like the vampire hunters think you are.”

“Do you really think Diana would ever like you? That was what he said, word for word,” Gualtiero said, feeling the rage creeping back in after it momentarily subsided.

“Of course, Diana likes you. Everyone likes you. He’s just jealous. Come on, let’s take him to the hospital. You cannot be a killer. If you are going to kill someone, Diana would really stop liking you.”

At that, Gualtiero carried Oliver’s body hastily as if he was carrying a sack of vegetables. “I reckon you make sense,” he said. “I could take him to hospital myself but I assume you would want me to use a motor vehicle instead? To be humanlike?”

There was sarcasm in his voice that annoyed Anastasia. Gualtiero was definitely a difficult guy to handle. No wonder he had no friends.

“No, take him to the hospital and compel the doctor to give him utmost priority. I don’t really care how you do it. But you have to fix this. What you did was very un-humanlike,” she answered. “I will drive to the hospital later to check on him. Go now!”

Gualtiero disappeared so quickly from Anastasia’s sight a few seconds later.

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An hour later, Anastasia arrived at the hospital. Oliver was already being treated for what they suspected as possible animal attack which the doctor said he was lucky to have miraculously survived from.

Gualtiero was slumped on his seat looking so engrossed with his phone when she walked in.

“Hey,” Anastasia called his attention. He looked up and her heart warmed. She liked it very much when his eyes look at her like that. The most beautiful pair of eyes on earth. His gaze chilled her to the bones. “Um…” she stuttered, momentarily forgetting what she was going to say, enchanted by how handsome Gualtiero was. “I mean, thank you for listening to me,” she finally said.

“Why did you lie? About me being spoken for? You told Diana I am spoken for,” he asked.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I just… I just didn’t want her to notice about you being a vampire. Wait, did she tell you that?”

“Yes, I saw her at the library. She thought I was spoken for. Why do you deliberately want to upset her? Can’t you protect my secret without upsetting Diana? She is your friend.”

“I already said I’m sorry. Just say you broke up, whatever. You’re texting her anyway,” Anastasia said sounding bitter. She wondered how Diana figured out Gualtiero was blocked from her phone and not really ignoring her texts.

“I sent her a few messages. She has not sent me any message yet,” he explained. Anastasia breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe Diana would eventually just lose interest in Gualtiero. She blocked Gualtiero sneakily from Diana’s phone and it seemed like both of them hadn’t figured it out. It was really a snap decision she made out of jealousy. She felt embarrassed thinking about it now.

“Do you think I should tell Diana what I am? Maybe she would not hate me. She is not a cat, yet I see her caring so deeply for a cat. Maybe she can… care for a vampire, too? I like being honest with her. Aside from my familiars, I haven’t really spoken with many humans. Having all these thoughts in my head can sometimes get so overwhelming. Diana listens to me. She is very interested in everything I have to say,” Gualtiero went on.

“I am very interested in everything you have to say,” Anastasia quipped. “And to answer your question, no, I don’t think you should tell her. It’s very risky. Being a vampire is very different from being a harmless cat.”

The doctor came to the room interrupting their conversation.

“You’re friends of the patient, Mr. Oliver Maxwell?”

“Yes,” Anastasia answered abruptly knowing Gualtiero might say no. He really wasn’t very good in hiding what he truly felt.

“Mr. Maxwell suffered lacerations to his neck. Whatever animal attacked him had bitten him so hard the teeth cut through his artery. But there is nothing to worry about. We will provide him the necessary care until he fully recovers.”

“Thank you, Doctor,” Anastasia said, relieved. “I already texted his girlfriend to tell his parents what happened. They are on their way.” The doctor nodded.

On the way to Anastasia’s car, Gualtiero was deep in thought before he finally spoke: “Is every human such a good liar like you?”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Anastasia asked back, clearly offended.

“You are very skilled at lying, Anastasia. You lied to the doctor. Oliver is not my friend.”

“Well, he is my friend,” Anastasia reiterated. “And yes, lying is very humanlike. I’m not saying it’s a good thing, just that it’s very humanlike. Anyway, I could tell you were going to tell the doctor he isn’t your friend. You’re annoying sometimes but you’re cute.”

“Cute?” he repeatedly incredulously.

“Like I said, humans lie. It is very humanlike,” Anastasia joked, rolling her eyes. “Anyway, I have a surprise for you, cheesy Gualtiero.”

“What is it?” he asked.

She opened her bag in excitement and handed him three blood bags. “I bought it from the hospital. For you.” Gualtiero took it from her excitedly and smiled. The smell of blood intoxicated him. She smiled back at him and felt as if something was tugging her heartstrings.

They finally reached her car at the parking lot. “I can give you a ride home in my motor vehicle if you want,” she told him, amused.

“I would have to decline your invitation, Anastasia. But, thank you, for the food. You are cute, too.”

Anastasia’s heart raced. Did Gualtiero really say she was cute?

“Really?” Anastasia said, feeling so lame, judging her own reaction or lack thereof.

“No, not really. How could you think I was being truthful? I was just practicing how to lie and be very humanlike.”

With a smirk, Gualtiero left Anastasia alone with her thoughts.

What a jerk, she thought angrily. That was very humanlike.