AT NIGHT....
At 8pm, the sharp sounds of different kitchen utensils clanging against one another could be heard as a delicious aroma lingered in the air.
"Jolene, jolene, jolene, jolene...am begging of you please don't take my man!" Riley sang aloud as she stirred the pasta which was on fire, scooping a little potion, she dabbed a drop onto her palm and tasted it.
She frowned,
"F*ck! I totally forgot to get salt on my way back, this pasta is tasteless! Hazel?!" Riley called out.
"What? Is there a problem?" Hazel walked in as she answered, softly. She wore a pink baggy pajama and a grey colored hoodie, her black shiny and smooth hair which she had let loose cascaded from her shoulder down to her waist length.
Her hazel green eyes were pure, bright and had some hint of innocence in them as she pushed her glasses up to the bridge of her nose.
"Yeah I forgot to get the salt from the grocery store, could you help me get any from the nearby store? Please my sweet nerdy–
"I was reading though, we have exams next week but what are friends for..? " Hazel cuts Riley off, softly and chuckled.
Riley pouted her lips and took out her card as she gave it to hazel.
"Thanks Hazel, don't go too far, it's about to rain and don't forget to take the umbrella with you" Riley uttered like a mother looking out for her child.
Hazel nodded and quickly strode off, she had met Riley when she was in velmoria, they were both living with their parents but things
changed when her dad killed her mom and tried to kill her too but she ran away, since then the cops weren't able to trace him, they
said that he might be dead or maybe he's gone into hiding. They were such a perfect family so she didn't know what triggered him to do so.
At that time Riley was still with her parents, Riley had told her that she would be leaving velmoria and will be traveling to Nighthollow due to her new job which she got. When
Riley heard what had happened to her, she felt for her and decided to bring her along to Nighthollow which was a weird town due to the name but was a free and peaceful town.
She had worked hard and still enrolled herself in college too which wasn't easy but she was glad that her best friend was there to support and assist her with the little she had.
Hazel sighed as she forced herself not to think about what had happened to her once happy and peaceful family.
She took the umbrella and stepped out of the gate but didn't open it because it wasn't drizzling yet.
By the time she got to the nearby store, it had already been locked. She sighed, deciding to go further, she frowned seeing that the whole area was like a ghost town with not a single soul on sight, silent and still.
When she turned around, she saw that she'd wandered too far, every store stood closed, shutters down as though a silent order had sent everyone home.
A shiver ran down her spine when the cold, biting wind hit her face hard making her to grip the umbrella tight. She decided to head back but a shrill and painful cry which came from a certain direction caught her attention.
Thinking that maybe he or she was calling out for help, she decided to go and see if she could help the person.
Meanwhile, somewhere in a dark corner...
A man leaned lazily on a car, as he took a long drag from the cigar stick then puffed out smoke. He wore a white shirt leaving the top three buttons undone, his bare and tattooed chest was on full display.
Strands of his inky black hair tumbled to the side, partly veiling his face as his dark black eyes remained fixed at the man on the floor which was begging for his life.
"No! I did steal the goods and was planning to run away with them the next day but someone tricked me, stole them and ran off instead!" The man cried out, fearfully.
A hard punch slammed into his cheek, sending him rolling across the floor as he spat out blood. His face was already badly bruised.
"Such audacity! Who was it?" Kael asked, coldly. Kael is one of Vladimir's men, his voice sent a cold chill down the man's spine but he
couldn't compare Kael's voice with the man who leaned lazily on the car as though the matter didn't concern him, who doesn't know Vladimir Vaelmont? He's the devil himself!
Vladimir's other two men who stood beside him stared coldly at the man on the floor as though he was a trash while one of them chuckled sarcastically.
Fear gripped him as he begged for his life, watching Vladimir stride towards him with deadly purpose.
Vladimir gripped the collar of the man's shirt and pulled him up lazily.
"I hate it when people with zero sense try to outsmart me, anyway I'll forgive and forget everything. Run now before I change my mind" Vladimir muttered, lazily.
The man nodded, vigorously and dashed towards the exit, running for his life.
Suddenly, like a flash, Vladimir appeared before him, gripping his head tight. His eyes burned red as his fangs slid into view, his fangs sank deep into the man's neck, roughly.
"AAAHHHH!!!" The man let out a shrill and painful cry.
Vladimir's grip tightened and with a brutal motion, he tore the man's head from his body.
The head hit the ground with a dull thud, moments before the man's lifeless body crumpled and rolled beside it.
"So quick, thought you would allow him to go further a little" Cassian muttered, lazily and shook his head.
"He deserved it anyway, thinking that he could do such and run away freely, tsk tsk " Ezren retorted, nonchalantly.
Kael took out a handkerchief and handed it over to Vladimir, he took it and wiped his hands lazily then ran his tongue across his lips which was wet with blood.
He caught the fast beating sound of a heart nearby and his head snapped sharply in it's direction.
From a distance, Hazel watched in horror as the dangerous looking man ripped the man's head from his body with terrifying ease. Fear rooted her to the spot.
Something deep inside of her told her to run which made her to stagger backwards but her gaze still lingered on the scene.
She flinched when the man stared at her direction, his dark red eyes gleaming in the dark. Hazel's breath got caught in her throat.
He had seen her!
She took to her heels immediately.
"Should I go after..."
Kael was saying but paused when he saw that Vladimir had already gone after the poor bunny.
Meanwhile, in the pitch black night, thunder roared as heavy rain began to pour. Hazel ran breathlessly and didn't know when her head
hit a wall...no it wasn't a wall....it was a man's chest, the dangerous looking man who had ripped off that man's head.
How did he....how did he get here so fast..?
Hazel gasped as she fell on the wet ground, tears began to roll down her cheek together with the rain which poured down on her.
He bent and touched her cheek, slowly. He pushed some strands of her wet hair behind her ears.
Hazel trembled fearfully as she sobbed,
"I...I swear I saw nothing...I didn't see anything...I didn't see the way you ripped off that man's head from his body I..." Hazel uttered in a rush and suddenly paused when she realized what she had just said.
"Please–please don't kill me ..! I won't say a word to anyone ... please!" Hazel cried out fearfully.
Vladimir let out a bone chilling laughter which filled the air but suddenly died down. He stared coldly at the little bunny which was crying and shivering at the same time.
He gripped her chin and made her to stare at him as he stared straight into her hazel green eyes through her glasses.
"Forget everything you saw...you saw nothing hmm?" Vladimir muttered, coldly and Hazel's pupils dilated.
Her Hazel green eyes became dull, she lowered her gaze and nodded, slowly. She stared at the ground, lost in thought.
She slowly raised her head, only to catch a glimpse of a man's retreating back as he disappeared into the darkness....