In a World of their Own

I never had a single heart for a piece of meat before. My desire would always be for my stomach alone; and that is to gratify my hunger for blood and soul. But there’s a strange anomaly happened within my existence after that night that I’d seen you---not as a living food, but as an object of affection.

I could still recall that historic night when you suddenly flitted by my sight. You tried to chase some fireflies hovering into the dark groves, and from that -- you lost your way back. You look as if you’re confused, yet when the chills started to scuttle in your crust, you began to realize that it was a complete horror.

Everything was covered with bursting darkness, and the steam of the midnight was gathered around the groves. The eerie sounds created by the twigs of the trees harmonizing with the sturdy wind made you so disturbed. Every move and step you made were very uncertain, while daunting images seemed to squirm inside your head. Then suddenly, you heard something ringing in your ears---what was it? You asked yourself aloud. Then the echoes bounced back and answered you, “What was it?”

You tried to ignore the fear and keep walking, but your legs gave way. You fell down on your hands and knees, and then you shut your eyes to slacken off your fear. And while you were trying to calm yourself, you suddenly opened your eyes and looked up. Then you saw the great line of flashing stars enhanced by the impressive endless darkness of the sky. Your astonishment gradually dwindle your fear, and eventually I saw your face at ease. You didn’t even perceived me; hiding at those shaggy bushes, looking at you with my pair of rubicund eyes. Your presence troubled me, and the smell of your soul invites me to show up.

Until you had your move and it surprised me -- that’s why I showed up. You froze at the moment you saw me, and fear started to crawl on you again. You stared at me; pretending to think that I’m just a human like you. But with my enraged pair of red eyes and slobber mouth, I presumed you realized that I’m not.

You staggered upright and tried to make a dash heading at the most darkest part of the woods. I swiftly grabbed you with my hands, then I whispered at you and said” Don’t…don’t go there.”

You stopped, and I saw you swallowed convulsively. My hunger drives me crazy, but I tried not to slit you with my fangs -- Why? Was it my own imagination? I could not tell. Maybe it’s your eyes that resist me. They shined so bright that I lost my instinct to devour you. You remained motionless, while my eyes were riveted upon you. The unspeakable anxiety began to ran through my entire frame; a doubtful curiosity that invaded my empty soul. Then, I unconsciously pointed the river of stars with my finger and said, “...just follow the stars.”

That was the time you looked at me with relief, and you trusted me without second thought. You followed the path of the stars and came back to your place unharmed.

I knew I never had a single heart for a piece of meat before. My desire would always be for my stomach alone; and that is to gratify my hunger for blood and soul. But there’s a strange anomaly happened within my existence after that fateful night that I’d seen you. However, my evil nature speaks within my mind, “You’re a living dead hiding in arrears of darkness, hunting for a perfect prey to satisfy your taste”.

I thought that night would be the last; but surprisingly, you came back. Every other day after our first meeting, it became your routine to wander around the dark woods and talked as if you were talking straight in front of me. Of course, I used to think that you were crazy. You talked about everything happened to you throughout the day. You talked about your friends. You talked about your personal disputes. You even said about a certain guy you liked but hurt you and broke your heart. Before I knew it, I found myself paying attention to all your stories that I almost forgot about my hunger. I know I could just eat you and suck out your soul so freely---but I can’t. Maybe because I was so tempted to love you more than seeing you as a food, and through time, we slowly developed an unusual connection joined only by unforeseen thoughts we had within us.

Then one evening, you came and revealed yourself in the middle of the dark without any trace of fear in your expression. Determination was flawlessly set into your eyes despite of the shadows of terror soaring around you. I keep my eyes on you from a distance while you were busy setting up six black candles surrounding a red crystal stone. At long last, you took a deep breath, and then you spilled out the words which invite me to listen.

“I conjure thee O demon of this mystical forest, who ruled as king in this dominion. I conjure thee, O great demon of this forest that you forthwith appear with thy attendants. Here before me in this crystal stone, in fair and comely shape to do my will in all things that I shall desire of you…”

Right after you recited the incantation, you took out a knife hidden in your red cloak and made a small cut on your hand to let off your blood to drop into the ground. You paused for moment with your hand bleeding…breathing in silence. After a while, the wind began to blow impulsively and suddenly shifts directions. The smell of your metallic blood mixed up with the cold air was very sensual that it stirred up my demonic plasma.

And from the shade of darkness, I exposed myself.

There was a gentle spark in your eyes the moment you saw me standing before you. We stood there in silence for a few moments, and then you flashed an awkward, dimpled smile and said, “Hello.”

I reached over you and lifted your chin so that my eyes would be able to look closer into yours. Then I asked you, “Why did you call me?”

Time bled slowly away as the minutes passed. Then finally, you smiled at me and answered, “I…was so desperate to see you.”

I swallowed hard and tried to regain my composure. You looked at me with your pair of gray eyes, and with no warning—I fell on it. However, I took the path of an implacable heart as part of the usual ethics and asked you, “You couldn’t just summon a demon without an exchange. Do you recognize the consequence?”

“Yes,” you answered straight, “Since I will be no longer visiting here, the last thing that I could desire for is to see you---the demon who helped me a long time ago.”

Your expression was both sad and happy. You were truly grateful and delighted that you had finally seen me, and utterly hurt because you know it would be the last. You’re really felt hurt that you couldn’t even tell me what you had inside your heart.

So in the end, only the silence remains.

“It is not in my very nature to feel this way.” I said while you were gazing at me with your emerald eyes bristled with tears. “But…if I don’t reward you for your efforts, then what kind of demon would that make me?”

“H—huh?”

And while you were in the middle of your astonish and before you realized it, you found my lips against yours. My tongue slipped into your mouth and gently grazed mine before you pulled back. After that kiss, you distant yourself and looked at me, hardly believing that you let yourself be kissed by a demon, and that we felt the same thing. We wanted more, but that’s where we had to draw the line. A demon and a human can’t be together. Love has no place for two beings of different worlds.

“I guess…this is goodbye.”

You took one step backward, and then you turned around. As you walked out from the shade of darkness, you heard me whispered and said to you, “Thank you.” Then you suddenly turned to me for one last time as fresh tears ran down from your face. But right before you could see me, I vanished into thin air.

After that, you smiled. You looked above the sky while your face was bloomed with joy as you went. “Thank you,” you said.