Darkness enveloped the room, making Dilly strain her eyes restlessly. The air was hot and cold at the same time, she could hear faint whispers.

She struggled to push her way through the darkness until she fell upon what seemed like a very huge tree.

She recognized this place , she was in the woods again and not in a room like she had thought.

"But why is it so dark?" She murmured under her breath.

Straining her eyes so hard was not helping so she decided to rest a bit under the huge tree.

The sound of someone crying caught her attention and she got up to follow the sound gently. She walked until a faint light came into view , her stomach turned in excitement.

The ray of light was coming from what looked like a cave , she moved closer making sure not to make sound with her feet.

She stopped when she got to the entrance of the cave and peeped inside . She didn't see anyone but she could still hear someone crying , it was loud.

"Hello" she whispered .

Her voice echoed through the cave making her jump back in fear . She had not planned to make that much noise.

She trembled not sure what to do.

"Help me" someone cried from inside the cave.

"Please help me".

Her heart raced drastically , making her feel sick all of a sudden.

Just as she was about to turn around and run for her dear life , she looked up and saw a young girl with big brown eye staring at her . The girl's wings were trapped in a tree branch inside the cave.

She wondered where the tree and the girl came from because she didn't see them earlier.

She wished the grandmaster's messenger would come to her rescue because she was way beyond scared and confused.

"Help me help me" the girl continued crying .

"I'm in pain , help me".

Dilly took a step inside the cave and that was when it dawned on her . The young girl looked exactly like her. If she didn't know better she would have said the girl was her younger sister.

"Are you not going to help your younger self?" The girl said whining.

Dilly hesitated .

"I'm trapped here , if I die out here , you'll die too" she girl said raising her voice.

"Why?" Dilly asked her voice trembling.

The girl eyed her impatiently "because I am you and you are me."

Dilly took another step into the cave and stopped in her track.

She didn't know what she was seeing in this girl's eyes but it was nothing close to honesty.

But she's really trapped on the tree .

Dilly walked gently to the tree , she was about to climb up when a force pulled her back.

She looked back just in time to see Ryan running towards her. His blood shot eyes scared her as he got closer. He had blood in his mouth with fangs growing out from the sides of his mouth. She blinked hoping that she was only imagining things but he only looked paler when he got to her. 

"Don't Dilly , it's a trap" he warned. 

She looked at him confused , she stole a quick glance at the young girl and what she saw startled her .

The young girl was no longer a girl but a scary looking black bird. It flapped its wings and flew out of the cave like it was scared of Ryan. 

Dilly screamed holding unto Ryan tightly regardless of whatever he looked like. She was assured that he would not harm her. 

"It's okay it's okay" he whispered. "I'll not let anyone harm you."

Dilly stiffened as she struggled to open her eyes. She rubbed her sleepy eyes with the back of her palm. She was sweating profusely. 

After her awkward escapade with Sophia, she had acted like Ryan never existed only to start seeing him in her dreams, she tried so hard to remember what the content of the dream was but the more she tried the harder it got. Whatever the dream was she was not willing to dwell on it, not at the moment. She has other pressing issues to attend to, issues like why her best friend had not been returning her calls. Her anger turned to worry since Mat was not reaching out and he was not taking her calls either. It's not been up to twenty four hours but she was still worried. 

She had been doing a great job with avoiding Ryan all week, she was not going to give the weird man a chance to think she was his friend. It annoyed her greatly that he was interfering in her life, why would he think it was okay to interrogate her concerning her affair. 

"Are you my daddy?" she had asked him. 

The sound of his laughter annoyed her more, did he find it funny that she got beat up by her boyfriend's wife. Even though he had scared Sophia away, he did not have the right to lecture her. She never even asked for his help.

Ex-boyfriend.

A loud bang on the door shook her out of her thoughts. 

"Why do people refuse to use the door bell?" She sighed in obvious irritation.

She got up reluctantly, yawning uncontrollably as she walked to the bathroom to splash cold water on her face. Whoever was banging at her door would have to wait, they should pay the price of intentionally ignoring the door bell. 

The knock came again as she was about to get in the shower . It was louder this time making her heart miss a beat. Since her encounter with Sophia, she had mostly stayed indoor reflecting and recharging. 

"What if she really gets me arrested?" she thought. "Or what if she does the most terrible thing ever? like hire someone to kill me?" The thought made her shiver. She assured herself that Sophia would not go that far. 

No one would hurt her in broad day light and besides Ryan is just a block away. He would help her if anyone tries to harm her. She might hate him but she would not hesitate to run to him if troubles comes knocking, one way or the other he was able to scare the almighty Sophia away with just one stare down.

She got out of the bathroom dragging her feet lazily towards the front door. She opened the door without giving it much thought. A small smile crept on her face as she threw herself in Mat's embrace. Seeing her best friend again makes life worth living. He grinned widely as he wrapped his arms around her. 

"where have you been buddy? I have been trying to reach you" She dragged him in not minding the hefty muscles that he had spent years building.

Mat scoffed as he freed himself from her tight embrace " I came because I know you would be worried." His British accent thick through each word he says. 

"What happened to you?" Dilly frowned as she walked into the kitchen to see if there was left over pasta in the fridge. Mat loves eating pasta with chicken wings. 

"I had company, I thought I told you" he smiled. "I dropped her off and came here right away"

Dilly eyed him realizing that he has other things to do with his time asides being her right hand man. She felt guilty all of a sudden for forgetting the fact that he has his own life to live. It dawned on her that he would not always be available and that is totally fine. 

"I was just worried, because it's unlike you to not return my calls" she shrugged. 

He pushed strands of hair behind her ear gently stroking the back of her head in the process " I understand mama, thank you for worrying about me and I am sorry for not returning your calls."

Ryan looked out of his large window facing the main entrance of the yard he shared with Dilly. He had not been seeing her around unlike the times when she would walk around not giving a care in the world. It's been a week and few days since their last conversation, the last interaction they had was more like an argument than the actual conversation he wanted it to be. He did not understand why he was having an urge to always protect her, although her dismissive attitude towards him annoys him greatly. He had only inquired about her relationship with the other woman's partner, he needed to understand the basis to know how to help her even thought she did not ask for help.

" I should not have interfered in her affair" he muttered. She seemed very helpless and fragile, he knew he had to protect her. Protecting her felt so mandatory, it almost felt like he came all the way to this new city to be her guardian angel. Why did it have to be her? Why was it not someone with better manners and less pride. 

He gritted his teeth in pain as ray of sun flashed across his face, it hurt but he did not move away from the window. He would bare the pain for once in his lifetime, maybe it would really be nice to know what destruction taste like. He envied humans , they could grow old and die. The world is not that interesting to live in for thousands of years. Whoever invented vampires lifespan has to be a joker because there was no point living on for thousands of years doing absolutely nothing but feast on blood. He scoffed trying so hard to endure the scorching sun. 

The familiar feeling of anger rose up making his chest tighten, having to move away from the only place he called home was the hardest decision he had to make. It was tough leaving his mother behind but he felt free after years of living a life he was displeased with. He left home while the rest of his kinsmen were planning for him to take over the most powerful throne to ever exist in the vampire clan.

If he could turn back the hand of time, he would have begged not to be born as a vampire. He hated himself for years because he would never be like the other kids, growing up he always wanted to be like the human kids. He does not want to live on for years without dying, it seemed more painful than death.

He grimaced as the sun scorched his skin harder making him move away from the window with full force, he shut his blood shot eyes as he tried to control the beast from springing forth. He punched the air in frustration as pain washed through his entire body. Back home his mom would have died from a heart attack if she had seem him inflict such pain on himself, she would take it upon herself to make sure that not even a tiny ray of the sun goes into the house. 

"At least I do not need to drink human blood to survive" he thought. He had no reason to bring froth the beast except if it was really necessary. 

In few days the new moon will be out and he would withdraw energy from the moon. He looked forward to it, he always does. 

The sun went down after hours of threatening to burn down earth and all the vampires that occupied the surface of the earth. Ryan put on his grey pants and black armless t-shirt, it made him look more human than the long-sleeved overall that covered every part of his body. 

"You need enough protection from the sunlight" his mother would say. She always made sure to remind him that he was not human and he would never be human. It was easier for her to say because in few years time she would leave the earth anyways, she had used her soul as sacrifice to seal a bargain amongst the two vampire clans. She was hell bent on getting married to his father who is a blood sucking vampire instead of getting a husband from her moon sucking bloodline. 

Love does not make sense to him, how could she make such a huge sacrifice because of love. He swore not to get himself involved in anything that has to do with love. He would not be gullible like his mother. 

I do not plan on getting myself involved in such a mess.

"Embrace your true self son, you are superior" his mother would say smiling, hoping that someday he would come to acceptance because his identity carries power.

He smiled as the image of his mother's pretty face flashed through his mind's eyes. He arbors great anger towards her but he still loved her like his entire existence depends on it, it actually does.

With no specific destination in mind, he stepped out and locked the door behind him. He stopped in his tracks as he saw sleepy neighbor walk down the hall way. He was finally seeing her after a long week of wondering if she moved out of the house. 

Dilly's heart sank as her eyes met with Ryan's , she held on to Mat's arm for physical support not wanting to show Ryan how much effect his presence has on her. 

"Hi..." he smiled ignoring the tall man holding her hands. He wondered if that was the man she was fighting over. 

"Very stubborn, Isn't she?" he thought. She was supposed to stay away from him before his woman beats her up one more time. 

She smiled awkwardly and walked past him pulling Mat along. 

"We need to talk....hey" Ryan called after her realizing that he does not know her name.

"It's important" he added .

He felt the need to apologize for being forward but he still has to warn her concerning the dangerous situation she's putting herself in. He expects her to know better.

Dilly sighed not bothering to look back, she would have to put this man in his place and maybe warn him to stop showing up in her dreams as well. 

"Who was that?" Mat looked over at her suspiciously. 

"My new neighbor" she rolled her eyes. Why did he even bother to move in. 

"Finally..." Mat laughed " You have been dying to have a neighbor, this one is handsome".

"He's a busy body, he feels the need to meddle in my personal affairs and it's annoying...." she stopped not wanting to go into full details. She had decided to keep her encounter with Sophia secret from Mat. It could get messier, she was tired of the drama already and she was finally ready to put everything behind her.

"He looks like a good guy" Mat shrugged. 

"He is a pain in my ass" she laughed in spite of herself. 

"You need me to kick his ass?" Mat asked , his facial expression showing that he would really kick Ryan's ass if she asked him. 

"No" she shook her head " I can handle him myself."

She leaned on the trunk of Mat's new car wondering if Ryan would really hurt her. He was not much of a threat but she hated his gut. She wondered what he meant when he said they needed to talk. 

Talk about what?

She wish he would mind his business and leave her alone. She can take care of herself and besides she has Mat on her side. If he thinks she is a weakling, she would prove to him that she does not need him to be her knight in shiny armor.

Dilly walked down the porch that leads to the backyard giggling like a little girl because she could not wait to watch the moon in its full glory. She was obsessed with the full moon, she would sit outside to watch the moon until she her eyes get tired. The breeze blew against her bare skin making her shiver a little. 

"I should have brought a jacket" she winced as the breeze pierced through the thin fabric she was wearing, fair enough the dress was long enough to cover her long legs. The dried up leaves made rustling sounds underneath her boots as she made her way towards the backyard. 

At the back of the large building that she shared with Ryan , a little lake flowed through into a larger pond almost two miles across the street that led to an extremely quiet corner. Dilly never went past the lake to the deserted area, she has never had a reason to go that far. She had somehow managed to make it out of bound. Afterall, she could easily watch the moon from the lake side. 

It was exceptionally bright making it hard for her to focus on any other thing , she came with her instant camera like she normally does ready to take bomb pictures of the moon. She pushed her thick glasses up the bridge of her nose as the camera clicked away. She caught on something standing across the other end where the pond was , it looked like a human sitting on the little rock that served as a demarcation between the two streets. No one else had come here with her asides Mat, she felt upset that someone might have found out this space, it was too personal for her to share with anyone. 

Could it be Ryan?

Why does he feel the need to always interfere in her life and personal space. It felt wrong calling the backyard her personal space but she would not deny the fact that she was attached to the house and its environs. It brings back memories of how she would run down the lake with her parents before they had to relocate because of work. 

Her dad had decided to not sell the house because she chose to stay back, she was tired of moving from one city to another due to the nature of her parents' job. 

She rolled her eyes in irritation as she moved quietly towards where the figure was. The figure moved making her stop in her track to examine her environment. If the figure attacked, there would be no one to save her. 

She had an instant uncomfortable gut feeling but she kept walking towards the pond, she held her breath as she moved closer to the rock. Her mouth opened in fear as the figure turned back, she was certain that he was human but she could not tell who it was, even with her glasses on she could barely see. 

"Hi..." she said almost in a whisper. "Who is it? I can't see you clearly". Her heart was pounding. 

"Dilly stay calm, you can handle this" she said to herself. 

What happened next made her scream out of fear, she stared at the figure standing before her. Her wild dreams were finally coming to reality. His blood shot eyes stare right into her soul, his fangs and fingers long and sharp. He looked down not moving an inch, almost like he was embarrassed. The familiarness of this creature standing before her was so great that she peed in her pant. He reached out to hold her but she turned instantly and started to run back to the house as fast as her legs could carry her. 

Ryan watched helplessly as Dilly fled from him, he just stood there as he watched her run back to the house. He heard her refer to herself as Dilly, her name sounds just like her attitude. 

Why had he reached out to touch her even with the fact that she could not recognize him. He is supposed to hide his identity, not reveal it to a woman he barely knows. He could have gone if he wanted to but he stayed until she got closer to him, by then it was too late to transform.

He dashed after her without giving it much thought. But instead he ran through the other end of the house that leads directly to her front door. He stood there cluelessly wondering why she was not home yet. His body ached making him realize that he was not done with the new moon feeding. The new moon feeding can wait, Dilly was more important. 

His own actions surprised him but he did not fight the urge. 

"She must have hid somewhere" he thought. The thought of that made him smile. 

Just as he was about to go looking for her, she walked towards the door, her eyes fixed on him. She staggered forward making him reach out to catch her. She leaned into him for support as she shivered. He took his jacket off and wrapped it around her helping her to sit quietly at the stairs that leads to her door. 

"Thank God you are here" she said , her breath heavy against his chest. She shook her head and pointed towards the back of the house.

"That.... lakeside.... please... don't go there" she stuttered. 

He held her close to him "It's alright Dilly." Her name sounded like poetry coming out of his mouth.

"No it's not Ryan!" she cried. "You do not understand... you can't"

He rocked her back and forth in an attempt to comfort her. Guilt washed through him as he watched her cry. He ran his fingers through her soft silky hair. 

"I think I'm going crazy" she blurted out. "I can see things Ryan".

She wondered if she had been dreaming but it was real because the cold keeps biting into her skin. She got up abruptly "I need to go inside, I'm sorry to bother you"

"It's alright, I can stay if..." he was saying but got interrupted by her loud sniff.

"You said we needed to talk the other day" She said.

"It's nothing, go in and relax" He smiled.

"You said it was important" She insisted. 

Her stubbornness intrigued him "I wanted to apologize for meddling in your personal affairs."

She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. 

She sniffed back tears "by the way, what were you doing here?"

He was taken aback by the question but he did not show it. "I was waiting for you."

She wanted to ask him why but she just nodded and walked up the stairs to her door. If she was being honest with herself, she wanted to remain in his arms with her head resting on his broad chest. It felt like a safe haven. 

Ryan resisted the urge to ask if he could watch over her all night just so she could feel safe. 

What exactly are you protecting her from? Yourself?

"Good night Ryan" she said as she shut the door behind her. He did not miss the little smile that crept on her face.

"Good night Dilly" he whispered.

He groaned quietly as his fangs grew out without warning. He wanted to make sure that she would not hear him. The feeling in his chest felt unfamiliar, it felt strangely good and he didn't want it to stop. 

He let out a dry laughter as he dashed into the thick of the night to continue his new moon feeding.