C2 Chapter 2

The ride was quiet. It’s a long way from the middle of nowhere to any place where buildings used to stand. Everything is just so dark. Ever since these monsters came out, darkness filled the whole world. I heard aswangs started showing up all over the Philippines, and Djinns, they were all over India, Malaysia, and some said even in Indonesia. Some even said they saw an Ōkami in Japan, and a Rugaru somewhere in Canada. It seems like every creature in the folklore are coming out of the books. It’s weird, yeah, but let’s face it, they were here before us. It’s no surprise if they decide to take back what was theirs.

“So, where are we going?” he asked, ending the silence and the thoughts in my head. “We are going to look for a place to stay for the night. I’m pretty sure you need to take a shower,” I glanced at him and saw him smirk. “Well, I’d love to do that, but I don’t have anything else other than this bloodied shirt,” he replied. “Don’t worry about that. I got some clothes somewhere in the back that might fit you.” He looked at me like I was kidding, “but you’re a girl. I can’t wear girl clothes,” he replied. “Well, then I guess you better...”

“Better what?”

“Better suck it up,” I said then started laughing at my own joke.

“Ha. Ha. Very funny,” rolling his eyes at me, I started laughing again.

“Oh, I thought it was hilarious.”

Along the highway, I saw a decent motel to keep us both warm at night. I turned right and parked my truck, “okay, uhm, I’m gonna go inside and check us in. You sit still and stay here, I don’t want people to see you looking like…...that,” I turned off the engine and went out of the truck. Went inside, checked us in, I went back to the truck and asked him to hug a few stuff to hide the bloodstains on his shirt then we went up to the room.

It was big enough for 2 to 3 people, at least, 2 queen sized beds with a fresh, crisp, white linen, I place the bags on it. I opened my black duffel bag and pulled out a man’s shirt, underwear, a jacket, and pants. I noticed him staring at the clothes. “What? You don’t like it?” I asked. He looked at me a bit confused, “it’s not that. It’s just,” he lifted the underwear up, “where did you get these? Are these even clean?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, do you want me to go to Gap and shop for you in the middle of a freaking apocalypse?!” I asked sarcastically. He rolled his eyes at me and dropped the underwear on the bed, “fine. I’ll take these inside the bathroom. Don’t you dare take a peek while I shower,” he joked. Now it’s my turn to roll my eyes at him.

I took my laptop out from another bag and checked the news, social medias, Google search, and other platforms I could get my hands on to get any new information about anything. Mostly, of my dad, but there was nothing. I don’t have any leads. It’s going nowhere. I heard the bathroom door open, but I didn’t hear him walk towards me, he just grabbed a chair and sat down beside me. “Are you not going to tell me who I should be thanking for these clothes? Is he a boyfriend or something?” he started.

“No. It was my dad’s,” I replied without taking my eyes off my laptop screen.

“Was?”

“Uhm, yeah. I mean, I haven’t seen him since he left.”

“I’m so sorry. Why did he leave if you don’t mind me asking?”

I sighed, “we found my grandparents - his parents - dead in their home. Someone broke in and just ripped them apart. He wanted to find who did it.”

“So, he left?”

“Yeah, and he hasn’t come home since.”

“When was that?”

“3 years ago. Look, I’m not really in the mood for 21 questions, okay?” I took my eyes off my laptop and looked at him. He stared at me too and just nodded, he stood up from his chair, walked towards his side of the bed and took a magazine out.

We were both silent for a moment until my stomach betrayed me and made a loud noise. He looked at me and I glanced at him, we both started laughing then I threw a pillow at him. He put down the magazine he found somewhere under the side table, placed the pillow I threw at him beside him, and stood up. “Come on, get up,” he said grabbing the jacket I lend him and walked towards the door. He grabbed my jacket and tossed it on my bed, “I saw a diner just a few minutes away from here. You’re hungry, I don’t eat. So, get!” he motioned for me to stand up. I put my jacket on and followed him outside.

We drove to the diner that Vamp Boy mentioned earlier. For some reasons, the diner has a lot of people. You know the problem with this apocalypse? The real problem? You have no idea who’s an actual human or who’s the monster disguising themselves as human. You will never know unless they started attacking you.

We went in and some of the people started looking at Vamp Boy. I discretely looked at each and everyone of them until we sat down at the booth far from prying eyes. The waitress, Janice, gave us some menus and left. I scanned the menu and as I looked up to flip it over, I saw some of them are still looking over at our table. I pulled down Vamp Boy’s menu, “hey, do you notice anything weird?” I asked him. He gave me a confused look and shook his head, “why? What’s weird?”

“I don’t know. It seems like these people are staring at you,” I whispered. Vamp Boy looked around then back to me, “well, what can I say? You’re with a very handsome man,” he grinned. “Shut up,” I scoffed and at the right moment, Janice came to take our orders. “I’ll have the American Breakfast with extra bacon and a Coke please,” I said.

“What about you, handsome? What can I getcha?” Janice asked with that fake Southern accent while chewing her gum. “Oh, uhm, I’ll just have coffee,” Vamp Boy said and smiled at Janice, handing her the menus back before leaving. “Coffee?” I asked, “I thought you guys don’t eat or drink?”

“We don’t. I just missed coffee, is all. You ordered American Breakfast with extra bacon, it’s in the middle of the night and I didn’t question it.” I took the small plastic tissue holder with an ad that says, “ALL DAY BREAKFAST AVAILABLE” and pointed it with a sarcastic smile. “Oh,” he said. He started to fiddle with the paper placemat, reading and re-reading what’s on it.

I caught myself staring at him. His skin is pale, and he has this thing about him that makes you just want to stare. I admit, he is handsome. Dark hair, blue-gray eyes, and pale skin – yeap, it’s a given, you just got to stare. Janice came over with my food and his coffee, breaking my stare at Vamp Boy. I smiled at her and said thank you, then she placed some creamer and sugar on the middle of the table and winked at him before leaving. I lowered my head and snickered. “What? What are you laughing at?” Vamp Boy asked. “You do realize that Janice is flirting with you, right?” I replied while cutting the sausages on my plate. “Actually, I do know that. I wasn’t born yesterday, uhm….” He stopped mid sentence while looking at me, “sorry, I don’t know your name. We never really introduced ourselves earlier.”

“I’m –“ I said, pausing because my mouth full of sausages and scrambled eggs, “I’m Mia,” I continued after swallowing my food. “Right. Well, I’m Collin. Collin Roth,” he extended a hand to me, and I shook it. His hand is ice cold and hard. I continued eating and he drank his coffee.

When we were finished, we went back to the motel room, and I went straight to bed after brushing my teeth.