THE VAMPIRE ALPHA

3-FASCINATION

SOPHIA felt goosebumps all over her body. She couldn’t understand why she reacted when she saw what was written in huge inscriptions. She couldn’t believe her eyes. The letters moved as if helping her understand and translate the ancient writings without any translation or guide. What she saw would haunt her if it remained unexplained.

Here lies my Queen.

For the first time, Sophia felt scared and confused. She turned towards the exhibit’s exit and ran all the way down the hallway and out of the museum. She was panting hard when she reached the parking lot.

“Ms. Stark, good evening. Running late again?” She was startled when the guard on duty tapped her shoulder. She didn’t notice him approach.

“Oh, Geez! You startled me, Mr. Foster. Yeah, I had to finish up some work. Are you doing overtime? I thought you were on the first shift?” The first shift is in the morning, while night duty starts at 5 pm. It was already past six pm and he was still roaming the premises.

“Ronaldo called in sick. I had to do double shifts today. Have a nice evening, Ms. StarK!”

She smiled at the middle-aged man and waved as he left. He seemed tired but he still seemed cheerful. Sophia unlocked her car and went inside. She remembered that she had to ask the guard on duty if the painting she saw was a new one. She knew every piece in that museum and the painting that she saw was not familiar to her.

Sophia got out of the car and thought she could still see the guard, but he disappeared. Her forehead creased, she wondered how he could have suddenly disappeared when he was walking slowly to the open parking space without any other vehicle in sight except her own. She sighed and went back inside her car. She closed her eyes as she turned on the ignition. She cursed when the machine faltered and then died.

“Of all the time to give me a headache! I’m freaking hungry and now is not the time for you to give up me, huh?” She talked to her car on which she hoped would understand how desperate she was feeling at that moment.

Sophia tried again but still her car wouldn’t start. She took her phone from her bag and tried to call the Car Insurance company but her phone didn’t have any network signal. She groaned and punched the steering wheel of her car, honking the horn and startling her with the sound.

“Sophia, get a grip. You can do this!” she whispered to herself after several tries of trying to regain her calm demeanor. She was really feeling pissed off with her car and her phone when she heard a knock on her car’s window. It was already dark and only the lights of the parking lot and front door of the museum gave some light.

She looked at the man standing outside her car. He looked familiar but she couldn’t remember where she last saw him. Then she realized that there was another car parked beside her parking lot which she didn’t notice earlier. Was she that engrossed in trying to convince her car and phone to work that she didn’t notice the arrival of the sleek black convertible sports car?

Sophia lowered her window to a few inches only for safety precaution.

“Good evening, Sir. How may I help you?” She remembered that she was still in the museum and she is the head curator. The man must have some business with the museum for him to go there at such an hour. He was really handsome, like a real-life prince. His trench coat looked expensive and his hair was long but neatly combed and tied, which completed his Prince's charming vibe.

“Sorry to startle you but I’m looking for Ms. Sophia Stark? I have an appointment with her this afternoon. I confirmed my schedule through her phone earlier but was running late due to an accident. I was wondering if she’s still here?”

“An appointment?” she racked her brain to think of any appointments that she might have missed and then recalled that there was one but the man did not confirm. Then she held her phone and saw that it still didn’t have any network signal. She realized that it was her fault for not receiving the message.

“Yes. I”m Aldus the legal representative of one of the museum’s donors.” The name clicked in her head. She suddenly remembered that she indeed had an appointment with that person’s name. She straightened up before opening her car door. She stood formally and offered her hand for the sake of late introductions.

“Ah, yes, I remember Mr. Aldus. I’m Sophia Stark, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I apologize for not receiving your call or acknowledging your message. I think I’m having phone network problems.” She raised her phone and he smiled at her. Her mind was playing tricks on her and she felt strange because when he smiled, one of his eyes flickered.

“You seem to be having trouble also with your car? Allow my brother to fix it for you while we complete our first meeting.” Aldus said, and another man came out of the car. The man looked exactly like Aldus.

“This is my twin brother, Adan. He will give remedy to your vehicle while we discuss some important matters.” The two men smiled at Sophia and all she could do was nod and follow the man as he led them back inside the museum. He paused in front of the door and asked Sophia to go ahead of him, then he stopped near the door’s threshold and asked her something.

“Ms. Stark, may I still come in even if it’s after office hours?” He stared at her intently and she shivered with the sudden coldness in the air.

“Yes, of course. You’re invited here. Come inside. We can talk in my office or, if you want to walk around the museum, a private tour would also be welcome.” Her answer seemed to please Aldus as he smiled widely, showing his perfectly white set of teeth.