THE VAMPIRE ALPHA

6-COLD AIR

AFTER the meeting with Aldus and Sophia was done, they emerged from the museum silently. Sophia still couldn't shake the feeling of foreboding that she was feeling after signing the donation agreement. When they approached the parked vehicles, Aldus' brother, Adan, got out of Sophia's car after he tested the ignition.

"You may now use your car, Ms. Stark," Adan said.

"Thank you for your help. Sorry for the trouble."

"Helping you is our pleasure, Ms. Stark."

The way he said those words gave Sophia another wave of chilly feeling. She also noticed that the twins in front of her were looking at her with a mixture of emotion. They were looking at her as if they were revering her.

"We'll definitely be in contact with you and your museum, Ms. Stark. Have a good night and safe journey," Aldus said with a slight bow. The folders with their signed documents were neatly tucked in his inner breast coat pocket while Sophia's initial copy was locked in her drawer inside her office.

"Have a good night, you two," she said. When she went inside her car, she stared in front of her car, feeling exhausted. She closed her eyes. She felt like she was forgetting something significant. She inhaled and exhaled for relaxation, but each time she completed one set, she would feel another cold breeze. Sophia leaned on her seat as a wave of nausea washed over her.

"Soon, my queen."

She opened her eyes when she heard that voice. The voice sounded strange yet familiar. She looked to her side, expecting to see Adus and Adan's car. Sophia screamed and held on to the steering wheel when she realized what was pressing on the driver's side window. When she regained her composure, she slowly lowered the window.

"Oh God! Mr. Foster! What were you doing?! You startled me! How can you press your face in my window like that?!" Sophia's hand was in her heaving chest while the other one was firmly gripping the steering wheel, her knuckles all white due to this.

Mr. Foster scratched his head and stepped backwards. He took two steps away from Sophia's car.

"Sorry, Ms. Stark. I was patrolling the area when I saw your car still parked there. I was trying to call you but you weren't answering. I was just peering in to check if you'd fallen asleep. I didn't mean to startle you."

"I apologize for screaming at you, Mr. Foster, but what do you mean when you said that I wasn't answering? I was just resting my eyes. I wasn't even sleeping." That was what she was doing. It was only a few minutes since she got inside her car and closed her eyes.

"Your car's been parked here for a while. It's already nine in the evening."

"What!?"

Sophia searched for her phone in her pockets and when she saw it, it indeed indicated nine in the evening.

"How could it be?" she asked herself.

Against her better judgment, she convinced herself that she must have dozed off after her meeting with Aldus although a big chunk of her was screaming at her for believing something as ridiculous as that. She was sure that it was only a few minutes had passed.

"Have you seen a car parked beside mine earlier, Mr. Foster?"

Mr. Foster seemed confused. His brows were pressed together and his forehead was creased.

"I'm not sure. When I got here, your car was alone. Earlier, I went inside the camera room but I saw that some of the cameras were turned off, so I had to shut down the whole network and reset the camera feed. Sorry. As far as I know, I haven't seen any other car that got in here earlier."

There is another way to check whether everything that happened in the past few minutes has now turned into hours. The initial donation agreement she kept locked inside her office drawer.

"Ms. Stark, the news said there would be thick fog and advised the residents to go home before ten in the evening. Will you be alright driving on your own?" Mr. Foster asked.

"Oh, yes. I'll be fine. I have to get going then. Thanks for looking out for me and the museum, Mr. Foster. Goodnight."

Sophia would have to delay her plan to check the signed agreement. Her priority at the moment is to go home safely. Her car's high beam and fog lights were supposed to be replaced a month ago but she was so busy that she missed her appointment. It would be dangerous for her if she encountered the fog-filled roads at this hour of the night.

Mr. Foster waved at Sophia as she turned her ignition on. Sophia stopped and realized that her ignition was already running before she closed her eyes and yet, now, she was doing it again.

"Sophia, you must be losing your mind for not eating the whole day," she scolded herself. She sighed and pulled out of the parking lot.

As she moved away from the museum where she spends most of her time, she felt a strange longing to go back.

"You haven't even reached home yet and now you want to go back? Are you f*****g crazy, Sophia? Get a grip and just drive home safely!" she told herself loudly. She wanted to hear her own voice so that she would realize how serious her situation was. Aside from her brother, Sophia values her own opinion the most, and hearing herself screaming for her to listen would be entertaining and accurate at the same time.

She was already on the highway when her phone rang. Sophia used the hands-free option on her car to answer the call.

"Dale," she replied before her brother could even say hello.

"Soph! Where are you?!"

"Huh? I'm going home right now. Why?"

"Thank God." She heard relief from her brother's voice.

"Why?"

"There was a forest fire near your area two hours ago and they still haven't taken out the fire. I just saw it on the news right now. I don't think you're supposed to go home tonight, Sis. Just stay out or go back to your museum just until we're sure that it's safe for you to go back."

Sophia stopped her car and groaned loudly, "I hate this day!" She slapped her hand on the steering wheel to emphasize her annoyance.

"Just turn around in case you haven't. So where will you be staying?" Dale asked.

"I can't stay in the museum. I'll just go to some inn or hotel in town. It would be an hour's drive but at least I could finally eat and sleep."

"You haven't eaten?""

"In my dreams I may have done so. In reality, I don't think so. I'd been way too busy earlier that even going to the bathroom was a nuisance. I'll just call you later. I have to focus on driving as the fog is starting to come in. What a crazy night this is."

"Take care, Soph. Send me a message once you've arrived, wherever that may be. Alright?"

"Yes. Of course. Take care of yourself as well."

Sophia ended the call while trying to figure out which road to take. She arrived at a road where there was a fork. One road leads to the town where there are more inns to choose from, but it was an hour-long drive. Another fork is a small town just like her home, but she could only recall one inn that could cater for her stay. It was a lot faster with only 15 minutes of travel time.

If only Sophia had known that her choice would affect her future, she should have just stopped the vehicle and went back to the museum.