I chased her down a back alley that winded through the houses and opened up a couple of buildings from the inn. Again, the inn was deserted, and a soft silence that rested upon the wooden counters was interrupted by the soft snoring coming from a certain someone resting in his rocking chair in the corner. Thalia piled the groceries on top of the mound of books in my arms and disappeared through the double doors though to the kitchen. Juggling the stack, I balance them on a nearby table, catching an apple that fell from the bag before it hit the ground.

“He’s not here, I think he’s upstairs.”

“That’s fine I’ll get him.” I say as I begin climbing the stairs (being careful of the loose floorboard so I didn’t wake Uncle).

My door is left ajar; gingerly I push the door further in to reveal Jacob spreading fresh sheets onto the bed I forgot to make that morning.

“Oh, hi Shion. You didn’t say if you wanted me to tidy up and I forgot to ask, so I did it anyway. I hope you don’t mind.” He smiled friendly, and I shook my head that I didn’t mind, all the while watching closely at the bottom draw where I kept the flasks. He couldn’t have found them, besides I washed them out properly did I? I have nothing to worry about, apart from my lack of belongings, there’s nothing that could be called suspicious- he was just doing me a favour by tidying my bed. “So, finished already?”

“Not exactly, we made it to the library, and we picked some books so we had to come back to drop them off and we were wondering if you wanted to come with us for the rest.” I explained.

“Is Uncle asleep again?” he asked, and when I nodded, he replies, “Well even if he yells at me later...” he shrugs, “oh well. Sure, I’ll come with you guys.” He smooths over the sheets, and I give one last look around the room before flowing down the winding stairs.

“What’s with the kids’ books?” he flicked through the picture book sitting on top. Thalia, who had removed the bag of fruit and were munching her way through it, sprung up with glee when the words left his mouth.

“get this Jacob, our friend Shion can’t read English!”

“Huh?” he looked back at me, and I tried my very hardest to hide my red cheeks with my hair, then to remember that I’d cut it all off yesterday.

“It’s not like I can’t read any English, it’s that I wasn’t taught English by my tutor!”

She scoffed at the word tutor. “Shion, tell ‘im what language your tutor taught you!”

With my face burning bright red now, I gave a disgruntled “Latin...”

Thalia sniggered again, but Jacob exclaimed “That’s so cool, I wish I learnt Latin! Anyway, I bet it will be easy for ya to pick English up ‘cause so many English words are based on Latin.” It made me feel a little better that Jacob didn’t go along with Thalias ploy to embarrass me, even if it was on purpose. Though, to someone else they could be seen as patronising, I knew (well as far as I could tell) that he was a genuine kind person.

She pouted at his unfavourable response, “Shouldn’t you put them in your room?” she asked.

“I’ll help you.” Jaccob offered, taking just over half the pile, “jeez, you’re stronger than you look.” He huffed as he hulled them into his arms.

“You know Jacob, your good will is infuriating!” Thalia called, as we began ascending the staircase.

“Then it’s doing its job!” he huffed back, struggling with the pile of books.

“I can take that.” I offered, signally him to add it to my pile. I’d carried then the whole way here, taking them upstairs wouldn’t be much more hassle, but either he was too polite and courteous or stubborn to give in.

“I’m fine.” He smiled and continued the steps. He wobbled at my bed and had to drop them there, but then straightened them individually on the desk next to the bed. Now balanced on the desk, I gulped at the sizeable pile of books and the hours I would have to spend to get through them all.

“She went a bit overboard didn’t she?” he says, with thoughts similar to mine.

“She was in a bit of a particular mood.”

“Nah, that’s just her personality.” He laughed, “Though I admit there’s something about you that seems to irritate her a bit.”

“I think that can be said about the both of us.” I comment.

He chuckled, “I think you might be right.” I followed him out the room and down again to meet Thalia, who was (with a bored expression) sulking in the corner, picking at her nails.

“I showed ‘im the market and the library, just show ‘im the rest.” She grumbled.

“So that’s the butchers, your place and Greythorn Alley.” He gave a grin with the last name, giving the impression that there was some other meaning to the name I couldn’t decipher.

“Don’t be an idiot, i’m not going to Greythorn Alley.” She argues, face a little red with rage, glaring at the two of us.

“Oh come on, don’t be like that! What if he gets lost and finds himself there?” he asks.

“Well then he’ll be in trouble either way.” She shrugs with an evil look on her face.

“True, I cant argue with that. But its the one interesting place in this town.” He grins

“I wont go with you.” She says stubbornly.

“Are you scared?” he teases, “don’t worry, I’ll protect you.” He adds with a patronising grin.

“Who do you think I am? You think I’m scared?” she laughed hysterically, something about ‘Greythorn Alley’ was clearly terrifying to her. “I don’t need your protection!” she hissed angrily.

I wonder if she realised if she was manipulated into saying that.

“So what is Greythorn Alley?” I asked them. they look at each other and there was something exchanged in their glance that I couldn’t translate.

“We’ll tell you when we get there.” He answers ominously

Reluctantly, Thalia stands, and we leave the cool dim atmosphere of the inn behind and back out into the glaring sunlight. I spend the rest of the day, following the pair around the town, occasionally stopping to witness a landmark. I left them to their conversations and trailed behind them in near silence. I didn’t mind it, I didn’t understand the most of what they spoke of anyway- I hadn’t been in the human town long enough to understand the topics of conversation, let alone have enough knowledge to join in. At one point I was asked who my favourite artist was, but when I answered that I wasn’t really interested in art, Thailia gave me a despairing look and didn’t bother asking anything else.

Thalia lived on the other side of town, where the crowds were less thick. This building was different from all the others, the exterior walls were a glossy black with large windows either side of the door at the centre; the front was one story whereas at the back, presumably where they actually lived, extended three floor above the ground. On the flat surface above the front shop were a set of table chairs like a make-shift balcony, and little flowered pots of assorted colours that had begun to fade and die back. Various sweet and chemical smells drifted out from the door that had been left ajar; Thalia kicked the door open and we followed her in.

The left side of the room was floor to ceiling shelves, filled with bottles, equipment and books in a chaotic mess, whereas the left side of the room was entirely lined with one large mirror that extened the whole length of the room. In front of these mirrors were adjustable chairs of random colours so that no two chairs were the same shade. Occupied in the first chair was an old woman who sat with her head tilted downwards, reading a book, as a younger woman who vaguely resembled Thalia, was snipping away at the back of her hair. The younger woman was no doubt Thalias mother, she definitely had similar features but rather an air annoyance, she had a set expression of concentration, as she combed and sniped hair of the customer that sat in front of her. “Hello glossy black hair.” She says without looking up. Glossy hair?

“Don’t mind her, my mother is very wierd.” Thalia explains.

“Glossy black hair?” I asked.

“My daughter cut your hair yesterday. I could tell it was you.” She says without once taking her eyes off the hair in front of her.

“I... Er, ok.” I stumbled. What on earth?

“Seriously Shion, don’t worry about it, she’s weird with everyone.” She sighed, “Mum, your weirdness is scaring people again.”

“Perfecto!” she exclaims, standing up straight again and examining her masterpiece, she finally turns to face us. “Now who’s next?” she asked, her scissors snipping threateningly in her left hand.

Thalia sighed, “None of us have come here for a haircut. We’re just here to show Shion around.”

“Decided to stick around then?” she asked with a friendly but slightly crazy smile.

“I think I might.” I answer, though I hadn’t actually decided if I would. Jacobs been pretty nice to me, Thalia too- kind of, I think it might be good to stick around at least until I got used to living with humans.

“That’s good, maybe you could hook up with Thalia and we’ll finally have some glossy black hair in the family.” Hook up?

“mother!” she yells, blood rushes to her head turning her cheeks deep crimson. “Why do you have to say something so embarrassing every time you first meet someone?”

Huh? I’m not really sure what she was saying. The next second we’re bundled out of the door back into the heat of the sun, Thalia pushing on our shoulders until we’re halfway down the street.

Jacob erupts in hysterics, holding himself up by his knees, “I love your mother sometimes.” He gasps.

Thalia is glaring at him again, then she looks at me “Get any ideas and I will kill you.”

Ideas? I put my arms up defensively, “I’m confused.” I admit.

“you didn’t understand what my mum was talking about?” she asked, looking a little confused.

I hesitated, “No?” that earns me another round of giggling in Jacobs direction. Even Thalia couldn’t keep her angry expression and broke out with a reluctant grin.

Later on, when Jacob could breathe again, he explained, and I don’t know who went more red, me- the normally pale vampire, or Thalia.