“Hello?” Jonathan bellowed, pushing the crackling gate wide open. “I know you’re here! I just want to talk!”

   The silence drove the determined Jonathan much deeper into the shadowy hall, looking for the hooded stranger. The darkness though made him stay in place till his vision got clearer. “Hello?” he bellowed again, seeking the stranger’s attention.

   The hall was silent, making Jonathan have second thoughts on his tactics for finding the stranger.

   But, as his vision got a bit clearer, a colony of bats attacked him from behind. Being an animal lover himself, Jonathan, thinking that they were just passing through, stood his ground, protecting his face with both hands. The bats vanished into the darkness, filling the hall with silence again. But, as he stood back up, a wolf jumped front of him, encircling and growling.

   Jonathan, with his heart racing, rightfully thought of fleeing, but it was also a perfect opportunity for a shepherd boy to test his bravery. He stood his ground, staring into the wolf’s red-colored eyes. The eye color threw him off more than the wolf’s menacing growls.

   The wolf, for some reason, turned around and ran off into the darkness, forgetting about Jonathan altogether.

   “Hey! Is the wolf yours?” Jonathan bellowed, seeking the stranger’s attention. “I’m not here to harm anyone! I just want to see you!”

   Having encountered the wolf, Jonathan was more hesitant in pursuing the stranger. After a while, he risked it, following the wolf’s path till he accidentally bumped into a wall.

   “Hello?” he bellowed again, but still no answer.

   With no warning, Jonathan felt violently shoved into the wall from behind, and pushed into the floor. The hooded stranger was on top of him, dragging him from his collar.

   “Get out!” the stranger growled menacingly.

   “Stop it!” Jonathan demanded, holding the stranger back by its shoulders. “Why are you doing this?”

   “I said ‘get out’!” the stranger bellowed loudly. “Don’t come here ever again!”

   Through his struggle, Jonathan noticed that the stranger’s voice sounded feminine, prompting him to pull the stranger’s hood over.

   What he saw raised his eyebrows; the stranger appeared to be an ordinary girl in her early teens. She had long, velvet hair, and blue eyes. It felt a bit more confusing as to why such a fellow would feel such aggressiveness towards him to begin with.   But then, the girl fell on her back, horrified that her abnormally large canines could be seen sticking out of her mouth. Jonathan, feeling shocked, was also at awe as he saw her red eyes turning blue.

   ”Who are you really?” asked Jonathan cautiously, crawling closer to her on his knees. “Are you alright?”

   With no warning, with her growl becoming an angry scream, and her blue eyes turning red again, the girl shoved Jonathan as he broke his fall with his elbows.
   “This is why I didn’t want anyone to find me!” she screamed at the top of her lungs, menacingly standing over Jonathan. Realizing how harmful she was, her emotions turned from anger to remorse. “I’m a hideous monster!” she cried, running off with tears dripping. “Wait!” Jonathan bellowed, giving chase.

   Before he realized it, Jonathan was running up the stairs and to a higher elevation. He was now above  the castle’s hall. Faint, but surely, he could hear the sound of a girl crying. Making his way through the mildly dark corridor, he soon found himself facing a wooden door, with the girl just behind it.

   “Miss?” said Jonathan, giving the old, wooden door a few knocks. “I just want to check up on you.”

   “Go away!” the girl sobbed.

   Jonathan was undeterred. The girl sobbing only made him more concerned for her, whether she was human or not.

   “Listen,” he said, making his way into what looked like a bedroom, “I heard rumors of a fellow shorter than an adult taking refuge in this castle. I figured it was a child living here all by herself. I just wanted to check if you were okay.”

   The girl, sitting on her stool, with a candle lit in front of her, paid little attention to Jonathan getting closer to her.

   “It really pains me to see you like this,“ said Jonathan. “You can tell me what’s troubling you. I may be able to help.”

    The girl kept silent. Jonathan stood in place, watching her with concern. He then noticed what looked like a bed, and sat on it to rest his legs. Before he could speak, the girl interrupted him.

   “Look,” she said in an angry tone,  “I don’t need your help, and I don’t want any more humans coming into this castle! Just leave me alone, and don’t come back!”

   “You know what?” said Jonathan, throwing his hands up. “I’ve had it! I was just trying to be nice! Why are you pushing me away like this?”

   Frustrated, the girl slammed the dressing table. She swiped the candle off the dressing table, and placed it between her and Jonathan. 

   “Look at me!” she yelled at Jonathan, pointing at her face. “I’m a vampire! People treated me like garbage, and I’d been scaring others away so they’d leave me alone!”

   Her ranting left Jonathan feeling sympathetic, but also uneasy. “Just go,” the girl pleaded. “You’re probably now as scared and prejudicial as the rest.”

   “You’re right,” said Jonathan, grabbing the girl’s shoulder to get her attention. “I am scared. Not because you’re a vampire, but for your well-being. I really mean no harm; I only just came to check up on you.”   Guarded and stubborn throughout, the girl, refusing to see kindness in others, began to have second thoughts about Jonathan. With her eyes turning blue again, she stared into Jonathan’s with hope.

   “You really don’t care if I’m a vampire?” she asked.   

   “Not at all,” said Jonathan, as he took the candle from the girl, drying her tears. “From all your reactions, I trust you’re an honest fellow.” A bit embarrassed that he might get a wrong reaction, he bravely admitted, “And, you are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen, vampire or human.”

   The sudden, and strange, compliment caught the girl off guard, leaving her feeling bashful, but gladly flattered.

   “Thank you,” she said with rosy cheeks. “You don’t look so bad yourself,” she complimented, taking a fancy towards Jonathan’s handsome facial features.

   “Thanks,” said Jonathan, “but I never did get to know your name.”

   “It’s ‘Maria’,” said the girl. “I haven’t gotten to know yours either.”

   “Jonathan,” he answered with delight.

   “Nice name,” said Maria.

   “Thanks,” said Jonathan.

   The two, with no further words, stared at each other’s faces for a long while. Besides seeing a beautiful vampiress, or a handsome human boy, both Jonathan and Maria, with a smile on their faces, felt glad to have found a new friend in their lives.

   “You must be hungry,” Jonathan guessed. “May I help find you something to eat?”

   Having had stomach pains due to hunger, Maria placed her palm on her upper abdomen for mild comfort. “I am hungry,” she said. “It hadn’t been easy foraging the lands at night. I, often, came back empty-handed. I even tried to steal one of your sheep that other night.”

   “That wolf was you?” Jonathan exclaimed.

   “And the bats and wolf downstairs,” said Maria, raising Jonathan’s eyebrows in amazement. “Sorry,” she apologized, feeling rather ashamed for her actions.

   “No! Don’t be!” pleaded Jonathan. “As for that other night, you were hungry. I understand that. Now, I only wish I’d known you before. I could have brought you something to eat.”

   “Thank you,” said Maria, feeling rather glad.

   “I don’t mean to sound rude to vampires,” asked Jonathan, “but do vampires really drink blood?”

   “I like blood,” said Maria bluntly, with a huge smile on her face, “but I love meat more... and some fruits to fill me up.”

      “Sounds good,” said Jonathan, pondering in his thoughts. “I should be able to come back with some fresh produce in the morning.”

   “Are you sure it’s no trouble to feed me?” asked Maria, feeling thankful, but also reluctant. “I don’t want to put any burden on you.”

   “I’m a shepherd, or at least a shepherd’s son,” said Jonathan. “I have been saving a bit of money from my work. I’ll just buy fresh produce. from the market, and bring them to you.”

   “Thank you so much,” said Maria, filled with joy. “I’ll be forever grateful.”

   Realizing that it was getting late, Jonathan faced towards a window and saw that the sun was setting.

   “It’s getting late,” said Jonathan, handing the candle back to Maria. “I have to be home with my parents for dinner. See ya!”

   “Bye!” said Maria, raising her hand.

   As Jonathan was making his way out, Maria felt the urge to let out a few words.

   “Jonathan?” she said, trying to grab his attention.

   “Yes, Maria?” said Jonathan.

   “Thanks for checking up on me”, said Maria, “in spite of all that trouble I put you through. I didn’t want to believe that a human, after what I had been through, would ever show me such kindness. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me in a long time.”   

   Jonathan’s smile was enough to express his gratitude to Maria. With time going, Jonathan resumed his dash back to the village, with Maria watching him through the master bedroom window.