The rest of the shift I simply pretended nothing happened. Everyone else forgot the details, either because I made them or because they simply didn’t care. I found all the best reasons not to look into the stranger’s corner. At the end of the shift, it was just me and Mark. It was time to close the pub. I looked towards the corner - the stranger was gone.

Had I imagined him? I doubted it -I never imagine things. I see things as they are, even if others can’t.

We cleaned up bits and pieces, counted the money and closed the pub.

I normally walked with Mark from the pub. He goes uphill, while I take the dark alleyways, the shortest way to Lee-Ann’s house. This time, I said good night to Mark and decided to simply follow the light pathway around the train station.

I was a bit tired of shadows and strangers lurking in corners. It was nice to have a little light in the darkness for a change, no matter how artificial it was. The street was quiet, with an odd car passing by. There was just one person on the street couple metres in front of me. Suddenly he stepped out into the light from the street lamp. It was the guy from the pub.

“Bozena, wait.” He started to approach, trying to stop me.

“My name is Jane,” I said. I was both surprised and angry he knew my name, I mean my Czech name, not the one I used nowadays. I kept walking towards him intent on simply ignoring him. People ignore things so they don’t exist. Maybe if I made enough effort it would work for me too. I focused on one step a time but I knew he was still standing there.

“OK, whatever. I just want to talk. Can we just talk? It’s not like I will try to kill you or anything.” He was saying it with so much urgency, that I started to laugh. I mean, what are the odd chances that you get assaulted by a handsome stranger? And honestly, what would be his chances to actually succeed?

Suddenly I felt the stillness from the park.

“Enough is enough,” said cold voice behind me. Now I was sandwiched between the handsome stranger and a cold voice. Brilliant. I was so stupid.

“Jake, you are clearly losing your touch with ladies.” The cold voice sounded amused now. A man stepped out of the background so I could see him better, it almost felt a shadow materialised next to me. Now instead of one creepy guy, there were too. I was not sure if they were trying to intimidate me, looking like vultures circling around their dinner.

“What’s going on? What do you want? I am really not in the mood for your stupid games.” I started to be irritated. Whatever was they wanted to talk about, I was pretty sure I was not interested. At all.

“Please, excuse my son. He clearly forgot his manners.” Son? They both looked about the same age somewhere between the late twenties and early thirties. They were the same height, both handsome under the right type of light, but that was about it. The only other thing was certain coldness about them.

“I did offer a drink earlier,” Jake said, clearly uncomfortable being patronised. Suddenly he looked a couple of years younger, cute, like a little puppy.

As if the other guy could read my mind:”Jacob,” Jacob went silent.

“Bo- Jane.” He corrected himself and smiled at me. “Could we have a little chat?”

“You know what, whatever-is-your-name”, I started.

“Jonathan”, he offered, clearly thinking this was a start of some conversation he intended to have with me.

”OK, Jonathan. No, I don’t think we have anything to talk about. Not with you, not with Jake, or whatever is his name.”

I started to walk past them. I was not going to be bullied. From the corner of my eye, I could see Jonathan seemed to be too surprised to do anything else than staring at me. I almost passed them both.

“It is about a spell. Well, a curse rather.” Jake tried to stop me. As he was trying to catch my hand, I touched Jonathan’s hand instead. His skin was cold. Suddenly I realised what was wrong with him. With them. Jonathan was a vampire.

I stopped. Vampires are wrong. They are dead but alive. They steal other's’ energy to keep on going. Frankly, I can’t stand them. Not that I met too many in my very short life. Then, they usually didn’t hang around my family for obvious reasons.

“Let me go,” I said and mean it. I started to walk away again, towards a busier road.

“No, wait.” They said, trying to corner me so I would not be able to walk away.

I turned around. “LET ME GO” I repeated. I could feel the energy flowing through me, commanding them with my voice. They were surprised. They didn’t expect me. They came to see a witch, but they didn’t expect to find one.

They didn’t move.

“LET ME GO. “ The wind started to rise, picking up the dust from the road. That was my moment, my chance to run. I run away home, not stopping till I closed the doors behind me.

Only then I realised what I had done.