The Vampire's Oracle

Whispers in the Shadows

★Anastasia★

It felt strange to wake up in the morning and I groaned as I stretched beneath the sheets. The earlier shift at the club had been nice and while I had only climbed into bed at one in the morning, I felt refreshed. No dreams. No nightmares. No lingering feelings of fear as I finally got out of bed. However, I was excited. Today I was going to spend time with Marcia. We had made plans to go dress shopping and to have lunch before the party. I was curious to finally meet the mysterious brother, but I was looking forward to just having a good day. My phone buzzed on the nightstand, and I reached for it and smiled.

★Marcia: Good morning sunshine! I hope you are as excited as I am. I’ll pick you up at ten.

★Anastasia: Morning, Marcia. I am excited. See you at ten.

I checked the time, and I still had at least two hours before she showed up. After using the bathroom, I stood in front of my closet wrapped up in a big fluffy towel while I considered what to wear. I had gotten used to my uniform and, for a moment, I wasn’t sure what to wear. I had gotten so caught up in the dreams and cryptic warnings that I had just about forgotten what it was like to simply live. I finally chose a pair of dark skinny jeans and a cropped white sweater. I slipped my socked feet into a pair of comfortable white sneakers before I grabbed my phone, purse, and a black jacket just in case the weather got chilly. By the time Marcia knocked on the door, I was a bundle of excited nerves.

“Hey!” I greeted her as I opened the door, and she smiled. I took a moment to truly appreciate her before I stepped outside and shut the door behind me. I wasn’t about to invite her inside, since I was more than ready to go. I needed it today. I needed this normality of going out with friends and just living. Marcia was dressed in a pair of light blue skinny jeans with a soft lavender cropped top and a matching denim jacket.

“Hey,” Marcia said as we headed for her car. The silence didn’t last long as she immediately started to talk about our shopping trip. She mentioned a few stores she wanted to go to, and her energy was contagious. “Dress shopping first, then lunch, and then…” she paused for dramatic effect, and I chuckled. “The party of the century,”

“Nice,” I said just as she parked the car alongside the busy street. The boutique Marcia had chosen was high-end. The kind of place where the sales staff eyed you like they could smell your bank account balance. Marcia, of course, fitted right in as she scanned the numerous dresses that were on display.

“This one,” she remarked as she thrust a deep emerald dress at me. “It will make your eyes pop,” she added, and I raised a brow.

“Right…” I said as I accepted the dress and headed for the dressing room. The fabric was smooth against my skin, the cut hugged all my curves just enough to make me feel confident and sexy. When I stepped out to show her, she let out an exaggerated gasp.

“Holy smokes! If I were into women, I would make you mine,” she informed me, and I laughed as I turned to the mirror. She wasn’t wrong though. The dress was absolutely stunning. While it screamed elegance, it was short enough that it seemed appropriate for a party, but luxurious enough to make me feel like I would stand out. The dress was perfect. Marcia chose a similar style dress in the softest shade of pink. It fitted her skin tone perfectly. We picked out matching shoes before we paid and left. I hadn't enjoyed spending the hard-earned money I was saving up, but it was still a lot of fun. We dropped our bags in the car before we walked down the street to a small café. The air inside was warm, and the aroma of roasted coffee and fresh pastries made my mouth water. We snagged a booth near the window, and I smiled happily as we sat down and got comfortable.

“So,” I started as I eyed the menu. “Tell me more about this mysterious brother of yours,”

“I mean…Noah is great,” she said as she set her menu aside. “He is…intense. Protective. A bit broody, but he has a good…heart,” I smiled at her description, but I was fascinated by their bond as siblings.

“You two are close, huh?”

“The closest,” she said, just as a server stopped by our table to take our order. Marcia didn’t disappoint or change the subject when the server left. “He is my only family and…he has always been there for me,” she said, and a strange warmth spread through me. I didn’t have any siblings, and I certainly understood not having any family. Aunt Eloise was all I had. Marcia only had her brother. We had quite a bit in common.

“It sounds nice,” I said as I leaned back in my seat. Marcia smiled, but then her eyes lit up.

“Wait until you meet him, Anastasia. You two are going to hit it off,” I merely chuckled at that, unconvinced that I was going to hit it off with him. Or anyone else for that matter. “And I can't wait for you to meet my other friends. You are going to fit right in,”

“Oh…yeah,” I said rather awkwardly. It wasn’t that I couldn’t make friends or anything like that, but I wasn’t very sociable. Maybe it was my upbringing or the fact that I had been abandoned by my parents. Aunt Eloise had done everything she could for me and I loved her for it, but I wasn’t sure I would fit right in with Marcia’s friends. I had a feeling they were outgoing and loud. I wasn’t.

“I can’t wait…and speaking of…let me send you the address,” she said distractedly. My phone buzzed with her text, but I ignored it since our food had arrived. I was famished. We continued to chat about everything and nothing as we devoured our burgers and fries. We talked about movies and books. We talked about school and studies. We talked about work, and we even gossiped about other employees. Overall, I had fun. But when she dropped me off at home, I suddenly felt nervous, and a spark of fear seemed to claw its way inside of me. I tried to push those feelings away, but it almost felt hopeless. Like something bad was going to happen.