Chapter 8
"William, I'm tired. Can we continue my story tomorrow?" asked Stella with a yawn. "Foxes need sleep like humans, don't they?"
William glanced at the clock on the wall above Stella. It was already one o'clock in the morning. It was so fast for the older man as his mind was still digesting the stories one by one brought by the little girl before him. However, he couldn't stand Stella's tired face that occasionally yawned while scratching her head. William got up and told Stella to sleep in his son's room.
"You can sleep here," William ordered when Stella entered the room, dominated by pink and pony decorations.
Those two different colored eyes traced every object there and caught a picture frame lying on the table next to several books in the right corner. The smell of rose perfume with a hint of vanilla seduces Stella's senses. The scent of William's late son still lingers even though the room's owner has died. The girl's thin hands grabbed a photo frame with William and his family plastered on it; then she turned to look at the grim expression on the owner's face.
"Your daughter is beautiful, William," Stella complimented sincerely. "Your wife, too. You're lucky to have them."
William's lips were tightly closed, holding back the turmoil of sadness that could explode at any time; the clear crystals in the eyelids of the twilight were struggling. But in the end, he could only nod his head in agreement with Stella's words. Without many words, the older man immediately closed the door, walked to his room, and wished he could meet his wife and daughter in the dream world.
The next day, William cooked several breakfast menus that he had never actually done in his life. The smoke that filled the kitchen with the burnt smell of the omelets made him cough. Turning off the fire, William lifted the omelet onto the plate and scratched his head in confusion. He cursed his stupidity. He should have used the drive-thru service and ordered food effortlessly like this. However, Stella's presence reminds her of the late Jessica and makes her want to show her skills, even if she fails miserably.
Stella appeared as her pointy nose sniffed out a charcoal-like scent. He was surprised that William's furniture looked like a broken ship. The girl thought, do all humans have such a habit?
"Good morning, Stella," William greeted as he cleared his kitchen utensils into the sink.
Stella nodded. "Good morning. Why are you cooking charcoal?" Stella asked with an innocent face, making William's cheeks blush.
For a moment, the man chuckled. "I'm sorry. It's not charcoal but an omelet."
Tilting her head while puffing out her cheeks, Stella said, "Omelette? What's that?"
William couldn't help but laugh so hard that his tears came out. He had forgotten that this girl before him was no ordinary human. The man's right hand stretched out, pointing to a plate with two black omelets.
"Some kind of omelet dough with a few pieces of vegetables added," explained William, nodding at Stella's head even though it looked more like charcoal. "What did you eat, Stella?"
"Me?" pointed Stella to herself. "I like to eat fruit."
"Fruit? I thought you guys would eat meat," William chuckled. "I have some apples in the fridge over there."
"Refrigerator? What's that?" Stella frowned again.
William laughed again; he quickly forgot that Stella didn't know human life. Then he stepped closer to the refrigerator on his right and took three red apples that looked very fresh.
"A refrigerator is an object for storing food and drinks," he replied, giving the apple to Stella. "They keep it fresh longer and feel cold when you touch it."
The ginger-haired girl was surprised when her right hand received a cold fruit. "How can the fridge make these apples cold? Did you guys use magic?"
"Haha ... no. We use some freon so that the refrigerator can cool various ingredients."
"What is freon?" asked Stella while biting the apple; instantly, the sweet taste with a bit of sour and crunchy pampered her tongue. "I don't understand your language. Why are there so many weird terms?"
"Humans develop over time, Stella. They always make changes for the future. You will learn little by little. How about I send you to school?" William offered in the hope that Stella could mingle with human life.
"School? What is that?" Stella tilted her head; now she is interested in more advanced human life. Unfortunately, human progress has harmed other energies, such as the extinction of several animals, including their clans, which had been massacred to suppress populations.
"School is a place for humans to learn many things. You will get all kinds of new things about our world," answered William enthuenthusiastically
Stella looked into William's eyes while swallowing his food. "If I can get many new things from you, why must I attend school? Isn't it the same?"
William laughed. "I can't teach you everything. You need to make new friends your age, Stella."
The girl nodded even though she still had many questions in her head. However, suddenly, there was a sound of breaking from the front of the house. The two stared at each other, Stella's right index finger pressed against her lips, indicating William was silent. Remembering his awakening must have sparked something to come to where he was. From the scent of the uninvited guest, he could smell blood mixed with something rotten.
Damn, vampire!
"You bring it!" pointed Stella at the knife in the sink. "They are not human."
William's guts immediately sank after hearing the last sentence the little girl said. Many speculations and strange images run through his brain about the hat that the mist that disturbs the peace this morning looks like. If only it were teenagers' actions, William would complain to their parents. However, who would William complain to if 'they' weren't human?
"I'm hiding here," whispered Stella, pointing at the dining table behind her. The man nodded and then looked for the source of the sound while carrying a knife in his right hand.
How surprised William was that two humans with pale skin and red eyes were looking at him, scary. He gulped as he saw the shattered glass of his window smashed by a strange human with a large stone, also destroying Alice's favorite flower vase. In his mind, if humans weren't beasts, this knife would have stabbed them already. Unfortunately, the look in his red eyes was full of anger, indicating that William did not know whether he still had a chance to live against them.
Jesus! Am I going to die this quickly?