NIGHTS OF HALLOW

The time the villagers spent in the market was cut short because of the sudden invitation to the hallow ball. It became the most discussed topic among the villagers.

Those invited were head over heels because of it. Every household invited showed off the invitation to people that were not invited in an attempt to make them envious of them. Among them were Mrs. Perkin and Mrs. Williams the village gossipers who behaved as if the king invited them to eat with him.

While the people were happy and jubilating because of the hallow ball, Perdita was still annoyed because of it. Her face was gloomy through the days’ sale. Immediately the evening came, she closed her stall and headed to the house of Mr. Malphus.

She had told her brother about the advanced pills Mr. Malphus spoke about, and Marco had asked her to buy some of them. They wanted to check how the pill was and know if they would take it or if they would continue taking the one they had been buying for a long time.

With Marco working at the construction site, it left Perdita to go there alone to buy the pills when she closed for the day.

Now the market has closed and the excited villagers had gone back to their homes, while some still lingered around. Perdita hung her bag across her shoulders and strutted towards the alley that led to Malphus’s house.

The alley today seemed to be darker than the former days she had passed through there. Even the owls that perched atop the trees in the nearby forest with their howls filling the night, seemed to have gone into hiding. Perdita shoved the feeling aside as she marched forward. Her green eyes fearlessly watched every step she took.

Meanwhile, as Perdita walked in the front, she was unaware that someone was following her. The person was none other than Mr. Perkin.

Ever since the discovery of the pill that happened in the house of Mr. Lucas, the medieval apothecary, Perkin had vowed to follow Perdita and expose her, not knowing he had taken the wrong pills with him that day.

He couldn’t allow his wife to take the blame for what someone else did. This was why he discreetly followed her when he saw her heading towards the road that led to the alley. He wondered what she was going there to do again today. Maybe to take more pills from the old man. Was she planning to go out with another man? Hmmph! Such an insolent woman shouldn’t be living in this village. Perkin chastised in his heart.

Meanwhile, in the forest of Woodbridge, Sthena and Daemon walked side by side while also heading to the house of Mr. Malphus. Today was the day Malphus told them the pills would be delivered to him. And Sthena wanted to catch the people behind the production of the blood pills.

Under the evening clouds, where darkness was rapidly enveloping the kingdom, the feet of these four people all marched towards the house of Mr. Malphus with different determined goals in their hearts.

Perdita was the first to arrive in the house of Mr. Malphus. She knocked twice on the door and waited for Mr. Malphus to open the door.

Shortly, the door was slightly opened and Mr. Malphus popped his gray head out of the door. He seemed to have aged more in the past two days Sthena and Daemon visited him. And now, he couldn’t help but be more careful of whom he let into his house.

His old wrinkled face turned surprised on seeing Perdita at the door. The surprised look on his face turned to a frown and worry. She shouldn’t be here on this day, Malphus panicked. Today was the day the pills will be delivered to him. He didn’t want Perdita seeing those men or them seeing Perdita.

Perdita who stood at the door watching old Malphus held a look of worry on her face. She mistook the look on Mr. Malphus’s face as she thought the man was not well in health.

”Mr. Malphus, are you alright?” Perdita inquired in a worried tone.

The voice of Perdita jolted Malphus out of his thoughts. He jumped in shock and fear, and he almost lost his balance.

”Perdita child, w...what are you doing h...here” Malphus nervously whispered while looking around to see if anyone was coming or watching them.

Perdita narrowed her eyes at Malphus. He was behaving strangely ”Is anything the matter? Are you sick?” Perdita ignored his question and continued questioning him.

Malphus realizing his mistake took a step back. He nervously coughed and his grip on his walking stick tightened around it.

”Aye, child, everything is good. Please come in”

Perdita adjusted the bag hung across her shoulders and murmured a thank you before stepping inside.

Malphus immediately closed the door after Perdita walked in. For the last few days, he hadn’t been going out like he normally did. Not when two vampires visited his house and shook his soul with their interrogations.

Outside the house, Perkin returned to his usual position where he could see and hear what was happening inside the house of Malphus. He brought a wooden chair he saw outside closer to the window before climbing on it to watch.

Perdita walked around the room with Malphus following her which she found unusual. He was behaving like he was afraid or did something happen to him? Perdita questioned in her mind while silently observing Malphus.

”Mr. Malphus, I came...”

”What brought you here...?”

Perdita and Malphus simultaneously spoke at the same time.

Perdita wanted to talk about the pills she came to get, while Malphus was ardent about knowing why Perdita came to his house, forgetting he had told her about the advanced pills.

The way Malphus was questioning her, asking what she was doing in his house made Perdita more suspicious.

Perdita gently smiled at Malphus and answered his burning question ”I came here for the advanced pills you talked about, Mr. Malphus”

Malphus’s brows rose in utter surprise as he looked at Perdita before realization hit him.

”Ah! The p...pills, I’m sorry but it is not available right now. Come back another day”

Perdita nodded her head, noticing how Malphus was trying to shoo her away immediately. Instead of leaving, Perdita dawdled around in the house wanting to know what was bothering Malphus. After all, the old man had helped both her and her brother a lot in the past.

As she stayed there while making small talk with Malphus, while the man was subtly telling her to go home. She didn’t know she was drawing trouble to herself, because as minutes passed, Sthena and Daemon came closer to the house.

Also, away from the house, the feet of four men carrying black bags on their backs drew closer to the house of Mr. Malphus. They were none other than the men sent to deliver the pills to Mr. Malphus.

”Did you meet with any vampires recently?” Malphus suddenly asked Perdita who turned around in surprise at the sudden question.

”If encountering one or two of them on my way is it, then yes, I saw some vampires recently”

Perkin still peeping inside the room while hearing bits and pieces of the conversation between Perdita and Malphus glued his ear against the window at the mention of a vampire.

”Why do you ask? Did something happen?” Perdita carefully questioned.

”Ehm...” Malphus scratched his head before saying in a low voice ”There were some vampires who came here demanding the pills. So I was wondering if you met them and told them about it”

Perdita frowned at the words of Malphus ”Why would I tell them about the pills? Telling someone about it would be me exposing myself and my brother that we are vampires” Her green eyes squinted as she spoke with a slightly raised voice which made Perkin hear what she said.

Mr. Malphus wronged his free hand on his trousers feeling nervous as more minutes passed. He lightly laughed and whispered ”Of course, I know you wouldn’t. I was just asking to know if you told t...”

Bang! Bang!! Bang!!!

The words of Malphus died down as they heard the loud banging on the door. Fear enveloped his dilated black eyes as he gazed at the closed door that was being knocked on.

They are here!