Nightfall by Pranay Javeri (best books to read for self development txt) 📖

every damn direction. The sunlight was coming through the small gaps between the trees. The temperature was comparatively low in here.

I tried to get up and come back to consciousness but all in vain. I had wounds all over my bare body. My clothes had torn due to my great fall in the woods through the trees. I moved my head a little in the opposite direction from where I was looking before. Behind me, I saw my hot balloon totally destroyed due to the fall. There was nobody to help me. I tried to shout for help but I didn't have much energy left. I don't even have any idea of from how many days I have been here lying in the dense forest surrounded by thick and tall trees from all directions. Suddenly, I started feeling dizzy and my vision started blur once again. I tried to stay awake but in another few seconds, I blacked out...

The temperature had fallen down. I suppose it was 10-11℃.  The pain in my body had lessened by now but the surprising thing was that the wound on my forehead, it not only had healed but also there was no mark of wound. I saw that the ground was farther than before as if I was floating in air but then I realized that someone was holding me. I tried to trace the face of the person holding me but it was near to impossible due to my blurred vision.

I think the direct hit on head had affected my vision somehow. It was dark and the thin rays of sunlight that were coming through the gaps between the trees had disappeared by now. Maybe it was night by the time I woke up. I moved a little to see the face of the person who was holding me. It was all blur and also he had covered his face with a black cloth so I was only able to make out his complexion and eyes as they weren't covered with cloth. He had fair complexion almost white. I further tried to trace the way to his eyes and when I saw his eyes, a shiver of terror crossed my spine and I was frightened at the moment.

The eyes of the person holding me were blue and they were shining like a blue light although there was no sunlight. They were the same eyes like of the person whom I saw behind the maple tree and also at Jake's vacation house. In all----------------he was a vampire!

I struggled to free myself from his hold but I was far too exhausted to even fight for myself. I suppose this is the end for me but I'm not going to give up so early. So I tried again and again but he was way far powerful than I have ever imagined he would be. All my trying had lead me to nothing else but a blackout once again...

Really I'm fed up of getting blacked out again and again... The moment I struggle mentally or physically, I black out. I think my head really needs a lot of rest or there is surely some big problem. By the way where am I? I looked all around me. This time the surroundings were familiar. It wasn't trees but a roof and lights around me. I had a blurred vision but it soon faded off and I saw Millicent and my friends surrounding me. Also my father was standing in a circle. Suddenly someone stroked my hairs. I felt the warmth of the hands. I moved my head to see who it was. I felt a slight pain in my neck but I was able to move my neck. My mother was sitting beside me with tears in her eyes. I know she was a lot worried and shocked by this incident. Not only my mom but my friends too were shocked by this incident. I could make out from the awestruck and sad faces. I tried to move a little higher to wish everybody but it looked impossible for me. My mother kept hands on my shoulders and gave me slight push and said," Iris, dear. You should rest till the doctor comes and checks you."

"But Mom..." I was cut off by Millicent," Iris you better do what aunt's telling you to do or I will..."

"Or what will you do Millicent?" I retorted although I had no strength left. But in reality I really don't need reason and strength as well to have an argument with my smartass sister. But my mind was quickly grasped by the thought of the vampire who saved me. I was shocked to be alive and having fun with my family and friends. Never thought------- I would ever have the opportunity to tell everybody about my horrific experience. The most shocking thing was that why did he save me? I would have been a great dinner for him although my blood is a little bitter to taste at the beginning but the aftertaste is surely sweet, I know. Wait! What in the world am I thinking about my blood's taste? Why am I acting or rather thinking like a cook of a restaurant of vampires where I make blood with different flavors and taste? Gross! Something really wrong has happened with my brain. When I should be thinking of my survival and the vampire that saved me, I'm thinking about the taste of my blood. If anyone could have read my thoughts then he would have admitted me to a mental asylum by now. Iris you're again going to the wrong track. You should be thinking about the vampire. How am I alive?-Who brought me here?-Why did he save me?-He would have killed me?-But he didn't-But why?

Is he my---------ANGEL or something like that? Or I had mistaken him to be a---------------THREAT? But everybody says that he is a threat to our kind. He is like an Evil Angel to me. One who protects me but can't control the animal inside him. Whom should I believe? Such questions began to arise in my mind and my mind wasn't able to take that much pressure and I'm fed up of saying that but I blacked out soon enough once again...

Something sharp pricked my hand and that brought me back to my consciousness. I saw a doctor sitting beside me with a syringe in his hand which he had just pricked me. He said to my mom," I have given her a dose of pain killer so that the pain in her body would lessen by tomorrow. Also don't forget to give her the medicines that I have prescribed. They are to heal any internal bleeding or injury. So, now I take your leave. Just inform me if you need any help and also inform me about her condition tomorrow."

The doctor left and then my mother came near me and stroked my hair and then placed a slight kiss on my forehead. Really I don't need medicines to heal myself instead the love and care of my mother enough to heal me. I asked her in a low voice," Mom, what is the time? Also what is the date and day?"

 My mom replied," Today is Monday, 23rd of January and the time is 9:00 pm. Your friends are going to come tomorrow morning to meet you. After sometime I'll bring dinner for you so don't sleep."

She got up from the bed to leave but I hold her hand and asked," Mom, what did the doctor say? Am I alright?"

 She replied with a smile on her face," Iris, you're fine. Nothing's wrong with you."

 "So why do you look so tensed up?" I asked.

She replied," It's just that... The doctor said that you were totally fine and it was a miracle that you were alive because no one survives such a big tornado. It was shocking."

Then she left but her words echoed in my ears because I know I wouldn't have been alive if he wouldn't have saved me. A wild animal would have eaten me or my body would have desiccated in the forest for years till anybody would have found it.

After sometime, mom came with my dinner. We were still in Jake's vacation house and were going to leave tomorrow for our town Gawler as our schools were going to re-open soon. This was the last year of high school. I was excited. I ate my food and then took my medicines. Mom went after wishing goodnight with a goodnight kiss on my forehead. Mom went and switched off the lights.

While lying on my bed, I was just thinking about my EVIL ANGEL. By the way it's a nice name for him. I was not at all feeling sleepy because I already had taken a big nap so I decided to write something. So I started writing a poem for him. I didn't keep a personal diary because I never committed a diary but I sometimes wrote some poems which described my state of mind or my day. So I started writing the poem in my messy handwriting not as bad as that compared to Arthur.....

 

The Evil Angel

 

I walk alone beneath the midnight sky

 

Watching cars pass me by

 

Watching me from far away

 

A strange man I see every day

 

I do not know his name or face

 

But I see him place after place

 

I do not move, and hope he doesn’t see

 

That there is no one here, just him and me

 

He makes his way over with a limp in his walk

 

I begin to wonder if he will talk

 

The strange man gets close, but I can’t see his face

 

There's no one near---not even a trace.

 

His hand made a slow and awakening touch

 

Making my blood alarmingly rush

 

I yelled stop at the top of my lungs

 

But what happened next tied up my tongue

 

He did things that I can’t even explain

 

And how I wish I could forget this day.

 

But questions about him haunted me.....

 

I wrote a poem on him and I felt as if a burden was taken off from my heart. Then I yawned and felt sleepy. Maybe it was the effect of medicines I took.

"Good Morning, Iris." screamed all my friends and I woke up rubbing my eyes to watch all my friends in front of me with flowers, balloons and a cake as if today it was my birthday.

"Guys, today is not my birthday. My birthday is on October 28 and not on January 24."

"Iris, we know that please don't ruin the moment and better look a little surprised and happy. Do you get it?" ordered Stella at once.

 I followed and exclaimed," Oh My God! You guys planned a surprise party for me. You all are so great. I'm really lucky to have friends like you all-------except Ian."

"Okay. It was a little better but you are still bad at acting." said Ian with a smirk. I was just cursing him in my mind.

"Let it be, Iris. How are you, now?" asked Millicent with concern.

"Never better, Millicent. I'm healthy as a horse ready to kickass."

"You will never behave properly, Iris." said Rhys with a chuckle and I joined him.

I looked at the cake they had brought--------------it was Swiss chocolate cake on which it was written in bold handwriting with white icing:

For Second Life

 

'Thanks to my Evil Angel ' I thought in my mind.

"So, when is your university going to re-open?" I asked Millicent.

She smirked," It's reopening on 31st of January." Millicent was in the third year of university. She went to 'University Of Adelaide.' It was near our town and my school was a part of the big institution. My high school's name was Adelaide High School. Next I was going to enroll for 'University of Adelaide too. Also some of