I sit silent at the top of the stairs. It's morning, after both Scarlett and I slept in the same bed together, myself wrapped in her arms. She wanted to talk to her dad how she wants me to be with her forever, so she's gone down the stairs of her mansion, myself eavesdropping.

"Daddy!"

"Oh, hey sweetheart!" Her dad goes to hug her. "Did Gavin try to hurt you?"

"No, daddy. He actually told me that last night was the first night in a while that he hasn't had a nightmare! He feels safe with me!" Scarlett's voice drips with excitement.

Her dad sighs. "I have told you, time and again. Do. Not. Forget."

Scarlett looks down at the ground as she finishes his sentence presumably. "Humans are dangerous beasts that seek to destroy our kind."

"That's my girl!" He picks her up into a big hug. "Humans are good at putting on a front. They can pretend to accept us as much as they want, but it could all be a big lie."

"Then why the party?" Scarlett snaps back.

"Because one way or another, we're celebrating the sunset of a new era... whether that's humans accepting vampires or vampires eradicating humans, we are now free..."

"I think you're being too harsh, daddy. If anything, humans are small, weak and easy to manipulate! You really think they'd try fighting back?" Scarlett scoffs.

"Dumb ones might" I interject. "But ever since the news of vampires existing came out, they were found to be hiding everywhere, with several humans already knowing of their existence but choosing to keep it quiet. Most people will know that if vampires wanted to, we'd be gone already!"

Scarlett and her dad stare at me. Scarlett speaks first. "I thought I locked the door!"

"You did. I'm a pretty good lockpick. I know what your father thinks about humans, so when you said you were going to talk to him, I got scared..."

"And you're now fine? After hearing our chat?" The dad raises an eyebrow.

"Depends. Are you willing to give humans a chance? Nothing good will come out of you attacking them, I promise." I look directly into his eyes.

He shakes his head. "I lost my wife to a human... it's hard for me to trust your kind..."

"People will kill other people. They'll abuse animals and children. Women are sometimes violated. Humans as a species are just bad. It's not personal."

The vampire chuckles. "That's a strange way to try and convince me to trust your kind. Telling me that you're all just monsters. I'd assume you're not an 'evil human'?"

"Cross my heart. What can I do to prove it?" I look at him hopefully.

He walks over to a door in the wall and opens it, revealing all sorts of 'anti-human gear'. He pulls out what looks like a chastity belt, as well as what looks like some sort of blood-pressure pump? "What do you think of my daughter?"

"Oh, she's lovely and sweet... though possessive..."

"Eh, don't take that to heart, you're probably the first human who she's been able to get near while they knew she was there. I never understood her obsession with humans, but she often told me the first human male to trust her would belong to her. On that note, I'm giving you a choice: you leave my mansion and never come near me or my daughter again, or you're my daughter's mate for life. Make your choice."

I look at the belt and pressure pump on the ground. I notice Scarlett trying to contain her excitement as she holds the potion that would allow me to live forever. I contemplate my options.

"I... I want to get to know your daughter more before I make any decisions..."

The dad smirks. "Right, humans 'date', don't they? Around here vampires just all know each other... regardless, you like my daughter, she's already attached to you... why do you insist on waiting?"

"What if I say 'yes' and it turns out we don't get along as 'mates'?" I fire back. Risky, but I have to try something.

He strokes his chin. "You're living with Grit's family currently, aren't you?" I nod. "If I give you time, you won't leave?"

I realise I had never thought about if I want to go back to the city. I dismiss the thought quickly. "No, I won't leave town."

"Good. I'm sure you'll be seeing a lot more of my daughter." He winks at me.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

This story is a part of my series, My Roommate is a Vampire. Please check it out!

[removed]

"Have you?"

I can feel him roll his eyes at me. He's an eye-roller. He has been since before we met; his mother told me so. It's cute, sometimes. Other times it's very satisfying, because it means I'm getting his goat.

"I suppose there's no point in telling you you've made that same crack a million times before," he says.

This is the part where "Have I?" would be cheap and easy. I'm not cheap and easy. He's earned everything he's gotten, and he will continue to do so for as long as we're together.

"No, I suppose not," I reply. "Quite the conundrum. You do know the definition of insanity, though?"

"As much as you know that no quantized bit of spacetime is identical to any other."

"Oh? Do I?" I do. I'm majoring in chemistry, but every nerdy girl knows some little tidbits of pop science. They're a good way to bridge the gap between us and the normies.

My Ralphie's not a normie, though. He's a different kind of nerd. He loves that I can play with him. Our little games are fun - so fun, in fact, that I genuinely can't remember what I'm not supposed to be forgetting, over and over. Perhaps it's that key to his dorm room that I'm not supposed to have. That could get either or both of us in trouble. I suppose it's okay that he's taking it so seriously. I should look for it today.

He huffs, marking strike two. I smile to try to placate him. "It seems to me that my terrible memory rather cuts against the relevance of that statement. At best, I'm stuck in a moment. At worst, I'm forgetting more and more. While the latter means I'm still changing, it suggests a form of ultra-insanity that you're doing the same thing over and over again when you reasonably ought to expect a worse result every time."

There's a silence. I wasn't expecting that.

"And you know, I'm just not sure I can marry a man who's ultra-insane. I only signed up for the regular octane."

I rub the ring. Hrm. Odd. It feels very thick... and the tiny stone is off center. Ah well. It's not like I care much about jewelry anyway. Ralphie spent too much. It's nice that "too much," for me, was not very much. I want us to spend money on other things - more important things. We'll have a house. We'll have children. The wedding, well, that's another thing I don't really care much about.

I hear Ralphie get out of his chair. I get a little excited. He's coming over to either scold me or kiss me. It's never both. The game continues, or it ends. We have fun. I just worry about his parents. Surely, they'll be coming home soon. They're very nice people, but not the type who are okay with their son and his fiance cavorting around on their furniture.

I feel his hand on my shoulder. The touch is soft - almost shaking, actually. He must want to end the game. I'm going to get a kiss.

An old man slowly kneels in front of me. Ralphie's father? Uncle?

"I'm sorry," I say. "What's going on? I didn't realize anyone else was home. Where's Ralphie? Where's my Ralphie?"

"I'm right here," the old man says. "And I'm sorry, Annie. I shouldn't keep saying it. It's selfish. But it's time for your medicine, and then dinner, and then a bath. We have to get started. It takes a long time to end our days, these days."

"I... I don't..." I feel the ring again. It's two rings. I don't want to look down, but I do anyway. Those aren't my hands. They're wrinkly. They're old. But also, there's a wedding band below my engagement ring. Oh, my. I am so happy, so sad, and so scared, all at once.

"Ralphie," I ask, "what have I forgotten?"

"Not that I love you," he says, "or that you love me."

The voice is still Ralphie's. It becomes clear the moment I look away. It's not just about the sounds, you see. It's about the emotions. Ralphie's father thinks I'm delightful, but he doesn't love me like that. Ralphie's uncle... well, I'm not quite sure whether he has one or not.

I'm vaguely aware of the fact that he's lying to me - not about who he is, but about how precious things will endure. I smile, I think. I can't help it. I'm always having silly little thoughts - thoughts like, Well, I suppose almost everything must be, then. A lie, that is.

"No... never that," I reply.

It feels good to say it. It feels like a little game. I don't know if I want him to kiss me, though. I don't think I want this game to end.

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My hand wrapped around dark rubber and metal, finger stuck to cold steel. I'm in... somewhere dark, somewhere new? As I come to my realisation. I have no idea where I am and what I'm do-The door behind me breaks open with force as a tall silhouette with a deep voice states, "There's no body, explains the lack of a gunshot"

"What?" I ask, confused.

"He did it again, didn't he?" He moves past my question.

"Who? Did what? Where am I and who the f-"

Two large hands clasp each side of my head, my eyes adjusting to the dark as his gray mustache and steel rimmed aviator glasses peer into view. "You can see me, but you have no clue who I am do you? He got you good." he enjoys a chuckle at my confused expense.

He lifts an image of a beautiful South Asian woman with a gentle smile and bright eyes, the same eyes that bore into my soul after a bullet did the same to her skull, my wife. My dead wife. Before I instinctively swing I remember her killer, the media dubbed him 'Puppet'. After he did the deed he took a second to realise. He graciously let me know he didn't mean to do it, he had no control over his actions. He was hypnotized. I only asked if he knew what he was doing, his eyes said no before his mouth, the only thing that stopped him speaking was the introduction I made from my knife to his gullet.

Looking at the photo I gingerly slip into my top pocket wishing I was dreaming but out it came, the puppeteer. An aged, mono-browed face with greying hair and a beard a only a modern magician would wear.

Without even looking at Rich I turned immediately in the direction Professor Jilter ran, we're high up and that fire escape goes nowhere. I finally have that bastard, I finally have him. As I clamber out the window I'm met with a green glow swishing from left to right, a cornered jilt-

That sweet beautiful music, her hair is so beautiful as she dances in that gorgeous white dress. Definitely coming off later toni-

A gunshot rings in my ear as this old washed up magician drops on the ground, his mono-brow split by a hold, my stomach can't handle this. My dinner tries it's return as I turn around and see her.

Rich stares at me checking if I remember, when he sees I do he tells me.

"I have told you. Time and time again. Do. Not. Forget. You're lucky we got him this time."

"You got him, Rich. I only wish I got to him first." I spoke, slightly dejected.

"We both took revenge, you just got justice" he says with a reassuring smile.

"Chinese?" He asks as he turns away.

"Chinese." I affirm, following him.