All Chapters of Vampire of the New World: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

On her way home after getting hired by Pablo, Flora reflected on what she had just been told inside the interview room. She knew that she should be happy for getting a job with good pay that also allowed her to live with her daughter. Finding a job had been more difficult lately because of the recent typhoon that destroyed the livelihood of many of the people of Cardena. Farms that grew rice and other crops were flooded while fruit-bearing trees were toppled down by the strong winds. Flora knew that many people were looking for a job and she was quite lucky to have been offered one. Surely, she could not let a good opportunity pass. Still, there was something heavy that weighed on her mind that kept on warning her to stay away from Orsica.Confused and very much worried about her future, Flora did what she always did whenever faced by big decisions and events in her life. She went to church.The church Flora went to was almost three centuries old and had withstood the

The moon had set somewhere beyond the horizon, making the darkness of the night sky almost absolute, if not for the sprinkling of stars that shone even brighter with the absence of the celestial disk. The air had grown much colder and Flora shivered in the darkness as she waited for the sun to rise. She sobbed softly, not quite knowing if she would survive the night. There was only the dawn and the light it brings that she looked forward to, hoping that it would bring her fresh hope and that against all odds, she would be able to return to her home in Cardena.  Flora remembered how barely two weeks ago, she was anxious as to how she could celebrate her daughter’s birthday who had just turned five. She blamed herself for falling hard for that selfish, lying scoundrel whom she called her husband. She had come to Malen many years ago to work as hired help for an old lady who was living off her savings and needed someone to stay and help her with her daily chores

Flora heard a metallic click as she pressed the padlock to the door of her home. She saw that Nadi was looking at her intently as if sensing her sadness at leaving the house. Flora forced a smile and took Nadi’s hand as they walked towards a small truck where Perlita was waiting. “Come on, Nadi! We’re going to our new home!” said Flora, swinging Nadi’s hand as she tried to be cheerful. Nadi looked down at the ground and allowed her mother to pull her towards the vehicle. “Look! Aunt Perlita’s here to see us off.”Nadi glanced at Perlita who was looking at her from the back of the truck. The truck was used to transport fish and other goods to and from Cardena but seats were installed for passengers at the back. Perlita’s brother lifted Nadi to the back of the truck where Perlita was waiting and then helped Flora get on. Nadi yawned, obviously sleepy after having only a few hours of sleep.&l

At the mention of the Devil’s Sea, Flora remembered stories about the area of the ocean east of Cardena known for mysterious disappearances of boats and other marine vessels. It no longer bothered her as much as it did when she was younger when Perlita would tell her scary stories during lunch break at school. Back then, Flora got too scared that she would find it difficult to sleep at night, hearing all the nocturnal noises and interpreting them as something more terrifying.One of the most prominent stories that she could recall was the strange disappearance of a research vessel sent by the government to conduct surveys in the area. It was manned by a small crew of scientists and loaded with their state-of-the-art equipment, but the vessel stopped transmitting messages shortly after entering the Devil’s Sea. The vessel was found several days later after an intensive search, but all of the crew were missing. The technical equipment were still on the boat and food

The cable car hovered above the treetops, suspended from a thick steel cable that extended from the dock to the mansion. The view of the sea was stunning and tiny islands dotted the seascape that gradually changed color from turquoise to deep blue. The mild breeze gently rocked the cable car as Nadi continued to point excitedly at the sea and the dock that slowly reduced in size as they ascended.Flora found Nadi’s excitement contagious and she tried to enjoy the ride with her. However, upon seeing the yacht from above along with its protruding ram, Flora could not help but imagine the plight of the fishermen who might have fallen victim to the speeding yacht.“You’re quiet. Aren’t you enjoying the scenery?” Eva asked Flora. “I only wish I had my phone with me so that I could capture this. Perhaps a selfie with that stunning view as my backdrop. My FB friends would die with envy,” Eva added. Flora remained quiet an