Crimson and Furs

Lucky Day

It was a few minutes near closing and Daniel was already prepared to escape. Immediately the bell rang, he would make a dash for it. This time he wouldn't be taken a bend through Crimson Woods which was at the back of the garden. Sometimes he wondered why a school would be so close to a deadly woods like that. Well there was a fence separating Crimson Woods from Crimson High School but Daniel felt that wasn't enough. What would a solid fence do to an evil spirit which wanted to get through into the school? Absolutely nothing.

As his mind brought up escape plans for him, Felicia was busy chatting him up. She was busy flipping her expensive smartphone in front of him, talking non-stop.

"Lady Licia, a noble child doesn't talk this much," Daniel muttered to himself as he resisted the urge to do a facepalm. Here he was trying to escape those bullies and here was Felicia distracting him with talks. Inasmuch he was crushing on this girl, he loved his life more. As a timid person it was also natural for him to have a sense of self protection. Well, that'd be known as selfishness by the world (but who cares!).

Not wanting to make Felicia feel bad, he looked at what she was showing him. It was a research about a city existing on an island only one hundred miles from Crimson Springs. The name of the city was Moon City, another city within Canada just like Crimson Springs. It had been confirmed that night descended on this city earlier than other parts of the world. Hence it got the name Moon City. Moreover it was rumoured that supernatural creatures were rampant in this city. Several Lycanthrope sitings had been made in various parts of the city in broad daylight.

"Moon City?" Daniel was a bit skeptical as he had never heard about this city. How could a city have such a time difference despite being in the same country like Crimson Springs? And to think that it was night right now in Moon City made him all the more skeptical.

"What? You don't believe it?" Felicia asked, seeing through the skepticism. She saw that his dark brown eyes were narrowed.

"Exactly," Daniel replied. "Time differences occur between countries and not cities of the same country."

You don't know about time then, Felicia wanted to retort but she didn't say anything. Instead she said, "My dad has been there on several occasions for business purposes and confirmed it."

"What business purpose," Daniel muttered under his breathe. Actually this was something he was supposed to say inwardly but as a habit of his, he muttered the words.

"Dad went to meet up with Viscount Luther, a very renowned noble in Moon City," Felicia said. "He's the wealthiest in Moon City and owns several companies across Canada. One of his company is in Crimson Springs."

"..."

Why say so much? Daniel was momentarily speechless. I didn't ask the question so why are you giving a detailed description?

"Is Viscount Luther richer than your dad?" Daniel asked as he had never heard of Viscount Luther before. Doesn't that sound like a vampire name? Daniel couldn't help but think inwardly. He had done a through research on vampire names and knew most of their names. He quickly dismissed the thought as humans also answered that name.

Felicia stared at him for some moments without saying any word. It was as if she was saying, "Hey, that's an inappropriate question."

Daniel soon noticed the silence and knew that he had asked an inappropriate question. According to nobles, questions like these were inappropriate.

Lady Licia, how was I supposed to know that the question would be inappropriate? Daniel asked inwardly. It's not as if I'm a noble child.

Felicia soon broke out into a laughter to Daniel's amusement. A while ago she was giving him an oppressive look and now she was laughing as if she saw a clown. Honestly, he couldn't follow this lady's train of thoughts.

Felicia cleared her throat and said, "Although both my dad and Viscount Luther are viscounts, Viscount Luther is wealthier."

"Your father is a viscount," Daniel muttered to himself. "How do I address him? Viscount Dwayne?"

Dwayne was Felicia's surname. He had known her father's name by having a peek at her notebook. None of the teachers dared call Felicia by her surname so it was unknown to several people who didn't know who her father was.

"It's said the area around Moon City is covered by a dense fog," Felicia said as she slid her fingers across the screen of the smartphone, displaying several pictures of the city.

Isn't this a little too eerie? Daniel's heart almost leaped as he looked at the pictures. The feeling he got from staring at those pictures was the same as the feeling he got back then when he was petrified at Crimson Woods. What if the two are connected? What if here are actually supernatural creatures there as well?

"One day I'd go to Moon City with dad," Felicia smiled dreamily. "Probably I'd have a chance to meet Orpheus Luther."

"..."

Daniel's expression almost transformed into one of extreme envy as he stared at the smartphone, hoping to see the socalled Orpheus Luther whom Felicia wanted to see. Was he handsomer than him? Was he as tall as he was? Was he more intelligent?

He didn't dare make any strength comparisons as he felt he was weaker than an average human. Very weak. A baby could throw power punches than him.

Seeing his look, Felicia said, "Orpheus Luther is the only son of Viscount Luther. He's a noble child and is rumoured to be extremely gorgeous with red long hair and red eyes. His eyes are even rumoured to be hypnotic."

Daniel's facial muscles twitched with envy as he asked in an unusual tone, "Where do you get the information about Orpheus from?"

"From my dad and other noble children who have been to Moon City," Felicia said. "Wanna here the strange news?"

"What?" Daniel asked.

"They're all madly in love with Orpheus."

"..."

Daniel suddenly became ashamed of his looks. Even though he was considered very handsome, he hadn't made so many girls to even have a crush on him much more to even fall directly in love with him. This made him wish that Orpheus would never come to Crimson Springs to begin school at Crimson High School. That would be a disaster for him. He feared that even Felicia would fall in love with the noble child.

The bell rang and immediately Daniel dashed out of the classroom after bidding farewell to the puzzled Felicia. He didn't bet on her bouncers to give him any protection as he felt they wouldn't even allow him near Felicia again. They had obviously had enough of a middle-class lowlife like me.

"Sorry, sorry," Daniel would say without turning back or stopping when he brushed past somebody or bumped into them. He was running very fast so that Walter and his four mean friends wouldn't catch up with him.

To his surprise he made his way out of the school without encountering those bullies. He couldn't help but turn his head to look back as he wondered what happened to them. Why didn't they chase him?

It was not as if he wanted the bullies to chase him. No, that wasn't the case. He was very suspicious of the whole thing. Walter had threatened to deal with him so why wasn't he here? When things appeared to be harmless, one must be careful of danger. And that was what Daniel had in his mind as he continued running.

He was several meters away from the school when he remembered something and stopped in his tracks. He had forgotten his bicycle! How could he forget his bicycle of all things?!

He quickly turned and ran back to school. By the time he reached the spot where he had locked his bicycle, he was sweating profusely. Beads of sweat trickled down his face, dropping to the ground while his white polo clung to his chest and torso like a sticky fluid.

He hopped on his bicycle and scanned the area for Felicia but there was no sign of her. Her limousine and entourage were gone.

"Such a rich kid," he muttered to himself and pedaled the bicycle very fast from the school onto a street he was very familiar with. He didn't take the highway since there was so much traffic there. He didn't want to be trapped in a traffic jam and then have Walter grab him from behind and make away with him to an unknown place. Even though people saw them, they would all mind their businesses and not say a thing. Moreover, who hadn't seen kids playing pranks with each other? It was such a healthy practice and a usual thing for them to see.

"Indeed," Daniel said as his feet moved very fast, his right thumb pressing the bell occasionally so that people would get out of the way.

Ring! Ring! Ring!

He heard several bicycle bells ringing at the same time. He checked to see if he was the one ringing the bell but he wasn't. He looked at the mirrors at the hand bars of his bicycle and saw five reflections cast in them. They were Walter and his bullies chasing him on their bicycles.

"Shit!" Daniel cussed in fear as his whole body began shaking. "When did they get bicycles from?!"

He knew Walter and his gang were up to no good so he believed they had probably tolled the bicycles from somewhere. He couldn't help but pity the people who had gotten their bicycles stolen by them.

"Get your fat ass off the road or I'd crush you beneath these tyres!" Walter yelled at someone as he pedalled his bicycle very fast. He and his friends began closing up on Daniel.

Daniel soon brought his experience as a bicyclist into play as he exerted strength into his legs and pedaled fast. Years of riding this bicycle had made him a powerful rider and a fast one as that. The way he pedaled the bicycle doubled and he soon got away from the bullies who were closing up on him.

"Damn!" Walter yelled at his bully friends. "He's getting away!"

Honk!

The horn of a truck blared out as the vehicle pulled out several meters in front of Daniel. If ten more seconds passed, this truck would block Daniel and prevent him from escaping!

Daniel's feet became faster and faster, moving like a blur as he pedalled towards the truck. By now the driver was shouting at him to brake but he didn't care.

Screech!

The bicycle tyres kissed the ground, dust flying off the concrete surface as Daniel turned the hand bars of the bicycle and swerved right through the tiny space left before the truck eventually closed up the space and blocked Walter and his bully friends. It took Daniel two seconds to swerve past the incoming truck or he would no doubt have been crushed if he had delayed any longer.

As he got a safe distance from Walter and his bully friends, he pulled over and turned back. He could see the driver yelling words at him—words that he couldn't hear. He couldn't see Walter and his friends since the truck was already blocking their passage.

He heaved a sigh of relief and wagged his right middle finger at the driver before pedalling his bicycle to another street. How was it his fault that the truck almost crushed him? It was Walter and his friends that needed to be blamed.

He then thought about the incident and cringed. What if he had been crushed by the truck? That would been the end of his life and career. Walter and his friends would be out there, happy for his death. Walter would no doubt get back with his ex.

Recalling everything, he couldn't help but smile through his fear as he said, "Today is truly my lucky day."

He had escaped today from Walter and his bully friends. What about tomorrow or the next or the day after that? How was he gonna escape? Is this how he would be running away from Walter and his bully friends till school let out?

He couldn't help but sigh as he continued riding his bicycle. Let tomorrow take care of itself.