A MAZE OF GREED

Two young girls-neighbours- decided to go to the river for getting the water.

"Be careful and do not waste time in chattering and playing. Come home soon." Their mothers had warned them.

Rolling their eyes at their mothers' exaggerated care, they took two vessels each and started walking in the direction of the river.

Kinsville was a beautiful place with a large river that flew along its border and surrounded the Garfield mansion.

They walked, chatting animatedly about anything and everything. They became silent while passing the town roads. Fear was evident on their faces when some people looked in their way.

One of the girls named Lisa stumbled on a rock in her path. She lost her balance, and before her friend could help her, another hand came around her waist to steady her before she hit the ground.

Wide eyes, she exhaled a shaky breath of relief. She regained her balance and straightened up. She turned to thank the person who had helped her but as soon as she saw a boy with pale skin and dark eyes, her heart jumped in her throat.

She instinctively stepped back from him, but his hand draped around her waist did not let her.

"Erm... thank you for helping me. But you can let go of me now." She sounded desperate but tried to mask it.

The boy smiled at her that was beautiful yet cold.

"And what if I do not want to let go?" He challenged.

He knew she could not disobey him or counter back. She was a mere young woman who was no match to him.

"Please, let me go." She struggled to get away from him.

Lisa was disgusted with his touch, his gaze, his very existence. Her friend, as shocked as Lisa, grimaced, looking at how that boy tightened his hold around Lisa.

"Leave my friend!" She tried.

But he only smirked, even more, enjoying their fear.

Lisa's heart thudded at a fast pace while her eyes searched for help desperately.

"What is happening there?" They heard a loud voice from behind.

Lisa's heart fell in relief to see two guards of the Garfields coming in their way.

The corners of the boy's mouth turned downwards. He was only having some fun when he got interrupted.

"Thank God, you came. He was..."

"Nothing. Thank you for the help." Saying that Lisa's friend dragged her away from them.

"Why did you do that? I wanted to teach that fool a lesson." Lisa complained to her friend.

After they reached out of the men's earshot, Lisa's friend slowed down. "And how were you planning to do that? By complaining about him to the guards?"

"What else?!"

Lisa's friend shook her head disappointedly. "You were planning to ask for help against that boy to the ones who belonged to him?!

Lisa, you know who they are. They are not humans. We can not do anything to get their wrath." She tried talking some sense to Lisa.

But Lisa was angry. "How long we will lie like this, huh? Just because we are humans and are no match to those immortals does not mean we don't have a right to live our lives with dignity and respect.

We deserve the life that humans in other towns live. Think of Vincardine. We know that werewolves rule that town and many others. People there, are not even aware of the existence of those supernatural creatures.

Yet they are happy. They do not face daily troubles like us. They do not feel unsafe in their own town or homes. They can walk on the streets of Vincardine with no fear, especially young women.

And they do not get treated as slaves like us by the werewolves. They can choose any profession, give a try to their dreams, learn new things. But we can not do any of it.

And they certainly do not fall prey to the bloodthirsty creatures."

She was too frustrated and tired of living this life of slaves.

That was the harsh reality of Kinsville and one more thing that made the town different from other towns.

Humans existed in Kinsville only because those bloodthirsty creatures needed slaves for doing their chores and to serve their needs. One of the most important of those needs was quenching their thirst for blood.

And humans had no choice, but to do as they were ordered by their lords- the heartless Vampires.

Lisa's friend sighed sadly, sharing her thoughts. "I wish we have born in Vincardine or any other place but Kinsville." She hoped in vain.

"But we can escape to there." Lisa's eyes brightened at the idea.

"Are you out of your mind, Lisa? Who has put that idea into your head?" Her friend ridiculed her idea.

Lisa furrowed her brows. "What is wrong with my idea? Don't you want to escape this cage and fly like a free bird? I want to exlore this world. I want to see, learn and experience that I have never done before."

It was not only Lisa but every human living in Kinsville who wished for freedom from that cage made by their lords. In Kinsville, only vampires had a right to own the property, chose the way they wanted to spend their life.

They practically own everything in Kinsville, including human slaves. It had been this way for centuries. Many people, including the royals, had tried to mediate, but the vampires never paid any hid to their suggestions.

They eradicated those who tried to teach them. They lived as if they owned this world, and concerning Kinsville, they did. The humans that had remained in Kinsville, were the unfortunate souls who were stuck in this town for many generations to come.

"I know, Lisa. I also wish for the same. But some wish are not meant to get fulfilled and our freedom is one of them. We can not escape this cage, Lisa. You have to accept that."

They walked through the trees, crushing the branches and stones under their feet.

Lisa removed a protruding branch from her way and adjusted the two vessels she had in both her hands.

"No. I am not going to quit that easily. I will find a way, you just wait. I will escape this hell before I become a vampire's feast." Lisa said with determination.

Her friend chose to not react to that and just rolled her eyes. They walked further to enter a forest area. Its serene silence was something a poet would describe in a ballad, a painter would paint in his masterpiece, a writer would write a novel about.

They stopped after some time to see a burbling river cutting through the rocks, splashing her white and clear water on its banks and the bed.

Its sound was a sweet melody, and the picture-perfect scenery was amazing.

"I love this place!" Lisa exclaimed.

"Yes, it is beautiful but also dangerous. You know that." Her friend reminded her.

They walked near the river and found a good place where the water was clear and not too deep. They washed their vessels first, then filled them with the river water.

It was an evening time, but the Sun did not tired scintillating its rays on mother earth. Hence, they decided to spend some time in that peaceful isolation and enjoy their little freedom. Because once they went back to their homes, their mothers would not allow them to step a foot outside the door.

The nights in the Kinsville were brutal. The night creatures- the vampires took the liberty of roaming all over the land, and if they found a human around, their thirst would turn out to be life-threatening for those humans.

Both girls sat on the rock, dipping their legs in the cold river water. Their shoulders relaxed as their mind found a peace that they could never get in their town.

The silence was comfortable and not overbearing. Lisa noticed her friend's frown through the corner of her eyes. She turned to see her staring at her wrist.

Lisa knew what her friend was thinking. The bite marks on her wrist had faded over time, but the trauma was still fresh in her mind.

Lisa scooted near her friend and wrapped one hand over her shoulders. She rested her head on her friend's shoulder, and with her other hand, she ran her fingers on her friend's wrist.

"I wish I was never born in Kinsville." Her friend's voice came thick with emotions, and the prominent of them was regret.

"I know. But it is over. Please do not think about it." Lisa requested softly.

Her friend shuddered. "I am trying, Lisa. But I can not forget it. That memory is still haunting me to this day and will keep me chasing for the rest of my life.

Father says that I have to forget it and that this is our fate. He says that it was not the end. It will happen again. When? We do not know."

A lone tear rolled down her eyes. Lisa remembered when they were fifteen, her friend suddenly disappeared for a day. And when they found her, she had the marks of fangs on her wrists and hands.

They knew who did that to her. They knew it was unfair, but their hands were tied. They had no power, no authority and no will to fight against that unjust.

Instead, the elders made this rule to not step outside the house after evening and even during the daylight, they could not wander alone.

Their very home was not safe!

"This is why I want to escape this place. I do not want to inhale fear with my every breath. Please, do not cry. I promise I will find some way. And when I will find one, we both can escape this cage, forever!"

Lisa turned to look at her friend's teary eyes.

"Is it... is it possible, Lisa?" Her friend sounded hopeful.

Lisa nodded with a smile. "Yes it is!"

Their little moment of happiness was disturbed by the sound of breaking of a twig. Confused, Lisa and her friend looked in that direction.

"What was that?" Her friend asked.

Lisa squinted with her eyes. "I do not know. It might be a rabbit or something."

"I think we should leave now, Lisa." Her friend urged.

Before Lisa could reply, they heard someone's footsteps on the dry leaves.

Lisa's friend clutched Lisa's hand in worry.

"I do not think that it is a rabbit, Lisa. I think someone is there."

Although Lisa was braver than her friend, she was aware of the dangers lurking around her. She gulped down her spit nervously and patted her friend's hand comfortingly.

"Let me go and see."

"What? NO! I am not letting you go there. Just take the vessels and go back-"

Her friend's words fell short when they saw branches of trees moving at a distance.