If there was anything worthwhile that Nelson has taught me, it was that I should always listen to my gut instinct. That and always believe that the government is watching us. He wasn't paranoid, but he knew better than to just accept what we could see. I'd heard whispers that he'd been put on a watch list because he had some very firm views on things and happened to be vocal about them too. So, I guess it was no surprise that he'd made me collect the notes and his laptop.

Watching the minivan pull away, I huffed dejectedly. The end of a dig was always a low point in our lives. Some saw it as a relief to be home again, but most of us lived for the discovery.

It was late afternoon; the sun was already starting to set. I opened the curtains and windows, hoping to air out the place before the chill of the evening began.

My modest unit was like the others in the street. It's a quiet neighbourhood that's mostly filled with young professionals who work in the city. Weekdays were quiet, weekends were filled with their sounds of lawnmowers and power tools. There weren't many kids here yet, I'm sure it won't take long for the weekends to be filled with their laughter and screams of merriment.

Putting everything on the table, I begin the arduous process of sorting and washing my things. I didn't have to worry about meals, I was a girl that knew how quickly things could turn ugly. My freezer was full of frozen dinners, and my cupboards were stocked with tinned food. I picked items that had expiry dates that were at least a year away, and I kept an eye on everything to ensure that I never had to think about groceries too much.

When everything was in order, I put my dinner into the microwave. The messenger bag was sitting on the countertop, wordlessly reminding me that it needed to be hidden in a safe place. I didn't have a lockable safe which was clearly a mistake, I should have invested in a quality one a long time ago. Spending a lot of time away from home warranted one, so I found it surprising that it had never occurred to me before now. I suppose that considering that I've never been burgled, it didn't enter my thoughts.

Until now.

Keeping these items safe would hopefully be easy considering that no one knew I had them. Well, those on my side of the door were quite some distance away from me. As for those on Nelson's side of the door, I don't know. He was secretive about a lot of things, and this would be one of them. Nelson would be seriously upset if someone stole his work.

Curiosity got the better of me, so I quickly shut the curtains and opened the bag. Pulling myself up onto the stool, I looked over the professor's notes and studied the drawings he'd done of the markings. He didn't even have the chance to find someone to decipher them. Well, not yet at least. I'm sure he'll be knocking on my door in a week to take everything away.

Reaching into the bag, I felt to cold stone burn against the warmth of my hand. Pulling it out, I looked at the simplicity of it. Compared to the sarcophagus, it was rather dull.

The lid looked like it could be removed, but I didn't want to take that away from Nelson, so I kept inspecting it from the exterior. The microwave pinged and frightened the life out of me, and inadvertently, I broke the lid seal.

"Damn it."

Putting it down, I slid off the seat to turn off the microwave. Its incessant beeping was annoying. The delicious scent of lasagne hit me as I opened the door. Lifting the plate out, I shut the door and turned. When I saw the man standing next to the counter, I screamed and dropped the plate.

It was the man that I'd seen in the sarcophagus.

Was I losing the plot? Did I fall down a shaft and was now unconscious?

The pale figure was no longer gaunt. He looked healthy, even if he was pale.

Lustrous long black hair draped over the dusty, old clothes. Clothes that looked several centuries out of date. They were modern but there was something wrong about the items.

His head tilted as he looked at me. I began to edge along the far counter, searching for the knife that I'd set aside to use with dinner. It was only small, and it probably wouldn't do any good, but I needed something.

"Who are you?" I asked, hoping to distract him.

He offered nothing.

"How did you get in here?"

He smiled at me and picked up the marble box. Replacing the lid, he made a show of lifting it off.

"Magika," The figure offered.

He smiled a little harder, and in the corners of his mouth, I saw the fangs.

Vampires were real.

My hand was shaking as I held out the knife.

"Stay back," I demanded with a quivering voice.

He said something in a language that didn't seem familiar, gesturing to the box that was still in his hands.

"I don't understand you."

"Magika," He said again, the fanged smile widened.

"Yes, I got that much. Do you speak English?"

The vampire stared at me, I huffed and pulled the union jack magnet down from the fridge.

"English?"

Again, I got nothing. Gesturing to my canine teeth, I asked him if he was going to bite me. The figure frowned and shook his head slightly. Maybe he didn't understand me.

With a huff, I leaned down to pick up the plate. The plastic dish had toppled and my dinner now coated the tiles.

When the vampire moved, I jumped with fright.

"Stay put."

The head tilted again like he was trying to figure me out. Pointing to my canine teeth, I frowned and shook my head.

"No biting Lucy."

A slight frown filled his features. Patting my flat hand against my sternum, I repeated my name.

"Lucy,"

Then I pointed to him.

"You are,"

"Con-stan-teen-o?"

His voice raised slightly as he copied my movement. His accent was thick and nothing like what I've ever heard.

"Alright. Constantino does not bite Lucy."

I gestured every single part of it.

"No bite."

"No... bite?" He repeated.

"That's right. You bite me, and I'll cut your bollocks off."

Constantino stared at me like he knew I was bluffing. Like he knew I wouldn't even dare pull his pants down to do said cutting. Still, when faced with a dangerous situation, we either fight or flee. I could not escape because he was standing in the gap between the counter and the cupboard, there was no escape. I had serious doubts as to my ability to fight, so I had to go with something in the middle. Be the alpha in this nightmare. I ruled, I did not back down. I was not afraid of him, and I would win if we fought.

Somehow, I had to find a way to communicate with him. Warily, I made my way closer, keeping close the counter. Pulling the notes to me, I picked up the one with the markings that Nelson had drawn.

"Is this you?"

He looked at the drawings and then to the sketch of the sarcophagus. Carefully Constantino put the pieces of paper down and pulled back his shirt.

A scar marked his milky white skin above his heart. Slowly his fingers ran over the wrinkled purple-tinged flesh.

Whispering something, Constantino mood seemed to lower. His fingers fell away from the shirt that was left open.

In a blindingly fast movement, Constantino reached out and grabbed my wrist and dragged my arm forward. With the knife still in my hand, I gasped as I lurched forward. Too close. Constantino stared at me as the blade impaled him just below where his ribs would be, that is if he had them. He certainly matched a human male in shape and looks, aside from those teeth. So, I guess that he probably did have everything that we did.

"Oh my God, are you crazy?"

He stepped back, and the bloody knife pulled free.

"I just stabbed you." I despaired. "I didn't mean it, why did you do that?"

The vampire said nothing. Instead, Constantino lifted the shirt to see the wound. Blood slid down the skin, marring it. The injury began to heal itself, and Constantino chuckled.

He said something to me, gesturing to the wound.

"Oh yeah sure, it's great for some."

I was freaking out, barely keeping it together yet Constantino thought it was the greatest thing ever. Lucky, immortal him.