I always hated when people looked at me. I wished to be invisible, tried to be like others. It never worked. Why me? What´s wrong with me?

Why do people always give labels to others? We have name, you know. Isn´t it enough? But how often you get really called by your name? "Hey, you on left. Hello, pretty girl. Look, the nerds are coming," it´s more like this.

And there´s nowhere to run. Nowhere except-

I speeded my step so much I was almost running.

What are you running from? Do you really think you can escape?

When did it start? When I started to run? Was it in the kindergarten? Kids used to laugh that I´m fat. Kids are cruel. They don´t understand how words can hurt. It´s not their fault, they say kids would grow up. But do they? I grew and childish roundness disappeared. Yet kids kept laughing. What´s wrong with me? Why do they laugh?

You´re nerd. Bookworm. Swat. Why don´t you wear thick round glasses like other nerds?

It hurt and I tried to run.

Stupid emo. Look at him. Wearing all black. What´s he thinking?

Why? Why it´s so hard to escape labels? Why is there nowhere to run? What´s wrong with me?

You´re gay. Oh, God. Your father was weird but I´d never thought. That´s disgusting. Ill. Such a shame. You´re such a shame.

What´s wrong with me? I tried to run, but there was nowhere to. I stopped at the edge of abyss.

Come. Just few more steps. Great. One more. Good boy. And now final little step. Do it.

What? What should I do? I didn´t do anything bad. I don´t want to-

Do it. Now. What are you waiting for? Just do it and everything will be all right. You´ll be all right.

But why? What´s wrong with me? I´m standing at the edge of abyss. Nothing then darkness is in front of me. Why? Why am I here?

Come. Just one more step and everything will be all right.

I´m scared. I look behind me to see people standing there, watching me with cold, cruel eyes. What´s wrong with me?

Do it. Come. Do it!

I look back to abyss. Darkness looks so calming. I know what are voices asking me to do. I know it now, as well as I know that tears taste salty. Did you know? Tears taste salty. What´s wrong with me?

One more look to crow behind. They´re still standing there. Their faces are hard, empty eyes locked on me. Blind. Those eyes are blind, they don´t see me, but labels I wear. They don´t see ME.

I shouldn´t be here. I-I have something to do. I run to crowd, right through it. It´s hard, because they´re standing so close to each other and there are so many of them. But I keep pushing through as fast as I can. Right to stage where band is ready to play. Not yet.

Guitarist gives me hand and pulls me up. "You´re late," he says kissing my cheek. "What´s wrong?"

What´s wrong with you? Everything. You´re all wrong.

I shook my head. "Nothing" I say and he pushes me to microphone. "All right. We can start."
Crowd is watching me again, but this time there´s only expectation in their eyes. What´s wrong with me? Nothing.

Everything.

Nothing.

Scream shout I love it loud
I feel the need to stand out in the crowd
Nothing´s wrong with me (nothing´s wrong with me)
Freak out and stand my ground
Nothing in the world is gonna keep me down
Nothing´s wrong with me

I can smile and I let it be
´Cause I know that nothing´s wrong with me
Wrong with me

Scream shout I love it loud
I feel the need to stand out in the crowd
Nothing´s wrong with me (nothing´s wrong with me)
Freak out and stand my ground
Nothing in the world is gonna keep me down
Nothing´s wrong with me (nothing´s wrong with me)
Nothing´s wrong with me (nothing´s wrong with me)
Nothing´s wrong with me

Nico slowly walked along the tombstones. Cold breath of the night made him pull coat closer to his body. "You´re late," said voice behind him. He turned sharply. "I'm sorry. I had some duties." Woman with beautiful blond hair jumped down from low wall. In light, quick step, she went to Nico.

"Nobody followed?" She asked tenderly stroking his face. Nico shook his head. "You said it was urgent. What happened?" Woman´s features hardened. "The Vatican has gone mad," she whispered. "They want war." "No," breathed Nico and grabbed her hand. "Stella, it can´t-"

"It's true," she said sharply. "They sent us a declaration of war. I saw it. Tomorrow... Today at midnight it´ll begin." Both of them involuntarily looked at watches. It was quarter to eleven.

"What does this mean for us?" Nico asked worriedly. "We can´t yet..." Stella shook her head and sat down on one of the tombstones. "This wasn´t supposed happen," she whispered bitterly. Nico sat down to her and hugged her. "You can´t stop it?"

Stella laughed. "Stop? How?" Bitterness in her voice was darker than night. "They want war. They, not us. How could we affect that?" Nico gently stroked her cheek and took her face in his hands. "Stella ..." he said softly, enjoying the taste of her name on the tongue. "We can´t give up so easily."

"Easily? We have to meet secretly on abandoned places. Do you feel that it was easy so far?" Thoughtfully, she tilted her head to side and narrowed her eyes. "And maybe you're right. I can´t imagine how we are going to meet after tomorrow." With a sigh, she leaned towards him and kissed her lover.

"We won´t be able to meet," she whispered, stroking his lips with her own, then his jaw. "Stella ..." Nico grabbed her shoulders and pulled back a bit, so he could look into her eyes. The woman just shook her head. "We can´t do anything. Just fight." "You said you don´t want the war," said Nico confused.

Stella laughed and pushed him on his back. "Only fools want war," she said. "They think they can win. Who knows... " Nico frowned and put his hands on her thighs. "You think that you´re going to win?" Stella shrugged. "Maybe. But nobody knows. Maybe we´ll lose, "she said excitedly.

Pride is one of the deadly sins. Or sin of mortals? Humans want war because they believe they will win. They don´t want it, because they doubt.

"Are you cold?" She asked suddenly in completely different tone. "Not really," said Nico. "You should be," Stella continued thoughtfully. "I see how you breath condenses to steam." Nico shrugged. "Your company is worthy it."

Blonde bent to him. "You're right, we shouldn´t waste the little time that remains to us." With a sigh, she kiss him on the lips and throat. Nico shivered and was glad he can pretend that it  was caused by cold, not by an old ancestral instinct, which commanded him to flee from danger. However, it turned out that his girlfriend wasn´t the only threat around.

Nico barely spotted a man who suddenly appeared next to them, Stella jumped up  much faster than any human could and growled at the incomer. Nico also got up, although much more slowly.

"Oh, please," laughed stranger and raised hands peacefully. "Calm down, Stella." "Get out," she hissed. "Come on. I´m here only to send you to the queen." Man looked friendly, but Nico shivered from the coldness in his eyes. Do not look them in the eye, he scolded himself in mind and lowered his gaze.

"I see you have company," said a man towards Nico. "Would you share?" He asked and his eyes glowed. Scary sound came from Stella´s throat and stranger growled back at her. Nico retreated quietly, trying to guess who is the stronger of the two. Vampires are possessive. They don´t like to share. If the man really wanted to taste, it could lead to fight.

Fortunately, stranger realized that too. He straightened from the offensive pose and scornfully twisted his lips. "Chill out, I was just joking," he said indifferently. "Just  dealt with it quickly. The queen wants to talk to you before the war."

With those words he turned and disappeared in supernatural speed. Two sharp heartbeats later he was gone and Nico he could exhale. At least as long as Stella didn´t turn to him. Crystal blue of her eyes disappeared and it was replaced by the radiant glow of the fire. Restlessly, she tilted her head to one side and sniffled. "He's gone," stated.

"Your friend?" asked Nico and nervously smoothed his coat. "Not really. But I know him," she said. "You need to leave now?" Stella shook her head. "After the war starts, I won´t see you anymore. I´m not going to miss the last bit of time-"At that moment, Nico pulled the trigger.

Sound of the shot echoed the abandoned cemetery. Stella looked down when the barrel of gun moved from her abdomen to the chest. The second shot hit her in the heart. If vampires have any, Nico thought coldly. With the eyes wide open, she dropped to his knees and crumbled to dust.

Nico took cellphone from his pocket and pressed the speed dial. "Hello!" "Brother Marcus?" "Speaking. Is everything all right, Father Nicolas?" Nico looked down on a pile of clothes and ashes. "Yes. Loss of confidante at this time will be difficult for the Queen." Hopefully difficult enough to want revenge.

"That's good," said the voice on the other side with a sigh of relief. "So I should wait for you at the destined place?" "Yes," agreed Nico. "Although it´ll probably take me more time to-oh!"

Vampire who has just left stormed from darkness at Nico. Apparently, he hadn´t gone far enough not to hear the shot, thought Nico. When vampire jumped on his neck, he stuck between his teeth gun that he was holding all the time.

When they both fell backwards, Nico pulled the trigger. He landed alone in a flurry of dust. Impact on hard ground took his breath away for a moment, but he didn´t release the weapon. He coughed and anxiously listened to the silence. It seemed, however, that no other vampires were around.

Nico coughed heavily again and lifted himself to his knees. By free hand, he raised cellphone, which he dropped in the fall. "Hello?" Breath of relief came as reply. "Father Nicolas! What happened? "Nico pulled from his pocket a box of ammo. "Only a small inconvenience," he said, refilling the gun reservoir. "Meet me under the agreement," he said, and hung up.

"You were wrong," he said in the direction to where Stella had stand. "War doesn´t start at midnight. It has already begun. "

To have a soulmate is most important of all. Nothing else matters.

As a teenager, I wanted to achieve great things. To experience everything, travel around the world, meet many people. Naive childhood dreams. Fame. Money. There are more important things.

It took me a while to realize it. But when I met Her, I began to appreciate the monotony of everyday life. I found a calming influence of stereotype, I found a uniqueness in seeming routine. I appreciate every day I spend with Anna, each of her quick smiles, every touch.

I´ll never forget the day when we first met. First of all, I´ve noticed her eyes. Crystal gray like ice on the lake and yet so gently innocent. Two cool abysses in which many would like to get lost, but gaining her favour isn´t that easy. It took months until she let me close to her. Every single minute was worthy it.

Since we know each other, I´ve learned a lot from her. I started noticing little things. (I've found out that she doesn´t like carrots). I´ve started noticing the weather. Not only to know when to take an umbrella or whether it should be cold. I started wearing crumbs in my pockets because Anna likes feeding pigeons. Or drawing them.

Anna can draw beautifully. Her sketches are so vivid, precise and full of details. If used a brush she could earn a living by painting, but she prefers pencil. She can sit for hours on the grass in the park and draw trees, clouds, whatever she sees and what catches her attention.

It fascinates me to follow her there. Her dreamy, while concentrated expression. Small wrinkles on the forehead. Pencil tip moving across the paper with the magic ease. I have one of those pictures on the refrigerator. There´s a couple of pigeons and me as I´m feeding them. I didn´t notice that she was drawing me. She rarely draws people. Only from a distance, as part of the background.

It´s cloudy today so we won´t go to the park. Not that the rain was coming up, but Anna gets annoyed by the changing clouds. She tries to draw them, but when the wind blows strong, they´re moving so quickly that she doesn´t manage it. She´s so cute when she´s frowning at them. Bad, bad clouds.

Therefore, instead of walking in the park, we were assembling puzzle that I bought her. She loves puzzles. I know I shouldn´t cover her by gifts, but I can´t help myself.  After all, gift on Valentine's Day is an obligation, gratuitous gift is love. And I am not saying that my reward isn´t sweet.

Thus we spent whole afternoon with the image of Eiffel Tower. Thousands of pieces is something what can distract even my clever friend, so I was able to stare at her without punishment, while she devoted herself to assembling.

If only all days were like that. Do I want so much if I want to spend every minute with her? But reality can´t wait. I wish to stay for a while longer, but time is pressing. I still have some duties so I have to leave my friend and return to work. But never mind, tomorrow is also day. At least I console myself with that thought when I´m leaving.

Evening after evening, going home from work, I regret that I can´t stay with her. That I have to leave her in her own world and I can´t show her my own. I know far too well that caregivers shouldn´t fall in love with their patients. I tried, but the ice gap of her eyes devours me again and again. There is no escape for me. There is no salvation. We are lost. Both of us.