Blood Lust

On top of all the grueling tasks they gave us, we were also forced to go to the infirmary once a week and give blood. All I had to do was look at the slow-healing wound on my wrist to remind me what they really wanted the blood for. We were livestock.

"Does it still give you trouble?" The Doctor had caught me rubbing at it, subconsciously. I looked down and saw that I had rubbed it long enough to irritate it, making the skin red and puffy.

"No, No. Nothing like that. I'm okay." I said with a faint smile. The nurse was still extracting blood, making me feel weak. All I wanted to do was crawl back in my bed and hide.

"Okay. This one is done. She can go back to the library." The nurse finished wrapping medical tape around my arm and pointed to the door, where a guard had been standing.

I hesitated to move. I dreaded being in the library. It was a zoo and all the animals were in one giant cage.

"Let's move it cow." The guard pulled me up roughly by the back of the neck. Just as if I were a rabid animal.

After being thrown back in the cage, I did what any non predatory animal would do. I found a quiet corner that was wedged deep in the history section. I could hide myself among the French Revolutions and the Queen of Spain.

I got about four words into the second chapter before I felt fingers being run through my hair, sending me into flight or fight.

"Hello gorgeous." An ominous voice announced his eerie presence. It was Anton. I quickly smacked his hand away and went back to reading my book. "Why don't you come hang out with us?" I felt him push his body into me, almost putting all his weight on top of me.

"Leave me alone." I grunted, pushing all the weight back. My head colliding with his groin.

Anton buckled behind my chair and my flight responses kicked in. I purposely shoved my chair back, smashing into his head.

Anger fumed out of him as he pulled himself onto his feet and grabbed a handful of my long hair. "No, I think you'll really enjoy hanging out with us." His hot breath hit me as he brought his face up to his.

"Anton, do we need to go in timeout?" A guard appeared out of thin air. Anton immediately let go of me. The guard looked us up and down, "Play nicely children."

The Guard's name was Dee. At least, that's what everyone called him. I had never seen him wig out over blood, so I assumed he was human. He was clean cut, unlike most of the Guards, which gave me the impression that he might be one of the good guys.

A deeper voice resounded behind us. Anton immediately loosened the grip he had n my hair. "Play nicely children." A Guard had intervened. Everyone called him Dee. He was clean cut with short hair.

"We are man. No worries. We were just get cozy." Anton backed away. Dee stood frozen, his eyes unwavering. It kept Anton glued in his spot, long enough for me to grab up my book and scurry away. I could hear Anton try to bribe the Guard after I was long gone. He couldn't be quiet even if he were shown how.

I was able to nestle myself in a new spot. Somewhere between the shelves of the 'Self-Help' section. I tended to stay away from the middle of the library, where they kept the tables and chairs. Most of the time, that's where others gathered and socialized.

A pair of grey slippers had come into view, not long after I had relocated myself. I didn't dare look up. "Think you're so smart!" Anton grabbed the book off of the table I had been seated at and threw it to the ground. The sound of the thud had silenced the people who were in the next isle over. "Stupid Bitch!" Anton grabbed me by my shirt and hoisted me out of the chair. "Think you can get rid of me that easy?" He laughed as he shoved me repeatedly into the wall.

Anton had stopped bashing my head into the wall after a few frames from the wall had dropped and broken. I caught a glint of silver from the corner of my eye. It was a knife. Anton had somehow snuck a knife into the library and thrusted it towards me.

I drew my hands up to defend myself, only to dodge it successfully and have it nick me in the shoulder. In the heat of the moment, I barely felt anything, but a sting. I assumed it was just a nick and nothing more. I was wrong.

"Anton, this was your last warning." I heard Dee say dispassionately. He already had a tight squeeze on Anton's wrist. Anton dropped the knife and Dee recovered it.

Dee was ready to pull Anton out of the library, but instead he glared at me. His eyes were full of anger and greed as they began to grow black. Dee clenched his grip around Anton, causing him to whimper. He was one of them.

Vampire.

I looked down at myself to see what he was staring at. The small cut I thought I had gotten from the knife was actually gushing blood. The wound must've been deep as I watched it trickle down my arm.

Dee had shaken himself out of the trance of blood lust and reached for his radio that sat in the middle of his chest, "R, I need you to come down here." His radio chattered.

In an instant, the other Guard had appeared. He stood much taller than Dee. "You'll go with him to get that looked at." Dee pointed at my arm and whisked Anton away in a hurry.

I sat on the floor, with my back propped against the wall. I didn't move. I waited for the Guard to offer a hand, but he stood firm like a statue. He didn't even give me the decency of eye contact.

Well alright then, I guess I'll help myself up.

I lifted myself up, using the holes in the wall caused by head as support. The Guard stepped away from me, as if I were a leper.

Weird!

When I had gotten to my feet, he glanced back at me. He had a stunned look on his face. His eyes were locked on mine, never moving over to the blood on my shirt. "Uh, I think I really need to get this taken care of." I said awkwardly. The loss of blood was finally getting to my head.

Without a word, he walked off. No indication on if I should follow him or not. His idea of escorting me to the infirmary was me trying to chase after him. His paces were much bigger than mine.

At the door of the Infirmary, there was Doctor Toulouse waiting for me on que. "Christi, I've got the kettle on. Tea is almost ready!" She was excited to see me.