Blood Lust

The Matron was not as dauting as the guards, but she did have a way of making you feel uncomfortable.

I tried to keep track of how many days I spent there. We had already spent a week there before it started to take an emotional toll on us. This one man, in particular, had been on edge since we got there.

We had been told to stay in that room. And we had. Days in that room, only staring at each other. Not sure if we were allowed to talk to one another. We were paralyzed with fear.

The man who was having a harder time than the rest couldn't stay still. He kept pacing the room and constantly looking at the doors. I could tell he wanted to make a run for it.

I knew I was right when he edged off the side of his bed, his eyes glued to the doors. "I can't do this anymore!" He shrieked, bolting for the door. In seconds, the doors flew open. Two guards grabbed him and dragged him into the hall.

We all sat on the edge of our beds as we listened in on the commotion. I could tell it wasn't going well by his screams.

"The young man will no longer be staying here." The Matron spoke from behind us. She stood there, her muscles never waivered. Her hands cupped in front of her.

We shot horrified glances at one another as the sounds were muffled out of existence. The deafening silence was final.

When the guards had walked through the doors again, they looked completely different. Their eyes sunk in and their face turned pale white. Just like that monster who bit me. My stomach did flips as it occurred to me that they were vampires also. I looked at the Matron and wondered if she was one to.

The guards went and collected the sheets off the mans bed, leaving only the mattress. After that, we all agreed that if we tried to run, they would kill us. So, we didn't.

However, that didn't stop others from trying. I had heard stories during the second week about others trying to escape. I heard a story about a girl who had gotten sick. It was probably the flu from being in the damp so long. They told her she would receive better care off the island. I found out later, that was a lie.

If you were old and frail, they'd get rid of you too. They only kept you if you were young and healthy. So, I tried to be as useful as possible in order to stay alive.

They started me in the kitchens after the first month. I prepped, cooked, and served meals to the other prisoners. Unfortunately, I didn't stay long. I was too accident prone to be around sharp objects. I always winded up injuring myself, causing the guards to drool over my blood.

Once, I had slipped on freshly mopped flooring and ended up cracking the back of my head open on the kitchen sink. It took twelve stitches.

Me being accident prone all the time gave me the opportunity to hide in the doctors' office. It was nice. After the first month had past and weeks were still passing, everyone felt its' effects. There was a restive movement in the halls. A hardened nudge here and a violent shove there. Then, it was every man and woman for themselves. Pandemonium had set in.

I had been taken to the Infirmary after a long battle with a box cutter. I cupped a washcloth to my wrist. I noticed that Doctor Toulouse was already standing at the door. Her casually disappointed face was greeting me with her arms crossed.

The Doctor had made a comment about how she had never had anyone come to see her as much as I did. I caught a smile escape from her.

It had become a ritual for us. I came in at a certain time of the day and she would have a cup of tea waiting. It astonished me how she knew I was coming, even when I hadn't planned to come at all. How did she know? Was she one of them?

Doctor Toulouse peeled back the cloth and inspected the fresh cut, "As always, Luck is not in your favor." She sighed. She covered it back up and offered me a seat inside. "Who was it this time?" She sounded concerned. We both knew that when I came to see her, it was either by pure accident or someone else. I grimaced as she washed the wound out.

"Box cutter actually." I gritted through the pain, "I was cutting down some of the boxes from todays vegetable delivery."

"There, that should do. Try not to use that hand too much until its able to seal itself." She scribbled something down and gave the Guard who had brought me there a quick look.

The guard had pulled me up roughly by my arm. I locked eyes with Doctor Toulouse, only for her to give me the same terrified look. I wasn't given enough to time to process the look on her face before being dragged out of the Infirmary.

The guard had taken me back to our sleeping pod and ordered me to stay put for the remainder of the day.

No complaints here!

I thought, the less time I had to spend with the others, the better.