Abject in the Dust

Chapter 21 - Defiance

"You stick that thing in me, and it will be the last thing you do."

"She certainly has spirit, this one." Astrid slapped Sam on her forehead, narrowly missing her fingers being bitten as Sam snapped and snarled at the retreating hand. "But you should learn when you are beaten." Astrid sniggered.

Astrid's colleague hesitated has she held a needle in one hand and empty IV bag in the other.

"Go ahead." Astrid said casually. "She will not bite." She snapped her teeth shut mocking Sam's failed attempt.

Sam glared as the needle was pushed into the vein which pounded rhythmically in her left arm. An arm, which like the rest of her was strapped down tightly against the old hospital bed in a far from makeshift ward.

"You're a pretty little thing, aren't you?" Astrid taunted as she walked around the end of the bed. "Now that we have removed all those layers of filth and muck." She languorously dragged her thin pale finger with its overly long fingernail across the brilliant white sheets. "We wouldn't want anything to spoil the taste of the blood, after all. And it won't be long before you're as compliant as they are." She pointed to the far corner of the ward where more of Sam's new cell mates filed in and obediently sat in chairs to have blood removed and receive a small piece of some form of cooked meat as payment.

"Never!" Sam spat.

"Come now, pretty. Is it such a bad life?" Astrid worked her way up towards Sam's side, brushing away her colleague in the process. "You have shelter, food and water and you serve a great man – a great cause. Finally, you're life has purpose. That should be cause to celebrate, not mourn."

"I'm going to rip you're fucking heart out."

Astrid laughed as she glided closer to Sam, the tight fitting black pant suit revealing every part of her slender form. "That would be an interesting trick, given you're current situation." Astrid leant over Sam. "But it is right here, when you feel ready to try." She concluded with a wicked grin as she pulled aside the V neck, already cut to her navel to reveal even more of her milky white breast.

Astrid's colleague coughed awkwardly to the rear. "She is done, my Lady. Would you care to taste the blood?"

"Finished so quickly." Astrid flicked back her long, silky black hair with a pale finger. "I must really have set your heart racing." She said with a coy smile. She motioned the minion to her side to remove the needle and let the blood pool in the nook of Sam's arm. "I will enjoy this almost as much as you." She said with a smile as she held back her hair and leant down to meet Sam's bare flesh. Her warm breath titillating Sam's senses as the fine hairs on her arm felt the caress of a summer breeze as Astrid flickered her tongue into the small pool of blood, before clamping down hard with her lips and sucking to draw more of the precious nectar into her throat.

"It is good?" Astrid's colleague asked nervously from behind.

"It is divine." Astrid replied, taking one long last lick to clean the small wound as she stared into Sam's vengeful eyes. "She will feed the master. And if she is not to his taste, then she will feed me." Astrid allowed her hand to trail longingly along Sam's bare arm before quickly coming back to her senses. "But the Master must taste her first. Chill the blood before you take it to him." She commanded as she turned her back to Sam. "Feed her well." She whispered into the ear of her minion. "And you will answer to me if her wound becomes infected." She said more loudly as she sashayed away.

"You must always wear these vests." Kreshnik pointed to the yellow neon vests which adorned the small party which pulled the cart full of meat. It was not an instruction for the benefit of most of the party, who had undertaken this trip many times before, but for the two newcomers. Not that they needed reminding, given that Kreshnik had already explained countless times that, without the vests, they would be taken on site.