Bloodlust: Sliver of Moonlight

1

If anybody could agree on anything, is that it is really hard to surprise Damien Masters. Doing so is like winning the lottery: rewarding if it happens, but a pain in the ass to do it. Which is surprising given his young age. He just reached 17, and yet he has the mindset of a 44 year old man. Damien never thought he would be shocked or surprised by anything. But like everything-cars, electronics and national public television-things changed, and Damien's life changed drastically. It all started that fateful June.

June 22nd. the summer of 2021 began only days ago, and Damien spent it like he would any other weekend: alone and cutting grass. Damien pushed the lawnmower across the lawn, his caramel skin glistened with sweat in the Santa Monica sun. He finished about half of the lawn when he heard his father barked his name.

"Damien!" he shouted, "Come on! We have to go soon!"

"I'm coming, Dad!" Damien bellowed, shutting off the mower and dragging it back into the back of the garage. Damien hastily ran into his fairly empty home and shuffled into his room. He threw on a slick button down shirt and clean black jeans. He was tying his shoes when a burly middle-aged man opened the door to his room. The man looked Damien up and down, then smiled.

"Where we're going," the man smirked, "I wouldn't dress like that."

"Oh ha ha, Dad," Damien smiled, "Give me a second." Damien quickly threw off the shirt and pulled a sleek black T-shirt over him and grabbed his glistening leather jacket. Damien rushed past his father, grabbing his phone and headphones and dashed down the stairs.

"Damien!" his father echoed, chasing him down the steps. Damien smiled, racing into the kitchen to grab a small crisp-red apple. He stood at the front door, leaning against the wall and taking a bite out of the apple.

"I'm waiting for you," Damien laughed, "Old man."

"Get your ass in the car, Damien," his dad said, grabbing him by his collar and dragged him into his black sedan. Damien smirked, squeezing into the car and buckling his seatbelt. 

"Your mother would be so proud of you right now," Damien's father smiled as got into the driver's seat. At the mention of his mother, Damien's face dropped. 

"You never told me about my mother," Damien sighed. His dad looked at his sunken expression and started the sedan, not saying a word. Damien bit back his words. He knew his mother was a touchy subject for his father. His dad, as he began driving, sighed.

"Your mother..." Damien's father sighed, "She had...problems before you were born. One of those attracted some people that weren't so nice..."

"A gang?"

"Even worse," his father said, "And she wanted us to get married so that they wouldn't be able to find her. Then when we found out we were going to have you, and she was relieved. After you were born, we decided to move far far away. To raise you in the best environment possible. Then a few days later, I found your mother in a hotel room..." Even though he tried to sound tough and unemotional, Damien could tell how much it hurt to talk about her. 

"She was covered head to toe in her own blood. Deep gashes ran down her neck, arm and face. And on the wall it read 'Your son is ours' written in her blood." Damien eyes began to tear, imagining the brutal scene in his head. He buried his head in his hands.

"That's why I never told you," his father sighed, "I knew it would be too much for you to handle at one-"

"Just drive, Dad," Damien cut off, not willing to hear another word from him. His dad did as requested,  driving down the semi-crowded streets of San Diego. Damien gazed out the window, training his eyes at the clear blue sky. He didn't know if that story was true, and he refused to accept it. Almost what felt like hours later, his father stopped in front of a dark cave.

"Here we go," his dad said, "At work. Ready to have fun?"

"Right, Dad," Damien sarcastically quipped, "Because working in an abandoned mine that could collapse on us is the best fun ever."