Love Lines

Part Five

TWO MONTHS LATER Marlowe had been rationing what he had left of his supply. He had gone to the hospital only to find that Elizabeth was no longer there. Marlowe slumped on the couch. He had finished the last of his supply and was coming down from the pleasurable high. He had no motivation, he no longer wanted to play or sing, laying there and staring up at the ceiling. He heard a knock on the door. He groaned as he pulled himself to his feet and walked up to the door only in his trousers. He opened the door to see Libby standing on his porch, he could see bags under her eyes, she looked sick.

"I could only get you one bag; I'll try and get you more... More later..." Libby mumbled, slurring when she spoke.

"Are you sick?" Marlowe asked, looking at her concerned. He watched her walk into the house and sat down on the couch, she reached into her purse and handed him a bag of blood.

"No, I haven't been getting much sleep, it's three litres..." She uttered.

Marlowe looked at her and walked over to her and took the bag from her. He walked to the back to grab her some cash and took a swig from the bag. It was like nothing he had ever tasted before, it had to be A+, it had been centuries since he had tasted such blood. Marlowe turned back around and walked up to Libby. He grabbed her arm and lifted her sleeve to see several puncture wounds.

"You've been blood-letting?!" Marlowe shouted.

"They found out I was stealing blood from the lab, luckily I got let off with a warning but...". I didn't want to lose you; I couldn't get you what you needed to survive... I'm sorry...", "Why are you doing this for me? Nobody in their right mind would...". "You already know the answer to that question Marlowe..." She mumbled.

"Nobody in their right mind would love me so stop saying it!" Marlow hissed.

"It's not like I can take it back..." Libby uttered. "I get it, you don't feel the same way..." She said. No matter how many times she had told herself that, it never sunk in.

"It's not that, I don't want to hurt you because if I did, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself..." Marlowe admitted.

Libby looked at him in confusion only to replay what he had said in her head. "You don't or you do feel the same as I do about you? Wait... You love me but you don't want to hurt me? That's what is holding you back?" Libby asked.

"I never said that I loved you! I would never love... I would never...", Marlowe couldn't look her in the eyes and say it to her, he pointed at the door.

Libby sighed and pulled herself to her feet. She grabbed her purse and walked out the front door, she heard him close the door behind her. She took a deep breath and walked toward her car only to look back at the house, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Are you Ms. Winslow?" A man asked, approaching her from the sidewalk.

"Who's asking?" Libby asked.

The man grabbed her and pinned her against the car, driving a knife into her abdomen over and over again.

"You're the fucked in the head nurse that let my sister die, didn't you? Go to fucking hell you bitch..." He said, stabbing her again before getting into a car and speeding off. Marlowe heard the car speed off and opened the door to see Libby lean against the car as she held her abdomen. She fell against the car and to her knees. Marlowe rushed toward her and scooped her up into his arms, Libby looked up at him and smiled as she shed a tear.

"Marlowe..." Libby uttered, reaching out to touch his cheek.

Marlowe slit his wrist with his fingernail, wrapping his arm around her, he put his wrist to her mouth. Sinking his fangs into her neck causing her to whimper in pain. Marlowe looked down at Elizabeth placing his hand on her cheek, but she was already gone. He took her into his arms and carried her into the house, getting her into a bath to get her cleaned up. After he had rid her of the blood that drenched her clothes. He lay her on his bed and lay a sheet over her, he sat on the floor as tears rolled down his cheeks. After all these years, after centuries of being alive. He had only cried a few times in his lifetime, and this was one of them. Marlowe covered his head with his arms and began to sob. Only to hear Libby groan from under the sheets. He knew the bodies of the living had done strange and peculiar things when death had faced them. He brought himself to his feet to see Libby sit up, she pulled down the sheet and looked at him with new eyes.

"Marlowe...?" She asked.

[The End]

03.03.2023: Today was quite a long day, sorry for posting the last part so late during the day. I hope you all enjoy it! Thank you so much for reading, if you have any feedback, please feel free to let me know in the comments. ~ E.V. Browne