Cold Blooded

Dinner Time

Chongyun reached one hand up towards his head as the voice began to drown everything else out. All he saw was the slow dribble of blood down his finger. All he heard was the voice. He was vaguely aware of someone grabbing his shoulder and asking him a question, but nothing mattered besides the blood and the voice.

"Hey, buddy? Chongyun?" Mr. Childe called out to him, but the voice was nothing more than the whisper of the wind in comparison to the voice.

Don't listen to him, child. Just listen to me.

Chongyun nodded slowly in response to the voice. He felt sleepy, like the voice was singing him a lullaby.

You want more blood, don't you? I want it too. You can go and get it for me.

Chongyun brought his hand up to his mouth and licked away the blood. It tasted warm and metallic, but also the sweetest thing ever. He cut more of his hands with his teeth and began to drink up the blood that poured down his wrist.

"Chongyun!" Mr. Childe called, far, far away. "Stop it!"

His hands were roughly pulled behind him. He snapped and growled at the person restraining him, but he could hardly see a thing. Everything was blurred and faded.

Sleep well, my child. I'll be back. Don't you worry

Chongyun's body sagged and everything slowly faded to black.

"Chongyun!" Mr. Childe stood above Chongyun's limp body. "Please, wake up. C'mon, buddy. Please."

Chongyun jumped up and looked around frantically. Mr. Childe stood over him, he held a hand against Chongyun's chest. Chongyun was full of fear and pain, nothing was making any sense.

"Woah, calm down, buddy." Mr. Childe kept Chongyun pinned to the ground. "Is it you in there again?" Mr. Childe's hold was firm and actually hurt, but it helped Chongyun slow himself and focus on what was around him. He nodded slowly. He was him again. He was Chongyun. He was free. He was going home. He- He was heading home. He was free.

"It... me," Chongyun whispered. Speaking hurt even more than it had before.

"Okay, that's good." Mr. Childe ran his hand through his hair and leaned off of Chongyun. "You were only out for about a minute, but you scared me. Whatever this thing is seems to be triggered by blood or something, so let's get your hand wrapped up... Don't look at it!"

Mr. Childe grabbed Chongyun's arm and yanked it behind his back. "Don't look at it." He breathed quietly. "I'll wrap it and we can treat it in a bit. Just... just stay still for a moment."

Mr. Childe took a deep breath and slowly released Chongyun's arm. He grabbed a thin red scarf from a drawer and wrapped Chongyun's hand in it. He tied it tight around Chongyun's wrist then stepped back and took another slow breath.

"Okay, that should be fine." Mr. Childe ran his fingers through his hair again. "Let's go. Ma and the others will be waiting."

Mr. Childe helped Chongyun to his feet and the two walked down a short hallway into a small room with a table in the center. Two boys and a girl, all with the same ginger hair, all crowded around Saya and her bats. Lost zipped about in the air, while Found nested in the younger boy's hair. The two boys giggled and laughed. The girl stood slightly apart and warily watched Saya and her little brothers.

"Hey, you guys!" Mr. Childe called into the room. The three ginger's heads snapped up and the smiles on their faces grew. The two boys raced across the room and jumped at Mr. Childe.

"Ajax! We missed you so much," The older brother cried as he buried his face into Mr. Childe's chest.

"Why do you always have to stay so far away, big brother?" The younger one asked, his arms tight around Mr. Childe's waist.