The Sanguine Mistress

IV

Humans are wonderful, their will to live is strong. They'd do anything to cheat death. Even at the expense of others.

The night sky's vibrant stars smothered by dark clouds, overwhelmed by a plethora of streetlights. The roads were packed with cars, commuters lined from block-to-block retreating to their respective place of rest. A red light halts the flow of traffic. Cars slowed down to a stop. Safe for one. An ambulance, weaving through the puzzle of cars as they long the road of traffic with the help of a siren, inside the ambulance was a patient, strapped to a gurney, his neck was bandaged. His skin pale, his eyes fighting off unconsciousness. His arm was probed with a small device, in the shape of a pen.

The ambulance is racing along the road passing by cars, sirens blazing. Zooming along the street until its final destination was made, Saint Peter Hospital, a relatively large medical center, spanning across three blocks, the building was gated, a police cruiser parked along the side of the road. The ambulance pulled into a stop, in front of its emergency response entrance.

The doors of the entrance swung open, a gurney races through the halls, pushed by two paramedics. They stop, reaching an empty operating room, A doctor awaits inside.

Within the waiting room in the hospital, three people stood. They were absent of sound; one was twiddling their thumbs. Their eyes scanning the room. A receptionist taking phone calls, they were too far away to make sense of what she was saying. A child in a small play area, moving small blocks across a thick colorful rod, twisted, curved, and looped. A flat screen television mounted on the wall, showing a news channel, a woman in a simple red dress gave her report, "Night theatre turns to night tragedy when late at night, during the showing of the famous play Blood Moon, one of the crew members was found in one of the dressing rooms, seemingly lifeless", a series of images of people leaving the theatre in a panic, as well as an artistic visual representation of an unconscious man on a chair, and an image of his bleeding neck are displayed on the screen.
"Police are questioning crew members and the staff of the theatre, they've said they yet to receive any information as to what may have led to this incident. More on this story as it develops.", the television fades into a commercial. Finally, someone in the group breaks the silence, "what if he doesn't make it?", one questions.

"Don't say that", another snaps, "these people are professionals, Jacob will be fine".

"You keep saying that, but you didn't see what I saw.", she ranted, "there was so much blood on his clothes. he barely had a pulse, what if we were too late. what if h-"

"Stop it, you're upsetting Robert", her friend retaliated. Robert stood in-between his two friends, his eyes staring at a blank wall, frozen in time. He's yet to say a word, the bickering of his two friends slowly fades. His vison blackens, taking him back to that dressing room.

"Jacob?", he spoke, his first words since the incident. You did this. Those words ring in Robert's ears, he scans the room for the source of the noise. Nothing, he was alone. you did this to me, that voice, lingering in the air. Haunting him from virtually nowhere. Murderer, you're a murderer. I thought of you a friend. More and more, that ominous voice invades his ears, in a panic he runs to the door of the dressing room. Though each step he made brought him further away from the door. fleeing, denying him of an exit. Are you going run away? leave me to my demise? I see nothing's changed. Robert extends his arms forward, stretching his limbs, just a little more, he thought to himself. the door finally yields, his hand grips the knob. Twisting it, pulling the door open. A loud scream, Jacob was in front of him. His shirt ripped, exposing his collar bone. His body loose, held only by the embrace of a woman. She wore a blood red dress, with a gold trim on the edge, the vee neck was wide, allowing her shoulders to breathe, the sleeves were wide as well, hanging from her wrist to her waist. her hair was pitch black, twisted and wrapped in the form of a bun held together with rubies, tied together in a string. her head buried, deep in Jacob's shoulder. Blood running down his chest, staining what was left of his shirt. As the pain surge through Jacob's neck, tears run out of Robert's eyes. She finally releases him, letting out a large exhale. she sighed, "satisfying", as Jacob's body collapsed onto the ground.

Robert. Robert.

"ROBERT!!!!!!!!!", in a blink, Robert eyes widen, his heart pacing, beating madly like a drum. his two friends kneeled over him, "you good?", one questions.

"You just flatlined, we were worried.", another chimed in. Robert slowly stood up. his heart calms. eying his two friends.

"I'm fine", he answered., though there was a hint of uncertainty in his speech. One that was even felt by his two friends, though they decide not to press on, for now.