We waited until dark, and none of us said a word. We were ravenous by dark, but even then we couldn't help but look at the beauty, and detail in the world around us. Sheep were bahing up on the cliff. I could hear birds beyond the sheep, and children playing beyond that. I could see each grain of sand as it was stirred by the wind, not one was the same as the other. Rocks had texture that my eyes could zoom in on and explore like they were canyons. Tiny fractures in the bones of the man, and even long dead sheep were as clear as cracks in our modern windshields. Smells bombarded us like hail in a thunderstorm. I didn't know that many fragrances even existed. I call them fragrances because everything had another layer to it. Even the smell of death was worth exploring and breathing in to uncover the different layers of it.
We left the cover of the rock after the sun went down, and headed south down the canyon. Blood is what we wanted. We all knew it, but none of us said a word about it. There was not any guessing to it. No roaming around like newly born calf's trying to find mommas teet. We were hunters now. We had no doubt.
Naturally it was Joeseefus that made the first kill. We had followed the smell of blood to a camp of traders not far outside the canyon walls. There were ten men, some asleep, some hanging out by the fire. Nobody had heard us coming. With our exceptional hearing we could hardly hear our own footsteps. We stopped at a copse of trees outside their camp, and saw one of the men heading for the trees probably to take a leak. In the end he did take a leak, he shit himself to, after Joeseefus had him caught, and pinned before the man could even think to call out for help. We were on him then. All of us biting and looking for the vein. Lapping at the blood flowing all over his body when we could not. We were tearing him apart. His head was making a sound, smacking against a rock, that under normal circumstances would have made me vomit. Thwack goes the head, thwack goes the head. It started as a dry sound and ended up wet. Joeseefus latched his mouth to the top of the mans head and started to feed there, grey matter dripping from his chin. When we were done nothing much of the man was left. Completely drained of blood, his jaw broken, his chin laid beside hit broken head. Its eyes still open staring at the stars in the night sky.
8
Mitch made a retching sound, and then had to step around an air vent to vomit. Kreed sat waiting impatiently for mitch to get back. His story wasn't done. More had to be told.
"Why are you telling me these things?" Mitch said. "How can I sit next to you knowing that you have killed so many people. How can you expect me to listen."
"You have not heard me out yet." Kreed said. "Most vampires give in to what they have become. Either by surrender, or losing there minds because of what they have to do, day after day. If it will settle you, we found out later that we could actually keep someone alive after feeding on them. We would feed, and not drain them completely. Then we would lick the wound, and when they woke up no evidence remained. It seemed as if they had feinted. We had to take these steps it became law, so that we were not exposed, and to preserve the food supply."
"You talk like we are cattle waiting to be slaughtered Kreed." Mitch hadn't sit back down yet, the voice in his head was telling him to jump. "Just jump, save everybody a lot of trouble." the voice said.
"Dammit Mitch, you are cattle. Food for those that are greater than you. That is how the food chain works and nothing you say can stop it. But if you listen, and listen carefully, there may be something you can do about it." Kreed looked again at the green creature on Mitch's shoulder. He knew the creature couldn't do anything to hurt Mitch physically, but he wondered how much longer Mitch could resist its whispers. He decided to wait, still, a little longer. He was not yet ready to understand.
"Can I continue?" Kreed asked.
Mitch sat back down, and motioned for Kreed to go ahead.
9
