Blood Bag

Rebel Training

It turns out Kyle and his band of merry boys, didn't really have a plan. I think about their frustratingly blank faces as I jog down the road towards Darlington Manor. There's something in the derelict building I'm going to need if I have any hope of pulling off the plot we have planned. 

The Rebel Initiation had been a laughable right-of-passage. I'd been made to kneel and solemnly swear my allegiance to the rebels and in return they had granted me a pass-code, Firefly. A word I could look out for, that was used to signal to other rebels that you were on the same team. 

Kyle's young group was apparently one of four in the city. Although it seemed the groups rarely had any sort of communication with each other and never met in person. It was a poor excuse for a rebel army and seemed to lack any clear leadership or goal, with each group having its own set of agendas. 

Turning into a familiar alley, I adjusted my backpack and pulled myself up through the broken window leading to the Darlington dining room.  Luca had been seething with rage when I'd criticized his half-baked plan to steal and destroy the cities stores of blood bags. I'd told him matter-of-factly that it was a sure fire way to turn half the residents of Lavort into dinner. A vampires got to eat, after all. 

I drop into the dark dining room. A plume of dust rushes up to greet me. Turning back towards the window I set about pulling the old red curtains down, their velvety texture turned stiff by years of dirt and neglect. Finished, I hastily stuff them into my empty backpack before waltzing over to the table and perching on the edge of it, pulling a slip of paper out of my pocket. 

I stare at my mothers perfectly neat handwriting. The words on the page float around, a jumble of letters and ink. 

Dearest ungrateful daughter, 

I'm writing to let you know you are banned from our home until you can get over your own petty jealousy and be happy for your sister, and for our newfound standing in society. 

Your constant rebellious behavior and negativity is harming our good name. Nancy being Chosen is a wondrous turn of events, more than we could ever have hoped for our children and we will not have you tarnishing the experience. 

P.S Don't bother trying to see your father, he wholeheartedly agrees with me.

My throat tightens as a I re-read the letter for what feels like the thousandth time. I can hear my mothers shrill-manic voice, imagine my fathers desperate and failed attempts to convince her I am friend not foe. I know he doesn't agree with the words written here but it hurts all the same. My quiet, introverted father has spent his life doting on my mother, carefully guiding her through her episodes. He no longer has access to the medicine her brain needs in order to function rationally so he makes do with the skills he has .Namely rolling-over and giving into my mothers every crazed demand in order to placate her. 

I crumple the letter in my hand, enjoying the feeling of the folded edges digging into my palm. I pull my arm back to throw the scrunched up ball across the room before thinking better of it and tucking it back into my pocket. Clearly I'm not done with torturing myself quite yet. 

***

I stare up at Kyle through the curtain of my inky black hair, resisting the urge to kick out at his shins as he offers me a hand up from the floor. We have been sparing for the last hour, whilst Luca and Kaleb watch, taking notes and occasionally falling about the place in hysterics when I manage to catch Kyle off-guard. Which doesn't happen quite as often as I'd like. 

Beating each other up is integral to our new plan. I have to admit I'm not particularly sure its a good one, it's certainly not much of one. But it's all the four of us can agree on, so it's all we have. 

Back on my feet I lunge at Kyle a few times, he sidesteps each attack with mere inches to spare between my fists and his body. The adrenaline coursing through my veins is addictive. Aiding my limbs so they don't tire. I'm a little taken back by just how much I enjoy fighting, although I have a feeling my parents wouldn't be at all surprised at my new-found love of punching and kicking. I was always the more feral of their children. 

My mind drifts back to Nancy, which has been more or less my default state since my mother told me the good news. I wonder where she is, who she belongs to now. Will I ever see her again? The idea that my sister is gone from my life is too painful to bear and so I tell myself I'll see her soon, even if I have to kill the leech who took her first. 

Taking advantage of my distracted state Kyle lands an ax-kick to my rib-cage. I fall backwards onto the wooden floor of Luca's apartment, colliding hard. The air in my lungs is knocked out. The pain in my ribs severe enough that if I had any breath left I'd be swearing right now. I glare at Kyle as he jumps forward to access the damage, his face sheepish, his eyes full of silent apologies. 

He offers me a hand up. I bite back a groan as I stretch out to take it, my ribs singing. Kyle pulls me up onto my feet but doesn't let me go, his hand lingering over mine. I yank myself unceremoniously out of his warm grip. The last thing I need is romantic drama. 

"I think I'm done for today." I mutter, hating to admit defeat but not particularly wanting to add any more bruises to my now battered body. 

"Sure A, you did real good today. Do you wanna practice the other part of the plan before you go?" He asks, eyeing me up and down obviously and without any hint of shame. 

"Not a chance." I mutter back, dusting off my plain grey refugee clothes and giving him my best don't fuck with me look. Kyle grins back at me. The day I need his help learning how to seduce people is the day Vampires decide to take up Veganism. 

Wandering over to the boys watching us, I return Luca's hostile look and give Kaleb a friendly nudge as I squeeze in next to him on the sofa. 

"So do you think we're ready?" I ask, feeling confident I know the answer. 

"Yes, actually, I think we should attempt stage 1 tomorrow." Luca says and I have to fight to keep the shock from showing on my face. How could he have just seen me getting knocked on my ass and still think I'm ready to fight a vampire. "I'm thinking Blood Bank, it's close, it's busy and it's been known to get fanged visitors from time to time." Luca looks at me expectantly, it feels as though he's daring me to cop out. Seeing if I'll get scared and quit at the first sign of an actual challenge. His gaze only hardens my resolve.

"Sounds good to me." I say, flashing a grin at him. 

"Great" Kaleb says turning his freckled face towards me, his genuine smile wrinkling the skin at the corners of his blue eyes. "You and Kyle will go inside, it's your job to lure it out, offer them a private snack or something. If you can get it down the road to this alley me and Luca will be waiting with restraints. Then all we have to do is get him into the apartment." 

Luca nods solemly. "We make the creature talk, spill all the BDA's secrets, and if he won't or something goes wrong in the process, we kill it." He says, as if it's going to be easy. I resist the urge to roll my eyes. Luca already hates me enough, its probably best not to irritate him any further. Although it could be fun. 

I have another plan for the vampire. One I haven't quite shared with the group. I think it's a pretty good plan, one with wider reach than just killing a single vamp. I want to find a substance I can spike the cities entire blood supply with, something that will kill the  vampires slowly so they can all get a taste before they realize they're going to die.