Times of Blood

Chapter Two

•We can either run to save our lives, or we can either run to end it•

Nova

Run. Run. Run...

Just the same word repeated over and over and over again.

The first thing I ever learned how to say.

The word that soon became my only chance of surviving this nightmare.

I live by this word. I exist by this word. And I sure as hell will as be torn apart by this word.

Chaos surrounds me; as I'm running through the thick brushes of the obscurum.

I wish I knew differently. I wish my life wasn't all blood. Wasn't all terror. But there are monsters in this world. Monsters who have slaughtered entire populations. Monsters who destroyed entire families.

My family.

As I said before, I wish I knew differently. I wish I didn't know how it felt to hold you seven year old's sister's body in your arms as she bled out from her torn throat. I wish I didn't know how it felt to watch your mother be enslaved; to watch your father be beheaded; and to watch your older brother be the reason of it all.

But most importantly I wish I didn't know how to run. I hate it. It's all I know how to do. I ran when I was a child. I'm running now. And I will run forever.

The echoing screams from the others snapped me back into this dire reality.

All around me I heard the shrilling cries of pain, animalistic snarls, bells ringing, and even the familiar sound of bones snapping. Blood was so prominent in the area that the air was thick with the smell of it.

As I ran, I silently prayed to those who just lost their lives in this cruel blood bath. We were not aware of the territory we were in, but the vampires quickly pinpointed our location and began hunting us down.

"Nova!"

I stopped mid-run to turn towards the man calling my name.

"Gerald!" I screamed, unknown to his whereabouts. Gerald was one of the people I grew up with after my family was murdered. He was taught me everything I know; most importantly, never getting attached to anyone ever again. Not during these times.

And I'm glad I didn't.

Cause the instant Gerald came into a view, a blur entered my vision. One second it was there and the next...

I've seen pools of blood, piles of bodies, but that didn't stop me from freezing in sheer terror as Gerald's head rolled towards me and stopped by my feet.

I refused to look down, as I stared at the monstrosity in front me.

Unable to make sense of who was in front of me for they were covered head to toe in blood, I contemplated trying to escape.

But that would just be moronic. And stupid people don't make it far in this world.

The thing in front of me stood there. Just stood there. Almost as if calculating how exactly it was going to kill me.

I swear a hundred years could've passed before I could successfully breathe again. Some time passed, we both just remained root to our spots.

The intensity in the air blocked out the cries filling the night.

Finally, I couldn't take this little staring contest anymore and looks away from creature in front of me.

That got response, as the vampire smiled, exposing sharp fangs with blood still dripping off them.