Looking down at my arm, I glance at the mark that was just made. I find the mark unreadable because of the blood that leaks from the wound. As soon as I wipe the blood away, more quickly fills it’s place. I glance up to meet red eyes. Tatiana stares at my arm.
She hands me a small napkin. “Dap it. If you rub it, it will only get irritated.”
I follow her orders. The only problem is that even small contact hurts when it’s applied to my wound.
“Cooper, Stop!” Natalie shouts while pushing her brother’s hand away.
“Nat, I have to clean it or it will get infected.” He pauses to continue his work.
She pushes his hand away again. Walking over, I gently hold her other hand back. Cooper’s blue eyes glimmer back at me. The expressions on Natalie’s face are unforgettable. Tears drip from her eyes to further express her pain. Maybe I should take her mind off of it.
“So, your name is Natalie.” I pause. “That’s a beautiful name.”
“Thank you.” She mutters while making eye contact with me.
“You know, I don’t really know many people with blue eyes. They’re really pretty. Some myths believe that people with clear blue eyes like yourself, make it easier to see into someone’s soul because of their clarity.” I inform.
“Really? That’s pretty cool. Actually-“ Natalie gets cut off by her brother finishing cleaning up the mark on her arm.
“And people with black eyes like yourself, are known to be serious, strong and even though it’s hard to see into their soul, they sometimes express it.” Cooper pauses to lock his eyes with mine. “You’re eyes are beautiful. They remind me of a piercing black hole that can steal anyone’s attention. But mostly mine.”
That’s the first time I ever heard a complement involving my eyes. I never liked them. Cooper clears his throat while breaking our gaze. Letting go of Nat’s arm, I notice what the mark says.
Outlined by a hexagon, lies the markings Subject 401. They’re branding us. I glance down at my arm to see even more of a red liquid leaking from it. No matter how much I clean it, it won’t stop bleeding. Cooper steps towards me and grabs my arm. He gently daps a napkin on the surface of my stained skin.
“So, tell me. Is your name as amazing as your eyes because I’m getting tired of calling you Beautiful instead of your real name…” He says while a smirk crosses his face.
Nice choice of words.
“My name is Avery.” I whisper with a smile.
“Okay, everyone line up and pick up a tray. Once you are served your meal, you will have T-minus ten minutes to eat.” A female voice announces.
My stomach begins to roar. We all line up and grab a tray like ordered. A woman comes around with a bucket and a spoon. The wrinkles on her face tell me so much about her. They scream out that she desires sleep but it denied that request by the vampires that rule over her. It also tells me that she’s human.
She dollops a grey paste on to every tray. Once everyone has been served this so called meal we are escorted back to our pods.
Walking through the halls, I questions bubble in my head. Why didn’t we get to eat with the others? Is this meal even edible? When will be the next time we get food? Ever since the outbreak, I always ordered myself to eat like it would be my last meal.
It came in handy sometimes, but other times it wouldn’t. I would eat so much in the previous meal; I couldn’t eat the current one.
Looking down at my skinny figure, I remember all those nights of a starving stomach. Most plus sized people would be lucky. Your body was trained to eat your fat then eat your muscles as an instinct. For a girl of my size, skipping a meal could be fatal.
Once we make it back to our pod, I slide down the metal walls. I grab my finger and dip it into the mush. Lightly licking my finger, I take note of the taste. The bland food could pass up as mashed potatoes. Every time I swallowed, I discovered a horrible after taste. I wrinkled my nose as my taste buds screamed for water.
After we ate, all we did was sit around in this box. I had no one to talk to so I sometimes listened to Cooper and Natalie’s conversation. Even that didn’t keep me entertained. Pacing around the room annoyed the guards outside. They were paranoid that I would attack them or something.
But I won’t do that yet.
YOU ARE READING
Tainted
VampireAt first, it was just a small outbreak. No one would think twice about a uprising disease, that was until it spread like wildfire. Many people died. The problem was that they didn't stay dead. Avery hasn't been outside in months. Once she finally st...
