The vampire's incubator

Chapter 1

  Chapter 1
One foot in front of the other

Here I stand under the scorching sun feeling like a sunflower in nothing but a yellow mid-thigh  summer dress.  Never have I owned yellow clothing but according to the matron, we have to 'stand out' so he can notice and perhaps pick us.

Twenty five years have passed since the vampires took over, destroying the cities and reconstructing in their own style, building their pretty little kingdom Brunea. We humans, 'weak abominations' as we've come to be called were ostracized to the outskirts of the kingdom to a place called the colony. They probably called it that because our lifestyle is truly like that of the ants, working like slaves while the oh, so perfect vampires do nothing but watch from the distance. The only job they ever seem to do is whipping humans whenever boredom strikes.

Back in the colony, people who have reached the 'ripe' age which is eighteen are put into four primary divisions.
1. Farming
2. Working in factories
3. Being a blood bag
4. Breeding

My only hope today is that once the picking ceremony is over, I can work in the farms or factories. The working hours are long, being allowed only six hours of sleep but these two divisions are better than breeding, being the baby-making machine until you reach menopausal stage and you're killed. The other option left is being a blood bag, that one needs no explaining. I'd choose death on any given day rather than let those leeches drink from me until they find my blood insipid, therefore killing me and leaving my body hanging from the pole.

Now coming back as to why we're all in a perfect queue and clad in all the bright colors under the rainbow, the King needs an heir. He was told by a possibly mad witch that he could only have a child with a certain human girl so every year, all the eighteen year old women are brought to the kingdom so the mad King can pick thirty to carry his seed. I wonder if I'm the only one who thinks the idea is stupid, how will he know by simply looking at our faces that the girl is the one he needs? It has never worked all these years and it will not even today. If however a child passes away before their due term, the woman is killed. It eludes me why the matron still thinks being picked is the best thing that can happen to us.

On the stage walks the mad king with his intimidating demeanor because of his towering height and cold piercing hazel eyes, with the Queen by his side.
The ice Queen has platinum blonde hair and blue ice cold eyes, high cheekbones and pasty skin heavily layered with make-up. When my eyes land on the King, I have no doubt that I'm not the only one laughing internally. He is wearing his usual black boot-legged jeans, a white sleeveless vest and of course, a lime-coloured suit jacket. It is beyond my understanding where this fashion sense came from. He would never leave behind his signature brown military boots tucked inside his jeans.
I look to my far left and and I see my friend Matilda fighting a laugh.

The King's spokesman Jonathan starts, "As you all know, today is the picking ceremony and only thirty of you will be chosen by our lord, our ruler, our one and only king, King Aharon." Cheers erupt from the Vampires who came to witness as the 'lucky humans' gets picked, only to be killed later. "So now, all maidens shall stand still and face forward, no one will be allowed to leave until the ceremony is completed."

Oh Jonathan, nevermind us it's not like we care about the sunburn. We can stand here and be roasted the whole day for the great lord of course. I think as I fight the urge to roll my eyes.

Jonathan walks to the back of the stage and the mad king stands from his comfortable chair and stalks towards us, eyeing each and everyone of us with disgust.
But of course you'll be disgusted when you have to choose an incubator from bony walking human skeletons you starved my lord. I think sarcastically.

"You." He points to a girl wearing an orange blouse and a green skirt. Not the best colour combination I know, but it was the matron's orders. The girl starts sobbing as she steps to the side. Him electing the girls goes on for quite a while and I am content to be just another skeleton in a million, not having any distinct features has it's perks in this world.

The closer he gets, the more I have an internal battle because my instincts impel me to glare at him but my brain tells me to face  the ground rather. But remembering Jonathan's words I can't help but face forward, knowing very well that my face is not at all hiding how I'm feeling. Hateful.

He cocks his eyebrow and his lip curls up in sick sardonic manner in front of me and speaks, "Join them." Without sparing me a second look, he moves forward, looking for his next incubator.

Oh, you shouldn't have done that my great lord, you just chose a nightmare out of a million daydreams. These are my thoughts as I put one foot in front of the other, proceeding to a group sobbing teenage girls and although there is a sea of people behind me, I unmistakably know whose gaze is fixated on my back. It's Matilda's but I won't dare look, how can I when I know very well that this is certainly breaking her?