Condemned Ch. 05

"Jesus." I whispered.

*********

I couldn't say I was particularly enjoying my time with my new friend. She kept looking at me like I was dinner. I still couldn't believe that Michael had handed me over to her.

It was still light out and I actually caught a glimpse of the orange sun before she grabbed the back of my collar and pulled me back into the dark.

I was surprised that she had miscalculated the time. Normally their kind instinctively knew when the sun was about to set. I supposed I had to account for her youth. Only turned during the past month, clearly she wasn't accustomed to her newly attuned senses yet.

Her hold on my collar tightened, near choking me as she dragged me back into the sewage tunnel. She was smaller than me, lighter and delicate looking. If I had known she didn't have the power to crush my skull like an egg I might have been tempted to run away.

"You remember what Michael told you?" She asked me, shaking me slightly for emphasis.

I nodded my head. It wasn't difficult for me to remember. Michael had told me to go out into the streets and wait. He said I wouldn't be hurt as long as I didn't try to run. He told me the latter was for my own protection.

Like I could believe a word that came out of his mouth!

"Good," She nodded her head and started tapping her small foot. "Good, good, good." She was nervous, which couldn't mean anything good for me. "Conner?" her newly burnished eyes turned on me suddenly and she bared her fangs, willingly or not I couldn't say. I wondered how she knew my name. "Why hasn't he killed you yet?" She reached out with her spare hand and cupped my face. "Has he even bled you?" She looked at me expectedly and then got angry when I didn't answer her. I wondered if anyone had thought to feed her recently. "Alright then slug, keep your secretes!" And before I could protest she grabbed the back of my hand and sunk her teeth into my palm.

I gasped in pain but couldn't suck in enough air to scream. I tried to pull back but I don't think she even registered my tugging. Then suddenly it stopped. Eyes glowing, she grabbed my wrist, opened the sewage grate and chucked me outside.

I tripped and stumbled but I managed not to fall flat on my face. I looked back, expecting her to pounce but all I heard was a slight slam as she locked the grate back into place behind me. Surely this couldn't be it? There was no way they could expect me to just stand out in the open with my hand bleeding and night quickly approaching. I looked down at my white shirt and light blue jeans. Jesus Christ, I was going to stand out like a freaking roman candle.

I didn't know where I was. I tried to remember the last time I had left my part of the city and realised I hadn't travelled more than 90 minuet's in any direction since I was a kid. "Fuck!" I said, because honestly, sometimes there isn't a better word. "Fuck, Jesus Fucking Christ!" I started running. I wasn't about to just stand around and wait for one of them to spot or smell me, not when there was even a small chance that I couldn't make it someplace safe before nightfall.

I looked up at the sky and felt a rush of dread. Bright orange and vibrant red's coloured the skies. The sun was setting and it was going down fast. Did it always drop so quickly? I looked around, desperate now for somewhere to hide. "Fuck." I whimpered. Even if I hid there was no way they wouldn't smell my blood. It was dripping down my wrist, splashing relentlessly on the dirty grey pavement. I looked around and realised I was about to freeze. "Fuck it." I gasped. I didn't care where I went or how far I got but I'd be damned if I'd just stand in the middle of the street and wait for one of them to come murder me. I turned on my heels and I started running like the devil himself was chasing me.

They were on me in minutes. A figure jumped in front of me, moving so quickly that the only reason I avoided him was because he let me. I stumbled back and saw another circle around me. Five of them altogether, looking at me with dead glittering eyes. I held my wrist against my chest and stared back at the one right in front of me. I think he expected hysterics but I'd never been much for frenzied screaming. He smiled and took a small step towards me. "You sure picked the wrong time of night to bleed kid."

I wasn't sure what happened next. I noticed Michael and Kerry and another group of others that I'd only really seen in passing. There was a blur of blood and screaming and disembodied pieces. A head rolled towards me and I think I might have fainted. Unfortunately I came to a lot quicker that I would have liked. The head was still there, staring at me with a horrible expression of drawn fangs and clear hatred. I scampered backwards and heard an angry snarl behind me. I looked up and found the young looking one that had approached Michael with Kerry a few nights ago. Michael had told me that his name was Adam and he wasn't nearly as young as he looked. He reached down and pulled me effortlessly to my feet. He was an inch or two shorter than me but that didn't make a difference considering the quivering strength I knew he possessed.

His eyes flickered to my wrist and I think I must have groaned. He smiled at me in a way that made me shiver before he ripped off the bottom end of my shirt and wrapped it around my injured wrist. I think I must have tried to pull away because he laughed and lifted me off my feet a little. "Here Michael" He called, "I have your mortal and he's none worse for wear."

"Let go." I gasped, pushing uselessly at his arm.

When Michael pulled me into his embrace I was so relieved that I grabbed his shirt and pressed my face into his chest. At that moment, bizarrely, he was the closest thing to comfort I had.

"It's alright Conner." He whispered into my hair. "You're alright."

But I wasn't and God help me if I ever had to experience anything like that again I was scared I'd follow my mom into oblivion.