Condemned

I didn't think I'd ever understand why anyone would chose to kill them selves. To me every day was a struggle to stay alive and I worked damn hard to be able to live! For a moment I wondered if I would ever get to the point in my life where I would give up.

I picked up one of her blankets and folded it gently in my arms. I guess I was kind of annoyed that she was gone. I didn't miss her because she didn't deserve that, not after what she had done. I did feel crappy though. She was my mom after all. Anyone would have felt the same. A part of me reasoned that I should be happy she was gone. The past year she had been worse than ever. She rarely got out of bed and was always crying. It had been up to me to find food. I often went without because I couldn't find enough for both of us. She never once said thank you. Half the time I don't think she even noticed I was there.

The blanket still smelled like her. It was one of the things we had managed to keep from before. My eyes started to mist up but I rubbed them angrily until they cleared. I'd be damned if I'd shed any tears over her. Like I said, she didn't deserve it.

I put the blanket down on my bed and headed for the door. It was still midday so I had a while before the sun went down and all hell broke lose. Never the less I was careful to ease the door open slowly to make sure no one was waiting outside for me. No one was there. The streets were deserted in fact. Not a great surprise. No single went out unless they had to. Although the gangs waited until night time to come out in earnest an occasional few, always the humans of course, still took the day shift. They would cruise around the city in the hope of happening on a single stupid enough to let them selves be seen.

One time I saw a kid run into a pack of them. She couldn't have been more that sixteen. The stuff they had done to her out in the streets had scared the crap out of me. When they'd finally finished with her all was left was a bloody mess of twitching limbs. I thought I heard someone crying close by but they never showed them selves. I waited a while to see if anyone was going to help her but after a few hours I gave up. I still wonder if anyone went to her in the end. I very much doubted she was still alive.

As I stepped out of the small refuge of my home I was greeted with the eye opening sight of Birmingham city, which stared back at me in all of its grim glory. Sewage and refuge littered the streets, pouring in and out of houses where the windows were either barred or shattered. Graffiti markings covered every wall, flat and abandoned car. They each represented the various gangs that ruled the city. The rural areas of Brum had never been that pretty to begin with. Grey concrete council block flats were spread out as far as the eye could see and the only bit of green in sight came from the mould.

I fastened my coat to try and keep out some of the bitter cold as I trudged out into the rain. I hated winter with a passion so intense that I think it was a little unhealthy. The constant gray skies and bitingly cold wind pissed me off, but nearly so much as the crappy rain. Worse still was the oppressive lack of daylight. The gangs must have loved it but it meant singles like me had even less time to try and scavenge food.

I stayed to the streets I knew best, keeping in shadow whenever I could. I was always listening. The city was so quiet that a person could hear a pin drop. It was because there were so few of us singles left. Those that were still alive were breathing because they knew how to stay quiet. In my experience if you're loud you're probably going to be dead fairly soon.

There was a store a little further ahead that held all kinds of goodies. The guy that ran the place didn't exactly seem the charitable sort though. If you wanted to eat well you needed to have something worth trading. Drugs were usually the most valuable commodity, then cross's, which I new for a fact didn't do a damn thing to a gang member besides make them laugh, then guns, knifes, sexual favours, other kinds of food- the list was endless.

I walked straight past the place. I didn't have anything worth trading. Of course that wasn't entirely true, maybe there was one thing, but the guy who ran the place, a big hairy son of a bitch with a depraved attitude, well i wasn't that hungry yet and i hoped dearly that i never would be.

I walked for a little while longer until I found a flat that looked thoroughly fucked over. Nightshade, excuse me whilst I roll my eyes, gang tags were all over the place. They looked old and the place had clearly been deserted for a while. I forced my way though the broken window and moved quickly over the dust covered floor until I found the kitchen. I scrounged around in the cupboards for a while and felt a stab of triumph when I saw the canned fruit wedged into a far corner. I grabbed them and shoved them in my bag, careful to make sure no one was watching me. You can never be too paranoid.

The cans were one hell of a find and would keep me fed for a while; especially now I only had to look after my self. It amazed me that other singles didn't enter the abandoned tagged houses. It was pretty much the only way I stayed alive.

I got out of the flat as fast as I could. I was just making my way home when it hit me how quickly it was getting dark. Weird, because my watch said it was only three p.m. I looked up at the sky and felt my heart jump up in my throat. The sun was being smothered by the moon. It was solar Eclipse! Jesus fucking Mary and Joseph!

I started running, there wasn't much else I could do and for the first time in twelve years I headed into the daylight. It streamed over me, lighting me up for the world to see. Though my mind screamed at me to get back into the shadows my instincts told me to stay where I was. I heard laughter, dark and sinister. It seemed deafening in the constant quiet. I stumbled and saw a white marble hand reach out and beckon me towards the shadows. I backed away on my backside, too stupid with fear to form any coherent thoughts other than how much it was going to hurt when they killed me.

The light was almost all gone now. I couldn't make anything out. The shadow passed over me and then I was blind.

My entire body was exposed as I sat in the middle of the alley. I began to shake as my chest let out a stream of stifled breaths. At least I didn't have to think about mom anymore, or how she'd survive if I never came home.

I heard the laugher again, closer this time. Despite not being able to see anything I drew my legs up against my chest and buried my face into my arms as they rested on my knees. I was still horribly exposed but at least now I had something to hug.

Soft footsteps padded up beside me. I tried to beg for my life but I couldn't speak through my terror. I was having trouble breathing. I hoped I'd pass out. Gentle fingers traced the outline of my bowed head, running down through my hair until they clamped firmly onto the back of my neck. I realized I was taking then, babbling payers that had been forced fed to me as a child.

"Shhh," it cooed in a voice that dripped with honey. "I don't like those words. Now tell me love, what's your name?" The desire to scream was almost unbearable. I pressed my hands over my ears to try and block him out. The pressure on my neck increased painfully and I got the hint and dropped my hands. "Your name?" He repeated.

"Conner," I whimpered.

"Didn't you know there was an eclipse today Conner?"

A stupid question, if I had known- Pain lased through my neck. "No" I gasped.

"Why have you come out of your hole, Conner?"

I wondered if he intended to play with me for much longer. I knew I was beginning to break apart. "I-I was looking for food." I realized I was crying then. I tried to pull out of the painful hold on my neck. A stupid mistake. I was quite literally dragged up by the scruff on me neck. My eyes opened wide in shock and as they adjusted I began to make out the features of the thing in front of me. He was a little taller than my 5"11 and probably outweighed me by more than fifty pounds. I couldn't make out much colour but his wide eyes and shoulder length hair looked light. His mouth was slightly open as he smiled at me. I was staring almost directly at his engorged fangs."

"Jesus," I gasped. His smile grew dangerous and I remembered that he didn't like those words. I began to shake so badly that I was amazed my legs were still holding me upright. He used his free hand to trace the outline of my jaw. His fingers moved over the arteries in my throat and down to my collar bone. When his hand slipped beneath my shirt collar I felt a sudden burst of distaste that mingled strangely well with the horror I was experiencing.

My world shifted upside down and I realized I was being carried on his shoulders. I thought about struggling but quickly dismissed the idea as I was carried swiftly into a smaller alley. I had been pretty meek so far; maybe that was what was keeping me alive.

I tried to track our progress but when he turned into a ground flat and headed down a long tunnel through the cellar door I became hopelessly lost. Loud pounding music reached my ears. I heard laughter not long after that. He was taking me into the heart of one of the damned gangs!

He stepped out of the tunnel and I suddenly found my self in a huge hall filled with people. There were so many of them that I felt sick and smothered.

Before I had time to look away my eyes locked with a young woman. With her olive coloured skin and pale brown eyes she was obviously human. I wanted to ask her for help but the image of that kid being ripped part jumped into my mind. I pressed my face against the guys back.

"What have we here Michael?" I heard a woman talking close to my shoulder ask. I didn't think it was the girl I had previously been looking at. "Did you pick him up in the eclipse?"

"He is splendid is he not?"

"Exceedingly so. How old is he?"

"Early to mid twenties I think."

Long tapered fingers ran under my shirt and over my back. I tensed and they both laughed.

"Have you tasted him yet?"

I think I managed to stifle my whimper.

"There wasn't time. Sadly the eclipse did not linger."

My head was wrenched up so quickly that I was amazed my neck didn't snap. My back arched painfully as I tried to accommodate the iron grip on my hair. The woman holding onto me crouched down until our eyes were level and studied me with an intensity that scared the shit out of me.

"Just lovely." She said at last. She let go of me and I rammed back into the guys back. He didn't even flinch as my head ploughed into his spine. I wondered if I'd just given my self a concussion.

"Were many others brought in?"

"Not a single one so far. Some were caught of course but they were unsuitable so they have been subdivided for food."

Abruptly my world turned right side up. I stumbled and might have fallen if Michael hadn't reached out and caught my arm to steady me. I couldn't really say I was thankful. For the first time during this whole horrible encounter I had nothing to hide behind. I thought I had felt exposed over his shoulder. Standing between them as their demonic eyes devoured every inch of me I suddenly wished I was upside down again.

"A pity he isn't suitable for the change." The woman said in a tone that seemed full of regret.

"Why do you say that?" Michael snapped, his crystallized blue eyes flashing with what seemed like very real fury. "He's the right age and he's healthy enough." The grip on my arm increased and I had to bite my bottom lip to keep from crying out. "He would survive the change."

"Likely he would, but then what? Should we suffer another of our kind that cannot bear what they have become? He has not the will or the nature to become one of us."

"You have seen him for mere moment. You do not know what he is capable of ."

"You are not looking past his pretty visage my love. His soul will rebel if you try to take him."

Though I had listened to every word my concentration was centred on the burning agony in my arm. With every angry word Michael's grip had tightened until I was sure he was going to snap my bones in two.

"Jesus fucking Christ!" I half gasped, half screamed. My knees buckled and I was sure I was going to pass out. The pain in my arm lessened considerably though. Obviously the bastard had finally let go!

I head a dry chuckle above me. "Dose he say that sort of thing often."

"Unfortunately, yes."

"Have you told him not to?"

"Of course."

Another chuckle but then her voice turned serious. "What are you going to do with him then?"

"I could give him into one of the mortal groups."

"They would rip him apart." The image of that kid popped into my head again and I felt my body shudder.

He grabbed my arm, the uninjured one, and hoisted me to my feet like I weighed nothing at all. "I'll think of something for him to do." He said as he pulled me past her. He waved away anyone who came towards us and increased his pace until I was practically running to keep up with him. We left the hall and travelled further down into the earth. It was darker in the lower passages and I was having trouble seeing where I was going. The walls were painted crimson and blood red, with gothic furniture covered every inch of where we were standing. It reminded me of the set of a Jack the Ripper film I watched when I was a kid. He stopped outside an iron clad door and pulled out a key. When he opened the door I tensed, expecting to see a Victorian style torture house inside. As he pulled me into the room I think my jaw quite literally hit the ground.

The room was beautiful. Hard wood pine floors, a cream leather corner couch with a huge plasma television and a sound system to kill for. The guy even had a Wii for Christ sake! Cream walls covered in explicit paintings of lovers, though I was shocked to see that they weren't all depicting men and women couples. A kitchen stood in the far right corner. The only thing I could see that hinted at Michael true nature was the spotlessly clean stainless steel kitchen he had. I could tell from a glance that he had never used it before.

He pushed me down onto the couch and walked past him into the other room. I caught a glimpse of a huge bed covered in red and white silk before the door slammed shut behind him.

He was gone for a long time. So long in fact that despite the danger I was in I was beginning to doze off. It had been one hell of a day and that, coupled with the lack of sleep I'd been having since Mum died had left me exhausted. I was just entering full sleep mode when I felt someone standing over me. My eyes popped open and I found my self staring directly into Michaels face, who was crouched less that a foot away from me.

"Jesu-" His hand slapped painfully over my mouth, effectively cutting off my little curse.

"Enough of that!" He ordered. "This is your last warning. Say that word again or anything like it and I'll hurt you. Understand?"

I nodded slightly but inside I was screaming hysterically. Funny that I hadn't realized how cold his hands were earlier. He let go of me and lent back a little. He was looking at me thoughtfully, like he didn't quite know what he should do with me. Despite my self I couldn't stop staring at his mouth. I couldn't see the fangs whilst he had his mouth closed but I knew they were there. I wondered how many people he had killed with them. I wondered if he intended to kill me with them.

"Conner," He said. He smiled and I got to see those elusive fangs of his. I recoiled a little but if he noticed it didn't show. "I must say you're reacting incredibly calm, all things considered."

Calm, calm! I was about to pass out! He looked at me expectantly, as though he wanted me to say something. Frankly I had begun to wonder if I still possessed the ability to speak. I couldn't trust my self to open my mouth and not scream so I just looked at him.

He cocked his head to one side and let his hand rest on my knee. The fact that this guy had pretty much kidnapped me, and could kill me with very little effort did not take away from the fact that he was feeling up my leg! It was bad enough when he had dipped his hand inside my shirt earlier. Why did his kind have to be so damned hands on?

His smile widened and I wondered if I hadn't completely succeeded in hiding my disgust. It worried me that my being repulsed was funny to him. His hand moved up my thigh and before I could think it through I pushed it away. I think he probably allowed me to do it.

"You don't like it when I touch you, do you Conner?" faster that I could blink he had his hand around my throat and was pushing me down onto my back. I could breathe ok if I didn't fight him but I really didn't want him lying on top of me so I started to thrash around. All it earned me was a bruised throat and the added knowledge that I was throttling my self. I stopped struggling and he let up a little. Enough for me to be able to breathe anyway.

It was a surreal moment. Me lying flat on my back whilst one of their kind leaned over me. He smiled suddenly, a small twist of the lips that made me want to curl into my self. His hands slid over my stomach and the next thing I felt was his fingers expertly undoing my jeans.

"Fuck you!" I snarled. The bastard could kill me but I'd be damned if I was just going to lay back and let him rape me. To my surprise his hands fell away from my jeans and he sat up. I could breathe normally now he wasn't on top of me. I managed to get my legs under me and scrabbled backwards. Gods wonder that he actually let me. I fell off the bed and hit my head pretty hard. I shook it off as I continued to back up. I stopped when my back hit the wall, what the bloody hell else was I supposed to do, break through it?

His eyes were the worst I decided. In fact I think I preferred looking at his teeth compared to staring at his eyes. They looked like they were made out of ice.

"So," He said, sizing me up even as he spoke with a painfully nonchalant tone."What's with all the," he smiled and clasped his hands together like he was praying. "Words?"

"I'm catholic,"

He looked surprised. "That a fact. Not many of your kind around anymore. Not after that little war you guys cooked up a while ago. Pretty stupid of you, coming after us like that."

"A bit before my time." He looked relaxed but I was willing to bet he'd spring into action if I gave him a reason. Running would be really stupid then. "I don't recognise your accent."

He smiled and slapped his thigh in an exaggerated fashion. "I'm from the states. I believe you Brits like to call my kind yanks."

I like to call your kind demonic bastards. "Where about in America?"

"All over, Boston mostly. I like it here much better though."

"Yeah, why's that?"

He got off the bed. I tensed, expecting to be attacked. Instead he walked past me into the next room. I stayed where I was, too freaked to move. He came back in a moment later holding two glasses of clear liquid. When he passed one to me I cringed, which caused him to growl low in his throat so I took the glass with shaking hands but didn't drink out of it. Gods knows what he might have put in there. Thankfully he moved away from me and went back onto the bed. "It's harder for my kind in the states." He said, and it took me a moment to realise he was answering my earlier question. "There are hunters, weapons like you wouldn't believe. My kind doesn't last long there."

It was difficult to muster up much sympathy for the bastards. "Kind of what it's like for the singles here." I said coldly. Shame I'm not an American though, I thought. According to the history books our country and theirs had been pretty close once. Hell, apparently we were their founders. Pretty shitty of them to screw over their mommy country like that. I wondered why we had been abandoned when they so obviously had the means to help us. Maybe were just too worthless now. "What's it like everywhere else?" I asked. I'd always been curious. It wasn't like there were recent news papers or books being published to let us singles know what was going on in the world and there was a fair chance I'd never get the opportunity to ask again.