You're in Vampire Country, Now
White Riot
Jen’s P.O.V
“You know damn well who I’m talking about, Chloe!” I yelled. I had just proposed we burn down the room of a “certain person”, to keep that “certain person” from hurting anyone ever again.
“Okay, don’t you think that’s just a bit irrational?” She said. We were all sitting in the living room, all of us except for Gerard, that is, for he’d been locked up in his room for the past four days. Maybe he’ll die from lack of blood. I often thought.
“No, in fact, I think it’s very irrational.” I stated proudly. Chloe made a face and stared at me. I blushed as I realized what I just said. “I m-mean rational!” I stammered. Bob grabbed my hand and pulled me into his lap.
“It’s okay,” He said, “We know what you meant.” God I loved him.
“I don’t think we should burn him,” Ray said, getting up. “But I don’t think we should just let this go. Gerard’s not a kid, so we can’t just…punish him…but there’s got to be something we can do…something like punishment…but not quite punishment.”
“How about we tie him up and then stick needles into him? You know how much he hates those!!” Something like that could only have come from the mind of Tater.
“That’s a good idea” I smiled, looking around at everyone. Ray shook his head his head, and so did Bob.
“I don’t think-” Ray started to argue.
“It’s a great idea.” Frank interrupted. He had this crazed, happy look on his face. Ray and Bob looked at each other, doubt written all over their faces, and kept quiet for the rest of the time. Sorrow and Mikey just kind of sat there, I didn’t expect either of them to like what we would have to say, but they could just deal with it. Tater was definitely on to something.
Chloe shook her head, but not in a disapproving way, it was more like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Are you people crazy? Look, what Gerard did was wrong, but damn, you guys! Tying him down and sticking needles into him?” Tater, Frank, and I nodded. “And you think this is going to help, how?”
“He’ll know to never do it again.” I said, stifling laughter. Chloe shook her head again.
“He’s done this one time too many,” Tater stated, “Don’t you want him to stop?”
“Of course I do, but this isn’t the way to do it. Medieval torture schemes aren’t going to make him care about any of you any more than he does now.”
“I don’t give a damn about him caring about us! He’s gonna respect us.” Tater was now using exaggerated hand motions to speak for her.
“Whatever. Go ahead and see what happens. He’s going to hate us all even more, for not understanding what the hell he’s going-”
“He will respect us. He will never do this again.”
“And you keep thinking that. This still isn’t the right way to deal with this.”
“Oh, okay, so how do you propose we do this, huh?”
“If anyone should be dealing with Gerard it’s me and his brother. Calmly.”
“Oh, so where the hell were you the first time this happened?” For the first time since I’d been at the house, Chloe was completely caught off guard.
“I…”
“They tried everything they could.” Ray said quietly. Everyone turned to look at him. He looked up from the floor and at all of us. “They just couldn’t get him under control…”
“Exactly.” Tater said, folding her arms and staring straight at Chloe. Chloe stared straight back, more hatred and venom in her eyes than I had ever seen before.
“Do what you want.” She said, her voice quiet but firm. “You’re only going to make things worse.” And with that she left the room and went out the front door. Maybe she was going to feed, or maybe she was just going for a walk in the woods, but all I knew was that we needed needles. Pronto.
Still, I couldn’t help but think that she was completely right.
“You know damn well who I’m talking about, Chloe!” I yelled. I had just proposed we burn down the room of a “certain person”, to keep that “certain person” from hurting anyone ever again.
“Okay, don’t you think that’s just a bit irrational?” She said. We were all sitting in the living room, all of us except for Gerard, that is, for he’d been locked up in his room for the past four days. Maybe he’ll die from lack of blood. I often thought.
“No, in fact, I think it’s very irrational.” I stated proudly. Chloe made a face and stared at me. I blushed as I realized what I just said. “I m-mean rational!” I stammered. Bob grabbed my hand and pulled me into his lap.
“It’s okay,” He said, “We know what you meant.” God I loved him.
“I don’t think we should burn him,” Ray said, getting up. “But I don’t think we should just let this go. Gerard’s not a kid, so we can’t just…punish him…but there’s got to be something we can do…something like punishment…but not quite punishment.”
“How about we tie him up and then stick needles into him? You know how much he hates those!!” Something like that could only have come from the mind of Tater.
“That’s a good idea” I smiled, looking around at everyone. Ray shook his head his head, and so did Bob.
“I don’t think-” Ray started to argue.
“It’s a great idea.” Frank interrupted. He had this crazed, happy look on his face. Ray and Bob looked at each other, doubt written all over their faces, and kept quiet for the rest of the time. Sorrow and Mikey just kind of sat there, I didn’t expect either of them to like what we would have to say, but they could just deal with it. Tater was definitely on to something.
Chloe shook her head, but not in a disapproving way, it was more like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Are you people crazy? Look, what Gerard did was wrong, but damn, you guys! Tying him down and sticking needles into him?” Tater, Frank, and I nodded. “And you think this is going to help, how?”
“He’ll know to never do it again.” I said, stifling laughter. Chloe shook her head again.
“He’s done this one time too many,” Tater stated, “Don’t you want him to stop?”
“Of course I do, but this isn’t the way to do it. Medieval torture schemes aren’t going to make him care about any of you any more than he does now.”
“I don’t give a damn about him caring about us! He’s gonna respect us.” Tater was now using exaggerated hand motions to speak for her.
“Whatever. Go ahead and see what happens. He’s going to hate us all even more, for not understanding what the hell he’s going-”
“He will respect us. He will never do this again.”
“And you keep thinking that. This still isn’t the right way to deal with this.”
“Oh, okay, so how do you propose we do this, huh?”
“If anyone should be dealing with Gerard it’s me and his brother. Calmly.”
“Oh, so where the hell were you the first time this happened?” For the first time since I’d been at the house, Chloe was completely caught off guard.
“I…”
“They tried everything they could.” Ray said quietly. Everyone turned to look at him. He looked up from the floor and at all of us. “They just couldn’t get him under control…”
“Exactly.” Tater said, folding her arms and staring straight at Chloe. Chloe stared straight back, more hatred and venom in her eyes than I had ever seen before.
“Do what you want.” She said, her voice quiet but firm. “You’re only going to make things worse.” And with that she left the room and went out the front door. Maybe she was going to feed, or maybe she was just going for a walk in the woods, but all I knew was that we needed needles. Pronto.
Still, I couldn’t help but think that she was completely right.