Elena.

I flipped him over. I could barely make out his face because of all of the blood covering him. He barely recognizable, but I could make out the calm expression on his face and his eyes closed as if in a deep sleep.

I heard pebbles crackle from footsteps behind me, they were running towards me. I turned around, ready to lunge at them. I got up and turned around to come face-to-face with Kadin.
If it wasn’t for his horror struck expression as he looked over to Ryan, I would’ve continued with my plan of attack, but I knew that it couldn’t have been him, not without getting blood on himself.

Kadin’s expression hardened, but didn’t turn to look at me when he shoved me towards the car that was parked behind a couple of trees that I hadn’t seen before.

As he’d shoved me, I’d hit Ryan’s leg. I knew I couldn’t leave Ryan here, not out in the wilderness. I took a hold of Ryan’s shoulders, getting drenched in his blood getting pungent smell hit my nostrils even harder. He weighed more than I’d imagined, but I began to drag him to the car, walking backwards, keeping my eyes on Kadin’s back.

He was in a defensive position, knees slightly bent, his back arched, as he silently looked around, his nostrils flaring as he sniffed around like an animal.

I opened the door to the backseat and laid Ryan across it, strapping him with one of the seat belts that secured him to the seats by the waist. I jumped in alarm as the front door of the car opened as well. Kadin was in and furiously jabbing the keys into the car for it to start. I got in the passenger’s seat as the car started to back up.

I didn’t say a word; I didn’t know what to say. By then I’d stopped crying. I’d never been fond of crying, especially in front of people. It showed weakness, and it wouldn’t solve anything. That was one useful thing my short childhood had taught me. I became even more uneasy with each passing tap-tap-tap-Kadin made with his thumb on the wheel.

“-trust him?”Kadin mumbled angrily. "...got away…”

“Where were-?”

“Ryan said I could. I went to go hunting but...” He growled, and went on to curse for a while at no particular thing for a while until he continued, “I heard…a loud thud…and clothes tearing.” He shook his head and looked down for a moment before he looked up to stare blankly at the road.

After what seemed like hours, he pulled over.

“Look,” Kadin said as he turned to look at me hesitantly. I’d realized then that it was the first time he ever looked directly at me…ever. “I’m sorry.” He said, keeping his eyes on mine. It was I who had to break the stare. Those two words seemed to have hurt me more than they were meant to help. All I could do was nod as I looked at my bloody hands. I didn’t know why I’d reacted this way to the apology, but I realized that those two words seemed to have made Ryan’s death definite, and that there was no hope, no way it was going to be any different.

Kadin turned to look at the backseat, something I couldn’t bring myself to do, so I looked at the empty road ahead. It was the middle of the night, and this was the only car around for miles.

He didn’t say a word, but started to get out of the car. He opened the backdoor on the side where Ryan’s head was. What was he doing? Was he really going to dump his body out onto the side of the road, like-trash? I made myself turn completely around to see what he was doing. Kadin had his bleeding wrist hovering over Ryan’s mouth, which was partially open.

“Kadin.” I choked, confused at what was happening. The blue haired boy let out a groan, but looked up to look at me.

“Vampire blood might save him,” He explained, “pass me the rag in front of you. Right there…” He wrapped his wrist up in the towel and closed the back door. “You drive.”

I got out of my seat and got in the driver’s one as he sat in my spot. I started up the car again, looking over to Ryan, unchanged. I got on the road once more and began to drive. It was an hour or two until Kadin spoke.

“He isn’t going to react to my blood for a while…if he does.” Kadin said. He’d stopped bleeding by then, and had thrown the blood soaked towel out the window a few miles back. “Sun’s rising.” I nodded, tempted to look at Ryan again, but Kadin was the one to do it for me. I saw his blue hair glisten in the moonlight as he turned his head to look behind me.

“Stop.” He said, grabbing my arm.

“Why?”

“He’s alive.”