This Blood Is Gonna Wake the Night

We could almost smell them coming. It was finally feeding time. I'd rapidly recovered from my nasty morning convulsion, which I later learned had lasted the best part of an hour. We could hear their echoing footsteps as they came closer. . .

They paused outside our door. . .

The little slide door opened and the butch guy peered inside. Oh God what would I give to sink my teeth into him. . .

"You guys hungry?" He mocked.

I could see the longing in Matt's eyes. And the hunger. I felt the same way but I refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing me pleading to be fed. It's what they want. They get some kind of kick from seeing us suffering and pleading. That must be how boring their jobs are. That's how boring it is taking care of people like me; to the point that they find it funny to torment us.

"What's that?" The guy jested "I can't hear you? You guys not hungry?"

Matt was this close to getting up and walking over but I placed a hand on his shoulder, telling him not to give him that satisfaction. The hunger was burning in his cold blue eyes. Just like it did in all the young ones. You'd think they'd open their hearts up just a little bit for the children in here. But no. They really are just cruel, heartless, tormenting assholes who lock us all away to prevent us from 'spreading our poison'.

"Aw, you hungry little guy?" He jeered at Matt.

He deliberately poked the food through, showing it to us. Tempting us. Tormenting us. Provoking. Until one of the men, a few years older than myself, couldn't stand him taunting Matt any more. His name's Tom. He's a decent guy. Probably an honest, hard-working citizen with a family to support before he ended up in here with us. I suspect he had a son Matt's age because he's taken a shine to Matt and tries to father him.

"Do you get some kind of kick from tormenting a child, you sick ass?"

We could hear him laughing from the other side of the thick door.

"You call that a child?" He spat "I have a child! And, let me tell you something, a child isn't anything like him! Children don't kill, children don't eat the way he does. That isn't a child."

I growled from my place on my bunk, partly in Matt's defence and partly in my own. I've been here since I was eight. Does that mean I wasn't a child at that time? I wasn't a scared, confused, alone child in a cold cell with strangers much older than him? I wasn't an innocent little boy shut up like a zoo animal, who missed his Mommy and just wanted to go home?

My fist clenched, even though my face remained cool. I wanted to grab him by his fat throat and teach him something he'd never forget. I'd make sure of it.

"I mean, look at your buddy up there on the bunk!" He continued with the same venomous tone.

It took me a moment to realise he'd been referring to me and was pointing at me. The others stole glances in my direction too. I calmly looked in the guys direction, running a hand through my hair.

"And what about me?"

"He's been here nineteen years," The guy continued to the others "He sure as hell wasn't a child when he came here-"

"Hey, you shut up about me!" I ordered, sitting up properly and glaring venomously at him.

He ignorantly ignored me and continued.

"A child doesn't attack the other kids on their block-"

"That was just the once! I was eight years old!" I protested furiously "I couldn't help myself!"

"I'm sure the kids Mom saw it that way."

"I barely touched her! She was fine! I apologised to her and she said it was fine-"

"Because she didn't know any better!" He spat "She didn't know you were gonna' try and feed off of her, did she? She didn't know what you are-"

"SHUT UP!"

"Is it true? You were gonna' cut her right open and devour her, weren't you?"

"I didn't know any better! I was an eight year old child, I couldn't help myself! I was convulsing-"

"What a great excuse, eh? You were twitching a little so you thought that gave you licence to try and murder a little girl!" He laughed maliciously "I can tell you what you all are," He spat after a pause.

"Oh, please, enlighten us." Tom glowered.

"Freaks. I don't understand why they don't just slaughter you all now."

"When I get out of here," I growled "I'm gonna' take great pleasure in feeling your blood on my hands."

"I'm sure you will." He mocked.

And he finally decided to give us our Goddamn food and beat it. Matt snatched up the biggest piece he could find as it was tossed carelessly through the door at us. His strong jaw clenched powerfully around the raw beef he now clutched in his hands. Red dripped from the oozing lump in his grip and dripped down his hands. I instantly snatched up the largest lump I could find, biting straight into it. Oh meat, sweet, raw meat. Juice from the lump I clutched in my hands ran down my wrists. It tasted so. . . so sweet. The joy of being able to eat, at last. It was all I could do to stop myself groaning as I felt the mouthfuls of hastily chewed meat hit my stomach.

"Steady on, Gerard." Matt laughed as I greedily tore at the meat clasped in my hands as if my life depended upon it.

I didn't reply as I was too busy cramming as much of it as I could into my mouth. So sweet. So juicy. So good. It would just about last me until tomorrow. And I'll have another convulsion some time next week due to how underfed I am. We all will. That's pretty much what our lives consist of. Sitting around under weak UV lights all day, UV rays don't kill or harm us in any way, waiting to be fed and convulsing. The greatest life ever. Not.