Status: Erm?
Requiem for the Undead
Don't tell me this is happening
I opened my eyes to a blinding light, a little unsure of where I was. It felt so real, those long months ago playing over in my head; I could've sworn I was still in that hospital bed with the white sheets tucked around my legs and the ugly pot of flowers on the nightstand. Every night was the same, like it was trying to tell me something I already knew, or maybe remind me of it. Out of habit, I scratched at the prominent scar on my neck and shivered.
I got up, not bothering to pretty myself up or change out of my vomit stained clothes from last night, and sauntered my way into the kitchen, there sat my 24-year-old brother Sevin. 6'1, dark hair, muscular and all that jazz, with a face that makes you wanna hide under a rock for the fear of him punching you in the face; cause' he has a reputation of doing that. He was reading the newspaper; the front page declared in all caps "THEY'RE COMING FOR YOU" I groaned, having that been the most clichéd announcement about their race I'd heard in a long time, but none of this was a joke. No one was laughing anymore.
Everything from the night before just suddenly caught up with me. The government had announced, on live television, that there was a blood shortage amongst the vampire race and the agreements that they'd made would soon take into affect.
Preparing myself for this day was a lot harder than it should have been.
"How ya' doin' kiddo?" He looked up from his paragraph for a second to eye me up and down and take a sip of coffee from his mug. "You look like shit." I scoffed, well of course I did but I didn't really care. The prettier you looked, the more they wanted you.
"What's going on" I took a seat across from him and tapped on the front of the paper, then, tried to read the captions underneath the picture of the vampire 'autocrat' and his family. Yes, obviously, everything you've ever known about bloodsuckers is wrong. No garlic, crosses, sunlight, or cameras affect them in any way. Figures they'd have no weaknesses.
There was a year long pause between us as I waited impatiently for the news that everything from yesterday was some sick joke. But Sevin confirmed my fears, "Tonight." was all he needed to say to make my heart sink. I grabbed the barrier between us with shaking hands and pushed it down to the table.
"What?" My expression was dead serious, because I knew he would make some remark to make it seem like everything was just fine. He was always oddly optimistic. Sometimes I loved it, but right then I didn't. Complying, he picked up the crinkled news article and read aloud.
"…Last nights announcement came as a fright to, not just the United States, but to almost half of the world. It brought more attention to what's been going on in other countries as well. Seems as though deals have been made to the leaders of the Vampyre government about the blood shortage -as they call it- and have arranged that over some 10,000 people be handed over in response to their threats from last week….The trade is to ensue August 13th depending upon the area you live in." He paused to take a few short breaths before looking at me again. "That's tonight."
Why so quickly? They'd just announced it on live television the night before!
My mind just flashed back to that time six months ago. I was suddenly exhausted, and scared. Not even half of what I was feeling then. I gripped the edge of the table as if my life depended on it; as if it would keep me here forever, but everyone knew they could rip you away from anything. Including your life.
We've had at least 3 presidents resign because they couldn't handle them. Finally someone takes charge that's sane and they end up siding with the problem. Handing half of what's left of our population over to save their own asses. It's like a draft, and today's my birthday.
"Addison?"
This is mostly how it happened. Sevin had invited a few of the people in our neighborhood over for a party or something. Since half of the people you know these days don't have television it's nice to know people that do. So we all gathered in front of the T.V for the president's bigannouncement.
Which was an terrifyingly long list of names.
We never would have thought it would come to this. This, being the government forcing people to leave their friends and families and their lives and basically become blood banks to the undead. Because everyone knows humans are fullof blood.
Why can't people just donate?
It just so happened that I was on the list of people that were leaving. "I can't believe this." I paused, shaking my head in denial. "I cannot believe this!" Sevin reached across the table and took one of my hands.
"I can't either, but I won't let them take you. Now that mom and dad are gone, you're all I have left. I'm your big brother, I won't let anything happen to you." Normally, something like that wouldn't dare come out of Sevin's mouth. In public I mean. I was the only one that got to see his soft side.
Unfortunately, it didn't calm my nerves because I knew he was lying.
Our parents are a very touchy subject for us. It's rarely ever brought up in a conversation except for, well, now. It's been almost 4 years since their passing and I knew as well as he did that the wounds would never heal; obvious by the pained, almost distant, expression on his face.
I knew there was nothing he could do. No one could do anything about it. It couldn't be helped. Our world just worked that way now, and there was nothing you could question. They weren't our lives anymore. They didn't belong to us.
A few minutes past 9 that night, someone knocked on our door.
Of course we didn't answer so they forced their way in.
Sevin left me hiding in the back bedroom to meet them half way, as if he could do anything about it
and that was the last time I saw him.
I got up, not bothering to pretty myself up or change out of my vomit stained clothes from last night, and sauntered my way into the kitchen, there sat my 24-year-old brother Sevin. 6'1, dark hair, muscular and all that jazz, with a face that makes you wanna hide under a rock for the fear of him punching you in the face; cause' he has a reputation of doing that. He was reading the newspaper; the front page declared in all caps "THEY'RE COMING FOR YOU" I groaned, having that been the most clichéd announcement about their race I'd heard in a long time, but none of this was a joke. No one was laughing anymore.
Everything from the night before just suddenly caught up with me. The government had announced, on live television, that there was a blood shortage amongst the vampire race and the agreements that they'd made would soon take into affect.
Preparing myself for this day was a lot harder than it should have been.
"How ya' doin' kiddo?" He looked up from his paragraph for a second to eye me up and down and take a sip of coffee from his mug. "You look like shit." I scoffed, well of course I did but I didn't really care. The prettier you looked, the more they wanted you.
"What's going on" I took a seat across from him and tapped on the front of the paper, then, tried to read the captions underneath the picture of the vampire 'autocrat' and his family. Yes, obviously, everything you've ever known about bloodsuckers is wrong. No garlic, crosses, sunlight, or cameras affect them in any way. Figures they'd have no weaknesses.
There was a year long pause between us as I waited impatiently for the news that everything from yesterday was some sick joke. But Sevin confirmed my fears, "Tonight." was all he needed to say to make my heart sink. I grabbed the barrier between us with shaking hands and pushed it down to the table.
"What?" My expression was dead serious, because I knew he would make some remark to make it seem like everything was just fine. He was always oddly optimistic. Sometimes I loved it, but right then I didn't. Complying, he picked up the crinkled news article and read aloud.
"…Last nights announcement came as a fright to, not just the United States, but to almost half of the world. It brought more attention to what's been going on in other countries as well. Seems as though deals have been made to the leaders of the Vampyre government about the blood shortage -as they call it- and have arranged that over some 10,000 people be handed over in response to their threats from last week….The trade is to ensue August 13th depending upon the area you live in." He paused to take a few short breaths before looking at me again. "That's tonight."
Why so quickly? They'd just announced it on live television the night before!
My mind just flashed back to that time six months ago. I was suddenly exhausted, and scared. Not even half of what I was feeling then. I gripped the edge of the table as if my life depended on it; as if it would keep me here forever, but everyone knew they could rip you away from anything. Including your life.
We've had at least 3 presidents resign because they couldn't handle them. Finally someone takes charge that's sane and they end up siding with the problem. Handing half of what's left of our population over to save their own asses. It's like a draft, and today's my birthday.
"Addison?"
This is mostly how it happened. Sevin had invited a few of the people in our neighborhood over for a party or something. Since half of the people you know these days don't have television it's nice to know people that do. So we all gathered in front of the T.V for the president's bigannouncement.
Which was an terrifyingly long list of names.
We never would have thought it would come to this. This, being the government forcing people to leave their friends and families and their lives and basically become blood banks to the undead. Because everyone knows humans are fullof blood.
Why can't people just donate?
It just so happened that I was on the list of people that were leaving. "I can't believe this." I paused, shaking my head in denial. "I cannot believe this!" Sevin reached across the table and took one of my hands.
"I can't either, but I won't let them take you. Now that mom and dad are gone, you're all I have left. I'm your big brother, I won't let anything happen to you." Normally, something like that wouldn't dare come out of Sevin's mouth. In public I mean. I was the only one that got to see his soft side.
Unfortunately, it didn't calm my nerves because I knew he was lying.
Our parents are a very touchy subject for us. It's rarely ever brought up in a conversation except for, well, now. It's been almost 4 years since their passing and I knew as well as he did that the wounds would never heal; obvious by the pained, almost distant, expression on his face.
I knew there was nothing he could do. No one could do anything about it. It couldn't be helped. Our world just worked that way now, and there was nothing you could question. They weren't our lives anymore. They didn't belong to us.
A few minutes past 9 that night, someone knocked on our door.
Of course we didn't answer so they forced their way in.
Sevin left me hiding in the back bedroom to meet them half way, as if he could do anything about it
and that was the last time I saw him.