Blank Love

Mika sat in his usual spot under the shade, staring into space as everything played out in his mind over and over again like a broken record. It was all so surreal: his brother’s sudden command, his escape from the inevitable, and the assassins chasing after him.

He heard familiar footsteps drawing closer to him. A few weeks had passed since he had drunk his blood, and he had not shown up in the forest after the incident, so naturally Mika had thought he was dead. Unfortunately, it seemed he was very much alive.

“Hello, mister,” He had arrived a lot quicker than Mika had anticipated, “I am glad you are feeling better.”

Like before he was alone, but he had come with a book, “I was worried that maybe you were not able to get enough blood since I am so small.”

He laughed at his own joke and then awkwardly stared at the ground, “Erm…is it okay if I sit beside you?”

Mika nodded. He could not understand how he could say such things, in that tone, to the man who almost ended his life. How could he even smile at him so sweetly, when he had put him through such an ordeal?

Hesitantly, he sat next to Mika. When he noticed he wasn’t protesting at the proximity, he proceeded to snuggle up beside him with his book. He was warm.

Mika looked at the boy. At close inspection, he noticed he was covered in bruises. Monotonically he asked, “Where did you get those bruises?”

Alarmed, the boy tried to cover the bruises.

“Ah!” He lied, unable to make eye contact, “I-I am very clumsy so I fall a lot. It’s nothing to be worried about.”

Had his parents done this to him? Or perhaps it had been his siblings?

“I was not concerned,” Mika clarified, “I was just simply asking a question.”

He stared back at the sky. The weather was extremely taxing on his body. Though he had a jewel embedded in his flesh to stop him from being affected by the sun, even under the tree shade. The weather was not his biggest concern, though. He was more worried about his diet. Like the tranquil vampires found mostly in the Purple Zone, he had resorted to drinking animal blood. Even now, he just could not get used to it.

The boy’s heartily laughter interrupted his train of thought. His eyes were glistening as he gazed at the page.

If he was going to stay in the Red Zone indefinitely, he was going to need a source of human blood and since the little boy was easily accessible he figured he could make it so that the boy could not say no to his requests for blood.

“Do you enjoy reading books?” Mika asked, not that he was particularly interested. He knew humans were weak towards people who showered them with affection. If he could get this boy to see him as a ‘friend’, he would be willing to offer his blood as a favor.

“Oh…this,” The boy smiled sadly, stroking the picture on the page, “I can’t read.”

He briefly read the book. It looked simple enough. He wondered if humans mentally developed at a slower pace than vampires, but more importantly he wondered how long it would take before he could drink the boy’s blood as he wished. For vampires, young blood such as his was a rare delicacy –some even died before they could taste blood of such high quality.

“I like to pretend that I can read,” He continued as he looked up at Mika, “There are so many interesting books at the orphanage that I wish I could read, though.”

He looked back down at the book, “I’ve always thought that maybe if I could read and write, I could teach other orphans.”

“We orphans are treated the same as vampires. We are not allowed to go to state schools, but I don’t mind. I am just happy I can be with everyone.”

Mika watched him as he spoke. He had always known humans were capable of doing despicable things, but he had thought their hatred was directed only at vampires. He hadn’t realized that they could treat each other so callously.

The boy had resumed ‘reading’ again. Mika stared at the boy’s tanned neck that was slightly exposed. Oh, how he yearned to sink his teeth into his flesh. He longed to, but he knew he had to be patient. He had to wait until the time was right; until the boy was once again willing to offer him his blood.