Blood Madness and Unanswered Questions

This is from my WIP, Marked. I was working on it yesterday and the prompt for "Invalid Item"  fit into what I was working on. If Francine seems familiar, perhaps you have read about her in "Marked" , "Foreshadow"  and "Deja vu" .

Blood Madness and Unanswered Questions
By Lisa McCourt Hollar

“Take it easy,” Hunter warned. “If you drink too much, you’ll get sick.”

“I can’t help it, this thirst keeps coming back.”

“It’s the blood madness. You are only newly born. You need to pace yourself and eventually you will be able to go longer between feedings. “

“Feedings? Like an animal? Oh joy..”

“I know that this situation isn’t perfect, but it is what it is. It was the only way I could save your life.”

“And yet you left my friends. You need to take me back. I have to help them.”

“No.” He shook his head and my stomach sank. “You’re too weak, Francine. You need time to recover.”

He sounded irritated. Probably because we kept coming back to this. I stared over his shoulder, tuning his voice, like a petulant child. I didn’t care. He’s the one that broke his word, not me.

“Francine, maybe we should go inside now. The sun will be coming up soon.”

I didn’t move, concentrating on a shadow I saw moving through the trees.

“Francine?”

I sprang forward, leaping past Hunter and pouncing on the small creature. It was a raccoon, quite a bit bigger than the rabbit. It also tried to bite me. I snapped its neck and then twisted, opening him like a bottle of soda. Tipping the carcass, I let the blood drain into my mouth.

“We really need to work on your table manners.”

I dropped the raccoon, feeling vaguely guilty. I’d never taken a life before. Sure, I’d eaten meat, I wasn’t a vegetarian, but someone else had done the dirty job of spilling blood.

The cabin door opened and Sandra stepped out, waiting for us. She pointed towards the sky. I could see that it was changing. I also felt the weariness that had begun to creep up on me, the one that told me I was a creature of the night and it was time to sleep. Hunter took my arm and guided me into the cabin.

“It’s not your fault.”

“What?”

“It’s not your fault,” Hunter repeated, “what this William Blake did to you.”

“Was he serious? Well I wasn’t about to argue with him. “You’re right, it’s yours.”

Hunter growled and my heart beat faster. I felt equal parts fear and attraction. “Damn it woman, I am trying to save your life.” Hunter turned my face towards his, forcing me to listen. “This William Blake isn’t going to stay away long. He wants life and he needs you to achieve it.”

“Me? As in me, specifically? Why?”

“You really don’t know?”

I shook my head, confused.

Hunter sat back and studied my face. “I think your memories were tampered with, maybe even a psychic block.”

“I don’t understand. Why would anyone tamper with my memories?”

“To protect you. That’s the only reason I can think of.”

“You know something and you aren’t telling me. Why does William want me so badly?”

“I’m sorry,” Hunter said, “I have an idea, but it would only be a guess.”

“That’s crap.” I slammed my fist down, putting a crack in the table top.

Hunter stared at the table, his eyes filled with grief. Then his eyes cleared and I thought I might have imagined it. The next impression I got was anger and for a moment I thought he might shake me. He clenched his fists. “Throwing a temper tantrum won’t change things.” Before I could respond he turned and left the room, slamming the door behind him.

“You shouldn’t push him,” Sandra said. “He made that himself. It was a wedding present for Kira.”

I looked at the damaged wood. The crack ran across the table, creating a fissure that zigzagged across the surface. “I didn’t mean to damage it. I guess I don’t know my strength now. Can he fix it?”

“I don’t know. Maybe. He’ll probably just leave it. He’s already forgetting her.”

“Kira? Why would you say that?”

She shrugged and turned away. Opening a cupboard, she reached in and pulled out some sheets and a blanket. When she turned back around I could see that she had tears in her eyes.

“Maybe forget was the wrong word. My sister is unforgettable. But his heart has begun to beat for another, I think.”

Shoving the bedding into my arms, Sandra opened the door next to the one Hunter had exited. “It is my bedroom. You will sleep here.”

“I can’t stay. I have to find my friends.”

“You aren’t going anywhere while the sun is up… although you are welcome to try.” She went to the front door and gestured for me to step outside. The sun was just beginning to rise and even though the woods offered protection, some of the harsh rays filtered through the branches. I took a step forward and then another. One more step and I would be out the door. I gasped in pain as the sunlight touched my face. My breath caught in my throat. I felt Sandra’s hand on my arm and panic surged, bile rising in my lungs as the blood I’d consumed too quickly tried to purge itself from my body. Her fingers tightened and I knew she was going to shove me out the door. I was prepared to claw her eyes out, but before I could turn, she’d pulled me in and slammed the door shut.

“Now do you see? The sun is no longer your friend. You will sleep.”

“Where will you sleep then?” I pictured her lying next to Hunter and the urge to claw her eyes out returned.

“I don’t need to avoid the sun.”

Sandra shut the door on me, leaving me in darkness with more questions and no answers. My new eyes adjusted quickly and I made my way to the bed. There wasn’t much I could do until night came. I thought back to just a few days ago, when all this started. I should have just accepted that ride from Joseph.


Word Count: 1,000