Page 6 of To Save a Vampire
Maybe I’ll die awkward.
We’ll never know.
“I’ll see you later,” he promises in a heavy whisper with a lazy smile.
I give a small, tense smile back to him and as he jogs to his chainsaw. I hear one of the men ask him a question with a loud barking laugh as I start walking as quickly as possible to the kitchen. As much as I almost liked our little moment, I have slop to serve and Mrs. Hollis isn’t going to be happy I’m late.
I run the whole way there, but it doesn’t help. I’m still late. Mrs. Hollis puts me on gizzard duty as punishment. I spend my whole morning pulling the insides of chickens to the outside. It’s slimy and disgusting and almost makes me want to stop eating meat … for at least a few hours.
During my work of mutilating chickens, my mind keeps replaying the kiss. It’s silly of Ayden and me to become attached. More attached than we already are. In a few weeks, he’ll be gone and I’ll be here, alone. But maybe that’s why we should become …attached. Both of us will be alone for the rest of our lives unless, by some miracle, Micah is found. Do I want to live my entire life not knowing what love really is? My mother did, and she seems happy. As happy as you can be when you’re surrounded by bloodsuckers all day.
At the thought of the bloodsuckers, my mind replays Forty-four’s words.Be sure. Of what? Did my mother tell him something? A lie? It’s very likely. I still don’t know why she wanted me to go into the hybrid’s work chamber. My only assumption would be to manipulate Shaw in some way.
Be sure.
Not only am I thinking of the words and their meaning, but I can’t help but break apart everything about him. The way his clear eyes pierced into mine. The way his lean body angled closer toward me. The way his voice sounded raspy and deep ... And pained. His pain seeps into my own chest, and the heaviness returns. I can’t help but feel a sort of sorrow for his life. It makes me hate Shaw even more.
“Did you get on Mrs. Hollis’ bad list too?”
I turn, dripping chicken guts all over the tile floor, and find Emily pulling on gloves to join me. She’s my age, small and delicate like she might break if pushed too hard. Eyes like honey meet mine and I find myself glad to have her company.
“I was late this morning. I guess I’m just lucky she didn’t report me,” I say, returning to my bucket of slime.
I don’t have any strikes, but tardiness counts. Three strikes and you’re out, dragged off to a government facility behind bars. Secluded and kept away from your family, friends, and any form of life in general.
Her voice is smaller now, if that’s possible. “Hollis caught me stealing bread last week. She said she wouldn’t report me if I promised it wouldn’t happen againandif I worked additional hours in the kitchen for a month.” She doesn’t meet my eyes as she confesses, and I don’t shame her for her words. Hollis is actually doing her a huge favor, and she knows it.
Emily had an illegal birth two years ago. She kept her pregnancy a secret out of fear of fetus termination by the government. The village allows babies to be kept once they’re born, but the family has to live in a working camp.
Emily kept a growing secret for close to nine months. When my mother and I delivered her baby, there was a surprise. A miracle. And a curse. Emily gave birth to not one, but three babies. Three babies who survived in the womb with minimal medical help. Three beautiful babies who our camp now has to help care for, who Emily has to worry over day and night.
There isn’t enough food to give her large family any extra. Emily starves herself to keep them fed. There’s barely enough water. I would have stolen the bread too if they were my children. Thinking through the last two years, I wonder how many times Emily really took food to feed her babies and just didn’t get caught.
“So, she gave you slop duty, knowing you wouldn’t take slimy chicken guts home with you. Joke’s on her,” I say with a smirk. “Ripper’s already eaten at least a dozen bones in the last hour.” We smile at each other as we look out the open door to the happy little dog chewing noisily on a bone in the sun.
The angry growl from my stomach is so loud I stop working and decide to take my lunch break. I drop the slick meat into the bucket, remove my gloves, and start searching for real food. Emily doesn’t look up at me. She seems caught up in her own thoughts. Or worries.
In the next room, a few women are pulling a cake out of the oven, and I realize they got the good job today. They also probably showed up on time.
The room grows silent, the dozens of people in the kitchen become somber and nervous glances linger on the room I just left.
I turn and see three guards in all black clothes with matching black guns holstered at their sides. They walk through the large room, filling us all with dread with every echoing step they take. My eye dart to the door again, and a weight is lifted when I realize Ripper is nowhere in sight. The small dog is safe for now.
Two guards block the exit while one circles the room like a vulture. He picks up an apple from a basket—an apple that will now be deducted from someone’s rations today—as he continues his sneering assessment of the area.
“Emilia Rosales,” the guard barks, making us all jump.
Emily peeks into the large room, her gloves still clinging to her hands and her thin face struck with fear. The two guards waste no time flocking to her.
The third guard takes his time stalking toward her, his heavy boots sounding through the room. “Emilia Rosales, you have been convicted and found guilty of stealing from the state. An inventory error was brought to President Docile’s attention early yesterday morning, and a witness at the scene of the crime has confirmed your identity.”
A witness at the scene of the crime … A crime of stolen bread …
“Do you have a final statement you would like to make before serving your life as punishment?”
The girl’s shoulders tremble hard, her eyes blink rapidly, searching the astounded members of our community. She opens her mouth, but nothing comes out.
“Alright, we’ve wasted enough time,” the leading guard says. The other two begin hauling her away, clutching her roughly by her arms and leading her out of the building.
