followed it back toward the mountains. My heart continued to race until I reached the outskirts of town and the city skyline shrank in the rearview mirror. The tires screamed their protests as I continued on, swerving dangerously around stalled cars and debris. Glancing down for a moment, I noticed the vampire bite on my arm just below my elbow. The blood seeped from the puncture holes which were drying into dark red, clotting drips that were also staining my jeans below it. The sight of the bite seemed to pull me back into myself and out of my jumbled thoughts, like a bucket of ice being tossed onto my head.
I slammed on the brakes, coming to a stop in the middle of the road. It almost made me laugh that I didn’t pull to the side of the road like I had when other humans had been around.
“No one cares if I stop here! No one cares if I make it home!” I yelled at the windshield, pounding the steering wheel over and over until the searing pain caused me to stop. I was sobbing by then, gripping my arm and clutching it to my chest like an infant. I suddenly felt lost and small.
If the bite got infected, I would surely be of no use to anyone anymore. I swallowed back the last few sobs that tried to escaped my chest as I sat there, the desolate desert expanse before me on the dusty road. I hadn’t left the city quite yet, but almost. The few straggling houses seem to sit there like silent watchers of my suffering. I sighed, wiping my face with a rag that hung on the back of the middle seat. I didn’t know what it had been used for before but I tried to not think about it.
Instead, I grabbed a large bottle of water that was always left in the car for emergencies and poured its cool liquid over the wound, rinsing it out as best I could out here in the middle of the god-forsaken road. As the bottle emptied, I shook my arm to rid it of the excess water and pulled out the first aid kit from the back of the van. I sat in the rear hatch area as I smeared antibiotic ointment onto the punctures, making sure to cover the mouth shaped welts that accompanied them. After that, I wrapped it with gauze and an ace wrap, securing the band snuggly over my arm. I flexed my fingers and stretched my arm out, making sure it did not impede my use of it, but remained snug and secure.
As I stored the kit away and tossed the empty bottle to side of the road, I leaned back against the van and stared at the city. I had been so careless. A hive sat in that mall, definitely in my way and hungry now for my blood. I’d have to exterminate them. The shock of so many of them had left me skittish, like a coward. I cursed under my breath as I thought of my cowardice. How stupid to get so jumpy so easily. I had faced a hive before, why had they scared me so much this time? I rubbed my face and knew the answer immediately. I had always had my family to take care of. I had always thought that if I fought hard enough, I could save them from harm. Now they were nowhere in sight and I hadn’t been able to save them anyway. I had run like a coward into the sun’s sanctuary instead. I was nothing but a puny girl, trying to be a hero.
I gritted my teeth, grunting at my frustration. I sighed, knowing it was still too early to return home. I would search the exteriors of the casinos for the rest of the day. But first, I was going to make sure that this particular hive was exterminated. I would only rest if I knew that all knowledge of me was wiped away by their demise.
I hopped back into the driver’s seat of the van and cranked the engine on again. Turning the wheel hard, I brought the van around and headed back toward the city. I would kill them all, even if I died trying. I knew I shouldn’t have felt so strongly about it, but the rage burned inside me like a cancer, eating away at me and screaming to engulf me if I did not let it run its course. I wanted to take it out on them; the pain–the hurt. Here I was, without the ones I loved, scaring the piss out
I slammed on the brakes, coming to a stop in the middle of the road. It almost made me laugh that I didn’t pull to the side of the road like I had when other humans had been around.
“No one cares if I stop here! No one cares if I make it home!” I yelled at the windshield, pounding the steering wheel over and over until the searing pain caused me to stop. I was sobbing by then, gripping my arm and clutching it to my chest like an infant. I suddenly felt lost and small.
If the bite got infected, I would surely be of no use to anyone anymore. I swallowed back the last few sobs that tried to escaped my chest as I sat there, the desolate desert expanse before me on the dusty road. I hadn’t left the city quite yet, but almost. The few straggling houses seem to sit there like silent watchers of my suffering. I sighed, wiping my face with a rag that hung on the back of the middle seat. I didn’t know what it had been used for before but I tried to not think about it.
Instead, I grabbed a large bottle of water that was always left in the car for emergencies and poured its cool liquid over the wound, rinsing it out as best I could out here in the middle of the god-forsaken road. As the bottle emptied, I shook my arm to rid it of the excess water and pulled out the first aid kit from the back of the van. I sat in the rear hatch area as I smeared antibiotic ointment onto the punctures, making sure to cover the mouth shaped welts that accompanied them. After that, I wrapped it with gauze and an ace wrap, securing the band snuggly over my arm. I flexed my fingers and stretched my arm out, making sure it did not impede my use of it, but remained snug and secure.
As I stored the kit away and tossed the empty bottle to side of the road, I leaned back against the van and stared at the city. I had been so careless. A hive sat in that mall, definitely in my way and hungry now for my blood. I’d have to exterminate them. The shock of so many of them had left me skittish, like a coward. I cursed under my breath as I thought of my cowardice. How stupid to get so jumpy so easily. I had faced a hive before, why had they scared me so much this time? I rubbed my face and knew the answer immediately. I had always had my family to take care of. I had always thought that if I fought hard enough, I could save them from harm. Now they were nowhere in sight and I hadn’t been able to save them anyway. I had run like a coward into the sun’s sanctuary instead. I was nothing but a puny girl, trying to be a hero.
I gritted my teeth, grunting at my frustration. I sighed, knowing it was still too early to return home. I would search the exteriors of the casinos for the rest of the day. But first, I was going to make sure that this particular hive was exterminated. I would only rest if I knew that all knowledge of me was wiped away by their demise.
I hopped back into the driver’s seat of the van and cranked the engine on again. Turning the wheel hard, I brought the van around and headed back toward the city. I would kill them all, even if I died trying. I knew I shouldn’t have felt so strongly about it, but the rage burned inside me like a cancer, eating away at me and screaming to engulf me if I did not let it run its course. I wanted to take it out on them; the pain–the hurt. Here I was, without the ones I loved, scaring the piss out
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