Vampires Will Hurt You

Chapter 15 - Like a Kennedy

Frank turned up at the warehouse early, Burt had texted everyone by the docks at 9:30pm. Neila and Bill walked in at the same time as Frank. Everyone from the humanist vampire group was there tonight to get more synthetic blood plus more face Frank didn't recognize. In the large empty warehouse sat three creates delivered from a cargo ship that afternoon.

"Looks like he's really upped his production," Jeremey noted over his shoulder to Bill.

At 9:35pm the screen hung between the two large creates turned on. Burt greeted everyone on the screen. "It's nice to see all of you. I'm on a live feed from my facility in Australia. I apologize for not being there in person. That said, in these two creates is the best batch yet. This is the closest I've come to recreating the effects. You'll be able to enjoy food again." Burt wore a showman's grin.

A murmur went through the crowd.

Burt explained the wire transfer for everyone to submit in order to get their cases.

A vampire Frank didn't recognize swung a crowbar into the left create. "Are y'all thirsty?" The guy in yellow with the crowbar yelled.

The crowd murmured an affirmative.

He swung the crowbar into position and popped the front board open. The guy in the yellow shirt grabbed a box from inside and opened it with his pocketknife.

"Everyone, have one on me. Kyido will give you your first bottle." Burt said from the screen.

He must have a video feed of us too, Frank thought.

Kyido's yellow shoes matched his shirt. From the large cardboard box, he started tossing bottles out to people.

Frank caught one from the first box. The bottle was black clouded glass and in the shape of a sake bottle. The liquid inside was unseeable. He turned it over in his hands. No label. Frank shook the bottle out of habit. After twisting the cap off he saw the liquid was black. It smelled like pennies now. It reminded him of blood-bank blood that been left too long in the sun.

Frank felt cagey. Something about Burt seemed off. He recapped the bottle without taking a sip.

Those around him greedily drank the first bottle dry.

"I feel like I've had fresh blood," Terry cried out first.

"Frank drink it," Frieda turned to him. Her eyes ablaze. "This is amazing. I can feel my powers returning."

He heard a similar reframe move through the crowd. He just wanted a moment alone with Burt to talk about their kids. With each declaration of power he felt farther away from that moment with Burt's large face over watching them all.

Kyido and another wheeled out dollies from the sides of the warehouse for the buying process to begin.

Frank hung around the back, watching to see how the others were reacting to the drink. He hadn't seen any physical change in anyone, but there was an energy shift among the crowd.

The line shuffled down as everyone showed their e-receipt to Kyido and collected their boxes.

After he collected his amount Frank closed the trunk on his car. His phone rang. It was Burt.

"What do you think?" Burt asked his tone cheerful.

Frank pulled the full bottle out of his back pocket. "Is it supposed to be this dark?"

"Yeah, in order to get the smell right, the color changes," Burt explained. "How close do you think the taste is?"

Frank cradled the phone in his shoulder to open the bottle with his other hand. He gulped down the liquid. It was room temperature. It tasted like a stranger's blood. No emotions, empty hemoglobin. "It tastes like blood."