of blood and lies ; dystopian

8

Past

I was six years old the first time I killed someone.

It was during training, with a few other Anaka. We were all young, learning to fight through The Blood. To survive. I had 'accidentally' stabbed a fellow Anaka, who kept looking at me from the side of her eye.

On this day in particular, we were learning how to fight with daggers.

This was when I learned I really liked daggers, as well. It was passionate. When I killed with daggers, I felt like I was passionate about what I was doing. Blades, too.

Today was no different.

I held a dagger tight in my hand, twirling the blade through and through my fingers. I stared down at the thrashing woman beneath me. She was crying and screaming something into the pillow. I assumed she was begging for her life. They all did.

I wondered if she had recognized me. Karro had to have shown her photos of us. We'd been dating for over six months now. Fuck, we lived together now.

"Please." I caught her muffled voice through the pillow.

I groaned and rolled my eyes. I looked toward the ceiling, cursing The Blood for sending me to do this. I hadn't asked the Murthaa how it related to the mission. She simply ordered me to kill her and ask no questions.

She had to be testing me. My stomach; the nonexistent lining reflex I contained.

I did not complain, this was far better than listening to my previous General's speak of nonsense. I considered myself a good General; I wasn't lazy like the previous fucks who had supervised me. She knew this. Why was the Murthaa testing me?

I slid the dagger down the elderly woman's torso, nonetheless. The tip ripped her nightgown open, bare wrinkled flesh now exposed to my eyes. I scrunched my nose and tilted my head.

I hoped this was worth whatever the Murthaa had planned. I trusted her.

The woman cried out again, struggling beneath me. Pleads and begs were slipping out of her mouth and into the pillow. I pressed the cushion harder into her face, trying to muffle out the nagging.

"Say another word and I will cut out your tongue." My voice came out as a hum.

She whimpered in response and nodded beneath the pillow I held to her face. She let out a muffled cry when I dug the blade into her stomach.

She did not speak anymore. She only screamed.

I did not care about muffling her to hide the crime I was committing. No, this cunt was just fucking annoying.

The only other person in the home was a teenage boy. He was long gone. He didn't even try to fight; he reminded me of how I'd imagined Karro at that age.

She continued to wail as I trailed the blade deeper into her flesh. I sucked in a breath and tilted my head as I concentrated on the design I drew.

I looked at the ceiling as I continued the design. I huffed and rolled my eyes. This was a Field Agent's job. I wasn't a Field Agent anymore. I was a General. Killing and carving was the work of an amateur.

I wondered if the Murthaa had given me this test to see if I'd gone soft for Karro. The thought made me want to laugh.

By the time I finished the outline of a triangle, with a 'B' in the center, the woman had already gone still.

"Finally," I huffed, throwing the pillow across the room.

Blood pooled beneath her body, seeping out of the design I'd drawn. It was a representation of us; The Blood. A warning to Karro, possibly.

Her face was now pale. Her green eyes had lost the flame behind them, and she stared lifelessly at nothing. Even with the life gone, she still looked scared.

I frowned.

She had Karro's eyes; another reason for the pillow. It felt like he was watching me.

"For Blood," I muttered. I gave her cheek a light slap before crawling off of her. Karro would be arriving soon. It was Thanksgiving and soon he would step through the door, the smell of rot overcoming the home.

He had invited me here for Thanksgiving, but I denied him, saying I needed to be with my own family.

I did not have a family. All of the Anaka were families. Most of The Blood was born through The Blood, lacking any source but them.

Karro had been born from Man. Rarely do people join The Blood from Man like he had. I supposed it was his military background and intelligence. It was also what made him weak. He'd been around humanity too much; it does sick things to the mind.

I pulled a handkerchief from my pocket, wiping my bloody gloves clean.

I left Karro's mother and brother for the flies to eat.

__________

Karro arrived a day later. His hands trembled.

I lay on our apartment bed, startled by his sudden entrance. I shot up from the bed, watching as he reached for his suitcase, and threw a few outfits into the container.

"Karro, what's wrong? Talk to me." I reached for the lamp, turning on the light.

Karro wouldn't look at me.

"Nothing," he snapped. For a moment, I wondered if he knew I was the reason he was so upset. I deemed it impossible. "Just stressed about work. That's all."

I frowned. He hadn't told me of his work. I'd asked, but he assured me it was boring and nothing worth talking about.

His once employer, and my current, was far from boring.

He had everything. He was the Commander of War. The position I dreamed of. The position I was (hopefully) one step away from filling. He could have been the Murthaa if he really wanted to.

But he left it all. He fucked everything up because of Man fogging his vision. Humanity was weak.

"Where are we going?" I asked, slipping my legs out of the comforter. Was he scared? The people he had betrayed just made themselves known? I understood why the Murthaa had given me this command. Fear was going to eat him from the inside out.

I respected her intelligence, but I'd rather be her.

Karro's face softened. He looked down at me. There was no glint of hate or anger. I wanted to smile; he had no idea I'd murdered them.

"I need to go with my family for a few days." He leaned down, planting a soft kiss on my forehead. My stomach fluttered. That wasn't a feeling I could fake. I could fake everything else, but not that. "I will be back soon."

With family. I bit the inside of my cheek. Where was he going to go? The family he had was still beneath my fingertips, drying and flaking no matter how many times I washed them away.

"Please just be safe." I pouted my lip and tilted my head. "Promise me."

Karro planted a kiss on my cheek. My body heated and my belly turned hot. "Promise."

He pulled away, staring down at me. My face softened as I stared up at him. He really was gorgeous, there was no denying it.

"I love you, Naga."

My throat tightened. I looked from his left eye, and then to his right. I looked for any sign of lie or joke. It was the first time those three damned words had come from either of our mouths. And, by Blood, he wasn't lying.

"I love you, Karro," I lied.