Humanity at Stake (Completed)

Chapter 1

"Around the shadows creep,

Like friends they cover me." -"Battlefield" by Svrcina

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"Nova! Nova, wake up!" she was greeted by a deep voice and the light shaking of her shoulders.

"Hmm? What?" she called out groggily, turning over in her cot. She peeked her eyes open to see a blurry figure standing above her.

"Come on, Nova! Get up!" She cleared the sleep from her eyes, seeing the face of her best friend Inigo.

"Ini? What are you doing in here? The Overseers could kill you for being out of your house after curfew," she answered him, sitting up slowly. She groaned as the room spun around. He latched onto her shoulders, tipping her head to the side. He brushed her auburn hair away, catching a look at the fresh bandage on her neck.

"Jesus Christ, Nova! How much did he take this time?" She shrugged sluggishly.

"I don't know. A lot?" she muttered out, bringing a hand to her forehead to try to stop the ache. Inigo cursed under his breath, getting up from his knees. He crashed around in her kitchen, lit by nothing but lanterns and candles. She took a look at her shack-like home. It barely contained anything besides a small bathroom, a rickety, old, wooden bench and table, two cots, and the kitchen necessities.

She used to live with her mother, but one day the Overseers took her, and her mother never returned. Nova heard her refrigerator door close, and Inigo came back in. He had already poked the straw into the juice box and handed it to her. Nova took it gratefully, sipping the liquid slowly.

"Why are you here, Ini?" she asked again in between sips. The boy ran his hand through his dark locks, looking over his shoulder at the front door. Looking back to her, he leaned closer to her, lowering his voice.

"An hour after curfew, an uprising is suppose to start. Everyone is gathering what they can find as weapons, and they're taking on the vampires," he whispered to her. Nova kept herself from spitting out her juice, swallowing it harshly and wiping away the escapees.

"An uprising?" she questioned back in disbelief. "What are sixty humans going to do against two thousand vampires? Nothing! That's ridiculous, they can't do this!" Nova argued angrily, finishing up her juice box. "Why can't humans just accept that we're the lower race and live with the commodities we've been given? They've treated us nicely and have given us more than plenty!"

"Humans are greedy creatures," she muttered more to herself. Inigo gave her a harsh laugh, shaking his head at her insolence.

"They've brainwashed you, Nova. You can't just let them treat you like a submissive blood bag. You can't act like a submissive blood bag! Come with me. I'm going to get you out of here. You'll see, it'll be much better without them," Inigo reasoned. Nova shook her head, knowing she wasn't going to leave what she'd been taught.

"They keep us safe, Ini." He chuckled coldly, cupping her cheeks. The heat soaked into her skin, reminding her of a protective embrace.

"Nova! They drink us dry. They kill us if we don't make them happy. What part of that says they keep us safe?" Inigo persisted. She looked away, staying silent because she knew she couldn't argue against his point. She looked out the dirt covered window, able to make out the flickering of torches. It wasn't the Overseers. They didn't need torches to see in the dark.

"It's beginning," Inigo whispered, excitement lacing his tone. She didn't respond, hearing the passing humans whisper quickly amongst themselves. Inigo tugged on her arm, catching Nova's attention. The light from a nearby candle reflected in his eyes, giving them a look of fiery determination.