Bloodhearts

Chapter four: Wanting.

I return from my shut down quickly this time. All I can think about is how much my throat is burning. Being near no less than four living is making my instincts go wild and it's hard for me to focus on anything else. I don't understand a thing of what's going on around me. I can't recognize the words. I just want to explode.

They push me inside an old dusty storage hall, flickering on the emergency power. It turns out the building has been turned into a minimalistic lab and there's a huge cage in the corner. I am shoved in there like an animal and I snap my jaws at them. I can sense that these living are still scared of me although they have me behind bars. Even the ones that are pointing their guns at me look terrified. There's no way I could reach any of them and live to tell the tale. They should know that. However much I may want to. But... what exactly do they want with me? What is their mission?

I do the only thing I can think of and search for Cory. We seem to have an understanding. I'm very much aware that his orders are the only thing keeping me alive - or whatever I am. I get up slowly and put my hands on the bars of the cage. I am hungry. I deliberately stare at my two guards, maybe freaking them out a bit more than I should if I want to keep my head. But what else can I do to show them the grim house pet needs to be fed.

"I'm pretty sure it wants something," the female, Sadie, says. She's still avoids looking at me.

"Yeah," Jason says. "It wants our brains! What else do you think it's doing that for?"

I growl before the female can answer him. He should stop telling me what I want for his own good. It's only the cage that's in my way of satisfying the monster inside me. He glares at me, I return the favor. It makes him uneasy. He and his friend will undoubtedly be the first ones to take up their guns and whack me if Cory's orders were to change. Right now, they have the pleasure of being my prison guards. Lucky them.

All in all, there are ten living in here, I notice, nice and fresh. Each one of them would all make a good meal for me. There's only one female. The rest are men and most of them are soldiers. The woman looks more civilized. She would be the easiest prey to catch. These thoughts occupy my my head until Cory turns up. He is limping and supports himself on a wooden stick. He has dark rings under his eyes, which seem more red than usual. Maybe he's still in pain because of his leg. He takes a long hard look at me. He even moves close enough so that I can simply reach out and grab him or bite a chunk off his shoulder if I want to. I think he understands that risk and yet he stands there, not moving away. This is part of the reason why I feel so drawn to him. And it's got nothing to do with hunger.

"He was hunting, Jason, I think it's safe to say he was looking for food," Cory reasons quietly. He speaks of me with strange emotion in his voice. I can hear how it almost quivers every time.

And then there's his smell.

I've endured it a full night and when it hits my nostrils again full force and I jolt back in surprise.

The other guy, Jason, who's been eyeing me suspiciously the whole time, reacts fast and pulls Cory out of my reach.

I don't back down, but give them the zombie treatment; I twist my neck at a weird angle, and fashion an unwelcoming stare that's gonna keep everyone away if they don't want to get bitten.

The plan works wonders. Sadie treats Cory's injured leg and I watch without reaction. Jason and several of his solider friends have been guarding me closely every second since we got here. A mutual hate has developed between us; Sometimes I shoot them glares, adding a little touch of dead, just to irk them, and they answer by threatening to use their guns and shoot me. I have a feeling my energy needs to be saved if I want to make it through the night when Cory goes to sleep.