A Touch of Scarlet

15

"What's wrong with her?" Carter whispers to Jordan.
"Carter I can hear you" I mumble sluggishly.
"Oh sorry"
"Lydia what have you eaten in the last Week?" Nate questions from across the wooden outdoor table that we sit at.
"Um nothing" I reply weakly.
Carter's worried gaze turns to one of worry and shock.
"What does she need?" Carter demands to no one in particular,
"Blood" Reece states as he takes a seat across from me.
"No" I reply.
Reece takes out his iPhone and slides something up on the screen then he holds the screen out to me so that the camera that he had opened now shows my reflection.
Big blue-orb like eyes stare back at me in shock, an ash coloured shadow lays underneath each eye, the girl in the screens dark brown hair frames a sickly pale face, her once slightly defined cheekbones now sharp and starved looking, her skin clings to her bones, her lips dry.
I wonder how long I've looked like this.
"You need blood Lydia" Reece states as his eyes watch me softly.
Jordan turns to Reece,
"Is there anything else she can eat"
"No"
"Can I just give her mine?"
Jordan, Reece, Nate and I all look towards Carter in shock.
Reece recovers first,
"Give her your what?"
"My blood. Thats what she needs right?And I'm basically her brother so I'll give her mine"
I sit watching him too shocked to say no.
Reece and Jordan both look to Nate.
"No"
"Why not! She'll die" Carter demands.
"Because we haven't worked on control with her, so we don't know how she'll do with fresh blood" Nate explains
"I brought some"
All of us look to Reece.
"What, why?!" Jordan demands,
"Only because I thought it might come in handy and it looks like it will" Reece replies.
"Is it straight blood?"
"It's not mixed with anything if it were she wouldn't be able to regain full energy"
"Who's it from?" Carter asks wearily,
"Don't worry we don't kill, it's from a blood bank"
"Oh" Carter says the disgust clear in his eyes.
"Come on princess" Reece's voice comes from behind me,
I look up to Reece holding an arm out.
I start to stand but my knees begin to buckle and two different arms shoot out to steady me.
My arms automatically spread out, one goes around Jordan's neck the other around Reece's.
They start to walk with me in between them, my feet dangle above the ground weakly as we make our way to Reece and Nate's Cabin with Nate and Carter following behind us.
Once we enter the cabin they lay me down on one of the bottom bunks, Reece grabs his bag and begins to dig around.
The veins in his arms move as he grabs hold of the "blood".
I prepare myself for the sight of the scarlet blood bag, but when his hand comes out of the bag, in it is a black case.
He gets on his knees beside me, placing the black case on the bed, then he clicks a button and the case springs opens revealing two black flasks.
Unlike Adrien's cheap, plane, silver one these two flasks look like they once belonged to a rich man.
As Reece picks up one of the beautifully engraved flasks, Carter, Nate and Jordan move towards us.
Jordan walks over and leans against the bunk looking down at me.
When Carter tries to walk over like Jordan did Nate stops him.
"Let go of me"
"No you can't get any closer"
"WHY?" Carter demands stubbornly
"Because after she finishes the blood your the only live source in the room and we're going to have to hold her back but a transitioning Vamp's first couple blood surges are usually the strongest, and believe me she will want more"
Carter looks to me,
"Please Carter? I don't want to hurt you" I plead weakly.
He unwillingly drags himself to lean against the cabins door on the opposite side of the room.
As soon as the flasks lid has been twisted off my energy returns, it's like my body has been taken over by some strange force.
I lurch towards the flask, my canines automatically slide out, I feel my black pupils enlarging to cover my blue iris's.
"WHOA" Carter yells as he trips back in shock,
But my attention is fully concentrated on the flask, the only thing stopping me from getting to it is Jordan holding me back.
I try to take control of myself but the only word I can get out is a soft "sorry".
Reece ignoring my apology brings the flask up to my mouth,
My hands automatically clutch on to it and tilt it up.
All previous thoughts of preparing myself for the thick coppery, salt taste to enter my system forgotten as the liquid starts to fill my mouth and the uncharted ground of the beautiful bittersweet taste starts to take over my senses,
the smooth liquid glides down my throat, my canines that had slipt out when the blood came into eyesight are now fully extended fangs.
Within seconds the flask is drained.
I empty the final drop into my mouth and look up, no doubt the hunger crazed look remains in my eyes.
More.
Is the only thing on my mind.
I need more.
My eyes skip over Reece, Jordan and Nate to the very pale boy with the pale blue wide-scared looking eyes staring back at me.
The word "friend" comes to mind as I stare into his frightened eyes but is quickly replaced by "food".
I lurch towards him but am stopped by an inhumanly muscled arm.
I look over to face Jordan, his expression completely blank.
My mouth opens exposing a devilish toothy grin.
Blood begins to run down my chin as I rest my fangs on my lower lip.
Automatically his canines slip out with a low hiss.
Reece steps forward pushing Jordan away,
He grabs my shoulders and pushes me against the cabin wall.
I hiss as my back collides with the wall.
"Reece" Jordan hisses in warning,
Reece ignores him and just stares into my eyes.
The challenge starts to fade as I feel my pupils start to decrease back to normal.
His pupils decrease and the beautiful ocean blue starts to return, my instinct to rip out Carter's jugular fades as I start to take in Reece's slightly curled raven black hair, endless blue eyes and well built, lean frame.
He looks at me one last time before releasing me and turning back to the boys.
"She's good" he murmurs.
I step forward and look over each of they're faces.
Nate's shows nothing of surprise just a small smile.
Jordan also has a small smile while he looks at me with, pride?
Reece stares at me his face completely blank.
Then my eyes move to Carter, my veins begin to fill with painful dread as my previous thoughts return, and his completely frightened expression.
My eyes start to water as I look into Carter's weary eyes.
"Carter I'm so sorry" I breathe,
He doesn't move.
Nate walks towards me and pats my shoulder,
"You did well. One of the first couple times I tried blood I almost killed our neighbour"
"How did you stop yourself?"
He scratches the back of his neck awkwardly before opening his mouth,
"She saw me coming and kinda totally pepper sprayed me"
Jordan smirks before interrupting, "awe come on Nate tell her what else she did"
Nate glares at his brother before looking back to me,
"And she also knocked me out with a broom"
All thoughts of dread for wanting to drink Carter's blood clear as I slump against the wall with laughter.
"The thing is though-" Reece begins, "-that it's not very surprising, I personally can see a woman in her late forties knocking Nate out" he says in a completely serious voice,
Even Nate starts to laugh at this one but he tries to cover it up.
I glance to the door, my stomach clenches when I notice Carter is no where in sight.
"Sorry Lydia, Carter slipt out earlier" Jordan says.
"Yeah he'll come around don't worry your basically his sister remember?" Nate says in a reassuring tone.
I look up into Nate's eyes and see nothing but sincerity in them.
I smile as I begin to see the similarities between him and my sister Andréa.
There personalities are quite similar.
Thinking back to the last couple months I realize that I haven't really thought much about losing my sister,
It's because together Carter, Adrien, Jordan, Reece and Nate fill her place.