Colourless Skies

32. The World's Burden

Alex's mind was racing.

What was he thinking?

Better yet, what was he doing? 

He was well aware he could take her life if he drank too much, but he couldn't bring himself to stop, having gone beyond his sanity in his desperation. He clutched her arm tightly and kept on sucking her blood; ravishing its slight metallic taste so much it drove him crazy and made it impossible for him to back away, even if he had heard Leah's suppressed whimpers of pain all the way.

He finally snapped out of it and came to his senses when he felt her go limp in his hold. Realisation struck him that he had overfed, and he detached himself after a second through from her now blood-caked arm. In place of his fangs now were two gaping holes which were already scarring over. 

Her blood was addictive, so much so it could be fatal.

As his mind whirled in a blur of emotions, his strength slowly returned; the wounds on his body stitched themselves up, and he finally stood on his feet.

He worriedly looked at Leah, who was lying on the floor out cold. Fear struck his heart and clenched it, his eyes beginning to flicker from blue to purple. He gently picked her up and kay her down on her bed. 

He checked her pulse. Fine.

He checked her breathing. irregular but consistent. 

He heaved a sigh of utmost relief and started to clean her arm. Then he moved to start on the floor, knowing he could trigger horrible flashbacks if he left any evidence.

Thereafter, with heavy guilt weighing him down, he teleported back to his place, only being able to hope that she would be okay and that she would awaken without nightmares.

Her consciousness was not in his control after all.

Leah woke up like she had been waking up since a couple of days; shock paralysing her body as if she had just been dragged out of a bad dream, but this time, it was coupled with a seething pain erupting from her left arm, leaving her whole body in such pain, it felt as if she was lying on burning hot coals. With her mouth as dry as the Sahara, screaming was not possible. In a. coughing fit, she laid back down, praying all of her aches and agonies would just vanish.

When Leah had waited long enough, and was sure the pain was not going to go away like magic, she got up from the bed, gnawing hard on her bottom lip. 

After all, a vampire's bite is not an acceptable excuse in the school's rulebook. Plus, she was not ready to counter the questions her parents would shoot at her for the leave. She never knew what might tip off her next beating

Why, 

why had she been so generous with her blood? 

And to someone who posed a threat to it in the first place. 

Her mind went blank as she willed herself for answers, but nothing emerged to the surface. Nothing at all.

And then her mind reeled back to Alex; at how weak he looked and how it was Leah's first time witnessing a side of him he was so insistent on hiding. How did he expect to live all of his life, if not ever asking for someone's help? Was he mad?

Did he not know he could have died hiding something so insignificant? 

And most importantly,

Why did he care about her enough to warn her twice about what would follow?

Stepping out of the cold shower, she immediately made her way to her small closet, and chose the simplest outfit she could.  At a last glance in the mirror, she could see herself staring at her, only more weakened and broken; the way she had expected to see.

Her bruises were healing at a rapid pace, but her health was depleting at an equally faster rate; her cheeks becoming hollow and her jawline becoming more and more visible each passing day. Dark eye bags adorned her eyes and her hair was a mess of rough and thin black strands. Her body was thinner than ever before, her usual body curves were almost impossible to see.

She wiped a tear from her eye because the person staring back at her caused her nothing but agonising sorrow. After all of this, what more had she to lose?

She made a short stop at the kitchen, the growling of her stomach too great to ignore. Per usual, her parents refrained from even noticing her as she entered, her mother tried to look engrossed in cooking eggs and frying bacon, whist her father pretended to be absorbed in reading the daily newspaper.

Internally sighing, she reached for the fridge which caused a burst of pain to shoot up her bandaged arm. She almost slipped a grunt but stopped herself the last second. Pulling herself together, she meekly grabbed a peach and walked out of the kitchen.

Leah had never thought days would come to this. They punished her, hated her guts, but at least saved, although tiny, portions of food for her, to build her strength so she could take yet another beating. Now they won't even look her in the eye. She was used to delinquency, but utter silence was like a newer and a harsher slap to her.

School had been an epitome of temporary relief for her. She studied and took notes, but not with the same energy anymore; she often zoned out during lectures or break times; she laughed half-heartedly at Zach's jokes; she stared back at people when they even so much as looked in her direction, and she would stay lost in her on thoughts for prolonged periods of times.

And this time, not even Zach could pull her out, nothing could.

"Leah!" Zach yelled in frustration for the nth time. Startled, she tried to come up with an answer, looking down in shame as she realised she had tuned out of all of his conversation. 

"Yeah.. y-yeah, go for it Z-Zach."
Stuttering had become a friend now.

"I asked you if you had done chemistry's homework."  His saddened tone made her look up and she right into his eyes which were evident of hurt.

"What have you been thinking about?" , he asked calmly, not letting his jeopardy dissipate in his words.

"Noth-"
"For God's sake, stop lying to me!"
His sudden outburst of anger had not only surprised Leah immensely, but had resulted in a symphony of silence in the cafeteria air, as every head turn towards their table.

He had never raised his voice at her, ever. This time, she had crossed a line.

In a more subdued tone, he asked a guilty and embarrassed Leah again, "I am sorry, I didn't mean to shout. Just please."

"Please tell me the truth for once, please... what is going on?"

Every word that rolled from his tongue was coated in warmth and hope. It was enough to melt Leah's heart, but she remained strong, she couldn't make the same mistake twice. If she let know Zach of everything, not only would it put Leah in great danger, but it would also bring an unwanted threat to his life.

She didn't even want to try to think of the consequences that would unfold if Alex found out Zach knew.

Leah hated both the choices she was narrowed down to, but she wasn't risk her only friend's life.

"I just...", he waited quietly for her to say her peace.

 "It's t-too much stress Zach..." She sighed, trying to pretend she was serious about what she was saying.

"I cannot s-seem to be coping up with e-everything; classes, assignments and m-my... my parents they are... I am so s-sorry."  The half lie escaped from her lips as quick as thunder, but she knew she had played the right card. The mention of her parents made him soften up immediately, even if he looked unsure a moment ago.

"Go on, I can listen, to lessen the pain."

Hiiiiii! This went... *chokes*
Uh anyway, hope you guys liked it.