Blood and Water (BoyXBoy) ON HOLD FOR NOW

Chapter 1

Seven o'clock. 

Soon the time will come for the annual Deactivation Period, or when the Sky Level Barrier was deactivated. The sky outside was darkening as night time approached swiftly. My Image screens had the news playing on low volume as the time to deactivate them ticked away. It read one half hour to deactivation.

"We are experiencing slight difficulty in getting the children to safe houses for the night. Their parents are expressing disinterest in the annual customs and refuse to let their young ones be taken because they believe the vampires will not pick them if they already have a child. However, we all have learned that this is indeed not the case; A vampira doesnt care if you have kids. They only want our blood, and they need it to protect us."

Two newscasters kept bantering back and forth until I started to get bored of watching it. Thankfully it switched to the cloud cameras to keep an eye out for any rogue giant stragglers who tried to get here early. But so far, none were being spotted.

I don't really know why I was worried about this. Plenty of people didn't get picked during this time, including my mother and father. Only a few did, and that is what gave me comfort. Even though I am old enough now, the vampires know about certain people ahead of time and that is how they pick people out. That and the small light above the door to everyone's block will go off if interest is shown. Our names are on little metal plates just outside so it's like a beacon to them.

Surely they know of me right? I am so dull! Even back in High School I was never really spared a second glance... I wouldn't mind it if they didn't pick me though, I mean... Leloh, Schizy, and Gigi are the only companions in my life I need. Speaking of which, where did those little runts run off to...?

"Mama! Mama help me! Mama!"

Suddenly a frantic string of familiar meowing comes from the bathroom and I shot up from my couch.

"Gigi?" I called and quickly bolted to the bathroom, only to find... The most unusual situation I have ever seen the small black cat get herself into. 

There in the sink was Gigi, splayed on her back against the faucet with an empty tissue box stuck on her head. I almost died trying not to laugh and I couldn't help but to snicker.

"Mama help me!" she cried again and again.

"Oh Gigi," I sighed and plucked her from the sink and took the box off her head. "You strange strange little animal. What am I supposed to do with you?"

"Yusuke!" she cried and clambered over my shoulder. "Gigi was scared! It was so dark!"

Nearby, her mother Leloh and her father Schizy were perched on the edge of my wash tub and looked utterly indifferent to the problem. I was going to berate them until my cell phone rang in my pocket.

"Hello?" I answered hesitantly. No one calls my phone except...

"Yusuke?" A woman asked.

"Mum?" I asked with little to no surprise. "Hey... What is it?"

"Well, I wanted to know if you are doing okay," she mumbled. "Since you're of age now, and... I am worried about your health and well being. Are you doing okay?"

"Yes mum I am fine," I sighed and set Gigi on the floor so I could go outside. "It's not like anything changed the last time you called me. Yesterday."

I hear her give a huff and she became defensive.

"Well is it so bad for me to want to hear my own son's voice? After he's been gone a year already?"

"No but calling every other day makes me feel like I never really left."

I continued to argue with her light heartedly until the news suddenly started to blare the warning alert. 

"Attention all citizens! The first giants have been spotted off to the eastern limits of the city. Please remain calm and close every window, door, and shut off all star lights. The vampirals are beginning their ascent to the tower blocks. Please stay calm. I repeat, the first giants have been spotted. Please remain calm..."

I frantically rushed to shut my star lights off and closed my one bay window that looked upon the city. Soon my block was completely dark and on my phone I heard my mum barking at dad to do the same.

"Yusuke I have to go," she whispered in terror. "I'll check on you in a few days. Stay safe!"

"But mum-"

The line was already dead by then. Damn it, that woman... She was always in such a rush! 

Gigi started to run around the room noisily so I hissed at her to stop making noise. Obediently she froze and quietly padded to her cat tree in the corner of the kitchen area.

"Leloh, Schizy. Make sure Gigi doesn't get too hyper. or else we will be heard from outside."

"Yes master Yusuke," Leloh meowed back. "I will keep an eye on her."

"Mama, What's wrong with Yusuke?"

"Nothing is wrong little one," Leloh said. "Now hush and go to sleep."

"But-"

"Gigi listen to your mother," Schizy said and curled his tail around Gigi protectively. Pouting Gigi reluctantly curled into a ball and started to doze off. I don't blame her for being curious now, she's only a baby after all. Not even two months old yet.

"Master Yusuke, What are you going to do? About tonight?"

I looked over at Leloh who was now perched on my couch's armrest. Her grey and black stripes were reflecting the minimal light coming from the image screens. 

"Just... wait it out I suppose. I am fairly certain that no vampira will want me after all. I can leave that to everyone else."

"Master, you mustn't be so discouraged all the time," she mewled. "You've been lonely for so long."

"But I have you and Schizy, and even Gigi now. There's nothing more I could possibly ask for."

"But Yusuke, us three can't replace the companionship of a human - or a nonhuman- that you need. Do not lie to me. A mother's instincts are never wrong."

"Leloh I-"

I was interrupted as the timer on the screens suddenly disappeared, and I knew it was time. Leloh became bristled as her tail poofed to twice its size. Shizy was alerted to our distress and hopped down from the tree to stand before the door.

"Shh... They're coming," he hissed softly. 

"Uh oh... Be absolutely quiet."

We both listened closely to the outside of the door. We heard various things; hushed voices, floorsteps, and most of all gentle hissing. Not like cat hissing. More like vampirical hissing. Soon I heard what sounded like growling and arguing between two male vampirals just outside my door and that was when Leloh and Shizy took to hissing and ran to their cat tree to hide. The arguing escalated into violent fighting soon after. Hopefully it was only for the resident across the hallway..!

The fighting increased and I was forced to back away from the door for my own safety. The vampires started snarling and flinging nasty insults at each other.

'Please don't find me, please don't find me..!'

I kept whispering in my head and hid behind my couch for security, and not once did I look away from that light. All too soon, the fighting stopped, and that only could mean one of them was hurt and unable to fight any more. Oh God please don't be fighting over me.

The door suddenly swung open, and the light above slowly glowed to life.

"Oh fuck."

TBC

(I used the names of my real life cats in this chapter ^^ How did I do?)

(Also if you're not sure, vampira is the word for one, and vampirals is plural)