Harsh Realities

From the back seat I stare at Gregory’s head. From time to time the thought that if I stare hard enough I will know what he is thinking surfaces and doesn’t want to be pushed away. Maybe if I was a mythical vampire and not the result of bio warfare I would have been able to read his mind. Now the way I am I can’t even manage reading his facial expressions.
After a week spent simply driving around confusing our trail I long to be walking again. And to my amazement I am starting to long for civilization. I’ve never noticed it but in reality I’ve never been entirely without human contact for long stretches of time. And Gregory doesn’t count sometimes he might as well be furniture. At the Institute there were always our keepers close by and understanding, or the doctors wondering and asking questions. Before there was always a neighbour or a distant friend who was going out for a night on the town. I managed and now suddenly all I have is Gregory who can go without speaking for weeks.
I spent too much time asleep. What else is there to do in a car, without a radio and with a person who doesn’t talk for company? Maybe because of the uncertainty of the situation...I don’t know what I’m becoming; I don’t know what Gregory has in mind... Memories of the first few weeks in captivity start surfacing.
Suddenly I can remember being locked in a steel cage with doctors all around talking, prodding, poking when I let them near enough. And in the back round always a man who’s face I couldn’t see. He always stayed in the shadows making sure that even my enhanced eye-sight couldn’t penetrate the darkness. All I remembered seeing of him were the forest green eyes glowing in the dark. Now those eyes have started to haunt me in my memories and nightmares. There were several dozen doctors at the Institute; I wonder why this one is haunting me?
My condition is slowly growing worse. I can’t even stand indirect sunlight without my sunglasses. Iron pills aren’t working all that well and animal blood is starting to make me sick. We have no other choice but to find a city again so I can hunt. Gregory has left every night hunting rabbit, wildcat and whatever he can find. He seems to thrive off them while I am withering away. I’m starting to wonder if staying and being cut wouldn’t have been a better choice, at least I wouldn’t have to live with the constant hunger.
There is probably another solution... I could try drinking from Gregory... He is infected but isn’t a full vampire yet, nether am I, which is why the blood cravings are so strange. Unfortunately I’m too chicken to ask. What if he gets pissed off and leaves me in the middle of nowhere? Where would I be then?
Being dependant on someone you don’t know is a scary thing especially for someone who has tried to be independent his/her entire life. I know that in a few days I will be too weak to even move unless I feed.
The car swirls unrepentantly shaking me from my thoughts. I sit up ready to ask Gregory what the hell is going on when I notice the reason why we have stopped. A family with a camper has stopped at the road side on their way to one of the cities. The parents middle-aged and sunburned from working in the fields their whole lives before shit hit the fan. Two children one a teenage girl and a pre-teen boy are playing by the back of the camper. I imagine that I can smell their blood. The parents tasting like dust and sweat, the girl fresh, sugar and spice and the boy probably like dirt and youth. Hunger makes me shake.
Gregory turns around and looks me in the eye without speaking. We stare at each other for what seems to be hours. I know what he is trying to tell me it’s the same thing my body is screaming for. He wants me to feed, my body wants me too feed and even though I know I will be sick to my stomach after I do it I will do it.
Gregory helps me out of the car because my legs can barely carry me. I smile trying to look innocent and harmless. Gregory looks threatening enough already without me adding to the picture it’s a shame that I can’t take my sunglasses off.
Despite the fact that we are total strangers the woman is friendly and offers cool drinks even though they are low on rations. The man tries to get information about the situation in the cities from Gregory not really getting anywhere but still staying friendly and inquisitive. The children wander over to get acquainted. I don’t want to know any of their names, try not to hear them as they introduce them-selves, and ignore it when they start talking about their former lives.
The shakes get worse sitting so close to living, breathing humans. Gregory starts to twitch after half an hour; I think the socializing is getting to him. I can’t control my-self for much longer ether. I get the father in to the camper with a flimsy excuse asking for roadmaps. I slam the door behind him grabbing the boy by the scruff as Gregory restrains the mother. The girl tries to get her free as I sink my teeth in to the tender flesh of the boy’s neck. The taste of the blood in my mouth is heavenly. I grip the struggling child tighter mangling his flesh in my thirst. He is empty too soon. As if from outside my body I watch my-self throw the body aside and reach for the girl. The woman has fainted and Gregory opens the door to the camper allowing the man to tumble out in to the dirt. Gregory holds him not feeding yet. He doesn’t really need too instead he watches me almost breaking the girl’s neck in the haste to get to the blood. I know she is screaming but can’t hear a sound.
My thirst is finally quenched when the woman lies dead and empty at my feet. I grab the man knowing that I am overindulging and still sink my teeth in to his neck. With the blood sluggish fear tainted blood flowing in to my mouth I glance up at Gregory.
He looks back at me with forest green eyes.