The Blood Bank

Chapter 10 - Grass is Greener

After the night I just had, my emotions and desires are all fucking over the place. I had managed to find the garden as Covas had directed this morning, after him telling me that I was a little too pale for his liking, that it reminded him too much of his sister. So here I am in the pretty garden, having just faced an attempted inquisition from Rosie, and I’m torn between my desire to stay with my ‘mate’ or escape to my freedom. Part of me constantly yearns for him, but it is not an irresistible pull; it allows my original desire for freedom to remain a strong opponent in the conflict of my mind. I decide now that it is wise for me to indulge both desires and ask my fellow inmates more questions about life in Block four, hoping that perhaps I might find a way to have my cake and eat it…who knows…

“Hey, um.. Maria?” I run-walk over to her as she turns around reluctantly…great, she’s retreated back to hostility.

“Yes, um Mina?” She imitates my voice sarcastically and I roll my eyes.

“I have more questions.”

“Ofcourse….” This time she rolls her eyes.

“What do you know about the differences between the vampires and us?”

“For serious?! You want me to include all the obvious ones too?” She raises her eyebrows as if amazed I would ask such a question.

“Actually ye, I would.” I shoot her a fake smile, waiting for her answer.

“Ok, well their diet is different for starters…”

“Do they ever eat human food?” I cut in.

“Geez, let me finish… No they don’t, they survive entirely on our blood, none of that animal ‘vegitarian’ shit either.” That’s very interesting…

“What does it mean if a vampire does eat human food?”

“What kind of a question is that? I just told you they don’t eat it.”

“Sorry, carry on with the differences…” Yet again, she’s rolling her eyes at me.

“As you’ve seen, they can move extremely quickly, so you will never be able to out-run one, they do not turn into bats or any other animal of any kind. They cannot go outside in daylight or they will fry, however they can be awake during daylight hours if they remain indoors….let’s see… They heal very quickly and are practically invulnerable; they can also heal us with their saliva and blood. Other vampires can apparently smell another vampires’ blood in a human which is how they stake a ‘claim’ over us…That’s all there is I think…”

“But what about the political stuff?”

“They adopted pretty much the same power structure as us, most top-dogs are males with a few females thrown in the lower rankings of power. The oldest male vampires have the most power and have often acquired ‘mates’ over their lives who are usually female; so in that way, the female vampires, vampiress’s, have quite a bit of power.”

“Do all vampires live at the National Blood Banks?”

“No, vampires are spread out all over the world, anywhere you can find humans. Some actually try to live fairly human lives…”

“But still feed from unwilling humans in the blood banks?”

“Some do, yes, but I’ve heard vampires speaking of alternative methods of obtaining their nutrition...they’ve been known to raid hospitals apparently, to stock up on blood so they don’t have to feed from unwilling humans. Others waste away trying to refrain from drinking human blood…” She makes it sound almost sad… “I’m presuming you were told about the law vampires have about only feeding off humans in the blood banks?” I nod. “Well, you still get rogue vampires that break this law all the time, mostly fairly young vampires who resent the division between the blood they’re allowed and the blood the older vampires get. I also heard that richer vampires that don’t live in the blood banks can actually pay money to ‘reserve’ or ‘claim’ certain humans for themselves, to have them kept at the national blood banks for only that vampire to feed from them whenever…”

“Christ, I didn’t think you’d know this much…” I watch as the corners of her mouth twitch at the compliment.

“Well, you pick these things up after a while…” Modesty is really not her thing… I look around at the rest of the garden noticing how we are completely closed off by grand walls apart from the sky above us. It’s actually not a bad place to relax and refresh, there’s a couple of swing chairs and even a fountain.

“Can we ever leave this place?” She has apparently zoned out as well; her head snaps up at my voice.

“Ye we can, I think we’d go insane otherwise.” My interest is suddenly peaked like a widow’s brow.

“How?”

“Well, first you have to get permission from the head vampire, or the vampire who claimed you – which I guess you have both,” She almost chuckles.

“Then?”

“Go to the vampire at the front door who will ask you if you have permission, if confirmed, he will hand you a red collar and allow you to pass through the door.”

“Stanley said that we can never leave this place, that it was now our destiny or something…” She frowns.

“That’s just for Block one and two, the humans there, given the option, would run away, and never stop running; it’s nothing short of hell.”

“Jesus…” I grimace, feeling a little sick at that thought, “So we’re technically…at the top of the food chain?”

“Actually ye, we are…in most places…” I look at her questioningly, waiting for her to elaborate. “Well in most places, Block four is the highest ranking department because that’s where they send the best tasting humans. But in some National Blood Banks, there are Block fives- which cater only to political leaders and royals. As you can imagine, the humans they have there are the best blood you can get without it being Singer blood; Block five cast-off humans can be more expensive than what you’d win in the national lottery.” I’m struggling to process this tumult of information,

“How on earth do you know all this? You can’t have heard it all from merely eavesdropping!”

“I’ve been part of the vampire world for a few years now, Mina, I’ve asked all these questions myself.”

“Then why do you resent me asking them so much?!”

“Look, Mina, I don’t resent you, I just don’t trust you. I don’t mind you asking questions, everybody does, but things have gotten really out of sorts since you arrived and for that reason, I don’t trust you.” I decide that’s probably the best answer I’m going to get, so I drop the subject and proceed to ask her more questions.

“Can I visit other blocks?” I think of Lottie, probably scared and alone in Block three.

“Obviously you can’t visit Blocks one and two, but Block three is fine as long as you have permission from the head vampire in there as well.”

“You never mentioned that.”

“Most people don’t visit other blocks, it’s too much hassle to organise, they just go to the Commonground – the big grassy area between all the buildings. You can pretty much go anywhere around the campus, but I advise that you avoid the shady areas because that’s how humans go missing.” I let out an involuntary shudder and she smiles. “Who are you thinking of visiting anyway?”

“This girl called Lottie.”

“Ok, well ask Covas this evening and see what he says…though I doubt he’d let you go if you’re his Singer…” I ignore her last comment,

“Alright, well thanks for helping me.” I try to smile at her but her distrust of me is still evident in her eyes; I decide to write that off as something that would change with time. Instead, she nods in acknowledgement as I turn to walk over to Hayley and Janey, chatting animatedly with each other on the swing chair. They beckon me over to sit with them, and so I spend another day chatting and laughing with my fellow donors, only this time in the fresh air and sun. It’s around six or seven in the evening, just as the sun is setting, when Rosie finally emerges from the building.