Free American Blood: A Vampire's Story by Gregory Holden Page B
Authors: Gregory Holden
and Siri if not for the plexiglas wall in front of them.
Ryan jumped up. He could only see Calida’s legs and feet. The large blood splatter coating her side of the plexiglas concealed her upper half.
“What did you do to it?” Calida stepped into view from behind the huge splatter that began to run down the transparent wall.
“I don’t . . . .” Ryan stopped.
Siri also sprang to her feet. “What happened?”
Blood ran from Calida’s nose. Her mouth gaped open and her delicate looking fangs gleamed red in the light of the cell. She gagged and coughed until she finally composed herself.
“It’s horrible! It tasted horrible! What’s in it to make it taste like that?” She threw the blood bag down on the concrete.
“Uh . . . there’s an anti-coagulating agent . . . sodium citrate, you can actually taste that?” Ryan asked.
“Can I taste it? It’s horribly sour.” Calida’s eyes were a deep pink that Ryan associated with strong emotions.
“Calida,” Siri began, “we didn’t know this would happen. Most of our stored blood has chemicals added to keep it fresh.”
“You people are crazy. That wasn’t fresh.”
“We’re sorry,” Ryan said. “We didn’t know you’d react like this.”
“Well, I can’t wear this anymore.” Calida tore the blood stained patient gown from her body like tissue paper. “And may I have something to clean myself with? Or do you want to look at me naked with blood all over my face and neck?”
“I’ll get you some things to clean up with.” Siri quickly went over to the door and left.
The heavy scent of blood diffused through the air on both sides of the plexiglas and Calida’s eye’s slowly returned to the soft violet color. She gave Ryan an injured look, then smiled, and started to laugh.
“What’s funny about this?” Ryan asked. He could feel his heart pounding.
“You, the look on your face . . . you put me in a cage and think you can feed me like a zoo animal.”
“Look, we’re sorry about this. After you get cleaned up we’ll get a rabbit, okay?”
Calida pulled her lips away from her fangs. “I don’t want a rabbit.”
“So you won’t even try one?”
“You try it.”
The bag of blood on the floor had spilled out and formed a large puddle that crept toward one of the floor drains. Calida stepped through it and left a trail of bloody foot prints as she walked over to the feeding station.
“What about this?” she asked, sliding a finger along the plastic tube on her side of the plexiglas.
“Uh, we sort of have a protocol we’re trying to follow.”
“Oh, come on sweetheart, I want to see if you taste better than what’s on my feet.”
“Is that necessary?”
“I’m the one walking in blood.”
“Let’s just follow the protocol.”
“The protocol? And how’s it working out?”
“You said you’d try a rabbit tonight.”
“I lied . . . vampire, remember?”
“You’re not being helpful.”
“I’m supposed to be helpful after you’ve put me in here?”
“And you’d be helpful if you weren’t in there?”
“You’re so clever . . . and here I am naked covered in blood.”
“If we start using this,” Ryan said, pointing at the station, “and give it to you as it comes out of our veins will you start cooperating?”
Calida gave Ryan a bloody smile. “I gave you the precious bit of my cheek, didn’t I? For the right blood I’ll do anything.”
“Yeah, but you’re a vampire, remember?”
“Don’t ever forget it. I may kill you one day.”
“I’ll be careful,” Ryan said. “When Siri gets back we’ll get you cleaned up and use the station.”
“The two of us?”
“It’s my design so I’ll go first.”
“To be honest, Ryan, I’m expecting to be a little disappointed with you.”
“Why do you say that? You’ll be getting blood straight from a person.”
“Not all blood is the same, silly man. Sometimes it’s too salty, sometimes it’s bitter, even a
Ryan jumped up. He could only see Calida’s legs and feet. The large blood splatter coating her side of the plexiglas concealed her upper half.
“What
“I don’t . . . .” Ryan stopped.
Siri also sprang to her feet. “What happened?”
Blood ran from Calida’s nose. Her mouth gaped open and her delicate looking fangs gleamed red in the light of the cell. She gagged and coughed until she finally composed herself.
“It’s horrible! It tasted horrible! What’s in it to make it taste like that?” She threw the blood bag down on the concrete.
“Uh . . . there’s an anti-coagulating agent . . . sodium citrate, you can actually taste that?” Ryan asked.
“Can I taste it? It’s horribly sour.” Calida’s eyes were a deep pink that Ryan associated with strong emotions.
“Calida,” Siri began, “we didn’t know this would happen. Most of our stored blood has chemicals added to keep it fresh.”
“You people are crazy. That wasn’t fresh.”
“We’re sorry,” Ryan said. “We didn’t know you’d react like this.”
“Well, I can’t wear this anymore.” Calida tore the blood stained patient gown from her body like tissue paper. “And may I have something to clean myself with? Or do you want to look at me naked with blood all over my face and neck?”
“I’ll get you some things to clean up with.” Siri quickly went over to the door and left.
The heavy scent of blood diffused through the air on both sides of the plexiglas and Calida’s eye’s slowly returned to the soft violet color. She gave Ryan an injured look, then smiled, and started to laugh.
“What’s funny about this?” Ryan asked. He could feel his heart pounding.
“You, the look on your face . . . you put me in a cage and think you can feed me like a zoo animal.”
“Look, we’re sorry about this. After you get cleaned up we’ll get a rabbit, okay?”
Calida pulled her lips away from her fangs. “I don’t want a rabbit.”
“So you won’t even try one?”
“You try it.”
The bag of blood on the floor had spilled out and formed a large puddle that crept toward one of the floor drains. Calida stepped through it and left a trail of bloody foot prints as she walked over to the feeding station.
“What about this?” she asked, sliding a finger along the plastic tube on her side of the plexiglas.
“Uh, we sort of have a protocol we’re trying to follow.”
“Oh, come on sweetheart, I want to see if you taste better than what’s on my feet.”
“Is that necessary?”
“I’m the one walking in blood.”
“Let’s just follow the protocol.”
“The protocol? And how’s it working out?”
“You said you’d try a rabbit tonight.”
“I lied . . . vampire, remember?”
“You’re not being helpful.”
“I’m supposed to be helpful after you’ve put me in here?”
“And you’d be helpful if you weren’t in there?”
“You’re so clever . . . and here I am naked covered in blood.”
“If we start using this,” Ryan said, pointing at the station, “and give it to you as it comes out of our veins will you start cooperating?”
Calida gave Ryan a bloody smile. “I gave you the precious bit of my cheek, didn’t I? For the right blood I’ll do anything.”
“Yeah, but you’re a vampire, remember?”
“Don’t ever forget it. I may kill you one day.”
“I’ll be careful,” Ryan said. “When Siri gets back we’ll get you cleaned up and use the station.”
“The two of us?”
“It’s my design so I’ll go first.”
“To be honest, Ryan, I’m expecting to be a little disappointed with you.”
“Why do you say that? You’ll be getting blood straight from a person.”
“Not all blood is the same, silly man. Sometimes it’s too salty, sometimes it’s bitter, even a
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