Blood Land, J.R. Lawson [electric book reader .txt] 📗

and I brought you….here.” Nora glanced over her shoulder a bit as if she were magically seeing around the corner.  She was only silent for a few beats and then said, “You know, I’m actually glad we got kicked out.  If the store owner is like that...I don’t want to go there anymore!  I’ll just...have to find a new favorite place.” She now turned back to Kale and smiled a genuine smile.

“Well, what do you say we get out of here and go home?” Kale now suggested.

“Yes, please,” Nora instantly agreed.

Kale then started to turn and walk until Nora spoke up and stopped him, “Can we...fly?”

Kale turned to her with a somewhat startled expression now covering his face. “Fly?  I thought you hated flying.”

“Well,” Nora started with a slight shrug of her shoulders in response, “I figure...if people are going to stare at us anyway...” she continued to talk as she then glanced around them, noticing all the people who were indeed looking directly at them. “I’d rather them stare with a small side of jealousy.” She now smiled at Kale who also had a grin grow rapidly across his face.

“Alright then,” he responded as he then proceeded to remove his jacket and shirt.  He tucked his shirt into his pants and then tied his jacket around his waist. Then he swiftly turned so that his back was facing Nora.  He crouched slightly, his enormous wings now growing from the skin on his back and expanding wildly.  He positioned his arms back as if to beckon Nora to jump on him.  Nora gave no hesitation and leapt up, feeling his hands now grab onto her, holding her in place.  She then wrapped her arms around his shoulders and braced herself for the lift off.  Surprisingly for her, this time she didn’t seem afraid at all as the two of them were lifted into the sky.  She felt safe and she even found it interesting that she felt more comfortable up in the sky with a vampire than she had on the ground with humans.  And even more strange was that she was starting to feel she had more in common with Kale than with her own species.  She had felt what a vampire felt in that shop today.  She almost knew what it was like to be one.  She experienced what humans really saw when they looked at vampires.  She knew deep down that she should feel slightly unnerved with the fact that she was starting to identify with vampires more than she ever had with her fellow humans but even more strange was how that didn’t seem to bother her one bit.  She smiled to herself as she held onto this fact and even tighter held on to Kale as the two of them soared along the skyline and on their way home.

CHAPTER 26

 IT WAS ONLY a day later that Nora found herself with Kale at a local grocery store in the human city.  They were almost out of food back at home and decided to make a quick stop.  Nora felt herself dreading going because she knew the two of them would receive more stares, however she had been trying her hardest to not let those things bother her so much.  She didn’t know why, but lately she had felt a slight more rage about certain things than she had ever felt.  She never used to get so mad that she would tip a table or make a scene anywhere and yet, she had done it only a day ago at a place that had once been her favorite to go to and that now just made her sick to even think about.  The only thing she could think of was that the vampire blood in her from the Vinculum was causing her some temporary mood swings.  Probably another side effect along with the others she’d already experienced.  She didn’t tell Kale this, however, because she didn’t want him to worry about it; especially with all the other things they had to worry about lately.

Nora continued lost in thought as she walked by several boxes of cereal.  She was supposed to pick a few that she wanted but she couldn’t really concentrate on it.  Really what she wanted was to go back home and not be here.  Kale was in another aisle nearby getting some other things and he had told her to get some cereal and meet back up with him.  Despite her lack of enthusiasm about their shopping trip, Nora had appreciated how Kale had attempted to make it somewhat enjoyable for her.  He had actually made her laugh a few times which really surprised her because she never knew Kale to have a sense of humor other than his sarcastic remarks.  It did make her feel better, even if it was only temporary because the gawking of certain people in the store had caused her to get flustered and upset again.  That’s why he had left her to make her cereal decisions on her own to give her a break from all the watching.  She felt like an animal in a zoo and she really hated it.

It didn’t take long, however, for her to soon be interrupted.  It was a middle aged woman who had suddenly gotten her attention. “Hello there,” the woman greeted her as she proceeded to stand right next to her.

“Uh, hi,” was all Nora said in response.

“I’m sorry to bother you, but I just couldn’t help but notice you’re…situation…”

“My…situation?” Nora repeated, slightly confused.

“Yes,” the woman next to her continued, “And I just want you to know that there is a way out.  I can help you.”

“I’m sorry?” Nora questioned, now looking the woman directly in the face, “What situation?”

“Oh, I know, you probably feel like you can’t talk about it now.  But I just want you to know that there is help for you.  I don’t know what he’s using against you.  If it’s your family, or what but I promise I could take you to a place where he couldn’t get to you.  There’s a way you can be free.” The woman finished her small speech by putting a hand on Nora’s shoulder.

Nora looked at the woman’s hand on her and then back up at her face.  She was extremely confused and didn’t know at all what this woman was saying. “I’m sorry, I really don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The woman then nodded as she removed her hand from her and then pulled out a small card from her purse and then handed it to her. “I know, I know, you can’t talk now.  But here’s my number.  If you decide you want to come with me, you can meet me outside of the store or just call this number.  There are people who can help you.”

It was then that Kale appeared from another aisle. “Hey, you find what you wanted?” he asked Nora.  He only glanced at the strange woman next to her for a second before the lady took one look at him and hastened away. Nora just held the small card in her hands that had the woman’s number on it and looked up at Kale.  He now looked back and noticed the expression of confusion on her face. “What did she want?” he then decided to ask.

“I…I don’t really know.  It was weird.  She just came up to me and started telling me that I needed  help and that she could take me to some place that would help me or something.  I don’t really know what she was talking about,” Nora answered, “She gave me this and said I should call her.” She then presented the card to Kale who glanced at it.

“Hm,” Kale responded, “Looks like she thought you were being held captive for blood farming.”

Nora abruptly looked up at Kale. “What?  Why would she think that?”

“Cause you’re with me.  A lot of vampires who try to blood farm illegally make sure the human they’re using is around them at all times so they can keep an eye on them and they can’t escape.”

“Is that why she thought I was in trouble or something?”

“Probably.  She most likely wanted you to go to one of those protection shelters.  That’s maybe what that number is for.”

Nora glanced down at the card again for a second before responding, “Protection shelter?  What’s that?”

“They’re places supposedly run by the N.F.C.U.  They’re for humans being held captive by vampires for blood farming.   See, some vampires will threaten the safety of a human’s family in order to keep them captive and get them to give their blood.  But these protection shelters were designed to house victims of blood farming that were able to escape and keep them safe.  They’re also supposedly known to kill any vampire on site to help rid the victim of their vampire threat.”

“Oh wow…” was all Nora could say as she took this new information in.

“Seems to me that lady just needs to mind her own business.” Kale then added.

Nora nodded. “I agree.” She then crumpled the card in her hands and tossed it to the floor as she then grabbed a random box of cereal off of the shelf in front of her and then she and Kale went on to continue their grocery shopping.

It wasn’t too long before the two of them were heading to one of the cashier’s lines with their cart of groceries.  Once they took their place in line, Kale reached into his pocket and pulled out several different bills and handed them to Nora. “Here ya go,” he casually said to her, “I’ll be outside.”

“Wait, what?” Nora questioned, “Why are you going outside?”

“Because,” Kale answered, “I don’t’ want another scene again.  God forbid this cashier see us together and not let use buy our groceries.”

Nora didn’t say much but just looked at him.

“It’ll be fine I’ll just be outside,” Kale reiterated.

“O.k.” Nora then agreed and finally took Kale’s money from him.  Kale nodded with a small smirk and then went his way out of the store.

Nora eventually made it to the front of the line and the cashier promptly rang up her groceries for her.  Once she paid, she began to load her bagged groceries back into her cart when someone approached her from the side.

“Miss, can we have a word with you?”

Nora looked up to see a police officer; most likely the security guard; was speaking to her.

“Did I do something?” Nora now asked somewhat fearfully.

“No ma’am, we just need a quick word.  Can you step aside please?”

Nora just nodded finally in compliance and then did as the officer asked.  Once they were off to the side she asked him again, “What’s wrong, officer?”

“Well, this woman here informed us that you might be in some kind of trouble?” the policeman told the statement in a sort of question and as he did so the woman who had approached Nora earlier in the store stepped out from behind him.

“Oh my god!  No, I don’t need any help!  This woman doesn’t know anything!” Nora now found herself immediately shouting.

“Look, let’s just remain calm,” the officer said raising his hands a bit, “Now she said you were in some kind of danger.  Is that true?”

“No, it’s not!”