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

him. Something she knew, however, was a failed effort as Rogan took no time at all to block her path.

“I think you will!” he then loomed over her and shouted.

“Who are you to order me around?! I don’t have to do anything you say!” Nora yelled and then tried again to walk past him. This time, however, instead of just standing in her way, Rogan grabbed her arm and held it tightly.

“Ow! Stop!” Nora yelled.

“See this? See what I’m doing? This is one way vampires get their way. Do you really want to see the other ways?” Rogan tightened his grip on her.

“Ow stop!” Nora yelled, “I’m not going to do what you want! Do what you want to me, I don’t care!” It was then, in what seemed like only an instant, Nora’s back was now pinned against a tree. She hadn’t been able to blink, let alone even see when they had moved, yet Rogan was now in front of her, still gripping her arm tightly. His face was so close to hers, their noses almost touched.

“You will do what I say or I will kill you. You are nothing to me. And don’t doubt that I won’t. I have no remorse for killing human scum like you! Or shall I remind you of what kind of temper I have? I’m sure you haven’t forgotten.”

Nora shut her eyes tightly. His grip on her was hurting so bad she felt like he might break her arm any second. She didn’t deny that she was afraid of him and remembered all too well how angry he could get. She pondered her situation quickly. Last time she had helped him and put herself and Will in serious danger. Even though she had felt it had been the right thing to do at the time, she wasn’t about to risk their safety again. She had promised herself that, especially after Will’s dad had been admitted into the hospital. But what if she didn’t do what this vampire wanted her to do now? What would happen? He’d probably give no hesitation to killing her and then taking what he wanted later; maybe even when Will was home and defenseless. She knew what she needed to do, and it was go along with whatever this vampire wanted, but she was determined not to let him think she was fearful as she did it.

“O.k. O.k. fine!” Nora said through gritted teeth. Rogan then let go of her. Nora stood, holding and rubbing her aching arm. Rogan took a step back and then looked over his shoulder at his companions that were only standing a little ways back.

He then looked back at her for a second, “Stay right here a minute,” he commanded and before she could even answer, he instantly shot off back to them. Nora watched him talk to them. She couldn’t hear what he was saying but she saw him and the others occasionally glance over at her as they spoke. Then, in almost an instant, Rogan was back next to her.

“O.k. let’s go,” he then ordered, grabbing her upper arm and pushing her forward in front of him.

“What?” Nora asked.

“Come on, we’re going to get the blood.”

“Wait…wait no I’m not going with you!”

“You are to. The deal was you go get the blood for us.”

“You never made any kind of deal. You just said you wanted the blood.”

“Well this is the deal now! And you’re going to do it! And I’m coming with you to make sure you don’t skip out! Now go!”

Nora just stared at him angrily.

“Hello?!” he yelled, “I said go! Get!!” he grabbed her arm again and pushed her in front of him. Nora started walking, “I’m not a dog, you know! You don’t have to yell at me to get what you want!” she said, looking back slightly to talk to him.

Rogan chuckled, “Yeah, you’re a human. That’s worse than a dog.”

“Um, I’m sorry, but weren’t you a human once?”

Rogan tilted his head side to side, cracking his neck, “I don’t consider that a part of my life anymore. I’m not human anymore, so why think about it? I’m much more powerful now and that’s all that matters.”

“Wow,” Nora just said as she walked. It was quiet a beat until she then added, “But…Rogan…isn’t that your human name?”

“That’s my last name.”

Nora then backed up her pace a bit so that she was walking right next to him. She looked over at him, now a little more curious, “What about your first name?” she inquired.

“Don’t have one.”

“Oh please!” Nora sarcastically chuckled, “You have a last name but no first name?!”

“I dropped my first name after I became a vampire. That name was a part of my human life. It’s gone now. End of story.”

Nora didn’t respond. She just kept walking amidst the awkward silence that stayed with them until they finally reached her house.

When they got there they both approached the outside cellar door and Nora gestured for Rogan to enter, “Here ya go,” she said.

“Uh, no. We’re both going in,” he ordered and Nora sighed, rolled her eyes, and then opened the double doors. They both walked down the stairs to the basement and Nora made her way to the freezer.

“What do you want me to put it in?” she asked him.

“Anything. Just fill it as much as you can,” he answered. Nora looked over at him and noticed he was looking at a framed picture of a woman that had been sitting on an end table. She immediately went over and slammed the picture down on its face. She left her hand on it as she looked up at him. Anger filled her as she noticed his smug expression.

“Oh, don’t want me looking, eh?” he said with just as much smugness as was on his face. Nora didn’t say anything back but just turned around and headed back to the freezer. She found a duffle bag that had been behind the couch and started filling it with the little frozen jars of blood.

“So, who is she then?” Rogan spoke up, referring to the picture. Nora said nothing. She just continued to fill the duffle bag, only listening to the clinking of the jars as they bumped each other inside.

“You’re mom? That lady in the picture, it’s your mom isn’t it?” Rogan questioned more. When Nora ignored him a second time, he continued, “Not going to share are you?” he then chuckled.

Nora stopped filling the duffle bag and turned towards him, “Why the hell would I share anything with you?!”

Rogan laughed, “Just curious that’s all.”

“Why?” Nora asked, “Why do you give a shit about me?”

Rogan picked up the picture again and looked down at it, “Don’t,” he answered. He then looked up at her, still holding the picture, “Just want to know what you’re story is. You’re interesting that’s all. A girl saves a vampire. Just trying to figure out what you’re all about.”

“Well don’t,” Nora sternly said.

Rogan chuckled, “Fine,” he then tossed the picture onto the couch, “I don’t give a fuck.”

Nora then quickly walked over to him with the duffle bag full of blood jars and shoved it at him, “Here ya go. Now get the hell out.”

Rogan laughed again as he held the duffle bag and then grabbed her arm with his free hand, “No, no, you’re coming back with me.”

“What?!!” Nora shouted, trying to pull her arm from his grip but failing, “That wasn’t part of the deal!”

“It is now.”

“What is the point of me coming back with you?! I did what you wanted!!” Nora screamed.

“Cause I like making you miserable,” Rogan responded with a smirk and that same amount of arrogance as before, “And you need to learn a lesson; one that involves helping vampires and how it’s stupid.”

Nora now looked at him angrily. She wanted to burst into tears and scream and hurt him, but all that came out was, “Fuck you.”

Rogan laughed, “Ha, thanks but no thanks,” he then let go of her arm and Nora stomped past him, up the stairs, and out the basement doors. Rogan followed, “Yeah you might want to hurry, it’s almost dark!” he then laughed again as they both walked away from the house.

CHAPTER 4

FINALLY, AFTER A completely silent walk back, Nora and Rogan reached the hospital and his group of two other vampires once more.

“Well, go on, honey,” Rogan sarcastically urged, “Give ‘em the bag.”

Nora shot him a nasty glance as she then approached Shane.

“Ooh aren’t you a scrumptious thing,” Shane trifled, looking her up and down. Nora made a disgusted face as she then shoved the duffle bag full of blood into Shane’s hands.

“Oh feisty! I like that! I bet your blood is spicy!” he then laughed as he noticed her further disgust.

“Well, that’ll be all sweetie. Better hurry on home now,” Rogan said looking down, as he stepped in between her and Shane,

Nora then decided to muster up as much courage as she could and ask what had been on her mind for the past hour, “Why? Why did you do this to me?! All I ever did was help you that once—”

“HEY!” Rogan then shouted, cutting her off, “What did you expect? Did you really think this was one of your fairy tales where the human helps the vampire and he helps her in return? That somehow I’d appreciate your stupidity and weakness and reward you?!” he paused, giving Nora enough time to have tears well up in her eyes. He then bent down a bit so that he was at eye level with her, “Well, I hate to break it to ya, hun, but it’s not. This is reality. And vampires aren’t the nice creatures you think we are. So get used to it.”

Nora fought hard to fight back the tears in her eyes, “I hate you,” she softly breathed out.

“You know what?” Rogan responded, “GOOD!”

The last word he shouted made Nora jump a bit and one of the many tears she was trying to hold back managed to make its way down her cheek. She wiped it away quickly and then, with nothing else to say, she turned around silently and briskly walked off; wanting to get as far away from there as possible.

Rogan watched her go as Shane and Jay laughed at talked amongst themselves about the loot they had just received. It was suddenly that Rogan noticed Nora decide to break away from the walking path afar off and start to cut through the woods. He then looked up at the sky. It was very close to dark. “What the hell was she doing?” he thought.

“Hey, I’m gonna head out,” he then stated to the other two boys before then heading in her direction, “You guys have fun.”

“Oh we will! I’m gonna go get some kills! See you chumps later!” Shane then said as he also walked away in the opposite direction.

“Hey, Rogan!” Jay then shouted. Rogan stopped his quick walk and turned back to look at him.

“Yeah?” he responded impatiently. He looked back nervously at the trees where Nora had entered the woods and tapped the side of his leg with his hands as he irritably waited for Jay to say what he was going to say.

“Thanks for this,” he held