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

up the duffle bag and softly smiled.

Rogan softened a bit and just nodded back, “Just…you better learn to hunt soon….o.k.?”

Jay nodded too, “Yeah I will. Promise,” he smiled sincerely up at Rogan and then walked away as well, in the same direction Shane had gone.

Rogan then turned around quickly and continued a brisk pace into the woods where he had seen Nora go.

Meanwhile Nora continued her hurried walk through the trees. She hugged herself for warmth as the temperature around her dropped. She shook her head, trying to get the thoughts of Rogan out of her head. She wiped her face as tears were still finding their way out of her eyes and down her face. Why should she waist any thoughts or emotions on him? He was horrible; by human and vampire standards. She then took a second to look up and glance around her, noticing that things were getting darker and harder to see. She jumped several times during her walk at the horrifying distant shrieks that surrounded her. The noises seemed to be getting closer and she tried to walk faster, that is, until she hit a small clearing in the woods, at which time someone had caught up with her.

“Hey you!” the voice shouted.

Nora turned around to look at who was acknowledging her. It was, of course, Rogan. “Of all people!” she thought to herself. She had half a mind to just ignore him and continue on her path, but instead she answered him in the most biting tone she could gather, “I have a name ya know. It’s Nora. And what the hell do you want anyway?!”

“I should be asking you that question,” Rogan answered, “Do you want to get killed?!

“What’s it to you anyway? You don’t give a damn!” She then started to turn back around, “But if you must know this is the fastest way back to my house.”

“And the most idiotic!” Rogan sternly stated, grabbing her by the arm and stopping her, “Do you not hear the amount of night-flyers around you? You’re easy prey out here!”

“So? Why do you care?!” Nora shouted, pulling her arm from his grip and staring at him.

Rogan didn’t have an answer. He just stared back at her. His stare then turned to a scowl as he finally spoke up, “God you are such a dumb bitch. Fine. Do whatever you want. Get killed. See if I give a fuck.”

Nora scoffed at him and then continued her quick walk through the trees.

“GAH!” Rogan then raged as he kicked the dirt under him angrily. He then ran off and proceeded to jump up one of the taller trees and continued to secretly keep his eye on her. He remained quiet as he watched her, listening to the shrieks of the many predators surrounding them. Vampires were starting to change into their hellion forms now. He looked down at his own human-like hands. He knew he would change soon as well.

“Hey dude, what’s up?” a voice suddenly sounded next to him, breaking the silence and his thoughts. It was Shane. He had suddenly appeared next to Rogan, causing him to now groan in annoyance.

“Wow. Nice to see you too,” Shane responded to his obvious disdain.

“What are you doing here? Can’t you just leave me the fuck alone?” Rogan asked angrily.

“Oh come on, I’m bored.”

Rogan looked over at him. His whole face and front was covered in fresh blood, “I see. Already did your hunting for the night, eh?”

“Yup. I could go for some more though,” Shane then looked over at Rogan, “I see you haven’t done any yet.”

“Yeah well….I’m busy.” Rogan coldly responded, looking back over at where Nora was walking. The screeches of nearby hellions were getting louder and he shifted his gaze from her to the skies around him, scouting for the beasts.

It was then that Shane’s eyes found their way to where Nora was walking as well, “Oh man! You’re going after that! Sweet!”

“Can you please go away? You annoy me to no end!” Rogan clenched his fists as he threw his head back in frustration.

“Man, you gotta tell me how she tastes. And save me some of that blood. I bet it’s fiery!”

“Get the hell out of my face, Shane! And go away!!!” Rogan now shouted to his face.

“What is your problem, man?” Shane then asked.

“You. Now go away,” Rogan turned back to Nora and didn’t shift his gaze from her once.

“Dude. Do you like her or something?”

“No.”

“Then what are you waiting for? Go get her already!”

“Just leave me alone!”

“Dude, if you don’t I’m going after that.”

It was then that Rogan finally looked away from Nora and glared in utter hatred at Shane’s eyes. He grabbed him by the arm firmly and said in as much sternness and seriousness as he could, “Don’t’ you fucking dare.”

Shane then laughed at him, “Or what?”

“Or I rip your fucking throat out, that’s what!”

It was silent between them for a few beats. It was also then that the sky had finally become completely dark. The sun had officially set, and there was no more natural light in the sky. Rogan continued staring at Shane, noticing the horrifying change taking place that he knew was also happening to him. They were hellions now; the two of them. Shane’s eyes changed to black, his ears twisted up into large pointy bat like lobes. His skin became even more pale and all of those black veins of his shown through like it was made of tissue paper. He smiled at Rogan, while removing his arm from his grip. Rogan could see all of those pointy, horrible, jagged fangs that made up his entire grin and was only slightly too slow to catch Shane as he jumped from the tree, spread his giant bat-like wings, and took off toward Nora.

“SHANE!!!” Rogan shouted after him, but Shane ignored him and continued his flight, “Bastard!” Rogan cursed as he then jumped and also took flight, speeding toward Shane.

Nora had begun to slightly jog now through the forest. She had realized that it was now completely dark and she wasn’t denying that she was absolutely terrified. She listed to her heavy breathing as she jogged and the screams of the hellions that seemed to be getting closer to where she was. Rogan had been right; she shouldn’t have come this way. But what choice did she have?   Asked him for a ride home? Not on her life.

All of the sudden a loud THUD echoed through the air where she was standing and she was forced to stop dead in her tracks. She was now looking face to face with a hellion. It was standing right in front of her, wings extended, and a large disgusting grin on its face.

“Hey there, feisty girl, I can’t wait to taste that spicy blood of yours!” He spoke. His voice was raspy with a most demonic quality. It was enough to make the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Nora didn’t waste any time as she quickly turned around and tried to run the other direction, but of course the hellion Shane swooped down and grabbed her back, with his talon-like fingers, right at her shoulder blades, trying to take off with her. Nora screamed her lungs out as she struggled and squirmed trying to force him to drop her. She knew, however, that this was futile, but didn’t know what else to do.

All of the sudden she was dropped. She hit the ground with quite a bit of force and coughed as she tried to breathe back in the wind that was just knocked out of her. She rolled around onto her back, which ached with great pain. She recognized the smell of her own blood as she looked in front of her, trying to focus her blurry vision. What she saw was two hellions fighting one another. One of them was the one that had tried to carry her away, but the other one she couldn’t quite make out. Even so, she could tell it was clearly winning. Their struggle was quite forceful. It consisted of clawing and throwing one another. Finally, however, Shane was thrown to the ground onto his stomach, and the other hellion stood over his back, picking up Shane’s head by the hair and bringing it to his mouth. Nora saw him whisper something to Shane, but Shane’s only response was to claw and screech, trying to get back over to Nora and finish what he had started. However, he never got to, because in one swift motion, the other hellion standing over him grabbed his head with both hands and broke his neck. He then dropped Shane’s now lifeless body to the ground and looked over at Nora. Nora panicked and crawled backward on the ground, trying to get away from this new threat. That didn’t stop the hellion from coming over and standing over her.

“Get up,” it said in that same demonic throaty voice as she had heard the other one speak only earlier. Yet, for some strange reason, this one’s voice had a hint of familiarity.

“Wha—what?” Nora stammered.

“Get up!” it then yelled. Nora didn’t respond but sat staring up at him. There was something more familiar to him than just his voice. Maybe it was that scar she noticed peeking over his shoulder. Her gaze was then shifted to the sky as soon as the both of them heard very loud, very distinct screeches of other night-flyers that were obviously all around them.

“GET UP!” the hellion shouted again. Nora only responded by jumping with fright. She was crying and cringing because that’s all she knew she could do. When he noticed this, he stepped closer toward her and extended a hand. He then calmly but firmly spoke again, “Do you want to die? If not, I strongly suggest you get up now.”

Nora ceased her tears for a moment to look down at his hand. The fingers were long and twisted up into extended claws. Although he was terrifying to look at, she felt a slight bit of calm. She took a small moment to look up into his eyes. It was him. This was Rogan. She knew it. And for some reason, and she really didn’t know why, she felt comforted by this. Maybe it was just the sense of fluency amidst the chaos that was going around her. She finally took the opportunity to make herself stand up as she grabbed his hand. Without even time to scream, Rogan had swung her quickly around and onto his back, “Hang on!” he ordered.

“What?!” Nora shouted as she grabbed his shoulders.

“Hang on!!!” He commanded again as he kicked off the ground and his wings jutted out and the two of them took swift flight into the air.

“AAAAHHHHHH!!!” Nora screamed. She kept her eyes shut tightly as she felt the wind blowing quickly around her. At one point she gained the courage to open them, and she saw that she and Rogan were propelling forward through the sky, the trees of the forest below them, and to her horror, many hungry night-flyers screaming and trailing behind them.

“OH MY GOD!” Nora screamed again.

“It’s o.k.! Just hang on!!” Rogan screamed back at her.

“No!!! Look!!” Nora shouted again as she then looked ahead of her. There were several hellions now in front of them, flying at them head on.

“O.k. really hang on this time!” Rogan shouted. Before Nora could question him, he jettisoned straight upward like a rocket, right over the group of beasts in front. Then he dove straight down so fast that Nora felt tears flying out of her tightly shut eyes. Quickly after, Rogan leveled their flight but he was still flying just as fast as ever. Nora was starting to feel sick and extremely tired. So much so that she felt she could fall asleep any second.

“Rogan!” she shouted.

“What?!” he annoyingly answered.

“I don’t feel so good! I feel really tired! Like I’m going to pass out!”

“Just hang on! It’s