Spilled Blood

The blood packet felt cold in her hands.

Anna was going fine with her weekend tour of the academy. First, the perfect poached egg and avocado toast breakfast. Then checking out the library. Following the school map to different spots of fun. In the end, she decided to check the infirmary out.

Wrong decision.

The metallic aroma of fresh, human blood attacked Anna as soon as she stepped in. A short girl, maybe from grade three or four, sat on a bench, holding her scraped, bleeding knee while the nurse tended to it. Anna flee from the place as fast as her human running abilities would allow (which was very slow but still). She ended her run in the café.

Another wrong decision.

New blood packets were being transferred - synthetic blood, human blood, animal blood - for the students who survived on blood. But the human blood looked the tastiest. Before she could stop herself, Anna was going for the pack.

But this is the last time, She assured herself as she took fast, steady steps towards her dorm room. I swore on my blood that this is the last time I borrow blood from cafe.

Anna never swore on her - she crinkled her nose - blood before. But since so many warlocks and witches do that, it must be powerful, yeah? After all —

Wham.

There were footsteps behind her, closing in, and before she knew, she slipped and landed on her back, sending the blood packet flying up and back to the ground with swoosh. The package burst open the second it hit the ground, and the blood started to seep out.

Anna's blood. Tasty, fresh, human blood.

Spilled.

Damn it, Annabelle repeated in her mind again and again as she lay on her back. There was no pain - of course - but instead, she felt a cold anger seeping in. Irritation, suddenly, overpowered her other feelings. So that's probably why, when a pretty-looking brunette approached her, she bared her fangs.

In a blink, she was standing among all the blood, her side slick, wet and warm. She looked a little paler than she did moments ago as she stared down at the girl, eyes narrowed. "Oh yeah, I'm perfectly alright. Everything is going great. In fact, I was just having a party with all this blood!" She snapped. "Duh. Can't you watch where you're going, little girl?"

An increase in anger increased the paleness. She just stood there, arms folded and she looked down upon the girl, her charcoal black eyes glinting in the corridor light. When the girl was finally done, Anna snorted. "Yeah, I totally believe that, because I really didn't feel somebody push at me, yeah?" Anna narrowed her eyes some more, and felt her eyes turn blood-shot slowly, little by little - probably not enough for any normal human being, or something else, with an extra ability to see sharper, to see.

Under normal circumstances, Anna would have totally looked away if her eyes turned bloodshot. She didn't want to risk anyone knowing that she is what she is. Since the time she arrived, she'd been hiding the whole thing pretty nicely. But now? She just lost it herself.

Anna rolled her eyes and shook her head at the same time. Her irritation was increasing by the minute, and she didn't even know why. She usually wasn't this moody back when she was a human. Maybe it's all a side-affect of being a vampire, a thought ran in the back of her mind. Or rather, a newborn vampire, since I've seen loads of cool, calm, collected vampires. In movies.

"Well, why don't you just say sorry and be done with it?" Anna said, and looked down at the bloody mess. Anyone could come here, and see the mess created. Is she suppose to clean it? How? She doesn't even have any powers, except compulsion, as far as she knew. Will I get in trouble for this? She didn't know. Heck, today was her first day! "And what the hell am I supposed to do with this blood now? Am I supposed to clean it or something?" She asked, not really looking at the girl. Maybe she'd understand that Anna is new and won't say anything.

Anna rolled her eyes and shook her head in one perfect combination of oh-god-why-am-I-stuck-here expression at the girl's incredulous suggestion. "Tell a teacher, and risk them finding out that I'm some creepy bloodsucking monster? Really?"

Anna knew all that "everyone is accepted" mantra every single staff here recites - but dude, when it comes to real monsters, are you really so accepting? How can you come close to, or help someone, whom you know drinks blood? Blood? Who's capable of tearing you apart?

Suddenly, Anna didn't want to be here. She didn't want to be in Manta Carlos, at the Academy. She wanted to be at home, sipping on hot chocolate while she gives advice to Beth about which dress to choose for her party. She wanted to spend weekends with mom, watching TV all night. I want to be a human, she repeated in her head, her face twisting in an uncomfortable look.