Week 6 Storytelling: Rules Made To Be Broken

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Disclaimer: This story contains somewhat graphic violence and themes dealing with suicide. If that is not your cup of tea, read my story from last week.

"Rules Made To Be Broken"

Rule #1: You are food, nothing more.

Rule #2: Remember: you are the prey, they are the predators.

Rule #3: No fraternizing, friendship, or romance.

Rule #4: You live nocturnally now.

Rule #5: Species may not be changed. You will stay human.

Rule #6: If you break any of these rules, you're dead.

Rule #7: If your Master breaks any rules, they're dead.

***

I was born a Blood Slave. My parents were Blood Slaves, and they passed it onto me. When I was twelve I was sent to live with one of Them, who was to be my Master. 

His name was Xavier. He was a vampire, and I was to be his Blood Slave for the rest of my life.

(Xavier)

I didn't think sticking to the rules would be so difficult.

A year after I was given to Xavier, I started to notice how silky his long black hair was and how soft his lips felt on my neck. I also started to take pleasure in his drinking of my blood. 

But, rules are rules, and besides, I wasn't into other guys, I couldn't be.

Blood Slaves were supposed to find another Blood Slave of the opposite sex, so that we could make babies that would become Blood Slaves when they came of age. 

Besides the rules, my love was surely unrequited. I mean, I'd seen him entertain beautiful Noble girls, and even kiss some of them. Afterall, I was just a Blood Slave boy with dull brown hair, brown eyes, and rags for clothes. 

Each day it got harder and harder, and now, at sixteen, it was nearly impossible. I couldn't take living this painful existence any longer, and so I ended it prematurely. 

I slit my wrists with a knife, and watched the blood drip down my arms and onto the hardwood floor like a splatter of paint on a canvas.  I soon grew too weak to stand, and fell to the ground.

I could hear Xavier's sweet voice shout, "Lucas!" 

Through blurred vision, I saw him come to my side and embrace me in his arms. If I was going to die, to die in his arms was going to be a heavenly way to die.

The world fell to black, and I fell out of this world, and into the next.

Or so I thought.

I jolted awake, opening my eyes and sitting up. Xavier was still holding me. 

"What happened?" I asked.

"I saved you from certain death," Xavier said in his velvety soft voice. 

"What do you mean?"

"You were going to die, but I gave you another life," he said. "An immortal life."

No, it couldn't be!  "Are you saying that I'm a..." 

"Vampire."

"But that means..."

"Does it matter?" He asked. "We were going to break the rules anyway." 

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said and looked away from him.

"Lucas," he said softly and cupped my face in his hand, angling my face to look at him. "I know your feelings towards me."

"I don't--"

"I feel the same way," he said. "Maybe it was selfish, but that is why I saved you."

I didn't know what to say. I spent four years wanting to hear those words, but now that they came I had a hard time feeling happy. All I could think about is how we broke all the rules.

"I love you, Xavier," I whispered.

"As do I."

"But this can't be, we can't be...I can't be..." I muttered, and my vision was blurring from a curtain of tears. "They'll kill us."

"Not if we can't catch us," he said, and he pulled my face towards his. "Run away with me, and we can live together, forever."

"Yes," I said. "I'll follow you through Hell if I have to in order to get to Heaven with you."

"Being by your side has been like heaven for me," he said before pressing his lips to mine.

As I kissed him I was maddened by the thirst of blood. My fangs slid out of my gums, and I bit his lips. His blood filled my mouth, and it tasted like copper pennies and raw honey.

"What's going on here?" A voice asked from behind us.

I pulled away from Xavier in horror, to see his Mother standing in the doorway.

"Fraternizing with your Slave, an a boy none the less?" Mavis snapped, and approached us. Her eyes were on my fangs.

"You have broken every rule, you fool," she yelled and struck Xavier across the face. He fell to the ground.

"Rules are made to be broken," he shouted.

"You are no longer my son. There is only one option," she said with a blank expression. Her nails elongated into claws and she stepped towards us.

Xavier lunged at her with his own set of claws, but she was faster. Her claws sunk into his chest, surely piercing his heart.

"Lucas, live on without me..." He whispered as his body fell, lifeless, to the floor.
 
I roared, sounding more animal than human, and my nails turned into claws. I lunged at Mavis with my claws, and I dug them into her chest, pulling out her heart, and tossing it to the ground like a piece of trash.

I kissed Xavier's cold, dead lips and left the room to raid the mansion for valuables. I came back for Xavier's body and carried him in my arms.

For Xavier I would live, but I would spend eternity to find a way to bring him back to life.

(Lucas)  

Author's Note:
This week I read the Mahabraata (PDE) and in section 64, where a line said: "Men were maddened with the thirst for blood." That line made me think of vampires, so I set out to write a Young Adult short story with vampires.

Vampires are actually my favorite supernatural character to write about. I actually finished a novel that has vampires in it, and In Laura's Mythology class I made a Storybook with vampires!

I decided to pick a male character, since all my other short stories have has a female protagonist. Additionally, for a change of pace, I decided to make Lucas gay.

I'm so sorry for making such a sad and tragic ending. I actually originally wrote a happy sappy ending where Xavier and Lucas managed to escape and lived in the country for the rest of their life, but I felt like it was too easy, and too sappy and happy. I felt so bad to do that to Lucas, but I think it was a much more evocative ending.

I may make a sequel so we can find out if Lucas found a way to bring Xavier back to life.

I created a world and sort of class system for vampires and blood slaves, and I really liked what I came up with. So, you might see more of this world, perhaps from the point of view from one of the vampires.