The Preserve, late Saturday night
Allie remembered enough to know that there had once been a time when she hadn’t been constantly hungry. There’d been bottles of blood that weren’t the greatest in taste, but they’d served their purpose and kept the hunger at bay.
The bottles ran out a long time ago.
The Hunger never stopped. Alie did what she could to stop it with small donations from willing participants that wouldn't be too weakened by the blood loss. But there was one donor who wasn't so willing.
Another night, another game of chase through the woods with the hollow that had once been Nikolai Bartamian.
Allie sighed as she rolled Nick’s limp body over and automatically checked his goggles and his badge. She hated doing this, but it meant she could go that much longer before asking someone in village to let her feed. More importantly, it kept Nick a little weaker than he would have been. Weaker meant maybe he was a little less dangerous to the humans left on the island. Weaker meant Allie could put off the inevitable one more day.
Or not.
"No," she whispered, horror thick in her voice. Under her fingers, Nick’s pulse throbbed steadily in his neck. But the dirt-stained skin had changed to something other than human. It was hard, with sharp points that caught on her skin.
He was changing. Fast. This hadn't been there when they’d crossed paths just two nights before. It would probably only get faster. He would get stronger and more dangerous. More deadly.
Allie knew there was only one thing left to do.
Heads shaking, Allie closed her hands on the sides of his face. "I’m sorry." And then, in the softest of whispers...."I love you."
It only took a second. A quick twist. A snap.
And suddenly it was over.
Allie didn't let herself cry as returned to the village for a shovel. Her eyes stayed dry as she dug a shallow grave. But when she carefully unhooked the sheriff’s badge from the ruins of Nick’s coat and clenched it in her hand, her eyes filled with bloody tears. "I hope you’re at peace now."
She tucked the badge into her pocket and slowly filled the grave.
The bottles ran out a long time ago.
The Hunger never stopped. Alie did what she could to stop it with small donations from willing participants that wouldn't be too weakened by the blood loss. But there was one donor who wasn't so willing.
Another night, another game of chase through the woods with the hollow that had once been Nikolai Bartamian.
Allie sighed as she rolled Nick’s limp body over and automatically checked his goggles and his badge. She hated doing this, but it meant she could go that much longer before asking someone in village to let her feed. More importantly, it kept Nick a little weaker than he would have been. Weaker meant maybe he was a little less dangerous to the humans left on the island. Weaker meant Allie could put off the inevitable one more day.
Or not.
"No," she whispered, horror thick in her voice. Under her fingers, Nick’s pulse throbbed steadily in his neck. But the dirt-stained skin had changed to something other than human. It was hard, with sharp points that caught on her skin.
He was changing. Fast. This hadn't been there when they’d crossed paths just two nights before. It would probably only get faster. He would get stronger and more dangerous. More deadly.
Allie knew there was only one thing left to do.
Heads shaking, Allie closed her hands on the sides of his face. "I’m sorry." And then, in the softest of whispers...."I love you."
It only took a second. A quick twist. A snap.
And suddenly it was over.
Allie didn't let herself cry as returned to the village for a shovel. Her eyes stayed dry as she dug a shallow grave. But when she carefully unhooked the sheriff’s badge from the ruins of Nick’s coat and clenched it in her hand, her eyes filled with bloody tears. "I hope you’re at peace now."
She tucked the badge into her pocket and slowly filled the grave.