Grave

3.4

Something was wrong. His voice was awful. Loura had never heard anyone speak with such fear.

"I- I- a-p-pologise," Sebastian was stuttering. It was a stark contrast to the boy who had spat at her so sharply earlier that day. He took in an enormous, shaky breath of air. Then he continued, somewhat more confidently, "b-but how was I to know it would affect me that way? Please understand. I feel that... you are being unreasonable."

"Unreasonable?" the voice echoed. Loura moved a little closer, squinting with concentration, trying to comprehend their mysterious words. Sebastian began to repeat himself, his manner growing firmer.

"How was I to know, father? I had no idea, I swear. I am sorry."

"Sorry! You dare insult my intelligence? Apologies will not excuse you."
The dark figure of Sebastian flinched, and he moved backwards slightly. "I do not care if you are sorry. You could have jeopardized everything, exposed me. If you ever do that again-"

Sebastian sighed loudly, and perhaps rather rashly interrupted the father's angry speech.

"Honestly, father, I'd say it is unlikely I would want to be drunk again. I felt like throwing up all day, I assure you. Now, please, can I... go to bed?"

At that moment a colossal roar resounded through the building, and the voice bellowed,

"Lorcrar!"

Sebastian jumped backwards so fast that Loura had no time to move out of his line of sight.

He was so close to her. If he turned around she would surely be discovered. Luckily he was cowering right down towards the ground now, and could not move his gaze from the hidden tormentor.

"Never did I realize before exactly how much of a senseless, contemptuous, selfish little carcass you are. You are not deserving of life! Get intoxicated again, and I may take that life from you!"

Ha.

The father's manner was so theatrical that Loura could not help but grin.

So this is where Sebastian gets it.

What was so unusual about a teen getting smashed? She had not pictured Sebastian to be that type of boy. But now it seemed to fit. He was always looking so miserable and tired at school. Maybe he had been hanging out with the local drunks that night and had almost killed himself. Ah, so that was what the red liquid on his face had been. Not paint, but blood from a drunken fall. And his poor father must have just found out about all of his son's escapades, and was off his rocker with rage.

Really off his rocker....

Ha.

Loura struggled with the horrid temptation to laugh. Her fingers reached her mouth just in time to stifle the worst of it. But a snigger crept through. She snorted softly.

Sebastian's eye flicked in her direction. The side of his face seemed to lose the little colour it had in the fading light. He looked as if he were about to faint, total disbelief palpable over his contorted, yet ever elegant visage. Suddenly he was launching straight for her.

"Ugh!" Loura exclaimed, as his slender hands shoved her with a force so ridiculously great that it felt almost supernatural. She hit the dirt sideways, and her body slid down the incline until she was lying inside the thickets of the forest edge. Before she could lift her head, Loura heard the front door slam firmly shut.

Lorcrar stood trembling up against the door. The beads of sweat along his hairline began to drip.

"What... trying to escape me?" His father's blazing eyes moved closer. "What are you doing?"

"No- nothing. I- I left the door open."

Zabros made a disinterested grumble, and continued dragging his body. Lorcrar trembled at the noise of the heavy limbs, scraping and hissing like gigantic nails on a chalkboard. The monster settled.

"Anyhow, you are not drunk now." Zabros drew one of his limbs along the ground. "So I shall take my supper."

On the third scratch of his limb the leech appeared, and crawled eagerly towards to the boy still standing up against the door. Lorcrar gritted his teeth.

"Pet, the boy needs to be taught a lesson. "

The leech hurtled into Lorcrar, its teeth ripping the flesh of his stomach. Lorcrar's back slammed into the door and he fell to his knees. His scarlet lifeline coursed into the convulsing creature.

The session lasted longer than usual. Zabros watched Lorcrar's spasms growing weaker, calculating with a discerning eye exactly how much blood should be drained before the boy's heartbeat sputtered and ceased.

"Enough."

The leech detached itself. A small portion of Lorcrar's skin hung from its last row of teeth. Zabros cradled the leech in his leg. Another leg slowly unwrapped the bandage from around its body. He leisurely drew the fabric from the open wound, and the leech squirmed in pain as the bandage slowly unstuck itself from the two punctures, clinging to its flesh for a moment before snapping away. Zabros placed the creature into the grip of his pincers, plunged his canines into the hole and drank.

Lorcrar watched with resentment, his hand pressed tightly against his clotting stomach. He lowered his gaze to the open wound. Blood trickled through his fingers.

That,

he thought,

does not belong to me. It belongs to two men. They were sleeping. And I killed- I killed them oh God...

Lorcrar's gut grumbled at the memory, and he gasped, being struck once again with sudden rushing thirst. He drew his soaking fingers towards his mouth and tried desperately to lick the blood back inside. Tears swelled in his bloodshot eyes. 

"There is no use doing that, boy. You will need to go out and hunt again, tonight."

"No!" Lorcrar yelled, his whole body beginning to shake, "I won't do it, not ever again! You can't make me."

"Oh, no? Still hiding from the truth of your existence?"

"Mother never would have done this. She wasn't a mons-... wasn't like you."

Zabros laughed. But Lorcrar knew his father's vocabulary, and this laugh was different. There was an unusual nervousness to it.

"Oh, she wasn't, was she?"

Lorcrar's temple pounded and he breathed through his nose heavily.

"I assure you, your mother was as much one of us as-"

"I don't believe you," Lorcrar barked. "I have not forgotten all you think I have, or that you would have me believe." He was so angry that he no longer cared what harm his words would bring. "Unless of course, you would like to fill me in on the details. I'd really appreciate that. Knowing where she is."
Lorcrar was absolutely certain he was done for now. But he delivered the final blow anyway - a gallant martyr.
"Is she there in you, father?"

Lorcrar prepared to be sliced into pieces. But to his surprise, Zabros merely drew back into the darkness, and cleared his great throat awkwardly.

"I will ignore these hysterics for the moment. Know that you were born for a purpose, and if you do not fulfil it... well, the consequences will be rather unpleasant."

"I do not care, father."

Zabros closed his glowing eyes, and the house was plunged into complete darkness.

"I see. Off to bed, now."

*Ps. Sorry for uploading this part bfore u read it, C. You'll forgive me xx - A*