Feeding Time

Chapter Four

I lunge at Morona, knocking her onto the carpet, squeezing my hands around her throat while she punches me in the eye.
"You've taught me a lot, Morona", I growl. "But you're not good enough anymore."
Her foot swings out, catching me in the side and causing me to fall to the side. The woman pries my fingers off of her and holds me down to the carpet while I thrash around, trying to break out of her grasp.
"Wrong", she hisses. "I'm better than you."
Morona lets me up and I lunge again, but this time, Noah grabs me and holds me back, grunting as I try to punch him.
"Hurry up", he sighs as the woman picks up the straitjacket, wrapping it around my torso while the young man struggles to get my arms through the sewed up sleeves.
"Stop!", I shriek as Morona buckles the straps, kicking her in the leg. "Let me out!"
"Not going to happen."
"Guys, what's going on?", Gemma asks from upstairs. "You guys are being too loud. We have neighbors now."
"Blame Theresa!", Morona yells. "She's the one who-!"
"Shut up", I say, kicking her. "I hate you all."
Noah just sighs, resting his head back against the leather couch.
I sigh too as the urge gets stronger, making me curl into a ball on the floor, quietly groaning as I get more and more angry.
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I lie on the mattress, curled up into a ball on my side, listening to the sound of the radio playing next to me, chewing on my lip, trying to draw blood.
"FBI searched the possible hideout of the three escaped patients from the insane asylum, finding nothing there but their most recent victims, left behind as they fled with hostage Noah Rahsen", the announcer says emotionlessly. "All we know now is that they have moved somewhere west, but all family members are being questioned for possible whereabouts.
"Moving on to another escapee, Jake Mendala has been spotted in the state of Virginia, and FBI detectives believe that he is following Theresa Moore, so officials are currently tailing the escaped criminal."
A small sting flashes across my bottom lip, a small smile crossing my face as I suck on the blood.
More, more, more, the voice shouts in my mind. It's-
"-Feeding time", I finish, licking my lips as someone knocks on the door, three times to tell me that it's Morona. "Yummy, yummy."
She opens the door, holding a bowl in one hand. I growl, deep in my throat as she walks over, kicking the wall behind me with my heel.
"You need to relax. We're just trying to help you", she says, switching off the radio before calmly perching herself on the mattress beside my head. "It's too late for me, but it might not be for you."
"The FBI found the bodies in the basement", I tell her, swallowing my frustration. "And they think Jake is tracking me."
"Where was he spotted?"
"Virginia." She nods and sets the bowl down carefully
"I'll tell the others later", Morona sighs. "But now, you need to eat."
"You know what I need", I snap. "And it isn't food."
"It's tomato soup", she says.  "And don't tell, but I did put a little blood in. It should be just enough, okay?"
I narrow my eyes, thinking over her words.
"Fine", I grunt. "I'll have it."
"Good. Now sit up so you can drink it."
I nod my head, slowly obeying as my friend holds the plastic up to my lips, tipping the bowl slightly so I can drink.
When I'm done, I immediately lay back down.
She lied. There was no red water. It was a trick.
"Fuck you", I snap. "You lied."
"Yeah, I did", she chuckles. "And you fell for it."
"If I wasn't in this straitjacket, I would strangle you."
"I know, dumbass."