A Vampire's Rotten Heart

Table Manners

    I stepped into the dining room, restrained by the dinner suit the supervisor had put me in. I had never worn anything like it before. I couldn't raise my arms all the way up, and the corset underneath made it impossible to bend down.

    I looked at the chairs, then at the table, then at the king. In the middle of the table was a long, almost coffin-like cloche. I already knew what was underneath.

    I broke out into a sweat. Which chair was the right one?

    The supervisor came forth and pulled a chair out for me.

    "He ain't a woman. Let him pull out his own chair."

    Dammit.

    I took the cue from the supervisor and sat in the chair directly opposing the one he pulled out for me. Surely that one would be equal in rank.

    The king clapped his hands. A servant came out from behind him and lifted the cloche.

    Yep. I was right.

    Underneath was a woman, lying still on her back. Her eyes were glazed over. She wasn't responding to anything. She had a huge chunk of flesh ripped out of her arm.

    She kind of looked like Dave. She looked a lot like Dave, actually. She could've been his sister.

    I wanted to feel sick, but I couldn't. I was appetized. No matter how much I tried to force thoughts into my head, I couldn't keep the drool from dripping down my chin.

    I leaned forward. The whalebone in the corset dug into my skin, reminding me of where I was.

    "Now, now," said the king, "Can either of you tell me why tonight's dinner has a bite taken out of it?"

    The supervisor and I looked right into each other's eyes. I was frozen. The supervisor was sweating.

    "His highness's cat needed something to eat."

    "You fed one of my priceless stock to a cat?"

    "Yes!" He started shaking. "His highness demanded it! And we're quite far off from the nearest abattoir. I didn't know you were having this one tonight!"

    "A fucking cat!?"

    The king slammed his six-foot fist on the table and hissed.

     The supervisor bowed his head and clasped his hands.

    "I will accept any punishment you deep appropriate, your majesty."

    "STOP FUCKING BEING SUCH A FUCKING DOORMAT!"

    He let out a primal scream, swiped at the supervisor's collection of limbs and bones, and started slamming him against the ground, crushing every bone and beating on his exposed heart.

    And the supervisor just took it.

    He gathered up what was practically dust at this point and tossed it out the door.

    "Lock him up."

    One of the guards shut the door, leaving me in almost complete darkness.

    I couldn't afford to slip up.

    But that woman... something about her was beckoning me. For a moment, the king didn't matter. The supervisor didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was the panting in my stomach and the warm blood inside of her.

    She was still alive. Her heart was still beating. And that beat pulsated within my head as if it were my own. I was hypnotized.

    I put one hand on the table and used the other to take her by the wrist.

    Maybe I should've let the king have the first bite. No. He wouldn't have laid out something so tempting if he wanted that.

    I pulled her closer to myself. Her head flopped over, revealing her completely unguarded neck. I opened my mouth. I pushed my fangs in.

    I felt so guilty, but I didn't care. The warmth dripping down my throat was all I needed. But it wasn't enough.

    I went faster and faster. Blood started pouring out of my mouth and onto my dinner clothes. I wanted to stop. I couldn't.

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