Blood Bound

Chapter 13: On the road

Is this really happening?

Am I not just having a really, really bad dream?

Is it not just because of stress from my stupid overachievement at school?

The darkness around me mirrors my current state of mind. Hollow, silent and all-consuming.

I'm not claustrophobic, a phobia that seems to have missed its chance of ensnaring my already weak mind, but the narrow compartment of the truck is not helping with my panic nor is the absolute darkness.

I heard some movement outside earlier and the compartment tilted slightly to the side. Sophie must have followed the trucker to the front of the truck and gotten inside.

I try to shove aside the horrid thoughts that invade my mind but my panic won't let me. I whimper as I slide to the cold, hard floor, intrusive thoughts of Sophie getting assaulted once again slipping through my weak barrier.

I wish I had my phone, then at least I'd be able to see through this choking darkness. I wonder if Sophie thought of packing flashlights and I drag her backpack towards my shivering frame. Opening it is easy but it's damn near impossible to search for it in the dark. I grope around aimlessly, touching hard forms – food? – and soft ones that are cold to the touch. There seems to be liquid in some of them and I pause to wonder if she packed those Capri-Sun juiceboxes, only these soft packets are a little bit bigger. I'm not thirsty so I don't investigate further. After a while I can only conclude that Sophie forgot to pack any flashlights.

I look through the backpack that I am carrying and to my relief, there is one stashed deep in the bag. Praying it has enough batteries, I turn it on and light floods out, streaming straight at my face. I direct it around the compartment and see a lot of boxes, filled with various supplies that is supposed to be shipped further in the state. Some of the boxes are labeled for Juneau, the capital. After flashing it around, I notice there's barely enough room for two people to be inside. Once Sophie comes back it's going to be cramped in here.

Sophie. . .

I check my watch. It's been around five minutes since she closed the hatch on me. Only five minutes? Sitting in that darkness seems like an eternity to me, where time stands absolutely still. The knot in my stomach is ever present, it's making me feel like I have to go to the bathroom again, but I force it down. I doubt there will be bathroom breaks on this trip. I bite my nails compulsively, until nothing shields my fingertips, and I have to resist the urge to gnaw the flesh around them. Don't want any blood near a bloodsucking vampire!

Suddenly I hear movement outside - the sound of a door opening and closing harshly - and the hatch opens again, showering me abruptly with light from the streetlamps outside. Sophie clambers up without another word. I catch glimpse of the trucker before he pushes the hatch down and he's wearing a satisfied grin on his scraggly face.

Darkness welcomes us again but I swipe at it like it is an angry fly with my flashlight. The compartment trembles as the trucker turns on the engine and soon enough, we're on the move.

Goodbye, Anchorage, I think miserably. I hope I get to see you again.

I turn the flashlight to Sophie. Her face is blank, only a grim line stretched on her mouth but her eyes are ablaze. Her chest is swelling up and down and her hands are bunched up in fists. It's like she wants to say something but is too furious to do so. In the end, she can't contain her anger any longer and she spits on the floor.

"Fucking fuck!" she growls as she digs around her backpack, grabs a waterbottle and takes a big swig out of it. She swishes the water back and forth in mouth, like you'd do at the dentist, and gargles before spitting it out. "I mean, I know I can't exactly taste anything but fuck! His cum was rancid!"