Frank

Nearly two weeks had passed and I was exhausted. I dreaded opening my eyes even more than I used to. My heart would sink when I heard the footsteps outside of the door coming for me. My training was worse than Ray had said it would be. My Keeper was the one training me, which me I subject to even more beatings and abuse.

Ray was the only comfort I had. He somehow managed to make the day seem a little less shitty and was always willing to cheer me up. I was close with Ray in a way that I’d never been with any of the others in my group. I could tell him things I’d never been able to admit to anyone and he comforted me no matter how bad I was feeling. He would patiently sit and listen to me complain about my life and would let me sob into his chest and hug me when I was desperate for comfort. He never judged me and he understood me. He got me. He knew what I was feeling and never once made me feel unwanted. He distracted me from the pain.

I didn’t realise how much Ray meant to me until he was taken away to be sold.

The door swung inwards and his Keeper appeared in the doorway.

“Up, now,” he ordered Ray. “You’re going to auction today.”

Ray’s eyes bulged with fear and his jaw slacked. I threw my arms around his neck and buried my face into his chest, clinging onto him desperately. He hugged me back tightly and he body shook with fear.

“Don’t waste time Raymond. Now get up, you’ll be in trouble if you’re late. Let go,” the Keeper snapped.

I whimpered and only clung onto Ray tighter as his grip loosened on me slightly. “Frankie. I have to go.”

“No. No, Ray, you can’t, please don’t go,” I whispered frantically.

“Frankie, let go. I’m sorry,” he mumbled, trying to pull away. His voice was thick with tears.

“Ray! Please, Ray! You can’t go, you can’t leave!” I spluttered, my chest rising faster with panicked breaths.

The Keeper made an irritated and impatient noise before striding over to us. He seized Ray’s forearm and hauled him up. Ray stumbled and obediently followed after his Keeper, turning his head to look at me before he left.

“I’m sorry Frankie,” he whispered.

Then he was gone.

The door slammed shut and I was engulfed in darkness again and a wave of panic hit me.

“NO! RAY!” I screamed at the tightly shut door.

I don’t know how long I screamed and pounded at the door for, but it felt like forever. I kept throwing myself against the door, slamming my fists against it and shrieking until my voice went hoarse and all I could manage was a raw, burning croak.

I stumbled into a corner and curled up tightly, sobbing and tightly shutting my eyes.

When I woke up in the morning, my throat burned and my eyes were heavy and thick with sleep. I was freezing cold and my stomach snarled at me hungrily, the growling sound the only noise in the room.

I got up and my head spun so much I had to steady myself against the wall. I waited for the dizziness to pass before I stretched hugely and then sank back down onto the floor. I ran my fingers through my knotted hair, rubbing at my eyes tiredly.

I had nothing else to do but go back to sleep which didn’t last very long. The footsteps outside woke me up again and I sat up slowly, waiting for my Keeper.

The door opened and he appeared, a grim expression on his face.

“You’ll never guess who bought your little friend yesterday,” he spat, marching towards me and grabbing a fistful of my hair and he pulled me up to my feet. “The King dropped by and bought him. I guess he decided you aren’t worth waiting for after all.”

I was glad. I was happy the King had chosen Ray for Gerard because now he wouldn’t have to be in danger of having a n abusive owner. Now Ray could be treated well and wouldn’t have to worry about anything.

But I was terrified at the thought of who might buy me now that I was no longer needed for Gerard.

I was shoved and pushed along the corridors to the training room where I had been spending every day for the past two weeks.

My training was hard and I believed it was harder than it should’ve been because of my Keeper. But there was nothing I could do about it and I certainly wasn’t going to be able to complain about it.

My training consisted mainly of knowing how to please my owner. I was taught everything from making myself look good to being able to look after my vampire to being willing to let them drink from me and sleep with me.

My Keeper seemed to think I got a lot of it wrong and took every opportunity to correct me and punish me for it. By the end of the day I would be bleeding and bruised and weak.

I was thrown back into my room that night harshly, my Keeper glowering at me. “You’re not making enough progress. Look at you, you’re pathetic. Nobody’s ever going to want to buy you. “

He delivered sharp kicks to my ribs and stomach which winded me and knocked the breath out of me. I clutched at my aching sides, hanging my head low so he wouldn’t see my tears.

“Have a nice night Frank. I’m sure you’re missing your little friend a lot, aren’t you? Have fun crying yourself to sleep,” he sneered at me. He spat at me and then left.

My freezing fingers searched blindly for the blanket that was abandoned on the floor somewhere, grasping around it quickly when my fingertips came into contact with the soft worn material.

I curled into a ball under the blanket, gripping it tightly and letting my tears fall. It smelt of wood smoke and warmth and comfort. It smelt of Ray.

He would never be able to embrace me and soothe me to sleep ever again. I would never be able to hear his laugh and his soft, comforting humming ever again.
For the first time in my life, I wished I had been sent to auction. I wished I had been sent so I could’ve stayed with Ray just that little bit longer.

But now I would never see him again and in a couple of weeks I would turn sixteen and I would leave the Institution. I would be sold like a fucking antique at auction and I would have to submit to every wish and command my master had.

As my eyes slipped closed, I never wanted to open them again.

My aching want to die had never been so strong.