Frank

I kept my mouth shut and the screams in my throat as my Keeper prodded at the huge gaping wound across my back.

“Hmm. That’s another bad thing about humans. You get hurt far too easily. There’s no way this will heal in time for the auction and it’s going to put a lot of buyers off. You just can’t do anything right, can you?” he sighed impatiently.

The wound in question was a massive tear all the way across my back , blood gushing from it like a waterfall. He’d decided to try out his new whip on me today. Lodged into the leather were shards of glass and metal and rock. He’d used it on me when I tripped over on the way to the door.

“Not long now Frank,” he murmured as he pushed me inside of my room. “Just a couple of days and it’ll be your turn to be sold.”

I felt my blood run cold at these words as he locked me inside.

I backed up into the corner shivering already from the freezing cold, clutching the blanket around my shoulders tightly. I felt a thick lump rise in my throat and my eyes stung. The feel of thick salty tears running down my face made me feel even more miserable.

Soon, I would leave the Institution forever. I’d never be in this dark, freezing room ever again and I would become another plaything.

I was dreading saying goodbye to my tiny cold cell full darkness and thin ratty blanket that smelt of comfort. I was dreading my sixteenth more than I thought was possible.

When I woke up the room felt even colder and my back was throbbing and pain was ripping through it. My head was pounding and it felt like my entire stomach had dissolved in its own acid. I couldn’t even lift my head it hurt so much and the cold had seeped through my skin and into my bones. I managed to drag myself up and reached around my back, my fingers coming into contact with gooey dampness and searing pain. I whimpered and withdrew my hand, lying back down on the hard floor again.

I woke up hours later, not having a clue what time it was. I had no sense of time here. I used to be able to tell what time of day it was when I was still with my group because of the set times we were fed, but because I was only left with leftover scraps of bread after my training, I had no idea what time it was. I had the feeling my Keeper should’ve been here by now, but there were no footsteps outside the door. Just silence.

I shut my eyes and fell back asleep again, sleep quickly coming to me.

*Time Lapse*

A day had definitely passed. He still hadn’t come. I was getting worried.

It felt like weeks by the time he did show up.

“Morning Frank,” he sneered, beckoning me. “Oh, happy birthday by the way.”

“No,” I whispered, the words coming out of my mouth before I could even think about it.

He was over to me in a flash, lurching towards me and seizing me by my throat. “What was that?”

I shook my head quickly. “Nothing.”

He slammed my head into the wall furiously, the blow sending my head spinning and blurring my vision.

“Did I say you could speak? Did I fucking tell you to open your mouth?! When will you learn to follow instructions you stupid little shit?!” he hissed at me, booting me in the ribs sharply.

I just let out a whimpering noise, too tired to even care what he did to me anymore.

He grabbed me and yanked me up, shoving me out of the room. I looked back desperately, my eyes landing on the corner where the tattered and torn blanket lay. I kept my eyes on it until the door was slammed shut.

I held still as he clipped a collar tightly around my throat, fastening a chain onto the loop on the collar. He tugged me along to a different room where he left me in the care of two other vampires.

He left and they didn’t utter a word to me. They just stripped me of my clothes and I was dumped into a huge tub of hot soapy water. The contact on my back stung like hell, a hiss of pain escaping my clenched teeth.

They ignored me and began to roughly wash me, lathering my body and hair with soap and sweet smelling gels. It would’ve been nice to feel hot water on my skin and the dirt leaving my flesh if it hadn’t of been for the gaping wound in my back.

Once they were done washing me, I was dried off and the wound in my back was stitched up and layered with cold slimy cream that would help it heal better. They put me into a pair plain black jeans, a black t-shirt and a pair of black chucks. I was forced down into a chair in front of a huge mirror and my hair was cut and blown dry. My face was then layered with make-up, brushes dusting over my cheeks and black eye-liner rimmed around my eyes.

After all of this was done my Keeper returned and the collar and chain were fastened around my throat again.

He yanked me along corridors until we came to an elevator that took us down to the ground floor. We reached the lobby and reception area which was decorated with grisly pictures of humans undergoing torture and pain.

I was led towards a dim hallway. Right at the very end was a door that was wide open. Inside it looked like a huge warehouse and it contained a blacked out car. The car was running and there was an open entrance at the other end of the room.

I don’t know what made me do it, but I came to a stop. Panic locked in my joints and my mind went blank. My Keeper tugged at my chain harshly, but I wouldn’t budge.

“Don’t start Frank,” he warned, his voice dangerously low. “Just get in the car.”

I made a run for it, sprinting in the direction of the entrance.

My Keeper swore low under his breath and kicked my legs out from under me, sending me sprawling to the floor.

I gasped in pain but had no time to realise what was going on. In a blur, I found myself stuffed into the back of the car and knocked out.

When I woke up the car was moving and it was silent. I didn’t try to get up and just kept still.
It didn’t take long before the car stopped again and I was dragged from the vehicle. I blinked at the harsh sunlight and sucked in the fresh air that I so rarely got to breath. We were only let outside once a week in the Institute.

We were outside of a huge white building that looked like the Institute. The car park in front of the building was full of expensive, sleek shiny sports cars or cars with blacked out windows that were driven by chauffeurs.

When we got inside there were screams and sobs drifting down hallways from the humans. I was led down one of these hallways and shoved through a doorway that was dimly lit and full of humans with their Keepers. We went inside and stood amongst them all. The room was full of scared whimpers and fast breathing, clinking chain and warning growls.

My Keeper ignored everyone and just kept a firm grip on my chain.

One by one, each human was taken away up a flight of stairs to where the stage was. Some of them went silently, some of them went with a fight and some just sobbed the whole way.

By the time it was my turn, the room was empty.

I felt like I was about to throw up as my Keeper yanked me forwards on the chains towards the stairs. I could the faint, hushed buzz of quiet voices as I was led up the stairs and around a corner to appear on the small stage. I was shoved along to a stand and forced to stand on the little podium type thing. I stared out at the sea of pale faces with dark glimmering eyes that were all trained on me.

“And here’s our last toy of the day,” a vampire stood at the side with a microphone said. “Male, age 16, ‘5’’4 and 70 pounds. Starting price is $200,000.”

I tried to block out all of the noise, the droning voice of the vampire trying to sell me and I kept my eyes on my feet.

“Head up Frank. They want to see what they’re bidding for,” my Keeper hissed at me.

I held my head up and jumped when the vampire banged down the hammer.

“Sold to his Royal Highness the King for $900,000.”