thirty

We walked into a dark bar, and I felt taken back in time to the 1800s. It was the most stereotypical skeevy dive bar; E held my hand in hers and pulled me towards a booth where a girl with short black hair was sitting with three beers. Her head shot up, and she smiled when she saw E.

"Alice, this is Vivian. Vivian, Alice."

"Hi." I smiled.

"Hi." Alice glanced for me to E and, after a second relaxed. "Oh, impressive. So she knows."

"She's the one." E said, and Alice nodded with a smile.

"Lucky you." E wrapped her arm around my shoulder and kissed my head, "explains the telepathy."

"So, are you prepared?" Alice questioned before taking a mouthful of beer.

"I will be. I... got some donations." She's talking about my blood.

"I had to resort to some old ways." Alice mumbled; E looked around the room and froze.

"Shu." She mumbled. She looked around slowly, and her eyes caught a guy leaning against the bar; once their eyes met, he slowly walked over. E tightened her grip around me, and I looked at her. 'Put your shield up.' I quickly did.

"Hello, ladies." He smiled.

"Can I help you?" E asked.

"I just thought we'd have a quick conversation." He sat beside Alice, and she looked to E, panicked.

"I doubt we have anything in common."

"myslím, že máme něco důležitého společného." He said in a language I had never heard before.

"ach jo, co to je?" E replied.

"Oba chceme krev."

"We should go," E said to Alice, and she took my hand in hers tightly as the guy stood.

"Good luck." He called.

"I don't need that from you, kretén." E mumbled.

"Asshole isn't very ladylike." He said.

"I'm not very ladylike." E pushed out the door.

"What the fuck was that about?" I asked.

"He's a vampire." Alice said.

"Yeah, we need to be careful. Living in the states, I keep forgetting that there're so many others."

"What'd he said?" I asked.

"He said we had something in common. Blood."

"Oh." I mumbled quietly.

"I shouldn't have brought you." E mumbled.

"Listen, just... let's get to my cabin and you... fill up. If you don't think it's safe for her, I have someone who can take her back."

"No, I'm not going anywhere." I shook my head.

"You'll do what I say." E looked down at me, and I felt nervous.

We got to a small brick cabin in the woods; it was freezing and dark. Once inside, E threw her bag on the table and pulled out the bag that held my blood. Alice grabbed her a mug with a sun on it that read 'Jesus loves me' "My ex's mother was a Sunday school teacher." Alice said.

"Lilly?" E asked, and Alice rolled her eyes, nodding.

"Cunt." Alice said under her breath. "Anyways, your room is down the hall. Same one as usual. I'm going to run out for a bit, and I'll be back."

"Ok, thanks, Alice." E smiled.

"No problem, I'll be back later." She left, and I watched E pour a pack of blood into the mug. I had become grossly desensitized to blood; it no longer affected me as it should.

"How long have you known each other?" I asked.

"Almost 200 years." E said, taking a mouthful from the mug. She instantly relaxed like someone having the first hot chocolate of the winter.

"So she's trustworthy?" I asked.

"Of course, I trust her with my life."

"Have you guys dated?" I asked, and E raised an eyebrow. "She said same room as always."

"I come here in-between towns when I don't know where I'm going next."

"That didn't answer my question." She put the mug down, and it was empty; she opened another one and slowly drank it. I looked out the window, and something caught my eye.

"Why is she doing that?" I asked.

"Doing what?" E turned around and looked out the window. "Vivian." She whispered, pushing herself up. "Take this." She tossed the reminding blood bags in a book bag and passed it to me. "Run."

"What? Where?"

"Just fucking run. The way we came."

"E, what's going on?"

"Just fucking run, now." I pulled the backpack on and tried to open the door.

"E, it won't open." I said.

"Fuck." E ran over and hit the door with all her force, and it flew open. "Go." She said.

"E."

"I love you." She mumbled, and before I could speak, she was running and almost at the end of the property by the tree line. I ran towards the way we came; it was just a tiny break in the trees. I realized I was crying now. 'Don't cry, Vivian; I'll be ok. Get in town and go to the bar we were at earlier.'

E, I'm not fucking athletic; how to hell do you expect me to run that far? I'm scared.

'I love you, vivan; I believe in you.' I love you, E. I closed my eyes tightly and ran with all my might.