Blood Lust
Chapter Twenty-Three

After a week being back on the first floor, I had seen just how much things had changed and not for the better.

In the moments I had gotten to spend with R, he was a sliver of who he used to be. His once clean cut look had morphed into something more feral. In the months I had been gone, he grew out his hair. It revealed a curly shaggy mess that his black circles under his eyes that never went away, unless he actually slept. The uniform he had kept neat had been frayed and kept loose at all times.

"Christi!" I heard Lee's voice whisper my name, but I couldn't see him. "Be quiet!" He whispered before he covered my mouth with his hands and dragged me away like I was being kidnapped.

"Was that absolutely necessary?" I shoved his hands away from my mouth. Lee had pulled me into a supply closet of some sort.

With the lights all turned on, I saw Dee and Martin had been dragged into this mess. Dee stood there with his usual unamused face. He looked like he had just finished a shift.

Martin had normal clothes on, his cellphone in hand. "This is a intervention!" he squealed with delight.

"For R." Dee so unkindly reminded.

"We need to come up with a plan to help him and fast. He's deteriorating." Lee said. "We need to distract him and tie him up and somehow get her blood out of his system."

"Well, that sounds like a plan to me." Dee tried to get up and leave.

"I never said who was going to be the one to distract him!" Lee whined. Suddenly, everyone looked at me.

I laughed, "What am I gonna do? Lure him onto a rug where he falls into a jail cell?" I joked.

"That's not a bad idea!" Lee acted serious. I rolled my eyes.

Lee had set the plan in motion. They would set it up to have him escort me somewhere during his shift. Then, I would lure him into a closet where they all hid. It sounded cheesy and something out of a cartoon.

A part of me didn't mind that it sounded ridiculous. It was a distraction from R. Every time I had to pass by him, my heart ached for him. It was such a strange feeling to ache for someone you had only shared one kiss with, but it felt like we had loved each other for decades.

"Our plan starts tonight." Martin had whispered in my ear one day. He brushed up against me as we passed each other, going our separate ways. He placed something in my hand, a small vial.

The Guard that was escorting a group of us had led us down a very familiar hallway. He stopped us, which was unusual. "You. 4775. Work change for you. A Guard will be taking you to the kitchens." When he called out my number, I froze instantly.

No! Don't freeze up!

I repeated to myself. I shook it off.

An immediate vibration rushed through my body, like the room had instantly gotten hotter. My body knew who was close.

I turned around to almost collide with R, a mangey version of him at least. "I have kitchen duty." I said, trying not to choke on my own tongue. It felt like it was trying to escape and jump into his throat.

R stared down at me. He looked tired and irritable. He pointed towards the end of the hall. He wanted me to start walking.

I tried my hardest to walk behind him, but all these feelings that flooded my mind were too intense. One minute I wanted to jump on top of him and the next I was overwhelmed with sadness. My body kept fighting me to walk at him side. To be bold and grab his hand, to feel his mouth over my body.

I almost had to pinch myself to get my brain to stop. We were almost there, I needed to keep a level head if this crazy plan was to work.

Can you hear me?

I tried to reach out to R. I waited for a response as we walked, but no response. If anything, he gritted his teeth with dissatisfaction. He never even looked at me.

Please look at me.

I begged him. I waited for him.

He stopped at the kitchen doors and pushed them open. I felt a lump form in my throat. "Fine." I strutted through the doorway and through the prep area, to the back room where dirty pots and pans were thrown around.

I let the water run. I cupped my hands and let it drip over my neck. I hoped the cold water would calm my nerves, but it did nothing.

Once the water had turned hot, I start the dish washer. I lined up the dishes on racks to be sent through, always keeping an eye on the door. Lee had told me to keep a look out for the 'signal'.

"Knock knock." I heard Lee's voice at the door. "Is ok to have another one in here?" Lee sounded strange when he had his serious voice on.

Lee left. That was my cue. "Um, I think I cut myself!" I called out. I quickly fumbled in my pockets for the small vial and pulled the cork out.

I was surprised to replace out that the liquid in the vial was blood, but it made sense. It had to be Selena's blood. I finished pouring the vial over my wrist and cupped it. I had to make it look real.

R walked into the back kitchen, his eyes bulging. They were fixated on the thing he craved the most; her blood. "I need a clean towel." I lifted up my hand to show off the blood dripping down. He was hooked. He took a step closer and licked his lips. He was hungry. "I think there are towels in the closet." I inched back. Lee never went into detail about how I was going to lure him to the closet. I would have to jump over all the dishes to get around him without him being able to grab ahold of me and devouring all the blood.

R fought to restrain himself and allowed me to pass, I walked passed very slowly. My eyes glued on his every moment as he kept his eyes fixed to the small pool of blood on the table. He lowered his face down, like a dog and lapped at it.

"I can't reach the towels. Can you grab them for me?" I made a another lie, anything to get him to focus. I needed him to get in the closet.