The Secracy Of A Vampire King

How We Manage

Present day:

The last 5 years have been hard work. I had never lived in luxury, but this place made home seem like a luxury. We built all the shacks ourselves and started a garden. More people came and took part in our lives here. Most of us pretended that everything was OK, but we were absolutely miserable.

The Sun beat down on my back, and my neck as I tended the tomato vines. Not much food grew out in the desert. But with the right soil, sun, and water, we managed to grow some. We grew tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, peppers, eggplants, corn, and even some fruit. It was one of my jobs to harvest the crops. It wasn't as fun, but it's something you learn to get used to.

One of my other jobs was to fetch water for my shack. I also helped Gerald and his wife Giovanna with their water supply. They have trouble getting around these days.

I wipe the sand and dirt off of my hands as I step back to inspect the tomato plants. I made sure I had gotten all of the ones that were ready. After I cleared that, I gathered all of the ripe tomatoes, and I went to return them to the Gathering Plate. Everything that was edible or could be used as supplies went to a shack we called The Gathering Plate. You take what you need and leave the rest for others. You couldn't be greedy. For example, in my shack, it's just Tyler and I, so we only need a part of a tomato, 4 slices of bread, and two slices of whatever meat was available for sandwiches That's just for one meal. We still have 3 meals a day.

I turned in my vegetables and fruit to an older woman named Barbra. She was older than most of the women here, so they gave her the least back breaking job they could. She gave me a smile as she took my offerings.

"Ooo more than yesterdays offerings." She said, smiling while inspecting some corn. Her long gray hair was braided back, and she wore her deceased husband's blue flannel. Her husband passed away last year.

I returned her smile. I didn't have much to say today.

Next, I went to fetch my water pail. The shack Tyler and I lived in was small and wooden. There was no door and only one window. Which was just a square hole in the wood. The door and window I covered with an old blanket to try to keep the sand out when the wind was blowing. Everyone's shack was made the same way, but the bigger the family, the bigger the shack. It was only made for sleeping and protection from high winds. We all spent most of our days outside, unless you were sick.

I grabbed my two pails. One for water for our shack, the other for my plants. I stopped by Gerald's and grabbed their pail of the porch.

The water source wasn't that far from our Sanctuary. Joseph was able to find a water source with a machine. He found it near some dunes north of us. Joseph was able to install a water pump and manual pump. He said it would last us awhile and had his eyes on another sight already if it ran dry.

I was second in line to fetch water. Another man named John stood by for protection from wild animals, or worse. Jess was in front of me and smiled at me as I took my place behind her. I liked Jess. We used to not get along back at school, but being out here for 5 years would change you. Other than Tyler, Gerald, and Giovanna, Jess was the only one I knew from my old life.

"Hey." She said as I stood beside her.

I returned her smile. "How are you doing today?" I asked politely.

She shrugged. "It's hot today."

I let out a small chuckle. It was hot every day here. We haven't seen rain or felt a cold breeze in a long time.

"Are you still talking with John?" I asked, lowering my voice to a whisper. They've been seeing each other for a while.

"Yeah, I think it's been going well. We went for a walk last night around the Sanctuary." Jess grinned

She told me about how he offered her a flower and she kept in next to her sleeping place.

For a moment, I felt normal, like we were waiting in line for a cup of coffee, gossiping. It was hard to find these moments. Every day felt like it was the same boring thing. Nothing new ever happened, and if it did, everyone suddenly knew about it.

Jess was the next one up to fill her pail with water. She only needed half a pail. It was just her and her mom here now. Her brother died shortly after we arrived here. He was attacked by a sand cat, and we didn't have the proper medical tools equipment to care for his wounds. He got an infection and passed away. Most animals tend to stay away now.

Jess was finished with her hand a pail and said goodbye to me as she returned home.

John eyed me suspiciously as he noticed my 3 pails.

"One is for me, and one is for the gardens. The other is for Gerald." I told him, holding them up.

He nodded at me. He was just making sure I wasn't greedy and taking more than I needed. Using the manual pump, I filled mine halfway, the other 2 I filled all the way.

I stopped back by my shack, dropping off my two pails before I took Gerald's and Giovannas theirs. I walked next door and knocked on the wall. I heard Giovanna say, "Come in." I could hear the stress in her voice.

I stepped in the doorway and saw Giovanna unwrapping some fresh bandages.

"I got you your water." I told her, placing the pail on her makeshift table.

"Thank you." She said as she grabbed a fresh rag and bowl. She poured some water into the bowl, being careful not to spill any.

"How is he today?" I asked nervously. I'm sure she's stressed enough without my questions

"He's sleeping." She told me as she headed to the corner of the room with the water and rag.

Gerald laid on a mat passed out. He was sweaty and pale. The bandages around the stump where his leg used to be was bloody. Flies and other bugs threatened to land on the bloody bandages, and Giovanna would shoo them away. I wondered how many hours a day she spent doing that.

I watched as Giovanna began unwrapping his leg, revealing the open wound where his leg was cut off. I winced and looked away. She began wetting the rag and sighed.

"You don't have to stay, Lily. I'll be okay." She said with annoyance in her voice. She wasn't usually like this. But I completely understood why she would be. Her husband was bit by a rattlesnake, and they cut off his leg in hopes of stopping the venom from spreading.

I nodded my head and left the shack. I wasn't far enough away before Gerald's screaming started as Giovanna cleaned his wound. I could never handle hearing someone cry out in pain. It would make me sick. I couldn't imagine what Gerald was going through. Now Giovanna has to watch it happen to her husband.

I grabbed my garden pail and ran back to crops to escape the screaming next door. I watered the plants as tears ran down my face at the thought of how I'll die in this place.