Blood Land by J.R. Lawson (top ten ebook reader TXT) đ
- Author: J.R. Lawson
Book online «Blood Land by J.R. Lawson (top ten ebook reader TXT) đ». Author J.R. Lawson
âHeâŠdied?â Nora deduced and softly asked.
Rogan nodded. âYeah.â
âCan IâŠask what happened?â Nora almost hesitated before asking her question.
Rogan shrugged, âVampires got him.â
âIâŠIâm sorry.â
âNah, donât be,â Rogan interrupted, âIt wasnât your fault. In fact, it was mine actually.â
Nora wanted to continue asking but she almost felt like she shouldnât. She knew how Rogan was about sharing things and she didnât want to push it. However, to her surprise, she didnât have to say anything because Rogan began to continue his story.
âSeeâŠmy dad and I, we had this cabin we used to go to every year in the winter, leading up to Christmas. Well, it was about two years or so since the virus had struck and my dad didnât think we needed to go that year.â Rogan paused for a minute and chuckled, âSee, my dad was a very optimistic man. He thought this vampire thing would be over within a couple of years and had it in his head that there would be plenty of other times we could go to the cabin.â He then looked over at Nora and smirked. âYou kind of remind me of him, in a way, honestly.â
Nora then smiled warmly back at Rogan and watched him as he suddenly hung his head and continued on, âWell, I was the opposite. I knew the reality was that this epidemic wasnât going to just go away any time soon. I was sure that this might be the last time we even get to go to the cabin. SoâŠI begged him to allow us to go. I begged so much that he finally gave in. And of courseâŠthe second after we got there, we were attacked. And my dad got eaten.â Rogan spoke the last sentence with disdain and an almost disgusted look on his face.
âIâm so sorry, Rogan,â Nora comforted. It was silent for a few seconds between them until she then added, âYou bothâŠ.were attacked? How did you get away?â
Rogan chuckled slightly. âWell, letâs just say I fought as hard as I could and managed to get away with just a scar.â He then proceeded to pull back the collar of his shirt and jacket to reveal a small bit of a mark that was peaking its way from around the back of his shoulder.
Nora gasped. She didnât mean to but it had just slipped out. She recognized that scar without any doubt. âThatâŠwas the night you turned?â she let out in a whisper.
Rogan nodded. âYep. I was sixteen.â
âRoganâŠâ Nora now uttered, âYou canât blame yourself for that. Just because you wanted to go to the cabinâŠ.what happened was out of your controlâŠâ
âYeah well, lots of things that night were out of my control,â Rogan now angrily stated, âEven what Iâd done after I turnedâŠ.when IâŠâ Rogan almost choked on his words slightly as he tried to speak, âWhen I smelled himâŠ..â Rogan didnât finish his sentence but just put his head in his hands and let out a long, quiet breath.
Nora hesitated at first but eventually gained the courage and put her hand on his shoulder. âRoganâŠits o.k. It still wasnât your fault.â
Rogan then let out a huge breath of air and lifted his head abruptly, and ran his fingers through his hair nervously. âYeahâŠI know,â was all he said coldly.
It was awkwardly quiet for several minutes as Rogan and Nora looked out into the darkness, both thinking of many things. However, finally Rogan decided to stir as he reached his hand into his jacket pocket and pulled out a folded up piece of paper. He then flicked his hand toward Nora, the paper in between his index and middle finger, gesturing for her to take it. âBefore I forget,â he then said, âI wanted to give you this.â
âWhat is it?â Nora nervously asked as she slowly took it from him.
âItâs those stupid ass questions from your dumb diary,â Rogan lightly scoffed.
âYou answered them?â Nora beamed slightly.
âYeah, yeah, wellâŠ.whatever.â Rogan shrugged.
Nora proceeded to open up the folded paper. âDo you mind if I read it out loud?â she then asked.
Rogan lightly chuckled and shrugged. âWhatever.â He then relaxed his position and leaned back slightly in the seat of the Ferris Wheel.
âHmâŠ.â Nora then curiously said as she viewed the first question written on the page, âThe first questionâŠ.youâre nameâŠis still blank.â She then looked over at him with a sarcastic smile.
Rogan returned a similar expression. âPass,â was all he responded.
Nora just rolled her eyes and went back to looking at the paper in her hands, âO.k. wellâŠquestion number two was: âWhat are your favorite and least favorite foods?â You answeredâŠ.pizza as your favorite?â Nora instantly shot him a look of disbelief, âAre you messing with me?â
Rogan chuckled as he just looked straight ahead of him. âNo, I really do like pizza.â He then turned to look at Nora briefly. âBut I guess I was messing with you a littleâŠâ
Nora playfully scoffed and went back to reading, âLeast favorite foodâŠyou didnât write anything.â She looked back up at him.
âCause I donât have a least favorite.â
Nora rolled her eyes. âYeah I guess you canât be picky when youâre a vampire, huh?â she sarcastically remarked. Rogan just responded by shooting her a patronizing look.
Nora ignored it and continued reading aloud, âNumber three was: âwhat is your favorite time of day?â You wrote: night. Technically thatâs not a time of day, you know.â
Rogan shrugged. âWell, I guess I donât have a favorite time of day then. Truth is, Iâve always been a night owl. I loved staying up late into the wee hours of the night. Even beforeâŠ.I became a vampire.â
It was awkwardly quiet between them for a few beats and Nora decided to just continue reading, âO.k. question number five was: âwhat is your favorite thing about you?â You wrote: eyes.â Nora now looked up at him with much curiosity.
âYeah wellâŠit used to be my eyes. Before I was a vampire.â Rogan said, responding to her enquiring face.
âWhat were your eyes like before?â Nora asked.
Rogan lightly chuckled to himself before answering, âThey were blue.â
âWowâŠreally?â Nora smiled widely as she looked over at Roganâs face. She tried picturing in her mind what he had looked like without his, in her mind, signature red eyes.
âYeah. I really liked them. They really are the one thing I really liked about myself. Not to mention, most girls liked them too.â He then shot Nora a slightly smug smile. She rolled her eyes back at him with a smile as well.
âBut,â Rogan went on, âNow theyâre just like any other vampires. Red. Boring. Not unique. Kind of what comes with becoming a vampire. Youâre not really yourself anymore. Just a part of aâŠpack. Like an animal.â
Nora sighed. Rogan wasnât looking at her anymore. He was back to looking straight ahead of him, into the darkness. She desperately wanted to tell him that she actually liked his red eyes, but soon decided against it. Instead, she just looked back down at the paper in her hands and cleared her throat to read the next question, âThe last question was: âwhat is it you are most scared of?â You wroteâŠâ
âIâm afraid that if my dad were alive right now he wouldnât be proud of the person Iâd become,â Rogan suddenly finished for her. Nora looked over at Rogan again, this time silently. She watched him rub his forehead with his hand as he sighed and looked downward. âI know heâd be disappointed in me. For what Iâve done in my past.â
âRoganâŠâ Nora suddenly decided to say softly, âYou really shouldnât be so hard on yourself. Iâm sure your dad wouldnât think that about you if he were here.â
âYes he would,â Rogan argued, âIf he knew all the things Iâve done. What kind of person I am. Heâd hate me. Because I should have known better. I should have known not to go with Dagon. Not to go with him or follow him. ButâŠI was a dumb little fledgling. And I was scared and alone. And he found me and told me he would take care of me. And I let him. I followed him and learned everything he had to teach me and did everything he asked me to do. Even though it was all a lie. I never knew he was using me the whole time. I should have, though. I should have seen it. I should have known what I was getting into. My dad would hate what an idiot I was.â
âRogan, you were sixteen!â Nora abruptly shouted, âYou canât blame yourself for that! You didnât know what kind of person Dagon was. How could you have? You canât beat yourself up about that. Dagon used you. He took advantage of your helplessness.â It was quiet for a few seconds between them and Nora heaved a big sigh before then going on, âI thinkâŠyour dad would be proud of you. Of who you are now. Of what youâve done for me. For how you left Dagon when you realized what you were becoming.â
Rogan now looked up and turned slightly to look at Nora. âYou really think that?â he said.
âI do,â Nora sincerely answered.
Rogan scoffed with a small smile, âYouâre probably wrongâŠbutâŠthanks anyway.â
Nora smiled back and nodded once in reassurance.
âYou really do remind me of him,â Rogan then said, still looking at her, âI guess thatâs why I was soâŠfascinated by you to begin with.â
Nora continued smiling at Rogan as she then said, âWell, if Iâm really anything like he was then I can definitely say that he would be proud of you now. Because I know I am.â
A little larger smile began to peak its way across Roganâs face now; however, he quickly turned his head away and tried to hide it. Unfortunately for him, Nora caught a glimpse of it before he could completely conceal it.
âYou knowâŠâ Rogan now said after a few beats of silence, âI guess thatâs the real reason I donât like using my first name. I feel ashamed of it. Of who I was. I guess I secretly didnât like who I was becoming and so I decided to erase that side of me completely; the part of me that reminded me of who I was with my dad. I didnât want to hear that name anymore. SoâŠI got rid of it.â
âYou donât have to tell it to me,â Nora then abruptly said.
âWhat?â Rogan responded to her comment with surprise.
âIâm serious. I donât need to know. You donât have to tell it to me. Itâs o.k. I wonât bug you about it anymore.â
Rogan smiled a little and chuckled to himself. âO.k.,â was all he said in reply. He then leaned a little over the side of his seat and looked below him. âWell, I guess this thing really isnât moving. I guess itâs time I get us down from here.â He then turned to Nora, âWhat do ya say?â
âI say definitely!â Nora laughed a bit.
Rogan just nodded at her answer and then stood up and, in one swift movement, jumped off of the seat and landed extremely gracefully onto the ground. Nora peered over the side of their seats in awe at Roganâs refinement. She continued to watch as he walked over to the Ferris Wheelâs controls and after some finessing, got the wheel moving again. Nora heaved a small sigh of relief as she and her seat descended toward the ground. However, all of a sudden, as soon as she was almost several feet from the ground, her decline stopped abruptly.
âW-what happened?!â Nora quickly asked in an extremely panicky tone. She gripped the sides of her seat nervously and looked down at Rogan for some kind of verification.
âI guess it got stuck again,â Rogan shouted up to her as he scratched his head in confusion. He stared at the control box for a few seconds and then proceeded to kick it, hoping that by some
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