Lukas rolled up his sleeves in preparation for the oncoming sanguine as he looked for the day's victim. He checked the flesh of each before choosing the firmest and set it on the slab.
He turned to retrieve his weapon. The smallest knife in the drawer would have to do. It would certainly take longer though he hoped his choice would keep the mess to a minimum. Heaven forbid young Emil see him in such a state.
The first incisions were to trace around the body. Next he stabbed through the middle of the flesh and sliced through the top half. The red had already began to bead onto the slab. He slipped the knife away and poised it to cut through the bottom half when he heard the rustling upstairs. Emil was awake. He needed to work faster. His arm jerked when applying the pressure to the body, sending the red everywhere. He tsked at himself when he saw the drops on his crisp white shirt. That would stain.
He pulled the specimen in half and began picking the membranes away to reach the pulp. Many vesicles had been rendered useless in the initial cuts but there were still several beneath the surface. He peeled the body apart carefully, brushing away the sweet pieces torn away from the flesh into the waiting bowl with a light hand. Emil's muffled footsteps reached his ears and he tensed, crushing the red out of the body. He salvaged what pieces he could and quickly finished the first half. The idea of being able to wash his arms free of the staining quickly died. Time was essential. Emil could not be allowed to see. The results had been disastrous the last year, the red sprayed everywhere and their meal destroyed.
He observed the itchy streams of red running down his forearms, huffed and began shredding the second half. Lukas tore along the natural seams and membranes trying to prevent the pulp from bleeding out and becoming useless. Fruits of his labor safely in the bowl he carried it to his waiting brother.
"Pom-Pom!" The preschooler hollered excitedly.
"Eat carefully." Was the elder's only instruction as he left the fruit for the boy.
Lukas ignored the indignant cry of "Pom-Pom wid-out me! Mean Lukie!"
as he scrubbed at the counter tops streaked purple after wiping away the red. Pomegranate juice was evil. He snacked on a few stray seeds as he cleaned, enjoying the exotic taste.
"Lukie! Pom-Pom!"
The giggling knee-biter had come into the kitchen dripping in with red.
Lukas rolled his eyes as he cleaned the table and put the messy fruit away in the fridge. He stuck his pearing knife in the red husk on the board and shooed the boy away to clean his face and change his shirt.
At least Matthias hadn't bought pineapples again.
…
I had to write a story for English with the prompt of "Something that plays on an extreme, then revealed to be something normal."
Naturally, fanfiction. I just thought I'd put this here.
Questions, Comments, Critiques, Concerns? Let me know.
-Waltz