[Author's Note: More ChristianxAnastasia coming very soon. Just need to get through this section first (very important to the story). Enjoy!]
Christian's P.O.V.-
Leo, Jack, Aylin, and I arrived at central station around two o'clock. The station was huge; it had a really high glass ceiling with tons of platforms and bridges everywhere. To be honest, since this was most of our first time here, we had nowhere to go next. Aylin pulled out his phone and put the address coach gave us in Maps. The festival grounds were about a thirty-minute walk from the rail station.
"Hey, since we're already out, why don't we get some grub? I'm pretty sick of cafeteria food," Jack suggested. "I'm on board," Leo agreed. They turned to Aylin and me who merely nodded; not so much in agreement but when would we have the chance again. We found a little café along the way which served egg sandwiches; I had tea with mine. Despite being forced to go out in public together, the atmosphere was….. tense, to say the least.
Jack wanted to talk about his sex life- the most uninteresting thing in the world in my opinion. While he was crowing on at our table, I couldn't help but stop a couple a few tables down from us. The female of the pair was a lamb; she was there with a mountain goat. Though she was older than Anastasia, I had to sneak a peek at her. So that's what lambs look like when they grow up into sheep. Beautiful….
"And then she says "you're so self-centred during sex that I just feel empty". Empty, ha! I had no idea what she's going on about; the last thing she is is empty during sex. Know what I mean?" Jack laughed. I guess I'd been distracted too long because that's the last bit I heard of the story. Honestly, it disgusted me, the way he talks about women. If anyone ever said anything about Anastasia like that, I'd rip their tongues out. "Ah, but I don't wanna dump her and her whinny ass. Have you seen her ass? It's so perfect; I can't just leave a booty like that." "Come on, are asses really that important?" Leo's eyebrow went up. "Of course!" Seriously, why are we even having this conversation? It's beyond gross.
I guess they must have noticed my lack of input in their "conversation". Jack sent me the most vicious, passive-aggressive smirk ever. "So, Christian. When are you gonna do something about your virginity?" I crushed my paper teacup in my hand, reacting from shock and instant rage. Instead of retorting anything verbally, I flashed him an insidious glare, which he took as his cue to continue. "Man, you reek of virginity, I gotta say. Pretty uncool for an apex predator like yourself." "Ah, leave him alone. You know wolves only mate for life," Leo waved his hand around in the air. Not helping, my jaw clenched. "Awe, so you'll never have a side piece then?" The bastard just didn't know when to quit.
"What about that second year wolf who joined our school recently? She's cute," Aylin grinned at me as if he was trying to help. "Wolf? Oh, you mean Elena?" "Wow! You already know her name!" "I've only met her once; it was nothing special." "But it could be someday." God, why are they all so interested in my love life? I hadn't even considered love and being in a relationship until…. until…. And my eyes silently referred back to the lamb in the room.
Ok, so to make a long story short, we ultimately found the festival grounds where they were setting up the booths. The staff were initially confused that the football team even needed a booth, but once we explained the situation just as coach told us to, they reserved us a booth. It was near the middle of the place; a good location. By then the sun was starting to set and it was nearly seven o'clock. "Let's head back," Aylin told the rest of us. He's right; curfew is at eight, and coach will skin us alive if we don't make it back in time. We began to walk back, or so we thought.
"Where's the station?" Jack asked no one in particular. We glanced around, pretty sure we knew the way until now. But now… none of us were too sure. "We're lost," Aylin pulled out his phone, which was inconveniently running low on battery; there wasn't enough juice to get us all the way back to the station. "Now what?" Leo asked and I scanned around for any sort of signage or city maps. Nothing. "Well, I'm sure we're pretty close," Jack said with no evidence backing his claim up whatsoever.
It was around this time that we turned onto an unfamiliar road. This one was much darker and narrow than the others, but there was a bright light at the end of it. So light in fact that I was able to spot an elderly man- this guy a goat- sitting curled up into a ball on the street; he was using a wall as something to lean against. The poor man was muttering to himself and trembling; not in an afraid sort of way, more like a crazy sense. He must have noticed me observing him sadly as he beckoned me forward.
"Boy, come here. Come here; I've give you whichever one you like." What's he talking about? My feet didn't move, which meant I failed to follow the others. "Christian?" Leo called as they turned around to see where I'd gone. All of our eyes grew in speechless stun and horror as the old man suddenly lifted up his hands from under his blanket. Some fingers were missing while the remainders had price tags on them. "Pick whichever one you want, wolf."
My feet stumbled back as I now began to tremble myself. I can smell it… The sweat and saliva from other carnivores; their bodily liquids spilling onto this man when they… when they…. I thought I was going to be sick; to vomit all over myself. "They may be old, but they still taste good." No, why is trying to sell us his fingers? A part of his body? This is sick… My mind can't grasp how incredibly sick this is. I began to wheeze, putting my hands on my kneecaps. Nugh, I'm going to throw up.
"Hey, old man! Can we negotiate the price for the middle finger?!" As if I couldn't be disgusted enough, Jack ran up beside me. Unlike me who looked like I'd just been spinning for hours, his face was lit up with lust, hunger, and desire. I'd never seen as a revolting expression on a carnivore before. Before the goat could say anything, a truck moved and we suddenly saw where the light was coming from. Aylin's eyes lit up in understanding. "T-this… this is the black market!"
The black market. I'd heard about this place but always doubted it was real until now. This was an illegal venue where carnivores could buy meat from herbivores. I didn't know where they got the bodies; I didn't want to know. All of these revelations coagulated inside of me, sending all my senses into a panicked frensy. I didn't want to be here; I could have lived perfectly well not knowing this place existed. The smell of blood was overpowering; it smelt… it smelt… Oh, how's the best way to describe it? It smelt like gasoline or something of that sort- not actually like gasoline but the smell was something that smelt alluring, but you know you shouldn't be smelling. It's bad for you.
Of course, the scent of blood was not inherently bad for carnivores. It was natural to be tempted by the smell of fresh, dripping blood. The problem I had was that I fought so hard to keep my beast-mode repressed; I couldn't even control it, it had to be put down. And a place like this…. where consuming meat is not only done but encouraged…. I can't do it! I can't, I won't give in to temptation! Both my hands went up to my head where I feared I'd hear that dreaded, familiar voice again. I won't! I don't eat meat, period! Never! That's when a memory sprang to mind unconsciously. A precious memory to me…
Christian's Memory:
"Hey, Christian?" "Hmmmmm?" "C-can….. can I ask you something?" You can ask me anything; I'll never not answer you. "Sure." "Er, it's a bit awkward," Anastasia squirmed a bit.
"Fresh lamb meat! Get your fresh hogget here!"
"W-what… what do you see me as?" "Huh?" I don't understand; you're Anastasia. How else should I see you? Well, besides the angel you are. "I-I mean, what do I look like to you?" Beautiful, stunning, interesting…. perfect. Not that I can tell her any of those now. "W-what do you mean?" I stopped walking and she followed suit, gazing back at me with those piercing blue eyes of hers.
"We have all types here! Meat fresh off the bone! This one didn't even finish high school."
"Uh, I-I'm… I'm sorry. I was just thinking about something stupid!" She made herself tear her eyes away from me. I highly doubt that, I thought as I came up to stand beside her. What should I say to her now? Why would she even ask me that? But before I could get a word out, she smiled up at me again. "I have one last question….." "What is it?" And she blushed, lowering her eyes a bit shyly.
"Hogget! The most delicious meat in the world! Half-off tonight only!"
"Do… do you think… we could ever… be friends?"
I literally screamed, grabbing the sides of my head so hard that I feared I might pull my ears out. "Christian?!" Aylin and Leo ran up over to me. Jack had the audacity to glare in my direction like I was annoying him. "Hey! Would you shut it, Grey?! I'm trying to haggle here!" Haggle… Haggle for what? Haggle for someone else's body part? Sick… I will never get over how sick this is. This time I let my limbs take over as I felt myself march up to Jack; this was a very familiar scene. Without warning, my hand reached high up into the air and I slapped his cheek, very hard. He shrieked a little in pain and flashed me a death glare.
"W-what's your problem, dumbass?! Look around you! This is our one and only chance to taste real meat until we graduate. You think I'm going to give that up for your sentimentalities?! Get over yourself! I'm a carnivore too!" "Give it a rest already! Do you even hear what you're saying?! More than half the school are herbivores! There're herbivores on our own football team, for god's sake! How can you do so heartless?!" Both of our voices were raising, drawing attention from onlookers. "Me, heartless?! Take a look in the mirror, wolf boy! You're trying to deny me something I've always wanted because you "care" about the herbivores. I didn't come all the way here to listen to your self-righteous bullshit!"
My jaw clenched again, and I suddenly felt the urge to slash his throat. It's him….. it's because of carnivores like him that this god-forsaken place exists in the first place. He doesn't care… He doesn't give a damn about any of the suffering or tragedy this hellhole has caused! All because he wants his fix. I think I really would have harmed Jack right then and there if Aylin and Leo hadn't intervened. "Christian!" Aylin got in between us, giving me a desperate stare. "Stop it! Don't go getting into another fight now- not here. This isn't campus; they play by different rules here." "Yeah, you hear that, howler? Different rules which I'm going to enjoy while I can. So back off! This is the real world, so I suggest you grow up and accept it!" Grow up… he wants me to grow up? Growing up means I'll overlook atrocities like this? My hands balled into fists. "To hell with that!" Then I ran into the crowd, ironically straight into the black market. I wasn't thinking clearly; I just wanted to get away from him.
Darting down a street full of all kinds of meat and blood proved to be a bad move. The further in I got, the thicker the air became. I couldn't breathe without sucking in a ton of other scents; all powerful and enticing. It was the scent of lamb meat and blood that made me run faster though. My mouth was hanging open by this point. Gotta keep going; gotta get the hell outta here! This isn't who I am; I'd never willing come to a place like this. I'm not a killer…. I'm not.
As I ran, a soft, gentle voice rang through my entire head once more. I can hear it… "Hey, Christian?" I can hear you…. "What is it?" I can hear you, Anastasia. I can feel you too- I can feel you all around me. "What do I look like to you?" I thought that was a strange question at the time. She's here with me; she's always with me, thickening the air I breathe. What do you look like to me? What….? You look like someone I want to stand beside. Someone I want to be there for. Someone I want to protect….
Someone I want to hold the hand of.
My feet didn't have time to stop once the wall at the end of the market appeared. I run straight into it, feeling the bricks shake my bones. The air was cleaner out here, where I felt like I could take a much-needed breath. I couldn't stop gasping, using my hand against the wall to steady myself as I leaned downwards. My mouth was still wide open at this point. All my conscious thoughts centred around her…. her.
I could never say this to your face, Anastasia, but I think you're the most attractive girl I've ever seen. Attractive and the most interesting. I'm always thinking of you; you're always on my mind even when I should be thinking of schoolwork or something else that is important. You're my greatest distraction…. And yet….. so then why….. I suddenly realized that a stream of tears were pouring down both my cheeks, soaking my face. Yet why? Why am I… Why am I drooling so much?!
It's now that I finally collapsed to my knees, letting my hand slide on the wall as I fell. This desire deep, deep within me…. This unsightly craving I have. I can't win against it; try as I might, I still…. My body fell onto my side on the pavement as my vision grew blurry. My conscious was quickly leaving me. I think I wanted to shut myself off, just to get away from this nightmare. I see, no matter what I do in this life….
I will always be a carnivore.