The wind whistled by as the speed bus raced through the country side. Despite the imminent death of us all, many stood by the windows to admire the grassy hills we passed, the wind passing through it and resembling waves of water. It was all our first sighting of grass, there being nothing but pale yellow weeds in the city.

I tore my eyes away from the crowd, noting a short girl off to the side, a slight tremor wracking her body as she began to accept what was going to happen to us.

I quickly tore my eyes away, shutting them passively, although my heart beat with a heavy thud in my chest. I was terrified too, we had been driving for an hour and had another hour left before reaching the city and I still didn't have a plan of action to even make it away from the slaughter, let alone to live in the city and make it back by the next bus.

Sweat beaded on my brow as I cursed lowly, my hand curling into a fist before I exhaled deeply, but it was strained. I needed to not panic, I wouldn't figure anything out by letting myself panic. I had to find a way out.

A dark thought occurred to me, my heart stopping at the idea. I couldn't… I thought, but quickly realized there was nothing else I could do to live… but would it be worth it if I did that?

I glanced to my right to see the people clustered at the window were returning to other parts of the bus, presumably to enjoy more food or drink some more. I exhaled, my hands still shaking be resolved at what I had to do. After all, in this world, you had to do what was necessary to survive.

The guards on the bus escorted us off, each of them looking sorrowful at having to, but they also know it was what was best for the rest in the city. A few had to be dragged off the bus, and for show, I was one. I need to buy the time and cause enough ruckus to make sure nobody would notice what happened.

I watched as people started walking off the bus, heads down. I took care to, several minutes earlier, position myself near the food tray where several empty glass bottles lay scattered across the floor. A guard bumped past me to drag a girl holding to a railing, screaming and sobbing. He hardly acknowledged me, probably believing that I wouldn't fight them on this.

In a way, I wasn't, but for my plan to work, I had to. As she was dragged off, one of the guards gave me a stern look, but I didn't say a word as I continued to stand there, defiant. "Arthur, please don't make up have to drag you off." He finally said, crossing his arm.

"You're going to have to, I don't want to die." I said snarkily.

They calmly walked over, resting a hand on my shoulder as I punched him in the gut, knocking the wind out of him as I subtly pulled the table cloth and forced a bottle to crack on the floor. I had one chance. A second guard stepped in, pushing me to the ground as the other gasped for air, quickly pulling both my hands behind me.

I thanked any god above that let them not notice my head reach out and gingerly pull a piece of glass towards me and knocking it into my shirt that had been tucked into my trousers. "C'mon Kirkland." He said, pulling me up and guiding me off the bus, although I continued to fight to keep the show until I too was outside.

I blinked, noticing the bus was in the distance now, a small trail of dust following it before crossing over the hill and vanishing. I took my time to turn and notice that we were in a special enclosure that could be described as a death pit with a small cave and jungle like area to the right. The walls on all sides, that were now closing due to the bus leaving, were more than 15 feet high. Far too high to climb.

I gingerly removed the glass from my shirt, buttoning my sleeve in reverse and hiding it inside the fold just as somebody tapped my shoulder. I turned around quickly, worried that they had seen me only to notice a somewhat amused glance.

"Funny, cold Arthur is just as scared and jumpy as the rest of us. Who would have thought?" The boy said. I noticed he was very tall with dark brown hair. I chuckled nervously.

"I mean who wouldn't, we're all going to die." I said bluntly, watching the smile fade into a sad, but contemplative, look.

"True, but I like to think that at least it's for our family at home." He said calmly, turning to face the setting sun. The vampires would emerge soon after it set, this would be our last sunset.

I hummed sympathetically, rolling the glass in my sleeve. "At least there is meaning in our death." I said passively, closing my eyes and turning away from the light, looking across the field and my eyes falling on the same girl from earlier. My heart throbbed, as much as I tried I couldn't say any of them… but I would make sure that I would make it home.

I panted quietly, covering my mouth to stifle the noise as I rested my back against a cold stone planter box that held an old tree. After a few moments passed and no further noise was heard, I relaxed a little, uncovering my mouth and reaching down to my side.

I winced, biting my lip and pushing down a cry. I clenched my fist, pulling my shirt up delicately, the blood causing it to stick to my wound. I craned my head to look and felt a little sick to see the would bleeding profusely.

"Bloody hell." I cursed lowly, tipping my head back to rest against the concrete. I didn't have the strength to put pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding, but I had to try. I took a deep breath, dropping my shirt and moving my hand, slowly moving them towards the wound, but at the slightest pressure stars burst behind my eyes and a chocked noise escaped my lips.

I quickly removed my hand, covering my mouth and panting quietly, a small amount of blood that seeped through the shirt and onto my hand not on my cheek. I was absolutely screwed, there was no way that my wound would shut fast enough for the vampires to not scent me out sooner or later.

I curled my palm and smashed it into the cement behind me; frustration and anger cutting through me and making me tremble. I was still going to die, even after sacrificing somebody to make sure I made it out. It was all for nothing.

My head spun as it started to hit me that I had lost so much blood. I slumped against the wall, still trying to think a way through my situation when a cold hand tangled into my hair.

My eyes snapped open, shouting as it was pulled harshly and I was brought to my feet. Cold red eyes stared into mine, somewhere between amused and bored. "How on earth did a scrawny kid like you make it out the death pit?" He asked, accent foreign and monotone.

In seconds, I deduced he was a vampire, but he looked strange, there was some color in his cheeks but his eyes were red so he probably hadn't fed yet. Not that it mattered, I refused to be weak even if I were going to die. I lifted my head confidently and defiantly, not answering his question.

An amused grin crossed his lips as he pulled my hair harder, forcing me to my toes. "Oh, somebody must be feeling brave since you aren't answering me. I'll only ask once more." He then tilted my head and pulled hard enough to rip some strands out. "How did you manage to escape the death pit?"

I cried out at the harsh treatment, still staring at him defiantly. "I used somebody else as bait." I finally ground out, not giving more details.

The vampire hummed, his grip relaxing a bit as he thought the answer over, turning his eyes back to mine. "Doesn't seem like it worked very well since I still found you." He commented, his eyes going down to look at my side that still was bleeding. "Perhaps you should have been more careful, you could have lived a few more hours."

I grit my teeth and reached up to punch him, screaming as he caught my wrist and squeezed, probably causing a fracture. "Fuck you." I muttered, holding my wrist with my other hand before shouting as he pulled my hair and tossed me callously.

"You are quite the spirited one. Who are you?" He asked, his expression akin to a cat who had just caught a mouse.

I sneered at him, I refused to be afraid of him. I was no coward, he may kill me but I would die with my dignity.

He tsked, grabbing my injured wrist harshly and pining it to the wall moments after letting my hair go. "Stubborn beyond belief, answer me not or I will drain you here and now."

"Arthur Kirkland." I snapped out, eyes alight.

He hummed. "Kirkland is such a common name, I wonder if it has anything to do with Peter." He commented, a sad look entering his expression for a moment before fading away as he returned to me. "Funny, you even look alike."

I didn't comment, biting my lip to keep conscious as the blood loss was making me weak.

I screamed as a hand dug into my side, cold fingers brutishly pressing against the angry flesh before pulling away. I panted heavily as he lifted the fingers to his mouth and hummed. "You don't taste half bad either." That was a lie, I could tell from how his pupils widened and his fangs extended that I tasted better than the nonchalant comment he gave. I knew then I wasn't going to live, although there wasn't much opportunity for me anyways.

"Then kill me, this game you are playing is sick." I drawled, my speech getting slower as the blood loss was becoming impossible to deal with.

He hummed in amusement. "I dunno, I'm having fun. You aren't afraid though, why is that?" He asked, tilting my head up to look at me.

I shut my eyes, conserving my strength. "Why would I be afraid of you? You're just a vampire and the worst you can do is kill me. When I got on that bus I knew I would die." I stated calmly, looking back at him in the eyes.

He gave a short chuckle, a fond smile touching his lips for nothing but a moment before it was replaced with a more malicious one as his eyes gleamed over. Suddenly my body went stiff, air catching in my throat. "That's the worst thing I can do?" He asked mockingly. "Oh Sunshine, I can do far worse than just kill you."

He pressed me into the wall, his nose and breath tickling my neck, my heart thudding. "You see, without having to ask another question I learned something about you. You, Sunshine, are a virgin." My cheeks burned red at the implication and my heart sunk. "That look confirms bit, but I knew because of how easily you fell under my charm, only virgins are that easy to control." His words were mumbled along my neck, making me shiver before he pulled back.

"So, let me show you what worse really is." A hand touched my wound again, making me scream and go limp as the pain and blood loss worked its toll, protesting as he took advantage to start tugging at my pants. Panic struck me, my eyes wide and shouting at the actions, my breath catching in my throat as I struggled to breathe.

He giggled at it, leaning in and catching my lips as tears ran down my face, his hand going up my chest and pinching one of my nipples, hard. I sobbed and bit his lip hard before sucking in air as he pulled back, my vision going black in panic.

Moments later I passed out, but not before realizing that I was hyperventilating, and realizing I probably wouldn't wake up. What a way to die.

Alfred's POV

I hummed, noticing the blonde had gone still in my arms. I would have pressed my ear to his chest, but I could hear his heart thudding against his chest before snickering. "Poor boy, he must have passed out." I commented, my eyes making their way to his open wound. "The blood loss certainly didn't help."

I kneeled down, inspecting the wound. "Seems like it was whoever he used as bait that got him, since there's glass here and no respectable vampire would use a weapon made of glass for the reaping." I noted, glancing at his face and humming.

He really was quite attractive, if the eyebrows were large. His hair, although coated with dirt and unkempt, looked like sunshine. I chuckled, recalling his words. "Man, you sure are like him… but not quite." I mumbled, my hands gently gathering in his hair to tip his head back, ready to end it before stopping. Something felt wrong about killing him…

I hissed, my nose curling before standing in a fluid motion, cradling him bridal style with his head against my chest, striding towards the genuine city of Vampires and what once known as London. This silly human wasn't supposed to die.

I grinned slyly. Plus, it wouldn't hurt to have a live blood tap for a while.

Revision 2, Done Feb 27th, 2017. Final word count: 2,349.

Hope you guys are at least liking the revisions, gonna pound another one out tonight so I can start writing forward again.