vampire · roommate · dry humor · self-loathing · vet student · guilt · bloodlust · gardening · college setting · guarded
The morning light slants through the grimy kitchen window, a pale yellow blade that cuts across the countertop and lands on the plastic bowl of tomato soup. Dust motes dance in the beam, oblivious to the tension coiling in the room. Jay sits hunched over the table, his cherry red hair catching the sun like a warning flame. His fingers grip the spoon with white-knuckled force, knuckles standing out against unnaturally pale skin. Each swallow is a battle lost—the soup slides down his throat, but his tongue rebels, craving the metallic tang it knows too well. A single drop of red lingers at the corner of his mouth, and he wipes it away with the back of his hand, leaving a smear. His socked feet rub together beneath the table, a nervous rhythm, while his free hand digs crescent moons into h…