Devoured Senses

Chapter 7

Andrew could see that Jessica was in discomfort. Her body had aimlessly begun forwards into the white wash room. Her fingers traced the dismantled pieces of material with a distant affection. Her eyes were vacant as they swept around the space. Andrew took a few hesitant steps into the room before a clawed hand rose up to stop him. “I wish to be alone.” Jessica said quietly, her hand grazing a small black chess piece she had picked up from under her mad man’s desk. Andrew backed out of the room hesitantly, his own eyes gazing around in awe. In the far right hand corner, there was something that had previously escaped his own vision. A tall, violet tube about eight feet high. It barely fit in space provided. It was wide enough for a human body...

No... She, no, that’s impossible.

Andrew ignored Jessica’s previous request and headed straight for the tube. Within the container held long spiralling plastic tubes, almost shaped like umbilical cords. They were all attached to the inner tube, lying on the floor, disused and gathering dust.

Andrew went to reach for one of the tubes when he felt harsh nails dig into his skin and draw him back. “Do not touch my birth place.” Jessica sneered, forcing Andrew back a few more paces until she felt it safe to let him go.

“Your birthplace?” Andrew stated in disbelief.

Jessica nodded, “the mad man fashioned me of human biology and DNA, but he was experimenting on me for a greater purpose. A new race of human being far superior to the apes that walk around today.”

“And he created you? At seventeen?” Andrew asked incredulously, “how is that even possible?”

“He sped up the progress at which I grew, fed my body special nutrients through several tubes until I had the healthy organ function of a human being.”

“But you drink blood. How is that a superior being?”

Jessica frowned, “that is a defect.” She said simply.

“A defect.” Andrew was getting less surprised as the day went on.

“Yes.” Jessica swivelled around on her heels, pushing her hands into her jacket pocket as she walked on back the way she came. “My creation was not a full success. To be able to withstand the bodily changes to my DNA, I must ingest a large amount of what my creator called ‘life force.’”

“Andrew felt his tongue stick out in disgust, “you mean...”

“Yes.” Jessica interjected, “the largest source of life force is found in blood.”

“You’re disgusting.” Andrew sighed, following Jessica as she walked out of the room and back into the iron halls. As she walked out, she sniffed the air, her body tensing as she did so. Three more large intakes of breath later, and her pupils ripped open in satisfaction. “They took the mad man far away, out of London... into,” Brighton, the beaches, Brighton beach... the piers, they took him to Brighton.

“Brighton.” Jessica panted as she exhaled the air lingering in her lungs. Andrew held his arms out instinctively as she collapsed into him, her breath ragged and laboured.

“This is starting to become a normal thing for us isn’t it?” Andrew grinned. Jessica simply grunted and pushed her body out of his muscular arms. “A simple side affect from following a trail.” She sighed, “How do we get to Brighton?”

Andrew narrowed his eyes, “that’s like six hours away by car... the traffic will be horrific.”

Jessica wrinkled her nose, “public transport is no option, we shall walk there.”

Andrew choked on his own sputum, his eyes widening in horror, “do you have any idea how long that will take us?” he spluttered, his arms lifting wildly into the air.

Jessica nodded, “I am able to run in great speeds... I believe the highest speed I can travel is eighty miles per hour in your digits.”

Andrew blew out a breath, forcing himself not to turn away and run at all the new information pumping through his brain, “that can’t be good for you, you practically passed out just sniffing the air.”

Jessica growled in his general direction, forcing her body forwards as she attempted to run to the iron door, their exit. Alas, her limbs simply shuddered under the weight of her own body, she couldn’t even scrape three miles an hour let alone eighty. When she reached the door, her body was convulsing with the extent of force she had put to it, she could feel her heart drumming in her ears. She wasn’t in the best of shape.

Andrew tugged on her jacket just in time for her to fall back onto him once more. “T-this... will, be harder... than first exp-expected.” Jessica panted painfully, a few dry coughs escaping her lips.

“And let me guess... to get your body up to stuff you’d need...” Andrew rolled out his arms as Jessica lifted herself off of him. She sucked in a deep cleansing breath and frowned. “Blood.” She croaked, “yes.”

As the pair left the confines of the iron doors, Andrew was insistent that Jessica would not be ingesting anyone’s blood on his watch. “You can’t just drain a few people dry, that’s murder!” he insisted, tugging on her arm as she simply walked forcefully onwards. Jessica growled under her breath, “we don’t have a choice!” she spat, “would you prefer us to take public transport?”

“Yes!”  Andrew sighed in frustration, “okay... well maybe it’s not the best idea considering your...” he tried to make out the words, his hands moving around her body as the right words escaped him. “Looks?” he rolled his eyes quickly and carried on, “Look, I started driving lessons a few months ago, I think I know enough to be able to drive a car... if we go back to mine we could take the car before my mum even notices.”

“Too dangerous.” Jessica insisted, “the men have most likely been following our progress, they will be on their way to this area as we speak.”

Andrew rubbed his face angrily, “then what?”

Jessica’s eyes flashed with an idea, a smile growing on her face, her sharp teeth poking out from beneath her lips.

As they walked out from the alleyway, Jessica raised a brow at the silver ford fiesta that was parked just to the right of them. “That car was parked there last night.” She observed.

“So no one will be coming for it soon...” Andrew finished slyly, “but how would you...”

He didn’t need to finish, Jessica had already slipped the nail on her smallest finger into the keyhole of the driver’s side. With a few moments of fumbling, her finger turned swiftly as the car beeped in approval of being unlocked.

Andrew used his six foot frame body to block out any bystander’s view from the hot wiring that Jessica seemed to be an expert in. In mere seconds, she had pulled out the correct two wires, forced them together and watched as the car roared into life.

“Security cameras may have picked us up, we must get going now.” Jessica insisted as she slipped over to the passenger seat.

Andrew quickly got in, “okay three months of driving lessons... don’t fail me now.” Andrew muttered as he put the car into gear, cleanly reversing from the small space and heading forwards. “I’ve been up to Brighton with my mum before... I should know the way pretty well.” Andrew said over to Jessica. Jessica’s eyes were narrowed and focused. She nodded in agreement as the car sped on.

A hand immersed in shadow lifted a small radio from its grasp. A pair of masculine lips being pushed into view along with the device. A hushed ragged voice soon came apparent from beneath the shadow from where he was hidden from the human eye. “They’re on the move, they’ve just stolen a Ford fiesta, I’ll send you the car details now.” A small sleek blackberry was pulled into focus. Thick fingers typed away at the keys as a picture of the two teens along with the car’s number plate was sent through the device. A voice was heard from the other end.

“Pursue them; I want the children here, alive.”

“But sir that was not what was originally agreed.”

“Orders have changed!” came a sharp reply rendering the caller useless to even attempt a rebuttal. “Take them back, beaten and broken for all I care. Alive all the same.”

A smile played on the shadowed man’s lips, “very well sir. Very well.”