{"id":3220,"date":"2011-04-22T20:04:42","date_gmt":"2011-04-23T01:04:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.scifisaturdaynight.com\/?p=3220"},"modified":"2011-04-22T20:04:42","modified_gmt":"2011-04-23T01:04:42","slug":"fiction-friday-%e2%80%93-the-new-world-by-samantha-boyette","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/scifisaturdaynight.com\/?p=3220","title":{"rendered":"Fiction Friday \u2013 The New World by Samantha Boyette"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

Samantha Boyette<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

So, for our first installment of Fiction Friday, I have the honor of reintroducing one of my favorite up and coming authors to you. Samantha Boyette has been on the TalkCast<\/a> in conjunction with The Last Man Anthology<\/a>, and I have also reviewed her new novel, Guardian of Morning<\/a>. Being a somewhat sarcastic tweeter, a few weeks back I dubbed the end of a particularly pensive week with the ubiquitous holiday name of \u201cVampire Friday\u201d (insert whatever inappropriate sucking analogy of your choice here). When I arrived back to my techno-strewn hovel, I was confronted with an email from the lovely Samantha with a story attached in honor of my new holiday. Thus I am now honored to present to you, The New World by Samantha Boyette<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

I was seven when a flu vaccine gone wrong wiped out most of the earth’s population.\u00a0 My brother Joey was nine.\u00a0 It’s said that after this sort of devastating event three types of people survive.\u00a0 The strong, the lucky, and the stupid.\u00a0 My brother and I like to think we are the second type, though we have been the third type as well.\u00a0 We never want to be the first.<\/p>\n

The strong; I’ve met many men and women in the last two years who I normally would have put into the category.\u00a0 Now it’s reserved for the blood suckers.\u00a0 Who would have guessed that the stories that filled our lives for five hundred years could have some truth?\u00a0 As the humans died off from the vaccine, vampires became the majority.<\/p>\n

My brother and I survived for two years on kindness from strangers and dumb luck.\u00a0 In many ways we have the vampires to thank for that.\u00a0 They gave the surviving humans something to band together against.\u00a0 Some people went to the vampires, thinking they would be turned.\u00a0 Maybe some of them were, but I think most were food.<\/p>\n

I’m not sure what we did different that day.\u00a0 We\u2019d always kept a low profile before, staying off the vampires\u2019 radar, but that day we stumbled right onto it.\u00a0 Long ago we got over the myth that we would be safe from them during the day; vampires moved about as they pleased.<\/p>\n

I crouched beside Joey behind a bush, hoping we might have lost them.\u00a0 The day was cool and windy.\u00a0 A fine mist of rain blended with the sweat on my neck, and my brother was warm beside me.\u00a0 We breathed in quiet, shallow breaths.<\/p>\n

Nearby a branch snapped.\u00a0 A vampire could move silently when it wanted, but they enjoyed chasing their prey.\u00a0 We ran.\u00a0 An ageless man was following us, running leisurely.\u00a0 He laughed as we ran up the hillside.<\/p>\n

He wasn’t the only vampire out there, but he was the one torturing us like a cat with a mouse.\u00a0 We reached the top of the rise and tumbled down the other side with no chance of finding our footing.\u00a0 We made it to the bottom quickly in a tumble of noise.<\/p>\n

I landed stunned, but Joey was on his feet and dragging me to mine.\u00a0 We ran to a thicket and crawled inside.\u00a0 From there, were watched as the vampire stood at the crest of the hill, surveying the land for any sign of movement.<\/p>\n

Not for the first time, I was thankful vampires were not as super human as they\u2019d made us all believe.\u00a0 They didn’t have super hearing, or the ability to smell us from two hundred feet away.\u00a0 They could run fast, but not much faster than us.\u00a0 Their advantage was that they didn’t tire.\u00a0 Unless a vampire was right on you, you hid.\u00a0 Running was the last ditch effort of the hopeless.<\/p>\n

He disappeared from the rise, and I let out a low breath.\u00a0 We weren\u2019t out of the woods yet, though.\u00a0 We could still hear them talking to one another, joking and laughing as if they didn’t have a care in the world.\u00a0 They were all around us now, checking for any sign of us.\u00a0 I felt good about the bushes we hid in, they were thick, and we were deep in the center.\u00a0 Of any place in this crummy little bit of forest, Joey had found the one place we might survive.<\/p>\n

A woman came into view, dark skin and hair, moving silently so we knew she was still looking for us.\u00a0 She walked closer and closer to our bushes and we were back to holding our breath for fear of discovery.\u00a0 She stopped halfway past the bush.\u00a0 I don’t know if one of us moved and the brush rustled, or if the smell of two dirty, frightened boys was just too strong, but she stopped.<\/p>\n

As she bent down, we froze.\u00a0 She wasn’t hunting, but moving with the eerie grace they all had.\u00a0 She peered at us through the bush and her dark eyes widened.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou’re children,\u201d she spoke in a voice like warm honey that had my body itching to be close to her.\u00a0 My brother tugged on my arm, pulling me towards the other side of the bush.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, wait.\u00a0 I’ll lead them away from you,\u201d she said.\u00a0 Joey stopped and looked at her with the same confusion I was feeling.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause you\u2019re only boys,\u201d she answered.\u00a0 \u201cI haven’t seen a child out here in over a year.\u00a0 You must find others.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUh, okay.\u201d\u00a0 Joey looked at me.\u00a0 I shrugged; I had no idea what the crazy vampire was talking about.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo young,\u201d she said wistfully.\u00a0 She reached toward me, but I pulled back and her hand caressed only air.\u00a0 \u201cPray with me.\u201d\u00a0 She bent her head in prayer.\u00a0 With her hands clasped together and face down, she looked human.\u00a0 Not knowing what else to do, Joey and I clasped our hands together and prayed with her.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaddie,\u201d a gruff male voice called out from behind her.\u00a0 \u201cWhat do you got there?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing,\u201d Maddie rose to her feet.<\/p>\n

\u201cI’ll see about nothing.\u201d\u00a0 He looked past the bush and then down at it.\u00a0 When he crouched, Joey and I ran from the back of the bush.\u00a0 Straight into the arms of the man who had been tormenting us for nearly an hour.\u00a0 His pale face widened in a smile as he wrapped his hands around our skinny arms in a vice grip.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe found lunch,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The other man came around and took Joey.\u00a0 Now the tormenter clapped both hands around my arms, and I could barely move.\u00a0 The other man looked in disappointment at Maddie.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou shouldn’t cover for humans,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re only boys, Chris,\u201d Maddie argued.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re food,\u201d the tormentor said.\u00a0 He licked my face, his tongue cold and wet against my skin.\u00a0 I cringed away.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re running out of food,\u201d Maddie said.\u00a0 She glared at the tormentor.\u00a0 \u201cWe cannot live without humans.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know we have a plan.\u201d the tormentor shrugged.<\/p>\n

\u201cEnough,\u201d Chris growled.\u00a0 \u201cLet’s go.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joey and I were flung over their shoulder and carried off.\u00a0 It was uncomfortable, and I was terrified, but I was also a small boy, and I fell asleep.<\/p>\n

*<\/p>\n

I awoke as my body hit concrete.\u00a0 The jarring impact rattled me to my feet in an instant.\u00a0 I looked around like a trapped animal.\u00a0 Beside me, Joey did the same.<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle shit pissed on me,\u201d the tormentor shouted.\u00a0 He pulled off his shirt and threw it into the corner.\u00a0 He took one big step towards me and smacked me across the side of the head.\u00a0 The impact sent me stumbling back to the wall.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey!\u201d Joey jumped at him.\u00a0 \u201cDon’t you dare hit him.\u201d\u00a0 Joey was kicking and punching the man with no real effect.\u00a0 The tormentor laughed and put his big hand on Joey’s face.\u00a0 A quick shove sent Joey stumbling back a couple steps.<\/p>\n

\u201cFuck off,\u201d the tormentor said.\u00a0 Joey ran forward and kicked the man’s crotch.\u00a0 The vampire doubled over in pain.\u00a0 I don’t think Joey really expected it to work, because he backed up again real fast.\u00a0 Not fast enough.<\/p>\n

The tormentor lashed out and had Joey by the arm.\u00a0 He pulled him in and latched onto his arm with his teeth.\u00a0 Joey screamed in pain.\u00a0 I\u2019d never heard him sound that way before, and I was frozen in terror.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat’s enough,\u201d Chris called.\u00a0 \u201cDrop him.\u00a0 That isn’t how we do things around here.\u201d<\/p>\n

The tormentor let Joey go.\u00a0 Joey back-peddled to me with tears streaming down his face.\u00a0 I put my small arm around his shoulders, trying to comfort him.\u00a0 The tormentor stalked out of the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cI’ll send someone in to clean that up,\u201d Chris said.\u00a0 The door closed behind him.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou okay, Joey?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d he answered through grit teeth.\u00a0 \u201cIt hurts bad though.\u201d\u00a0 He had his hand pressed to the wound.\u00a0 Joey started to laugh.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoey?\u201d I thought maybe he\u2019d lost it.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou pissed on him.\u201d\u00a0 Joey laughed louder.\u00a0 \u201cYou had an accident on some crazy vampire’s shoulder.\u201d\u00a0 I grinned, then I was laughing along with him. \u00a0It really wasn’t funny, but we\u2019d learned to take a laugh when we found one.<\/p>\n

We stopped abruptly at the sound of the door opening again.\u00a0 Maddie stepped inside.\u00a0 She gave us an apologetic smile and handed us clean clothes.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow are you feeling?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike crap,\u201d Joey said.\u00a0 He held up his arm to illustrate his point.<\/p>\n

\u201cI’m sorry, most of us aren’t like that,\u201d Maddie answered.\u00a0 She was laying out a first aid kit on a small rolling table.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, most of you don’t like to suck blood?\u201d Joey asked with false innocence.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me see your arm.\u201d\u00a0 Maddie smiled.\u00a0 Joey pulled back.\u00a0 \u201cIt needs to be disinfected, your hands are filthy.\u00a0 Come on, I promise I won’t bite,\u201d Maddie explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo on Joey,\u201d I said smiling.\u00a0 \u201cShe won’t bite.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou’re a funny kid, Nico.\u201d\u00a0 Joey scowled, but went to Maddie.<\/p>\n

I watched as Maddie first cleaned the wound with a towel and water, and then poured disinfectant over it.\u00a0 She secured a bandage around it.\u00a0 Joey sat stone still during the entire process.\u00a0 I could see him biting his lip and knew it hurt.<\/p>\n

\u201cI need to take blood samples from both of you,\u201d Maddie said.\u00a0 She pulled out a syringe and two vials.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d Joey asked suspiciously.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to know you\u2019re healthy before moving you in with the other humans,\u201d Maddie explained.\u00a0 She held up the syringe and raised an eyebrow at Joey.\u00a0 When he nodded, she took her sample.\u00a0 Then it was my turn.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou two will stay in here over night,\u201d Maddie said.\u00a0 \u201cIf your blood is clean, we\u2019ll move you into a group cell tomorrow morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought you didn’t want us to be trapped in here,\u201d Joey said.\u00a0 Maddie looked down at her lap.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don’t,\u201d she said softly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll figure out how to get you out of here, but for right now things must proceed as normal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust like any other vampire,\u201d Joey spat out the words.\u00a0 \u201cAll lies.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll get you out,\u201d Maddie said with more force.\u00a0 \u201cI promise.\u201d<\/p>\n

I put a hand on Joey’s shoulder, stopping him from saying anything else.\u00a0 I believed Maddie.<\/p>\n

*<\/p>\n

We were moved the next morning.\u00a0 The cell was cramped with barely enough bunk beds to go around.\u00a0 We were told by the others that it was a temporary situation if you agreed to the vampire’s plan.\u00a0 Those who were willing were allowed into a much nicer area and given free range of the vampire’s compound.\u00a0 In exchange, their blood was pumped once every thirty days.<\/p>\n

We could see these people from our cell, they walked around like sickly, pampered pets.\u00a0 They were cleaner than anyone I\u2019d seen in over a year, with new clothes and books to read.\u00a0 When it was warm outside, you could see the small metal device implanted in the crook of their elbow in order to make taking the blood quick and easy.<\/p>\n

*<\/p>\n

After a week in the cell, being a pampered pet started to look awfully tempting to me.\u00a0 In the cell we were fed once a day, and shared a toilet with about twenty people.\u00a0 Apparently when they took you out for your blood, you were washed.\u00a0 That was the real kicker, they were still going to take our blood.<\/p>\n

\u201cEat it.\u201d\u00a0 Joey pushed his sandwich toward me.\u00a0 \u201cI’m not too hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou gotta eat,\u201d I argued.\u00a0 He\u2019d been letting me eat most of his food since we were captured.\u00a0 He claimed he wasn’t hungry, but I didn’t believe him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI said I’m not hungry.\u00a0 So just eat the damn food, Nico.\u201d\u00a0 I ate the food.\u00a0 It was good, the best I\u2019d eaten in a long time.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan we just agree to be pets?\u201d I asked quietly.\u00a0 I didn’t want everyone in the room to know I was considering it.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon’t be stupid,\u201d Joey answered.\u00a0 \u201cWe aren’t pets.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut we could have a real room again,\u201d I said wistfully.\u00a0 \u201cAnd people taking care of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot people.\u201d\u00a0 Joey swatted me on the back of the head.\u00a0 \u201cVampires.\u00a0 Vampires who pump us for blood, and\u00a0 kill us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut,\u201d I started to argue, but Joey’s glare shut me up.<\/p>\n

*<\/p>\n

A week later it was down to fifteen of us in the room; the others had given in and allowed the vampires to implant them for long term production.\u00a0 I\u2019d tried to convince Joey a couple more times that we should do the same.\u00a0 I worried about him every day.\u00a0 He hadn’t had more than a few bites of his meals in almost two full weeks.\u00a0 He seemed okay, but I worried he was sick, or simply starving himself for my benefit.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the new world,\u201d mumbled an older man from the bunk beside us.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d Joey asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe new world.\u201d\u00a0 The man turned to us.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re dogs.\u00a0 This is how they\u2019ll keep themselves alive.\u00a0 They let us breed out there you know.\u201d\u00a0 He motioned vaguely toward the high window through which we could watch the pets.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re real kind about it too, don’t take blood from the woman who is with child, don’t start draining on a child until they\u2019re seven.\u00a0 Don’t take as much blood from them either.\u00a0 This is the new world.\u201d\u00a0 He turned and continued mumbling to himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to get out of here,\u201d Joey said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m nobody’s dog.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow\u2019re we supposed to do that?\u201d I asked.\u00a0 Maddie didn’t seem to have a plan.\u00a0 She brought the food everyday, but had not yet said a word to us.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don’t know,\u201d Joey answered.\u00a0 \u201cBut we will.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Maddie brought our food that day, the old man told her he was ready for his implant.\u00a0 She called for back up and two big vampires led him out of the cell.\u00a0 Maddie leaned down to me and whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you hear the siren, you run.\u00a0 The door will be open.\u00a0 Upstairs and out the door, head left to the fence.\u00a0 There will be a boat by the break wall.\u201d\u00a0 She spoke so fast I was afraid I\u2019d missed something.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did she say?\u201d Joey asked as the door shut behind them.\u00a0 I repeated her words in a hushed tone.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you believe her?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don’t know,\u201d Joey answered.\u00a0 \u201cBut I’ll be listening for a siren.\u00a0 Here, eat this.\u201d<\/p>\n

I took his food without argument.\u00a0 I\u2019d given up on trying to convince him to eat.\u00a0 I hoped he would be strong enough to escape if we got the opportunity.<\/p>\n

We were sleeping when the alarm went off, but not even a dead man could have slept through the head splitting pulse.\u00a0 Joey and I were on our feet in an instant.\u00a0 The others were looking around in bewilderment.\u00a0 We went to the door, ready for the moment of truth.<\/p>\n

The handled turned easily under my small hand, and we were out in the hall.\u00a0 The rest of the prisoners flowed out after us, running in all directions.\u00a0 We didn’t have time to stop them.\u00a0 The fresh dawn air was sweet as we ran for the fence with a few of the others.\u00a0 We reached the fence just as the guards were upon us.<\/p>\n

Joey climbed the fence with an almost unnatural grace.\u00a0 I did my best while most of the adults didn’t get very far before being pulled down by the guards.\u00a0 I felt a guard wrap his hand around my ankle.\u00a0 I kicked out, but his grip was firm.\u00a0 He tried to pull me down, but my panic made me strong.\u00a0 I clung for my life.\u00a0 Joey disappeared above me.\u00a0 I cried out, afraid he had left me.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not leaving,\u201d the guard said.\u00a0 \u201cI haven’t tasted child in years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Two things happened almost instantaneously.\u00a0 I felt the vampire’s teeth slip into the skin above my ankle and Joey reappeared.\u00a0 Joey let a huge rock drop on the vampire’s head.\u00a0 His teeth tore out of me as he fell.\u00a0 Pain seared up my leg, but I knew he would be on his feet in a second.\u00a0 I scrambled up and over the fence with Joey’s help.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on,\u201d Joey said.\u00a0 We ran for a dock that jutted out into the water.\u00a0 Beyond it was the break wall.<\/p>\n

As our feet hit the dock, the vampires were running for us again.\u00a0 We were both running faster than we had in our lives.\u00a0 When we jumped from the end of the dock, we cleared half the distance to the wall.\u00a0 It seemed to only take a few short strokes before my feet were touching rock and we were climbing the break wall.<\/p>\n

The boat was there as promised.\u00a0 A small two person boat with a pull-to-start engine.\u00a0 Luck was on our side, and Joey started it on the first pull. When the first vampire stood on the break wall we were already safely on our way.<\/p>\n

The day passed in silence as Joey steered us towards the relative safety of the world.\u00a0 I cleaned my leg as best I could and wrapped a bit of my shirt around it.\u00a0 When the boat began to run out of gas, we aimed for shore, pulling the boat far up so it wouldn’t be seen.\u00a0 We began to walk again, same as we always did.\u00a0 We\u2019d escaped the worst this world had to offer and now we would keep on trying to survive.<\/p>\n

That was a year ago.\u00a0 Joey and I haven’t aged, we haven’t eaten, and we are stronger than ever.\u00a0 We\u2019re not vampires, we don\u2019t crave blood.\u00a0 We\u2019ve searched out others like us, people who were bitten by a vampire, but not killed and not forced to drink their blood.\u00a0 There are more than I would\u2019ve thought; we\u2019re a colony of near a hundred now.\u00a0 We\u2019re strong without weakness and our number will grow.\u00a0 Humans will not be dogs, and the vampires will not win.\u00a0 This is the new world.<\/p>\n

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