Bees In A Hive

At the thought of blood, my mouth watered. I ignored it. "I'm fine," I said to Professor Pops, grinding my teeth.

"The food tasted wonderful. Please tell your wife thank you," I added, studying Kenmei.

It was a lie.

The rice and vegetables had tasted like ash, but I had the distinct impression it wasn't because of his wife's cooking skills; more that my body had already begun its transformation.

He nodded. "I will."

"Now, let me answer your question," Professor Pops said, crossing one of his long legs over the other.

I peered at him, slightly confused.

"You asked why she chose you."

"Oh, right. Yes." I leaned back in the chair and clamped my twitchy hands in my lap.

"First, a little history." He crossed his legs, his reading glasses perched on the edge of his nose.

"Okay," I said, noting it'd become my word of the day.

"The vampire queen has been alive for thousands of years. By our best guess," he eyed Kenmei, "we'd say probably since the world began. Every hundred years, she mus