The Taste of Blood

The year 1995.

"Mum, dad I hate vegetables don't feed me with them, I like my meat fresh" Alfie said, as he frown at the meal his mum gave him for dinner,ever since he turned eighteen he hates eating cooked food as they taste sour in his mouth though he manages to eat them when it is not full moon, as he discovered whenever its full moon, all food taste like trash. All his bones and flesh does during that period is crave for raw meat.

Louis Crossword is still trying to figure out why his son doesn't want to live and eat like humans, though he is fully aware of how it took years for him and his wife Chloe to get their first and only child. Louis always feels his wife is hiding something that has to do with Alfie birth, as he sees his son's character to be different from all other kids in the city, for how will a sane human request for fresh meat he always wondered.

"Alfie eat your food, only animals request for fresh meat, besides we are vegetarians it have been our tradition even before you were born" Louis ordered as he wanted his son to stop complaining and eat what is provided for him.

"I think, I can't fit in to this so called family tradition" Alfie replied arrogantly as he could loudly hear the heartbeat of his dad, he felt like having a taste of his dads flesh this was the first time he had this weird feeling.

Chloe who saw her son's eyes was scared of what might happen if her husband continued insisting so she tried to ease the whole matter;

"Don't speak to your father in that manner, just listen to him and eat your food you will like it I prepare this dish specially for you Alfie" Chloe said this with a smile on her face, only to see her son hit the table aggressively as he motioned to leave, Louis who wasn't comfortable with his reaction went after him. Something strange happened as Louis went close to his son, Alfie out of anger pushed his dad when he tried coming close to him, he was surprised to see the extent his dad went before landing on the floor. this made him feel bad but, out of shame and guilt he left without saying anything to his dad;

"Are you ok darling?" Chloe asked as she tried lifting her husband up.

Louis who got scared at the amount of strength his son possess replied;

"I am not ok please, that boy you call my son is a beast and I don't think I can continue living with a beast in my house" Louis left his wife standing as he continued feeling pains on his chest like claw marks, when he went to the bathroom to see why his chest were still paining him, he was shocked to see blood oozing out from claw like bruises on his chest this got him terrified but in other not to cause panic nor call the attention of his wife to it, he kept it to himself "this boy is truly a beast" he said to himself.

Alfie after the incident went straight to his room to take his head of what just happened, he tried folding his hands only to notice his fingers where too long, "I thought I always cut my nails" he said to himself, he had to switch on his bed lamp as he brought his hands close to the lamp, he was surprise to see blood stains on long nails that look like claws fear grip him which he tried screaming, but he couldn't as he felt his jaw bones cracking open thereby making sounds this was very painful " What is happening to me" he exclaimed this made him run to look himself on the mirror in his bathroom, it all starts looking strange when he saw his face looking ugly in front of the mirror, he felt this is a dream then out of instinct he closed his eyes and breath in slowly, quenching all his rage and cravings with his mind when he felt relaxed, he opened his eyes only to see his face looking normal like nothing ever happened "I thought that was real" he said out loud only to hear his mum replying.

"What is real Alfie?" Chloe queried as she watched her son staring strongly at the mirror.

Alfie who wasn't ready to see any of his parents replied rudely;

"You entered my room without knocking, please mum I will love you to leave my room I need to be left alone" Alfie said as he gestured his finger at the door ordering his mum to leave.

"You want to hurt me just like you hurt your dad right?" Chloe asked, this words made Alfie calm as he started feeling remorseful for treating his dad that way.

"I wanted him to understand" Alfie tried saying as his mum interrupted

"Understand what!!, he was only trying to make sure his only son eat his dinner, you were just been rude I suggest you apologized to him" Chloe uttered only to see his son crying while he expressed himself remorsefully.

"I don't know what is happening to me mum" Alfie said as he couldn't hold back his tears, suddenly he felt his mum hands around his shoulder;

"What is wrong Alfie, speak to me" Chloe requested as she tried comforting her disturbed son.

"Mum I think I am a beast" this words made Chloe scared as she tried pretending not to be affected by it.

"You are not a beast my son, you are just a young teenager trying to understand himself" she was saying this when her son fell fast asleep on her legs, she slowly lay him on his bed then went to close his bathroom only to see something strange, claw marks on the bathtub "this is strange" she uttered. Chloe went to her room getting there she observed something her husband who don't like putting on his shirt while sleeping wore one that night, "well it seems everyone is having a bad night" she said as she minded her business by laying close to her husband quietly, Louis who was fully aware of her entrance pretended to be fast asleep.

"Baby you know I love you, I don't want you to go now" Alfie pleaded with Emily who turns out to be his girlfriend in school.

"I love you too but you know we have been all alone in the woods and its getting dark, my mum will be worried about my whereabouts' Emily said as she tried slipping away from his arms.

"Please don't go, my parents are treating me like a stranger at home and I am not feeling comfortable, you are the only person that makes me feel comfortable". This words made Emily heart melt as she kissed him passionately they were kissing when she felt a sharp pain like Alfie just bit her with his teeth, she couldn't believe that she was bleeding.

"I am sorry Emily" Alfie uttered as the blood tasted good in his mouth, he immediately noticed Emily was no longer interested in staying longer with him.

"No need for that I think we should call it a day Alfie" Emily uttered as she started walking away only to be held back by Alfie aggressively.

"Don't dare walk out on me" Alfie rage grew as he felt Emily wasn't interested in staying with him anymore which he couldn't bear seeing, so he held on to her tight, this sent pains through Emily veins.

"You are hurting me Alfie, let go of me I want to go home" all these words fell on deaf ears as Alfie was already blinded by rage, this happened during a full moon, Alfie who wasn't himself again felt a sudden urge for Emily's flesh, as he aggressively bounced on Emily, this was looking scary. Emily saw Alfie eyes changing as he grabbed her neck, she felt claws pass through her neck, Alfie with all this rage devoured Emily with his teeth, which he never knew had fangs this was too nutritious, he ate of Emily flesh from her neck, as Alfie was feeding on Emily like an animal touch lights and sound made by the sheriff made him recognized himself, it was too late for him as Emily was dead already he tried waking her up, he was surprised seeing blood everywhere and some even dripping from his mouth and hands, the voice grew stronger as he took his bag and ran away in fear.

"What is happening to me, who am I" these have been the questions running through Alfie's mind, what just happened to him was so scary as he kept on staring at his body stained in his girlfriend blood, this made him cried heavily as he asked himself "Did I just killed Emily, but she did nothing to me, oh no I am a beast " so many questions going through his mind as he heard a knock on his door followed by his dad calling out his name, his dads voice made him run to the bathroom to wash up the blood, this he did fast out of fear of been caught so he hid his stained shirt to wash it later, he went to answer the call of his dad;

"Dad I heard your call" he asked panting slowly.

"Yes I called, I wanted to ask if you saw anyone stained with blood run pass our home because the sheriff just came by asking and that is why I called" Louis narrated, as he notice his son just finished bathing.

These words hit Alfie heart very hard as he became filled with guilt, of how he will explain to his dad he killed Emily for no reasons.

"Dad, I will be going to my room" Alfie said as he was dying in guilt inside. this grew suspicion as his dad found his son countenance so weird, he has never seen him looking scared;

"Is anything the problem son?" Louis asked.

"Nothing dad"

"Is just that you look disturb that is why I asked, hope you know I am your father and you can tell me anything, I am here to guide you through" Louis uttered as he thought he has been hard on his son and he was willing to go soft on him henceforth.

"No dad, is just that I am a bit under the weather" Alfie replied as he retired to his room.

After a few interactions with his son, Louis had to tune on the TV as he heard someone familiar been announced dead;

"Miss Emily Brown was found dead in the woods, it was observed she was devoured by an animal she, have been taken for autopsy as some witness around confirmed she entered the woods with a guy who they thought to be her boyfriend, the cops are trying to confirm if the boyfriend is dead or alive but if he is alive they will like to know how he escaped such a deadly event" The TV journalist narrated. This news made Louis feel bad for his son as he knew how much his son loved Emily "who knows how he will take this story when he hear it" Louis said to himself. Throughout that day Alfie have refused coming out as he was trying to avoid been questioned by anybody.

When Chloe came back from her work she explained what she heard.

"Darling, I am sad Emily is dead, and I pray that the beast that did this to her be brought to book" she said shaking her head out of pity.

"Yes honey it's so sad, a pretty lady like this, and the injuries sustained are too severe" Louis contributed.

"Oh yes, darling another thing I heard side talks of people trying to accuse Alfie of been the murderer, well thank God the forensic team were present at the crime scene we await their analysis" Chloe was saying this when they heard knock on the door it was loud like it was an emergency when Chloe went to see who was knocking, she was surprise to see it was Emily mum Flora Brown.

"Chloe your son killed my daughter, she was with him throughout today I warned her not to go out with him as I was already having a bad feeling but she refused" Flora said this as she kept on crying and wailing, the pain of her daughters death pained her so much.

"What is the problem honey?" Louis asked as she heard the lady crying.

"Darling she is accusing our son of killing her daughter you and I know our son is innocent and those markings can be done by a beast in which Alfie is not a beast" Chloe tried explaining to her husband.

"Madam, let's keep our fingers crossed. I am sorry for your loss, and I am sure the owners of this animal or beast will be brought to book. all we should seek is the forensic report than pointing accusing fingers". Louis said as he consoled her.

"Your son is the beast and I promise you he must be brought to book" Flora said this with pains as she spat on the floor and left the house leaving the couples staring at themselves in awe as they were trying to comprehend the whole thing;

"Where is Alfie?" Chloe asked of her son whereabouts though, they never knew their son heard everything that transpired among them, as Alfie was having a new ability that made to hear sounds clearly from afar.

"Where are you going to?" Louis asked as he saw her wife walking towards her son's room.

"I want to go see him and ask him if he heard the news likewise the accusation". Chloe uttered.

"Let him be darling, I spoke with him this evening and he said he is a bit under the weather" Louis narrated as he stopped his wife from going to Alfie's room Chloe who was surprised her husband was supporting Alfie for the first time obeyed as she left to freshen up .

At the hospital the forensic Doctor was explaining the results she got from Emily's corpse to her mum and the investigator;

"Madam, we ran some test on the corpse and the finger prints didn't match to that of a human but an animal". Dorothy explained.

"So you mean to tell me this was an animal attack in a town that is far from wild lives" Flora questioned as she wanted her accusations to be right;

"Madam calm down we are still running more test to find out which DNA does the animal matches" Dorothy replied.

"Is this all the information you have?" Maxi who's in charge of the investigation asked.

"Yes sir, please I have other things to attend to". Dorothy said this as she left.

"But sir the result are not true I am sure that boy killed my daughter" Flora uttered

"Don't worry madam calm down we will track and find what killed your daughter spy team have been placed on Alfie to watch his every move".

Chloe was trying to dispose some unwanted stuffs in the house, she went to her sons room to look for cloths or anything that is worth been disposed, she was searching through the basket in her son's room only to see something, a shirt with blood stain on it as she saw this immediately, she had flash backs of what Flora told her about Alfie being the killer, she quickly took the cloth and get rid of it as she kept wandering if what she did eighteen years ago is coming back to hunt her, "Did the lord reward me with a beast" she asked herself as the dots where connecting all evidence tracing back to her son being the killer, Chloe without informing anybody left for New Orleans as it was almost full moon the same moment she met the priest that magically got her pregnant with Alfie so she left for New Orleans to ask some questions.

TWO WEEKS LATER

Everywhere was quiet with many candle lights all around and some naked women humming all at once non top they were looking tired;

"I didn't asked for a beast lord Ankra, I wanted a son since I knew I was incapable of bearing one" Chloe said in a sad voice as she was finally able to locate the priest in an undisclosed location in New Orleans.

"You agreed to have a superhuman child, a child with unique ability" Lord Ankra said this as he laughed

"Yes I did agreed but not a beast". Chloe replied

"How dare you call what Ankra gave to you a beast, leave here immediately go bury your husband for Ankra have finaly gotten a perfect creation". He said;

Chloe got cold chills as she heard her husband is been involve is a long hour journey but Chloe had no other option but try to catch up with her husband so she could confess and prevent him from getting killed.

Louis was going round his house to check if all windows and doors were closed as it was dark already, Louis kept wandering what his wife saw that made her to take a trip to New Orleans without informing him "is there something she hiding from me" Louis introspected as he kept shutting all doors as it was a cloudy night he was passing his son room when he saw something he had never seen before, what Louis saw made him fear as thunder made it sound Louis dropped dead as what he saw attacked him, before 10:00pm Chloe came back to see someone dear to her on the floor already dead.