Night - Orlov's Territory, Deep South Blood Farm

  Wood under A-731 makes noise when she move. Careful not move too much. Many bodies sleep close. Bell sound means time for Third Night Taking. Time to get up.

  A-731 rose immediately. Slow means pain. She had the marks on her back from the times she was slow. Eyes down. Move with others. Stay quiet. These things make her good blood bag. Good blood bags become masters when wheel turns. Bad blood bags go through dark door. Their wheel stops.

  Wood walls all around. Gaps show only dark outside. Fire sticks in metal give only light. Smoke smell mix with body smell and blood smell. Always blood smell here.

  "Fast line. Move." The voice of Not-Blood-Bag who holds pain-stick cut through noise of many blood bags moving. Not-Blood-Bags never use many words with blood bags. A-731 learn this when young. Pain teaches good.

  She take pce in line. This line for strong blood bags. Best blood. A-731 in best blood line. Get more food than weak blood bags. Get less pain. Not because Not-Blood-Bags kind. Because best blood taste better for masters.

  The line moved forward. A-731 kept her pce. Not too fast. Not too slow. Through open door, she saw fire sticks. Saw marks made on skin-paper. Saw masters with their fancy clothes. Same every extraction. Nothing changes here.

  A-731 keep eyes down but see everything. Need see to stay safe. See which master takes blood today. Tall master with foot-metal takes less blood. Good. Slow-walking master takes more blood. Bad. Makes head spin more.

  When her turn, she go in room. Kneel down. Head tilt to show neck. Arms out to show wrists. Wrong position means pain.

  "Seven-three-one. Premium grade. B-negative," the mark-maker say, looking at skin-book.

  New master she not see before walk around her. Look at her like looking at food. A-731 stay still. No move. No breathe loud. No feel scared. Scared blood taste bad. Bad taste mean pain.

  "Neck," the master say, point.

  A-731 tilt head more. Show neck with many old bite marks. Master touch neck with cold fingers. Then sharp pain when teeth go in. Then pull feeling when blood go out.

  Master drink not long time. Maybe count to hundred. A-731 think of nothing when master drink. Just be blood holder. When master done, Not-Blood-Bag push rough cloth on neck to stop blood drip. Not for A-731 good. For not waste blood.

  "Next taking in six hours," the mark-maker say, make marks in skin-book. "Return to holding."

  A-731 stand up after master done. Head feel spin. Must walk straight. Must not fall. Fall means not Premium anymore. Means worse pce. Worse food. More pain. No one ever come back to good pce after going to bad pce.

  A-731 go to dark corner. No fire light here. No eyes watch. Here she can say wheel words. No one hear.

  "Good blood makes masters," she whisper, draw circle in dirt with finger. "Wheel turns for worthy."

  Not asking for thing. Not hoping. Just saying what is. Oldest blood bag, now gone, tell her this when she small. Wheel turns, and good blood bags who give blood nice become masters. Not something to believe. Just what happens, like dark time follows light time.

  She press hand on dirt circle. "This one gives good blood. This one stays good." Not asking. Telling what is. What will be.

  Across room, new blood bag with mark J-924 fall down after blood taking. Not-Blood-Bags drag him to door with bck mark. A-731 watch with no feeling. Weak ones always go to bck door. Their wheel stop turning.

  A-731 still here because she know how wheel works. Good blood makes wheel turn. Stay strong. Follow rules. Not fight masters. Then wheel turn right.

  When holding pen go quiet before light-time extraction, A-731 take out special thing. Small shiny ft stone, found many sleeps ago. Hide in sleeping mat hole. Use shiny side to see neck bite. Make sure no bad color, no hot feeling. Bad color or hot feeling mean dark door soon.

  Shiny stone also show face. White skin from no light-time ever. Dark hair cut short when moon full. Eyes that show nothing. Best blood bags all look same. White skin. Thin but not bone-showing. Quiet.

  She draw another circle in dirt before hide shiny stone again. No Not-Blood-Bag ever find stone. Found things mean dark door.

  "Wheel turns," she whisper so quiet not even blood bag sleeping next to her hear. "Good ones become masters."

  Not hope thing. Not dream of other pce. Just how things are. Wheel turns. Blood bags who give good blood become masters when time right. Bad ones go through dark door. This simple knowing keeps her head right in pce where blood bags are just food holders.

  Soon light-time comes. One more taking before sleep time. A-731 ready, save strength, breathe slow and even. Wheel keeps turning. If she stay worthy, she become master too. Not because she want. Not because she ask.

  Because that how things are. Good blood bags become masters. Wheel turns. And A-731 is very good blood bag.