Bleached with Blood

Van awoke with a throbbing pain on his cheek. He wearily opened his eyes and blinked for the next ten seconds before stretching his arms out and rising to a seated position on the couch. His exhaustion did not dissipate, but the pain kept his mind alert. He shook his head once more, feeling as if he was hit by a truck. Though he never had, the weighty sensation brought intense pain to his body.

As he looked around, Van realized he slept on the sofa. He couldn’t taint it with dirt after conducting the experiment earlier that morning. That was when he heard footsteps coming from the kitchen.

Alastor brought a cup of water and set it down on the table before sitting across from Van. “Does this occur frequently?” he asked.

Van answered lethargically, his eyes casted down. “Not really.”

“You’re not really good at lying,” Alastor said, folding his arms. “Please, be honest. How many times has this happened?”