The VICTUS

Today, we have three characters with us. This might be a little challenging, but hopefully fun! All three characters are from, The Victus, an upcoming novella, by D. A. Rhine. Verity's answers will be in red. Jay's will be in light blue. Hunter's will be in lime green.

Q: Let’s start with introductions. Tell us your names and ages, please.

A: I’m Verity and I’m sixteen.

Hello, I’m Hunter and I’m nineteen years of age. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.

Yeah, okay. Hey, I’m Jacquard, but you can call me, Jay. Seventeen.

Q: Thank you all for being here today. Where do you live?

A: Well, Jay and I live in the community with the other citizens.

I live with my parents at the Council.

Q: Do any of you have secrets?

A: Um, if I did, I certainly wouldn’t tell you because then it wouldn’t be a secret, now would it?

Q: Yes, you have a point. Okay, what’s in your pantry right now?

A: What’s a pantry?

Well, ma’am, I don’t have a pantry and even if I did, I wouldn’t have anything to put in it.

Cripes, citizens don’t have pantries. The Council provides all of our food.

Oh! It’s for food. No, I don’t have one of those either. We do have cupboards and in there my mom keeps honey, teas, sugar, and I think there might be old coffee in there.

Yeah, there is, Vee. Should really tell your mom to toss that crap out.

Q: What do you enjoy doing on the weekends?

A: Well, Vee and I usually hang out near the creek. We just sit and talk, throw some rocks in the water and stuff. We did that more as kids but now we just talk.

Funny, Verity and I hang out there too.

Vee, tell me you didn’t take a Council member to our spot?

I…I didn’t know where else to go, Jay. What was I to do bring him home?

How about not going anywhere with the bloodsucker?

Jacquard, shut your mouth, or else I’ll do it for you. And please, do not yell at Verity. She’s done nothing wrong. Tamp down on your petty jealousy and show some manners.

Don’t tell me what to do! Just because I don’t talk like I have a stick up my behind doesn’t mean I lack manners.  And your involvement with her—

I can speak for myself. Jay, leave Hunter alone. Hunter, just keep your comments to yourself. Ma’am can you please ask another question before a fight breaks out here?

Q: Sure. Sorry, I didn’t realize that question would be volatile. Um, okay, what is one strong memory that has remained with you since childhood?

A: Probably the first time I met Jay. I’m an only child so I didn’t have any siblings to play with, and when Jay came over…How old were we, Jay?

Ah, I think five or six.

We played in my house, a game called hide and seek.

Vee, don’t. Come on, don’t tell that story.

Come on, you’re a big boy now. It’s funny. Anyways, Jay and I played hide and seek. He hid and I couldn’t find him, so I just gave up. After quite a while, Jay’s mom asked where he was. She went looking for him and found him under my bed…asleep!

That’s just precious.

Shut up, Hunter. Why don’t you tell about your childhood? Or did you never have one?

Every time you open your mouth, Jacquard, you reveal your ignorance. My memory was the first time I saw citizens. I thought they were so small and frail. The children looked like fairies to me. It wasn’t until later that I learned…

What? That you eat us. Right?

Jay, enough. Why don’t you tell your memory?

Yeah, okay. Years ago, I went to the Donation Center, because all citizens must go there once a month, unless you’re sick or very young. The Sanguines took my blood and then sent me home, but I didn’t go home. Without any seeing me, not sure, how that happened, I snuck behind the center, and saw buckets. The buckets were filled with…nope, still can’t go there.

It’s okay, Jay. Sorry, I didn’t know.

Q: What or who is the greatest love of your life?

A: You know, that’s a bad question to ask us. Why don’t you try another.

Q: What is it you fear the most?

A: That’s easy. The Council finding out that I talk to Hunter and then punishing my family or me.

Guess we have that in common then. I fear the bloodsuckers coming for Vee, too.

I won’t let that happen. I fear losing Verity; whether it is through death or because she realizes what a monster I truly am and walks away from our relationship. Not that I'd blame her.

Yeah, and if she knew what was good for her, she’d walk away from you right now and never look back.

Q: Next to last question. What’s your greatest regret?

A: That I can only choose one man to be with.

I regret not telling Vee how I felt about her sooner. Maybe if I’d have done that, she’d never be in danger now. We’d be engaged and she would never have given bloodsucker a second glance.

My greatest regret is that I cannot change what I am, for surely, if I could, I would do that for Verity in a heartbeat.

Q: Where would you like to live?

A: I don’t mind living where I am. I just wish circumstances were different.

I’ll live where Verity would be safest, and that’s not here.

Anyplace but here. Vee and I would find a little house in the middle of the forest. A nice stream would run through our property. No neighbors—just Vee and me. We could live like normal humans then and wouldn’t have to worry all the time.

That would be nice, Jay. Thank you, Hunter.

Thank you, Hunter, Jay, and Vee for agreeing to do this interview. I hope everything works out for you all.

THE VICTUS

Coming Soon