I came here to steal blood drawn from others—so why, in the blink of an eye, am I the one strapped to the blood-draw table?
Could this really be… Equivalent Exchange?
I stared at the seemingly gentle elderly doctor before me, shivering uncontrollably.
"Don’t be scared, sweetie. What’s your name?" the doctor asked kindly.
"L-Luo Xiaoxiao…"
She flipped open a small notebook, scribbled *Luo Xiaoxiao — No. 9*, peeled a "9" label, and stuck it onto a fresh vacuum tube.
Then she tore open a plastic wrapper and pulled out a tube—one end a needle, the other a sharp tip like a straw. Standard gear for vacuum blood collection.
Needle in the vein, sharp end in the tube—the pressure difference does the rest.
I’d gone through this recently. A faint phantom ache tingled in my wrist.
Everyone knows shots aren’t the worst part. The real dread? That split second *before* the needle pierces—hovering over your vein, heart hammering.
Terrifying. Legs trembling. Agonizing tension. Utterly helpless…
"Easy now, keep your legs still," the doctor murmured, prepping the needle without rushing. "Such a pretty little girl. Settling into second grade okay?"
"Umm… I guess?"
"How are your grades?"
*Second grade? What grades?* I thought. *Back in my day, we didn’t start English till third. Math and Chinese? Baby stuff.*
So I puffed up proudly: "Top of the class! You can check if you—"
"Ah!"
While I chattered, she struck—smooth, swift. My blood trickled steadily into the tiny tube.
Ah. She’d been distracting me. Veteran move.
"All done. What were you saying?"
"N-nothing," I whispered, tears welling.
The sting hit out of nowhere. A salty tear escaped. If I’d been ready… ugh.
She handed me a cotton swab, not noticing the puncture had already sealed—only a tiny dot remained.
"Off you go. Eat something. Growing girls skip breakfast at their peril," she added with a wink. "So pretty—if malnutrition flattens you later, what a shame."
I nodded silently, too wary to reply.
Doctors are scary. Never chat with them. You’ll get stabbed when you least expect it.
Class 3, Grade 2 girls swarmed the infirmary door. Seeing me, they erupted:
"She’s out! Xiaoxiao’s out!"
"Xiaoxiao’s so brave—didn’t even cry!"
"So fast, Sister Xiaoxiao!"
I managed a weak smile and waved. Then—*clutch*—I doubled over, knees hitting the floor.
So hungry! So awful!
Exactly one hour had passed. Hunger roared back like a black hole in my gut. Couldn’t stand.
Panic rippled through the little girls.
"Xiaoxiao, what’s wrong?!"
"Waaah—Sister Xiaoxiao, don’t die!"
"Hold on! I’ll sing for you!"
Suddenly, Guo Guo—the twin-bun girl—barked, "Stand back!"
"Guo Guo, you got a plan?"
Guo Guo gave a small nod, stepped forward, and pulled from her bag the half-eaten lollipop she’d carefully rewrapped.
She peeled the paper and, amid stunned gasps, popped it straight into my mouth.
I froze. Tart green apple. Sweet. Familiar—like Eden’s forbidden fruit.
And something else… indescribable. I didn’t want to name it.
Warmth flooded my belly. Hunger faded. Life returned. Yet I shut my eyes—tears streaming.
So the price of life… is dignity.
"Told you it’d work! All calculated!" Guo Guo announced proudly. "Flawless strategy!"
"Guo Guo’s amazing!"
"Scaredy-cat but super smart!"
"So *everyone has strengths and weaknesses* really means this!"
Only Hua Hua tilted her pink head, cheeks flushed: "Sharing one lollipop… gross!"
Minutes later, I pulled myself up, mumbled goodbye, and fled.
"Bye, Xiaoxiao!"
"See you tomorrow!"
"Huh? Xiaoxiao’s not staying for class?"
"Sister Xiaoxiao’s too kind—she doesn’t need school!"
I had no idea how kindness excused attendance… but yeah, I was skipping. Under the guards’ sharp stares, I guiltily bolted from Yaoye Elementary.
"Finally… done."
My bag held eight pristine 20ml tubes of blood—pure, drawn from little girls. Enough to last a while.
"…Though things took a weird turn."
Walking home, a chill hit me.
The draw itself wasn’t the issue. But… blood from a vampire like me, now loose in the world?
Was that really safe?
