Cursed Ones

The man's arm convulsed, the tender flesh going from pale to black in seconds. He girt his teeth and stabbed a syringe into the vein. Sighing heavily, he relaxed, going limp with the split-second pain relief. His girlfriend came over and rubbed his shoulders. Her hair fell onto his shoulders, rays of gold from above.
"I hate to see you like this," she sighed. He shook his head, eyes closed.
"You have no idea," he groaned. She frowned and stopped the rubbing.
"How can you live with this? I mean, you have to live with this the rest of you life," she pressed her cheek to his, voice a sweet melody to his ears. The man shrugged.
"What do you suggest I do? If I could reverse that day, I would," he held her hand. Suddenly, she narrowed her eyes, smiling.
"How does that make you feel?" she asked softly, voice possessing an edge to it just enough to prick. He turned the armchair around to look at her. He looked around at her luxuriously furnished apartment and was happy they had enough privacy to talk freely. Meeting her gaze, he struck up conversation once more.
"What kind of question is that?" he asked. She laughed shrilly.
"Just answer my question," she prodded. He thought about it.
"I hate having my arm like this." She waved her forefinger at him.
"No, you don't think deep enough. The answer I seek is deeper," she coaxed. Honestly, he thought that his girlfriend was losing it; but he obliged her.
"The battle? Is that what you're talking about? Because I thought we agreed to never talk about that again. When I say-" he ground out.
She waved her hands, "Still not deep enough. Try harder, honey."
"It's the doctor's fault," he finally gasped out. The doctor had known that for ages, the vaccine had been experimental. They shouldn't have even been using that on children; the Council knew better.
"Honey, deeper. Much, much deeper," she pressed him. Licking his lips, he thought, searching his mind. Clouds gathered outside. Something broke in him then, and he found the answer. What had given that doctor the right to even try out that vaccination? So what if his mother had signed the papers? She must've known at the time that the physician was wrong. Wrong. Wrong, so wrong he could never make up for it, no good could ever clean the wound.
Her lips parted in a grin, her pretty, glittering eyes on him yet again.
"What have you decided?" she asked.
His voice was husky, "I want to kill that doctor. But, I can't..." She laughed then, loudly and brashly, making him flinch in surprise. Her laugh kept going, and she sat there, wracked with the force of her merriment.
"And who's to say that you can't? He wronged you! He's just getting what any jury worth their weight in dust would do. Are you going to let justice be undone? Who will stand for the wronged that were never avenged?" What a genius idea, in fact, it made him want to join her. But, as always one thing stood in his way. The consequences of his actions, if he were to do such a thing. She leaned forward then, lips pursing like what was about to take flight from them was not simply words.
"Let me ask you something. What makes you follow the rules?" He paused.
"The Council tells us, and that's why the rules are there right? To protect us." Yes, he thought. Let her argue with that. She let her head hang down, her body shaking with giggles.
"Yes, but what are they protecting us from? And why must we follow a list of guidelines made by a bunch of stuffy old people? They make rules for the commoners, and you and I are anything but common. So, one question is still unanswered. No reply? Well, I've been thinking, and I have the answer."
He leaned forward. She was the only girl he'd ever found smart enough to suit him, not just sit there and look beautiful. Oh, she was that too, with long gold hair and eyes the color of running water on a clear day. Those eyes were watching him now, ready to disclose what they knew.
"What if the rules are protecting you from something bigger? Something bigger that, since they couldn't handle it, they assume you can't. But that's where we're going to prove them wrong. In light of this, let me ask you, what are you going to do?"
"I'm going to kill that doctor," he said. She nodded.
"Why stop with the doctor?"