Creature of the Night

by Anne Stinnett

  Sure she just murdered a child, but at least she’s polite to lunatics, Kannon thought as he watched Emily gently decline the dubious offering.

  “Should we do something for her?” Emily asked after Madeline wandered away with the pastry safely back in her pocket.

  “I think she needs some heavy-duty meds and to get out of this house,” Cassie said. “We can’t help her with that.”

  Confessional: Stewart

  “I’m done. I know I am, but that’s okay. I kept thinking of my Logan and Audrey when we were lined up out there preparing to massacre that poor kid, and there was no way. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t even try. I’m not meant to be a vampire, I guess. I’m not judging Emily. In fact, I believe in Landon’s right to make this choice for himself, but it couldn’t have been by my hand. Not ever. That makes me weak, I suppose. I’m ready to go home; I hope I get to.”

  Confessional: Jeff

  “I can’t believe no one ate the pastries. I’m not counting the crazy girl; she eats everything, and honestly adding a little diarrhea to her day was like putting sprinkles on a pile of sugar. Fuck it. These people suck. For the record, I was trying to liven things up for everyone’s benefit, not just mine. Do you ever feel like you want to go on a modest killing spree just to break up the day? Don’t get me wrong. I know that would be a little anti-social, and I’m not planning on it, but you can’t keep the thoughts from coming, can you?”

  “I can’t believe she did it,” Portia said. She was sitting on the floor at the coffee table playing with slices of the orange she’d just peeled.

  Ollie watched Portia’s fingers manipulate the orange with all the concentration he could muster.

  “Of course she did,” Lola said. “She’s a fucking psycho.”

  “Maybe we’re all fucking psychos,” Ollie said.

  “It was the challenge,” Portia said. “And I’m not sure the person who went for the flamethrower is the best judge of sanity.”

  “At least I didn’t get eliminated for being a chicken shit,” Lola said.

  “Yeah, we’re all in awe of your magnificence,” Jeff said. “The kid did sign up for it.”

  “I know that matters,” Ollie said. “But how much? I mean, does it matter enough to make it okay?”

  “Are they going to let all of you keep hanging out after you’re eliminated or what?” Lola curled her lip. “It feels crowded with all these opinions that don’t matter.”

  “Chill out,” Ollie said although he was feeling decidedly un-chill himself. “They could add like twenty more people, and we wouldn’t even notice. This place is huge. Where did she go anyway?”

  “The library.” Lola rolled her eyes. “She’s always in the fucking library.”

  Confessional: Donovan

  “Women are vicious. Between the quiet one and the crazy one, I’m starting to think it’s not safe to sleep in this house. I’d still bang the actress though. Fucking kid. They should have let us kill a bum or something. I wouldn’t have hesitated. But I guess that wouldn’t have been much of a challenge. Anyone could kill a bum. Talk about a mercy killing. A cancer kid, though? So fucked up. I don’t even care about the kid; I hesitated because I don’t think women are going to go crazy to fuck the guy who staked Landon Jones, the big cancer hero. Such bullshit. It’s not like he got cancer on purpose, you know what I mean? So, it’s not so much I couldn’t do it. I just chose not to for the health of my social life. And that’s the truth. And if I ever get a chance to pay that bitch Lola back for hitting me with a goddamn ax, I’ll do it in a heartbeat, and that’s the truth too.”

  Confessional: Celeste

  “That was officially the worst day of my life. I have seen too much shit I’ll never be able to un-see. And I know I’m not the only one. Everybody is freaking the fuck out. I mean, of course, they are. Normal people freak out when a kid gets beheaded, right? You freak the fuck out. If they made a manual, that would be page one. But the thing I can’t stop thinking about is there’s still another challenge coming. And I’m terrified because I’m wondering what the hell are they going to come up with that could top what happened today?”

  “They beheaded the little boy?” Tim and Kristen’s mother had a bowl of cupcake batter braced on her hip and was stirring vigorously.

  “It was only one of them,” Kristen corrected.

  “Yeah,” her brother confirmed. “The rest of them pussied out.”

  “Language,” their mother said absently. “I’m not sure you guys should be watching this.”

  “Come on, mom,” Tim moaned.

  “The kid’s already dead,” Kristen said. “And besides, he had cancer.”

  “Really?” The heads of her offspring nodded vigorously. “I guess if he had cancer it’s okay. Do you guys want to taste the batter?”

  “One of us is going to be a monster,” Stewart said.

  “You don’t have to worry about it,” Donovan told him. “You’re done, remember?”

  “I remember,” Stewart said. “But, I bet you’re about done too. You couldn’t kill the kid. Everyone saw you couldn’t. Do you think you’re going to be able to live by taking life from others?”

  “They don’t kill people,” Lola said. “Not usually. Being a vampire doesn’t mean you have to go around killing everybody. But if you want to, nobody is going to stop you.”

  “Even they have to follow rules,” Brett said. Of course, being a rock star and a vampire, there wouldn’t be much Brett couldn’t get away with.

  “They set up a competition where we had to kill a kid,” Stewart said. “There’s no rule they couldn’t find a way around. They’re monsters.”

  “They set it up, but they didn’t kill him,” Celeste said. She was wrapped in a robe with a towel on her head. She had crawled into a hot bubble bath and cried after watching the last challenge. “A human killed him. And it was legal.”

  “Yes,” Emily said from the doorway. “At least I think I’m human. I don’t feel like myself.” She wasn’t acting like herself. Seeking out the others wasn’t like her, and she already wished she hadn’t.

  “We didn’t know you were there,” Stewart said. Because she looked so fragile, he added. “Sorry, you were only doing what you had to.”

  “It’s fine,” Emily told him. “Is ‘had to’ really accurate? I don’t know. Long term, I suppose. But we always have a choice, don’t we?”

  Stewart looked around for help. He didn’t feel like dealing with Emily’s existential crisis. Neither did anyone else.

  “Look, whatever you’re going through, it’s almost over.” Trying not to show his distaste, Stewart patted her on the shoulder. “Just focus on that.”

  “You’re right.” Emily met his eyes with her big dark ones, and Stewart couldn’t remember why he’d ever thought her fragile. “It is almost over.”

  Confessional: Portia

  “I miss doing children’s theater. That’s how bad this is. I tried. I mean, I believe in the Death with Dignity laws. I honestly do. I just never expected to be the one dishing out the dignity. I thought I could just stick him with the Euthanol, but I was wrong. Death is so final. That’s stupid. Of course, it’s final except it’s not, not if you get turned. But for that kid, it’s final. And I kept thinking what if I stick the needle in and push the plunger, and he changes his mind? I’m starting to think maybe I’m not playing the lead. On the other hand, this could just be the part where the main character is hitting rock bottom, which means it’s all uphill from here. I’m so upset; I thought about sleeping with Donovan just to take the edge off. Sorry, baby, but what happens on set stays on set.”

  Confessional: Madeline

  “There was something horribly wrong with me. My insides wouldn’t stop coming out. I haven’t had to go to the toilet for a while now, so maybe I’m better. But who knows? The problem with always being the nurturer is there’s no one to take care of you when you need help. People are like pets that way. They just let you take care of them, but they
don’t give anything back. It’s like we have a buddy system, but I’m my buddy. My mom taught me how to do that, you know, be my own buddy.”

  “Are there more pastries?” Madeline didn’t see any, but it was always good to ask. “I think I need to rest. I was sick earlier, but I wanted to check on you guys. Since you all look okay, can someone carry me to bed?”

  “Could you please shut the fuck up?” Portia said. “Everybody is fucking exhausted and on edge. We can’t coddle a nut job on top of everything else. No offense.”

  “You’re hot when you let loose your captive bitch,” Donovan said. “Not that I wouldn’t hit it any old time, but I like the edge.”

  “You’re disgusting,” Portia told him. She already regretted what she had said in confessional about sleeping with him. “And I'm not a bitch. I reasonably asked her to let us have a little peace the same way I do every time you say something offensive, which is almost every time you talk.”

  Madeline leaned over and puked on the couch.

  “I’m not cleaning that shit up,” Donovan said.

  Portia refrained, with heroic effort, from striking him. “Take a look around. No one is going to clean it up. You should see what she left in the hall. It’s like we’re on a fucking cruise.”

  Little P dared not turn away from the monitor lest he accidentally make eye contact with The Voice.

  “This wasn’t what I meant when I said things at the house needed stirring up.”

  “Sorry, sir,” Little P said.

  Confessional: Brett

  “That was amazing and super sad at the same time. I wanted to be the one, but I’m so relieved I wasn’t. Today is a day of contradictions. I wouldn’t have thought a wooden freaking stake would go in so easy. It must have been sharper than I thought. If my aim had been better, I would have killed the kid. Here’s something weird: I don’t know if I missed on purpose or not, but I still think the drowning would have been more peaceful. It always looks peaceful in the movies. I wonder if the protestors are still out there. People are all riled up about all this. I never really thought about right to die stuff before, but it doesn’t seem like it’s any of their business. If someone’s sick and they’ve had enough, I mean I get it. Turns out it’s tough being the one who’s expected to help them along. At least they didn’t get us each a sick kid. That would’ve been brutal. Fuck. I just realized I won’t have that great story to tell to Rolling Stone.”

  Confessional: Kannon

  “It feels different today. I mean, I know the kid and all—was a big deal, but something’s up. Maybe we get to leave. The show is about done. If one more junior producer sticks his head in to check on us and write notes, there’s going to be bloodshed. I understand the utter lack of privacy was always part of the deal, but it’s driving me crazy. If everything had gone according to my plan, I would have been there. I would have had to choose whether or not to try to end that little boy, and I honestly can’t say what I would have done. Hmm, I can probably guess. I can’t stand to look at Emily. I can’t look at any of them without being overcome with revulsion. I hate that I have to walk the world with these people.”

  “Did you follow me?”

  “No,” Donovan said.

  “I call bullshit on that,” Lola said. “You’ve been trying to catch me alone.”

  “Fuck you,” Donovan said.

  Lola smiled. “Want to? If you’re not too pissed about the ax thing.”

  “Define ‘too pissed.’”

  Lola laughed. “Tell you what. I know what you’re here for, and I’m up for it. But I want to hear you say it.”

  “You’re completely fucking crazy, aren’t you?” Donovan said.

  “If you admit it, I’ll let you,” Lola said. “You’re outside my room, Joe Cool. It’s not a fucking mystery, and I need to relax. All you have to do is say it.”

  “Why do I have to say anything? Did someone not get enough compliments as a girl?”

  “Okay, bye.” Lola swung the door. Donovan stopped it as easily as Lola had imagined he would. He went her one better by pushing her into the room and coming in after her.

  “Lock it, why don’t you?” Lola said as he pushed the door shut behind him.

  Donovan complied. “You don’t think this means anything, right? I’m still going to bury you in competition. And I’m still going to get you back for nailing me with the ax.”

  “There’s a first time for everything,” Lola said. She pulled Donovan’s shirt off. “But how chivalrous of you to make it clear while my clothes are still on.”

  “I didn’t see a reason to worry,” Donovan said.

  Lola flipped him off and pulled off her shirt.

  I’m going to wreck this bitch, Donovan thought and stuck a finger down the front of Lola’s bra to pull her closer. His pull opened the clasp allowing Lola’s heaving bounty to spring free. Donovan’s inner deviant gleefully began to whack off.

  They didn’t bother with kissing.

  Donovan bent his head, and as his lips closed around her nipple, Lola gasped. When his teeth nipped gently, she moaned. Donovan applied more pressure and—

  “Ow! Fuck!” Lola smacked Donovan across the temple. “Too hard, asshole.”

  “What the fuck?”

  “You can’t bite that fucking hard,” Lola said. “How would you like it if I bit your fucking dick like that?”

  “I’ll kill you if you bite my dick,” Donovan assured her. “It’s not the same.”

  “Whatever,” Lola scowled. “Just take your clothes off.” She removed her remaining garments and hopped on the bed. Donovan admired the way her tits hopped with her and followed after shedding the rest of his clothes.

  “You want to suck it?” Donovan invited, grabbing his penis and waggling it at Lola.

  “Only if you go down on me first,” Lola said.

  “Why do I have to go first?”

  “Because I don’t trust you,” Lola said. “I’m not giving one of my amazing bloweys and not getting anything back.” In fact, Lola was terrible at giving blow jobs, mostly due to the lack of practice that was a natural result of her policy of selfishness but partly because she had a strong gag reflex.

  “I don’t trust you either. Forget it,” Donovan said. “Let’s just fuck.” Since Lola wouldn’t do it, Donovan took a moment to bring his manhood to attention.

  “Okay, asshole,” Lola said spreading her legs. “Make me scream.”

  “What about…?”

  “What?”

  “You know,” Donovan said. “I just had a baby with some bitch I haven’t seen for almost a year.”

  “Idiot,” Lola said. “Tomorrow, you’ll be dead, and I’ll be immortal. And trust me, if the change doesn’t rid me of any internal parasites, I’ll take care of it. I think we can cross pregnancy and disease off our list of worries.”

  It was a good point. Donovan nodded and crawled over Lola until he was in position to insert his throbbing member. She guided him in, and he gave her a nice slow, long thrust. In. Out. Crap. He’d gone too far on the outstroke. He tried to shove back in before Lola noticed.

  Lola swore. “Not there!”

  “Sorry,” Donovan grunted. “Slipped.”

  “Just start out slow,” Lola said when everything was in its place. “Okay, good boy. That feels good. Go a little faster. Harder. Oh, yeah, oh, fuck me, yeah, faster. Not that fast. Keep going—” Lola stopped talking to concentrate on Donovan’s rhythm, which included the slap of his balls on her ass each time he thrust. Every time the balls hit her, Lola moaned.

  Donovan was dripping sweat. His man rain sprinkled Lola’s chest, neck, and a couple drops hit her face as he watched. He hoped she didn’t notice. He thrust harder to distract her. Of course, this caused more profuse sweating.

  Lola noticed, but she was so fucking close. It didn’t matter. She was going to throw the sweaty bastard out and hit the shower as soon as she came. “Yeah, right there, that’s so fucking good, go harder, oh my god, I’m almost�
�”

  Lola was a bitch, no doubt, but she looked so fucking hot with her lips parted, and her hair mussed from the pounding he was giving her. When she dug her nails into his back, Donovan was so turned on that he finished ahead of schedule.

  “No, no, no, not yet! Fuck.” Lola let out a scream of frustration as Donovan moaned and collapsed on top of her. “Seriously?”

  Confessional: Ollie

  “That wouldn’t have made my dad proud. What happened today, I mean. Not that I couldn’t do it, but that I participated in the first place. Not that this is the best time to worry about my dad. I love you, dad, but things here are fairly all-consuming, if you know what I mean. I think sometimes, we have to think about what the best thing to do is without trying to figure out what someone else thinks is the best thing if that makes any sense. Probably not. Sorry. I’m still a little shell-shocked.”

  Confessional: Lola

  “So, I didn’t chop a kid’s head off. Who the fuck cares? I’m still going to win this thing, and I’m going to do it after avoiding the fucked up part. So, who’s fucking stupid now, Emily? I hate her. I hope the next challenge is to stake that bitch. People think I’m unfeeling, but look at what happened out there. And don’t think for a second she was doing it for the kid. She just wants to win. I mean, she just beheaded cancer boy like it was nothing. Fuck. I fucked up. I know I should have just done it because someone else was going to do it if I didn’t, but what can I say? It turns out I’m not the kind of girl who’s comfortable chopping up a kid with an ax. Does that make me a terrible person? I don’t fucking think so. More like old fashioned. You know what makes you a terrible person? Being a premature ejaculator.”