There Can Only Be One

by Sa'id Salaam

  Kristine began to wiggle and rock with her husband deep inside of her. She kept her eyes closed most of the time except to gauge the pleasure on his face. The way his face twisted and contorted, she knew he was enjoying it.

  "Mmmm," Martin moaned and made his wife furrow her brow in confusion. She knew what it meant, but it was way too soon for that. She hoped she was wrong, but he went stiff and proved her right when he came with a shiver and a shudder.

  "Noooo!" she moaned in sorrow. She still had a ways to go before she got there.

  "My bad," he apologized sincerely and slightly embarrassed. Quick nuts can happen to the best of them from time to time and this was obviously one of those times.

  "Awe, man," Kristine whined and rolled. She still had her boots on so she took matters into her own hands and finished herself off. Martin provided some support by sucking her nipples and caressing her body. Soon it was her turn to shiver and shudder.

  "Long day," he apologized once again once she recovered and cuddled up next to him for sleep.

  "It was," she agreed and planted a kiss on his lips. Then squinted and looked closer. "You have more wrinkles around your eyes."

  "Do I?" he asked but didn't wait for an answer. He rolled out the bed and went into the bathroom to see for himself. He did see for himself as well as a few new greys in his temples. "Well, I am in my seventies."

  "You are," she smiled softly at their running joke. Still she was concerned when she snuggled against his chiseled chest and went to sleep.

  *****

  Martin and Kristine awoke in the same position they went to sleep in. That made it easy to make love before the king in the next room awoke and stole the show. He rolled over on top of her and slid safely inside of her.

  They traded kisses and moans as he humped them both to a mutual climax. They stole some more kisses and enjoyed the last of their alone time until naptime because their demanding child demanded attention.

  "Mummy, father," came the call and knock on the door that signaled the Martin Jones Junior show.

  "He will have to lose the mummy. The kids will think he's a sissy and pick on him," Kristine agreed to her husband before answering her son. "We'll be out in a few minutes.

  "Okay, mummy," Little Martin sang and skipped away. Big Martin just shook his head.

  "Baby!" Kristine shrieked when they made eye contact. The look of horror on her face sent him rushing into the bathroom. He expected some gross pimple in desperate need of popping but saw far worse.

  "What the..." he marveled at the older man in the mirror. He reached out and touched the wrinkles on the mirror before touching the ones on his face.

  "You're aging rapidly!" his wife said urgently when she rushed in behind him. They both looked at and touched the wrinkles and greys that had sprouted up over night.

  Kristine turned him to face him and they had a tacit conversation as to what had to be done. They had spoken about this particular what if, on many of occasions but the occasion had arrived. The lasting effects of the cure were still unknown since he was her first success. There were plenty of cures after him, but he was the first. Now that the aging process had began, when would it stop? Would he keep advancing until his real age? Would he die of old age along the way?

  Kristine wasn't down to find out. At the rate he had aged overnight, he would be an old man by lunch. She squinted to make her point and he nodded in agreement.

  "Tuh!" she huffed to let him know she didn't need his approval. Then rushed off to retrieve one of the vials of blood she had drew before turning him back into a mortal. Martin was still squinted at the replica of the grandfather he lost long ago when she returned.

  "If this doesn't work," he began but didn't get to the end of his sentence.

  "This will work!" she insisted and she attached a needle to the vial, turning it into a syringe.

  He blinked and watched as the tip entered his mortal skin. Watched as she drew up some of his mortal blood, before depressing the plunger and injecting him with his immortal blood.

  "I love you and Martin," he groaned as a sharp pain wracked him in half.

  "We love you, too. Now, go ahead and die so you can come back to us," she said as he curled into a fetal position on the floor. Kristine showered and stepped over her dead husband to fix breakfast for her son.

  "Mummy, where is father?" Little Martin asked, looking down the hall for the man.

  "He's not feeling well. And for now on, call me ma. Call your father pops. You got it!" she barked with the frustration of the day evident in her voice.

  "Okay, ma," he said like a real New Yorker. He still had a ways to go, but so did his pops.

  *****

  “Well, look who's up!" Kristine cheered when her dead husband stirred back to life. It took longer than she expected and two days had passed by with a corpse in the corner.

  "Am I?" he asked and felt himself up. First he made sure he was alive since he remembered being dead. He felt his conflicted soul bouncing around inside of his frame. Angels from both heaven and hell came to claim him but it wasn't his time. Not just yet.

  "Well, you're alive," she said for sure since she had checked for a pulse while he was dead and didn't find one. "How do you feel?"

  "Thirsty. How do I look?" he asked and touched his face, then teeth. Last he reached down and gripped his dick.

  "You look good!" Kristine cheered. Martin took off into the bathroom to get a look for himself.

  "I do look good," he said and admired his old/new self in the mirror. He had aged close to sixty by the time Kristine injected him, but had reversed to his mid thirties. He made a grimace to see his fangs and they slowly slid back out. The Dark Prince was back.

  "Here you go," his darling wife said and handed him a pack of plasma when he returned.

  "Thanks," he thanked and sank his fangs inside. She produced another as he drained the first. He felt stronger with every drop but still didn't know which of his powers remained.

  "I'm sure glad it worked," she said with a sigh. Prince read between the lines, then peered inside her head and read her mind.

  "No, baby!" he moaned, even though it was too late to stop it. The deed was done and Kristine had injected herself with his blood, as well.

  "I won't live without you," she explained and began the process of dying. "Tell Martin I'll see him in a couple of days."

  "See you soon," he said and kissed her forehead. Prince tucked his wife in bed so she could die in peace.

  CHAPTER 3

  "Will Mrs. Jones be returning tonight?" Abbey asked when Prince emerged from his bedroom. He called the babysitter over so he could spread his wings a little until his wife awoke from her slumber.

  "Perhaps," he said and ignored her batting eyes and big breast. He wasn't sure why his wife selected the flirty white girl from the agency but wished she would wake up to deal with her.

  "Mom’s coming back tomorrow," young Martin proclaimed since he told him two days. He planned to hold his father to it just like he held his mother to when Prince died for a couple days.

  "Mom is coming back tomorrow," he agreed and kissed his son's forehead. The babysitter looked up like she wanted one too but he turned to leave.

  "One more movie and it's bedtime," Abbey sang as she watched the boy's handsome father exit the apartment. With Mrs. Jones away, she wanted to make sure the child was sleep when Mr. Jones returned. This way she could have him all to herself.

  Meanwhile, Prince needed to get out into the night and spread his wings. That's if he still had wings. He still had no idea what powers he had retained other than reading minds. The sloppy blowjob the babysitter pondered on gave him a good laugh even though he wouldn't take her up on it. He had long ago read the police report of his own father's death and infidelity would be a problem he and his wife would never have. He just hoped she awoke soon since she could give a pretty sloppy blow job herself when she wanted to.

  Prince was a daywalker before the cure but didn't risk the su
nlight just yet. He decided to take baby steps to see which of his powers remained. A flamboyant vampire up in the Bronx was making a lot of noise and getting a lot of attention. He had made it on their list anyway but once the man started turning children, he couldn't wait for Kristine to wake up.

  Mario had been a low level mafioso type up in the Bronx borough. He was regulated to being a driver and do-boy until he ventured into a vampire party one night. The parties moved from city to city every since someone turned into a wolf and ate a bunch of them in Atlanta. Then he had his manager, Meech, blow the roof, and burn the rest in the sun.

  "Did I do that?" Prince laughed at the memory as he ran swiftly along the highway towards the Bronx.

  Mario had began turning children to start his own army after killing all the other mafia men in the neighborhood. Now he had the power to rule the borough. He fed indiscriminately and left the street littered with corpses. The city filed a complaint and got him put on the vampire hunter’s hit list. It was more of a shit list since that's what they turned them into.

  Prince took a deep breath and made a huge leap when he reached the Hudson River. He couldn't quite fly again just yet but easily cleared the body of murky brown water filled with bodies and other assorted debris. He mentally mashed the gas and covered several blocks with each step. A few minutes after leaving his apartment, he arrived on Mario's block.

  "Hey, mister. Want a date?" a little girl asked when Prince reached the block.

  "Sure," he agreed since he read her mind and knew what she really wanted to give him in the alley. He could feel the gathering of vampires lurking in the dark alley. He still followed her as did many men looking for desert only to become dinner.

  This was how Mario's street urchins fed at night, while Mario preyed on mothers, fathers, and children. Not only does the heart survive when one is turned, it is enhanced. Whatever was in it before will be dialed up to the max. The good heart will still contain good despite having to feed for survival. That's why Claude opened the blood bank and Daryl fed on street criminals. The bad hearts became even more corrupt and inflicted as much damage as it could muster.

  Prince's heart contained a mix of good and bad. Mirth and malice, as well as forgiveness and vengeance. The mix made him compassionate and dangerous. These kids were about to get either side and didn't even know it.

  "Ahhh!" the child screamed and attacked. Prince let her jump on him and bite into his neck, as ten more vampire children popped out of their hiding places. The girl got a taste of his blood and hopped off just as quickly. "What are you?"

  "I'm what you're not," he replied and whipped out one of the few weapons he brought along with him. He and Kristine used to pack a bag full of vampire killings weapons when they were mortals. Now that he was turned, he was a vampire-killing weapon himself.

  The kids laughed when they saw the funny looking gun he produced. They all had been shot at least once since they began attacking humans. This was the Bronx after all and everyone was strapped.

  "Don't fight it," he warned and took aim. The children laughed when the darts lodged into their bodies. It was real funny until the cure began to spread through their bodies.

  Some took heed to his warning and let the magic happen. Some others enjoyed the chaos they could cause as vampires and resisted. As a result, some died while others lived and Prince was okay with that.

  "Now for Super Mario!" Prince growled and turned. He left the dead and dying kids behind. He followed the scent of the vampire up into a walkup building and knocked on the door with his foot.

  "What the fu—" Mario began to ask of the sudden intrusion. He was busy sucking blood from one woman while another sucked him below the waist at the same time.

  The fuck of his “what the fuck” got caught in his throat when Prince clamped his teeth into his neck. He could have quickly drained him dry but chose to snatch his throat away instead. Both woman had fresh bite marks in their necks and stuck their faces in the fountain spewing from his neck.

  "Ummm, not," Prince declined and used one swipe of his claws to remove both of their heads. "There can be only one and y'all ain't it!"

  *****

  Prince used to have to clean up behind himself when he made a massacre. Now he left a mess as a deterrent to other vampires. It worked about as much as states enacting the death penalty. Gangs still banged and thugs kept right on thugging. People kept wanting to get turned, so he would keep on turning them back into mortals or turning them into corpses. The choice was theirs.

  Prince felt a surge of power after killing Mario but still didn't have wings. He would take it slow and build his strength. When Katrina came for his son, he would be ready.

  Meanwhile, Abbey had just tucked little Martin in his bed and plotted on how to get Mr. Jones in bed next. She stripped naked and stretched out on the sofa so her plump, freshly shaved box would be the first thing he saw when he stepped in. She was so worked up she reached down and rubbed one out to take the edge off.

  "Even better!" she cheered at her next bright idea. Why not be face down, ass up in his bed since his wife was out of town she thought? Her head nodded with her bright idea while she went towards his room.

  The door was locked but that never stopped her before. She rushed into the kitchen and retrieved the universal master key, otherwise known as a butter knife. She jimmied the lock and shimmied inside.

  "Hmph," she said to herself of the lump under the comforter. She planned to fuck Mr. Jones in that same spot, so it would have to go. A loud screech filled the night air when she pulled the cover away and saw the corpse.

  "Uh oh," Prince said when he arrived at his building. The heavy police presence had him on high alert. He could only hope what ever happened didn't happen to his family. That hope was dashed when he arrived up to his floor and saw his door open.

  "There he is!" Abbey proclaimed and pointed at Prince as he walked into his door.

  "What's the problem here?" he asked, then squinted when he saw his door ajar. He was poised to pounce and slaughter them all if need be. If it came to that, he would claim they were all vampires who came to kill him before he could kill them. He remained calm when he realized they just arrived.

  "We got a call of a dead body?" the cop asked Prince, then looked at the caller.

  "His wife! In there!" Abbey shouted and pointed at the bedroom door. She left out the how she got in along with the why.

  "My wife? She—" Prince was saying before being interrupted.

  "Is trying to sleep! I'm dead tired," Kristine said with a yawn and stretch as she stepped out.

  "But she was, I saw her, I—" Abbey protested like she was upset to see the woman alive. Prince peered into her head and stifled a laugh. She was still thinking about getting laid.

  "Sorry to bother you guys," the cop said and turned to leave. There was an awkward moment of silence as Abbey searched for her next words.

  "Sorry?" Prince suggested without forcing it on her.

  "Yeah!" the airhead cheered and repeated. "I'm sorry I was going to and then she, and we—"

  "You can leave now," Kristine added. Abbey nodded and quickly gathered her things. She cast a last glance at Prince's crotch like the one that got away and scurried along her way.

  "How you feel, babes?" Prince asked and rushed to her side.

  "Thirsty!" she declared and looked to the door Abbey just left.

  "I figured you would be," Prince said and rushed to retrieve a pack of plasma. His wife was in the mirror looking at herself when he returned.

  "My smile lines are gone! And look at my boobies!" she happily admired. Kristine had shed a few middle-aged mommy pounds. Her boobs were bigger and firmer, plus her stomach was chiseled. His eyes went wide at the sight of her six-pack. Her eyes went wide at the sight of the blood.

  "Guess I'll grab another," he suggested as she greedily sucked down he first pack. He returned with the other and she slurped it down, as well.

  "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
" she asked and ran her tongue over her fangs.

  Prince passed on going inside her mind to see. Not that he had to since it was written all over her face. He scooped her up by her firmer ass and slid his tongue in her mouth. She reached down and guided him inside of her. It was off to the races until the sun peeked over the horizon. They could have gone all day but knew their child would come knocking soon.

  Kristine was first to blow but her husband was right behind her. They showered, and dressed to start a new day in their new lives as immortals.

  CHAPTER 4

  "What are you doing?" Kristine asked when Prince walked over to the window and reached for the curtain. The blackout drapes protected the vampires from the deadly sun.

  "I was a daywalker once. Perhaps I am once again," he said and pulled the drapes open. Kristine scrambled out of the way so none of the rays reached her.

  Prince put his hands on his hips, defiantly and looked up into the rising sun. It looked good for a few seconds until he started to smoke and sizzle. He tried to grin and bare it but it got the best of him.

  "Shit!" he cursed and fell away. He pulled the cord and shut the dangerous rays out where they couldn't hurt him.

  "Smells like bacon," Kristine laughed at her smoking husband.

  "Ha, ha," he laughed dryly. "We need strength. Vampires are evolving!"

  "He what?" she shrieked when Prince recounted the events of the night before. She rushed over to her computer to add this new development to her notes.

  Vampires regenerating was a new phenomenon around the globe. Now they were regrowing limbs as if they weren't hard enough to kill as it were.

  "We have to get stronger!" Prince repeated. They needed to find and kill as many vampires as they could, as fast as they could.

  "Looks like we'll get our chance!" she cheered and turned the screen towards him. Both bared their fangs as they read about another vampire jamboree coming soon.

  "A-yo, ma? Pops!" young Martin called as he knocked on the door. His parents retracted their fangs before inviting him in.