Bitten

by Matt Shaw

  “I’m not killing anyone,” I said.

  Frank put the tape down next to where he was sitting. I picked it up and started to bind his arms.

  “Then what are you doing he asked?”

  I was buying time. I needed a place to lie low and where else was better than this remote farmhouse? A place where people don’t tend to visit - a fact pointed out by the lady of the house. I could hide here while deciding what to do and where to go. No need to kill them. Still not a monster yet and I want to keep hold of my humanity for as long as possible. Besides - if I keep them alive...If anyone phones or comes round looking for them, or visiting, they would be able to get rid of them for me. Buys me even more time. Good thinking I reckon. Especially for me. Normally I was the sort of guy who’d be the one messing up the well laid plans of others whilst stumbling at every turn. Another possible side effect of the infection spreading through me? I’m becoming more of a big picture kind of guy? More cunning. At least this is a useful side effect. One which I’d be happy to live with...As long as I can get my life back, keep my teeth looking blunt and - of course - not get a proper taste for human blood...Maybe it won’t be too bad?

  When I finished binding Frank’s arms I pushed him back onto the bed so he was side by side with his wife.

  “So what now?” he asked.

  I paused. My new and improved cunning mind hadn’t been cunning enough to think the whole thing through perfectly. Still - it was a start and that was better than nothing. At least I won’t be sleeping rough tonight.

  “Now we get some rest. Could be a long night,” I said. I tore another strip of tape from the roll and put it over Frank’s mouth. I threw the roll onto the floor and stood up, “I’ll check on you periodically. Nod if you understand.”

  They both nodded their heads.

  I smiled.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Fangs as sharp as needle-points on a pair of new syringes. Light blue eyes which can see for miles in crystal clarity making me realise that my old eyesight had been far from perfect. A heightened sense of smell - I can smell perfume so perfectly now that I instantly know what the ingredients are and on which woman it rests on, even if I were surrounded by a group of a hundred or more ladies. More importantly I can smell the blood of every human around me. The need to feed grows within me. My heart rate quickens - for no other reason than an old lingering human trait. It certainly isn’t pushing the blood around my system. It’s just doing what it thinks it needs to. No doubt, in time, when I’m older in my new improved body my heart will forget what it used to do and will cease completely. A day that can’t come quickly enough. I want to forget the human I used to be and concentrate on the beast I have become.

  As I moved swiftly, from shadow to shadow in the stranger’s house, I can’t believe how frightened I was of this transformation. There was nothing to fear. The lack of pulse scared me but it’s actually comforting. Without it - there was one less thing to worry about it. One less thing to distract me from this eternal bliss I’ve been introduced to.

  I moved up the stairs - both without effort and noise - until I was standing outside the bedroom door. The scent of blood stronger now, I know my meal is on the other side of the door waiting for me helplessly. It would take nothing for me to burst through the door and tear apart whatever waited for me on the other side but I don’t want the hunt to be over so quickly. I want to savour every moment of their terror. The more scared they are, the sweeter they taste.

  I breathed in deeply. The smell. There are two people on the other side of this door. They don’t know I am here. They’re currently relaxed. Possibly sleeping. Possibly drifting. They’re there though. Another deep breath. One is male and the other female. I’ll kill the male with a quick twist of his fragile little neck. Minimum effort required. I’ll drink from her. The taste of female blood more to my liking than the taste of man.

  I drummed my fingers on the wooden panel of the door, before I dragged my long nails down it - long enough to stir them from their slumber. The bed springs creaked as one of them sat up - alerted by the strange noise. A smile spread across my thin, pale lips. Whichever one had sat up, it’s heart rate had quickened. Human time moves slower than my own time. In a couple of their seconds - both heart rates are racing as the first person woke the second up. I drummed on the wooden door again. More creaking from the bed. One of them is coming to investigate. I breathe in. The man. I smiled. By the time he gets to the door, I’ll already be in the room but via the bedroom window. A hand twists the door’s brass handle. I smiled and watched for another human second and then - in a blink of one of their eyes - I was watching from the bedroom windowsill.

  The girl’s pretty. Her hair, ruffled from her sleep, is blonde and down to her skinny waist. She’s sitting up nervously watching her partner at the bedroom door. He looks big. Certainly big enough to make me have wanted to avoid him in my previous life. But this isn’t my previous life. My wiry thin frame is a lot more dangerous than it used to be. Another perk. He turned around. A full beard and dark eyes. He looks moody. Wait until he gets a load of me. The man shrugged. There was nothing there for him to worry about. Nothing to cause alarm for him or his partner.

  A blink later and I’m standing behind the man - back in the doorway.

  “There’s nothing here,” he shrugged.

  The woman spotted me and screamed. The man span around in time to see me raise my hands. My eyes were fixed on the girl as my hands wrapped around his neck. It doesn’t even take a quarter of my strength to snap it. It’s a loud satisfying crack which rings through his partner’s ears. She screams again as the man slumps to the floor.

  When I was new to this - the screams bothered me. Now though...Well now I enjoy them. I raised my finger to my lips and shushed the girl. Dramatic purposes only. Like I said - I quite enjoy the screams now.

  She blinks. By the time she opens her eyes again I’m literally on top of her. I pushed her back on the bed with as much force as I needed to show her that I’m in charge. The fear in her eyes...The speed her blood is flowing through her veins...The heavy beat of her soon to be dead heart...My need to feed growing to such an extent I know I won’t be able to control it soon. Enjoy these last few human minutes before I drink until my stomach is glutted.

  Another scream from her pretty mouth as I used my sharp nails to pierce the flesh on her skin. My favourite part. The blood, which trickles freely from the fresh wound, hits me hard. I tilted my head back and opened my mouth. My fangs grew longer...Sharper...My eyes filled with a deep red colour, replacing the blue. It’s time. She screamed again as I sunk my teeth into her neck. She can struggle against me as much as she wants but the teeth ensure she goes nowhere - even if she was, somehow, stronger than me. I have still to meet my match. Other than Helen of Troy, I mean. The ready-made holes in her neck make it easier to drain her veins.

  It wasn’t long before her screaming ceased and her eyes rolled back into her skull. I released her from my vice-like grip when I could get nothing more from her body and she slumped down to the side, lifeless.

  “Night-night, sweet princess,” I whispered. I started to laugh as I surveyed the scene of my visitation. Another two nights and I’ll feed again. Until then - this will keep me sustained. The memories of tonight will keep me going for longer...

  * * * * *

  I woke up with dribble running down my chin. It’s dark outside - obviously didn’t sleep through the night then; partly due to this uncomfortable living room armchair and partly because of the bad dreams. Bad dreams? Hardly bad going by the state of my penis at the moment. Can’t remember the last time it was as rigid as this. I stood up and cracked my back as I tried my best to ignore what was happening between my legs. Just a chemical reaction. Nothing to do with the dream, I’m sure. Hell - the girl in the dream, who I didn’t even recognise...She wasn’t even naked. If memory serves correctly it was a silky nightdress she wore. Never really floated my boat...I much prefer a little less left to th
e imagination.

  Still thinking about the dream, I ran my tongue across my top row of teeth. Nothing unusual there. Certainly nothing sharp enough to make me believe I’d suddenly grown some fangs. Maybe I’m in the clear? Maybe I’m not going to change? I’m sure, in the films, it happened quickly; the person was bitten, had a little death-nap, woke up with fangs, a thirst for hemoglobin and an intolerance to sunlight. I don’t ever recall them waking up in a hospital, wanted for rape and God only knows what and on the run...Should never have run from the damned hospital. What was I thinking? Should have just faced the music. Running just made it all so much worse. Not only did it make me look more guilty but now...Well now I have a dead girl and two hostages added to my rap sheet. By running - I severely narrowed my options.

  I left the lounge and walked up the stairs towards the bedroom where I had left my hostages. They were both awake. They were both staring at me. Both of them wondering what my next move was going to be.

  I flicked the bedroom light on and walked over to where they laid on the bed. With no words I sat down on the edge of the bed with my back to them. I paused for a while contemplating things in my mind.

  “I’ve made a bit of a mess of things,” I confessed. I didn’t look at them. I didn’t wait to hear whether they wanted to know of the things I had done - the mistakes I had made. I was the one in charge now so this was my shout and I needed to talk about it. I’m not sure why. Maybe I felt, on some level, it would make me feel better? Maybe I felt that, by talking it out loud, I’d figure out some kind of answer to my problems or that, maybe, they’d have some answers for me. “A few nights ago I was driving home from work,” I said, “when I spotted a woman by the side of the road - next to a broken down car. It was raining and she looked as though she was upset so I pulled over. I don’t know anything about cars but I thought I could give her a lift somewhere...You know...Somewhere where she may have found the help she was looking for...A garage or something...I don’t know...The rest of the night’s filled with blank memories and missing time but...I remember - she attacked me. She bit me...Right on my neck...” I raised my hand to my neck and felt where the bite was...What the hell? I jumped to my feet and ran from the room. I crossed the landing and ran into the bathroom which Frank had used earlier. A tug on the string, hanging next to the doorway, illuminated the room. A mirror hanging on the wall was exactly what I was looking for. I gazed upon my reflection - more specifically at the bite. Gone. No trace of it whatsoever.

  “What the hell?”

  The last time I had seen it...Touched it even...It had felt as though it were infected but now - my skin was clear. Not a blemish. It was as though it had never happened. I cast my mind back over the last few days. A slight relief when I remembered Jen mentioning the bite mark too. For a minute there I thought I had imagined it - as though it had never happened. It definitely did though. The fact that she had mentioned it, and I remember the conversation clearly...It happened alright.

  The slight relief I felt soon disappeared when I realised what that meant. It was on my neck. Definitely. So where was it now? There was no way it could have healed - not in just a few hours. Especially given how it looked, and felt, yesterday.

  Super fast healing?

  “Shit...”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  I hurried down the stairs, ignoring the fact that I had left the bedroom light on and the two elderly hostages confused. They were definitely the least of my worries at the moment. Down the hallway I ran into the kitchen. A flick of the light switch as I passed by so I could see what I was doing. Straight away I saw what I was looking for. Next to the sink was a knife block filled with blades of all sizes. Exactly what I needed.

  I reached over and pulled out the biggest of the knives. I held the blade up. Looks pretty sharp. You know maybe I don’t need to use the biggest of the knives...A smaller one will have the same effect and it’s not as though I need to make a massive incision to test what my body is doing with wounds. A small one will be just as useful.

  I put the larger knife down and pulled out the smallest of the knives. This one looks so blunt I’m not entirely sure whether it would even cut butter. I pressed it against the flesh of my wrist regardless and pressed down. Just as I thought. No good. Out of frustration I threw it down and picked the second knife from the block. Bigger and sharper. This will work.

  I pressed it against the same area of my wrist - exactly where I had tried the other knife. The cold metal against my skin sent a shiver down my spine and made the hairs on my arm stand to attention - as though curious about what I was about to do. I closed my eyes. I don’t want to do this but I need to know.

  I expected to scream as I pressed the knife deep into my flesh but I didn’t. Weird really - especially considering my usually low tolerance to pain. As soon as I moved the knife down my skin, blood flowed freely. I put the knife down and admired the wound. Blood spurted everywhere - a deeper cut than I had first thought. I watched it for a while. It didn’t stop bleeding. The blood even trickled off the side of my arm and onto the floor where it began to form a puddle. A quick moment of panic as I wonder whether I’ve cut something important...Another look at the wound...Don’t think I have...Think it’s just the skin that’s opened. Even so...I wasn’t expecting so much blood. Kind of expected it to heal over again more or less immediately but that doesn’t appear to be the case.

  I wonder if they have a plaster anywhere.

  * * * * *

  I was sitting in front of Frank and his wife, back on the bed again. My hand was wrapped in a tea-towel to try and stem the bleeding which didn’t seem to want to stop. I was feeling a little bit stupid about the whole situation. For a moment there I thought...Well it doesn’t matter what I thought. What does matter though is that the neck wound has gone without a trace. Without that - no one will believe I was even bitten in the first place. Another way for my story to fall apart when the time comes - and no doubt it will come - to talk about what happened with the authorities.

  The look on the couples’ faces...They wanted me to finish my story. They wanted to know what was so obviously troubling my delicate mind. They wanted to know why they were on the bed - bound and gagged. Continue the story - it’s better than having to explain why I’m bleeding.

  “I picked the girl up. I remember her attacking me. She bit me here but...The bite mark is gone now...I know you probably won’t believe me...”

  The old man tried to say something - stopped only by the gag on his mouth. I hesitated for a moment before I reached across and tugged it away from his wrinkled face.

  “I saw it there yesterday,” he said.

  I smiled. Someone else confirming I wasn’t losing my mind. It was there. Now I have the word of an old, senile man, myself and a dead woman - who also happened to be the only witness to be able to explain what’d happened to her was an accident. “I got away from her. Pure fluke. I fell out of my car into the road. I looked up in time to see a car heading straight for me. Woke up in a hospital bed...”

  “I never saw any bruises on your head...” he said.

  I frowned and felt my head. It certainly didn’t feel any different from a normal head. Ugly maybe but not lumpy or bruised. I stood up and crossed the room to where I had noticed a small make-up mirror. I glanced at my reflection. Still there. No bruises though. Not a single mark on my forehead. I have also just noticed that my headache has gone completely. I’m not sure when, exactly, it had disappeared.

  I turned back to Frank, “When I woke up in the hospital I had bandages around my head.” Frank didn’t argue with me. Would he have done so had it not been for the tape which bound him? I don’t know. I don’t need to know. I continued, “I was handcuffed to the hospital bed. I didn’t know why - just knew I had to get out of there so...I broke out...”

  “You woke up from being knocked out cold and managed to break out of your handcuffs? That’s impressive...”

  I thought for a moment. At the time I hadn’t give
n it much thought. I had just done what was necessary. Had I been stronger from the moment I had woken up? Before the attack - strength wasn’t exactly my thing. I should test myself...Wait...No...Not after the test with the knife. Still bleeding. Stupid thing to do.

  I ignored my thoughts and continued regardless, “I went to my friend’s house. A place to keep my head down for a while whilst I figured things out. Well she saw the news on the television. She saw that I was wanted for trying to rape the woman at the side of the road...Not just that - they said I was wanted for other assaults too.”

  “You tried to rape her?”

  “No! I didn’t! But she didn’t believe me...She went to call the police and I reached out - tried to stop her. She fell and banged her head on a table...Didn’t wake up...” I felt as though I was going to cry but my eyes denied the feeling by refusing to well up. A shame - some tears might have made me look as though I weren’t happy about the current situation. Instead - my lack of emotion shows….Again I ignored my thoughts and pressed on, “I waited another night and legged it out of there. Removed any trace I had been there and left via the backdoor. I went into the woods...The following day you found me...”