The foul smell of sulfur bit at her nostrils. Acid welled in her throat. She became short of breath and forcefully inhaled to fill her lungs. A sense of power flooded through her body. It was as if her brain had been fractured all of her life and something inside was shoving everything into place.
Zelda placed her hand on the boy’s left cheek. The coolness of his skin moved her in an unnatural way. Something unknown to her conscious mind drew her nearer to him. As their faces met, she realized it was the unique smell of death pulling her. With her face just inches from his, she closed her eyes and breathed in slowly and deeply. She opened her eyes and marveled at the hue of his pale cheeks and red-blue lips. She felt her warm breath bounce off his cheek and back into her nostrils. It filled her with want and desire.
She placed her lips softly on his and gave him a gentle kiss. Her eyes swelled with tears.
She kissed him again. Harder this time. First on his lips, and then on his cheek. She then dragged her open mouth and tongue across his face until her face was sliding in wetness against his.
Zelda bit his lower lip and severed it from his mouth. She chewed the lip slowly, letting the taste of his dead flesh roll over her tongue, savoring the texture and flavor of the raw meat.
What she was doing was one of the greatest taboos in human society. But there was nothing in her mind telling her what she was doing was wrong. Nothing in her mind screaming that this was madness and to stop.
She swallowed the lip and wiped the spittle from her chin with the back of her hand. Chewing through his cheek proved to be more difficult. Her teeth were unaccustomed to tearing through fresh meat. The cheek had a different texture than the lip, but it was equally as pleasing.
Zelda fed until she could eat no more. Then, cleaned herself up as best as she could with tissues from her purse. Rationality returned, and she had fled the scene thinking that her life would forever be changed. For the better.
* * *
The demon that had entered Zelda during that lazy summer afternoon was comfortably hidden in her subconscious. It relished the experience of inhabiting a host and to walk among the living again, and more importantly, feed on the dead.
Drifting through the eons, the demon had witness the advancement of man. And much to its displeasure, the modern day burial practices had made feeding more difficult. No longer was its host able to raid a remote cemetery under the cover of darkness and pull from a shallow grave a tender, fetid corpse. Modern security and science with all its rank chemicals made its age old practice of eating cadavers a thing of the past. But its hunger still had to be satisfied.
Zelda applied her eyeliner and finished with a coat of lip gloss on her pouty lips. When she looked in the mirror, it no longer reflected the unkempt, self-loathing societal reject of two years before. Her radical new diet and exercise regimen had brought out the hidden features of her natural beauty. Instead of attending college, Zelda enrolled in a nursing program that allowed her to work off hours in the hospital to support herself until she earned a degree.
A lot of things had changed over the two years. The taste for testosterone rich meat gave way to that of estrogen. Her supply of meat from her last victim was gone. Tonight she hoped to rectify the situation. It was Saturday night and all the lesbian bars would be full of adventurous, loose women waiting to find solace in another’s gentle arms.
Zelda slipped on a pair of her sexiest shoes and checked herself in the full length mirror one last time. She wanted to look as desirable as she could. A ghoul’s gotta eat, you know.
* * *
Zelda met Caroline on the dance floor. The blaring music in the dark bar with the rays of cascading colored lights dulled the senses. The alcohol didn’t hurt either. Zelda had been careful not to drink too much and had been nursing a mojito since she had arrived. She put on her most extroverted party face and danced alone, looking like an unattached carefree girl that was easy to meet.
Caroline had danced her way toward Zelda. Despite the darkness, Zelda was mesmerized when Caroline looked at her with those large eyes through long lashes. Her full face was framed by high cheekbones and her wide mouth made her look . . . delicious.
The two danced a few songs together until they were dancing close enough for their bodies to touch. The connection was made. Caroline took Zelda by the hand and led her to a table away from the distracting music on the dance floor.
The two had spent almost an hour talking. They were on their second drink together, complements of Zelda. She had made the trips to the bar to get herself a mojito—minus the rum—and a drink for Caroline too. She added a little rohypnol she stole from the hospital to Caroline’s first drink.
Zelda had been waiting for the eyelids on those large beautiful eyes of Caroline’s to droop. So far, she hadn’t shown any effects of the drug. Zelda would usually be driving her victim home by now and wondered if the drug was past its expiration date.
The bar was packed with plenty of available women. Which made a petite, young blonde two table’s away stand out from the rest. She was alone, looking out of place. Zelda felt her staring at them with more than a common interest.
“What is it with that girl over there,” Zelda tipped her head to her left.
Caroline took a sip of her drink and darted her eyes in that direction. “Oh, I’ve seen her before. Her name is Rachel somethingorother. In the past, she and another couple of guys would protest in front of the bar carrying signs. Just a bunch of holy-rollers trying to stir up trouble. I’ve been seeing her come here alone recently. She doesn’t mingle, and she doesn’t drink. I think that she’s just confused about her own sexuality and doesn’t know how to deal with it.”
Zelda smiled and took Caroline by the hand. “So, my lovely, do you think she’s stalking you?” Zelda let go of her hand. “Your hand is like ice.”
“Sorry, I’ve been holding my mojito with that hand,” Caroline said, looking down at the table. She closed one eye and thought for a moment. “You know, I have been seeing that girl out a lot lately. Not just here. I thought it was just a coincidence, but now I’m not so sure. Maybe she is a stalker.”
Zelda shot a stern glance at the blonde. “I don’t know, but she’s starting to creep me out.”
“Then why don’t we go back to my place? I have locks on my door,” Caroline said, smiling.
Zelda smiled back, everything but the drug kicking in was going to plan.
* * *
Caroline parked her car in the garage, opened the car door for Zelda, and then the door into her house. “Won’t you please come in?”
There was something in the tone of Caroline’s voice that made Zelda hesitate for a moment. Caroline’s expression beckoned her to enter. Zelda stepped over the threshold hurriedly, fearing she might be perceived as being rude.
The door opened into the living room. It was tastefully decorated with dark wood and leather furniture. It gave Zelda the feeling of stepping back in time where old British men would go to sip after dinner drinks and smoke cigars.
Zelda heard the jingle of keys and the mechanical sounds of lock cylinders turning and bolts sliding into place. There was something final in the way the locks clicked. A hollow sound as if a vault had been shut. Zelda started to feel vulnerable, unlike the predator she had learned to become.
“What’s the matter, Zelda? You’re not having second thoughts are you?” Caroline said as she removed her shoes. She walked in bare feet slowly toward Zelda and held her with the embrace of her penetrating gaze.
Zelda’s wide eyes softened as she relaxed. “No . . . .”
Caroline kissed her gently. Zelda stood with her eyes closed and her mouth open as Caroline pulled away, and let her dress drop off her shoulders and then down to the floor. Dark makeup had hidden the true color of her skin. Her naked body was pale and lifeless. Zelda was in a trance and didn’t feel compelled to ask why.
Caroline led Zelda into the bedroom and removed her clothing. The bed was covered in clear plastic.
The plastic crinkled and pulled at Zelda’s skin as Caroline laid her down.
“Here, let me go down on you first.” Caroline grinned evilly. Her canine teeth grew longer. She slid her face down to Zelda’s thighs and pulled them apart. Caroline placed her mouth between her legs and punctured a femoral artery. She drank deeply. Blood pulsed in to her mouth with each heartbeat.
Three loud banging noises followed a crash from the rear of the house. Caroline was fixated on her primordial need to feed and reluctantly tore herself away from her nightly meal.
Boots pounding wooden floors in the hall sent Caroline springing up from bed. The light in the bedroom clicked on, and she was face to face with three intruders. All dressed in black military camouflage.
Caroline gave them a hiss—showing her blood stained fangs. Zelda awoke from her trance and cried out in surprise.
Rachel, the blonde from the bar, followed two men. One of the men stepped away from the others and pointed a neon green plastic Super-Soaker water gun at Caroline and wet her down.
She wiped the water from her face with her hand and crossed her arms. “Let me guess. Holy water, right? And you added garlic juice. Now that is some stinking ass shit.”
The man with the Super-Soaker took a step back and turned to the other man behind him.
“Look what you’ve done to my floors. This is real ebony wood. Do you have any idea how much it cost?”
The man tossed the water gun aside and charged Caroline, with the other man following closely on his heels. Caroline brushed the rushing man away like he was an insect, slamming him against the wall. But the other man surprised her when he raised a short silver spear with a sharp wooden point on the end. He drove the spear into her chest and pinned her against the wall.
“Are we too late? Has the girl been drained?” Rachel asked.
“She looks alive. Go see about her. Looks like the vamp is still alive too,” the second man said. The spear had missed Caroline’s heart, entering too high. She was impaled against the wall.
Rachel went to Zelda’s side. “That’s a nasty looking bite you have on your leg. Did she feed very long?”
Zelda looked at her wound. “No . . . not long. I think.”
“We had to be sure about her before we could break in. There’s a night vision camera set up outside that window,” Rachel said pointing. “When we saw the fangs come out we decided to go in. You’re safe now. Thanks to God’s grace you’re safe.” Rachel gathered Zelda’s clothes and handed them to her.
“Bill, you okay? You hit the wall kind of hard,” Rachel said.
Bill rubbed the back of his head. “I’ll live. But that vampire won’t be alive for long.”
Caroline’s eyes blazed with anger. She grabbed the silver portion of the spear, and her hands started smoldering on contact. With a cry of anguish she let go.
“Whew, what a stench,” Jeremy said, the one who had driven the spear through her.
“So, what do you do now? Call the police?” Zelda asked.
“No, that’s not the way it works. We’re going to take care of the vampire and dispose of it. This is a war between good and evil. Between God and the Devil. You don’t have to be part of this, although we would like you join us. God could use more soldiers in his army.” Rachel reached out and pressed her hand on Zelda’s.
Zelda turned to Caroline. She appeared as a scared little girl, not some horrible monster. Zelda looked to Rachel. “I’d like to stay and help.”
“That’s great! A new world is going to open up for you. Just wait and see. You’ll learn about things that’ll change your life forever,” Rachel said.
“Let’s get this over with. Where are the stakes?” Jeremy asked.
Rachel let go of Zelda’s hand. “I left them in the truck. I’ll go with you. I need to get the body bag, and I want to get the medical kit and clean up her bite. Bill can stay here and watch things.”
Bill pulled out a 9mm pistol from his side holster and chambered a round. “I’m ready. Wooden tipped silver bullets. Custom made by yours truly.”
Rachel led the way with Jeremy following. “All right, cowboy. Don’t shoot that thing unless your life depends on it.”
Bill waited for them to leave the room, and then approached Caroline with the gun raised in firing position. “You’re nothing but the spawn of the Devil. Don’t worry, we’ll be sending you back to your daddy soon.” Bill pushed the spear deeper into Caroline until the wooden part passed entirely through and the silver part touched her skin. Caroline twisted in pain as the wound started to smoke.
Zelda moved away from the bed behind Bill.
“Yeah, you’ll be smoking even more when you get to Hell,” Bill said, just before a vase hit his head rendering him unconscious.
Caroline looked at Zelda with surprise as she grabbed the spear and pulled it out, freeing her from certain doom.
Footsteps came up the hall. Caroline sprang by the bedroom door with the speed of a jaguar as Jeremy stepped in. Her hands went straight to his head. In one smooth motion, she twisted it and broke his neck.
Rachel stopped at the doorway and gasped. Caroline grabbed her by her collar and dragged her into the middle of the room. Her fangs shot out, and she plunged them deeply into Rachel’s neck. Rachel made moaning noises indistinguishable from sounds of pleasure or pain. Caroline drank until the body became limp and there was no more blood to suck out.
She let the body drop to the floor, and gazed at Zelda while wiping the blood from her mouth. “You saved me. Why?”
“I think I did it because I don’t see you as being the monster they were making you out to be. You are a being just like any other. You have a right to survive too,” Zelda said.
“But now you know I’m a vampire. What makes you think I can let you live knowing that about me?”
Zelda bent down next to Rachel and unbuckled her weapons belt. She removed the survival knife from its sheath and pulled Rachel’s pants down to her knees. Caroline watched with a surprised expression.
Zelda carved out a slab of meat from Rachel’s thigh. She stuck it with the end of the blade and took a large bite out of it right off the knife. “It’s way too fresh for my liking. But now you know a secret about me. Our secrets can be safe with each other.”
Bill started to stir. Caroline ended his life quickly. She removed the plastic off of her bed and motioned Zelda to join her. The two spent the night together in passion as the bodies cooled on the floor.
*
Zelda put several grocery bags full of meat in the trunk of Caroline’s car. She needed to get home and Caroline wouldn’t need her car until tonight anyway. Zelda would have it back by the time she awoke from her daytime slumber.
Caroline had some friends that were going to take care of Rachel’s truck and the bodies of the two men. Zelda had known about chop shops stripping automobiles. But had not known about ‘chop shops’ that sold human body parts. The market was larger than she had imagined.
Zelda had never been in a relationship and was giddy with excitement. She was feeling love for the first time. Genuine love. There were so many things she and Caroline could do together. So many ways they could help each other. The arrangement couldn’t be more perfect.
Finding food would be less of a chore now. One body could supply them both. Once the trap was set, Caroline could drain the blood, and Zelda would have the body to eat for later.
It was a perfect match made in Hell.
The End
Prison Bitch
Gomez,
You can run, but you can’t hide. I’ve found you again, and this time you’re not getting away. I’m going to make you pay. Pay in a way that you have never imagined.
You rotten bastard! Did you think you could hide forever? After what you did me? After what you made me do? Night after night, day after day back in prison? Do you know how much you humiliated me? I told you then I would get my revenge.
You used to call me your prison bitch. You made me grow m
y hair long and shave my body. I hated every second of my life. And it wasn’t bad enough that you abused me. But you traded me out. You let those other animals have me.
I’ve spent a shit load of money getting those tattoos removed. The ones you gave me. Tit’s on my shoulder blades and ‘Fuck This’ on my ass. I’m going to write my name in you with my teeth!
I nearly had you two years ago too, you cruel fuck. I was just going to rough you up a bit with that night stick. I wanted you to say that you’re sorry. Even if you didn’t mean it. I just needed to hear it. Instead, I had to get all my teeth capped after you took the night stick away and broke them out. Stapling my face to the inside of a glory hole at that XXX movie theater was bad enough. But why did you have to shove that night stick so far up my ass? I had to go through major surgery. The damn nurses had an X-ray of it in their break room. They couldn’t look at me without giggling.
It was just my plain bad luck my gun jammed last year when I ambushed you. You should have seen your face. I wish I had a camera and could show you a picture. You looked like a scared girl. And I would have killed you that day. But no, you took the gun from me and cut all the fingers off my right hand and superglued my palm to my dick. I bet you thought it was funny leaving me on the sidewalk with that live pigeon shoved in my ass. Telling me it was looking for corn.
You left me there for dead. But I didn’t die. My hatred for you made me live. I joined a terrorist group just to learn how to make bombs. Do you know how hard it is to get in with a group that distrust you from the start because you wipe your ass and eat with the same hand? Do you? Well, it wasn’t easy.
I was going to blow you into little pieces and use it for fish bait. And I would have too if I hadn’t added the sulfuric acid too fast and blew my good hand off. My eyebrows have never grown back. But did that stop me? No!
I spent my last five hundred dollars paying a Private Eye to find out your email and track your IP address to where you live. And this time I’m going to get you!
Horror Buffet : Six Servings of Tasty Terror Page 3
