by Stacey Longo
Susan did not make a sound as she watched the scene play out before her.
“I’m evil because someone did this to me? I’m cursed with immortality. I never asked for it, never wanted it. All I want now is someone to spend it with. Someone who will literally love me forever. And I thought it was you.”
Keiana walked over to Susan and brushed a few stray, blonde hairs from her face. She struggled and made guttural sounds that were unintelligible with the gag in her mouth. Keiana looked down at her, disgusted. “This is your saint? Kneeling for her prayers? She’s only ever on her knees for one reason, Billy, and you of all people know it’s not to pray.”
“You live off the blood of the living,” Billy said.
“So does everyone else. Ever had a hamburger? We’re all physical predators. But this one,” she said, pointing at Susan who began to cry silently, her tears trickling down to wet the gag that had been tied around her head, “she is an emotional one. She’ll devour your soul if you let her.”
Billy thought. He tried to relive his entire experience with each of these two women.
“I’ll always love you. You want there to be something more to life, well we’ll have it, together. I am what you want, Billy. I’m exactly what you’ve been looking for.”
Billy pulled back the hammer on his pistol.
“Fine,” Keiana said. “Take her and go. Don’t waste your stupid bullet shooting me again; it won’t do anything.” She turned and started to walk away.
Billy looked down at Susan kneeling on the floor. She’d stopped crying and her face had relaxed, the fear having left it. Her eyes screamed thank you and I love you.
Billy’s face was hard, his mind still lost in thought. And then it struck him, the connections were all made; he saw the world differently, like in Keiana’s paintings. Clarity, true clarity, had been achieved.
“Wait,” Billy said. “Keiana, wait.”
She stopped. She didn’t move for a moment, as if uncertain she should bother to listen. When she finally did move, she turned, slowly, and stared at him from a distance.
“I’ve decided,” Billy said. “I love you. That’s the good, that’s the side to fight for.”
She did not move, nor did she say anything.
“I’m sure of things for once. I’m looking at the whole system of my life…” Billy didn’t know how to lead up to his point, so he stopped trying to and just blurted it out. “You’re the dream. You are. Everything I’ve ever wanted. Everything life should be but isn’t…you’re everything.”
Keiana ran to him. He slid his left arm around her waist as he holstered his gun.
She smiled, her fangs slowly receding back into her gums.
“Keep them out,” Billy said.
Keiana stopped smiling.
“We’ve got something more to do tonight,” he said.
Then she smiled knowingly, and her fangs slid smoothly back out.
There would, he figured, be a moment of pain in the beginning, but then they would be married, made of one blood, sharing life, ‘til death and beyond.
Billy tilted his head a bit, tempting her with the throbbing artery in his neck, submitting to her will, her hunger.
She ran the fingers of one hand backwards across his cheek, letting her fingers then run through his hair to stop and clasp at the base of his skull. She wrapped her other arm around his waist and, up on tiptoes, her lips grazing his throat, she whispered, “I love you, Billy.”
Then she pressed her fangs into him, opened him up and sucked the warmth and life that gushed out. His strength ran out of him, pulsing down with his slowing heartbeat until he was too weak to stand, and she cradled him. The spiced aroma of her hair passed over his face with a flash of crimson locks that cascaded over his eyes, his nose, his mouth, before falling away.
His vision began to darken, and for a moment, he willed that she drain it all, that he live on in her, that his life sustain her pristine beauty forever.
Then she pulled away.
As Billy felt the living world fade to shadows, he saw a vision of her hunched over him, her slender arms embracing him, her lithe body supporting him.
Keiana’s eyes, completely black now, sparkled as she looked down on him. She bit down on her tongue, splitting it open to let their combined essence rush forth, and kissed him.
He couldn’t even kiss her in return at first. Then her bleeding tongue passed over his and he tasted their mingled vitality. He felt the thickness of it and the heat of it. He swallowed it, and as it passed down his throat it burned hotter than any whiskey he’d ever had. In moments he was standing again, kissing her full lips, caressing her still-bleeding tongue with his own, swallowing liquid fire.
Then he pulled away.
His hat had fallen and his hair was disheveled. With ebony eyes he looked at Keiana. They had been united infinitely now, wed in a ceremony of blood, death, and resurrection. He smiled at her, his teeth now white as porcelain and sharp as needles.
But he wanted more. He wanted to drink the world dry, to devour every living thing in existence.
Keiana smiled, again, knowingly, and her gaze shifted slowly to Susan Walker, still kneeling on the floor, her mascara streaked down her face as she sobbed, gagged and wide-eyed, staring at them.
Billy reached down and grabbed Susan with one hand, holding the back of her head like a piece of fruit. She squirmed and tried to scream, but little more than muffled groans made it past the rolled up cloth in her mouth.
Billy felt as if he could take the world from Atlas and hold it with ease. His every fiber seemed to surge with strength.
He lifted Susan with one hand and held her dangling over the ground. Her cries gained intensity. A series of long, high-pitched notes were smothered by her gag.
Billy brought her taught, struggling body towards himself, brought her throat up to his lips. He bit down, and the force and heat of all the energy she’d been expending spurted into his mouth.
He drank her until there was almost nothing left. He offered the last bit to Keiana, who silently refused, a look of revulsion on her face as she looked at Susan.
Billy dropped her, and she landed hard on her knees. Her whole body quivered. She’d stopped crying and screaming and what little life was left in her was draining out to stain her shirt.
Billy reached down and picked up his hat. He nestled it on his head at just the right angle. He wiped a drop of blood from the corner of his mouth on the back of his hand.
Billy drew one of his daddy’s peacemakers and placed the barrel against Susan Walker’s forehead. For a moment it was as if all the world was silent.
He pulled the trigger, and wondered to himself if it was peace she would really find.
Billy kissed Keiana, and then asked, “ What do we do now?”
“Live forever,” she said.
“Where?” Billy asked as he holstered the Colt.
“Anywhere…everywhere. The world is too small when you’ve got all time to explore it.”
“Then let’s see everything,” Billy said, smiling.
Hand in hand they left the gallery.
Now they would ride off in search of the sunset together, to chase the virgin darkness and their dreams, to seek out all of the possibilities that most people give up in their inadequate, short lives.
It always did seem to be about a woman, Billy thought as he and Keiana stepped out into the night.
About the author:
Marc Sorondo lives with his wife and daughter in New York. He has had work published in Pill Hill Press’ Dark Things and Dark Things III and Blood Bound Books’ Rock and Roll is Dead.
Table of Contents
Dark Thing IV
Table of Contents
Dark Thing IV
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