Parasite ; Sleeper Cells ; Kingdoms of the Dead

by Ian Woodhead

  She slammed her jaws together, not even aware that her enlarged canines had sliced into her gums. The hot pain had returned. She cried out, not allowing it to beat her again. The ache from her complaining muscles drowned out every other pain as she moved her head, but she just had to see who had entered the room.

  Darlene followed the large shadow that fell across her shivering body and saw a familiar looking figure framed in the doorway. She blinked in confusion, not sure if her eyes were lying to her. “Is that really you, Paul?” she whispered, unable to look away from the huge man blocking the light from the hallway.

  He took a single step into the bedroom and chuckled. She caught her breath at the sight of her ex-lover staring down at her. His eyes had lost their innocence; all she saw in there now was cruelty and a tinge of pity. It came as a huge shock to sense only disgust oozing from him.

  Darlene slowly crawled away from Paul, every movement was a struggle, the pain cut into her like shards of broken glass.

  “You don’t look very happy to see me, my dirty little rabbit.” He opened his mouth wide, laughing at her quiet gasp. “You thought you had killed him, that I was your first meal. Oh dear.”

  “You, you mean, you’re like me?”

  She gazed up at her ex-lover. The man was massive, he’d gained another foot in height and he had filled out.

  Paul shrugged. “You still haven’t got it, my dear. Oh yeas, it’s true that I’ve grown.” He winked, “Yeah, I did snatch that from your open mind, Darlene. But, I’m not like you, my sweet.” Paul ran over to her and flung Darlene onto the bed. “I’m much more than you though, you selfish bitch,” he snarled. “You’re looking at the finished product. You fucked up, Darlene, you’re pathetic. Neither human or vampire.”

  He sat on the side of the bed, the springs complaining under his extra weight. “I suppose that I should thank you. You see, for the first time in my life, I am no longer have to cower before my father or hide from him in my bedroom while he took out his frustration on my mother.”

  He leaned forward and stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. “Did it feel good when you bit into the side of my neck and drank deep?” he sighed. “I can see from your eyes that it did feel good, it was better than anything else you have ever experienced, like a hundred orgasms combined with a thousand light bulbs exploding inside your mind. I know, because it’s how I felt after I had drained my father.” He giggled. “I’ll let you in on a little secret, the first one is always the sweetest. I’ve drunk from another four more necks since I killed that old bastard and none have come close to how he made me feel.”

  The pain in her body vanished, leaving her feeling washed out and ravenous but she still believed she had enough energy to at least escape. Darlene felt his powerful mind slicing through her like an unstoppable tornado, ripping away her memories layer by layer. She found it unable to fight back, but she did find ways to block him from sections of her thoughts. The desire to escape was pushed into her secret fortress.

  “Unlike me, my victims will not be coming back. You see, I ripped them into tiny little bits once I had drunk my fill. I can’t tell you how much fun that was. I once had a friend at school who used to get off by pulling legs and wings off insects. He’s in a home now. The freak moved up to doing the same to cats and dogs. I always thought that people like that should be put down.” He laughed. “And now I’m just like that, only far worse.” False concern flickered in his eyes. “How are you feeling, honey? You don’t look so pathetic anymore. Some of your strength is flowing back into your tired body, yes?”

  Paul’s mental probes battered down the locked doors in her mind, eagerly drinking down the all of her locked up knowledge. He moaned softly. She moaned with him. “Shall we both find out what our new bodies are capable of?”

  He grinned. “Oh yes.”

  His mental probes left her, as he fought to climb out of his clothes. She waited until his lust had taken full control of the man before leaping onto him, her long teeth fastening onto his throat.

  He roared out in pain and surprise, trying to dislodge her, but she held on tight, digging her nails deep into his flesh as her hot blood flooded his mouth. He spun around and slammed her into the wall. Darlene cried out as he thrust his head back, his hard skull crashing into her nose.

  She fell off him, sliding down the wall. Darlene screamed out in frustration when she felt his long fingers encircle her ankle.

  “I’m going to rip off your head for tricking me like that, you fucking cow!” he shouted.

  She managed to throw her hands under her to stop her head from smashing against the floor. Darlene kicked out with her free leg, snarling when Paul caught that one as well. He pinned them down then crawled up her body. When she tried to push him off, he swung his fist and punched her hard in the stomach.

  Darlene glared into his crimson eyes, sensing uncertainty. “Fuck you,” she spat. “It looks like you aren’t as strong as you thought.”

  His blow just bounced off her hard flesh. Darlene bucked, giggling when Paul bounced off her body. She jumped to her feet and raced after the vampire who was trying to crawl under her bed.

  “I can feel your slimy fingers trying to find an entrance into my head.” She stopped and watched him pull his body further under her bed. The temptation to remove the rest of his precious blood would have to at least wait until she had found something to wear. Darlene wanted the pain last a little longer. She just had no wish to feel his eyes crawling across every contour of her body.

  She resisted the urge to shiver, walked over to her wardrobe and put the door between her and him. Now that she had beaten him into submission and gained the upper hand, some of the intense heat inside her cooled a little, allowing her to get her thoughts in order.

  As she looked through her clothing, Darlene ran her tongue across her teeth, searching for any pieces of flesh that she might have missed. “This outfit is just perfect,” Darlene said, giggling when her probing tongue found a segment of his flesh lodged between her teeth.

  Feeling more confident dressed, Darlene walked back to Paul, smiling as he drew his legs further under the bed. She crouched down, catching sight of his hooded eyes. The sight of his hot blood leaking out of him made her mouth water. It annoyed her to see it go to waste, soaking into the carpet.

  “I’ve always loved you,” he whispered. Paul licked his cracked lips. “I still do, you know. Despite the weird filth that your fangs put into me when you first bit into my neck, I’ll always love you. The alien poison might paint over my humanity, but it will never be able to take that from me.”

  “You’re lying, you just tried to kill me!” she screamed.

  Paul shook his head. “The vampire in me craved vengeance and I hurt you, Darlene, but I would never kill you though.”

  She thrust her mind into his, surprised at the ease on her entry. The dying vampire’s mind showed her whatever she desired to know. Through his eyes, Darlene watched him stumble out of her house. His confused thoughts, struggling to come to terms with the rapid and vicious change spreading through his shivering body at lightning speed.

  Paul headed for home, his mind focused on his bedroom, the boy’s only sanctuary. Every other coherent thought unable to find purchase.

  Both of his parents jumped out of their chairs when he burst into the living room. Their reactions to his grand entrance were Paul’s first anchor to base reality, a familiar situation that his swirling thoughts could hold on to.

  His mother flinched, her terrified features, crunching up in confusion. It was only the reassuring glance from her husband that stopped her shaking. She finally settled back down in her chair and turned her attention back to the glowing television.

  Paul watched his father act in his usual method by raising his voice and his fists.

  Darlene blinked, the image of Paul’s living room faded away, leaving only the faint scent of stale tobacco and cheap air freshener. “What just happened to me?” she saw that his eyes w
ere still closed. Without glancing at his large canines and ignoring his extra body mass, Paul could almost pass for that beautiful strong boy who once helped her get through the dark days when she turned to the lure of prescription drugs.

  “Instead, you’ll now become addicted to human blood.” Paul’s eyes opened just a crack.

  “You were able to read that?”

  He nodded. “The thought was too strong to ignore.” He chuckled softly then stopped as his laughter turned into coughing. “We did have some good times though, Darlene.” He groaned then spat out a gobbet of deep red-stained phlegm. He then turned his eyes and stared at her. “He’s here you know, right now, waiting for you in the kitchen. You haven’t sensed him yet but I did, the bastard entered the house just as I caught your ankle.”

  He coughed again. “Darlene, you have to finish me. It’s what he expects you to do.”

  “What do you mean?” she cried. “I don’t understand.”

  “Yes you do, Darlene. Your first husband is waiting for you downstairs. That fucker just knew that I’d come back to you. Can’t you see? I’m supposed to be your first full meal. You’ll only then attain your full status after you have turned my body into a dried husk.”

  Darlene watched in fascination as he rolled out from under the bed and painfully lifted his body, sitting cross-legged in front of her. Paul really did want her to drink him dry.

  “I can feel your cold touch in my head, Darlene. That is such a powerful gift.” He rested his hands on her arms. “My new talent only incapacitated the animals and the lesser developed vampires. You need to keep your talent hidden, my sweet. You can’t let him know that you have the power to steal thoughts from his mind.”

  Paul’s whole body shivered as he slammed a clawed hand against the side of his blood soaked neck. He pinched the flesh between his fingers and yanked his hand back. The skin stretched like tight elastic before finally tearing. His thick blood burst from the jagged wound. Paul fell forward against her chest. “You have to drink from me,” he moaned.

  Darlene couldn’t help herself. The sight of so much blood sent her into a frenzy. She pushed her face against the torn flesh, opened her mouth wide and guzzled down the hot crimson liquid. Spasms of ecstasy ripped through her body as the last of Paul’s fluid flowed down her throat.

  Her gratification was ripped away when she felt her prize pulled from her teeth. Darlene blinked at the re-emergence of light in her eyes. She whimpered at the sight of someone dumping Paul’s body onto the bed.

  “Amulius, is that you?”

  Her vampire husband slowly turned. He bent down and wrapped his fingers around her waist. He then lifted Darlene off the floor. “You are not meant to play with your food, my wife.” The vampire threw her.

  Darlene cried out as her back slammed into the wall. She opened her eyes, trying not to move while she watched the First Father grab Paul’s body by his arm and leg and carry it towards the bedroom window.

  “Please no,” she moaned, “Don’t do that.”

  Amulius dropped Paul’s leg and then punched his fist through the glass. He picked up the limp body and pushed it through the window. “I do not understand your concern, my wife. It is just forgotten meat.” He shook his head then walked past her and sat down on the edge of the bed. “You are experiencing the shock of the first bite. There is so much alien blood running through your body right now, my wife. Your mouth knows not what it vomits out. Be thankful that I know of your experience.”

  “I’m going to force my fingers through your stomach and pull out all your insides, you fucking bastard freak.”

  The First Father released a heavy sigh. He slowly stood up and walked over to her body. “It is clear that you have too much alien blood inside you.” He dropped to his knees, grabbed her ankles and violently jerked her towards him. Amulius leaned over, raised his arm and back-handed her.

  The sudden pain of feeling his blow break her jaw, ripped through her face. The agony blocked out every other thought.

  “Do not move,” he growled, moving up her body and pinning Darlene to the floor. “Your energy is needed elsewhere now.”

  She couldn’t have moved, even if she wanted to. Darlene closed her eyes, trying to think of ways to kill the bastard that had just damaged her. Try as she might, her brain just wouldn’t show her any pleasing images. Darlene then found that the pain had lessened, but it hadn’t gone away, not completely. Without the discomfort, she now could actually feel her broken jawbone knitting together.

  “All of that excess energy that was overwhelming your frail body now has a specific task. Instead of lashing out at your husband, it is healing you. Amulius climbed off her body and strode back over to the broken window.

  “The most important lesson is to remember here is that abstinence is the way of the Deathgazer Clan. If you allow your passion to run rampant then your vampire essence will control your fate.” He picked Darlene off the floor and held her in his arms. “The vampire inside you only craves one thing and that is a constant supply of fresh blood. If you go the way of the Swarmer, the candle will burn twice as bright but your life will be measured in just weeks and months. You are a pure breed now, you’re my queen. As soon as we rid this new world of the filth, you and I will make this world our own and we shall reign together.”

  Darlene smiled back, some of her fears had gone, only to be replaced by one more fear. She had not yet told him that she had two kids. How would her children fit into his scheme? How would Elsie and Damien fit into her new life now?

  The first Father released her and walked over to the doorway. “I believe that you should collect a few of your cherished items. I will meet you on the floor below.” He smiled again. “Our new life will be so sweet.”

  She watched him go then walked over to her bed. Darlene then ran over to the window and gazed outside, there was no sign of Paul’s body.

  Chapter Four

  Even with his eyes shut tight, Cade could not escape from the agony and fear twisted into their desiccated faces. An unpleasant amalgamation of the five victims that they had found so far etched their mark into his psyche.

  “Oh God!” hissed Katy, get back over here, they’ve found us again.”

  Cade snapped opened his eyes, grimacing at the dried up corpse staring back at him. He glanced to the side and saw three figures framed at the end of the alleyway. This was so unfair. He honestly believed that they had given those bastards the slip this time. Cade took a step back, catching the back of his foot on a brick. He stumbled and thrust his arms forward to stop him from falling backwards. Cade’s fingers clutched one of the bin bags beneath the corpse and he pulled it out from under it. Its head fell backwards, the heavy skull slamming against his wounded arm. Cade gritted his teeth in pain, watching the bandage soak with fresh blood.

  As he pulled his arm back, the bandage slipped off, coating the thing’s head with his blood. A violent shiver travelled through the corpse. “No fucking way,” he uttered, watching his blood disappear into the leather-like flesh stretched over its skull.

  Cade jumped away from the thing, gazing in utter shock as the corpse attempted to sit up. Katy scrambled out from her hiding place and pulled him behind pair of green wheelie bins. He watched their pursuers walk into the alleyway and resisted the overwhelming urge to grab Katy and run in the opposite direction. He daren’t move. Those fuckers would see them and be on him and Katy in seconds.

  “Is it really them, Cade?”

  He nodded back, knowing that she was just hoping that their visitors would turn out to be some tramps looking for a place to bed down for the night. Cade didn’t take his eyes off their progress. “Yeah, I can smell them.” He heard her next words catch in the back of her throat. Katy didn’t question his confirmation, not anymore. After over an hour of playing hide and seek in the town with these resurrected monsters, Katy had come to rely on his unnerving ability to recognise their enemy.

  “Please tell me they haven’t spotted us,” she wh
ispered.

  Cade shrugged. He didn’t think so. They seemed to be more concerned over the corpse that was now trying to raise both its arms. He gazed down at the large kitchen knife tucked into his belt and swallowed hard. Even with the blade he knew the chances of trying to take down just one of those things were slim. The corpse had now managed to get to its feet and was slowly standing up. It turned towards the three approaching figures.

  Cade gripped the knife handle, feeling Katy wrap some clean cloth around his other arm. The lead figure reached the corpse, ducked under its arms and pushed it back onto the bin bags. He held his breath, not wanting it to detect either of them. Cade watched it turn its head and gaze directly at their hiding position. It lifted its head and sniffed the air, like a hungry mongrel dog. He felt Katy tense up and caught her reaching for her own knife. If those things did walk over to investigate, Cade would ensure that he got at least one knife thrust into its chest before it ripped him apart.

  “What are you doing?”

  The lead figure shook off the corpse’s arms, pushed it back then spun around and faced its two companions. “Have you two not cleaned the shit out of your nostrils? There’s the sweet scent of fresh blood in the air.”

  “Of course there is, Cranus, you docile fool. It is coming from us.”

  “Healiod, both you and your slow brother have horse dung inside your heads.” Cranus reached out. He wrapped his long fingers around the corpse’s neck and lifted it up before flinging it viciously against the wall. When its body slammed into the bricks, it just fell apart like a large lump of dried clay. “Something caused that dried up dead thing to wake up, unless, you were stupid enough to leave some blood in the vessel.”

  This was the first time that Cade had been close enough to see their pursuers clearly. He couldn’t get over their size, all three of them were built like American wrestlers and none of the figures was less than six foot.