by Unknown
My mouth gapes open at the thought of how nasty our rooms are going to be. Lakia’s does the same, as if we had the same thought.
“Our rooms can’t be any worse than this,” I whisper to her.
She shakes her head in response. “I frigging hope not. Or I’m out of here.”
“Save a spot for me. I may be joining you.”
Ryder impatiently rings the bell on the counter. “Today,” Ryder snaps.
The golden metal handle on the yellow stained door behind the counter moves downward, and an old man slowly walks out. He looks like he’s even older than the building.
He grins at the sight of us, revealing a gummy smile, then nods, wiggling his caterpillar eyebrows up and down at the same time and creating a veiny ripple effect on his bony neck.
Goosebumps appear on my arms at the thought of the toothless old man coming anywhere near me, which—judging by the way he’s staring—he would love to. An icy shiver ripples over my body. I would snap his bony body in two, grip him by his skeleton-like arms, force him down over my knee, snap his back like a twig.
What the…? I step back. Where did that anger come from?
“Aaron, I’ll be outside.” I need to get some fresh air and get away from that man. I can feel his eyes burning into my back as I walk away.
“She yours?” I hear the motel worker croak.
“Yes,” Aaron replies firmly.
“Mmm, nice,” he says, as if he’s just tasted me.
I grab hold of Lakia’s arm and pull her outside. I don’t want to be out there alone… Too many crazies around today.
“What a creep,” Lakia says as we run outside.
“Frigging world is full of them tonight,” I say, shaking my head as we huddle together, trying to stay warm. I wish I still had Aaron’s jacket.
“Sadie, I…” Lakia searches my eyes. Heavy black eyeliner outlines her concerned expression. “I don’t think Ryder drugged you. I told him last time if he did it again I would dump him.” Her eyes don’t look away. She really doesn’t think he did it….
“But if he didn’t, what did I see?” I ask hesitantly, worried she will think I’m crazy.
“Maybe it was your eyes playing tricks on you? You have been under a lot of stress with the exams and stuff,” Lakia says, shrugging.
I hadn’t told anyone about the man’s fangs or what he said to me. You’re next. I cannot get the two small words out of my mind. You’re next.
Maybe Lakia’s right. She has to be.
“This place is frigging creepy. I haven’t seen a single car since we got here,” I say.
“Why would anyone come down here? This place should be knocked down, like the rest of this part of town,” Lakia says.
“That’s true.”
“I can’t believe we left it up to the boys to book the room.” Lakia shakes her head.
A pair of shiny silver keys appears in front of my eyes, dangling. I turn towards the person holding them. No modern key card for this motel. Aaron stands proudly next to me, grinning from ear to ear. I smile back at him.
My hand swings next to his; an electrical connection between our hands draws them together. As our hands connect, our fingers lock together, the warmth from his hand entering mine.
Others in our group pair up. Lakia turns towards me and winks. I roll my eyes at her with a smug grin.
This is it. I feel a sea of anxiety deep down in the pit of my stomach. I exhale, trying to calm a tempest of nerves.
Door hinges squeak as our friends disappear into their rooms.
Each motel room is the same on the outside: There are weathered white wooden doors with splintered edges from years of overuse and a small window on each room with white paint peeling away, revealing the old wood frame. Curtains hide the inner contents of each room. I knew the motel was cheap, but I wasn’t expecting it to be quite this bad. Lakia was right—I can see why no one comes down here. Not a single car has pulled up since we got here. We’re in the middle of nowhere.
Ours is the last room on the motel strip. A feeling of dread creeps up from the pit of my stomach as we stop at our room. I take a deep breath in preparation for what’s behind the door.
Aaron pushes the silver key into the old worn brass lock. As he turns the key, the lock wriggles away from the door like it’s going to come off in his hand. He glances at me in surprise. “I don’t know my own strength.” He smiles. The hinges creak as he pushes open the door.
I peer inside the room; it’s pitch-black. A damp, dusty smell fills my lungs.
Aaron steps inside and reaches around the room, searching for a light switch. I stand with my foot wedging open the heavy door. Pain shoots up from the tip of my toes through my body. I have to get these shoes off!
Faint light pours in from the streetlights outside, making the dust motes dance like fairies in the darkness.
“Found it,” Aaron proudly announces.
A buzzing noise fills the room, like hundreds of bees swarming around a honey pot, then the bright light flicks on and the buzzing dies down.
Must have been a power surge.
This is no fairy wonderland. I’ve stepped into a room from a horror movie.
Bang! I jump towards Aaron, who laughs in return.
“It was just the door.” He carries on laughing at me. I feel as though my bones are still shaking inside my body. I’m so on edge tonight.
“Got any beers left?” I need something to take the edge off these nerves. Aaron throws our bags onto a chair, and a cloud of dust drifts up into the air
There is nicotine-stained yellow wallpaper, just like in the reception area. There are different tones of stains, like burned edges, on the walls.
My eyes trail down to the bed. I hold my breath and pray that it is clean. Almost unaware of what I’m doing, I step closer, my feet sticking to the carpet, and lift up the white comforter, which appears clean. Peering under the bedsheets to see if they are stained like the walls, I let out the breath I’ve been holding.
“What’s the verdict?” Aaron asks. He also lets out a breath of anticipation and then passes me a can of beer.
I nod and smile. “This may be the only clean place in the room.”
The beer can fizzes. I gulp some beer. It warms my stomach and leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.
Aaron takes a seat on the bed. I down another gulp and place the beer on the bedside table.
He cups my chin with his hand and stares at me with his warm brown eyes. I lean forward and kiss him; his lips are warm and soft. His hand moves up towards my hair, and he runs his fingers through it. Each kiss blocks any concerns I had about this evening. It’s just us.
His lips release mine, leaving me breathless, wanting more. “We can wait,” he says, not breaking his gaze from me.
“I don’t want to.”
Chapter Five
A door slams open, startling me from my deep sleep. I shiver. It feels like Aaron is brushing a feather over my cheek. Blindly, I pat the side of the bed where he was lying. He’s still there, sleeping.
I don’t feel alone. I don’t think we are… I listen carefully for any foreign sound in the room. There’s a God-awful smell, like something crawled up somewhere and died.
I can hear heavy breathing by the door. There is someone else in our room.
“What the hell?” I try to shove Aaron awake.
I reach for the light, knocking down empty cans on the nightstand. The lights buzz as they warm up before turning on.
“Aaron!” I scream just as the lights come on and illuminate the horror in front me. My screams startle Aaron awake.
It’s the man from earlier this evening, the one whose crisp white fangs were dripping with blood. He’s in our room.
He’s here for me.
I’m next.
His eyes burn into my soul as if he's trying to control me.
“You are mine now,” the intruder says.
“This room is taken,” Aaron says as he rises from
the bed and stands with his naked chest puffed out. He's just wearing his boxers. I'm wearing his white button-up shirt and my panties. It was the only thing I could find last night without turning on the lights.
“I can see,” the intruder says, raising his eyebrows at me. He rakes back his hair.
“It’s the man from the street!” My voice breaks as I yell. My heart races. I pull my legs up towards me and away from him, my hands trembling.
He cracks his neck sideways, leers at me, and steps forward, his eyes locked on mine, as if he’s an eagle hunting his prey.
“Dude. Get out of our room,” Aaron says angrily.
The man’s attention remains on me.
A bloodcurdling scream rips through the uncomfortable silence of our room. It sounded like it came from the room next door. Who's in there? What's happening? The need to get out of this room is overwhelming.
Our intruder smiles at the sound of the scream as if it's his favorite sound. My body is shaking as if I have been outside all night and the blood in my veins is frozen.
Aaron’s shoulders tense up as he stands in front of the man. “If you know what’s good for you, you’d leave.” He tries to push the intruder, but before Aaron can touch him, the intruder grips Aaron's forearms.
My heartbeat races. My heart feels like it’s going to explode. “Get off him.”
With one swift movement of the intruder’s wrist, Aaron is launched through the air. Aaron’s body crashes against a wooden wardrobe; splinters fly out as it crumbles under his weight. The remains of the wardrobe collapse forward, pinning Aaron to the floor. The movement is too quick to process. “Aaron!”
His hand is sticking out. Crimson blood drips down Aaron’s wrist.
The intruder’s head turns towards Aaron’s bloody hand so fast that it looks like his neck could break. His mouth opens, revealing his sharp white fangs. He lazily drags his tongue across his top lip.
This cannot be real. Vampires don’t exist.
He takes a step towards Aaron. He’s going to drain Aaron’s blood.
I squeeze my eyes shut. Please be a dream. I open my eyes, and the man is near Aaron’s body. I could make a run for it. Sadie, you cannot leave him.
I glance around the room for a weapon, something, anything to attack him with.
All there is in the bare room is the lamp by the side of my bed. My hand wraps around the cool metal of the lamp on the table next to the bed. I reach down and unplug it. With my eyes fixed on the vampire, I creep off the bed. He’s standing in front of Aaron’s lifeless hand. I don’t even know if Aaron is alive. Please, God, let him be.
The vampire starts to bend down towards Aaron’s bloody hand. “Hey, leave him alone!” He glances at me over his shoulder, flashing his white fangs, then gazes back at Aaron. Adrenaline rushes through my body, pushing me forward.
I run at the intruder with the lamp above my head, ready to attack. I swing it towards him, but before it connects with him, he grips hold of my arm.
With a flick of his wrist, I’m flying through the air as if I’m weightless. I crash down on the dirty carpet with a thud. I scream out from the shooting pains in my ribs. It feels like I’ve been kicked.
The intruder stares as if he’s waiting to see if I’m dying. I glance over my body. No blood. He notices that as well and goes back to Aaron, no longer interested in me.
I hold on to the wooden doorframe and hoist myself up. Screams from outside fill the night. Are there more crazy people out there? It sounds like they are farther away.
I stare at the man. He’s no man. No human is that strong. He’s a vampire. My mind cannot comprehend what I’m seeing.
He has Aaron’s wrist in his hand as if he’s inspecting his favorite meal. Dread fills the pit of my stomach. What can I do to him—a vampire?
Chapter Six
Look around for a weapon. I need something to attack him with. There it is. Stakes of wood from the wardrobe. I could use one as a weapon, couldn’t I? In the movies, vampires die when they are stabbed in the heart. What if the movies are wrong? They have been so far. According to the movies, you have to invite vampires in before they can attack you.
A fire burns inside of me. Screw this.
I run towards the shards of wood on the carpet, my eyes fixed on the back of the vampire’s matted, greasy black hair. He’s mesmerized by Aaron’s blood. My fingers grip the wooden shard, knuckles white from the pressure, splinters of the wood piercing my skin like tiny daggers. I don’t have much time. With a deep breath in, I run towards the vampire faster than I ever have before.
I plunge the wood into his neck. Dark red blood gushes out from his neck like a sea of death. He spins around to face me, his eyes a sliver of white around bulging black pupils. His hands are clutching the stake in his neck. This is it—my only chance.
With all my force, I plunge the last stake into his chest and through his rib cage.
His mouth gapes open as he snarls at me. “We said this room is taken,” I yell as I drive all my strength into the stake.
His hands reach out and grip my throat. It didn't work. It didn't work. I thrash my legs around, kicking him. Cold, bright-red blood drips from his neck wound onto my naked thigh. It feels like my throat is collapsing under his force, like a bridge unable to bear the weight. My mind dips in and out of darkness. Sadie, one more go. I'm not ready to die. I slow my breath, treasuring any remaining oxygen in my body. It gives me a moment of clarity. I can do this. I’ve done it a hundred times before, just in the gym at school.
My abdominal muscles burn as I pull my legs in towards my chest, as I have done many times in gymnastics. But this time, my life depends on it.
Then with all my strength, I kick outward towards the stake in his chest with my bare feet, forcing it into his chest…into his heart.
My body drops to the ground. Darkness flashes at the corner of my eyes. I gasp, trying to get air back into my lungs. Each breath hurts, as if I’m drowning. Calm down… Calm down.
I flinch away from the vampire. He makes a gurgling sound as he tries to breathe, choking on his own blood. Blood flies out of his mouth, like a faulty water fountain, showering me in red as he coughs and sputters. I pull my legs towards my body, making myself as small as possible as the red liquid pours down.
He staggers towards me like a zombie. His eyes bulge outward as if they are going to explode.
A weird sound comes from the vampire, like his organs are exploding inside of him. I’m rooted to the ground, mesmerized.
The vampire is still standing in front of me, his mouth gaping open as though something inside of him is trying to rip his head into two. Deep, gravelly groans come out from his throat, like hundreds of souls are trapped inside his body, trying to escape out his mouth. My head throbs from the tortured sounds.
The blacks of his eyes swallow up the whites. His face turns from ghost white to explosive red.
A loud whooshing sound fills the room, centering around him. The noise is coming out of his body, channeling up through his throat and out of his mouth. Another gurgling sound follows as blood sputters out of his mouth at projectile speed.
A rumbling sound comes from his body again. His body expands and skin stretches tracing-paper thin, tracked with veins.
He’s going to explode, I realize, panicking. No sooner do I think this than it happens; his body erupts. His organs make splattering sounds as they land on the wet carpet. His blood shoots out in all directions, spraying me with his remains.
He's gone. My heart skips in relief. The vampire is gone.
Ashes snow down from the ceiling, landing in a pool of bright crimson blood. My two stakes are lying in the middle, along with his organs.
I turn towards the bed and drag my hands frantically along the white sheet, trying to scrub his blood off me.
“Sadie,” Aaron mutters from under the wardrobe. He's still alive!
Pain from the wooden splinters rushes up the sole of my foot as I scramble towards the wardro
be.
“On three, use your body to push this up,” I yell. “One, two, three.”
With all my strength, I pull the wardrobe up. Aaron is pushing as well, which makes it easier. I groan as we create enough space for Aaron to squeeze out.
“Quick, I can’t hold it for much longer,” I say, panting. Aaron rolls his body out to safety—into the pool of blood and ashes from the vampire. His face screws up as he scrambles away from the vampire’s remains.
I drop the wardrobe onto the ground.
“Oh, Aaron,” I say in relief, running towards him and dropping to my knees. I wrap my arms around him. Aaron weakly embraces me.
“Are you okay?” he asks, cupping my cheek with his hand.
“I’m okay,” I say, placing my hand on top of his.
“What the hell was that?”
“A vampire, and by the sound of things out there, there are more. Can you walk?”
“Yes,” Aaron croaks.
I reach for the two stakes in the bloody mess and remove the blood and ashes off them. Then I pass one of the stakes to Aaron. “Through the heart,” I tell him as I help him to his feet.
His body wobbles the way mine did earlier in my nightmarish heels. “Through the heart,” he repeats firmly.
Another bloodcurdling scream comes from outside. “We have to go now,” I tell Aaron as I grab my bag and head out the door. I will dress when I'm safe. Aaron follows my lead. I just hope I don't lead us to our death.
There is an eerie silence as I peek my head around the door of our room. I can hear the bloodcurdling screams in the distance.
We step out into the night. A gust of wind flows across my naked thighs, reminding me that I'm going out in public in Aaron’s shirt and my panties. My cheeks blush at the thought, but that is the least of my worries. Aaron only has his boxers on but doesn’t seem bothered about his clothing, or lack of it.
Are there other vampires in the motel? Were my friends attacked too?
I have an urge inside of me to check on them—more like an overpowering need.