The Harvest

by Steve Wands

  They fired again; the werewolf took four shots at close range and only then felt any pain, but not enough to stop him from grabbing two of the vampires by their heads and smacking them together. Their heads erupted with a splat and a crunch. Their bodies dropped lifelessly to the ground. The werewolf was fired upon again, and again, but he refused to feel it. His fur took on burn marks but his viciousness and resolve only grew. He thrust his arm out to grab another of the vampires, but the quick creature dodged just in time. The vampire fired a shot to the werewolves face, burning him---the werewolf roared and took another swing, this time connecting. His claws dug into the creature's head, shattering the mask and revealing the smooth milky flesh underneath. The vampire whimpered, clutching at the wound and unable to move from the next blow. The werewolf tore off the vampire's head, spurting blood on the wall. The last of the ray-gun toting vampires ran away. The ones without weapons disappeared sometime during the scuffle, taking Len and EeMeee with them.

  The werewolf tried to pick up one of the scattered weapons, but it was too small for his massive hands. He crushed it and dropped it into a puddle of the vampire's blood. He turned to the sound of approaching feet. Two naked creatures came running down the corridor, one of them covered in blood and sludge and carrying the weapon for vampire who ran away. One of the creatures resembled a giant slug with arms and a head like an alligator. The other looked more like a humanoid with dark leathery skin and small needles jutting from its flesh, as she approached it became clear that she was indeed a she---her nipples looked painful to touch.

  The female spoke to the werewolf and he roared back---they didn't know each other's language, but figured they were on the same side. After all, they were all naked and cover in sludge and surrounded by little ray guns, of which the slug-like creature picked one up. The werewolf grunted and pointed. The female nodded, the slug-like creature clicked its teeth together and they followed as the werewolf took off in a trot down the corridor. He sniffed the air, looking for the scent of his two missing companions and found it.

  The path led him to the end of the corridor where a large hexagonal doorway stood. The werewolf punched it fiercely, but upon impact his knuckles crunched. He whimpered and grew embarrassed, shaking the pain away from his hand. The slug-like creature wiggled toward the side of the door and noticed a pad for a handprint. He made some odd noises and pointed at it; the other two looked and figured it out.

  The female ran back the way they came, the others followed. She stopped when she reached the pile of bodies. She pulled the hand of one of the vampires, and with her other hand aimed the gun at the wrist and fired. She held the hand up in the air, and ran back to the doorway.

  She placed the hand on the pad and the door began to open. She kept the hand, and walked through the doorway.

  Chapter Six

  Len dreamt of being at work. Work was different in his dream of course, it was pleasant, the people were pleasant, and even his bitch of a boss was pleasant. He walked the isles of the store, smiling as if he'd won the lottery, and everyone smiled back at him. His boss approached him. She was an attractive woman, far too attractive for likes of Len Higgins, but there she was. Leaning over a shopping cart, her supple breasts exposed by the open button of her blouse, and her red radiant hair gleaming in the diffused light of the store. She looked at him lustfully. Then an old woman shook her finger at him, told him, "that redheaded hussy's no good for you," but he didn't listen and stepped over to her. The redhead took off her glasses and waived her hair in that far too dramatic way that only the women on television ever do. He stepped closer to her; she pushed away the shopping cart and grabbed him by the neck of his shirt. She opened her mouth to reveal a long sharp set of fangs. She hissed, then bit down, spurting blood all over aisle.

  Len woke up with a jump, but his restraints kept him firmly in place. He was on a cold table; from the looks of it was an operating table of some sort. Tubes and lights hung from the ceiling, as did what appeared to be surgical implements; saws, needles, and the like. His eyes grew wide in terror. He couldn't move much at all, and his head was kept firmly in place.

  "Relax," EeMeee spoke from a place inside Len's head.

  "Fuck you," Len replied.

  "They are healing your wounds. They do not currently mean us any harm," EeMeee spoke.

  "And you believe them you gullible jellyfish?" Len asked.

  "I'm not a jellyfish."

  "Well, you're gullible if you think they don't want to hurt us. They may be fixing us up, but that might mean they don't like their meat to be bruised," Len rationalized.

  "It's possible, though unlikely," EeMeee said.

  From the corner of the room one of the vampiric creatures hissed. Len froze up and squeezed his eyes shut tight. He could feel the creatures shadow blanket over him like the cover of night. He then felt the cold tickle of the creature's tentacles crawling on and suckling at his slashed body. Len squirmed and shuddered, thinking this is how he would die: strapped down on an operating table while a space-vampire sucked him dry. He at least hoped it would be a lady vampire doing the sucking. The tentacles wiggled across his wounds. He could feel the slight suction they created---the subtle lifting of his flesh, he waited for the tentacles to tear his flesh off, but they didn't. They eventually ceased, and the creature receded to an unseen part of the room.

  EeMeee spoke to Len by way of his mind again, "they are shielding their minds from me, it's hard to figure out what they want with us, but whatever she was doing has healed your wounds---don't speak, keep quiet. Listen to me; I'm going to create a mental 'link' between you, myself, and the others who even now are looking for us. It may hurt, and it may disorient you, but it will help us all understand each other without my having to serve as translator. So, relax and open your mind."

  Len did as EeMeee suggested. He laid there, his eyes closed and his breathing soft and rhythmic. He could feel EeMeee inside his head, like the brush of soft fingers on his skin that eventually jabbed into his head like sharp knives.

  The others; the werewolf, the female, and the slug-like creature cautiously crept down the new corridor. They could feel a tickle in their minds, EeMeee gave them the same speech it gave Len. They accepted EeMeee into their minds. The tickle turned to pain, but when it all subsided they understood each other, and somehow knew a bit more about each other. They couldn't exactly read each other's minds, but they had a better sense of each other. They all knew each other's names for instance, and understood the gist of their languages, enough so that they could communicate on a basic level. It was a new and odd sensation for all of them. EeMeee couldn't direct them to it and Len's whereabouts, but they could feel where they were.

  "They are on their way," EeMeee informed.

  "I know," Len said, speaking in his mind this time, "I can feel them. This is just too weird. Feels like I'm drunk," he continued.

  EeMeee giggled and waited for the others to rescue them.

  Chapter Seven

  S'tahgrah, the werewolf, Vavoo, the female, and Dax, the slug-like creature followed the telepathic trail of mental breadcrumbs to another hexagonal doorway. Vavoo was glad she kept the vampire's hand. She used it to open the door. The three of them entered, and unbeknownst to them on the ceiling above their heads clung several more of the vampires. They were dressed as the others, but instead of ray guns they had what looked like short steel batons. They also had some sort of red markings, almost like sigils, atop their foreheads. They remained silent and unnoticed as the three crept through the corridor.

  "This way," S'tahgrah spoke, the others now able to understand his gnarled language.

  They followed him out of the corridor and into a chamber filled with more doorways and a few windows. Above them, but keeping a safe distance behind them crawled the vampiric sentinels, stealth-like in their approach.

  "I can smell them," S'tahgrah said.

  "They're probably everywhere," Vavoo replied.

  "Yes. The ship must be crawl
ing with the bloodsucking vermin," grumbled Dax.

  "Let's just keep going. We can deal with them if we have to," Vavoo suggested.

  "Fine by me," S'tahgrah roared.

  They crept toward the windows, peering inside. They could see Len, and EeMeee strapped down on tables. Dozens of the vampires were inside. Many looked like the cloaked captors they had become familiar with but others populated the room as well. They were dressed in lighter clothes, with no masks, their pale skin and beady eyes out in the open. There were others too, tall lanky things, with hunched over backs and long beak-like jaws with fangs instead of tentacles.

  "There's too many of them," Dax said, shaking his alligator-like head.

  "Nonsense," S'tahgrah garbled.

  "Let's wait, watch them for a bit, then we make our move," Vavoo added.

  They waited. Behind them, the creatures descended from the ceiling, falling as softly and quietly as shadows. They held out their batons, which slowly extended into large spears with needle tips. They stood, statuesque and poised to thrust their spears forward. In the reflection on the glass, S'tahgrah noticed this. He watched their movements, noted their numbers, and when one of them motioned forward he'd be ready to pounce. He was about to signal the others as one of the vampire's at his back sprung forward. The creature was much faster than those they had encountered already, but S'tahgrah was just as fast. Not fast enough to stop the needle tip from puncturing his shoulder, but fast enough to grab the vampire by the throat. The massive werewolf hoisted the vampire into the air, crushing its throat with a single powerful hand. He used the other to pull the spear from his shoulder and toss it to the ground. Once the vampire ceased twitching in his grasp, he too tossed him the ground. S'tahgrah grew dizzy and began loosing his balance.

  "Oh, shit," Vavoo whispered, "they've drugged him! Fire," she yelled.

  Vavoo and Dax spread out and began firing at the stealthy vampires. They were too fast. Their shots ran wild. S'tahgrah fell to the ground, slurring obscenities. The vampires inched closer. Vavoo and Dax became cornered, staring at a dozen needle-tipped spears. They knew they had to do something or they too would fall to the ground slurring obscenities alongside their much larger cohort. Vavoo had one chance, her natural defense---but if it didn't work, she'd be too exhausted to fight them off, and of course there was the risk of killing Dax in the process. She could live with Dax becoming a casualty of war, so long as she lived.

  "Duck for cover," she whispered to Dax.

  "Uh, okay," he replied, clearly confused.

  Dax dove behind the massive werewolf, springing over him like a rubbery ball. Another inch closer and Vavoo would be pierced by one of the spears. She stepped back, closing her eyes. Her lungs slowly filled with air and she refused to let it go just yet. She held her breath, and lurched her body forward, keeping her feet planted firmly on the ground. The spikes that covered her body shot out like darts, following the momentum created by her movement. The space-vampires clutched their bodies where the spikes had penetrated them. Vavoo was uncertain if the poison in them would be sufficient to bring them down---it seemed to be working. They began to fall to the ground, paralyzed by Vavoo's self-defense mechanism. She too fell to the ground, exhausted.

  Dax peered over S'tahgrah's giant arm, unsure of what had just happened. He looked around and got the gist of it, he then saw a few of Vavoo's spikes jutting out of the werewolf's fur and carefully plucked them out. He slithered over to Vavoo, whom lie helplessly on the ground. Dax was lost. He could carry Vavoo, but to where? He'd be of little use to fight off more of the creatures by himself, and he couldn't just leave the wolf behind. He didn't think he was capable of rescuing Len and EeMeee either, especially not when they were in a room with dozens more of the bloodsuckers. He knew he couldn't just stand around and wait, eventually more of those space-vampires would show up, and he didn't want to think of weapons they would be carrying then. Dax went toward the window where they had seen Len and EeMeee, but he couldn't see beyond the glass. It was black inside and appeared to be empty. They must have seen the fight and evacuated, he thought.

  S'tahgrah grumbled, and began to stir to consciousness. Dax breathed a sigh of relief and went to his side. He helped the giant beast to his feet. Once S'tahgrah could stand of his own accord, Dax went to Vavoo, slinging her over his shoulder. The werewolf smashed his fist into the window, shattering it. They climbed through and continued on their rescue mission, though worse for wear.

  Chapter Eight

  EeMeee and Len had been taken from the room once the commotion could be noticed from inside the window. They were sedated again, but EeMeee was still able to keep the telepathic link between itself and the others. The link was somewhat diminished but more than adequate for everyone to communicate and for the others to eventually locate them.

  Len returned once more to his dreams. As much as he hated work, he often found himself there in dreams, though, usually on better terms.

  Dax grew tired of carrying Vavoo. Her deadweight seemed heavier with each step. S'tahgrah walked on wobbly limbs, like a drunkard at the end of a very long night. The once stealthy crew was in shambles. Neither thought they'd survive another confrontation, and they all secretly hoped they wouldn't have to. They sucked it up despite their feelings and followed EeMeee's mental breadcrumbs again. They were hot on the trail, but sluggish and sloppy.

  EeMeee could sense the despair in the would-be rescuers, and knew that he and Len would have to step things up a notch on their end of things. EeMeee began to telepathically emit a very slight, almost unnoticeable sensation into the minds of his captors. The sensation would act like a growing headache, at first no one would realize, but if EeMeee didn't time it just right its captors could easily dismiss the action. The sensation began to grow, unnoticed, as EeMeee had hoped. That spider-like creature desperately wanted to giggle. It was painful to keep it in. One of their captors began to rub its neck--the disruption was working. EeMeee fought even harder to reign in his giggles. The taller creatures seemed unaffected, but EeMeee would remedy that when the time was right.

  Watching from a distance, a small squad of ray-gun toting space-vampires followed behind S'tahgrah and Dax. They moved painfully slow, Dax complaining nonstop. They were beginning to lose steam rapidly.

  Len began to wake, making sure to keep it to himself, but EeMeee could tell. Sensing Len's return from the land of dreams, EeMeee increased the telepathic disruption tenfold, leaving a mental stab-wound in the minds of their captors. He did this again, and again, increasing the potency with each jab. Their captors fell to the ground, clutching at their heads and screeching. Len forced his eyes open, and though his vision was blurry he could see what was going on. He tore himself free of his restraints; EeMeee did the same and skittered to the floor. His bulbous form, and rapid movements were almost surreal to Len. The blurred vision only helped to make the scene that more surreal to him, as he still grappled with the reality of it all. His dreams were more real than anything he'd seen since he awoke in his dark, dank, cell. Len pushed past one of the taller creatures and instantly wished he hadn't touched its slimly skin. Len wobbled after EeMeee who giggled wildly as it skittered away down the brightly lit corridor.

  S'tahgrah's equilibrium was beginning to return, and with it a sense of urgency. Dax was practically dragging himself along and Vavoo lay limp over his shoulder. S'tahgrah reached out his massive arms and took Vavoo easily off Dax's shoulder and slung her over his own. Dax rubbed his leathery shoulder and silently thanked his giant ally. They both heard noises coming down the corridor. They braced for whatever was rushing at them. They could hear wild, manic giggling, and then Len's voice.

  "Run!" Len yelled, "They're coming--"

  "Stop yelling at me. I' am ahead of you, you should be running," EeMeee said in between bouts of giggling.

  Len and EeMeee came to a stop when they saw the others. After little discussion EeMeee persuaded S'tahgrah and Dax to turn back around. They made only a few steps b
efore the squad of space-vampires made themselves visible. When they turned back around again they being approached by the captors that EeMeee and Len had just escaped. They were surrounded...again.

  "You gotta be fucking kidding me!" Len yelled.

  "We were better off in our cells," Dax said.

  "I'm gonna kill every last one you bastards..." S'tahgrah roared, "even if it kills me."

  The large werewolf gently placed Vavoo on the ground, never taking his eyes off the enemy. The vampiric creatures on all sides aimed a variety of weapons at them. They were greatly outnumbered. A voice from behind the creatures called out. No one could understand it. It sounded like a group of slurred vowels and clicks. The creature moved toward the front of the ranks, dressed in a red variation of the black rags that the other wore. The creature wore no mask, its face was smooth and pale bearing the tiny obsidian dots that could only be eyes or decoration. It held out two long hands, exposing its palms in a peaceful gesture. It spoke again, opening its mind to EeMeee, and allowing its mind to be read.

  "She's saying that they do not wish to harm us. We are aboard a science vessel. We were rescued--" EeMeee translated.

  "Bullshit," Len said.

  "No. No bullshit. She is not lying. I can read her mind. Free of restraint. She is saying we were rescued from dying worlds--"