Past The Patch

by Brian Fatah Steele

  There were a lot of vampires, Alex thought due to the popularity of the Twilight series and those that followed it, and also possibly because of the same, a lot of werewolves. She herself was firmly in the Team Jacob camp. So what if she was biased? Everytime she saw a werewolf that night, though, she couldn’t help but stifle a laugh. If only their parents knew, she thought. Then, it was a good thing they didn’t. She wondered what Tim was doing right now. Then decided she probably didn’t really want to know.

  After the fifth werewolf, Tim was firmly in the front of her mind. A part of her wished she was out running in the woods with him. She used to run cross country in high school, but now subsisted on yoga and pilates, and only did those half-heartedly. Oh, she knew it was more of a curse than a gift to Tim, and he wouldn’t wish it on anyone, but sometimes she wondered about the heightened senses, the increased strength and speed and stamina, but then, there was the fur.

  After the last trick-or-treater came and left, Alex blew the candle out in the Jack-o-lantern. She crawled into bed with a book, but was too tired to read. Alex slept peacefully, and when she awoke, Tim was spooning her.

  She sighed contentedly and rolled over to face him. Tim opened his eyes. He smiled at her, and his breath smelled fresh.

  Alex put a hand over her mouth. “I have morning breath!” she exclaimed behind her hand.

  Tim laughed and kissed Alex’s hand. “How was Halloween?” he asked.

  “I thought of you all night,” she answered honestly.

  Tim smiled again and moved Alex’s hand from in front of her mouth.

  He kissed her. Alex was the one smiling now. Every couple had their problems, she thought, but theirs really wasn’t so bad.

  HOME INVASION

  John J. Smith

  Writing under two names John J. Smith and pen name Jonathan Black, the dark side of John, he has won several awards under each name and have been called a “prolific Fiction writer.” He enjoy writing romance and mainstream as John and paranormal and paranormal romance as Jonathan. Several of his novels have been converted or rewritten into screenplays; for which he has also have won several awards as well, but the most importantly, enjoys writing in the various genre. (It's the story that's written that decides who the writer is, not the writer choosing the story.) And, at last, he resides in Plano, a suburb of Dallas, Texas, and can often be found loitering at a Starbucks.

  ***

  “Don’t you just love New York during Halloween?” Steliana asked, looking over her cup of coffee to her husband.” She glanced across the patio, watching while people dressed in costumes strolled by. “I love watching the kids.”

  “Hmm,” Nicolae moaned, as if the mere thought of a child brought warmth to his heart. “But to be honest, Steliana, I love New York because it’s... New York... And, I love home delivery. They just come to the door bringing delightful entrees.”

  Steliana laughed, nearly choking on her after-dinner coffee. “Nicolae, I swear sometimes...” She paused for a moment, and then continued, “But to be honest I do, too. It’s so easy living in this city.” The waitress, a very attractive twenty-something dressed as a vampire, strolled up with a coffee pot. “Can I warm that up for you?” Nicolae smiled and raised his hands like claws and said, “Blah, I want to drink your blood.” Laughing, he then lifted his cup. “Please, and if you don’t mind me saying, you look stunning as a vampire.” The waitress giggled. She loved the older couple and their weekly visits. They were always polite, always with compliments, and they tipped incredibly well. “I take it your after-dinner brandy has gone to your head, Mr. Balitiu?” the waitress said in her usual warm and joking manner. She looked to Steliana and continued, “Has he been watching his P’s and Q’s at home?”

  Steliana nodded with a laugh that seemed to come from deep in her chest. “Yes, he’s such a pussycat, and he loves it when we come here, and although I’m quite jealous about it you know, he’s so disappointed when you’re not here. He thinks you are so delicious.”

  “That’s very sweet,” the waitress said, then she kissed him on the cheek. “Can I bring you anything else? We have a wonderful chocolate cake.”

  “A wheel chair,” Nicolae answered in his normal soft and joking manner. “As always, I ate too much.”

  “If you don’t mind me asking, where do you live?”

  “Cornerstone Manor, and let me tell you, after this meal those three blocks are going to be horrible.”

  “I’ve seen your place,” the waitress said in total awe. “That is the most incredible mansion I’ve ever seen.”

  “It’s nice. You should come by sometime, we’d love to show you around,” Steliana replied, “But it’s not home.” She sighed.

  “That’s because we lived in a castle in Romania and Steliana just cannot get used to living in a small home.”

  Small, the waitress wondered. The house is larger than the apartment building I live in. “I’d love too.”

  “Then it’s set. Bring your friend, we’ll cook out.”

  “I think what I miss most is the high ceilings and open air. Of course my flower garden was to die for,” Steliana continued in a melancholy tone.

  “No, dear, I think we’re full. We just can’t eat like we used to,” Steliana answered after a long moment, touching the young girls hand with the gentleness of a grandmother.

  The waitress smiled and then moved off toward the entrance.

  Across the street, Jack and Roland leaned against Jack’s mustang, eyeing the elderly couple with hunger. To Jack, like all the other old fucks he’s attacked, this was an easy mark if they had more cash than their monthly social security check, and by the way they were dressed he believed so.

  “What do you think,” Roland asked, watching the old man pull his wallet from an inside breast pocket.

  “Wait for it,” Jack answered.

  Nicolae opened his wallet and withdrew a stack of bills about an inch thick. He then tilted his head, looking over his glasses, and fanned out the cash.

  The waitress returned and stopped short when she saw the money in Nicolae’s hand. “Mr. Balitiu, you shouldn’t be flashing your money around like that.”

  “It’s these damned glasses,” Nicolae complained. “I can’t see the denomination with these things.” He looked around. “Plus it’s so dark I can barely see my hands.”

  “Nicolae, I swear, you really need to go back to the doctors.”

  “Shush, woman,” Nicolae spat.

  The waitress quickly sat the food bill on the table, and then picked up a few bills from beneath Nicolae’s trembling fingers, and covered the remaining cash with Nicolae’s napkin.

  “Count it out for me, would you?”

  The waitress stooped beside Nicolae and whispered, “You have over a thousand dollars here...” She took a hundred and put it on her tray. “Now put that back in your wallet and put your wallet away. I’ll be back with your change in a moment.”

  “This is for you, dear,” Steliana said, sliding another hundred dollar bill over to her. “And you keep the change from the bill.”

  “I can’t—“

  “Yes, you can. And, you will,” Steliana said. She then nodded in Nicolae’s direction, “I think he has a crush on you.” The waitress laughed and then helped Nicolae to his feet. “You two be very careful going home, and please don’t carry so much cash on you. There are people here who would really hurt you for that kind of money.” Nicolae kissed the waitress on the cheek. “You are just so nice.” He blew out a sigh. “You remind me so much of our Anna.” He dabbed at his eyes, and then coughed as if clearing a horrible knot of remembrance. “I’m looking forward to you and your boyfriend to come by, did I say that correctly, my English you know. Royalty teaches you things but...”

  “Your English is perfect,” the waitress said as she lightly swept her hand across his shoulder and back.

  Nicolae then held out a trembling hand to Steliana. “Allow me, my dear,” and he held her hand as she stood.


  Across the street Jack whistled. “You see the fucking money he has in his wallet. “Fuck me. He was advertising it.”

  “Fuck no. I was looking at the young bitch sitting with him... Damn, son, that’s the hottest thing I’ve ever seen...” Roland answered, then more to himself he continued, “I’m going to break me off a piece of that.” Jack gave Roland a look that said he had shit for brains and bad eyes.

  “Fuck, man, you didn’t hit the pipe did you?”

  “Nah, man,” Roland defended. He stopped, “Where’d the young babe go?”

  Jack looked at him and started to say something but then thought better of it and looked back at the old man. “This is going to be fuckin’

  easy.”

  They watched as the elderly couple strolled across the patio. Then Nicolae stopped and glanced at the two guys and uttered something, which made Steliana take pause before walking a little faster.

  “Fuck,” Jack mumbled, “they might be on to us.” Jack bounced off the car and slapped Roland on the chest. “Let’s go, then it’s in and out, mofo, in and out,” and they followed the elderly couple who walked somewhat hastily hand in hand down the street.

  Nicolae stopped at the bottom of the steps and drew in a deep breath.

  He dabbed beads of perspiration from his forehead and looked up at the entrance. “Five steps never looked so high.”

  “After the walk we just had,” Steliana said. “Those piddly steps are nothing.” She then took his arm and helped him up the steps.

  At the door, Nicolae hesitated before unlocking it. “I think we were being followed.”

  “I think so, too, dear, let’s hurry inside before something happens.” He nodded and said, “Yes, yes, before something happens,” and shoved the key into the lock and gently pushed the door open.

  She paused for a moment, “I’m still thinking about that lovely waitress, do you think she’ll stop by?”

  “One can hope.” He stepped out of the way and let Steliana in. He said, “Don’t forget the alarm, dear.”

  As Jack and Roland were rushing toward the steps, Steliana pressed in the code, disarming the alarm, and as Nicolae pushed on the door to close it, Jack banged through, slamming into Nicolae.

  Nicolae crashed down with a loud yelp and before Steliana could turn to help her husband, Roland slammed into her, hurling her into the front room parlor. She crashed down on a center table with a loud scream that silenced before she hit the floor.

  “Shut the fucking door, Ro,” Jack yelled out, and then kicked Nicolae in the face. “Lay still you old fuck or I’ll kick you back to wherever you came from.”

  “Steliana,” Nicolae moaned. “Please don’t hurt her. She’s not well.”

  “From the looks of it grandpa, you ain’t looking so fucking hot yourself,” said Jack with a laugh and a grin that made Nicolae lay back.

  “Much better grandpa. Make this easy for us, okay.” Roland, laughing as he bolted the front door, shouted, “Fucking grandma must weight twenty pounds. I barely laid a fucking hand on her and she went flying.”

  “Please,” Nicolae pleaded, “take what you want and leave.”

  “What I want is the hot bitch that was with you at dinner,” Jordan shouted, “where the fuck is she!”

  Nicolae sat up and Jack dropped down and slammed his fist in Nicolae’s face, two, three times, before the old man fell back, unconscious.

  “Some people just don’t fucking listen,” said Jack as he reached inside Nicolae’s jacket and pulled out his wallet. He flipped the wallet opened and whistled, “Mother-fucker is carrying nothing but hundred dollar bills. Must be a couple thousand here.”

  “Fucking foreigners. They come over here and take our shit and they’re rich to begin with,” Roland said, looking down at Nicolae. “Damned, dude, you did your Ranger thang on his ass. He’s out cold.” Jack stood, ripped the money out and shoved it in his jean pocket, and then rummaged through the wallet, pulling out a handful of credit cards.

  “Man, this old fuck is loaded.” He threw the wallet over to Roland, laughing.

  “You’re into wallets. Tuck that baby in your pocket, you might like it.”

  “Fuckin’ A, man, looks like real leather,” Roland said while he looked through the wallet, dropping papers and cards, and then shoved it into his back pocket. “Nothin’ like a souvenir to take home.” Jack looked into what looked to be formal dining room and eyed a huge pair of silver candlesticks and a set of gold flatware. He whistled, then snapped at Roland, “Check in on granny, then let’s spread out. As old as this fucking place is they have to have shit we can hock.” As Roland turned toward the parlor, Nicolae grabbed at his ankle.

  “You leave her alone!”

  In a panic, Roland turned, and bam, bam, shot Nicolae in the chest.

  “What the fuck? People’ll hear that shit,” Jack shouted just beneath Steliana’s scream. She was standing at the parlor door, clutching her heart, screaming.

  “Motherfucker grabbed me, man, what was I supposed to do?” Roland defended. “We gotta pop their asses anyway. Can’t have no witnesses, right?”

  Steliana ran for Nicolae and Roland grabbed her by her hair and proceeded to pistol-whip her down to the floor. “Stay down, bitch, or you get two in the head.” Steliana didn’t move. She lay looking at Nicolae, crying, trying to reach out to him.

  Jack grumbled something and then grabbed Nicolae by the ankles and dragged him down a long hallway to the kitchen. “Take care of grandma, asshole, and no more fucking shooting. Fuck, before you know it the cops will be breaking down the fucking door.”

  Roland protested in his defense as he grabbed Steliana by the ankles and dragged her down the hallway. As she moved, her jacket opened and her dressed hiked up and Roland froze. “Mother fuck! Look at this bitch. She’s got the fucking body of a thirty year old...” He looked at her legs, thighs, and then his eyes rested on her crotch. She had the best-looking body he had ever seen. Her thighs were milky white and shone of silk. Her stomach was flat, her crotch, tantalizing. “Damn dude...” He gasped and licked his lips. “She ain’t wearing grannie panties...” In the heat of the moment he dropped down to his knees and ripped open her blouse, and drew in another deep breath.

  Her full breast looked firm and inviting. He had never seen anything that looked like this that wasn’t on the screen or in a magazine. He straddled her and groped her breasts with both hands. He wanted her so badly he couldn’t stand the moment.

  He then looked up at her face and jumped up, wide eyed. She looked twenty, thirty years younger than she did five minutes ago. “I gotta break me off a piece of this before we leave,” he whispered, drooling. He dry-washed his face as he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He had taken a few hits from the crack pipe while sitting in the Mustang and had one helluva buzz but he had never had anything like this happen to him before, the bitch had to be real. She just had to.

  “Have at it butthead; if you like old meat. But first the money and jewels. And those fucking candlesticks, knives, all that shit.” Roland knelt down and squeezed her breasts, and immediately got an erection. He put the pistol beneath her chin and dug in. “You stay here nice and quiet and you live. You move...”

  Steliana nodded, then moved as if inviting him down. She then looked at his crotch as he stood and a shiver went down Roland’s back. He uttered,

  “What the...”

  “Ro! Quit fucking with her,” Jack shouted. He opened a door and looked in. It was pitch black. The reflection from the kitchen lights disappeared at the door and Jack hesitated for a long breath before he took a cautious step to the door. He felt the left wall, looking for a switch all the while thinking he’d lose his hand if he didn’t hurry. He felt the switch, flipped it on, and a soft glow appeared at the bottom of the steps. “All right!

  Fucking basement.” He lifted Nicolae and dropped him down the steps—

  boom, boom, boom—echoed as Nicolae went down and then rested at the bottom of the s
teps. Jack turned the light off, shut the door, and when he turned, Roland was standing over Steliana as if in a trance, mumbling and licking his lips, rubbing his crotch, playing with himself.

  Jack grabbed Roland and slammed him against the wall. “Wake up asshole.”

  Roland blinked as if he was coming out of a trance, and when he looked back down, he was looking at an eighty-year-old woman. “What the...” He looked at Jack. “Something ain’t right here, man, let’s bolt.”

  “What?”

  “We got his wallet man. Let’s get the fuck outta here!” Roland shouted in a manner that almost resembled a scream. Somehow, she had taken his badass attitude. He knew it. She was doing this to him.

  “I ain’t leaving until we clean this place out, got it!”

  “Nah, man, shit, this place is fucking with us!”

  “It’s all in your fucking head. I told you not to toke on that pipe,” Jack said while pushing Roland down the hall in the direction to the staircase they saw when they came in. “If that old fuck had that kind of cash in his wallet, you know he has more upstairs.”

  Roland armed beads of sweat from his forehead, and when Jack grabbed his arm to pull him up the steps, he stopped. “What the fuck is with you, Ro, get your ass upstairs.”

  “I don’t want to… man, I want to get out of here... It ain’t the dope, it’s this place, it’s her, she’s fucking with me.” Jack didn’t answer, he merely stared at Roland as if he could do him now. “I’m cool, Jack... I’m cool,” Roland said, holding up his hands. He looked back down to Steliana and mumbled, “I’m cool...”

  Jack pushed passed him and took two steps at a time. Suddenly scared out his mind, Roland ran up the stairs, catching up with Jack at the top. He turned and looked down, half expecting to see granny standing at the bottom looking up at him and beckoning him to come back down.

  He exhaled a sigh of relief. He knew if she were standing at the bottom of the steps he’d have a heart attack.