The Night Feeds

by Lauren Hunt

  Fiona shook her head. “Come on. Cough up the details.”

  I took a glass from the cupboard and filled it from the faucet. “There's not much to tell to be honest.”

  She crossed her legs. “You really know how to fling the bullshit, don't ya? I can tell by the way you're dressed that you must've had a long night. It's almost noon and you've only taken a shower.”

  I looked down at the towel that barely covered me. Fiona knew me too well.

  “Okay I give up.” I set the glass down and smiled. “It was an unbelievable night.”

  Fiona slapped her thigh. “I knew it!”

  “The man lives in loft apartment with the best view of the city.”

  “So this guy must be loaded then. I'm betting he's a CEO of some Fortune 500.”

  “Actually he doesn't work anymore. He said he made some good investments and he's semi-retired.”

  “Who cares how he got rich. The only thing that matters is that he's got money.”

  “You know money isn't everything, Fiona.”

  “Yeah in a close second comes sex.” Fiona flicked her tongue out at me. “Tell me the dirty details. I want to know all about it.”

  “You're disgusting, Fiona. Is your mind ever out of the gutter?”

  Fiona scoffed. “No never. Now spill it.”

  I couldn't win with her. “I'll just say that it was damn good. Like best I ever had.”

  Fiona leaned in, her eyes big. “Are you going to see him again?”

  I couldn't help but smile. “I hope so.”

  “Well consider myself super jealous. I don't know if I've ever encountered a man like that before.”

  “I don't think I have either until now.”

  Fiona shook her index finger at me. “Don't screw it up. Trust me, the rest of the men out there are bottom of the dumpster material.”

  I cocked my head to the side. “You know clubs might not be the best place to pick up guys.”

  “You think I haven't tried other avenues?” Fiona began to count on her fingers. “Dating apps, blind dates, and even Craigslist.”

  “Craigslist? I didn't even know you could find guys on there.”

  Fiona held her head in her hands. “Big mistake. Just take it from me.”

  I let out a laugh and Fiona joined in. We laughed so hard tears streamed down my cheeks.

  Fiona blew her nose on her sleeve.“So enough talk about men. How's the house repairs coming along?”

  “Slow is a word you could use to describe it.”

  “Do you need help?” Fiona asked.

  I bit down on my bottom lip to hold back the laughter. “You...doing housework?” I couldn't hold back and doubled over laughing. Fiona getting all dirty and grimy was an amusing thought

  Fiona grinned. “I don't know what possessed me to ask that. I know you have a lot of work so I'll let you get to it.”

  I followed her to the front door and we hugged. “Thanks for coming over, Fiona. It was nice to share the good news with someone else.”

  “I was thinking of going to club tomorrow night. Wanna join me?”

  I tried to think of an excuse to let her down gently. “I'm not sure.”

  Fiona picked up on it instantly. “Say no more. You want to keep your plans open in case Mr. Right calls.”

  I gave her another hug and opened the door. “You're the best.”

  “Remember that when I come back asking for more details.”

  I let out a big sigh of relief after Fiona had left. I had actually enjoyed talking to her but I felt like talking anymore about Michael would jinx the whole thing. We'd only been out together once and Fiona was already planning what type of wedding dress I should wear.

  I only hoped he would call soon.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Michael

  I thought I would be fine after Kelly left but I was dead wrong.

  The hunger returned with a vengeance. I had made it a few hours and felt pretty normal. But then that thirst resonated throughout my entire body. By the time it got really bad, all the blood banks were closed.

  I wouldn't be able to rob any until the next morning and I didn't know if I could make it that long. The hunger had never been so bad before. It was so debilitating that I could barely think straight. My body felt so weak that I had to lay down and not move.

  My skin began to sweat buckets. My eyes went red.

  Kelly being around only masked the symptoms. She didn't fully take away the hunger. If she had stayed all day like I wanted her to, I might've died the moment she finally left.

  I needed blood and I needed it fast. Getting to my normal hunting grounds would be almost impossible in my position. No girl at a club would be even remotely interested in me for me to get close enough to feed.

  It was after midnight and my building would most likely be deserted. Roaming the halls looking for a victim would sap the rest of my energy.

  Calling Kelly for help crossed my mind. But that would mean confessing my deepest darkest secret. I knew I'd have to tell her eventually if I ever wanted any real future with her. But now it was too soon. She'd run straight for the hills if she saw me for who I truly was.

  I had to find another way.

  My only option left was to pick someone off the street and hopefully not be seen. It was a huge risk but one I'd have to take.

  I stood up and the room immediately began to spin. I put my hand on the kitchen counter to steady myself. This was worse than a hangover. It was more like being drunk and having a jackhammer in your head at the same time.

  I took a few wobbly steps to the door and knew that my mission was futile. Even if I did make it outside onto the streets, I had no strength left. It would be next to impossible for me to grab someone and drain them.

  I fell onto the hardwood floor and flipped over on my back and stared up at the ceiling. I tried to control my breathing to keep the hunger at bay. It was the only thing I could do to try and stay alive.

  Now Kelly was my only hope.

  I pulled out my cellphone and dialed her number off my hand. I put the phone up to my ear and waited for it to start ringing. I couldn't keep my eyes open. The call began to ring. I just needed to stay awake long enough to tell Kelly to get over here immediately.

  Everything went to black.

  –

  A banging noise woke me up. The sun was out and blinding me. I couldn't remember what had happened or how long I'd been asleep. I saw the phone next to my head and remembered that I was in the middle of calling Kelly.

  I couldn't move my limbs anymore. The need to feed had overtaken me. My brain was only working at ten percent. Based on that I knew I had been asleep for a couple days. It wouldn't be much longer now until I took my eternal rest.

  There was another banging and I realized that it had come from the door. I tried to reach out for it but couldn't. I opened my mouth and it was drier than a desert. I tried to speak but only a whining sound came out.

  You can do this, Michael. Whoever is on the other side of the door will be your next meal. You just need to speak.

  I opened my mouth again and forced out the word help. I didn't know if it was loud enough until the door handle turned. Thank the gods I never locked my front door.

  Kelly came running in. “Michael! What happened?”

  No. Not you. Anybody but you.

  Kelly came to my side and propped my head up. “What's wrong, Michael? Are you hurt?”

  I could hear her veins pulsing for me. “Blood...”

  “What did you say? I didn't hear you. Maybe I should call 911.”

  “Blood,” I said again softly, using every last ounce of energy.

  Kelly leaned over me and put her ear up to my mouth. Her neck was dangerously close to me. There was no resisting it.

  My hand moved without much effort and I placed it on the back of her head. I pulled her closer to me and dug my fangs into her sweet flesh.

  Kelly screamed as the blood flowed down my throat. She trie
d to fight me off but it was no use. My mind awakened, my strength returned.

  A voice deep down called out to me, “You've had enough. Don't kill her.”

  I ignored it and continued to feed, relishing in the taste. Blood had never tasted so good.

  You're going to kill her.

  The image of Kelly popped into my head. Our long night together flashed before my eyes.

  The fiery red in my eyes dissipated and I released Kelly from my grip. She fell to the ground, lifeless and unmoving, blood slowly leaking from two holes in her neck.

  My heart began to flutter. “What have I done?” I said.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Kelly

  A nightmare.

  I walked into Michael's apartment to find a living monster. It attacked me and I wasn't able to get away. He had me.

  I woke up not in my parents' house. I looked around and realized I was laying in Michael's bed. The sudden realization hit me right in the face.

  It wasn't a nightmare. It all came back to me now.

  Michael had called me and I had missed it. When I called back all I got was his voicemail. I thought nothing of it and the next day I tried calling him again. But still nothing. That's when I began to get worried. I didn't know if he was purposely trying to avoid me or something bad had happened.

  The morning after that I decided that I was going to go over to his place and give him a piece of my mind. Nobody could treat a girl that way.

  What greeted me at the door thought was something out of a horror movie. Michael looked pale and dead. When I went to check if he was still alive, the monster attacked me. I blacked out after that.

  Was the monster Michael?

  All I knew was that I needed to get out now before the monster returned. I sat up in bed and felt woozy. My hand instinctively went to my neck and I winced from the pain. I pulled my hand away and a little bit of blood was left on it.

  I got up and went for the door, stumbling over a pair of Michael's shoes. I put my ear to the door and listened. If the monster was still out there, I'd have to find another way to escape.

  No sound. No movement out there. The monster might've gone away. I took a deep breath and turned the door knob.

  Michael stood in the kitchen, behind the counter, stirring a pot. His face lost all its blood when he saw me.

  “Kelly...you're awake.”

  I didn't know what was going on but I needed to get out of there. I looked for the door and knew that I wouldn't be able to make it before Michael would pounce on me.

  Michael took a step towards me. I ran back into his bedroom and closed the door. I fumbled at the handle until I was able to lock it.

  His voice came from the other side, calm and collected. “Can we talk, Kelly?” he asked.

  “What are you going to do with me?” I yelled through the door.

  “Nothing. I just want to explain what happened.”

  “You mean how you sucked my blood like a vampire? You're an abomination.”

  “I deserve that. I never meant to harm you. And I should have told you about my problem sooner. But things were going so well and you have this power over me.”

  I stood there just staring at the door just waiting for Michael to knock it down in a display of super strength.

  He continued, “My body can't survive without blood, Kelly.”

  “And you kill people for it?”

  “No of course not. I do occasionally drain people but they never die.”

  My head was swirling. Was all this really happening? Was Michael really a vampire?

  But that was a fantasy. Vampire didn't exist in the real world.

  “Are you a vampire?” I asked him.

  “Not in traditional sense,” he replied.

  I sat down on the edge of his mattress. “What the fuck is going on here.”

  “You're special, Kelly. When I'm around you, I don't feel the hunger anymore. It's something that's never happened to me before. I don't know why it's happening but I've never felt better when you're around.”

  I pinched my cheek and howled from the pain. This wasn't a dream.

  “Listen, Kelly. I'm not going to hurt you. I swear it. I can open this door if I wanted to. I have the key out here.”

  I cursed silently. “And once I open the door, you're going to use your vampire powers to brainwash me into your slave.”

  Michael laughed on the other side. “That would be a nice power to have.”

  He sure was acting normal for a vampire. But could I trust him?

  “Just please open the door and I'll explain everything.”

  I don't know what came over me but I didn't feel scared anymore. I don't know if it was Michael's soothing voice or the fact that there wasn't any way I could escape.

  I opened the door and Michael was sitting on the ground. I walked back to the bed and sat down. He stood up immediately and walked in. “Are you all right?”

  “I feel lightheaded and I think I'm losing my mind.”

  Michael pointed at my neck. “Does it still hurt?”

  “What kind of question is that? Of course it fucking hurts.”

  Michael hung his head low. “I'm sorry, Kelly. I was on the brink of death. If I didn't get blood soon I would've certainly died.”

  I rubbed my tired eyes. “This is taking a lot to process. So you don't go around killing people and draining them of blood?”

  Michael looked me in the eyes and I had to turn away. “I never kill them. I take just enough blood to keep me going.”

  “So that's what you're doing at the club.”

  Michael nodded his head in shame.

  “And you've never been caught before? How do your victims not report this to the police?”

  “They usually believe it was all dream.”

  I pointed at my neck. “Does this look like a dream to you?”

  Michael grasped my hand. My instinct was to pull it away but he was so warm. His holding my hand calmed me down a little.

  “I do what I need to do to survive, Kelly.”

  “And there's no other way to get blood? Can't you get blood at a hospital or something?”

  “They don't usually give that out for free. I've had to steal from blood banks when times got tough.” Michael squeezed my hand. “But you don't understand. When I'm around you, I don't feel the hunger.”

  “And look what happened when I left,” I replied.

  “I don't have all the answers but I know what we have between us is special. I need your help, Kelly.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Michael

  Kelly was taking the news rather well. I was scared that she was going to try and fight me off. Run for the door and never be seen or heard from again.

  But she was sitting on my bed still. Understandably distraught but willing to talk things through. That's more than I could ever ask for.

  “I need some time to think about all this,” Kelly said.

  “I understand. I'll give you all the time you need.”

  Kelly stood up and swayed from side to side. I grabbed her forearm to steady her. “I'm sorry, I still feel a little lightheaded.”

  “Lay back down and I'll get you some orange juice.”

  I could tell she wanted to go but her body wasn't allowing her. She plopped back down on the bed as I went to the kitchen.

  I returned with a glass of orange juice to find Kelly sound asleep on the bed again. I put the glass down on the wood floor next to the mattress. She was exhausted and so was I. But I couldn't assume to sleep next to her on the bed. I didn't want her to wake up and get scared.

  I went back to the living room with a blanket and took a spot on the couch. It didn't take me long to fall to sleep.

  –

  I awoke as the sun was setting across the city. Shades of orange covered the walls of the apartment. I went to the bedroom to find the bed empty.

  My heart dropped. Kelly must've left while I was asleep. I didn't know what else to expect. Sh
e had said she needed some time to think.

  I heard the toilet flush in the bathroom and my heart came back to life. She was still here.