by J. Alexander
Becoming Dinner
J. Alexander
Copyright 2010 J. Alexander
First Edition November 2010
Published by J. Alexander at Smashwords
All rights reserved
Cover design: Fantasia Frog Designs.
Http://fantasiafrogdesigns.wordpress.com
Photos by photos8.com
Special thanks to my family and friends for their support of my writing endeavors.
License Notes
eBook editions are licensed for your personal enjoyment only. eBooks may not be re-sold, copied or given away to other people. If you would like to share an eBook edition with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are solely the product of the author’s imagination and/or are used fictitiously, though reference may be made to actual historical events or existing locations. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
*** Becoming Dinner is a short story intended for adult readers only. ***
Becoming Dinner
Don’t move, don’t make a sound. I repeated these words over and over in my head. I stood immobile, frozen with fear. My back and head pressed hard against a tree, the rough bark scraped my skin. A bead of perspiration rolled down my spine and another between my breasts. It was completely dark in the pocket of trees and bushes I hid among. The large moon would be visible again only if I emerged on the other side of the forest. If I survived.
Being caught in the forest after dark was a mistake. I hoped it wouldn’t turn into a deadly one. After visiting a nearby village, I left on my own to return to my people. I misjudged the journey back to my tribe and found myself still a great distance away at full dark. I was alone, barely armed, and being hunted by a very hungry and determined beast.
If it smelled me, if the creature lumbering toward me discovered my location, I'd be dead in an instant. Don’t move, don’t make a sound. I forced myself to repeat these words again in an attempt to slow my breathing. It was no use. As I inhaled, my lungs screamed for more air. I exhaled through my nose trying to avoid releasing any smell of my breath.
The creature I hid from still came toward me. I closed my eyes and tried to calm myself. My heartbeat flooded my ears. The thud of each footstep grew louder and louder. Small trees and branches snapped with each stride. At least I could hear this one and knew where it was. There was another in the forest somewhere, hiding, waiting to rip me apart. These creatures usually hunted in pairs; one on the move and the other waiting to ambush. I had only seen one but I knew the other was somewhere near.
I closed my eyes to try and calm myself but my heart beat so loud that it flooded my ears. The insects of the dense woods landed on my sweaty skin but I could not move to brush them away. My flesh shivered as the legs of a sizable bug slowly crept onto the back of my neck. Step by step it made its way higher, heading for my hair. Don’t move.
Panic set in as I pictured the monsters with their large cumbersome legs, long arms swinging low, and a round middle. They are tall, incredibly strong and always hungry. The distance between us faded. I listened carefully to the creature approaching, trying to gauge its position. A chill ran down my spine as I realized it was walking a straight path to where I stood.
My legs shook, threatening to collapse under my weight. Two possibilities entered my mind. If the monster rounded the cluster of trees, passing in front of me, I wouldn’t have a moment to scream before it ripped into my flesh. If it passed behind my hiding place, I would live, at least for the moment.
The sounds of breaking vegetation grew louder. I felt a sickening stab in my stomach. I heard the wet wheezing sound of its large mouth, breathing heavily, drooling freely. The stench of the creature sent a wave of shock through my body. I had to hold my breath to keep from gagging. The last two steps shook the ground with their force. I stifled a scream as a small branch snapped next to me and raked down my face and body.
Don’t move, don’t make a sound.
I held my breath, squeezing my eyes shut for what seemed like an eternity.
I don’t know how long I stayed immobile, barely breathing. A cool and wet feeling on my hands brought me out of my daze. My legs seemed to be sinking into something soft. I realized, as I opened my eyes, that my knees buckled and I collapsed to the ground, falling onto the wet forest floor. The creature passed behind me.
Off in the distance, I heard my attacker moving away.
Moving aside damp, decaying leaves I found mud and a small pool of water, collected some between my hands, and spread it on my neck and shoulders. The cool mud felt good as I sat and assessed my situation.
Alone and in the forest, my chances of survival were not good. Being human was definitely a disadvantage. If I weren’t careful and didn’t do as I had been taught, I would find myself in the teeth of one of the beasts of the forest. My people trained me well. My life depended upon my ability to do as I had been instructed.
The pain in my lungs and legs reminded me, I wouldn’t be able to run much longer. Lengthy training sessions made me strong and skilled. I was quick with a knife or spear but running for long periods was my weakness. While more than one male in my group had been shamed by losing to me, these skills would do little good against an attacker twice my size.
I stood, determined to continue on to my target location. The humid forest air permeated my lungs as I took a deep breath. My anger rose. I wouldn’t let them capture me. As long as I kept some distance between me and the beasts, I would safely reach my desired destination.
I will not die at the hands of a monster.
The mud dried and cracked on my skin. I walked quietly through the brush and thick trees. A breeze blew and the noise of frogs and animals of the night surrounded me.
Next to a small stream, I found the remains of a feast, which had rotted in the sun for days. I rubbed as much of it as I could over my body, trying to cover myself with the stench of the carcass. I hoped the beasts couldn’t smell me; couldn’t smell the living, breathing part of me.
Before leaving the pile of remains, I picked up the bloody hide and tied it tight around my shoulders. Dangling chunks of unclaimed, rotting meat added to the stench.
I needed to smell dead because my sweat emitted a scent of live prey; fresh blood. The beasts were known to go days without feeding, refusing the remains of dead humans, animals, and creatures to wait for a fresh kill.
The smell of the pelt made me gag. I tried to move forward quickly so the odor flowed behind me. Making my way through the trees, I listened for any sound from the two creatures. Coming upon a clearing, I stopped and crouched behind the last clump of bushes. Moonlight bathed the meadow and I was able to assess my surroundings. Across the grass, I could see the point I needed to reach. The edge of the canyon and river below were my escape.
Closing my eyes, I listened to the faint hum of rushing water. There was something else; a low moaning sound. My heart pounded rapidly as I deciphered the noise. It was a grunting, sucking sound of breath and drool from the creatures.
I bolted from the bushes and ran as fast as my tired legs could go. Out of the corner of my eye, across the open area of grass, I could see the two attackers gaining on me. I sprinted for the outcropping of rocks ahead of me.
They found each other and were now working together to capture me. The beasts made awful guttural sounds as they closed in on me. If captured, my death would be instantaneous. Two beasts fighting over one piece of meat is a messy, horrific scene.
Gaining speed in order to make the leap, my leg muscles screamed in pain. There was no use in drawing my knife. I
had only brought the small one tonight, and against the large creatures stomping up closer to me, it would do little damage. Their thick skin deflected arrows. A blow from me would barely be noticed. Outrunning them was my only hope. If I couldn’t maneuver up and over the rocks smoothly, my life was over. Two or three quick and well-placed foot falls would bring me to a point of possible escape.
A growl sounded not far behind me. I knew better than to turn around. I sped up as much as my body allowed. Three long final strides brought me to the base of the rock wall. I leapt up on the first rock, and then angled sharply up and over to a second. Moving swiftly higher, I was careful to pull my trailing leg forward as fast as I could. My unexpected change in direction caused the closest creature to slam into a lower rock. I heard his arms hit. A spray of dirt and pebbles landed just below me. The last rock I chose was farther out of reach. My success in reaching the top meant I was only one step away from surviving this night.
Without hesitation, without looking down into the void in front of me, I leaped out into the darkness.
As I fell, the rush of night air cooled my sweaty flesh. I felt the moisture in the breeze and began counting as I always did, waiting to plunge into the cold water. Four, three, two…
Suddenly the wind was knocked out of me. Instead of feeling a rush of water, I felt a forceful blow across my midsection as I was folded in half. An arm surrounded my waist and carried me up and away from the river. One well-timed grasp from a new monster undid my earlier efforts of survival.
The creature that held me landed on a ledge, leapt and landed briefly on another shelf of rocks. While stopped on this platform, I listened for a sound, a clue as to what held me. Pushing off a final time, we soared up through the cool night air and landed smoothly somewhere high on the canyon wall.
Whatever held me could fly. I searched my mind and tried to recall what type of monster this size could fly. It lowered into a sitting position and I was placed in front with a firm, grounding plop. Strong limbs surrounded me in an unyielding grasp.
I knew I was about to become a meal but I was not sure for what type of beast. Considering I was covered in mud, a dead animal skin, and rotting meat, this creature wasn’t picky. It knew I wasn’t dead. I was sure it heard and felt my heavy breath. Forming into a semi-limp ball, I tried to take on the shape of an animal in the hope that the creature would bite first into one of the fleshy chunks of dead meat hanging from me. This would give me an opportunity to reach for my knife. I knew I had to kill quickly or it would strike again. Death was near – the creature’s or mine.
We were in a pocket of shadow sitting on the ledge. The moonlight didn’t reach us, which I hoped increased my odds. As I was patted and examined, I slowly moved my hand toward the knife. The touch of the hands and the feel of its limbs made me realize this beast had a human form. Adding this fact to the information I already knew of the creature, I came up with a few possibilities, none of them good.
The inspection stopped and cool hands rested on my slumped over back. It pushed aside the hanging fur and felt the skin beneath. In quick movements, the creature located my shoulders and brought me upright. I was held tight and could barely move. There was no chance to reach my knife now. The breath on my cheek was erratic. I soon realized it wasn’t breathing; it was sniffing me. The creature tried to decipher what I was. Trailing its nose close to my skin, it suddenly froze. The sound of the male voice made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
“Human,” It said with a tone shivering with excitement and anticipation.
Vampire. No other creature could both fly and speak. Despite the heat of the night and the lengthy running I had done, a cold chill ran down my spine.
My group had talked about vampires. There had been no reports of them in the area since last cold season. Disappearances of children and animals had been reported from camps other than ours. The missing were always found later, drained of blood. My head spun and breath quickened. All my efforts earlier to avoid capture were for nothing. I would never see my people again. Terror took over my mind and my head swayed at the thought of his fangs draining me of life.
Grabbing my semi-limp body around the waist, he stood and we were soon falling through the air. There was no attempt to fly or slow down the impact. We hit the water together with full force, plunging deep. Under water the vampire held my wrist. Using his free hand he stripped away the fur, dead animal pieces and cloth wrappings. The knife and sheath were lost to the bottom of the river as well. Even the tie in my hair was torn loose, causing it to flow around me. By the time he allowed me to surface, I was naked except for one remaining cloth around my waist.
I breathed deep, not knowing if I would be pulled under again. Looking around in the moonlight, I tried to discern where I was.
The vampire was still under water. I waited for him to surface but instead he let go of my wrist. The current was steady but not strong and I traveled further downriver. There was no sign of him.
Eyes wide, I searched my surroundings. Shadows jumped around me. My already swirling head was pounding with fright, terrorized with fear of the unknown and unseen.
I saw a figure move in the corner of my vision. Turning to better see the object I was suddenly grasped by my wrist and spun around; then nothing.
What game was he playing? What was he trying to do?
Drifting again for a short distance, I noticed a cluster of logs on one side of the river. As I swam to them, I waited for the vampire to make another move. Instead, all was silent.
The logs were caught together and I hoisted myself up on the first one. I rolled back into the pile and tried to blend with the wood. The surface of my perch was slimy and it was difficult to stay in one place without sliding. At times the logs separated with the sway of the water. Staring up at the stars of the night, I did my best to hold on.
The flow of the river was slower in the bend. I listened to the gentle lapping of the water and the rustling of the branches above me. I needed to calm myself before making my next move toward escape. This attempt was soon interrupted by a cold object lowering onto my stomach. A snake was dropping out of the tree above me onto my skin. Don’t move.
The reptile was small but that didn’t mean it wasn’t poisonous. I waited as coil by coil it lowered its length onto me. After fully dropping, the snake made its way toward my face, traveling directly between my breasts. The flick of its tongue tasted me as it slithered higher. I tried desperately to keep the rise and fall of my chest even.
In an instant, my concern of the snake was replaced with the sensation of a hand on my ankle. Before I could take a breath or worry further about the snake, I was pulled under the water.
The vampire found me. I doubted I was ever far from his watch. His strong, cold hand moved to my wrist and he allowed me to rise above water for a breath.
The current caused us to drift slowly downriver. The vampire had not surfaced. His hand still held me tightly. A slight pull moved me at an angle to the river bank. He swam underwater, leading us to shore. I didn’t try to fight. There was no use. Even if I had my knife it would’ve done no good. A special weapon was needed to defeat a vampire.
Releasing my wrist, the vampire settled both his hands on my waist, spun me around and backed me into the muddy bank. The side of the river was sheer and the water was quite deep. He remained submerged, hands upon my skin. There was no chance of escape now and soon it all would be over.
Less than an arm’s length in front of me and slowly, very slowly, the vampire’s head rose out of the water. Before me was a monster with long black hair, pale skin and captivating eyes. Aside from the fangs showing through a sly smile, he was quite handsome. That smile, along with the unsettling fact that he didn’t take a breath after being submerged for so long, made my heart beat intensely. The eyes of the vampire were black mixed with an unnatural, glowing blue. In all the animals, monsters and beasts I had encountered, I had never seen eyes like these.
The smile was u
nexpected, but in no way comforting. I closed my eyes and waited. I didn’t want to see the fangs coming at me. The long night of running paired with my new terror caused my body to shake. Head to toe I could not stop the fear from completely taking me over. Tears slid down my face. I failed. I would never see home again.
A low, calm voice whispered in my ear, “Shhh.” Within the span of one breath, a feeling of peace started to wash over me. Opening my eyes, I saw him gazing deep. He wiped the tears off my cheeks with the back of his hand. Then he smiled. The feeling of peace was complete. At that moment I didn’t know if I would die. I didn’t care. Calm warmth washed over me and intensified the longer I looked into his gaze.
His hands began to run over my face, then my neck. I thought he was feeling for a good place to bite, but soon realized he was trying to clean me. Not making any progress with his hands, he reached down and ripped the cloth from around my waist. I couldn’t blame him for cleaning me. The stench left by the dead animal pelt made my eyes water.
He slowly but purposefully rubbed the grime and goop from my limbs, torso, face and neck. Periodically shaking the cloth out under the flowing river, he seemed to be happy with the progress. My breath slowed; eyes drifted closed at times. The feeling of his soft strokes on my naked skin, combined with prolonged running, made my exhausted body relax. The gentle rushing sound of the water and the soft rustle of the branches above me further eased my tired body and mind.
I didn’t hear him submerge but knew he must have when I felt his cheek rub up against my calf muscle. In a slow ascension, he made his way up my body, touching my skin with the side of his face. This intimate inspection was paired with the soft dragging stroke of his hands.
Emerging from the water once again, he laid his head in the bend of my neck, his hands stopping on the sides of my breast. Finally rid of most of the stench, I must have been more pleasing to him now. He rested his nose behind my ear and inhaled deeply. This was followed immediately by a quiet exhaling groan.