Sunday, October 26, 2014

A Dream of Vampires - Halloweenish flash fiction

A Dream of Vampires


Pecan trees, a double row of them lining the street, leaves rustling in the breeze. The nuts had fallen and now a few yellowed leaves were fluttering to the ground. Josh and I followed the shaded avenue toward the coliseum. A few other people were strolling about. In this area, most of them were probably vampires. I noticed dozens of their white triangular teeth on the sidewalk and in the gutter. Since they seem to to lose teeth every time they feed, how many must they grow in their lifetimes? Were they like sharks, with rows and rows of new teeth growing to replace those lost in the bones of their victims? I can never talk to Josh about stuff like that.

We tried to look cool, and it must have worked, because nobody paid any attention to us. Then again, maybe they just weren't hungry.

We were there. The vast concrete edifice seemed deserted, but we were on the back side. Josh led the way, opening the service door that our commander had told us would be unlocked. I hoped things were going as smoothly for the rest of the team. Up the stairs. A plump young woman was toiling her way up ahead of us. As we passed her she smiled, and I realized she was one of them. Why do they pretend? Why do they move as we humans do, when they can be so much stronger and faster? I have seen a 200-pound vampire girl in stretch pants that are way too small for her outrun a Mustang and rip the grill right off. I think they like to mock us. Good thing the commander has a secret plan.

We got to the second floor and Josh pulled the door open. It was a frigging ballroom full of vampires in tuxedos and floor-length dresses. The chubby vamp was right behind us. Josh stepped through the door.

--

I started awake, drenched in a cold sweat. I could still feel the vampires' eyes boring into my flesh. I gave a sigh that passed into a shudder. What could have brought on that nightmare? I hadn't eaten anything problematic. I wiped the sweat off my face with the sheet and lay back, hoping to get a little more sleep before morning. I closed my eyes, then heard my window slowly open.

--

Ben closed the book and squeezed it with both hands. This story was just too scary! Why had his cousin Stevie given it to him? She knew he didn't like scary stories. She just wanted him to wet the bed. He threw the book onto the floor and reached into his headboard. He had a couple of Peanuts books in there for emergencies and he needed one of them now.

--

Louellen stopped writing and put down her pen. All of a sudden it seemed awfully bright outside. She stood up just in time to burn her shadow on the wall behind her. It lasted for the 12 microseconds it took for the wall to burn completely away. Earth's atmosphere, biosphere, and hydrosphere vanished in moments. The upper part of the lithosphere wasn't doing too well either. The Sun wasn't supposed to be able to do that, but I don't make the rules.

--

Thanghrok closed the book in disgust. If this was what had passed for literature among them, it was just as well humans had gone extinct millennia before.


End

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