I tossed the terribly torn paperback on my bed, and ran over, landing next to it, burying my face in the pillow. These nightmares were getting
worse as the days went by! This last one has done a real number on my
brain. The fact that this was the fourth night in a row, the same scene,
the same happenings, was extremely unsettling. Especially added with the
fact that it seemed SO real to me! Could these things actually be
happening, or was my imagination reeking havoc on my reality?
I lifted my head and looked over at the novel laying next to me.
'Malicious Massacres'. If you were to see this particular item in a library
or used book shop, you'd see it as a 'must read'. The spine was broken
and many a page had been 'dog eared' and creased.
Amber's theory is that these books are the cause of my nightmares.
She may be right. I've always loved stories of this nature. The
fierceness of the characters, the romanticizing of them. Just stories,
right? They've never affected me this way before, why now and what's with
the 'dreams' (if that's what they were)? These 'visions effected my
every thought. They gotta' stop! Maybe Amber's right. Maybe these books
are getting the better of me, and all this Vampire stuff was just a figment
of my imagination (a very vivid one). I was not in a velvet gown, nor an
old run down mansion. I wake up here, in my own bed! Just dreams. Then
why did my gut tell me different? Reality or fiction, no matter what it
is,… Mr. Thomas Payne still seemed suspicious. He didn't exactly give off
the 'hug me' vibe, not to me anyway. I'm sure Amber's opinion would
differ though. I've spent many nights dreaming of Payne. There had to be a
way to expose him for the monster he is, or.. the madd woman that I had
become.
"...then he appeared on the fair grounds, and carried me off!"
"Wow Tarra. Exciting, to say the least. Which book did you pull that
from?" Amber fastened her hair atop her head, then, cupping her hands under
the tap, she splashed cool water on her face.
"Why do I even bother to try telling you this?…" I peered over at
Amber from behind the shower curtain. "…What am I going to do about Tom?"
"What can you do? As long as he can control you just by looking at you
..." Amber smiled as she spied my reflection in the mirror. I knew she
wasn't referring to Tom's 'Vampire' powers of persuasion, but her choice
of words were startling just the same. Amber had no idea how right she was.
"Amber, I'm serious!"
"Well,... Then,... you could always…sleep with him. That's sure to put
the power back in your hands!" A suggestion given with her usual glib
attitude.
"AMBER!" My eyes widened at the braisin' way to which she just
blurted this out!
"What? It was just a suggestion!" Amber was holding back her laughter.
"Well if you like him so much,… Why don't you sleep with him!" I shot
back with a smirk.
"Hmm, ... Well hey, …Ya know…" she paused brushing her hair.
"I was kidding! Just kidding!" I wrapped a pink towel around my
dripping form and stepped out onto the bath mat. Amber laughed quietly to
herself as she exited the room, sure to have images dancing through her
mind.
"I'll see you later tonight." I acknowledge Amber's 'good bye' with
a nod, and turned back to my closet. I pulled out a fuchsia T, a pair of my
favourite low-rise jeans, and a black cropped sweater. Having now yanked my
clothes on, I sat down in front of my mirror to apply my make-up.
Foundation, some shadow, liner, lip gl - 'Hey, where's my-' I opened my
drawer, 'oh, there it is'. I parted my lips to apply my gloss, as I did
every day, but stopped short. My lip was bleeding! Dropping the tube to
the table top, I stood, leaning to the mirror for a closer look. There,
inside my lip, were two pierced holes. 'Now,…how could that be?' I
traced them with my tongue, 'Hmm, strange'. The query left my mind, and I
continued to prepare for work.
Taking a giant mouthful of my meatball sub, I stared blankly up at the
television. Do to my obscene work hours, I had to eat my late lunch at the
register. I wouldn't dare leave the counter, what with Penn on guard. If I
was even the tiniest bit late coming back from a break, there's no telling
what menial task she will put me to work on.
Tom hadn't reported to work just yet. 'Good!', maybe this was the
night he'd dropped off the face of the earth! His being late, as usual,
never seemed to effect his job security. Oh well, I was glad for the extra
time without him here. Plus, it gave me time to clean the storage room
without being stared at or,… possibly becoming his 'late lunch'!
I continued to eat my sub while I drank in the news. Finishing up my
meal, I started to lose interest in the lame report on 'Farmer Benson's
runaway llama's'. Crumpling my plastic wrap into a tiny ball with the palms
of my hands, I began to whack it around the counter before me. Not a very
rare form of amusement for me. I am very easily entertained.
"...In a strangely connected story;… An unknown woman was found badly
bruised and bleeding, on the side of the road just down from Benson Farms.
Seemingly suffering from a touch of amnesia, officials are looking for
anyone that may know this girl, or something that might shed some light on
this tragic crime…"
My eyes snapped from my homemade hockey game, back up to the tiny
screen just to the left of the security monitor. There was a picture of
Sarah! Looked like a drivers license photo, but it was definitely Sarah.
News of Sarah in this state would have, in a sick way, pleased me. It is
wrong to think such things, I know, but .. how was I to help it that my
alter ego took some enjoyment in her pain. "Shame on you Tara!' Given
the recent 'dreams' I'd just had, I was actually glad to hear that she
would be alright. Odd though, The fact that the daily 'Vic' was Sarah,
my dream, her being found all beaten… I'll have to call the info number
when my break comes 'round, let them know who she is. Nightmares aside,
I'd love to pin this on Tom! Not crazy to think that he'd had something
to do with this, was it?
Speak of the Devil! There he is, Tom. I kept my eyes glued to the
security monitor, watching him without directly 'watching him'. He
stepped through the sliding doors, by passing the office to clock in, and
headed my way. 'Oh god, oh god ...make yourself busy. Act busy!'
Wouldn't want him to know that I spent every waking hour (as well as, the
ones I slept through) contemplating his existence! Looking around, nothing
came to mind, it was too occupied by wondering how long it was going to take
him to reach the counter, and what would I say once he did. Staring dumbly
at my own fingers was what I come up with ('brilliant Tarra!').
Examining my hand became more interesting then I'd thought it would.
There were lots of little scratches, just traces of them actually. And,…
across the palm, there was a rather large cut? Practically healed, looked
like it had happened some time ago. 'When did I do that?'. 'Why had I
not noticed it before, or remember how I had gotten it in the first place?'
"Ouch,…sweet slice, Tarra… What happened?" I looked up to see Tom,
hovering by front of the counter. In my dream, he had been an unfriendly
python, squeezing the life out of me. Now, as he stood there, so casually,
he was just some guy. A co-worker. All the same, I was happy that a
barrier now separated us. Not the moat I'd wished was there- Nay,
'Continent'. A Continent would separate us more to my liking! But, the
counter is what I had. I said nothing. I couldn't answer him truthfully,
I didn't know the truth as to how I'd gotten the injury.
"Gibson. My ...dog... must've bit too hard when I was playing with
him." He smiled. Not that of which you would normally see, when you
spoke with Payne. This smile was playful, mysterious, and seductive all
rolled into one. I found myself staring at his lips. Nicely full,
exquisitely shaped. So luscious, so... so... Delicious! He licked his lips
twice over, which only enhanced them all the more.
"Doesn't much look like a dog bite. More like a small blade's cut."
I could feel his eyes on me. Had he read my mind? It seemed as if he
knew what I was thinking. I was too obvious, but I couldn't tear away
from them. The most perfect shade of pink…'What did he just say?'
A sudden and swift movement, found me unexpectedly sprawled across the
counter! Too fast to register just how it had happened, I'll I knew now
was that Tom was over me. Grabbing him firmly around the neck, my lips
enclosed his. Questions raced through my mind. I pushed them away, wanting
to get lost in this moment.
I bolted upright in my bed! 'No!' No more! I've got to shake
these dreams! This last one more disturbing then the others. Those were
nightmarish. Vampires, blood sucking, night terrors! But this one,… I
wasn't being chased, hunted down, Fed On! Tom wasn't some horrid monster,
just some guy, 'a co-worker', and I attacked him! I've had a crawling
dislike for this guy since the day we'd met. Vampire or not, I loathed
him! 'So why are you dreaming of kissing him, Tara?… and why were you
enjoying it so much?'
The sound of police sirens drifted through my window. This sound was
normally very soothing. This sound brought the line of safety closer. One
more criminal carried away. The thought that Tom would never be amongst
those, was frightening.
Heaving the layers of bedding from my body, I rose to my feet, and
walked to my window
A beautiful scene. The only one that pushed all my troubles to the back of my mind (if only for a moment). I sighed and forcefully pulled down the glass window encased in wood. My bed was calling me! My sanctuary, my haven, my shrine!! If I never had to leave my bed again, I wouldn't. But alas, a girls gotta' have a life.
I made a beeline to my bed, sufficating my body in the thicness of my comforter. I closed my eyes and prepared for my being to drift off into nothingness. I felt a sudden heat sensation in my upper arm, as I pulled the covers in tighter. I oepend my eyes and examined the wall across from me. I had a feeling I was not going to get back to sleep. I rolled over abruptly. The same 'stone' feeling came over me.
I was gazing (once again) into the eyes of a murderer! There, in my chair, paralell to the wall, I could see two piercing red eyes. I already knew he was a vampire, so he and I both knew, there was no use in hiding their original colour. His eyes held not even a glint of brown in them anymore.
I yanked my sheets up and over my quaking body, leaning hard against the headboard. Should I scream? Well ... I could, but ... who would hear me? There was no use in calling Amber. I knew he could make himself unknown to non-beleivers, so there's no doubt in my mind that he'd do it again. Who even knew, how much danger she was in, even being in the house.
Tom snickers and stood up straight. Before I had a chance to do anything, he was at my side. I shivered, as a gust of wind circled me, grounding itself into my bare legs. I moved slowly from the bed, towards the door. He duplicated this, taking the same steps I had, in my direction. He then stopped directly before me.
I abandoned my cotton sheets and pulled on a nearby sweater, cloaking my naked arms, shoulders and neck.
"Tarra ...my angel," he flung his arm out at me. "I assumed you know why I'm here," I shook my head, still shaking, as he close in. "No? .. hmmm ... well, let me give you a small recap. Well .. no, I lied. More like a ...command! I've come for what is mine!"
I eyed him nervously as he came closer still.
"And that would be?" I backed up against a wall. There was no where else to go. He snatched up my wrist and motioned towards my palm. He brushed away runnaway hairs from my face, and leaned in. Though suspending most of his weight with his arm, the remainder of it pinned me to the wall... my barriro, keeping my from escaping his clutches.
"Don't play coy with me?" I eyed his fangs as he spoke. " I actually, was also wondering about that kiss," Kiss? What kiss? ... Oh my god! Does he mean ... !! That was for real!??! Was I actually starting to like him? There was no proof that any of those unfortunate events had occured. As far as I knew, they had all been dreams.
I knew that had to be what was going on now. Nothing that happened here would affect my real life. Nothing more than a dream.
Tom smiled at me and pushed himself off from the wall. This allowed him to total use of both hands. He stopped them on my shoulderes. What was he going to do? My shoulders were bare once more as the swater was lifted. Hmm ... it's just a dream, Tarra. Just a dream. ... I'mma' have a little fun with this!
I remained motionless.
"May I?" he whispered in my ear. I responded with a grin, moving my blonde locks from my neck, setting them to rest on my back. A look of ravenous hunger appeared on Tom's face.
"Go ahead ... 'Bite Me'!"
The stare I received, was an obvious sign that he had wanted to for so long. It was like I could read his thoughts. Like I could see what he was thinking, just through the expression on his gorgeous face.
He grasped my neck with a taloned hand and my wasit with the other. I closed my eyes. He plunged his fangs deep within my skin. I let out a loud moan. The pain was tremendous, but I let him continue.
I soon felt very faint and light-headed. Tom extracted his teeth, his eyes still closed, as he savoured the taste of my blood in his mouth. I could feel the warm liquid on my neck and colourbone. I glanced down, catching a glimpse of the red fluid pouring out the two wounds, like water from a running faucet.
Tom opened his eyes long enough to direct his tongue to the great stream. His lashed brushed the skin beneath his eyes once more, as he closed them tightly, sopping up the scarlet, a look of pure pleasure on his face.
This left a bloody smear across my shoulder and neckline.
"Satisfied?" I asked him ... It hurt to speak. I tried to ignore the pain. Tom licked the liquid from the corner of his mout and opened his eyes. It was painful, and I still held great fear for this man. But ... It was most definatly an 'unforgettable' experience. Amoungst the pain, there was something else, surging through me.
He smiled once more and kissed a small patch of skin on my now throbbing throat. I could feel the wetness of his tongue as he slurped up the excess of his meal that I provided, lingering there on my skin.
I looked over at him, as if to say, 'Now what!?'.
"I've finally recieved what I need from you. Now all that's let, is to wait!"
The wind picked up and whooshed through my open window. I shivered in the cool breeze. Tom flew off, carried by the wind, out my my house. Thank god! I could wake up, and none of these events will have happened.