Returning Home

Without another thought, I slipped from the bed and padded into the bathroom. Switching on the shower, I noticed myself in the mirror. Three sets of bites, blood stained skin, glazed eyes and tousled hair. I'd definitely just been fucked by a vampire.

I stepped under the hot water and let it cascade over me; I watched numbly as a trickle of water turned red and flowed down the curves of my body, down my leg, and from my toes into the plughole.

I wondered why Eric had left me here, trusted me to return his car to him and why he'd gone back to Fangtasia? I sighed, I didn't know. Maybe it was some drastic vampire emergency that required his presence. Maybe that Sookie girl needed his desperate attention. Maybe those people in the dungeon had escaped and were terrorising Fangtasia with wooden crosses or maybe, my imagination was getting carried away.

Though actually, I thought, that might be a good little notion for a book. I stored that idea away in my head, and washed myself carefully, having discovered how sore I was in my nether regions.

How was Eric getting back to Shreveport, for that matter? The thought popped into my head like a little voice from an audience I didn't know I had.

I had the car, he wouldn't be walking surely? Maybe Pam had already been in Dallas when she'd called him and was giving her maker a lift home. Least I presumed it had been Pam that had called… She must have picked him up; I decided and vacated the shower.

I dried myself fully and this time used the complimentary hair dryer in the room to dry my hair. As I was doing so, I concluded returning home tonight would be best and then I could drop Eric's car off and go home to ring my publishers about their proposal. It would be boring to stay on my own here and anyway, who knew what was lurking behind closed doors. I'd be safer at home I thought.

I picked an outfit and stuffed the maid-arranged pile of clothes in my bag and gathered up the ones Eric had tossed around the bedroom.

I picked up the phone and called down to reception to have the car brought round, the lady on the phone was very obliging and insisted she send somebody up for my bags, as they'd had strict instructions to look after me.

Eric, I presumed.

I returned the phone to its base in the living area and noticed a pile of cash next to the phone. What the hell, did Eric think I was a hooker? I scalded myself as I picked them up when I noticed a little note from him.

Don't jump to conclusions. Gas money. X

I smiled and huffed.

There was a quiet knock at the door, though it succeeded in making me jump. I strode over and opened it wide. Perhaps not a wise move since it could've been anybody.

"Hello Miss, I've come to collect your luggage," the bellboy smiled, politely.

I looked at his face, I vaguely recognised it. Maybe I'd seen him around the hotel.

"I shared the elevator with you when you first arrived," he said, "I'm Barry."

"Erm, yes, of course," I replied, startled. He must have seen the confusion on my face, "The bags are in the bedroom."

He nodded and smiled again and scuttled quickly past me to gather the bags.

He looked nervous as he returned and I wondered if he thought I was a vampire.

"I know you're not a vampire Miss," he said, placing the bags on his luggage trolley.

I returned his smile, "It was as if you read my mind," I laughed.

Barry chuckled anxiously as I stuffed the money Eric had left me in my pocket and packed my mobile…cell phone in another.

Barry and I headed down the hallway and he pressed the button to call the elevator. I noticed briefly there were no guards on the floors at night time. I guess vampires could take care of themselves more suitably at night.

The corvette was waiting outside and Barry swiftly loaded the cases into the trunk as I swapped the valet ticket for the keys.

"Thank you very much," I said to Barry and handed him a twenty dollar bill from my pocket. He looked somewhat surprised but accepted it and smiled graciously. I wondered if vampires didn't tip, but what the hell, it was Eric's money not mine.

I got in the car and keyed in my zip code into the Sat Nav. The device beeped and a voice told me that I would be there in approximately 4 hours. Very fancy, I thought and glanced at the clock, quarter past nine. I'd be back in Shreveport by half one and then that would be the perfect time to call my publishers. I resolved to drop the car off at Fangtasia and be home by 2am. No funny business with Eric.

I should be so lucky, I thought.

I drove home in Eric's corvette and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Eric's choice of music did nothing for me so with the radio on I sung to my hearts content. I pulled in for fuel, I mean gas, around midnight and filled the tank right up. I bought myself a bag of chips and some Coke and went on my way. My journey was entirely uneventful, which I found quite boring, but I figured I'd had enough vampire excitement for one evening.

I pulled into the parking lot of Fangtasia pretty much on time. There were few other cars around, but as I killed the engine a couple stumbled out from behind a dark blue sedan, across the far side of the lot.

The girl was giggling as the boy chased her across the car park. He caught up with her and grasped her arm pulling her to him. She relented and they kissed. As I watched, her hand crept up to the boys head, cruelly grabbed his hair and yanked his head backward. She threw her own head back and I saw moonlight catch the curve of her fangs, before she pitilessly munched down on his throat.

I was stuck to my seat; I didn't think Eric allowed feeding on the premises. It took me a minute but I scoffed at my own stupidity, of course, he didn't care, that was just for show.

I continued watching the two as the female vampire fed on her victim. She pushed him to the floor and they both laughed. When she sped off into the night and the boy stood and ran after her. I presumed he was fine.

I grabbed my bags from the car and slung them over my shoulder, leaving Eric's in the trunk. I tried the front door but it was locked, they must have closed up for the night. I trotted around back and let myself in.

The end of the hallway I'd stepped into was in darkness but there was light further down the hall and shouting coming from Eric's office. As I began to heedlessly make my way in, there was a clatter and bang and the office door opened and a black guy naked from the waist up was dragged from the room by Chow, the oriental vampire. I didn't like Chow; I liked him even less now. I stepped back a couple of paces out of sight while Chow dragged the man back into the dungeon, though I don't know why, the vampires would smell that I was here. I felt for the guy and my temper boiled within me. I marched into Eric's office, without knocking, a voice in my head told me I was being stupid, look what happened the last time I did that. I proceeded regardless.

My bags slipped down my arm to the floor as my eyes took in the vampires before me. I didn't know what I'd been expecting but it certainly wasn't this.

Eric sat high on a stool behind his desk, cloaked in a green cover. His chin red with dried blood. His hair scattered with foils. Pam, dressed in purple jogging pants and matching top, tended to his hair with a comb.

They both glared at me as I entered, with eyes that would've set me alight if they could of.

Pam stood hands on her hips, "Come for dessert?" she grinned. Did she mean I'd come for my dessert with Eric, or that I was dessert?

I frowned at her and shook my head. She smiled.

"What the fuck was that Eric?" I exclaimed, still shocked, gesticulating with my arms in the direction of the dungeon.

"Now is not the time Evelyn," he replied. I noticed his use of my full name, as if he was warning me off.

I was infuriated, "Don't speak to me like that! Especially not when you leave me in Dallas to get your fucking hair done!" I snapped, "And I am not your fucking driver either," I threw his keys at him.

Eric snarled.

I had a split second to think fuck before his hand wrapped around my neck and crushed me at full force into the wall. Pam was behind him in an instant. They each had their fangs out; both on high alert.

"Not now" Eric hissed at me, straining each word. He waited for my nod then released his grip. He remained close to me.

"Stand down Pam," he ordered.

She raised her eyebrow, "What a pity."

I looked up at him as he loomed above me, his eyes betrayed him. He wanted to bite me, to suck the blood right out of me until I was empty. It was all I could do to take him seriously, with the foils in his hair reflecting in the harsh light of the office, and get my arse out of there.

"Go," he hissed.

He didn't move to give me more room but I managed to slink past him and pick up my bags at the door. I paused, noticing Chow stood in the corridor. He grinned at me, showing fang.

I glanced back at Eric who just stared me down. I shook my head and scurried out of Fangtasia.

Marching home, I was furious with myself. Why hadn't I stood up to him? The voice in my head reasoned that if I had done so, I would've had my neck snapped like a twig.

I turned up my street, vowing not to be dragged in with Vampire shit anymore. But as I looked up at my house, my pace slowed and gradually I stopped. On my porch a dark figure peered in through my windows.

My breath caught in my throat, my heart started thumping in my chest and I didn't know what to do.

The figure took one last look through the door window before it turned and made its way down the steps. I panicked and dove behind a neighbour's car, which in retrospect wasn't necessarily the brightest idea I've ever had, as it set off their security light.

Luckily the figure didn't take much notice of it and as I scuttled round the car to maintain my camouflage, I caught a glimpse of the figure before it sped down the street in a blur.

A vampire.