Monster hunter
The lamia slithered quietly across the floor of the INS news service. It was late evening and only a few lights cast a glow, enough to keep clumsy mortals from stumbling in the dark. The scales on her serpent's tail caught the light, glinting like jewels. Her master had sent her to retrieve the bloodstone that idiot human had taken earlier that day. Of all the items that doltish creature could have picked up, he had to take the one mystic stone absolutely essential to her master's purpose. The master had been furious, of course and, summoning her, had sent her on her task.
Her powers were limited compared to the greater lamias, being able only to function at night, but she had enough ability to spread a sleeping spell in her immediate vicinity, sufficient to send the human male into a deep slumber. Confident her spell would keep him dormant, she slid quietly up to her quarry. He lay slumped over his desk, snoring softly, one hand draped over a camera, the other holding a small red stone, glimmering with malignant energies.
Its energies were invisible to humans, of course. To the eyes of the man who had found it in the ostensibly abandoned house he visited, it would have looked like an ordinary reddish stone. Whatever could have prompted him to pick it off the table and pocket it as a possible clue in the story he was investigating? Her master didn't explain to her what, if anything, was special about this mortal. But he did tell her she could dispose of the human as she saw fit, once she had the stone in hand.
Her long forked tongue licked in anticipation over her red lips. It wasn't often she got a tasty treat like this. His blood first, that rich sweet fluid full of life force, which flowed through human veins, making them much sought after by her kind. Then his body, fresh and succulent. It would have been nice if he were younger but one couldn't have everything. Swallowing him whole would take a little time, but the building's cleaning staff had already gone through the room and moved on, so she would have plenty of privacy while she gulped him down.
With delicate clawed fingers, she plucked the stone from his limp hand, looked it over, caressing it then set it to one side. Pulling his shirt collar away from his throat, she began drooling at the sight of the pale warm flesh she would soon be feasting on. Baring her sharp teeth, she bent down towards his carotid artery.
"Oh, no you don't, you ghastly hussy!"
The lamia jerked upright in surprise. An elderly human female, bent and frail looking, glared at her, holding what looked like a plastic tube of some sort. Before the lamia could extend her sleeping spell to ensnare this annoying crone, the human pumped the trigger on the large water pistol in her hand. A stream of water sprayed over the lamia, hissing and sputtering where it struck her body. The monster writhed in silent agony, unable even to shriek as her opponent pressed her attack, emptying out the contents of the water pistol onto the lamia.
It took less than half a minute for the lamia to completely dissolve under the holy water Emily had filled the pistol with. She looked down with satisfaction at the damp spot where the hellish creature had been moments before. My goodness, she thought, a little certainly went a long way, didn't it? Pulling out a small bottle from her pocket, she went over to Carl's desk. He still snored, oblivious to his close call. Emily pondered a bit. Something about that stone. The monster had seemed to want it. Removing the lid from the bottle of holy water, she dribbled a small stream of water onto the stone. It blazed and flickered but finally subsided. The stone looked the same but she felt quite certain she had neutralized some sort of evil. She carefully wiped down the stone and replaced it on the desk.
Recapping the bottle and shoving it back in her dress pocket along with the empty water pistol, she poked gently at Carl.
"Carl, dear, wake up."
The man at the desk grunted, then blinked and roused, staring at Miss Emily with surprise.
"Miss Emily, what are you doing here this time of night? It's - " He glanced at the illuminated clock on his desk. "It's almost eleven PM."
"I came to pick up some papers I left on my desk that I forgot. You know, it's rather late for you as well. Don't you think you better head for home now?"
Carl stretched, yawned and rubbed his eyes.
"You're right, as usual." Getting up, he rebuttoned his collar, then grabbed his hat and jacket. Pausing, he picked up the stone and dropped it into a desk drawer, hiding it under some papers and a crucifix. "Did you come here in a taxi?"
"No, my niece drove me. She's waiting outside right now."
"Well, let me walk you out to the car. It's not safe out there, this time of night."
"Oh, Carl. That's so sweet of you. Thank you so much."
"Any time, Miss Emily, any time." Holding out his arm for Emily to take, he escorted her from the building to her waiting ride.
She'd have to write her friend in Italy to send another shipment of papal blessed holy water. The suitcase full of bottles she had brought back from her trip was nearly half empty. The stuff just came in so handy!