Summary: Seventeen-year-old Joe has a date in a ghost town. Halloween Writing Challenge 2023.

Rating: PG Word count: 2500

The Date

The meeting place the lady had suggested struck me as odd initially, but it was lonely, secluded, and undisturbed, making me suspect she had more in mind than just talking. I wasn't one to shy away from anything, and although the abandoned town was rumored to be haunted, I saw no reason not to get involved. After all, I didn't believe in ghosts or any of that supernatural stuff.

"Hoss, I have a date. I might be late."

"A date? Tonight?"

"Yeah. Do you know Lyanna? She's new in Virginia City. She wants to meet me in Gloomville at sundown."

Hoss frowned, looking worried. "In the ghost town? What kind of meeting place is that for a date?"

I grinned cheekily. "She says she has something special planned for me."

"Joe, I have a bad feeling about this. How long have you known this Lyanna? And what kind of strange name is that?"

I shrugged. "Maybe it's Irish. It means 'the mysterious one.' Hoss, I have to get going. It's a two-hour ride!"

It was pretty chilly for late October. I rolled up the collar of my jacket to protect myself from the piercing wind that went right to my bones and made me shiver. As I approached the abandoned town, the sun was already low.

The people were right, I thought with a shudder. There was something creepy about Gloomville.

The wind swept through the deserted street, chasing a few tumbleweeds. An old wooden door hung askew on its hinges, clattering open and closed. The buildings were partially dilapidated, the panes broken or missing, and the windows were like dark, square eyes that haunted me with their gazes. Years ago, horses' hooves and boots had left their mark on this once bustling street. Now, there were only rotten boards and a skinny yellow dog sniffing in the alley in front of the former magnificent hotel.

Cochise flattened his ears and gave a nervous snort. He stopped, tossed his head, and I felt his tense muscles shake beneath me. I grew irritated. My usually obedient horse refused to go down the main road. I patted his neck and murmured reassuring words, but it didn't help. Sighing, I dismounted and tied the reins to the post of a canopy.

I adjusted my gun belt. My weapon hung heavily on my left hip, which made me feel better. Where was Lyanna? She should have been here by now.

A gust of wind nearly blew my hat off my head. I pressed it back over my curls and walked down the main street. It wouldn't hurt to look around; besides, I was cold. I had no idea what the reason for the town's desertion might have been. Maybe there had been a strike of gold or silver, and the people had moved on when the vein was exhausted. Perhaps a drought caused the wells to have dried up.

After a few minutes, I reached the end of the village. There were only two dozen buildings, and I asked myself how such a large hotel could have existed here. I saw a saloon, a livery stable, a doctor who doubled as an undertaker, and a mercantile, "Boone's Food& Supplies." The faded sign in front of the store hung crooked and squeaked.

I spun in a circle with my hands hooked into my gunbelt. No sign of Lyanna. Had I misunderstood her or gotten the day wrong? No, it couldn't be. I knew that she wanted our meeting to be on October 31st.

It grew colder, and a grey twilight settled over the crooked houses. I jumped and uttered a muffled cry as a figure detached from one of the roofs and flew past me. Just an owl! With a nervous chuckle, I blew out the air. Now, I almost believed these ghost stories! To prove myself wrong, I took a few more steps.

"Boothill," announced a sign painted on a wood panel. A crippled oak tree extended its gnarled branches like fingers toward me. Surrounding it were sunken graves, crooked crosses with barely legible inscriptions, and a few tombstones. The earth was disturbed in places as if someone—or something—had recently dug here. I scratched the back of my head and squinted my eyes to read the inscription on the not-so-old and weathered headstone. "… na Dark, 1828-1846."

I struggled to decipher it. The cross next to it belonged to a Mary Beth Miles, 1821-1846. There were even a few children's graves, which wasn`t surprising given the West's high infant mortality rate. What puzzled me was that many people had died thirteen years earlier, in 1846. Perhaps there had been an epidemic like influenza, cholera, or diphtheria.

I got up and decided to ride home. It was almost dark, and heavy clouds chased across the night sky, promising rain. Now and then, the moon would peek out, giving a pale light.

"Little Joe!" a voice behind me sounded bright as a bell, and I wheeled around.

"Lyanna!" A grin crossed my face. "I was about to leave!"

The girl's face contorted into a pout. She tossed back her open dark brown hair, which fell in heavy waves over her shoulders. Her deep red lips contrasted sharply with her pale skin.

"Did you think I wouldn't come? This is an important night for me. I can't afford to waste it."

Strange words, I thought, frowning, but my concerns were pushed aside as the girl approached me. The first thing that hit me was her overpowering perfume, which enveloped me like a cloud. Then she took my head and pulled it down towards her. Soft lips met mine. She kissed me deeply, full of desire. Sweet and wet, her tongue entered my mouth and explored the inside. Her hands dug into my curls, and I wished this moment would never end. Lyanna seemed aroused as well, for I could feel her shaking. Breathless, I pulled away.

"Shall we ... go into one of the buildings where it might be more comfortable?" I gasped, feeling the excitement rise inside me.

Lyanna pulled out a scarf. "I promised you a surprise. It's a dinner."

I was a bit disappointed. "Dinner? I thought ..."

"A special dinner. Just wait and see. I think you will like it."

With a quick movement, she tied the shawl around my eyes. At first, I was skeptical, but then I decided to play along. I was always up for an adventure with a pretty girl!

She grabbed my hand and pulled me toward downtown.

"Watch your step!" she said as my boot caught on the remains of the old pavement, and I almost tripped.

As we entered the building, it smelled of dust, decay, and mustiness. Shards clinked under my feet, and I winced as sticky cobwebs settled over my face.

"Sit down!"

She shoved a chair to the back of my knees and pushed me down onto the upholstered seat, which creaked in protest. I inhaled the air. There was no hint of fried chicken or apple pie or fresh bread. My hands went to the blindfold to remove it.

"Don't, Joe. Do you trust me?"

I nodded without saying a word, but I wasn't sure if I really trusted her. We had only met twice, once in the evening at the saloon and once at the barn dance, and I realized that I didn't know her at all. The girl hadn`t revealed anything about herself but had avoided my questions, but her overwhelming beauty and mysterious charisma had me under her spell.

Lyanna pulled my jacket over my shoulders and began unbuttoning my shirt. I got goosebumps, and my nipples stood up in the cool air. My heart beat so fast I felt dizzy. Now, it was time to bring it down to business! Her hands moved from my neck down my left arm to my hand. I felt soft fabric being wrapped and tightened around my wrist.

"Hey!" I tugged at the restraint. This was going too far.

"Shht, Joe. Relax. It's all part of the game," the girl whispered close to my ear, and I let go of my resistance.

My crotch throbbed in anticipation. I hoped that I could hold out long enough. Lyanna giggled as she also tied my other wrist to the arm of the chair. Her long fingernails brushed my neck, and I heard her sniff. "Oh, your scent is so delicious, Joe!"

She removed my blindfold, and I looked around. We were in the hotel's former dining room. Moth-eaten carpets littered the floor, cobweb and dust-covered oil paintings hung on the wall, and in one corner lay a mummified heap that must have once been a cat. A candle was waxed on the table next to us, giving off a flickering, unstable light.

"What's the surprise?" Confused, I glanced around. Lyanna straddled me. Her face was only inches from mine, and she looked incredibly perfect! Underneath her heavy perfume, I could sense something earthy and wild. My heart raced, my breath quickened, and my pants felt uncomfortable tight.

The girl placed her fingertips on my pulse. "I can feel how excited you are, darling. Let's get on with the surprise."

As the floorboards creaked behind me, I turned my head as far as it would go in my chair-bound position.

With seductive smiles, two more women approached, whose beauty took my breath away. Their long, open hair framed cream-white faces and their eyes gleamed with lust. Pearly white, even teeth glinted from between slightly parted lips. The low-cut dresses dragged in the dust, and the brown-haired one licked her moist red lips, reminding me somewhat of a predator.

The blonde asked: "Shall we play with him first?"

A slight nervousness overcame me, and I swallowed. I had never been with a woman. Surely, they wouldn't all three—?

"No, let's eat."

Uncertain, I shifted in the chair. They talked about food? Something was very wrong. "Eat? Now?"

"This will disappoint you, my sweet Joe, but you're the dinner! Our dinner!" Lyanne stood and leaned over me, tangling her fingers in my hair. She tilted my head far back until I moaned in pain, leaving my throat exposed and unprotected. Her deep laugh revealed long, razor-sharp fangs. "Once a year, on October 31st, we must drink a virgin's blood, and then we can return to our graves and survive another year."

Horrified, I squinted at the pointed teeth close to my vulnerable neck veins.

"What? You want to … drink my blood?" Did I get that right? "And how did you know I—?"

"Oh, we can smell the virgins. I've been to the saloon to choose the suitable victim. And you, handsome, fell into my trap. It can also be a woman, but it's more fun with young men, isn't it, girls?"

The two other women chuckled. They stood close to me now, running their cold hands over my bare skin.

"I can hear your hot blood rush and smell your fear. It will not hurt much. Don't resist, sweetheart, but relax. It won`t take long."

Panic swept over me like a wave, tightening my chest. I clenched my hands until my fingernails dug into my palms, tugged at my restraints, and tried to kick the ladies. "No, please, I ..."

"It`s so cute when they beg and fight! Remember last year, the drifter who—"

"GET AWAY FROM MY BROTHER!" Hoss' voice roared across the room, sending the girls scurrying. He stood broad-legged in the doorway, holding one of Pa's old dueling pistols in each hand.

"Oh, it's going to be a feast tonight!" Lyanna giggled and stepped toward Hoss, sniffling. "Another victim!"

"Back against the wall, all three! I don't want to shoot you. Just let us leave!"

"Hoss, they're vampires!" I yelled, ashamed of my squeaky voice.

"Yep, big guy, bullets can't hurt us!"

The women began circling Hoss while I tugged at my bonds. Sweat ran down my torso, my heart beat like a hammer in my chest.

"Silver bullets already!" shouted Hoss, firing off two shots.

Lyanna looked at me with wide, accusing eyes. The eerie sound of her scream echoed through the building. She pressed her hands to the center of her body, smoke rising from it, and fell to her knees. Her reproachful gaze never left my face as she disintegrated into dust before my eyes, starting from the bullet hole. The blonde girl—vampire, I told myself, suppressing my guilty conscience—suffered the same fate.

Before Hoss had a chance to reload, the brown-haired woman spun around and disappeared out the back door. My big brother was torn between following her and freeing me for a moment but decided to stay. He rushed over to me, pulled out his knife, and cut the ties on my wrists. "Are you okay? They didn't bite you, did they?" He looked me over from head to toe and frowned at my expression. "Dadburnit, Shortshanks, you don't feel sorry for them, do you?"

I shook my head, not quite sure what I felt. Relief, mixed with ... regret? "What ... how … did you know ...?"

"Today's date gave me no peace. Why would a girl want to meet a young man in a ghost town at night? Adam had once told me that October 31st was an essential night, especially for Irish immigrants, who held pagan celebrations with weird rites. I had a strange feeling and decided to follow you."

"I think vampires killed the inhabitants of this town thirteen years ago. And they've been taking a new victim every year since." With a shudder, I grabbed my shirt and put it on.

"I was well prepared, have a look!" Hoss reached for a chain around his neck with a silver cross dangling from it and pulled two garlic cloves out of his pocket.

My voice trembled. "They said they needed the blood of a virgin ... oh my God, Hoss, good thing you got here at the right time!" I reached for my jacket. "I want to go home now!"

"I'm fine with that, but I'm afraid we'll have to return next year."

"Yeah, but I don't want to think about it yet."

It was so embarrassing. Lotta Crabtree had caught me in her web four weeks ago, "like a spider catches a fat fly," were Adam's words. And now this. My brothers must doubt my common sense, but it somehow shuts off when it comes to women.

My brow furrowed when a remarkable thought popped into my mind. "Hoss, they were on the verge of draining you too. Does that mean you've never ..."

"Don't ask stupid questions, and let's get out of here, boy! Pa must be going crazy worrying!"

My brother put his arm around me and pulled me out. It was hard to tell in the candlelight, but I could swear his face was red as a ripe tomato.

The End

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