Qarinah
The door to the bar swung open admitting a weak evening light that momentarily outlined a male figure standing there. It closed quietly, leaving the man concealed in the shadowy doorway. The dealer at the center table looked up, paused briefly, but decided the newcomer had no interest in joining the card game in progress and turned his attention back to his table mates.
The stranger's eyes scanned the room quickly, analyzing the saloon's patrons before he began threading his way around and through the scattered tables, heading for a booth in one of the darker corners. More than one customer glanced at the tall man as he passed by, only to quickly look away when cold, steel-blue eyes met theirs.
He was an imposing figure: broad shoulders and muscled thighs covered in well-worn leather pants and jacket, dusty spacer boots on his feet. A laser gun hung low on his thigh. Its smooth handle indicative of frequent use. Dark close-cropped hair covered his head and matched the thick eyebrows above those forbidding eyes. A closer inspection would have revealed tiny nicks and scars covering his face and a much longer scar hidden in the scruff covering his chiseled jaw. Although human in appearance and shape, there was something about his lithe and supple walk that suggested more than a drop of unknown alien blood ran through his veins. A shiver passed over each customer as he passed them.
Settling into the booth, he set his back against the wall so he was facing the room. It was the instinctive action of a prudent man, one who had stared at death and danger many times and survived to do it again.
A barmaid approached the table to take his order. She was a tall, thin, willowy female with the russet red skin of a native Martian. He watched her, appreciating the sway of her hips covered in gauzy green fabric. She set a small glass of water in front of him. "First one's free," she explained. "Then it's five credits a glass after that. Local ale is ten credits and Earth whiskey is twenty. If you're hungry, the cook made stew with real meat and fresh vegetables brought in on yesterday's transport. There's hot bread, too. Other than that, it's standard reconstituted spacer food."
He ordered an ale and the stew, then asked for the charge to be put on his room bill. "You have a reservation with us?" At his nod, she asked for his name. "Mase," he answered and handed her his credit chit.
Her eyes flickered briefly, and he wondered if she'd heard of him, but she covered quickly and turned away to get his ale. When she returned with his drink and food, she laid his chit on the table. "Your room number is 304. It's been linked to the card and will open with your thumb print. Just let me know if you need anything else," she added with a small smile.
She was sweetly made and he felt a flare of desire. It had been a long time and some female company would be a welcome relief. The job he was here to do was paying him well and he had plenty of credits to indulge himself. "Perhaps later?" With a nod, she left him to his meal.
He was enjoying the surprisingly good stew when he heard shouting outside. The heavy door swung open wide then shut with a bang, leaving a small form standing there. Even from across the room, Mase could hear its harsh breathing. It jerked its head from side-to-side, searching for something. Decision made, it headed quickly toward the dark corner where he sat. It was halfway there when the door burst open again, and the yelling mob surged inside. The small figure took a desperate leap and hid itself under his table.
Mase studied the group as it crowded the doorway. Like so many other mobs he'd encountered in these half-civilized mining towns, it was a motley crew of Earthmen, Martians, and denizens of a dozen odd planets. Their leader, a burly Earther dressed in dirty mining overalls, scanned the now quiet room. "We saw a Qarinah. Did it come in here?" he questioned.
A dozen pairs of eyes shifted toward Mase in his dark corner, then just as quickly looked away. The leader noticed. Focused on the tall man in the corner, he stomped across the floor toward Mase. The menacing mob followed him.
Mase's hand slipped to the gun on his thigh, thumbing the setting from kill to stun. He wasn't afraid to kill, had done so many times, but he preferred to keep a low profile and killing—even in self-defense—was a sure way to invite unwanted attention from the local authorities.
"Where did it go?" the leader demanded.
Mase took his time answering, his cold stare raking over the man in front of him who took a hesitant step backward. "Where did what go?" he finally said with a sneer.
"The Qarinah," the leader repeated. "We saw it come in here. Tell us where it is so we can take care of it. We don't allow those things to live around here."
Mase had no idea what the man was talking about but there was something in his bullying demand that brought out the stubbornness in him. As a rule, he wasn't a chivalrous man, yet the tiny figure huddled at his feet seemed so helpless against the threatening mob. As if sensing his protection, the small body unfolded and climbed onto the bench beside him.
"Qarinah! Qarinah!" The burly Earther let loose a deep-throated roar and lunged forward.
Mase was on his feet, gun aimed at the man's chest before he'd even completed the first step. "Don't," he warned.
The mob shifted, murmuring its discontent but Mase never hesitated or blinked, staying focused on the leader. He knew enough about crowd mentality to know the only real danger to him was the angry, red-faced man in front of him.
"We want that girl!"
"Then come and get her."
The leader's eyes shifted between the girl, the gun, and the cold-eyed man who faced him. "You can't … you don't." He sputtered and spat. "You can't keep that thing. It's dangerous."
Mase chanced a glance at what he now realized was a young woman. She met his gaze, eyes wide and slightly luminous in the faint light. Tentatively, she reached out and touched his thigh then grabbed his leather pants and held on tightly.
"She doesn't look so dangerous to me. One little girl against a dozen big, strong men." He huffed and sneered at the mob. "Seems a little one-sided." The gun barrel moved from person to person. "Who wants to try and take her from me?"
Bewilderment replaced the anger on the leader's face. "She's yours?"
Mase hadn't intended to claim ownership of the young woman but suddenly it seemed the most natural thing to do. "Yeah," he answered. "She's mine and I'm keeping her."
The burly Earthman's face twisted in revulsion before he turned to the mob behind him. "He says she's his." He waved toward the saloon door. "We can go now."
The crowd began to break up, muttering obscenities and throwing disgusted looks toward Mase. "You better not let her loose," the leader threatened one last time before he turned to leave. "If we find her on the street, we'll kill her."
Mase stood his ground, gun still drawn, as he watched the last of them leave. Only then did his eyes rake over the bar's inhabitants. Most of them averted their gaze quickly but more than a few had that same look of disgust and repugnance he'd seen on the faces of the men who'd just left. A few made the sign to ward off evil before turning back to their drinks or card games.
The barkeep was watching, the pretty barmaid beside him. As soon as he caught Mase's eye, he nodded toward the stairs clearly indicating he should leave. The barmaid spat on the floor before turning her back. Clearly indicating what she thought, too.
With a huff, he picked up his half-eaten meal and handed it to the young woman who stood beside him now. "Carry this," he told her. "I'm not finished yet but we need to leave. I have a room upstairs. We can go there." With a silent nod, she made her way to the stairs.
Mase studied her as he followed her up the stairs. Clearly female, she had a small waist that led to rounded hips and a firm high ass. Loose flowing sheer trousers covered most of her lower half. A clicking sound caused him to glance down, her feet were bare but tipped with short, sharp claws instead of nails. He noticed claws on her hands, too. White hair fell in a riot of corkscrew ringlets to her waist. He caught glimpses of alabaster skin as she moved and he wondered if she wore anything above her waist. Images of pale rounded breasts tipped with small pink nipples invaded his mind and he felt that sharp twist of desire again.
Shaking his head to banish those thoughts and the sudden confusion he felt, Mase directed her to his room. Once inside, she set the leftover food on the table and looked around the room. She had a strange way of tilting her head from one side to the other as she examined the room, then moved gracefully to skirt the bed and peer into the adjoining bathroom. She crossed to the only window and stared outside.
"You can't go out there," Mase reminded her. "I don't know what you did, but they'll kill you if they catch you."
She cocked her head sharply before replying. "I stay."
Dim light from the window fell across her face and Mase moved closer, studying her intently. She watched him, warily at first, then seemed to accept that he meant her no harm. Her eyes were almond-shaped, tilted slightly upward at the corners, and very, very green. The irises were vertical slits and when she suddenly blinked, he noticed a second eyelid slide across their width. Her face was thin with high, pronounced cheekbones, and her narrow jawline jutted outward slightly as though her face had somehow been pulled forward.
A vague memory of a long-forgotten school lesson surfaced in Mase's mind. "Feline," he whispered. "Cat."
"Yesss," she replied. "My kind … long ago." Her voice had a slight hissing sound and she hesitated, trying to find the right words. "You Earther?"
"Yes, mostly, but some other species too, I think. I never knew my father. I'm called Mase. You got a name?"
"Kah'reen." She pronounced it with two distinct syllables.
They continued staring at each other. He was trying hard to connect the small terrified form that huddled beneath his table and clutched his leg in terror with the young woman who stood before him. She seemed bigger somehow—taller perhaps? Mase shook his head, then returned to the table.
"Hungry?" He gestured toward the food. "There's enough for both of us."
She shook her head. "Not eat your food. Eat … other."
Shrugging, he finished the meal, then went to the bathroom. He cleaned his teeth, took a sonic shower, and ran his clothes through the insta-cleaner. Pulling on a pair of loose-fitting sleep pants, he tied them at the waist and reentered the room. It was dark, and at first, he thought she'd left through the window but then he saw her on the floor in one corner. She'd taken one of the blankets from the bed, arranged it into a nest of sorts, and lay curled up in it, her back to the room.
"Hey, you don't have to sleep on the floor." He crossed to the corner and peered down at her in the deepening gloom. "The bed's big enough for two. I won't touch you."
"This better." She stretched languidly and rolled over to face him. The loose trousers she'd worn were gone and she was completely naked. An alabaster body that seemed to glow in the dim moonlight greeted him as he stared down at her. Her skin looked soft, almost velvety, and his hand itched to see if it felt the same. A small triangle of white curls covered her sex and her breasts were just as he had imagined. Rounded, firm, and tipped with small sweet nipples that pebbled and hardened as he watched.
Mase swallowed roughly, longing and desire rushing through him. "I …"
She rose in one fluid motion, taking one swaying, enticing step toward him then another as he stood frozen in place. "Mase … touch?" She reached for his hand, bringing it up to cup one breast. He squeezed it slightly, the stiff nipple dragging across his calloused palm. Her arms reached around him, cupping his ass and pulling him to her. "Mase … want?" she whispered as she rubbed herself against him. He felt a vibration deep within his chest and realized she was purring. It was a lulling, relaxing sound that made him weak and dizzy.
"Yes," he barely gasped, unable to find breath for more words. Her hands clutched his loose pants, claws rending them as she tore them from his body. Then they were on the bed, his back pressed against the soft blankets as she hovered above him.
"Kah'reen hungry, so hungry," she murmured into his ear as her tongue traced the line of his jaw. It left a damp line of burning pain that quickly transformed into exquisite pleasure as it dried on his skin.
"Wha …?" he managed to choke out before she was all over him. Skin covered in short velvety fur rubbed against his, tiny claws nicked and scratched, a wet tongue traced burning strokes across his chest and lapped the droplets of blood oozing from the shallow scratches. There was fiery dampness, too, as she ground her sex against his. He grabbed her hips, holding on as she squirmed and writhed.
Waves and waves of overwhelming pleasure rippled through him. So intense it bordered on painful, the agony mixed with the ecstasy and left him gasping and pleading for more. But even as he shook and trembled. Even as he begged and entreated. Even as he drowned in rapture so consuming it threatened to steal his very soul, there was a part of him that drew back in fear. This was not right; this was dangerous. To continue would be the end of him.
"Mase want more?" she purred. He opened his eyes to find her sitting upright astride his hips. Longing and desperation left him speechless, and he nodded feebly as she stared at him. She rose slightly, stretching and arching her body. Her hair rose in a ghostly cloud above her even as she seemed to swell in size. Then, with a quick twist of her hips, she took him inside her. A freezing, burning cold engulfed him. Pain unlike anything he had ever experienced seized him as her muscles gripped and squeezed and pulled.
Eyes bulging in agony, he watched her lips pull back in a parody of a smile. Rows of sharp, pointed white teeth glistened wetly in the weak moonlight and he stared into eyes now red and glowing.
"Kah'reen eat," she whispered.
Mase knew he stared into the face of his own death. After years of outrunning his fate, it had come to claim him in this raw, edge-of-nowhere Martian mining town.
He watched the face come closer, saw the teeth lengthen into flesh-rending fangs, and knew they would soon tear out his throat. A stubbornness rose within him. A last desperate wish to live took root deep inside. As the fang tips broke his skin and his blood begin to flow. As his heart began to stutter and he felt his soul being ripped from his body, even then he somehow found the will to resist.
Jaw clenched and neck muscles straining, Mase tipped his head back and screamed. "NO!"
End Scene
"Okay!" Director Emmett McCarty slapped his hands on the table and grinned at his assembled cast. "Good read-thru, everyone. So, we'll resume first thing Monday morning. Don't forget the studio Halloween party tonight. Costumes required. Drinks and food are on the house. See you then."
Everyone stood, chairs scrapping on the floor as they left in twos and threes.
"Edward, I'd like to speak to you and Miss Swan for just a moment, please."
Edward turned back to his friend and favorite director. "Sure," he said, settling down into his chair. "What's up?"
"We're getting some negative rumblings from the censors about the scene in the bedroom. I'm still insisting on no changes, but I wanted to check with both of you to make sure you're on board with the way the camera angles are planned.
"Edward's done plenty of R-rated scenes before." He turned to his young female star and continued. "He'll be wearing a modesty sock, but this is your first one, and I want you to feel comfortable with the way it's being shot."
"I'll be fine," she replied softly. "I tried on the bodysuit in costuming today. Although it's pretty sheer, it covers more than I realized. Actually, I think more of Mr. Cullen's body will be on display than mine." She glanced between the two men, blushing slightly.
McCarty looked at Edward and laughed. "Yeah, the gratuitous butt shot when she rips off his sleep pants. So," he said, standing again. "I'll see you two tonight."
Edward watched his friend leave, then turned to his new co-star. God she's young, he thought to himself as he studied her. And gorgeous, too. He'd caught a glimpse of her in the wig, full makeup, and that very sheer bodysuit when the publicity department was taking stills for some magazine article. She was stunning, and he had no doubt this film would be the big break she was looking for.
"If you have any questions or thoughts, please ask." He tried to sound reassuring but his throat was suddenly very dry, and he swallowed roughly. "We can even do a run-through if you'd like. Fully clothed, of course," he added nervously.
"Thank you, Mr. Cullen," she answered. Her voice was soft and breathy. It wrapped around him, caressing and soothing. "I'd like that very much." Dark luminous eyes held him in place and he suddenly felt faint and lightheaded.
"I should …" He started then stopped. "I need …"
"Yes," she agreed with a slight nod. "You should go back to your trailer and rest. You're going to need all your strength for the big party tonight."
Edward Cullen stared at the hay bale beside the door. Dried corn stalks stood behind it and assorted-sized pumpkins sat beside and atop the bale. A black cat he thought was just a decoration, suddenly rose and stretched. It arched its back before jumping gracefully to the ground and disappearing under the trailer. "Halloween decorations," he mumbled to himself. "It's Halloween."
He didn't remember leaving the studio, didn't remember walking the short distance to his trailer. Maybe he was more tired than he'd realized. Trying to advance his career by making movies back-to-back for years could wear out even the healthiest young man. He stumbled through the door and grabbed a bottle of water from the small fridge. A hot shower revived him somewhat, but he was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.
It was dark when he awoke. Soft hair tickled his face and plump lips whispered a line of kisses across his jaw. "Who …?" he groaned. His eyes shot open when those lips moved across his chest, nipping and teasing a line toward his groin.
"Miss Swan?" he asked in shock when he realized his new co-star sat straddling his hips. "What are you—"
"Shh, Mr. Cullen," she interrupted him. "You suggested we should rehearse. I thought this was a good time."
"But—"
"Let's see," she continued. "I believe Mase liked it when Kah'reen rubbed her breasts against his chest. Like this, maybe?" She leaned forward, sliding her body against his and he realized she was nude.
"You don't have any—"
"Any clothes on?" She finished his sentence for him. "Of course not." She chuckled. "How could we get into the real spirit of the scene if we were fully clothed?" She continued to writhe against him, her hips undulating and her lips scoring fiery lines across his chest.
Intense arousal swept over him. With a shudder, he grabbed her hips, trying to slow her movements and prolong the pleasure he was feeling. "You're cold," he whispered, shocked to find her skin almost freezing to his touch.
"A characteristic of my kind," she purred against his chest.
"Your kind?" He struggled to sit up and push her away.
Soft light outlined her form above him. Dark stains covered her breasts. When he ran a finger over them, it came away sticky with warm blood. A glance at his chest told him it was coated in the same dark liquid. "What?" He managed to choke out.
"Well, Kah'reen used her claws on Mase, but I don't have any, so I had to improvise."
He raised his head to look at her and she smiled. Razor sharp fangs tipped with drops of blood glinted back at him. "Vampire?" he whispered.
"Nothing so mundane, my dear Edward."
Her deep chuckle caused her hips to move again and he gasped as the ecstasy flared anew. "Oh, God. Oh, God," he muttered. He dug his fingers into her hips, torn between urging her on and stilling her movements.
Another throaty chuckle answered him. "I've been called that before, but it's been awhile. Tell me," she leaned closer. "Did you do any research for your role in this movie?"
"Yes." He frowned, struggling to think. Her nearness and her movements were consuming him, a burning coldness creeping through his body. "The Qarinah was a spirit from ancient Egypt believed to have relations with humans as they slept. It could assume the shape of an animal, usually a cat." He quoted the description he had read. "It would suck the …"
"Go on," she urged when he stopped.
"That's just a myth, a legend."
"Haven't you ever heard that most myths have some element of truth to them."
"But how did …"
"My sisters and I have many talents. One of them is an accomplished screen writer."
"Your sisters?"
"Yes. Perhaps you'll meet them someday but not tonight. Tonight, you're all mine." She scraped one hand through the blood on his chest, then reached between them and took him inside her. "Say it, Edward," she demanded as her hips ground and her muscles clenched. "Say it out loud."
Fire and ice raced through his body. Pleasure mixed with pain, agony joined with ecstasy, and Edward Cullen tumbled over the edge into a deep, never-ending well of bliss and horror from which he never wanted to escape. "Succubus," he whispered. "Succubus."
Associated wire services press release:
The McCarty Film Studio just issued a statement confirming that the much sought-after film star, Edward Cullen, has been admitted to an unnamed exclusive private care hospital. The star was found unconscious in his studio trailer on Halloween night when he failed to show up for a cast party. He's being treated for exhaustion and dehydration.
Working almost non-stop for the last few years, Mr. Cullen is regarded as one of Hollywood's most promising young stars. Pre-production had just started on the third installment of his popular space cowboy series in which he plays Mase, a rogue, gun-for-hire bounty hunter on the fringes of civilized space.
Emmett McCarty, CEO and director, stated that plans are still underway to begin filming background and location scenes.
Isabella Swan, the young starlet picked to play the love interest in the new film, could not be reached for comment.
Emmett stared through the thick observation glass separating him from the room where his friend, and star, sat huddled in the corner. Edward was dressed in heavy sweats and wool socks. His arms where wrapped around his chest and he muttered continually as he rocked slowly back and forth.
There was a small speaker beside the window and Emmett flipped the switch on. "Cold, so cold." He could just barely understand what Edward was mumbling. "Fire and ice, pain and pleasure. Oh, God. Oh, God."
Footsteps approached and Emmett turned to find an attractive woman standing beside him. He was surprised to see her dressed in a traditional nurse's uniform. Crisply starched dress, opaque white hose, and a white cap pinned to her upswept blonde hair. The old-fashioned ensemble was strangely captivating and he let his eyes wander over the alluring curves that the fitted dress revealed.
"This is a private wing, sir." A soft feminine voice interrupted his perusal and sapphire blue eyes inspected him. "Are you a friend of Mr. Cullen's?"
"Emmett McCarty," he said, offering his hand. "Edward is my friend and employee. I was the one who found him and arranged for his care in this facility."
"Of course, sorry, sir. Rosalie Hale, head nurse." She shook his hand but dropped it quickly when he grimaced. "Sorry about the cold hands. One of the characteristics of my kind."
"Your kind?"
"Nurses." She smiled apologetically. "We're always washing our hands and use a lot of disinfectant."
"Of course." He nodded, then turned back to his friend. "He looks so thin and weak. Is he eating?"
"Yes … some. In addition to five small meals, he also receives a high fat, high protein, liquid supplement several times a day. He's given daily glucose through a port in his chest that the doctor inserted.
"I promise you, Mr. McCarty," she continued, "my sisters and I are taking very good care of Mr. Cullen."
"Your sisters?"
"Yes, this facility has been owned by my family for several generations. The whole family is involved in the business. It is our goal and pleasure to provide excellent care to our special patients.
"We should probably leave. It's almost feeding time and our staff will be busy." Switching the speaker to off, she wrapped her arm through his and began leading him away. "I wonder if you'd like to join me in our private dining room. We have an excellent menu and I'm sure you'll enjoy what we have to offer."
Emmett let her lead him away, unaware that Edward had risen from his spot on the floor and was now pounding on the soundproof window. He didn't hear him screaming a warning.
"No, Emmett, no! Qarinah! Qarinah!"
AN: This is an old story I submitted for a contest years ago. Thought you might enjoy a little spooky story for Halloween. Thanks for reading.
