Bite Shift

69

She was a trembling, scared thing, cowering on the floor. Mascara was streaked down her face. A large bruise was blooming on one side of her face. Her hands were in front of her and a zip-tie held them together at the wrists. The ties were striped red and white, like candy canes. I had used similar ones to hang Christmas lights the year before. The cheery pattern seemed so out of place in the horror that was unfolding.

Her eyes were wide when she saw me. A fresh round of sobs and wails began. "Shhh, Monica. It's okay."

I jumped from the crate in one, graceful movement, like a cat, dropping to the floor in front of her. I wrapped my arms around her, trying to stop the shivering. "I'm here. Please don't cry. I'm so sorry."

I looked up at Will, still holding my quivering best friend. "Why is she here? She has nothing to do with this!"

I hardly recognized him. The man standing in front of me looked like the villain he was. His blonde hair was out of the ponytail, falling just below his ears. His blue eyes had lost the whimsy I was used to and held contempt. He wore the same clothes from the night before but was so different than even last night. I couldn't figure out what I had done to make that hatred in his eyes.

"Your house is so much closer than Sorin's. Seemed like a good idea to just sleep there since I knew you wouldn't be there. I thought I might even grab one of those little girls of yours but they never came by."

The rage that rose in me was new. I had never felt the instant fury that was filling me up and replacing any fear.

"As a matter of fact, your ex texted your phone and asked who had parked in your driveway. I let him know it was a friend and not to worry. Good thing he didn't come to check so I didn't have to kill him, huh? Would be terrible for those kids to lose both parents, wouldn't it?"

Thank God Tom had stayed home, had kept the girls there. I pictured them walking up to my house, thinking I was there, and Will answering the door. Stop! It didn't happen.

"But, guess who did show up?" In a flash, he was holding Monica. The sensation of him ripping her from my arms came after the sight of him back in place with his hostage.

He's too fast. Fuck!

Monica began to shake again, trying to pull away from him. He turned to her and ran his tongue up her cheek. He apparently liked licking scared women. "You taste salty and you smell like prey." She sank towards the floor and he yanked her up to her feet. He only needed one hand on her arm and squeezed her so hard that I thought he would snap her humerus.

He turned his attentions back to me. "I would have just let her knock and go away but the bitch had a key and let herself in. Boy was she shocked to see me in your bed. It's a shame she has to die but it was nice to have breakfast in bed." He swept her hair aside and I saw the punctures in her neck. I knew why he had looked so pleased.

"You bastard." It was out before I could stop it.

The sound of Rhys hitting the side of his crate stopped whatever response Will was about to give me. "Let me out," Rhys demanded.

"Oh, shit," Will chuckled. "I forgot about you."

Will threw the sobbing Monica at me and I caught her before she hit the ground. She hit me in the chest, feeling too much like a rag doll and less like an actual person. When I pulled her into me, I realized she was unconscious. Fear can do that. It's like your brain knows you can't handle what is happening and just shuts off. Will was ripping the top off of Rhys' crate while I was counting Monica's fluttering heartbeats. I wondered how much blood he had taken before he found the zip ties in my garage. The thought of him using my happy Christmas decoration for something vile made me more pissed than it should have in the grand scheme of things.