'The Weathered Man' & other works by Diego Reyes

The Ghost & The Vampire

After the vampire drained the life out of his short-term friend, a psychology major, he studied the body. Lifeless, pale, and the victim's eyes were open pleading for a second chance at life. One would think it'd be the vampire carrying the body, but it was quite the opposite.

The Vampire and Victim were short-term lovers. The two men met while Victim was studying at the University and Vampire strolled through his buffet and met his match. The stench of the Victim's blood waved through the air as he flicked his tongue in speech. The Vampire, noticing the blood type compatibility, stuck with Victim. This lasted two months, of course, until now, when Vampire needed to feed.

The position of the two broke common predator-prey physicality. The scene is laid out in an alley near the bar they frequented. The Vampire, acting as though he broke his leg, managed to have the Victim offer his body to help balance him. They foolishly crashed on the brick wall, and onto the puddled cobblestone ground. Victim was there, cradling Vampire. Carrying him by the neck, and Vampire's body balanced on top of the laps of the Victim. The romantic position was enough to cause inspiration for Michelangelo if he were here to see the modern-day Pietà.

As the two locked eyes, the Victim looked at a lover where the Vampire looked at a prey.

Vampire struck Victim. First severing the vocal cords in Victim's neck, so that Victim doesn't cry for help. Then attacking the chest area where the blood pumped the most. It was an exquisite drink. The overall ecstasy of absorbing the life of an innocent man, one who looked at him with an atmosphere of admiration and servitude for anything Vampire desired. He destroyed the man's face for any unique details for any chance of the body being identified and having any ties to the Vampire. He tore off the flesh from his cheeks with his canines. He picked apart the Victim's eyes, and had no choice but to devour them. The body was left as just some corpse.

As a vampire, Vampire had a choice. He could inject vampiric venom, the one that spewed through his poisoned gums, and mutate Victim to become like him. To carry the disease of being predator. However, he knew Victim wouldn't be the type. Victim wasn't born for that role. Vampire felt that Victim's only role had been complete as of now.

So there the Victim was, lifeless, drained, and empty. If he had eyes, and ones that could talk, they would only inquire as to why him?

Vampire looked at the body for only a few minutes and felt nothing that would convince him to feel any remorse. The Vampire was groomed to be guiltless. After years of serial murders, there was no room for shame.

So, the Vampire walked deeper into the shadows. Further into the world where new prey will await him for another 2 months.

Vampire arrived at his house, which was rather humble. A quaint townhouse a train away from the city. His neighbor was sitting outside, reading a book while a hot mug of tea waited patiently for him on a stool. "Working late?" Neighbor asked. Vampire shook his head and said "no. Just went out for dinner." Neighbor smiled and wished him a goodnight.

The Vampire's home smelled clean, credit to the mixture of mint with sage that welcomed him in. His home was all white: white rugs, white sofa, white marble top counters.

He felt so full and satisfied with dinner that he threw his body on top of his white fabric sofa. His eyes felt heavy. Heavy enough that, if he chooses, he could sleep here peacefully.

That was, until something slammed its first on the front door. Vampire jolted awake. Jumped to his feet and went to investigate. Across the hall he saw that the front door was open. The place where the knob was, was just an empty space. As if something crashed into that space. Vampire went straight outside, planning to see if Neighbor knew of anything. Neighbor wasn't there sitting. Neither was his tea.