V.A.M.P.s

Chapter 2

Maniacal laughter, the sound of an alarm clock. Slowly the laughter fades and there is just the repetitive sound of the alarm that tries its hardest to wake its master from his slumber. This jolts Matthew awake. He sits up in his bed. The room is dark. The light from the display of the alarm clock that sits on a nightstand is the only illumination. He thinks to himself, six o'clock already.

"I'm up, I'm up." Matthew mumbles.

He slams his hand down on the off button and silences the sound. He rubs his eyes and runs his hands threw his short blond hair. He looks over to see a nude young woman lays in his bed, unlike him, the jarring sound of the alarm clock does not interupt her slumber.

"Humph, It must be nice."

Matthew gets up, and makes his way toward the bathroom. The sensor above the doorway registers his presence and switches on the lights which reveal his muscular physique. He enters the room, sheds his boxers to the floor, stands at the toilet and relieves himself. He shakes off the dew and presses a button on the shower door which slides open, he enters and it closes behind him. The digital display counts down to zero, he closes his eyes, a wave of sonic pressure hits him, it vibrates the dirt and grime off his body. The pressure ceases and a pleasant tone signals the shower is complete. The door to the stall opens, Matthew steps out and grabs a towel to cover his nakedness. He wraps himself and exits the bathroom. The sensor acknowledges his departure and the lights turn off. A small oval shaped robot rolls past him toward the bathroom.

Matthew walks over to the window and presses a button on the wall, the blinds open and bathe the room in light. He glances toward the bed, the young woman is no longer there. Matthew mocks her. "I'm surprised you're up." He turns around to see her at the table in her underwear. She chops up a substance on her compact with a plastic card. He walks over to her. "What do you think you're doing?"

She looks up from her task and smiles coyly. "Wanna have some Fun?"

Matthew thinks to himself, Fun, what a stupid name for a drug. Why do you feel tired,  so strung out afterward if it was truly that much fun, and why do you usually have so many regrets? He can just imagine the clowns who came up with the idea of Fun as a brand name for a drug. They would probably go on and on about how smart they were to associate their product with a word that means a source of enjoyment. How everyone would throw around the phrase. "Want to have some Fun?", trying to be hip. There were far better drugs with far better names in his opinion, but this was not the time to get into a discussion about it.

"No, I have to go to work, and you have to get out."

She stands up and pulls at his towel. "Where was that tiger from last night?"

Matthew stops her hand from undoing his towel. Matthew looks to the alarm clock, 7:00 a.m. "Shit, I'll be late!" Matthew pushes her toward the doorway.

"But, but." She stammers.

Matthew presses a button next to the door, it obliges and slides aside.

"Okay, stop pushing." She says.

He forces her out into the hallway and riddicules her. "It's been fun and all."

She points to the table. "My fix."

Matthew runs back to the table, grabs her drugs and compact and shoves them into her purse. He takes them to the door and thrusts it into her hands.

She looks at her purse in disappointment. "Thanks. I guess." She looks up at him. "Call me if you ever want to party again."  Leans in for a kiss.

Matthew presses the button and the door shuts in her face. Matthew hurries to his closet, he rushes as he dresses. He grabs his laptop case, slings it over his shoulder and heads for the door.

There's a knock. What now, he thinks to himself as he presses the button and the door obeys. The young woman stands there upset, in her underwear. Matthew notices and tries to keep a straight face.

"What do you want?"

She is not amused. "My clothes, jerk."

She storms past him into the apartment. Matthew smiles. Matthew checks his watch, the smile fades, he starts to tap his foot impatiently.