Whispers From the Dark

Needle Shy

"You'll feel a little stick." The tech smiled as she eased the needle into the exposed vein in Ben's arm.

"Nah.  Didn't feel a thing." Ben watched the vial fill.  Bright red, and thicker than he'd thought it would be. The tech, her badge proclaimed her Mandy, changed vials twice.  

Ben frowned at the tray holding the tubes, two full, several more empty. "Why do y'all take so much?"

"Different tests, its easier to have multiples than to pass one tube all over the lab." Mandy smiled again as she swapped vials once more, "It's not so much.  You have plenty."

Ben wasn't so sure. Mandy's smiles, meant to put him at at ease, were beginning to infect him with apprehension. "I'm startin' to feel woozy.  You done yet?"

"Just a few more, hon. You don't want us to miss anything important."  She flashed her teeth again.  "There!  Last one."  She thumbed a cotton ball over the needle mark and strapped it down with tape.  "You wait here while I run these down to the lab. I can grab you a candy bar if you want."  

"No, that's okay. I need to go, got stuff to do."  Ben tried to rise, but Mandy pushed him firmly back into the chair. "You just sit there and catch your breath. 

         ********

Mandy locked the door behind her, then hustled to the lab. The one man waiting was no technician.

"Another vamp trying to pass. He was pretty depleted when I left," she said.  Laying the tray in front of him, she counted the vials.  "Oh, hell!  There's one missing, he must've nabbed one!"

Together, they ran back to the room.  The door was thrown from its frame and Ben was nowhere to be seen. 

"I'll get security, yelled the non-tech as he ran back up the hall.

He'd disappeared around the corner when the cold hand covered Mandy's no longer smiling mouth.

"You'll feel a little stick," Ben whispered in her ear.