Contest entries, reviews and awards

Past Prose Contest/Challenge Entries (7)

Vampires and Werewolves

Karl Drake jittered nervously in front of the elevator bank. He checked his watch and peered toward the window at the end of the hall, the sky was darkening and building lights were blinking on across the city. Sonja Wells came around the corner from the office corridor, delivering a warm smile and greeting. Drake smiled back but didn't want any communication right then. She stopped beside him and glanced at the floor indicator.

"Sunshine tomorrow I hear. That would be a treat after all the rain."

Drake just nodded.

She turned and studied him. "Are you- is everything okay, Karl?"

"Fine, just- I'm late for an appointment."

"I heard you were abroad on business. Successful?"

He grunted a reply and frowned.

"Wish I could get a project like that. Somewhere romantic, moonlit beaches, exotic meals." She gave him a twinkly-eyed grin.

Karl's look was sardonic.

When the bell tinged he moved right to door and as soon as it opened he pushed inside and jabbed at the garage and the door close buttons at the same time. Sonja had to skip past to keep from getting hit by the closing door.

"Sorry." He wasn't really.

"You really don't look well, Karl."

"I'm fine... fine." The red numerals seemed to drag as the elevator sank toward the basement.

"You look like you might have a fever."

"I said I'm fine." He snapped.

Perspiration dotted his forehead and above his lip, He frowned, urging speed and fairly burst out into the garage when the doors opened, ignoring the good night from Sonja. Weak fluorescent tube lighting flickered in the grey painted underground and his leather heels clacked noisily on the cement floor. The first twinge caused him to double forward and he grunted, forcing himself to hurry.

His car lights flashed from the remote and he slammed against the fender, gasping from a much stronger pain. Panic seized him as he felt the transformation beginning and he fumbled the door open but another jolt dropped him to his knees beside the car.

He groaned, knowing he couldn't get up and he frantically tried to get his jacket off. The material began ripping under the arms and his attention switched to his shoes that were squeezing his feet unmercifully. He managed to kick them away and the socks split and flew off. The tearing sounds of his clothes faded to the background as he experienced the bone racking transformation.

His jaw stretched forward, creaking and painfully adapting to the appearance of the savage looking teeth. His eyesight and sense of smell shot up in clarity and awareness and when he was able to stand on his four legs he endured the last of the change with excruciating pain, growling angrily.

His reflection in the body of the car beside him showed the shaggy fur, or rather straggly, lank hair that hung from his body and the great arch in his bony back. Another angry growl and Karl loped across the garage to the opening over the street, glancing slowly up at the smudgy moon that hovered behind strings of cloud.

More pain wracked his body but this time it was hunger and his big head twisted around at the sound of a car door opening. Across the garage floor, near the corner he could see a woman standing beside a car, looking in her purse. Instinct kicked in and quickly Karl sprinted a cross the space, launching himself toward her.

Something wasn't right! He landed right where the woman was standing but she was no longer there. Salivating and snarling he turned, his broad nose twitching. Another sound reached his ears but before he could react he felt the sharp pain in the side of his neck. Yelping, he thrashed around trying to free himself from whatever held him but only managed to slip down onto his side by the car.

He lashed his head back and forth but whatever gripped him wouldn't let go and suddenly he felt a warm trickle of blood running through his fur. His eyes rolled wildly and he snapped his teeth ineffectively, as he felt the beginning of another change.

This time the pain was overshadowed by an even stronger one in his neck and as the transformation reversed, the pain grew stronger until he lay naked on the cement floor, breathless, staring up into the smiling face of Sonja, her lips and mouth splotched with blood. She smiled and dragged a long fingernail over his cheek, making sucking sounds.

"I thought you were looking a little off, Karl, and I said to myself, Sonja, what better time to dine on a werewolf than when it's defences are weakened."

"You- you're a- a vampire!"

"Mmmm, yes, darling, and you are dinner." She leaned down and buried her teeth into his throat.

Gasping, Karl managed a sound that resembled a gurgling snicker and Sonja released him, staring, confused.

"Enjoy it, Sonja," he groaned. "I was feeling badly because- because..."

"What? What are you trying to say?"

Karl's eyes closed and his mouth formed a small grin.

"Tell me! Sonja snarled and bent down to hear his words.

"Ebola..." The word trailed off in a ragged laugh.