This week’s challenge was to use the word dream or the idea of a dream. I challenged myself to write out something different than I normally would. I hope you all enjoy!
In a Heartbeat
By Melissa Davis
Beams of light streamed from isolated apartment windows as she perched on the archway. The footsteps echoed around her as she waited. She breathed in the darkness around her faint and its taste was sweet. He had followed her from the bar after she had brushed him off. She had known that he would. She bit her upper lip in anticipation then ran her tongue along its curve tasting the blood that welled up in response. She reminded herself to stay patient, the hunt was not always about the chase.
She could smell the adrenaline on him as he walked closer to where she was hidden. The beat of his heart was the most intoxicating part of him. Where there were hearts beating there was blood pumping. He was not prepared for her to step out of the archway. He turned and faced her with a cynical smile on his face. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the switch knife he had hidden inside.
“You can run, but you can’t hide. If you put up a fight this will end badly for you,” he warned her as he grabbed her wrist.
“But I love a good fight,” she replied as she twisted her arm so hard it yanked him to the ground. He rose swiftly ready to lunge at her. Her movement was so quick it was like a flash of lightning in the sky as she dodged him, picked up the closest heavy item and bashed him on the head with it.
Blood pooled around a gash on his head and she swiped at it with long talon fingertips. She brought her fingers underneath her nose and inhaled the iron scent. She ripped off a piece of her shirt and wrapped it around his head. She would not let good blood go to waste. She wrapped her arms around him and picked him up easily with immortal strength. She jostled him slightly before pushing off the ground. She flew swiftly through the night sky like a blur through the shadowy night.
It took just minutes to reach her fire escape. Her window was always open when she was on the hunt. This one would last her a few more weeks before she moved on to the next. She pushed him through the window and she heard him thud on the ground below. She climbed through the window effortlessly, the tip of her black boots tapping him lightly.
She placed him on the bed and stretched his arms out to his sides. She brought the machine over to his side and the iv needle sliced through the skin in his arm. She watched for the first drip of blood run slowly from his vein to the bag hanging by the bed. She ran her finger along his neck, sensing the pulse at his neck. She moaned longingly when she could feel the pulse inside her ebbing in rhythm. She tilted his head back and used her sharp nail to pierce a small hole where his neck met his shoulder. She lowered her mouth and tasted the warm trickle. She suckled at his neck, almost writhing in ecstasy as she filled herself deep. She drank for a little while and forced herself to pull away. She could not allow herself to drain him or she would have to hunt again tomorrow.
She looked up and saw that the bag connected to the iv was swelling like the belly of a mosquito. She forced herself to concentrate on changing the bag and then walked away from the bed. She paced the room several times before she could see the last of his life slipping away. She carried him to the tub and closed the curtains around him. She would deal with him in the evening. She put the blood in the freezer and hid the equipment in the closet. She lowered the blinds and closed the curtains that blocked the heat of the sun’s rising rays. She pulled back the covers and climbed inside to sleep.
The phone woke her unreasonably and she rubbed her aching temples at the intrusion. She pushed the covers away from her and glared at the phone. It was bad enough having such a bizarre dream. She picked up the phone and gave a hoarse greeting to the other end.
“Hello?”
“Jessica did I wake you? It’s afternoon. Why are you still asleep?” Her mother asked her in a worried voice.
“It’s nothing mom. I just haven’t been feeling like myself lately.” She pushed the covers away and walked towards the bathroom. She might as well get a bath started to help her wake up for the day. She pulled back the curtains and shrieked. The phone slipped from her fingers and hit the floor with a sharp crack.
“Jessica? Are you alright?”
She fell to her knees and shock jolted through her body for right in front of her was the man in her dream. He was completely pale and lifeless. This couldn’t be! She ran out of the room and opened her closet doors. She had no idea where the iv pole and hanging tubes had come. She slammed the doors shut and shook her head.
“No, no! This just can’t be.” She ran to the kitchen and opened the freezer. There were three bags filled with red liquid just now starting to feel cold to the touch. She went back to the bathroom and heard her mother’s voice on the phone. “Mom, I’m sorry. I slipped on the floor. Everything’s fine. I just bruised my pride. Look I need to let you go. I really need a shower. I’ll talk to you later.”
Author Elissa Daye 