Vampire Crush

I was the luckiest guy in school. Paula Jenson, the prettiest girl in school, asked me out. Me, Brendan Jasper, the overweight nerd with a shirt pocket full of pens, out on a date. Well, it wasn't a date. It was just to hangout at her place, but her parents weren't home. Sounded like a date to me. Little did I know what was all planned for the evening. 

When I got there, I was super nervous. I was sweaty and my face was as red as a lobster. It must have been a turn on, because when she opened the door to greet me, she was practically salivating. No woman had ever looked at me like I was a tasty meal. Usually they looked at me with disgust or contempt. Paula was different. She genuinely wanted me. I could tell by how her blue eyes sparkled, staring deep through my very soul. Her blonde hair was done up, held together by a black hair scrunchie. She was even wearing a nice sundress, which was much different than her normal, albeit more sexy, skinny jeans and Hollister top. It meant I was important enough to dress up for, or at least that's how I took it. My confidence grew by the second and she pulled me inside. Wow, she was eager. 

First, Paula gave me a tour of her folks place, which was quite something. Victorian era everything from the furniture to the wallpaper. It even had a study full of books that made our school library look pathetic by comparison. I could've stayed in the dreamland of books forever, but alas, my lady wanted me elsewhere. Her bedroom.

"Sit down and make yourself comfortable. I'm going to make us some tea," Paula said after ushering me in her room and taking off again down the stairs.

I sat there awkwardly in her plain looking room wondering what to do. She brought me to her room, but I had no idea how to proceed. Did she want to talk in private or was she insinuating something else? I didn't want to misstep anywhere and screw it up. After all, a guy like me would be lucky to even be in the same hemisphere as her. In no time, she came back with two cups of piping hot tea. 

When I took the cup from her, I felt her hands were still cold. When she was pulling me around the manor, I thought for sure she just had poor circulation. My hands were almost on fire from holding the cup of tea, but she walked it up here without a yelp or a yip. 

I had to put it down on her dresser so my hands didn't melt off. "Wow this is hot. How can you handle it?"

"I guess I just don't feel it," she took a sip, not breaking eye contact from me. 

"You have a wonderful home. How long have you lived here?"

"All my life that I can remember. My family has owned it for generations. I saw you really liked my dad's study."

"It is remarkable! Has he read all of those books?"

"We all have."

Beauty and brains. "Wow! What is your favorite one?"

"I can't really pick one. Classic stories like Dracula and Frankenstein come to mind. Their renditions are a bit inaccurate, but still entertaining." She put her cup down next to mine and sat next to me on the couch. Her hand slowly snaked closer to my thigh. "Lately though, I have found a lot of pleasure in anatomy."

I gulped. Not like a silent gulp, but like a loud one she definitely heard. A smile grew on her face, undeterred by my now stiff neck. I thought I would be excited having her come on to me, but in the moment I was terrified. Her cold hand rubbed my jeans while her foot pulled my sock off. It was moving too fast and I had to say something.

"Um…Paula. Are you sure we should–" I said before her finger touched my mouth. 

"Shhh. You haven't even heard what my favorite body part is."

"Um…I think I can take a guess."

She leaned and whispered into my ear. "Veins."

"Wait…what?" I asked, but my answer was given far too quickly. 

In an instant, she sunk her fangs into my neck. I had given blood before, but this was on another level. It felt like extra large needles rammed into my neck. My blood left my body like water from a water hose or at least it felt like that. I tried to roll on top of her, but she dug in deeper. The pain was way worse when I moved and I became lightheaded. It wasn't long until I was in and out of consciousness.

What I remember right after that was blurry. She kept taking breaks and playing with my hair. Whenever I would start to move, she would dig in again. After the fourth time, she looked more panicked than excited. Next thing I know, I was wrapped up in a tarp and dragged around her house. Once we got to the stairs, she knocked me out on one of the steps. When I woke up, it was dark and I could feel something cold and heavy on top of me.

The tarp had me constrained fairly well, but my pens came in handy. I was able to wiggle one to my hand and cut open the tarp. It took some effort, but I shimmied my way out of tarp and pushed the dirt off me. She tried to bury me alive in a shallow grave. Crazy did not begin to describe it all. My crush was a vampire who tried to bury me like a dog bone.

There was no reason to stick around and my car was in front of the house still. I made a dash for it, when I saw headlights pulling in the driveway. Her parents were home and if she was a vampire, I bet the parents were too. Before the lights shined on me, I dove into the bushes next to the house window. The clunk of the doors closing made me jump, thinking they knew I was there. I had to listen carefully to know the best time to make a break for it. The door creaked open and closed and it wasn't a second when I heard her dad speak…or rather yell.

"What the hell is this!" Paula's dad said.

I heard footsteps rushing down the stairs and wanted to make a break for it, but I wanted them farther away from the door I would inevitably need to pass.

"Mother. Father…what are you doing home so soon?" Paula's voice was timid and almost scared.

"Do you mind telling me why our floor has blood smears on it?" Paula's dad took a few more steps and lost it. "Good God Paula! Even the stairs are a mess!"

"I'm sorry. I was going to clean it up–" Paula began before getting a slap to the face. 

She tumbled to the ground and her head bounced against the banister. How did I know this? Once I heard the smack of his hand I shot straight up staring into the window. Her dad was standing over her in a black suit, seething with rage while Paula covered her cheek and cried. Even though she tried to kill me, I felt sorry for her. She didn't deserve that. No one deserved to be abused, no matter what they did. I was going to intervene, but then I remembered, they are vampires and I am probably one pint away from death. All I could do was watch. 

"Get up." 

Paula did as she was told, but was unable to look her dad in the eye. It worked out in my favor, since if she looked up, I would be done for. 

"I'm sorry, Father. I–"

"I don't want to hear your excuses. You defiled our home. Even humans know better to only eat at the dining table. You will clean this up before you go to bed. Is that understood?"

She nodded. 

"Good." Her dad marched off and Paula's mom came over to comfort her. And I would be remiss if I didn't comment on her gorgeous evening gown. Ruby red dress leaving her supple back exposed. Easy to see where Paula got her good looks from.

"It's okay, dear. Nothing that can't be fixed." Paula's mom reassured her. "Did you at least get rid of the body?"

"Yes, mother."

Her mom took a sniff. "Hmmm. Smells like a boy. Was he cute?"

"Kinda," she said, but her blush gave her away. I had no idea vampires could blush. I also had no idea vampires existed until then. I had a lot of questions.

"You're blushing. How long ago did you eat?"

"There was so much, you wouldn't believe it. I am still full, I couldn't even finish."

Her mom smirked and glanced up the stairs. "Oh, I would believe it. Why don't we go upstairs and get something to clean this up?"

They both went up the stairs and I took that as my cue to get the hell out of there. The trick was turning on my car without being heard or seen. I quietly ran to my car and not a creak came from my door. Thank God! I made sure to manually switch off the lights and sat in my car for a second, wondering how I was going to pull this off. Cars aren't silent and sometimes mine had a tendency to not start on the first attempt. 

"Please baby, work for me. I beg of you," I whispered to my steering wheel and turned the key. It whined for a second and turned over with a full roar. "Yes!"

I backed up slowly out of the driveway. My heart was pounding in my chest. I was about to escape undiscovered when her dad opened the door. Out of reflex, I turned on my lights to blind him and turned off onto the main road behind me. At this point there was no hiding my escape, so I peeled out of there as fast as I could. I thought for sure I would get into a chase or something, but all he did was shake his head as if I was some random kid pulling shitties in the parking lot. It was a small relief, but a new terror entered my mind. How was school going to turn out tomorrow?

***

The next morning did not come soon enough. I had nightmares whenever I started to actually fall asleep. My blankets felt more like wet wipes, but it beat being buried alive with a tarp for a forever blanket. The whole time I kept thinking, what am I going to do about Paula? She tried to kill me. Shouldn't I tell the police? It was a serious consideration when I got home yesterday, but I thought about it. No one would believe me and if they did, any evidence would be cleaned up.

What else could I do? I still had to go to school. I had a final in chemistry that I could not miss, even though Paula sits across from me in class. There was no avoiding her. I needed advice, so after I got dressed with something that would hide the bite marks, I went to see my dad. He was always a good listener and occasionally gave good advice.

My dad was in the garage, as he was every morning, working on picking a new lock. It was his morning ritual before heading off to his real job, which if I am being honest, I didn't know what he did. He jumped around jobs so much, it was hard to keep track. When I knocked on the door, he spun in his chair, beaming like my little sister Jeanie after beating us all in mini golf.

"Brendan, come in. I'm almost done with this one," he said and returned his focus on his lock.

"Um…dad can we talk?"

He didn't take his eyes off the lock. "Of course, what's on your mind son?"

"I was wondering if you could help me out with a hypothetical."

"I certainly can. What is it?"

"So…what would you do if someone tried to kill you and thought they succeeded, but they didn't, and you have to see them the next day?"

"That is tricky." My dad contorted his face, clearly focusing more on the lock. "Do you absolutely have to see this person tomorrow?"

More like today. "No way around it."

"Where you are meeting this person, are you safe?"

"It's a semi public place."

"Interesting."

"Really?"

A click came from the lock. My dad lifted up his arms in victory. "Yes! I got it!"

"Were you even listening to me?"

"I certainly am. What I would do in that situation is give them a hug."

My dad had clearly lost it. "A hug?"

"Yeah. You aren't in danger if you meet in public and clearly they are in need of some love. Give them a hug. If it's a girl, you give her a big smooch on the cheek. They like that."

"I think we have some consent issues with the kiss."

"Pfff. I think you are way past worrying about consent if a woman is trying to kill you. And besides, who doesn't love a good smooch? How do you think I won over your mom?"

I had to leave after he winked at me. He was not taking this seriously. Then again how could he? My scenario is completely ridiculous. I knew I would come up with something. After I grabbed a poptart from the pantry, I hopped in my car and mindlessly drove to the most awkward school day of my life.

My school wasn't much to look at. A generic brick building that was probably made back in the fifties. The inside was even older looking, except for our chemistry lab. It had a timeless look to it and was kept up well by Mr. Flanders. The sinks at every table were new along with some bunsen burners. It was an open secret that the principal and him were seeing each other, thus why his lab was the newest thing here. There was another rumor that the reason it was so clean was to hide what goes on after hours. I always suspected it wasn't true. I've seen our principal a few times. She was always grumpy.

The school day went by in a blur. All I remember was talking to my pal, Rosco, at lunch and chemistry class at the end of the day. I thought it was a blessing for it to be at the end, but all it did was make me more nervous. The anticipation of it all made my stomach turn. All the possible scenarios swirled in my head. Once I opened the door to the class and saw the look on her face, my worries actually melted away.

Paula was always early and I always came in mere seconds before the bell because my locker was on the far side of the school. It's like the administration was trying to give me a hint or something. That bell, which declared my arrival, prompted her to lift her head up from her textbook she was studying. Her eyes grew two sizes and her jaw almost dropped to the floor. Surprise did not begin to describe her reaction and my relief. She was utterly petrified. I could only imagine what she was thinking. It gave me strength and confidence like no other.

"Hey there Paula. You ready for our chemistry final?"

Her mouth quivered and had difficulty finding words. "Uh…um…um–"

"You okay, Paula? You don't look so good."

"I'm…uh, fine…" Paula said and closed her textbook. She distracted herself by putting her book in her backpack below the table between us. Her head was hidden under the table, giving me a great line. I must have been channeling my inner dad.

"Don't go biting me down there."

She lurched her head up, banging the counter. Mr. Flanders arrived in time to see it and handed our table the exam.

"Are you okay, Paula?" Mr. Flanders asked, sliding an exam to her.

She rubbed her head and tried to smile. "Yes, I'm fine. Just bonked my head a little."

"You gotta protect that head of yours. You're gonna need it for this exam."

"Yes, Mr. Flanders."

He moved on to the next table and Paula didn't dare look up at me. She grabbed her pencil and started her exam. There was no point in talking anymore. I had won this round and oddly enough sounded like my dad. My newfound confidence paid off on my exam as well. I was the first one done with thirty minutes to spare. All I did was flip my exam over and watched Paula take her test.

She held her pencil so tight it almost broke in her grip. Every answer she circled was wobbly, uncertain of the answer. There was no way this exam was breaking her. It was me who was sitting across from her. Not everyday you kill someone and they show up the next morning. I was no vampire, but I imagine it was pretty distracting to her.

My mind started to wander from why she was so nervous to how beautiful she was. Sure, she tried to kill me, but I would be lying if she wasn't the most attractive woman I ever met. Her hair was combed nicely and mostly hid her face from me. I guess my gawking caught the attention of Mr. Flanders or maybe he noticed Paula was uncomfortable because he asked me to leave early so I didn't distract anyone.

He didn't have to tell me twice. Once I got up to leave, Paula's head shot up. I couldn't read her face, but she handed Mr. Flanders her exam and reached for her backpack. There was no way she finished her exam. She had one more page to do. Clearly she wanted to confront me and there was no better time. I opened the door and walked as fast as I could to my locker. There were more classrooms there, which meant more witnesses if she decided to finish the job. The problem was my lack of fitness prevented me from getting too far before her quick feet caught up to me.

"Brendan! Wait! Can you hold up a second?"

I don't know what came over me, but I actually stopped. I guess the middle of the hallway would have to do. At least there would be nowhere for her to run or stuff my body. She rushed over to me while still being careful to keep her distance.

"Can we talk?"

"About what?" I asked, trying to pretend nothing was wrong.

She looked down at the floor and swung her foot gently along it. "About…you know…"

I took a step forward. My heart pounded in my head the closer I got to her. She didn't look up as I approached as if expecting more punishment. It reminded me of when she was face to face with her dad. Paula almost shuddered from how close I was standing. It was painful to watch, but I knew what I could do to fix that.

I kissed her on the cheek. Soft and gentle like a parent would do for their child. She looked up at me, but didn't recoil away in disgust. Her eyes begged me for a reason for my bold move.

"That is the only smack your face ever deserves."

Water welled up in her eyes before she broke down and cried in my chest. I held her, feeling her whole body shake. This was a new experience for me, but naturally I knew what to do. She needed comfort and I was going to give it to her. After what felt like a few minutes, she pulled away and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Why…why aren't you mad?"

I smirked. "Might be the blood loss. My brain hasn't been working too good ever since."

She laughed. I knew she needed some levity from it all and to be honest I really didn't know why I wasn't mad. I should've been, but I wasn't. Must be genetic. My dad could forgive anyone pretty effortlessly. Maybe I can too.

"So, where do we go from here?"

"You let me take you out on a proper date. All I ask is that you come already full," I said, pulling on my collar.

"After all that I did to you and you know what I am, you still want to go out with me?"

"It depends. Did you mean what you told your mom about me?"

She smiled. "Which part?"

"Wait, there was more? Now you got to tell me."

Paula went up on her tip toes and kissed me. Her fangs pricked my lower lip ever so slightly, but it was a far cry from the pain last night. "I'll tell you tonight. Pick me up at seven?"

"Seven it is," I said. She turned around and I pinched her butt, getting her to jump. Paula turned around, looking a little annoyed, but I wasn't going to let her get away with stealing my blood so easily. "You get to sneak another taste of blood and I get nothing?"

She smirked, realizing there was some equivalency to it. "If I let you pinch me again, can I get another sip?"

"Save it for our date."

"I can't wait," she said, licking her lips.

I was playing with fire, but I didn't care. She was so much more interesting than anyone I had ever met and now we have so much to talk about. There is a whole new world I have never known about, other than what I knew from movies and books, which clearly some of it wasn't true.

And that is the story of how I met my girlfriend. Clearly our first date went well since I am telling this story, but I have much to learn. Vampire/human relations are tricky, but right now it is quite rewarding. Paula is even more amazing than I thought and I'm glad she didn't drain me for all I was worth. Now we just have to convince her parents I'm more than just a tasty sack of blood. Wish us luck tonight!

***

An Oath of Death

The wind howled outside, twirling the wind chimes hanging by the window. A frail woman laid on the worn couch, pale as milk. Her blue eyes were transfixed on the metal chimes that were barely hanging on to life, much like her own situation. The only difference was she wasn't alone and the wind was her own doing. 

"Please drink it," Kevin begged, holding a blood bag in his hand. He kneeled next to her, parting her greying hair. 

"I won't."

"Please. Dalilah, you need to drink something."

"I made a promise. And I won't break my promise."

Kevin sighed. "Why do you have to be so difficult?"

"You knew I was difficult when you married me."

"But this is so excessive. It's not like you're going around town draining everybody. I'm giving you my blood."

She sat up. "And I told you I won't drink it."

"Why did you make that vow? You at least owe me that."

"No, I don't."

Kevin shot to his feet and stomped on the ground. "Dammit woman! I won't let you starve yourself to death!"

Dalilah did not react outwardly to his sudden outburst. His face had tears running down and his eyes were piercing. She knew time was running out for her and he could sense it as well. Her heart ached, torn between her husband and her bond. She couldn't satisfy both, but he wasn't going to back down without an answer.

"Fine," Dalilah said. Kevin tossed her the blood bag and she let it land on her stomach. "I'll tell you why I won't drink your blood."

His scowl appeared in an instant, but he said nothing, letting her have the floor. 

"Do you remember that night you passed out–"

"You aren't serious? I didn't pass out because of that. I was dehydrated. You can't blame yourself for that," Kevin said, ready to argue her point.

"No. The problem was I loved your blood. More than I thought I could. It was like drinking your very essence. Your loving soul and your tender heart."

"Yesh, next your gonna say it was better than sex." Dalilah didn't say anything, causing his jaw to drop. "What?"

She laughed. Dalilah found it amazing how her man could go from crying to petrified in seconds. There was a temptation to let his mouth stay there a little longer, but he needed some reassurance. "I know. It's that good. And that was the problem. I don't think the next time I will be able to say no to more. So I deny myself. Because I love you."

"You can have more. I just don't want you to die."

"I would rather die than kill you because I couldn't control myself."

"And I can't watch you kill yourself because you won't drink a little blood bag. It's not like you're getting it straight from the tap."

Dalilah couldn't help but chuckle. The image of him as a human beer keg was amusing to her. He put his face up to hers, making it all she could see.

"You understand, though. Don't you?" she asked.

"I do." He pressed his lips to hers, letting his passion take hold. 

She kissed him back and he took his shot, pushing his lip against her fangs, cutting him. She tried to pull away, but he did not let her get away, allowing his blood to drip into her. The thunder from outside shook the house and her eyes rolled back into her head, savoring the warm, metallic taste. 

He felt his face drain of blood and her fangs digging deeper into his lip. Life was coming back to her and with it her enthusiasm for more blood. His body was no longer his as she rolled off the couch and pinned him to the floor. He moaned in pain, trying to tell her to stop, but she needed a more forceful approach. Kevin dropped his arms to his side and rolled her over, plunging his thumbs into her wrists. Delilah released him, blood dripping from his mouth. 

"You feeling better?" Kevin said, licking his lips. 

"Why did you do that!"

"You weren't seeing reason."

"I could have killed you. I felt myself losing control."

"If you didn't drink something, you were going to die. I refuse to let you die."

"It was my choice," she struggled under his grip, but he held her down.

"And I don't get a say? Did you even think how your death would affect me?"

She stopped fighting. He was right. She hadn't. Kevin did what he did for her and it wasn't lost on her. He loved her. His chest heaved up and down, tired from their wrestling match. Delilah hated what she did, enjoying what she promised would never happen again, but at least she was alive. And for now, that had to be enough. 

"You're right… I didn't… I'm sorry," Delilah said.

Kevin let her go. "Apology accepted. Now drink up the rest of that blood bag. You need to regain your strength."

"Only if you promise never to do that again."

"Deal. Now get to it. And if you're good, we'll play a game of parcheesi."

Delilah laughed. "Really? Your gonna treat me like a child."

"If the shoe fits–"

She punched him in the shoulder. "Go get me a straw then. If your gonna treat me like a child, I'm going to act like one."

"Whatever you say, dear." 

Vampire Wedding Night

Maddie brushed her teeth, making sure her pearly whites sparkled in the mirror. This was the night she had been waiting for. The first night with her husband, Nick. Her black hair was as pristine as her toned body in her nightgown that had little black wings on it. She wanted to make it special. After all, you only get to turn your husband into a vampire once. 

She took one last look at her fangs that practically gave her a thumbs up. This was her time to show him how much she loved him. That she wanted to spend all eternity with no one else. Maddie swung open the door and spread her arms so wide she felt like she was flying. She even had to do a double take to make sure her arms didn't turn into wings. Nick was sitting on the bed, smiling ear to ear, wearing only his briefs and socks. 

"Woah! You really wanted to stay on theme tonight," Nick said, moving over on the bed for her to join him. 

"You like?"

"Do I? You're my sexy bat," Nick said, doing his best impression of a bat. 

She laughed, knowing that his form would need to improve if he was ever going to fly. Maddie sat down on the bed, but Nick was far too greedy for that, pulling her into his arms. She let out of yip of excitement, laying down next to him. 

"Are you ready for me to turn you?" Maddie said, feeling the blood coarse through the veins in his neck.

"You can turn me however you like. I'm all yours," Nick said, laying a passionate kiss on her lips. She was taken to another world upon contact, enjoying the ecstasy of his minty kiss. Maddie had to practically pull herself away, trying to stay on task. Too bad Nick didn't see it that way. "What's the matter? Did I do something?"

"No. Nothing like that."

"Was it the mint? Was it too much?" Nick said, starting to become self conscious. 

"No. Your breath is amazing. I just…" Maddie trailed off when she spotted two black bats hanging upside down on the curtain rod of the open window. It was her parents. She sprung off the bed and another bat, her brother, hung next to them. Before Nick could see them, she slapped her family out the open window and closed the curtains. "...had to make sure the curtains were closed. Don't want any nosey people watching us."

"Good idea. Don't want anyone to see how you turn me," Nick said.

Maddie smiled and returned to the bed. She didn't waste any time, going right for the throat. Her fangs tickled his neck, searching for a good vein, when he pulled away from her.

"That actually tickles,” Nick said with that genuine smile she loved so much. 

"It will tickle less once I break the skin," she said, swooping in again. He held her back, not yet done talking.

"I'm pretty sure, I'm the one who is supposed to be doing the penetrating around here."

"Are you the vampire?" Maddie said, putting her hands on her hips.

"No, ma'am."

"Then I suggest you lay back and let me do all the work."

"Yes, ma'am," he said, laying back on the bed.

She laid next to him with her fangs inches from his neck. Her hand was on the other side of his neck to hold him still and feel where the blood flowed the best. It was intoxicating to her, feeling the blood on the other side of his flesh. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she planted her fangs on his skin before he jerked away. 

"What is that?" Nick said, sitting up and pointing at the end of the bed. 

Maddie looked over and saw a glimpse of a furry brown wing duck out of sight.

"Terry," Maddie said, under her breath. She bounced off the bed and prepared to crush her little cousin. If they wanted to blame someone for his death, they could blame her brother. He probably put Terry up to it anyway. She reached around the end of the bed, but grabbed nothing but air. The bat was nowhere to be found. Maddie looked under the bed and there was nothing. Unless you count the skeleton who gave her a thumbs up when she looked at it. She shook her head in frustration and came back up to see Nick frozen still on the bed. 

"Honey, get the flyswatter," Nick said, watching the bat sit on his shoulder. 

Maddie bared her fangs and leaped back on the bed. She slammed into Nick and tried to grab at the bat, but the bat was too quick, flying under the curtains. Maddie got off of Nick and punched the empty curtain a few times before parting it and closing the window for good.

"There. We shouldn't have any more unwanted visitors," Maddie said, wiping her hands. She looked back at Nick, who was holding his ribs. "Nick? Are you okay?

"Remind me not to get on your bad side," Nick said, wincing in pain.

Maddie went to his side, unsure what to do. Her hands hoovered over his chest, begging to be told where to go. 

"I hurt you."

Nick smiled. "You saved me from that bat. Who knows what kind of rabies I would have gotten if he bit me."

"Don't worry, it's not genetic," Maddie said and Nick laughed, hurting himself. 

"You are so funny, Maddie. Even when you smash my rib cage, I still can't be mad at you."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Nick pulled her next to him. "I get to be with the best woman in the whole world for all eternity.”

"Not yet you don't. Not until I turn you."

"Oh, we're gonna have to wait on that. As much as my little seed shooter probably wants to, you really messed up my ribs."

It wasn't until that moment that it dawned on her. He thought he was just getting sex. She laid next to him and put her arm under his back, thinking about how to break it to him. Maddie even wondered if he actually knew she was a real vampire. She said it enough times all the while they were dating.

"Hey Maddie?" Nick asked.

"Yes?" Maddie said.

"I'm sorry we didn't get to do it, but can you stop poking me in the ass?"

Maddie moved her hand under his back and felt a boney finger sticking through the bed. She snapped it off, keeping it as a warning to the skeleton below.

"Sorry about that. I actually have a question for you," Maddie said.

"Go for it."

"What if I told you I am an actual vampire?"

"You do have the fangs for it,” Nick said, touching her fang.

"Seriously though, what would you think?"

Nick turned toward her with some discomfort. "You would still be the woman I want to spend my life with."

"You mean that?"

"Of course. Now get under these covers. I can't have my wife freezing on her wedding night."

She did as she was told, but she didn't need his bodily warmth. Maddie was already filled with his love. That was more than enough for her. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her on the cheek.

"Goodnight, my sexy vampire. Don't suck my blood while I sleep.”

"Wouldn't dream of it," Maddie said, with her eyes darting around. She was totally going to do it when he went to bed. Guess she'll have to wait until morning.

Vampire Conservationist

A pale man in a grey suit walked backwards down a dark floor made of coffin lids facing his tour group, a bunch of school children dressed in capes and fake fangs. At the children's side was a chaperone who had been giving him “the look” the entire tour. They came up to a large clear window on their right, framed with wooden stakes and polar bears were playing in the snow.

“On your right, you will see our prized attraction here at the Vampirical Zoo, our Polar Bears,” the pale man said.

The children all ran to the window, pressing their grubby faces against the glass. Their oohs and aahs were music to his ears and took delight in their happiness. The chaperone was more interested in him, sneaking glances while she pretended to care about the polar bears.

“Mr. Stephenson, how much do these polar bears weigh?” Patrica said, wanting to ask a question that was both educational for the students and gave him an opportunity to compliment her on her slimming figure.

“The males can get up about 900 pounds, while the females are usually around half that. They must watch their weight like Mrs. Fellis here," Mr. Stephenson said.

"It's Ms. Fellis," Patricia said, brushing her blonde hair to the side.

"Where do polar bears live?" one of the students said, briefly lifting her face away from the glass to look at him.

"They used to live in Antarctica, but due to the near extinction of them back in 2078 after the ice caps melted, we brought them here to live. So for the foreseeable future they live here in our artificial winter land."

"Do polar bears taste good?" one of the boys said.

"Henry." Patricia glared at the boy.

"It's alright. Polar bears don't taste good to humans, but to vampires they are quite tasty," he said, licking his lips.

"Vampires don't eat polar bears. They suck human blood," a little girl with pigtails said.

"Are you questioning a vampire?" Mr. Stephenson asked, showing his fanged teeth in his smile.

"Yes," the girl giggled.

Mr. Stephenson pretended to suck her neck, tickling her with his fangs and she giggled some more. Patricia was probably jealous of the little girl.

"Okay class, if you are done with the polar bears, feel free to go to the gift shop," Patricia said.

The children all cheered and ran off down the hall, leaving Mr. Stephenson all to herself.

"I have to say, my kids really enjoy your themed zoo."

"I'm glad they like it. At first I didn't think the polar bears fit the theme, but I do enjoy the flavor they provide.”

"And you pull off a very good sexy vampire," she said, ignoring his answer.

"I'm flattered, Ms. Fellis."

"Call me Patricia," she said, stepping closer to him.

Mr. Stephenson leaned in close near her ear. "Patricia. You want to know my secret to my good looks?"

"Desperately," she whispered back.

"Polar bear blood," Mr. Stephenson said and sucked on her neck like a human would.

She closed her eyes and let out a gasp of pleasure. He bit down on her with his fangs, but did not break the skin. Instead his eyes were transfixed on the polar bear. The polar bear made eye contact with him and staggered back in the exhibit. It knew that soon it would fall victim to his bite like the many bears before it that were still stuck deep underground. Their continued existence was only for one true purpose. To satisfy his thirst.