Puckett - Short Tales of Horror III

Short Tales of Horror Part III

by

Regina Puckett

The Soul Sipper

Damn. Jericho hated it when the young brats just didnt die. But for some reason they seemed to fight the hardest at the end. Was it because they thought they had so much to live for?

Stupid bitch didnt have enough common sense to know there wasnt a single thing on earth worth the agony. Maybe there was in hell but not here, not in this trashy dump.

The aged vampire kicked the writhing figure in the stomach and sneered, Why dont you die already? I dont have all night to stand here.

He knelt and pulled her long blonde hair away from the two seeping wounds on her neck. The alluring aroma pulled at Jericho until he had to lick the last few drops from her punctured skin.

The taste brought a smile to his bloodstained lips.

So sweet. And so worth the wait innocent virgin souls were by far the best tasting but the hardest to come by these days. Its innocence settled onto his tongue like the cotton candy he remembered eating as a boy. Jericho lapped up each delicious drop and groaned when there was nothing left, not even a lick.

Jericho backed away from the corpse. Its about damn time.

The girls blood and soul seeped through his dried up veins, filling them with renewed life. Jerichos black eyes turned a beautiful blue the same color the girls had possessed before her untimely and unnatural death. The depraved vampire didnt know, nor would he have cared, that the girls mother had once compared the color of her eyes to the sky on a cloudless day. Their serene hue now looked out of place in the stone-cold killers face, their innocence a stark contrast against his sin-etched skin.

Jericho drew in a few deep breaths, now energized by her blood. Its purity gave him the same euphoric high he remembered from so many years ago, during his drug-dependent days. Nothing had ever felt so good or freeing since he had become immortal.

He spun in circles and laughed. Unexpected joy surged through Jericho, now dizzy with emotion and passion.

But just as quickly as the laughter had come, it stopped, leaving him light-headed and unsteady as he tried to stand still, his mind continuing to spin on. Jericho almost fell over as intense pain replaced his joyful high and he doubled over, trying hard to stave off the agony.

Jericho gipped, his throat filling with vomit which he fought down, fearful of losing his precious meal. Her soul was his; no way would he lose such a prized gift.

His muscles contracted and seized, forcing him to straighten. Then Jerichos eyes bulged, alarmingly, until they finally exploded. His old weathered skin cracked and split, and from which rays of light shot out, lighting the dark alleyway until no corner remained hidden.

Finally, a piercing scream shattered the otherwise silent night as the young girls soul escaped its black prison, leaving but faint traces of vampire dust covering the empty crates and trash that littered the alleyway.

The End

Do You Want to Play a Game?

The black mist slipped in through the open, top-floor apartment window, as if it were an intruder. Once in, the first thing it did was sap all of the energy out of all of the electrical outlets, but that wasnt its ultimate goal. Oh, no. It was saving the best for last. She had, after all, invited them there.

Sherry hadnt moved a muscle in over four hours. After her birthday party, she had fallen straight into bed as soon as the last guest had left. Alcohol probably played a major role in her peaceful stupor. In spite of the alcohol or because of it, she was having a wonderful dream about her older brother, Pete. He was teasing her and they were both laughing just like they always had growing up. The dream might not have been special to anyone but her. It was only way she could see her older brother again. He had died in a car wreck three years earlier.

It was a simple dream. She and Pete were sitting on the front porch of their parents house. It was strange because even though it was a dream, she still knew Pete was dead so she was using that time to savor everything detail, his crazy deep throated chuckle, his crooked smile and the hint of mischief that never seemed to leave his eyes. He had been the best brother any girl could have wished for. He had been funny, over-protective and sometimes a little too bossy, but during their time together she was going to pretend he wasnt dead.

It seemed fitting that Pete was telling one of his corny jokes. Even though the joke didnt make any sense, Sherry still laughed as if it was the best joke she had ever heard before. Sitting next to him with their feet dangling off the side of the porch, it was such a peaceful and perfect moment, but all at once, he stopped in mid-sentence. With a deadly serious expression he grabbed her arm. Staring over her shoulder, he whispered, Theyre coming. He met her eyes again, and his horrified expression sent a shiver down her spine.

Before Sherry could ask who was coming, Pete disappeared, and a bone wearying coldness settled over her like a heavy mist. Without waking, she pulled the bedspread under her chin and held onto it with both hands clenched into tight fists. From out of nowhere strange murmurings came from every direction. The eerie sounds sent a shudder throughout her tense muscles. At first the murmurings were just nonsensical gibberish, but as she strained to understand what was being said, one voice rose above the others.

The voice was childish in nature but with a creepy, sly undertone. Were here to play. Dont you still want to play with us? That question was followed with a high pitched giggle that darted around the room like a double edge sword.

Sherry quivered and turned her head away to try and get away the evil sounding taunt. When she did, the mutterings stopped but they left an odd vibration in the air. Still fast asleep, she pulled the bedspread over her head in an attempt to stop the weird tingling on her face and neck. She had no sooner done that when hundreds of icy fingers began caressing her legs and feet. Her first reaction was to curl into the fetal position but that only bought the icy fingers closer to her face. When they began pulling at her hair and trying to pry her lips apart, she sat straight up in the bed and was immediately wide awake.

At first, Sherry thought she was still dreaming, because even with her eyes open, she couldnt see a thing. She tried rubbing and blinking but it didnt help clear up her vision. No matter which direction she turned and peered off into, all she could see was a thick, inky blackness. She had never experienced such darkness before where she couldnt at least make out the outline of objects and forms. She held her hands directly in front of her eyes but even though she wiggled her fingers she couldnt see them or her hand.

Normally, the outside street lights kept her tiny apartment bathed in light. Had there been a power blackout during the night? Just as she was considering that possibility the sound of heavy breathing startled her.

Whos there? The breathing sound moved closer and closer until Sherry flayed her arms out, trying to punch whoever it was. But all she hit was empty air, so she stopped lashing about. Pulling both of her fists to her mouth, she clamped down on her knuckles to keep from screaming. Maybe she was still dreaming. After all, how could anyone get into her apartment? She strained to listen for the heavy breathing to begin again. The brief seconds felt like an eternity in the blinding darkness, so when Sherry didnt hear anything, she pulled her legs up to her chin and wrapped her arms around them to steady her nerves and think.

Maybe she had only dreamed the icy fingers and the odd sounds. She had drunk too much at the party. She could never handle even a small amount of liquor. She always had bad dreams afterwards. That was it. It was all just a bad dream. Okay. Settle down. No ones here. I locked the door and the dead bolt as soon as everyone left. If anyone had broken in, they would had had to take a battering ram to break through that huge oak door. Just as she was beginning to calm down a little, the covers were yanked off of the bed. She screamed and slid backwards.