Undead Love.

Sam Miles.

“Where was Carly tonight, Randy?” Jessica asks. The pub is empty except for the two siblings and they are about to close for the night, the tables are covered in crumbs and spilt drinks that the two must clean.

“We had an argument, it’ll be fine tomorrow.” He doesn’t make eye contact with his sister.

Jessica smirks and stops what she is doing to watch her brother’s reaction. “Did you sleep with her?”

“No, I didn’t actually.” Randy rocks his head smugly.

She is taken aback and raises her eyebrows in mock shock, smiling. “I’m proud.”

“I was going to.” Randy finishes, causes Jessica to roll her eyes and laugh.

“I will call her tomorrow.” She drops the cloth in the bucket of warm water on the table. Randy thanks her and allows her to leave, offering to finish cleaning.

Jessica steps out of the back door and into the staff parking lot. It is dark and there is a single lamppost to light up the small gravelled circle. She checks her watch, a simple wrist watch with small, white straps and a gold clock face, and sees that it is almost midnight. A small amount of relief washes through her when she realises her father will be in bed when she gets home. She hates watching him beat himself up for not being fully capable of everything anymore, what makes it worse for her is that he won’t let her help him. 

She makes her way towards her small, blue car parked just beneath the lamppost, as she walks; she fumbles in her bag, searching for her keys. Without warning, her bag is snatched from her hands and her scream is muffled by a large hand as she is dragged from her car towards the trash cans. Her feet wave as she is lifted into the air momentarily and she kicks a trash can to the ground before being put down and dragged again.

She is pushed against the brick wall of the pub, a hand still covering her mouth, another pushing against her stomach, pinning her to the wall. Through the dark Jessica makes out the face of Charlie Richards, the man that had tried to grab her the other day in the pub. She squirms under his grasp and screams into his hand.

“Where’s your big brother now, eh?” He whispers. She tries to scream again but he puts his weight against her, crushing her against the wall and she grunts with the pressure put on her back.. He begins to kiss her neck and she squeezes her eyes shut.

‘Damn it, Randy. Hurry up cleaning and help me!’ She thinks to herself.

His mouth moves from her neck and he takes his hand from her stomach and thrusts it under her shirt. She kicks out, hoping to hear him howl in pain but he continues to run his hand over her body, repeating the question over and over again. “Where’s your big brother now, eh?”

Suddenly he is ripped away from her and she watches as the blurred shape of a man throws Charlie to the floor and in the blink of an eye picks him up again and throws him down onto the bonnet of her car. The man becomes clear as he stops moving, holding Charlie down by the throat.

“Where’s your wife now, eh?” Sam asks. She recognises the vampire from earlier that night. Charlie begins to cry and beg for his life.

“Don’t hurt me, please!” With one he holds his hip and with the other he pushes helplessly against the vampires shoulder.

“Why shouldn’t I? What were you planning to do to this young lady?” Sam looks back to Jessica and she notices his fangs. He turns back and leans in close to the shivering man sprawled out on the car. “I’m hungry.” He hisses in his ear.

Jessica runs forward and grabs the vampires arm. “Don’t hurt him!” She shouts.

He turns to look at her, growling, and she can tell he plans to feed on him. She holds his arm tighter, focusing on what her mother use to say. “You have a power, the power of persuasion.”