Curse of the Smiling Vampire

Chapter 10

 Bob sat in the shadow of Herbie's half-opened closet door.

He had almost finished off the pig when he heard Edith's scream and quickly crawled into the open closet. He didn't know what to expect, but wasn't about to take any chances. The last thing he needed was for that fool Ralph to find out what he was up to.

He sat in silence, pondering his options, when he heard Ralph's hurried steps coming up the stairs. "Damn!" Bob cursed under is bubbling breath as he saw Ralph bolting into the room. He had left the body by the end of the bed. "That sap is going to find it and cause trouble." He thought to himself.

Bob sat there motionless, silent except for the quiet sound of bubbles popping as he drew air. He watched as Ralph investigated the shattered aquarium. Bob had knocked it halfway across the room during his initial attack, leaving Fluff stunned and helpless as Bob threw his enlarged mass from the overturned desk. He'd had the little beast in his large right claw, ready to crush her, when she sank her stiletto-like teeth through his hard, outer shell, piercing the soft muscle beneath and causing Bob to release her. he sat there, momentarily stunned, as she circled him. Bob waited until she went up on her hind legs before he attacked, swinging his dominant claw in a wide arc, catching fluff, and knocking her off her feet. Bob was on her before she had a chance to recover, ready to tear out her throat with his smaller, nimble claw.

Feeling cocky with her limp body safely restrained, Bob played with her. He pulled large clumps of her soft, white fur from her underbelly and chuckled to himself as the tiny rivers of blood ran from the wounds onto the hardwood floor. He violently raked his smaller claw down her exposed flank, cutting through her flesh and peeling back her soft skin. Then he heard the scream and quickly tossed her body to the side to scurry to the closet's safety.

"Damn him!" Bob cursed quietly as Ralph cradled Fluff's limp body and left the room. He waited until he heard Ralph and his hideous wife on the stairs before coming out of the closet. Bob slowly advanced toward Herbie's door, listening for Ralph's return. He quickly crawled to the top of the stairs and listened as Ralph and Edith were running around, frantic, on the second floor.

"Fluff," Bob called.

"I shall be back for you, pretty bitch. I shall be back to finish you off."

Bob began to make the long travel down the stairs. The trip was easier since his last molt. His dominant claw was now full 12 inches long, and his long legs made the downward trek on the staircase easy enough, but he had to be careful not to slip on the hardwood steps. His segmented legs came to a point and made for slippery travel on smooth surfaces.

Bob reached the second story landing without incident and was halfway down the first flight when he heard the heavy lid being replace and Ralph mumble something to his wife. Seconds later, as Bob left the final step and ducked under a nearby coffee table, Edith came down the stairs. "Ralph, you need to do something about Bob. He is becoming a problem and is going to endanger us again." she said, going after him into the kitchen and leaving the front door ajar.

"Beautiful!" Bob exclaimed, rushing from his hiding place under the coffee table and rushing out the opened door.

By the time Edith returned a few minutes later, Bob was already lost deep in the neighbor's bushes...