Categories > Original > Horror
The Essence of Humanity
1 reviewWhen a young woman is attacked and left in a coma. Two people try to find out what happened, exposing themselves to the danger.
0Unrated
The creature entered the crowded night club slowly, it had been awhile since it had fed off the essence of the man whose body it was now inhabiting. The smell of so much prey so close, almost drove it wild, but it curbed its urges. It was patient, it knew that it would find someone to feed off of soon.
As it moved through the crowd, women stared, it knew the body it inhabited was handsome, all the best to find it's next victim. Finally it saw its quarry, a young woman dancing alone, her long brown hair swirling around her as she lifted her arms and swayed to the music.
It moved quickly toward her, "can I have this dance?" It asked in the man's voice, the woman looked up smiling, without saying a word she began to dance with him.
Later it led her out into the alley. She was drunk, half walking, half hanging onto the creature. It pushed her against the wall, lowering its head, she smiled, wrapping her arms around it thinking it wanted to kiss her. It opened its mouth, exposing sharp teeth.
She shrieked, pushing on it trying to escape as a long tentacle came out of its mouth. The woman moaned, as it wrapped its arms around her, not allowing her to break free. The tentacle began to suck out her essence through her mouth. Suddenly a door slammed as a couple came into the alley looking for privacy. It caused the creature to jerk away from the woman, it turned and ran the other way, as a voice yelled at it to stop.
The woman fell like a rag doll onto the pavement. The owner of the club ran into the alley, having heard the shouts. He knelt beside the woman, feeling for a pulse, than yelled for someone to call 911.
Becca Johnson ran out of the elevator to the nurse's station, "I got a call that my sister was brought here," she said to the nurse breathlessly. "She was found unconscious in an alley behind a night club."
The nurse checked her records, "she's in room 512," the nurse said, Becca nodded, quickly thanking the nurse as she rushed down the hallway. She stopped in the doorway, staring at her sister, lying in a bed with tubes all over her body.
"Oh, Elena," she whispered tears running down her cheeks. She walked into the room, sitting in the chair beside her sister's bed. A knock on the door caused her to look up as a doctor came into the room, "I'm Doctor King," he said, "I'm sorry to tell you that your sister is in a coma. She has almost no brain waves and is almost clinically dead, there's nothing we can do."
Becca gasped in dismay, "does anyone know what happened?" She asked forlornly, the doctor shook his head grimly, "the couple who found her saw a man running away, but we can't find any sign of foul play at all. The only two people who know what happened are your sister and that man. I'm sorry." He turned leaving Becca with the awful knowledge that there was nothing that could be done for her sister.
Becca jerked awake at a knock at the closed door. She got up opening it. A large good-looking man stood there awkwardly, "I'm Jason Brown," he said when Becca looked at him questioningly, "I'm the owner of the club your sister was at. I just wanted to see how she was doing."
Becca shook her head, "the doctor says there's nothing that can be done," she said quietly. She looked at Jason, "did you see the man she was with?"
He shook his head, "I only heard the shouts and came to see what was going on." Becca looked at her sister, "I'm going to find who did this to Elena," she said fiercely, "even if I have to make myself bait."
The creature staggered down the street, as people gave it a wide berth. It needed to feed soon, or it would die, it had gotten enough of the woman's essence to stave off dying for awhile. But now the creature could feel the man's body withering and knew it was just a matter of time.
It staggered again, falling to one knee, "are you all right?" A older man asked with concern,
"No," the creature said shaking it's head, "can you help me to that building, that's where I live." The man helped him up and they slowly walked toward the building. As soon as they got to the dark stairway that led to the apartments above, the creature grabbed the man shoving him against the wall. The man only had time to utter a sharp cry before the creature was sucking out his essence. Soon the creature left the stairwell fully sated in the guise of the older man. He left behind a pile of dirt that had once been a human body.
After the doctor told Becca that they would call if any change good or bad occurred, Becca and Jason left the hospital. "I want to help you find this man," Jason said, as they stood in the elevator together. Becca shook her head, "this isn't your problem," she said. Jason grasped her shoulder turning her slightly toward him.
"It became my problem when that man came into my club," he said. Becca stared up in his eyes that were burning with intensity, than stepped away from him as the elevator bell rang, announcing their floor.
"I think we need a plan," she said as they walked out of the elevator into the parking garage. Jason walked her to her car, watching her get in. "We need to see if there has been any other attacks like this," he said.
Becca nodded, "I'm going to the library," she said, "I'll let you know if I find anything, than we can plan our next move, Jason nodded and handed her his business card." She shut the door, and started the car, pulling out of the parking space. Jason stood there, watching her go as she drove out of the garage.
Becca sat at the library computer, going through old newspaper clips, she was despairing finding anything, when a headline caught her eye, "Local man missing, no clues found." She frowned as she read the article, the man had been in a nightclub the street over from the one her sister had been in. According to witnesses, he had left with a young woman, that was the last time anyone had seen him. The young woman couldn't be found for questioning.
Becca flipped back, looking for other disappearances, she noticed that they formed a pattern. Each nightclub or bar was one street down from the next, each incident by itself just seemed like a routine missing person, but together they formed something more sinister.
She pushed away from the computer, and rushed out of the library, once outside she pulled her cell phone out of her purse, flipping it on. "Jason," she said as soon as he answered, "I found something. I'll meet you at the coffee house across the street from your nightclub."
Jason was waiting at a table when she walked in, she hurried over to him sitting down quickly. "I found a pattern," she said breathlessly, "there has been a bunch of disappearances in the last month, each missing person was in a nightclub or bar before they disappeared. Each one left with someone, who couldn't be found for questioning later, and each of the places where the people went missing were one street down from the last one. That means, the next one will happen at The Cheek, that's the only other nightclub or bar in the area."
She reached over and grabbed Jason's hands, "we have to move quickly, tonight." She said urgently, "if we don't we may not get another chance." Jason nodded, "I want to be there with you," he said, "I'm not about to let something happen to you, when we just found each other." He leaned over, kissing her lightly on the mouth, "we'll talk more about that later," he promised "right now lets make a plan for tonight."
The creature awoke from it's slumber, it could feel the body, it inhabited withering slowly. It was time to feed again, it knew there was only one place left where it could find prey, than it would have to move on. Slowly it rose, it was hungry.
Becca slowly danced on the dance floor, trying to fit in. She could see Jason at the bar, even though he didn't appear to be watching her, she knew he was. She turned around, and gasped, a older man was watching her. Something about his eyes frightened her, but she forced herself to smile as he approached.
"Do you want to dance?" He asked loudly over the music, "sure" she said and began to dance with him. After dancing awhile, she spotted Jason talking to a red haired woman, a frisson of fear snaked down her spine.
"Excuse me," she said hurrying away before the man even responded. Jason and the woman had disappeared, Becca tried to tell herself it was nothing. But she knew that Jason wouldn't leave her unless something persuaded him. She ran toward the front door, pushing through the crowd that surged around her.
She burst out the door, looking around, she heard a dull thud come from the alley across the street. Quickly she ran, she stopped in horror, the woman had Jason pinned to the wall. A long tentacle snaking out of her mouth, "NO," Becca screamed causing the woman to jerk around, Jason dropped to the ground and laid there motionless. Becca, backed up as the woman smiled ferally and began to stalk her. She turned to run, just as the woman grabbed Becca by her hair jerking her backward. Becca cried out at the burning pain, as the woman dragged her toward the end of the alley with a almost inhuman strength.
Becca kicked the woman, causing her to let Becca go. She tried to run for it but the woman grabbed Becca, shoving her against the wall. The woman smiled exposing, sharp teeth, Becca cried out in fear as the tentacle slowly crept out toward her.
Suddenly a voice said, "pick on someone your own size bitch," the woman turned around facing Jason, she rushed at him. He thrust out a piece of wood, impaling the woman through the heart with the sharp edge. The woman shrieked again, a long wail that caused Becca to cringe and cover her ears. Than she exploded into dust, Jason lunged, catching Becca as she fell forward.
Gently he carried her out of the alley, toward his car, "it's going to be all right," he said, "everything's going to be fine."
Becca and Jason walked toward Elena's room, holding hands, it had been a month since they killed whatever creature was lurking in the bars and clubs of Madison. That night Becca had gotten a call from the hospital, her sister had awoken from her coma, acting as if she had never been in one.
Becca smiled, as she saw her sister, dressed and sitting in a wheelchair, ready to go home. The doctors had no explanation for what had happened, but Becca did. When Jason had killed, the creature, it had lost it's hold on Elena setting her free. Jason grabbed the suitcase, as Becca wheeled Elena down the hall toward the elevator, she hugged her sister as they got off at the main floor. Than wheeled her out of the hospital into the sunshine.
A bag lady slowly shuffled down the alley, suddenly a breeze came out of nowhere blowing dirt in her face. She coughed, rubbing her eyes, than slowly she smiled ferally.
As it moved through the crowd, women stared, it knew the body it inhabited was handsome, all the best to find it's next victim. Finally it saw its quarry, a young woman dancing alone, her long brown hair swirling around her as she lifted her arms and swayed to the music.
It moved quickly toward her, "can I have this dance?" It asked in the man's voice, the woman looked up smiling, without saying a word she began to dance with him.
Later it led her out into the alley. She was drunk, half walking, half hanging onto the creature. It pushed her against the wall, lowering its head, she smiled, wrapping her arms around it thinking it wanted to kiss her. It opened its mouth, exposing sharp teeth.
She shrieked, pushing on it trying to escape as a long tentacle came out of its mouth. The woman moaned, as it wrapped its arms around her, not allowing her to break free. The tentacle began to suck out her essence through her mouth. Suddenly a door slammed as a couple came into the alley looking for privacy. It caused the creature to jerk away from the woman, it turned and ran the other way, as a voice yelled at it to stop.
The woman fell like a rag doll onto the pavement. The owner of the club ran into the alley, having heard the shouts. He knelt beside the woman, feeling for a pulse, than yelled for someone to call 911.
Becca Johnson ran out of the elevator to the nurse's station, "I got a call that my sister was brought here," she said to the nurse breathlessly. "She was found unconscious in an alley behind a night club."
The nurse checked her records, "she's in room 512," the nurse said, Becca nodded, quickly thanking the nurse as she rushed down the hallway. She stopped in the doorway, staring at her sister, lying in a bed with tubes all over her body.
"Oh, Elena," she whispered tears running down her cheeks. She walked into the room, sitting in the chair beside her sister's bed. A knock on the door caused her to look up as a doctor came into the room, "I'm Doctor King," he said, "I'm sorry to tell you that your sister is in a coma. She has almost no brain waves and is almost clinically dead, there's nothing we can do."
Becca gasped in dismay, "does anyone know what happened?" She asked forlornly, the doctor shook his head grimly, "the couple who found her saw a man running away, but we can't find any sign of foul play at all. The only two people who know what happened are your sister and that man. I'm sorry." He turned leaving Becca with the awful knowledge that there was nothing that could be done for her sister.
Becca jerked awake at a knock at the closed door. She got up opening it. A large good-looking man stood there awkwardly, "I'm Jason Brown," he said when Becca looked at him questioningly, "I'm the owner of the club your sister was at. I just wanted to see how she was doing."
Becca shook her head, "the doctor says there's nothing that can be done," she said quietly. She looked at Jason, "did you see the man she was with?"
He shook his head, "I only heard the shouts and came to see what was going on." Becca looked at her sister, "I'm going to find who did this to Elena," she said fiercely, "even if I have to make myself bait."
The creature staggered down the street, as people gave it a wide berth. It needed to feed soon, or it would die, it had gotten enough of the woman's essence to stave off dying for awhile. But now the creature could feel the man's body withering and knew it was just a matter of time.
It staggered again, falling to one knee, "are you all right?" A older man asked with concern,
"No," the creature said shaking it's head, "can you help me to that building, that's where I live." The man helped him up and they slowly walked toward the building. As soon as they got to the dark stairway that led to the apartments above, the creature grabbed the man shoving him against the wall. The man only had time to utter a sharp cry before the creature was sucking out his essence. Soon the creature left the stairwell fully sated in the guise of the older man. He left behind a pile of dirt that had once been a human body.
After the doctor told Becca that they would call if any change good or bad occurred, Becca and Jason left the hospital. "I want to help you find this man," Jason said, as they stood in the elevator together. Becca shook her head, "this isn't your problem," she said. Jason grasped her shoulder turning her slightly toward him.
"It became my problem when that man came into my club," he said. Becca stared up in his eyes that were burning with intensity, than stepped away from him as the elevator bell rang, announcing their floor.
"I think we need a plan," she said as they walked out of the elevator into the parking garage. Jason walked her to her car, watching her get in. "We need to see if there has been any other attacks like this," he said.
Becca nodded, "I'm going to the library," she said, "I'll let you know if I find anything, than we can plan our next move, Jason nodded and handed her his business card." She shut the door, and started the car, pulling out of the parking space. Jason stood there, watching her go as she drove out of the garage.
Becca sat at the library computer, going through old newspaper clips, she was despairing finding anything, when a headline caught her eye, "Local man missing, no clues found." She frowned as she read the article, the man had been in a nightclub the street over from the one her sister had been in. According to witnesses, he had left with a young woman, that was the last time anyone had seen him. The young woman couldn't be found for questioning.
Becca flipped back, looking for other disappearances, she noticed that they formed a pattern. Each nightclub or bar was one street down from the next, each incident by itself just seemed like a routine missing person, but together they formed something more sinister.
She pushed away from the computer, and rushed out of the library, once outside she pulled her cell phone out of her purse, flipping it on. "Jason," she said as soon as he answered, "I found something. I'll meet you at the coffee house across the street from your nightclub."
Jason was waiting at a table when she walked in, she hurried over to him sitting down quickly. "I found a pattern," she said breathlessly, "there has been a bunch of disappearances in the last month, each missing person was in a nightclub or bar before they disappeared. Each one left with someone, who couldn't be found for questioning later, and each of the places where the people went missing were one street down from the last one. That means, the next one will happen at The Cheek, that's the only other nightclub or bar in the area."
She reached over and grabbed Jason's hands, "we have to move quickly, tonight." She said urgently, "if we don't we may not get another chance." Jason nodded, "I want to be there with you," he said, "I'm not about to let something happen to you, when we just found each other." He leaned over, kissing her lightly on the mouth, "we'll talk more about that later," he promised "right now lets make a plan for tonight."
The creature awoke from it's slumber, it could feel the body, it inhabited withering slowly. It was time to feed again, it knew there was only one place left where it could find prey, than it would have to move on. Slowly it rose, it was hungry.
Becca slowly danced on the dance floor, trying to fit in. She could see Jason at the bar, even though he didn't appear to be watching her, she knew he was. She turned around, and gasped, a older man was watching her. Something about his eyes frightened her, but she forced herself to smile as he approached.
"Do you want to dance?" He asked loudly over the music, "sure" she said and began to dance with him. After dancing awhile, she spotted Jason talking to a red haired woman, a frisson of fear snaked down her spine.
"Excuse me," she said hurrying away before the man even responded. Jason and the woman had disappeared, Becca tried to tell herself it was nothing. But she knew that Jason wouldn't leave her unless something persuaded him. She ran toward the front door, pushing through the crowd that surged around her.
She burst out the door, looking around, she heard a dull thud come from the alley across the street. Quickly she ran, she stopped in horror, the woman had Jason pinned to the wall. A long tentacle snaking out of her mouth, "NO," Becca screamed causing the woman to jerk around, Jason dropped to the ground and laid there motionless. Becca, backed up as the woman smiled ferally and began to stalk her. She turned to run, just as the woman grabbed Becca by her hair jerking her backward. Becca cried out at the burning pain, as the woman dragged her toward the end of the alley with a almost inhuman strength.
Becca kicked the woman, causing her to let Becca go. She tried to run for it but the woman grabbed Becca, shoving her against the wall. The woman smiled exposing, sharp teeth, Becca cried out in fear as the tentacle slowly crept out toward her.
Suddenly a voice said, "pick on someone your own size bitch," the woman turned around facing Jason, she rushed at him. He thrust out a piece of wood, impaling the woman through the heart with the sharp edge. The woman shrieked again, a long wail that caused Becca to cringe and cover her ears. Than she exploded into dust, Jason lunged, catching Becca as she fell forward.
Gently he carried her out of the alley, toward his car, "it's going to be all right," he said, "everything's going to be fine."
Becca and Jason walked toward Elena's room, holding hands, it had been a month since they killed whatever creature was lurking in the bars and clubs of Madison. That night Becca had gotten a call from the hospital, her sister had awoken from her coma, acting as if she had never been in one.
Becca smiled, as she saw her sister, dressed and sitting in a wheelchair, ready to go home. The doctors had no explanation for what had happened, but Becca did. When Jason had killed, the creature, it had lost it's hold on Elena setting her free. Jason grabbed the suitcase, as Becca wheeled Elena down the hall toward the elevator, she hugged her sister as they got off at the main floor. Than wheeled her out of the hospital into the sunshine.
A bag lady slowly shuffled down the alley, suddenly a breeze came out of nowhere blowing dirt in her face. She coughed, rubbing her eyes, than slowly she smiled ferally.
Sign up to rate and review this story