Categories > Original > Fantasy > Strange Things Happen At night
Default Chapter
0 reviewsLife isn't easy for Grace and being attacked by a member of the undead doesn't make it any better. Eventful but not better. Or does it?
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One
Life wasn't easy when I decided to become a writer, long hours, low pay, and the constant reminder that writers like artists often starve. So I left Italy, looking for myself on the road, I wandered aimlessly from country to country, working whenever and wherever I could, anything to put money in my pocket. And by the time I reached Finland I ran out, actually I was left with some currency from other places, but when I exchanged it, it wouldn't be enough to catch a cab let alone live. So I walked to the capital not sure what to do with myself, I had no family to call on for help, it's a sad thing but it's not so solitary, it's a life. Much like one every other orphan has.
I wouldn't say that it was my voluntary decision to become a writer, but I had little choice. I had been living on the streets of Helsinki for a few weeks now amidst the frigid cold. The occasional Good Samaritan took pity on me occasionally and offered me a meal, or some money, whatever they could. So I suppose, considering where I am now that it was fate. Fate that led to that alley that night, I may never know but what I found was my saving grace. Oh, by the way that's my name, Grace. No last name I'm afraid like I said, orphan. It's one of those things that I can't say what was in the air that night, just cold. Bitter cold, unlike any cold I'd ever felt, aside from the coldness that came along with being on your own. But for some reason that night, the alley downtown seemed a bit warmer.
I made my way to it and found a spot in a corner where a porch light was left on, good. Not that I was afraid of the dark or anything, but, well I guess I was. The corner offered some shelter from the elements around me, just enough so that hopefully I wouldn't freeze, news lately had been saying that this was one of the coldest winters that Finland had ever endured. Great news when you're homeless, but whatever it was I made the best of it, it's bad enough being a bad sport AND cold. I knew just the thing to take the chill off of my bones; I pulled out my small flask, whiskey. Not the wine of wines, but it would warm you up easy, the amber liquid did just that as it touched my lips, all liquors come with a bit of a burn as they go down, but I found it pleasant. And for good measure I pulled out my cigarettes, three left. Bummer. I pulled out on and put in my mouth and grabbed my trusty lighter, had the thing for forever. Within moments the smoke was soothing my tired and aching body; it made my world a little bit more tolerable. As I finished it I found it amazingly easy to curl up and fall asleep, maybe in the cold of night I would meet my family. Maybe not.
*
I don't remember what It was that woke me up but I couldn't have been asleep long, as I looked around I found that I wasn't alone, another person, an older man had taken up residence near me seeking shelter form the cold that I was trying to avoid. And he looked worse off than I did, didn't even have a decent coat on him. It's always been in my nature to want to leave the world a bit better than it was to me; I beckoned to him to join me in my corner, where it seemed warmer. He regarded me with caution, maybe idiocy. But soon he was sitting beside me and I offered him my flask.
"Takes the chill off." I said as warmly as I felt, he took it gratefully and downed what was left. 'There goes my booze' I thought, "Smoke?" He nodded and I lit him up one. It was some time till he spoke to me.
"You're either crazy or stupid." All I could muster up was an enlightened 'oh?' as I waited for an explanation. "You should be at home with yer family, not out here." He said taking a long drag finishing off the 'cancer stick' as people called them.
"Don't have one." He looked at me funny, like I had to be joking him, but I wasn't. I was orphaned by five I told him trying to make conversation. As you may have noticed, I don't talk about myself much but tonight it seemed appropriate. It was a fire, no one knew the precise cause of the blaze, but within minutes all I had was engulfed, it was a miracle I made it out as my family roasted in that inferno. And why it was me I'll never know, the odds seem astronomical, don't they? But from that time on I went from home to home, when I turned eighteen I decided that there must be more than what I was living. Wandering for six years until I ended up here.
I didn't expect him to spill his life's story as I had, but he did. His wife died four years ago, he was so stricken with grief that he was unable to hold a job and eventually bit by bit he lost it all. A nice guy, he even showed me a picture of his wife, pretty lady, red hair like my own, but mine was almost an unnatural red. The photo was black and white, I only knew about the red hair cause he had mentioned it, she had green eyes. Like mine had once been. Now they were more of a grey tinge to them, I was convinced that it was from the smoke that night, so long ago. For that night, just for that night we had a kind of family, he was the father I couldn't remember, and I was the daughter he never had. Tomorrow would be different no doubt, but for now neither of us was alone.
*
I guess he got up at some point to take a leak or whatever, but when I awoke again it wasn't morning, still dark and I heard a noise that sounded unnatural. He wasn't beside me anymore, I have a sense of when things are not right and tonight it was burning my whole body, slowly I came to and heard a gurgling kind of noise then a loud smash, as I leaned out from behind the dumpster I couldn't believe what I saw. I had to clasp my hand over my mouth to keep from alerting to my position, he was being held up in the air at least three feet off the ground by his throat and then I heard the voices.
"Slim pickings this time of year eh, Gamel?" The voice sounded so cold, and this cold was scaring me. His friend looked to the one who had spoken.
"I suppose it is, well how about it friend, got any pals nearby?" He asked my friend and he loosened his grip.
"Get thee away devil!" He responded; he wasn't going to tell them about me, I stayed quiet.
"You don't want to tell us? That's ok we already know, we can smell her." I hoped he was bluffing and stayed quiet. The one called Gamel, let out a loud screeching noise it pained me and my hands shot up to my ears, crying out in pain as I did so. It lasted for a few moments then I looked up and I was being looked upon by one of the 'things' he had black hair and black eyes, I felt my breath catch in my throat, he reached down and grabbed my coat and dragged me out of my place.
"Look at this one Gamel, such a pretty one." He said lifting me into the air as the other had done with my companion I struggled trying to get loose. "She your daughter? She must get her looks from her mum, then coz she sure don't get them from you!" They laughed out loud.
"Smell that Harald? She's afraid" He smiled wickedly at me, the one holding me leaned closer and breathed me in. "Delicious,"
"Such a shame I already fed." He spoke 'Fed?! Were they cannibals or something?' I wondered as my mind raced, he traced his finger along my jaw, I was frozen. "But I think I could bear a taste, she looks lovely, I hope she tastes as well. I can smell smoke and whiskey on her breath." He laughed
"Would you like to watch lovely?" He questioned me, I said nothing. "I'll tell you what old man, if you can get away by the time I count to ten we'll let you both go." Gamel boasted, my companion said nothing but I knew he was going to run for it. "Ready? Run!" He dropped him and landed with a crunching noise, he must've broken something but he got up, his leg limped but he attempted to run anyway, he was trying to save me as well as himself.
One
He didn't even look back.
Two
He wasn't even five feet away.
Three
He crumpled and fell in the snow; my breath I'd been holding was released in a gasp
Four
He lay unmoving for a moment.
Five
The pain was too much for him.
Six
But he moved he was up again and limping as fast as he could.
Seven
He continued, and for a moment it looked hopeful.
Eight, Nine Ten!!! I looked to Gamel but he was gone, he had swiftly descended on my friend and swung him back into the alley, "Too bad, so sad." He smiled wickedly my friend spit in his face; Gamel pushed his head back and sliced into his throat, blood spurting across his face. Vampires! He laughed as he drained my friend he screamed in his agony, but in an instant it was all over. And he dropped his limp body, it landed with a noise that made he shudder, the one holding me noticed this and undid the first two buttons on my coat
"She looks cold Harald."
"Her skin has gone pale, but it's very warm. I can see goose bumps." He laughed as his finger trailed my skin. "It does seem such a shame to loose something so fine." I mustered up my gut and glared at him, then kicked him as hard as I could, he lashed out and cried in pain but he dropped me and I was running. I stumbled and fell in the snow but tried to keep moving. It was no use Gamel, his friend grabbed me up by my throat and brought me back, Harald was quite angry, but Gamel was laughing.
"She got away from you." He slammed me against the wall and I howled in pain. "I get first bite." I drastically shook my head no in some kind of pleading "No? Why not, you hurt my friend here. Why shouldn't we hurt you?" My lips quivered as he leaned in closer to me, he licked my lips! I was so disgusted but found I couldn't move.
"She's mine!" His companion yelled in outrage.
"You let her go, and you've already fed. The old man had barely enough to satisfy my thirst. But her..." He leered at me "Hold her." His friend was behind me in a second he tilted my head so my neck was bare. I suddenly found my voice.
"S...Someone help me please!!!" I cried out in desperation they laughed, the one behind me also held out my arm bare and had my wrist.
"Scream for us." Harald whispered into my ear, Gamel went for my throat and his teeth pierced my skin, I cried out in a pain I had never felt in my entire life, and at the same time his friend sank his teeth into my arm. My scream didn't last long; second by second I was getting weaker and weaker. And then the pain stopped and it all went black.
Life wasn't easy when I decided to become a writer, long hours, low pay, and the constant reminder that writers like artists often starve. So I left Italy, looking for myself on the road, I wandered aimlessly from country to country, working whenever and wherever I could, anything to put money in my pocket. And by the time I reached Finland I ran out, actually I was left with some currency from other places, but when I exchanged it, it wouldn't be enough to catch a cab let alone live. So I walked to the capital not sure what to do with myself, I had no family to call on for help, it's a sad thing but it's not so solitary, it's a life. Much like one every other orphan has.
I wouldn't say that it was my voluntary decision to become a writer, but I had little choice. I had been living on the streets of Helsinki for a few weeks now amidst the frigid cold. The occasional Good Samaritan took pity on me occasionally and offered me a meal, or some money, whatever they could. So I suppose, considering where I am now that it was fate. Fate that led to that alley that night, I may never know but what I found was my saving grace. Oh, by the way that's my name, Grace. No last name I'm afraid like I said, orphan. It's one of those things that I can't say what was in the air that night, just cold. Bitter cold, unlike any cold I'd ever felt, aside from the coldness that came along with being on your own. But for some reason that night, the alley downtown seemed a bit warmer.
I made my way to it and found a spot in a corner where a porch light was left on, good. Not that I was afraid of the dark or anything, but, well I guess I was. The corner offered some shelter from the elements around me, just enough so that hopefully I wouldn't freeze, news lately had been saying that this was one of the coldest winters that Finland had ever endured. Great news when you're homeless, but whatever it was I made the best of it, it's bad enough being a bad sport AND cold. I knew just the thing to take the chill off of my bones; I pulled out my small flask, whiskey. Not the wine of wines, but it would warm you up easy, the amber liquid did just that as it touched my lips, all liquors come with a bit of a burn as they go down, but I found it pleasant. And for good measure I pulled out my cigarettes, three left. Bummer. I pulled out on and put in my mouth and grabbed my trusty lighter, had the thing for forever. Within moments the smoke was soothing my tired and aching body; it made my world a little bit more tolerable. As I finished it I found it amazingly easy to curl up and fall asleep, maybe in the cold of night I would meet my family. Maybe not.
*
I don't remember what It was that woke me up but I couldn't have been asleep long, as I looked around I found that I wasn't alone, another person, an older man had taken up residence near me seeking shelter form the cold that I was trying to avoid. And he looked worse off than I did, didn't even have a decent coat on him. It's always been in my nature to want to leave the world a bit better than it was to me; I beckoned to him to join me in my corner, where it seemed warmer. He regarded me with caution, maybe idiocy. But soon he was sitting beside me and I offered him my flask.
"Takes the chill off." I said as warmly as I felt, he took it gratefully and downed what was left. 'There goes my booze' I thought, "Smoke?" He nodded and I lit him up one. It was some time till he spoke to me.
"You're either crazy or stupid." All I could muster up was an enlightened 'oh?' as I waited for an explanation. "You should be at home with yer family, not out here." He said taking a long drag finishing off the 'cancer stick' as people called them.
"Don't have one." He looked at me funny, like I had to be joking him, but I wasn't. I was orphaned by five I told him trying to make conversation. As you may have noticed, I don't talk about myself much but tonight it seemed appropriate. It was a fire, no one knew the precise cause of the blaze, but within minutes all I had was engulfed, it was a miracle I made it out as my family roasted in that inferno. And why it was me I'll never know, the odds seem astronomical, don't they? But from that time on I went from home to home, when I turned eighteen I decided that there must be more than what I was living. Wandering for six years until I ended up here.
I didn't expect him to spill his life's story as I had, but he did. His wife died four years ago, he was so stricken with grief that he was unable to hold a job and eventually bit by bit he lost it all. A nice guy, he even showed me a picture of his wife, pretty lady, red hair like my own, but mine was almost an unnatural red. The photo was black and white, I only knew about the red hair cause he had mentioned it, she had green eyes. Like mine had once been. Now they were more of a grey tinge to them, I was convinced that it was from the smoke that night, so long ago. For that night, just for that night we had a kind of family, he was the father I couldn't remember, and I was the daughter he never had. Tomorrow would be different no doubt, but for now neither of us was alone.
*
I guess he got up at some point to take a leak or whatever, but when I awoke again it wasn't morning, still dark and I heard a noise that sounded unnatural. He wasn't beside me anymore, I have a sense of when things are not right and tonight it was burning my whole body, slowly I came to and heard a gurgling kind of noise then a loud smash, as I leaned out from behind the dumpster I couldn't believe what I saw. I had to clasp my hand over my mouth to keep from alerting to my position, he was being held up in the air at least three feet off the ground by his throat and then I heard the voices.
"Slim pickings this time of year eh, Gamel?" The voice sounded so cold, and this cold was scaring me. His friend looked to the one who had spoken.
"I suppose it is, well how about it friend, got any pals nearby?" He asked my friend and he loosened his grip.
"Get thee away devil!" He responded; he wasn't going to tell them about me, I stayed quiet.
"You don't want to tell us? That's ok we already know, we can smell her." I hoped he was bluffing and stayed quiet. The one called Gamel, let out a loud screeching noise it pained me and my hands shot up to my ears, crying out in pain as I did so. It lasted for a few moments then I looked up and I was being looked upon by one of the 'things' he had black hair and black eyes, I felt my breath catch in my throat, he reached down and grabbed my coat and dragged me out of my place.
"Look at this one Gamel, such a pretty one." He said lifting me into the air as the other had done with my companion I struggled trying to get loose. "She your daughter? She must get her looks from her mum, then coz she sure don't get them from you!" They laughed out loud.
"Smell that Harald? She's afraid" He smiled wickedly at me, the one holding me leaned closer and breathed me in. "Delicious,"
"Such a shame I already fed." He spoke 'Fed?! Were they cannibals or something?' I wondered as my mind raced, he traced his finger along my jaw, I was frozen. "But I think I could bear a taste, she looks lovely, I hope she tastes as well. I can smell smoke and whiskey on her breath." He laughed
"Would you like to watch lovely?" He questioned me, I said nothing. "I'll tell you what old man, if you can get away by the time I count to ten we'll let you both go." Gamel boasted, my companion said nothing but I knew he was going to run for it. "Ready? Run!" He dropped him and landed with a crunching noise, he must've broken something but he got up, his leg limped but he attempted to run anyway, he was trying to save me as well as himself.
One
He didn't even look back.
Two
He wasn't even five feet away.
Three
He crumpled and fell in the snow; my breath I'd been holding was released in a gasp
Four
He lay unmoving for a moment.
Five
The pain was too much for him.
Six
But he moved he was up again and limping as fast as he could.
Seven
He continued, and for a moment it looked hopeful.
Eight, Nine Ten!!! I looked to Gamel but he was gone, he had swiftly descended on my friend and swung him back into the alley, "Too bad, so sad." He smiled wickedly my friend spit in his face; Gamel pushed his head back and sliced into his throat, blood spurting across his face. Vampires! He laughed as he drained my friend he screamed in his agony, but in an instant it was all over. And he dropped his limp body, it landed with a noise that made he shudder, the one holding me noticed this and undid the first two buttons on my coat
"She looks cold Harald."
"Her skin has gone pale, but it's very warm. I can see goose bumps." He laughed as his finger trailed my skin. "It does seem such a shame to loose something so fine." I mustered up my gut and glared at him, then kicked him as hard as I could, he lashed out and cried in pain but he dropped me and I was running. I stumbled and fell in the snow but tried to keep moving. It was no use Gamel, his friend grabbed me up by my throat and brought me back, Harald was quite angry, but Gamel was laughing.
"She got away from you." He slammed me against the wall and I howled in pain. "I get first bite." I drastically shook my head no in some kind of pleading "No? Why not, you hurt my friend here. Why shouldn't we hurt you?" My lips quivered as he leaned in closer to me, he licked my lips! I was so disgusted but found I couldn't move.
"She's mine!" His companion yelled in outrage.
"You let her go, and you've already fed. The old man had barely enough to satisfy my thirst. But her..." He leered at me "Hold her." His friend was behind me in a second he tilted my head so my neck was bare. I suddenly found my voice.
"S...Someone help me please!!!" I cried out in desperation they laughed, the one behind me also held out my arm bare and had my wrist.
"Scream for us." Harald whispered into my ear, Gamel went for my throat and his teeth pierced my skin, I cried out in a pain I had never felt in my entire life, and at the same time his friend sank his teeth into my arm. My scream didn't last long; second by second I was getting weaker and weaker. And then the pain stopped and it all went black.
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