banged against the wall and shuddered to a stop. Pete stepped into the room and snapped on the light. A slow smile spread across his grimy face. “Now I got you.”
Emily screamed, and he threw her aside. Her shoulder glanced off of the wall and shook the window. She lay dazed for a moment, expecting the worst.
Instead, Pete jerked the closet open only to get a face full of plastic hangers. He jerked Brenda out by the hair.
Emily gripped his filthy coat. “Let her go!”
Pete picked Brenda up and moved toward the hall. Brenda screamed and flailed against the creature. Without much grace, he threw her into the hallway. “Here’s the roommate, boss!”
Emily pressed her hands against the clutter beneath the bed in search of a weapon. Her fingers brushed across a stray shoe, an empty shopping bag, hangers, and a belt. Finally, they closed around the handle of an aluminum softball bat. With renewed determination, she scrambled to her feet.
Brenda let loose a scream that curdled Emily's blood.
Emily hoisted the bat up. “Come get me, Dirt Bag.”
Pete turned with a grin on his stubble covered face. “What do you think you’re gonna do with that?”
“Come find out.”
Pete’s smile wavered. Emily sidestepped the hand that grabbed at her and swung the bat. The aluminum made contact with his shoulder. She darted to his left and swung it against his ribs.
He continued to snatch at her. This time, it connected with the side of his head. The vampire stumbled and crashed onto one knee. He cradled his head and glared up at her. Blood ran from his sliced lip, and fat drops of saliva dribbled from his goatee. He spit and showered the floor with a scarlet mist.
“Had enough yet?” Emily edged a little closer and gripped the bat with sweaty palms.
He snarled to reveal stained teeth and a missing left fang. “You’re gonna die for that, bitch.”
She struck him again before he could get up. His head whipped to the side, and he howled in pain. She hit him once more for good measure. This time, his skull dented and blood sprayed across the edge of the bedspread. His jaw fell open, and he dropped to the floor. His left leg twitched, but he did not rise.
“What’s taking so long?” Trent called.
Brenda’s screams had died away. Emily ventured into the hallway, still clutching the bat. The shirtless man was no longer against the wall.
She pushed Brenda’s door open with the end of the bat. Her horrified eyes refused to make sense of what lay on the bed. Blood glistened on Brenda’s exposed body. Blood pooled around her and her ravaged throat.
Emily moved toward the bed. The bat dragged across the carpet and made a hollow, tinny noise. “Please don’t be dead.”
“They’re no fun if they’re helpless like that. It’s exhilarating when they kick and scream or plead for their life.”
She whipped around to find Trent leaned against the wall. A cigarette clamped between his thin lips. The front of his shirt and chin were stained crimson.
“I see you’ve been busy.” He tipped his head toward the bloodied bat. There was no remorse in his voice for his fallen companion. “Killing feels good, doesn't it? It gives you a sense of supremacy, of freedom. It’s a fucking rush.”
Emily’s gaze flicked toward the hall. Brenda’s lover looked disoriented and weak, but she nearly cried out in joy as he stumbled past. A cell phone pressed against his ear.
“I saw what you did to Pete.” Trent’s eerie smile gave her the willies. “You gonna beat my head in too? Do you think you can?”
He stepped away from the doorway and a jolt of fear and despair tore through her. She wanted to lunge at him, pulverize his face with the bat, but she had to be intelligent about this. She didn’t know why Pete had been so easy to defeat, but she wasn’t taking any chances this time.
“The witch wants me to bring you to her. Be a good little girl and come along, so I don’t have to hurt you too much.” A
Emily screamed, and he threw her aside. Her shoulder glanced off of the wall and shook the window. She lay dazed for a moment, expecting the worst.
Instead, Pete jerked the closet open only to get a face full of plastic hangers. He jerked Brenda out by the hair.
Emily gripped his filthy coat. “Let her go!”
Pete picked Brenda up and moved toward the hall. Brenda screamed and flailed against the creature. Without much grace, he threw her into the hallway. “Here’s the roommate, boss!”
Emily pressed her hands against the clutter beneath the bed in search of a weapon. Her fingers brushed across a stray shoe, an empty shopping bag, hangers, and a belt. Finally, they closed around the handle of an aluminum softball bat. With renewed determination, she scrambled to her feet.
Brenda let loose a scream that curdled Emily's blood.
Emily hoisted the bat up. “Come get me, Dirt Bag.”
Pete turned with a grin on his stubble covered face. “What do you think you’re gonna do with that?”
“Come find out.”
Pete’s smile wavered. Emily sidestepped the hand that grabbed at her and swung the bat. The aluminum made contact with his shoulder. She darted to his left and swung it against his ribs.
He continued to snatch at her. This time, it connected with the side of his head. The vampire stumbled and crashed onto one knee. He cradled his head and glared up at her. Blood ran from his sliced lip, and fat drops of saliva dribbled from his goatee. He spit and showered the floor with a scarlet mist.
“Had enough yet?” Emily edged a little closer and gripped the bat with sweaty palms.
He snarled to reveal stained teeth and a missing left fang. “You’re gonna die for that, bitch.”
She struck him again before he could get up. His head whipped to the side, and he howled in pain. She hit him once more for good measure. This time, his skull dented and blood sprayed across the edge of the bedspread. His jaw fell open, and he dropped to the floor. His left leg twitched, but he did not rise.
“What’s taking so long?” Trent called.
Brenda’s screams had died away. Emily ventured into the hallway, still clutching the bat. The shirtless man was no longer against the wall.
She pushed Brenda’s door open with the end of the bat. Her horrified eyes refused to make sense of what lay on the bed. Blood glistened on Brenda’s exposed body. Blood pooled around her and her ravaged throat.
Emily moved toward the bed. The bat dragged across the carpet and made a hollow, tinny noise. “Please don’t be dead.”
“They’re no fun if they’re helpless like that. It’s exhilarating when they kick and scream or plead for their life.”
She whipped around to find Trent leaned against the wall. A cigarette clamped between his thin lips. The front of his shirt and chin were stained crimson.
“I see you’ve been busy.” He tipped his head toward the bloodied bat. There was no remorse in his voice for his fallen companion. “Killing feels good, doesn't it? It gives you a sense of supremacy, of freedom. It’s a fucking rush.”
Emily’s gaze flicked toward the hall. Brenda’s lover looked disoriented and weak, but she nearly cried out in joy as he stumbled past. A cell phone pressed against his ear.
“I saw what you did to Pete.” Trent’s eerie smile gave her the willies. “You gonna beat my head in too? Do you think you can?”
He stepped away from the doorway and a jolt of fear and despair tore through her. She wanted to lunge at him, pulverize his face with the bat, but she had to be intelligent about this. She didn’t know why Pete had been so easy to defeat, but she wasn’t taking any chances this time.
“The witch wants me to bring you to her. Be a good little girl and come along, so I don’t have to hurt you too much.” A
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