Vampire Dancing by J. K. Gray

“Don't go near her!”
    Discarding Wiley's advice, the man helps Amanda to her feet. “It's okay, I got you.” It's then that he notices the blood on her hands and face. “Oh my God, you've got blood on you.”
    “It's not her own blood,” Wiley says. “You gotta get away from her.”
    Now it's the second man's turn to ignore Wiley. He, too, motions to help the distressed woman, but his brunette girlfriend holds him back. “Becky, what are you doing? I can't just stand here.”
    “Gary's with her,” Becky replies. “And besides, what if this Wiley guy is right?”
    “Jesus, Becky, does she really look like a maniac to you?”
    Becky refuses to let go of her boyfriend's arm. “Still. Just hang back. For me.”
    Amanda's sobbing quite loudly. She tries to talk, but her words come out broken and incoherent.
    Gary leads her to a seat. “Take it easy.” He sits her down. “Try to catch your breath then tell me what happened. It might also help if you give me your name.”
    “She's called Amanda and you're gonna fuckin' die,” Wiley says.
    Amanda wipes her eyes and takes a deep breath as suggested. “My name's Amanda, and...” She takes another breath to help maintain her composure. “And they raped me.”
    Alarmed, Gary asks: “Who did this to you?”
    Amanda looks directly at Wiley - “Him and his friends” - and then she bursts into tears.
    “Fuck this,” Wiley says, and pushes past Becky and her boyfriend. “I'm not gonna die with you all.” But, before he can reach the door, he's hauled back by the scruff of his neck.
    “Oh no you don't.”
    Fucking Mister Becky, trying to play the hero .
    Wiley fumbles around in his back pocket for his blade - something that isn't easy when you're being pulled backwards.
    Mister Becky, who must be packing quite a bit of muscle under his suit top, spins Wiley to face his accuser.
    Amanda continues to provide details between sobs: “They muh- made me do...” - deep breath - “suh- sex acts on them.”
    Mister Becky squeezes Wiley's neck. He has a hand as big as a shovel and a grip like a tightly wound vice. “Is this true? Is that what you're running away from? You and your gang assault this woman?”
    “She's lying!” Wiley protests. “Jack, you heard the screaming.”
    “Oh yeah, I heard screaming,” Jack admits, “but I don't know who it belonged to.”
    Amanda says quietly: “It was my boyfriend.” She sniffs. “They killed my boyfriend.”
    The blonde girl gasps.
    “Is that where all this blood is from?” Gary asks.
    Amanda nods her head.
    Gary looks over at Wiley and curls his fists into balls. “You dirty motherfucker.” He turns his attention to his blonde girlfriend in the red dress. “Sheri, move away from him.”
    Sheri moves away from Wiley and joins boyfriend Gary's side.
    “Man, you're all in so much trouble,” Wiley says.
    “You threatening me!” Mister Becky barks.
    “Steve,” Becky says. “Calm down. We don't know what happened.”
    “I think we got all the evidence we need,” Steve replies. “This guy and the rest of his gang are up to no good – speaking of which, where the hell is the rest of your group?”
    “They're probably all dead,” Wiley replies. “Just like you're about to be.”
    “That's it,” Steve says, gripping Wiley's neck tighter than ever, “keep it up with the threats, see where it gets you.”
    Amanda, head hung low, says something.
    Gary moves his ear close to Amanda's mouth. “What was that?”
    Wiley surreptitiously slides his switchblade out of his back pocket.
    Amanda repeats herself, but she's speaking so quietly it's still hard for Gary to make out what she's saying.
    Gary looks to Sheri, but she's just as nonplussed. He lays a comforting hand on Amanda's shoulder. “I'm afraid you're going to have to speak up.”
    Amanda's sobs fade and she looks up at Gary. The lights from the tunnel flash briefly across her face, highlighting her puffy eyes and runny mascara. And then, suddenly,