Super-Short Story: Wake Up
Story: Heretic's Game
Author: R.L. Shephard, aka Madame Ruby
Rating: R
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Warnings: Vampirism, blood
Blood splattered on the damp stone walls, dripping down in viciously accusing streaks of red. There were several bodies, piled in a corner to keep them out of the way, while a figure hunched over another body - this one alive and screaming for mercy. But the figure had no mercy, was in no condition to even recognize the meaning of the word.
The figure leaned down, clamping his sharpened teeth onto the poor man's throat and ripping it open. This creature didn't care about the meat, and so spat out shreds of bloody flesh before putting its mouth over the gushing wound to get at what it really wanted - fresh, hot blood. It drank deeply for several minutes, uncaring if the red, sticky liquid escaped from his mouth and dribbled down its chin and neck. It was fairly covered in blood even before getting to this latest victim.
Finally, the creature seemed satiated, and casually tossed the body to the corner with the rest of its previous victims. It stood up, silvery eyes clear for the first time since waking up. It was human - or at least looked that way on first glance - with fine features and a tangled mess of long black hair that reached to the floor even when standing. The creature wiped a smear of blood from its flat chest, licking at it and savoring the taste.
"I hope you're quite finished now?" A female's voice called down to the stone room, letting a small trickle of light into the darkness.
The creature smiled, climbing the stairs and looking into the light at its owner. "I'm lucid, if that's what you mean. You should know better than anyone that I could kill the human race if I really gave in." Its voice was unmistakably male, rough and low with the lightest tinge of a harsher accent.
"Yes, Kail. Now get up here and clean up. I woke you up for a reason."
Kail smiled. Of course he'd been woken up for a reason. No one ever woke up one of the oldest vampires without a good cause.
Author: R.L. Shephard, aka Madame Ruby
Rating: R
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Warnings: Vampirism, blood
Blood splattered on the damp stone walls, dripping down in viciously accusing streaks of red. There were several bodies, piled in a corner to keep them out of the way, while a figure hunched over another body - this one alive and screaming for mercy. But the figure had no mercy, was in no condition to even recognize the meaning of the word.
The figure leaned down, clamping his sharpened teeth onto the poor man's throat and ripping it open. This creature didn't care about the meat, and so spat out shreds of bloody flesh before putting its mouth over the gushing wound to get at what it really wanted - fresh, hot blood. It drank deeply for several minutes, uncaring if the red, sticky liquid escaped from his mouth and dribbled down its chin and neck. It was fairly covered in blood even before getting to this latest victim.
Finally, the creature seemed satiated, and casually tossed the body to the corner with the rest of its previous victims. It stood up, silvery eyes clear for the first time since waking up. It was human - or at least looked that way on first glance - with fine features and a tangled mess of long black hair that reached to the floor even when standing. The creature wiped a smear of blood from its flat chest, licking at it and savoring the taste.
"I hope you're quite finished now?" A female's voice called down to the stone room, letting a small trickle of light into the darkness.
The creature smiled, climbing the stairs and looking into the light at its owner. "I'm lucid, if that's what you mean. You should know better than anyone that I could kill the human race if I really gave in." Its voice was unmistakably male, rough and low with the lightest tinge of a harsher accent.
"Yes, Kail. Now get up here and clean up. I woke you up for a reason."
Kail smiled. Of course he'd been woken up for a reason. No one ever woke up one of the oldest vampires without a good cause.