This story is by Cindy Bergquist and was part of our 2024 Fall Writing Contest. You can find all the writing contest stories here.
“Come now, one more drink!”
Stephan donned his hat. “Sorry, friend. Some of us have a wife and child to get home to.”
Jake placed his hand dramatically over his heart, faking insult. “That hurts!” he said. “Goodnight, my friend. Be safe. Watch out for the Midnight Slasher!”
Stephan rolled his eyes, “Yeah, yeah, goodnight, you drunk.” He exited the saloon.
Stephan wobbled as he walked the worn path towards his ranch. A shiver cascaded down his spine, causing him to stop as the hair stood up on the back of his neck, as if fear itself had touched him. Stop it, you drunken idiot, he scolded himself, shaking his head as he glanced into the trees. Clearing his throat, he walked, steps echoing behind him.
He turned too quickly, losing his balance and falling flat on his ass. A giggle caught his attention. Stephan looked up to see a woman in a black dress standing a few feet away. Stephan shakily got to his feet, brushing off the dirt. “Pardon me. I didn’t see you.”
“That was the point,” she approached him. “Stephan, is it?” A coy smile played on her lips.
Stephan furrowed his eyebrows. “May I help you?” An uneasiness gripped him as he watched her circle him.
Her smile grew wider. “Perhaps.” She stopped in front of him again. “I’m Josephine.”
She held out her hand to him. Stephan blinked, hesitating, before reaching out to take her hand. It was soft, but cold in his calloused grip. “Pleasure to meet you,” he said in an unsure tone. He pressed his lips to the back of it before letting go.
“It will be,” she purred. The sensation of spiders crawling up his spine returned, and he stepped back. She followed.
Josephine reached up and stroked his cheek. “I’ve been watching you for a while now,” she said, her voice quiet but hungry. Her blue eyes darkened. Stephan told himself it was just a trick of light. Then, in a blink, she was kissing him.
Kate. Stephan’s wife’s name flashed in his mind, yet he kissed her back. Her arms wrapped around him. No, no. no. He fought against his body and his growing desire. Why wasn’t it listening?
Josephine’s laughter mocked him as she pulled away. “Your sweet wife can’t save you.” She slid her tongue along his neck.
Stephan’s head lopped to one side. He wanted to object, to yell, to resist, but he couldn’t.
“God, help …” A sharp pain in his neck cut him off.
Did she just stab me?
Stephan tried to pull away, but her lips remained attached. She was sucking on him, draining him. A feeling of need washed over him. Stephan wanted this. The will to fight dissolved. His body grew weak. The gas lights blinked into darkness as his vision faded to black.
***
Stephan’s head pounded. This was the worse hangover he had ever experienced. The pain in his stomach followed, as if it had been torn out, emptied and replaced. Stephan slowly opened his eyes, squinting at the clarity of the darkness surrounding him. More stars than he had ever seen before filled the sky, the space dust painted in such vivid colors. He lost himself in the sight until the screeching chirp of crickets cut into him, causing him to cover his ears.
What’s wrong with me?
Stephan propped himself up on his elbows. The smell of wilted grass and mud made him cough. Despite the headache, the fog of drunkenness was gone. He vaguely remembered Josephine, his hand going to his neck, feeling for whatever had caused the pain before he passed out. Stephan felt nothing. Was it all a dream? Confused and disoriented, he stood, taking a pocket watch out. “Four in the morning! Kate will be beside herself with worry.” He replaced his watch and stumbled to his feet and walked towards the hissing sound of the oil street lamps. How was he going to explain this?
Gradually, he reached his front door. It opened before he could touch the knob.
“Stephan? Thank the Lord!” Kate wiped tears from her brown eyes. “Where have you been?”
He looked at Kate through the doorway. It was like looking at her through a fog. “It’s a long story.”
Kate shook her head. “Get inside. You’re covered in mud. You look horrible.” As she said the words, the fog surrounding the doorway disappeared. Stephan walked over the threshold and shut the door.
“I am sorry.”
Kare reached out and felt his forehead. “You’re as cold as death. Come get changed. We’ll fetch the doctor in the morning if needed.”
“Mandy?” Stephan inquired about their young daughter as he followed her.
“Hush. You’ll owe her a week of extra bedtime tales.” Kate gave him pajamas. “Go get changed.”
Stephan took the pajamas and went into the bathroom. He undressed and washed his face, still trying to make sense of things. He bent to pull up the bottoms, pausing when he noticed the skin on his outer thigh was now flawless where there had been a deep childhood scar. Stephan ran his hand across the skin. “How?” he muttered to himself before he pulled the pants up, followed by the shirt. He exited the bathroom to find Kate already lying in bed. A soft yellow glow surrounded her body as she tiredly patted the bed beside her.
“We’ll talk about this in the morning.” Stephan knew that tone of voice. They would definitely talk about it in the morning.
“I love you.” He crawled into bed next to her. A sweet scent of lavender filled the air. He couldn’t place the source. His stomach growled and reminded him of the pain he had been ignoring.
“I know,” she said as he wrapped an arm around and pulled her close. The scent. It was coming from her. He suddenly felt dizzy again. A fog filled his mind once more.
“Ouch!” She jerked away from him, jumping out of bed. She reached behind her neck, her hand coming back with blood. “You bit me.”
Stephan didn’t remember doing it. “Kate, I’m sorry.”. The yellow glow turning a deep red.
“Stay away.”
His heart echoed in his ears. Stephan swallowed hard, his gaze falling on her collarbone. Licking his lips, he realized it wasn’t his heart. It was hers.
Everything became a blur. Pain in his gums, quick movements, teeth in flesh, warm coppery blood gushing. Kate didn’t even scream.
When Stephan came back to his senses, Kate lay lifeless in his arms. Her once creamy skin was bloodless. Bite marks on her neck, bruised and torn. He dropped her, stumbling backwards.
What? Stephen stared down at Kate and felt satisfied. Whole. No, that was Kate. The love of his life. He wouldn’t. Stephan glimpsed himself in the dressing mirror. Blood stained his face and clothing. He didn’t recognize the dark eyes glaring back at him, nor the long canines peeking from his lip.
Cold tears fell from his eyes as he picked up Kate and placed her back on the bed, covering her with the bed sheets. “Please forgive me.” He whispered.
Stephan’s head snapped up at the sound of footsteps coming towards the room. He yanked open the nightstand and took out a revolver, aiming at the door.
It opened, revealing a man with longish, dark hair dressed in all black. “Shooting me will do no good,” the stranger said.
The man’s gaze went to the bed, and he shook his head. “Nor will shooting the vampire that turned you. I’ve been trailing her for a while. Guess I’m too late.”
Vampire? Stephan glanced at Kate’s body. “You’re a hunter? You must Kill me,” Stephan begged, tears dripping onto the blankets covering his dead wife.
The man smirked. “Not exactly. What I am is complicated. My name is Corbin, and I am not here to kill you. I’m here to give you a choice.”
“A choice,” Stephan asked, fingers still clenching the revolver’s handle.
“A choice Josephine never gave you,” Corbin said.
Stephen stared wide-eyed at the stranger. “She was real? She did this to me?” His eyes drifted from the stranger to Kate again. “To us?”
Corbin nodded. “She delights in destroying what she can’t have. I might be partially to blame for that.” He shrugged. “I’m offering you a second chance. They’ll be looking for you soon. I can help you disappear. I can teach you.”
“Teach me what?” Stephan asked, lowering the gun.
“To use your new… status in a way that your family would expect you to. You don’t have to be the monster Josephine wanted you to be.”
Stephan considered his words. “My daughter…”
“She’s safe with Jake. However, you can never go near her again.”
Stephan wanted to object, but his words died when he glanced at Kate’s corpse.
“Come with me Stephan. I will teach you to avenge your wife’s death.”
“Where do we begin?”
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