A mostly safe for work comic by Jodi Wegner.
Cold. It was the kind of cold that chilled the soul. I hadn't counted on how cold it would be. I was alone in the cold, dark streets of New York City without a friend in the world. I could see the light snow covering the streets and thought about going someplace to warm my body. I stepped into a bar
This bar didn't seem any different than any other bar I had ever been in. A bar was on the far wall, the bartender behind it drying a glass. Several customers sat at some of the various tables throughout the room. A few of them spared glances in my direction as I entered, but soon returned to what they were doing.
I removed my coat and hung it on the coat hanger next to the door. I shook the snow off my body and made my way towards the bar. The bartender looked at me as I sat down.
"Can I get you something?" he said.
"Coffee, please, if you have it," I said.
He nodded at me and turned to pour me a cup of coffee. He returned seconds later and handed me a cup. I paid him for it and then took a sip. Warmth spread throughout my body as I poured the coffee down my throat.
I heard the door open and turned to see. A figured wrapped in several layers of clothes walked into the room. I noticed that the other patrons were watching the figure as intently as I. The figure began to shed the layers of clothes, hanging them on the coat hanger. The figure, once unclothed, was a pale, gaunt woman with a black dress highlighting the contours of her body. She had long strawberry blond hair that curled slightly. She surveyed the room defiantly as if daring the customers to say anything to her. In fact, none of the customers were even looking at her. They had all returned to their business.
She began to walk towards the bar. She had a confident strut, each step carefully planned out. I watched her every step of the way unable to take my eyes off her. She sat down at the bar a few seat away from me. I looked at the bartender and saw something akin to fear in his eyes. The other customers occasionally glanced in her direction. The situation intrigued my interest.
I slid over a seat and looked in direction. "Can I buy a drink for such a pretty woman?"
She looked over towards me, and her eyes looked me up and down. "If you wish." She looked at the bartender and said, "My usual, please, and warm it up. It's cold outside."
Wordlessly the bartender turned around and opened a small refrigerator. He pulled out a container and put it into a microwave. He set the microwave for about thirty seconds. When the microwave beeped, he pulled out the container and poured a red fluid into a glass. He then gave the glass to the woman. She drank the steaming drink in one drink. When she was done, some of the fluid remained on her lips. She licked the fluid off her lips. I noticed that she didn't look quite so pale.
"Thank you," she said. "That hit the spot." She rose and began to walk away.
"Wait," I said.
She turned. "Why?"
"I'd like to talk," I said, "if you don't mind."
She looked at me quizzically. "Don't you know who I am?"
"Should I?"
She smiled at me. "No, not really. I'd love to talk." She gestured to a nearby table and sat down. I paid the bartender for her drink and went over to sit with her.
"What would you like to talk about?" she asked me.
"I'm not sure, I just had an unexplainable urge to talk to you," I said.
"Really?" she asked. "Not many people would garner enough courage to talk to a `bad girl' like myself." She smiled.
"You have a lovely smile," I said.
She blushed. "Thank you. So what brings you here this evening?" she asked me suddenly.
"My feet," I replied. She let out a girlish giggle. "But seriously, I was just trying to get out of the cold. I didn't expect New York to be so cold."
"So then you're not from around here?"
"No, I'm from L.A."
She looked thoughtful. "I used to live there myself."
"Really?" I was surprised. "I just moved here the other day and haven't had a chance to meet any friends yet."
"Well, you've met me."
"So I have."
An uncomfortable silence followed.
"I think I should be going," She stood up.
I placed my hand on hers, it was cold to the touch. "No, don't. Please, stay with me a little longer, I could use a friend."
"I'm not sure my friendship is what you need right now," she said.
"Are you afraid of something?"
She nodded.
"Please, sit back down, let's talk about it."
She sat back down.
"Tell me about it."
She shifted in her chair. "I'm going to tell you something personal." She paused. I nodded for her to continue. "I've never had much luck with relationships, neither friendships or romantical involvements. Something always goes wrong and everything ends in disaster. It's my curse."
She lowered her head. I don't know what was wrong with me. This woman stirred something in me that I never knew was there. My heart went out to her. I lifted her head and looked into her eyes. I almost lost myself in her dark blue eyes when I noticed something staining her check. I dark red streak fell from her eye to her cheek. Her eyes widened and she broke free of my grasp. She stood up and turned her head away.
"Please, don't look at me now," she said. "Let me gather my composure."
"Sure thing," I said.
She walked towards the ladies' room, not quite as confidently as she entered the bar. As I sat back to contemplate the situation, a very pretty waitress with curly blond hair asked me if I wanted another drink. I ordered another drink and got the woman I was with another one of her `usuals'.
I was almost finished with my drink when she finally returned. She looked much whiter than before. She saw the drink I had got for her and immediately set upon it with fervor. Again, when she finished the drink, she licked the remains off her lips.
"Thank you for the drink," she said. "I usually don't drink this much, but the night has taken a lot out of me."
"Are you feeling better now?" I asked.
"Yes, much better."
"That's good."
Silence fell over our table.
"I live nearby, would you like to come over to my place?" She broke the silence.
"I'd love to."
Her apartment was cluttered with all types of machinery. I couldn't even begin to describe the strange things I saw there. I saw things that looked like technology beyond what I thought we were capable of.
"I'm an inventor," she said before my mind had even conceived a question.
She led me through the apartment, giving me the grand tour. I was hardly aware of any of it. All I could think of was how fast all of this was going. Why did she invite me over anyway?
She led us eventually to her bedroom, the most unkempt room of the house. Clothes were scattered all over the room, windows were boarded up, and the bed seemed to have dirt on it.
"What.." I started.
She shut me up with a kiss.
Neither of said anything after that. She began to plant small kisses on my neck, then she started to nibble on my flesh. A chill went through my spine. Suddenly she bit me. I jumped a little but soon a pleasurable sensation flooded my body as it felt like she was sucking out my soul.
After a few minutes of this, she lifted her head and looked me in the eyes. Fear entered my mind as I looked into her eyes for that instant. What I saw in her eyes was more animal than human. I began to feel woozy. She pushed me on the bed.
"Do not attempt to find me in the morning," she snarled. "I will come to you tomorrow night."
I blacked out.
I awoke in my bedroom in my own apartment sometime around noon. I felt strangely lethargic all day. I just sat in the apartment all day, just looking out the window. I didn't eat, sleep, or even watch T.V. All I wanted to do was just wait for her to come for me.
I wasn't disappointed. Around seven, my doorbell rang. I answered to see her standing there. She looked even more beautiful than I had remembered.
"May I come in?" she asked.
"Yes," I said.
She came into the apartment and grabbed me. She latched onto my neck and bit again. Again, it felt like she was going to suck out my soul, but before I was about to black out, she stopped.
"I'll be back again, tomorrow night," she said.
I watched dazed as she left my apartment without another word.
On the third night, she came to my apartment again. Again she asked me if she could come in. Once she came in, though, she walked me into the living room.
"I have only done this twice before," she said sadly. "Once it was successful, but the other time, the man turned into a wild beast. I've been afraid to try it again, but I acted hastily. I could still turn back now, but I don't think we could have any future together. If I continue though, we can be together forever. Perhaps my curse will be broken. Do you want me to continue?"
I was confused. "We will be together forever?"
A red tear fell from her eyes. "Yes, forever."
"What the hell," I said indifferently.
"Don't be afraid," she whispered.
She latched herself onto my neck and bit. My vision began to blur, and everything was spinning. I began to black out as my life flashed before my eyes.
Cold and darkness engulfed him. He clawed his way upward. He reached out of his grave and pulled himself up. Hunger gnawed at him, and he was so cold. Why was he so cold? He looked around. A woman stood over him. Her eyes were downcast, and he saw blood dripping from her eye. He could sense no heartbeat from her, no blood pumping through her veins. He turned away.
Thump thump! Thump thump!
He followed the sound. He saw two people, a man and a woman, locked in an embrace. He could hear their heartbeats, could smell their blood, could feel their warmth.
He leapt at the couple and grabbed the woman and threw her away. He grabbed the man's throat and ripped. The smell of warm blood filled his nostrils. He heard the woman scream and suddenly stop. He looked and saw the woman with no heartbeat holding the other woman. Her heart had stopped too, and her blood was drained.
"Drink," the other woman said softly.
He turned to the man and began drinking his life's blood. Only them did the cold go away, and warmth filled his body.