The Cage

A faint orange glow hung low in the western sky as Samantha drank in the black and maroon exterior of the Blackthorne Lounge. A dark red awning hung over the front door.

     Lucius picked this place. But she picked Lucius. On Bumble. It was the app Samantha and her four sisters used to hunt for men.

      Samantha spotted him from across the room. He wore a tight black t-shirt and black jeans with a black leather coat. All black. She liked his style. Approaching him, she noted a silver necklace with a rose pendant under his shirt.

        A hunger rumbled deep in her belly. She hadn’t eaten in what felt like ages. And this gorgeous man stirred another kind of hunger. A craving that would be satiated soon enough.

           Lucius stood up and extended his hand.

           “Samantha?”

           She let him take her hand as she smiled elegantly.

           “Lucius, I presume. My my, let me look at you. What I wouldn’t give to...”

           His smile faltered, and he said, “what you wouldn’t give to...what?”

           Holding his gaze, Samantha slid into the chair across from him. Slow music played somewhere far away with a deep and driving beat, quietly enough to have a conversation.

           A waiter sauntered over with a wave of Lucius’ hand.

           Samantha glanced up at the man and said, “Hematonic Elixir. Are you familiar?”

           “Of course madam. And you sir?”

           Lucius eyed her carefully, then said, “Same.”

           The waiter brought two slender crystal goblets with black vines climbing up the black stems. The crystal bowls were etched with thorns and had a smoky quality. Inside was a mixture of dark rum, pomegranate juice, a dash of absinthe, and a black cherry.

           Samantha lifted the glass to her lips. Her deep red lips. Lucius felt drawn to those lips. As if she were drinking him, and he was powerless to stop his descent.

           He blinked and sat back as she studied him.

           “So, Lucius, how many girls have you brought here?”

           He looked down and touched the place on his chest where the rose pendant rested against his skin. Smiling, he said, “I don’t date much. You’re the first.”

           She leaned toward him and said, “Really? And to what do I owe my good fortune?”

            He shook his head and laughed lightly.

           Samantha sat back and swung her leg over he knee, holding her glass just under her nose.

           “You keep touching that pendant under your shirt. What is that?”

           His hand moved instinctively to it, and he said, “It belonged to my girlfriend, Celeste.”

           “Girlfriend?”

           He nodded. “Yeah. But she passed away last year. It was hers. I haven’t taken it off since.”

           Samantha grew solemn and said, “I’m sorry.”

           Over the next hour, they drank as the distance between them shrank. By midnight, Samantha was practically in his lap. Lucius didn’t mind.

           Finally, she said, “You wanna go back to my place and finish what we started?”

           Lucius put his hands up and said, “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re kinda drunk. I don’t want to take advantage, you know?”

           Samantha sat up. “Wow, a real gentleman. I know what I’m doing. I want this, Lucius.”

           He watched her for a second, then grabbed his phone and started typing.

           She looked at him, confused, and said, “What are you doing?”

           “I’m texting you my address. If you really want this, you can come over.”

           He stood up and kissed her hand. “Samantha, it was a pleasure meeting you.”

           Without another word, Lucius left. Samantha sat for a minute with an impressed smirk.

           Realizing she was a little drunk, she called for an Uber and left her car. On the way to Lucius’ house, she texted her sisters to let them know the change in plans.

           When Lucius got home, he went through every room in his house, making sure everything was perfect. Then, he waited.

           Just after 1am, a car pulled into his driveway. The headlights flooded the entryway.

           He opened the door, and Samantha stood with her coat hanging open, revealing the deep red and black dress clinging to her body.

           “I’m not coming in until you invite me.”

           He pushed open the screen door and said, “You’re invited”.

           He led her to the great room.

           Samantha stared at him, breathing heavier now. Her eyes crawled over him. In a flash she leaped on top of him. Her lips smashed into his as she kissed him deeply. Lucius’ teeth pressed up against his lips, drawing blood.

           She whispered, “Bedroom?”

           Lucius pulled away. “Are you sure you want to—”

           She nodded and whispered, “I’m sure.”

           They fell onto the bed, and Samantha’s hands tore at his clothes. He pawed at her dress, and she kissed him deeper. As their hands and mouths found each other, Lucius closed his eyes and sat up slightly.

           “What’s wrong?” She asked.

           He shook his head and said, “Nothing. I—I just wanted to do something. If it’s ok with you.”

           “What is it?”

           He leaned over to the bedside table and took out two pairs of handcuffs from the top drawer.

           “I like to be tied up. Bound. If it’s too weird, then I understand. I just—”

           Samantha’s grin widened, and she pushed him back as she climbed on top of him.

He locked his own wrists to the bedposts as she looked on with a growing thirst.

           A devilish grin spread across her face. Pressing her palms into his shoulders, she leaned down and kissed his lips. Slowly this time. Savoring the taste.

           Samantha moved her lips to his neck now, and he gasped.

           Something thumped the roof over the bedroom. Scratching sounds at the window. It sounded as if something were scraping the walls from the outside.

           As Lucius’ eyes darted around the room, Samantha pressed her hands against his cheeks and drew his attention back to her.  

           Leaning down to kiss his cheek, she giggled and said, “I have a confession.”

           Lucius said, “Oh yeah? What’s that?”

           The wind kicked up outside, and the moon flickered through the bare branches of a tree. Something squeaked at a window downstairs. The scratching and thumping seemed to come from everywhere.

           Samantha sat up, her legs gripping his side as if he were a horse.

           She gently touched the rose pendant with her finger then pulled it back as if it burned her and said, “I knew Celeste.”

           With less shock than she expected, Lucius said, “Oh yeah?”

            “Well, more like, tasted her.”

           She felt his heart pound in his chest and relished the sensation. Bending close to his ear, she whispered, “She was delicious. My sisters and I tore the flesh from her body and drank every ounce of her sweet blood. And do yo know what?”

           Lucius yanked at the handcuffs, his legs kicking as he tried to buck her off of him. Samantha laughed mildly.

           She continued, “She was scared, Lucius. Terrified, really. Did you know adrenaline in the bloodstream makes it taste infinitely sweeter. It is intoxicating.”

           Peering down at him, almost with sympathy, she added, “And seeing you now, as you try to bargain with a god who never existed. Begging for a miracle that will never come. Fighting against your inevitable death...I imagine you will taste even sweeter than your precious Celeste.

           Samantha lifted her face to the heavens and inhaled deeply, savoring this blissful moment just before the glorious first bite. Her fangs grew, and her face mutated into that of a monster’s. Her nostrils flared, and her hands curled into claws. The scents of sexual desire, sweat, and terror hung in the air, merging to create a delicious amalgam only a vampire could appreciate.

           Samantha opened her maw, preparing to sink her teeth into his neck and drag him outside to share with her sisters.

           He said, “I have a confession to make as well.”

           The monster looked down at him with renewed interest and said, “Oh?”

           In an instant, Lucius was out of the cuffs. He slapped them on her wrists, and she howled in agony as the holy rose-water coated silver seared her skin. Wisps of smoke floated up and evaporated.

           “You’re going to die tonight. All of you.”

           Lucius pushed her backwards as a thick silver chain dropped from the ceiling from a mechanical pulley. She lunged at him, and he caught her in the chains. Wrapping it around her neck, he gave the chain a tug, and it retracted up toward the ceiling. Samantha grabbed at the harness around her neck, but to no avail. The infernal metal seared slowly into her skin, sending a hellish burn deep into her neck and wrists.

           She kicked and screamed as the world turned dark, then black. Samantha hung from the ceiling, still but not lifeless.

           The howls from outside grew louder.

           He lowered Samantha to the ground, making sure she was still unconscious. Lucius wrapped a silver-lined blanket around her body and head and dragged her to a room he referred to as “the Cage”.

           The Cage was a windowless room with doors at opposite ends. A key fob controlled both doors. The walls were wrapped in Rowan wood. A long wood post wrapped in a silver plating was secured to the east wall. Lucius cuffed Samantha to this post knowing the Rowan wood and silver rendered her powerless to shapeshift and escape.

           As Samantha regained consciousness, she sneered at him and yanked at the cuffs. She made a visible effort to shift her physical state to a smoky mist, but failed.

           Shaking his head, he said, “Don’t bother. Those cuffs are silver. This room is Rowan wood. Most people associate silver with werewolves, but they are actually toxic to vampires too. It won’t kill you, but it will deplete your powers. Sit tight, sweetheart. You’re not going anywhere.

           Lucius walked to the front parlor and retrieved a silver-lined cloak from the closet. He grabbed a crossbow and a dozen bolts dipped in holy rosewater, capped with silver hoods.

           Suddenly, it was quiet outside.

           As he flung open the front door, the crossbow dropped to his side.

There she was. Celeste.

           She glowed like an angel. Her long dark wavy hair, blowing gently in night air. She smiled at him. He didn’t even see the others. She wore her necklace. The one with the rose pendant.

           Just a few feet from him, she reached toward him and said, “My dear Lucius, why did you let me go?”

           “I didn’t! I tried to save you, darling.”

           Tears streamed down Celeste’s face, and she said, “Can we be together? I want to be with you now. Please?”

           The crossbow slipped from Lucius’ hand, and he stepped toward her. He was in a daze, hypnotized by the vision of her. Thoughts tried to pervade his cocoon of bliss, but he ignored them. Angry, intrusive thoughts. Insisting...something.

           He reached across the threshold and took Celeste’s hands. He knew there were three others behind her, but he didn’t really see them. He couldn’t take his eyes off of his beloved. As he drew her toward him, she stopped at the threshold.

           Celeste asked, “Can we come in?”

           Dreamily, Lucius whispered, “You can come in.”

           Celeste turned her head slightly to the others and said, “It’s ok, ladies. I could tell him to cut his own throat and he’d do it.”

           The four sisters stood in a circle around him, twitching with hunger.

           Something clawed at Lucius’ brain as he stared at Celeste.

           The necklace. The rose.

           He stared at the necklace around Celeste’s neck, then put his hand to his own. Two necklaces. Two roses.

           Suddenly, the image of Celeste shimmered, as if through water.

           Two necklaces?

           He held the rose in his fingers, and the thing that looked like Celeste morphed into a monster. Her skin grew thick and ragged. The spell was broken.

Lucius blinked, and the world came rushing back. He had about two seconds before they realized.

           Dagmar lunged at him, her mouth unhinged impossibly wide revealing razor sharp fangs, hungry for mortal blood. Lucius easily ducked out of her way and pushed her into Katya. They tumbled to the floor as Violet hissed in fury.

           He dove toward the front door and snagged the crossbow. Just as he turned on his back, Thana leaped through the air, arms outstretched and her claws ready to tear him apart.    

           Lucius shot a bolt right through the black thing that used to be her heart. Thana crumpled to the floor in a heap of rotting flesh that liquefied before his eyes.

           The three remaining sisters shifted into their true form. Fangs and claws and teeth and fury.

           Sprinting toward the hallway, Lucius looked over his shoulder and saw the three beasts in pursuit. Katya pounced, missing his feet by inches. She slid on the wood floor directly beneath trap number one. Lucius punched a secret trigger on the wall, and a panel in the ceiling opened up. A heavy contraption fitted with dozens of Hawthorne wood stakes dipped in holy water plummeted down on top of Katya, crushing her as the sharp points pierced her soft body.

           Enraged, Violet vaulted over the contraption and swiped at Lucius.

           He slammed through a closed door with his shoulder and turned around to face the doorway.

           Violet held her arm out as she and Dagmar approached the doorway.

           “Careful. Traps everywhere.”

           Violet poked her head around the corner, then pulled back. He shot a bolt, but it missed and bounced off the far wall. Violet yanked Dagmar and flew around the corner, lunging at Lucius as he reloaded.

           In a panic, he ducked through the far doorway and sprinted down another hallway toward the Cage. He glanced over his shoulder and saw them following.

           Lucius hit a secret button on the wall, and another panel slid open. A dozen nozzles extended down, blowing a pungent fine mist onto them. It was a garlic bomb. Violet and Dagmar covered their mouths and coughed profusely as the strength drained from their bodies.

           It wasn’t fatal, but gave Lucius just enough time to flee to the Cage.

           He clicked the button on the key fob to open the door to the Cage room. A wooden panel slid up, and he backed into the room.

           Samantha sat pitifully on the floor. She moaned as he backed his way to the far end of the room.

           As he made his way to the far doorway, Violet and Dagmar appeared across the room. They spotted Samantha and immediately ran to her. Samantha yelled, “No! Don’t!”, but it was too late.

           Lucius hit another button on his key fob as he crossed into the hallway. Iron bars wrapped in silver plating came crashing down to block both doorways like gates. Violet flew toward Lucius, swiping and hissing as she reached through the bars.

           She closed her eyes and tried to shift.

           Her eyes flew open. And for the first time, Lucius saw real fear.

           With their strength quickly draining, Violet and Dagmar joined Samantha on the far wall.

Softly, Violet said, “If you let us go, I promise we won’t kill you. Just let us out.”

           Lucius said nothing.  

           As night became early morning, Samantha lifted her head exhaustedly and asked, “Why did you handcuff yourself?”

           Lucius said, “I knew it was the only way you’d let your guard down. I couldn’t kill you because I still needed you.”

           “Needed me? For what?”

           “Bait.”

           As her head grew heavier, Violet quietly asked, “What are you planning to do if not kill us?”

           “Oh, I plan on watching you die. But I’m not going to kill you.”

           Dagmar croaked, “What?”

           Lucius pointed at the ceiling and clicked a third button on his key fob. The entire ceiling retracted revealing a thick glass cover tightly secured to the roof.

           “Sunlight is the worst way to go for your kind. And I intend to watch you burn for what you did to my Celeste.”

           Lucius could almost smell the cloying fragrance of their fear assault his senses.

           Violet approached the gate, wrapping her hands around the bars. “Please, no! You can’t do this! I’ll give you anything you want!”

           Lucius took a cautious step back and softly said, “The only thing I want is for you to die.”

           Violet saw naked truth in his eyes and slumped to the floor.

           Lucius glanced at his watch. “Six fifteen. Almost dawn.”

           The black sky had turned the slightest shade of navy blue. The trio huddled like frightened children.

           Finally, a thin strip of sunlight lit the glass. Samantha gasped in horror. Dagmar sobbed, and Violet stared at Lucius with a hatred only a beast from hell could summon.

           Minutes later, the sunlight slid down the far wall, brightening the wood with orange.

           As the trio of vamps stared at the line of sun creeping across the floor toward them, they began to stir. They backed up against the east wall as much as they could. Dagmar climbed on top of Samantha, and Violet tried to shield herself with her two sisters. Their initial whimpers turned to cries, which turned to shrieks of terror. The sun marched on, oblivious to their protestations.

           When they had no more room to retreat, the sun fell on Dagmar, setting her foot ablaze. She screamed in agony before stilling to a pile of ash.

Samantha was next. Her leg ensconced in flames. They licked up her body, and her screams quickly turned to gurgles as her body darkened to ash.

           Violet pushed herself to the only sliver of shade left, watching Lucius now. Her eyes filled with hatred for him. The sun finally reached her foot, sending blinding pain through her leg as it burned her.

           As the rest of Violet’s body erupted in flames, she calmly said to Lucius, “I’ll be waiting for you...in the darkness.”