Alone in a World Full of Monsters

I sat on the edge of my desk as the next to last student, Cheri, turned in her exam and walked out. “Thanks!” She chirped, her airy voice cutting through the thick, drippy silence that hung in the air. I gave her a small smile, holding her essay in my hand. I could feel his eyes on me, waiting, hungry. 

“How do you think you did?” I asked, my nerves standing on end. If Cheri noticed, she didn’t let on. 

“Well, it was difficult,” she started, “but I think I did alright!” She smiled, warm and bright, sunshine breaking through after a long, droll rain. 

“That’s good,” I said shortly. 

“You okay?” Cheri asked, concern plaguing her pallid, smooth brow. 

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just..tired.” I lied. 

Why was I dragging this out? It was inevitable. 

“Are you sure? I can stay after and help you grade if you need any assistance?”

And then Daniel was there by her side. 

“She already has a helper, actually.” He said, looking from Cheri then to me, his slate gray eyes locking onto mine, boring into my soul. God damn those eyes. “Right, Ms. Sterling?” His voice felt like satin sheets and warm honey, and it was all I could do not to whimper. I managed a nod in response.

Cheri looked from Daniel, then to me, and I could feel the bile rising in my throat. I couldn’t do this; shouldn’t do this. 

“Oh, well…okay then.” Cheri said, readjusting her small bag over her shoulder. “You sure you’re okay?” She asked again, her eyes pleading with me to say something other than what spilled from my lips. 

“Yes, of course. Thank you, Cheri, have a good night.”

The sparkle in her eyes deadened, but she gave me a weak smile. “Okay, Ms.Sterling. Have a good evening, too.” 

As I watched Cheri leave, I found myself drifting through the doors with her, following her through the long hallways of Southside Community College. When I first arrived, I noticed two things: number one, it felt like home; and number two, I was going to fuck up. The young men and women here were positively delectable. Existing amongst this crowd was not going to be enough, I knew I would ingest every bit of their young, beautiful souls; but at whose expense? I almost left on my own accord, before any damage could be done, but then Daniel happened. 

As Cheri walked out the door, she looked back over her shoulder, a gleam in her eyes that was unreadable. Then she was gone. And we were alone. 

He stood about three feet away, his energy radiating like a blast of heat. I could feel my mouth moisten in anticipation. “I thought she’d never leave.” He said, his voice barely above a whisper reverberated through my bones and shook my core. 

I couldn’t bring myself to look at him, not yet. I knew what I was doing was wrong. I didn’t want to have to leave again. I liked it here. 

I shoved off the desk, moving behind it and putting my chair in-between us. I began packing my things, ignoring the raging beast inside of me, the one that would ruin everything. 

But Daniel wouldn’t be deterred so easily. 

He turned the chair around until he could sit, then swiveled around to face me. His golden brown hair was ruffled, and I watched idly as my hand moved on its own accord to brush itself through a few wayward tufts. Buttery soft and delicate, just as I had imagined. 

He didn’t move, just sat watching me, his gaze meant to provoke me, though what he was provoking me to do, I believe, was entirely different than what I intended. 

The last time this happened, I had been naive. I tended to keep my distance from most of my students, not wanting to draw attention to myself and my…condition. No, I found those on fringes of society, those that had no one else to turn to be prime candidates for my musings. But Hannah had been…different. She wasn’t exactly MY student, as she worked in the Humanities office as an intern. One afternoon, while waiting for exams to print, Hannah and I began chatting. Hannah seemed unfazed by my stiffness and professional demeanor, and I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy our conversations. It began innocently enough, a casual conversation in the office, a cup of coffee during break; but soon, I knew we had went too far. Hannah couldn’t stay away, and though I did try to convince her to leave me alone, the monster inside of me simply wouldn’t allow that to happen. 

Hannah had been the first, and I had planned on her being the last. 

And now here I was running my fingers through a young man’s hair, moments away from changing his life forever. I sighed. 

His eyes flickered back to life, as if for a moment he had forgotten he and I existed as separate entities. “What’s wrong?” He asked, the pain in his voice as real and raw as if I had just told him his mother died. 

I thought about responding, about telling him to run, to get as far away from me as he could. To never look back. 

Or to stick a stake through my head.

But neither of those things happened. As I looked down into those stunning gray eyes, the inner beast awakened in me. There was no stopping her now. 

I waited outside the classroom, something in my gut telling me that Daniel and Ms.Sterling were having some type of relationship beyond the typical student-teacher one. 

Over the last few weeks I had watched closely, and I saw how they looked at each other. It was disturbing, almost as if they wanted to eat each other. It was flat out gross. I stood with my back against the wall, listening intently. I wasn’t sure what I would do if I peeked around the corner and saw them… doing things. 

Truth is, I really liked Ms.Sterling. She seemed to really understand what it was like to be like me, a social outcast with few friends. Though she was stunningly gorgeous and everyone seemed to like her, she was a loner. She had even said so herself. 

I heard a chair move, and moved a little closer to the door, preparing myself to look in. 

They were talking now, like whispers through the thick wooden door.

It grew quiet, and I thought perhaps I was imagining things, until the bloodcurdling scream.

The scene was...disturbing. Gruesome. Something straight out of hell itself. Ms.Sterling sat straddling Daniel in the chair, or what was left of him from the waist down. His top half lay about 20 feet away, and Ms.Sterling, a mouth full of razor sharp teeth and blood covered face, sat staring at me. 

I bolted, throwing every ounce of speed I could into my legs to carry me faster.

“Cheri,” she called, her voice garbled from the blood and sinew stuck between her teeth, “please don’t run.”

I stopped cold, my body refusing what my head screamed for me to do. She padded around in front of me, looking like a normal Ms.Sterling, if it wasn’t for the blood, teeth, and claws. And her eyes…were they actually glowing? Ms.Sterling tilted her head, her eyes iridescent in the darkened hallway. Suddenly, I no longer wanted to run screaming into the night…in fact, I wanted Ms.Sterling to wrap me in her arms and never let go. 

I looked at Cheri, her eyes full of fear and disgust. I was really hoping that Cheri left, that she wasn’t to witness the monster inside, but I suppose I should have known this would happen. I watched her guard come down easier than even Daniel’s. Oddly, this saddened me. I had almost expected her to put up a fight, and found myself slightly disappointed that she hadn’t. I stood thinking for a moment, sucking my teeth clean of Daniel, when an idea occurred to me. 

Mira had once told me of a curse, one that could change a human girl into one of us, if only she was willing. Of course, she had to be outside of my control and still willing, which left me slightly uneasy. I probably could have convinced her if she hadn’t witnessed her classmate being ripped in half, but I suppose it was worth a shot. 

I blinked, suddenly back in my own body, aware that Ms.Sterling, or whatever the hell she was, was still watching me closely. I didn’t move, afraid that I too would end up splattered across the floor, ceiling, and walls. I cringed inwardly thinking of Daniel. 

“I know that all must be a lot for you…” she started, sounding like the teacher I had came to know and love. “But I’m afraid you only have two options at this point.” Straight to the point, as usual. Something most student’s treasured about her. 

“One, you can die.” My eyes widened imperceptibly and I swallowed hard. She must’ve sensed my change, though, and she gave a small smile, the razor sharp teeth still gleaming in her mouth. 

“Or, you can join me.”

Join her? What the hell did that even mean?

I didn’t trust myself to speak, to move, so I stayed still and quiet, my mind racing. How can I get out of here? I don’t want to die. What about Daniel? What the hell is she? 

The last question brought words to my lips. 

“What are you?” I asked faintly, barely moving my mouth. 

Ms.Sterling shrugged. “We don’t really have a name amongst our kind. We are creatures from the before times. Some people call us Sirens, but I don’t guess that fits, given that we don’t live in the water. Though our control of human minds does.”

A siren? A fucking sailors legend? There had other be some sort of explanation, something logical. But nothing felt logical, and I could feel that I was running out of time. 

“Yes.” I said, surprising even myself. 

“Yes?” She questioned, her eyes flashing brightly. 

“Yes, I will join you. I don’t want to die.”

She looked at me closely, her eyes intensifying. I could feel her searching me for any signs of untruth, and I kept myself as calm and collected as I could manage. 

After what felt like eons, she nodded once. “Then it is done. Come.”

She walked back around me towards her classroom. I hesitated. I could make a run for it now, call someone else to deal with her. But I knew that that wouldn’t work. It had to be me. 

I followed her after a moment, not wanting to see the murderous crime scene again, afraid that she was kidding and was going to rip me in half, too. But we walked past her classroom. I followed her across campus, through the frosty night. I thought about calling out for help, screaming, but I knew that she would be on me before my voice even echoed off the stone buildings. I opted to scream “help” in my head instead. Hoping against hope. 

We arrived at the graveyard next to campus, one that dated centuries older than the campus. I wondered how old Ms.Sterling actually was, if she was older than dad, as we made our way through the gates and further into the darkness. 

Cheri followed me from a safe distance. I couldn’t say I blamed her. There was a part of me that knew she was going to try and kill me, but I had always wanted a companion. Those of my kind were typically solitary, and Cheri reminded me so much of Hannah.

 Oh, Hannah. Her memory washed over like a tidal wave, threatening to consume me again. Those who know of our existence think that we are all just blood thirsty monsters. I mean, yeah, I like drinking blood. But that isn’t who I am. I, too, want someone to talk to. To be with. I thought that could be Hannah. But Mira had found me in the midst of my sadness. Angelic Mira who somehow managed to avoid absolute catastrophes, unlike myself. 

She mentioned the curse, told me how to do it in case I ever found myself…attached again. 

I had forbade myself to get close to anyone until Daniel. And though I found him extremely attractive, and his blood was heavenly, he wasn’t the type I wanted by myself side for eternity. No, girls and boys like him were meant for playing. 

I didn’t even really want Cheri, but as I turned to look at her, I found the similarities between her and Hannah to be rather uncanny. 

Their soft, delicate features, smiles like sunshine. Cheri was paler than Hannah, not a crease on her skin could be found. I figured it was her Asian heritage that kept her looking so young. 

I stopped when I made it to the freshest grave in the yard.

“Here.” I said, dropping to my knees. I patted the ground next to me. Cheri didn’t move. I turned to look at her, prepared to take control again if I had to, but she was looking up into the dark night sky. 

“What are you looki-” I didn’t get to finish my sentence before he was upon me. 

I watched through the glasses dad had given me as he tied Ms.Sterling against the gravestone where we had stopped. I knew he was upset with me, but I was thankful that he seemed to have a distraction for the moment. Ms.Sterling’s eyes glowed brightly as she watched him work methodically. He didn’t wear glasses. He didn’t need to. 

“So, you were going to try and change my daughter, eh?” He asked her, pulling tightly on the ropes. 

Ms.Sterling didn’t answer. 

“Listen here, you dirty, nasty whore.” I flinched against my dad’s harsh words. “There will be no more blood spilled tonight except your own. I will gut you and bury you here next to what’s left of your old pal Mira.” 

At that, her head snapped up, a crease of worry formed between her eyes.

My dad gave a cruel, wicked smile, his fangs glinting in the light of the moon. “Ah, yes. Hadn’t heard from her in a while had you?” He crouched down to eye level with Ms.Sterling. 

“You know, it’s frowned up to kill. But I don’t really police that much, given, you know,” he gestured to himself, as if he wore a giant sign that read I AM A VAMPIRE.

“But creating more of you nasty creatures? Especially with my own daughter? I think not.”

Ms.Sterling looked to me, her eyes fierce and bright, but with a hint of… sadness?

My dad slapped her across the face, the sound cracking off the headstones. “Don’t you fucking look at her.” He hissed through clenched teeth. 

“If it wasn’t for her, we would’ve never found you, Ms.Sterling. Though,” he now looked at me, his anger red hot. “I do think that she got herself in a bit too deep.”

I could feel the disappoint and rage from him threatening to smother me. 

He shook his head. “Her shields are weak. Her mind is weak. Her will, fucking weak.” He looked back to Ms.Sterling. “But you, you disgusting piece of garbage, are quite the artist. Though I’m not sure the mess you left in your room would be considered a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination.” He leaned in close, showing his teeth. 

Ms.Sterling spit in my dad’s face, and he reared back. The next few moments happened so fast I barely registered. My dad screaming in agony, holding his face. Ms.Sterling breaking free from her restraints. The explosive cracking sound that resounded through the graveyard as Mrs.Sterling broke my dad’s neck, then proceeded to rip out his heart. 

I sat frozen, the glasses on my face the only protection from the monster that stood before me. 

She turned to face me, her green blouse now crimson with the blood of my dad and Daniel. 

“Did you call him?” She asked calmly, wiping her hands on her pants. 

“I said did you fucking call him, Cheri?” She demanded, her voice like thunder in the silence of the night. 

I couldn’t speak, but I shook my head no. At least, I hadn’t intentionally. 

She glared at me for a moment, obviously considering whether I should die here, and how to do it. 

I waited.

I watched her cower beside the tombstone where she sat, visibly shaking. She was just 18 years old, a baby. How could Damian have put her in this predicament? His own damn daughter. Though she said she didn’t call him, I had reason to believe she had, though inadvertently. After all, even her father had said she was extremely unskilled. 

“You will not die tonight, Cheri.” I said, my own words surprising me. “Though you will not speak of me, of this night, or I will hunt you down and kill you just as I have your friend, and your own father.”

She nodded once, trembling. 

I turned to walk away, actually tired for once. The moon was full and bright, and I felt sad. Sad because I had to leave this delightful town. Sad because I was still alone. A bat flew overhead, erratic and hungry, gobbling up bugs. 

I looked back to where Cheri had sat, the spot now empty and lifeless, the perfect metaphor. 

I often think back to that night, to Ms.Sterling and my father. Even Daniel. It feels…foreign. As if it didn’t happen to me. I have never told anyone about it, though now I believe I could take Ms.Sterling on my own. No, there’s something else that keeps me from hunting her. 

We are the same. Alone in a world full of monsters.