Trick or Treat

Trigger Warning: Use of drugs

You hold your brush and begin your makeup. You grab your white face powder, your black eyeshadow, and that fake pointed teeth from the thrift store to dress as a vampire for this year’s Halloween. You know it’s such a cliché costume. You always remember Edward Cullen from the Twilight book series or Damon Salvatore from Vampire Diaries. Vampires are too romanticized. But to you, vampires are vicious, merciless, and hot. Who doesn’t want to be hot anyway? You think to yourself as you apply the finishing touches.

Cloaks are too old school, so you put on your all black but almost see-through outfit and you’re ready to go. It’s not a typical trick or treating because your hot neighbor is giving away a lot of candy to children and cans of beer to the adults. What a joy to live in your neighborhood. You and your friends knock from house to house but you have your eyes set on his house.

Your feet began to tingle from wearing those high heeled boots while walking around your 1.5-kilometer village. And of course, you’re saving the best for last. It’s almost 9 PM when the kids started to head home for bedtime. For you, it’s just the start of the night. You head to his house and knock.

“Trick or treat” you say in your most alluring tone.

“From what I heard” he opens the door, “Kids are supposed to be asleep by now” he says and leans on the door.

“Me?” you say, “A kid?” doing a little bat of eyelashes to him.

“Yes, you” he says leaning closer. His eyes are charming you but you want a good competition. You smirk a little with a tiny pout.

“What makes you say I’m a kid?” you whine a little

“You look like the type to whine and cry daddy in bed” he says in almost a raspy whisper. You feel that sentence slide all over your body, making your spine tingle. Instead of cans of beer, he gives you a bottle of wine and some candy.

“Happy Halloween” you say, trying to hide your flushed face.

“I’m having a party tonight at 11, you coming?” he says and crosses his arms.

“Why would a baby come to daddy’s party?” you say

“Good point” he assesses you. “Maybe baby should stay in bed with daddy” he moves aside, leaving you an entrance to his home.

Like a little kid, you hop into his home and look around. Things are still in boxes but the design is very modern. You place down your Halloween basket and he tells you to feel at home. You look at him and he peels off his shirt. You can tell he works out, his veins popping out of his skin. He is a Greek statue that moves and breathes.

“You just moved in?” you ask him while drinking in the view of him.

“Just a month ago” he says and his eyes look like they’re undressing you.

You take a step closer and you feel yourself pulse. You’re very drawn to him and yet so intimidated. You want him to control you. Anything he will say, he can make you do. He touches your waist with his warm hands. You put your arms around him.

“Never seen you out in the day yet” you say, watching his eyes and lips alternately

“I’m a nightcrawler” he says and he further builds up the tension by breathing so close to you.

“I see” your faces inches away from each other. “I’m sure you’re enjoying the neighborhood” you tell him and you’re lost in his eyes.

“I am” he says. “I really am” he drags his fingers on your thigh.

You want him now but you’re focused. You pull away but hint him that you are very interested. You know to yourself that you’re not easy. You are also tenacious. You want control too. He chuckles to himself and nods. He puts his hands up in surrender.

“Clever” he says. You gather your things again and head for the door.

“Happy Halloween” you say again

“And to you too” he says

You leave and you’re pleased you left him. Everything is better when you keep the tension alive. You enter your house and take off your makeup. You’re paler than you think. The under of your eyes keep growing darker. You cannot hold your thirst. You didn’t want to seem realistic back there and so you had to cover things up a bit.

You open a blood packet fresh from the fridge. You mix it with the wine your hot neighbor gave you. You take a whiff and let the aroma take over you. You take a sip and you feel stronger. It’s been a while since you’ve had something fresh.

It’s midnight and your senses are heightened because it’s a full moon on this year’s Halloween. It’s a blue moon and this has never happened since 1944, where you were out on the streets, preparing for the war. You look around in your fully furnished house. Even if you just lived there for a week, you can already tell this home is better than the rest you’ve lived in.

It’s time to hunt. You change into something more comfortable and easy to burn. Blood stains are hard to erase so it’s better to burn it. You set off outside. You made a run to the far city where drunks walk the street and the addicts overdose nearby dumpsters. You’re in the dark alley and wait.

Your victim walks with his syringe in his pocket. He’s looking around trying to remain unseen. Little to his knowledge, he is all you see. He goes to the alleyway across where you’re hiding and he pulls out a small seat. He sits and begins his session.

You see him convulse as he keeps on taking and taking in. You go to him and act as if you want to help him. You see his eyes are turning white. You end his suffering. His blood has a distinct flavor. Cheap heroin and blood isn’t that bad. It’s better than day old blood packs, or animal blood. Nothing beats pure healthy human blood. As you finish him off, you burn him and his body, along with your stained clothes and switch yours with his. You continue your meal.

On your way back home, you see an accident. A truck driver had knocked someone off their motorcycle. The body is left there but you can still hear its heart beating. The truck has continued on as if nothing happened. Your next poor victim.

The blood is fresh and healthy, just like what you were looking for. The healthy blood seeps in your own veins as if it were your own. For a moment, you began to feel and look human. You feel your body warm just like the effect of alcohol on human beings, and for a slight moment, you feel good about yourself. You collect their belongings and scatter it everywhere so no one can find them.

As the sun is about to rise, you make your way back home and also see the party had just also ended. Humans are so futile and yet fascinating. On your door, you see your hot guy. He’s drunk and knocking on you. He’s probably looking for someone to use to entertain his desires. You’re not the person for that.

You approach your home and he sees you. He walks towards you but you say a greeting but he’s not in the mood for that. He grabs you and kiss you but you don’t want. You push him away, not trying to hurt him. You open your door.

You enter but he pushes you in and enters too. He locks the door and holds your wrist tightly as he pulls you to the living room where your couch is. He holds you down with one arm while the other unbuckles his pants. You are struggling not to hurt him.

“No!” you tell him but he slaps you. He is drunk but his intentions are very clear. He wants to hurt you no matter what.

The sun is up and brightens up your place. He sees your face and you smile. The blood you have eaten that made you feel human has worn off and you are back to your pale self. His face also pales as he sees you. He steps away. You stand and smile, your fangs are out.

“What a waste of a beautiful human being” you say. He is unable to spurt out words and he is frozen. He looks around, trying to look for a weapon. He takes the steel rod for the fireplace but that wouldn’t work. “You did me wrong, human”

In a swift motion, you rip out his vocal chords. He is silent but in pain. He is gasping for air as you damaged his throat and wind pipe. “You wouldn’t need those” you tell him and grin. Quickly and cleanly, you take him in your system. Not a single drop wasted. You finish yet again another intoxicated human.

You burn your house to prepare for your next move. You take your blood packets and move once more. You were wrong thinking this was a better village than your past. But then again, you are always hopeful for the places you go. You always say everything gets better.

You move to another quiet suburb and hope for the best. After all, the world is your playground and everyone is a just a pawn.