Pheromone

Our footsteps and laughter echoed loudly in my apartment building's narrow hallways. The shopping bags we tugged along banged against our legs, but we didn’t notice. After a day of shopping, eating a luxurious dinner and karaoke, nothing could dampen our moods. Our laughter finally died when we reached my door.

“Thank you so much for inviting me, this was amazing!” I said happily.

“Of course baby, you needed a night out after the shitty week you had!” My friend Lili said with a grin. I grabbed my keys and opened my door. “Oh, before you go in, do you have everything?” 

“Yes Lili, I made sure I grabbed all my stuff.”

“You got your phone?” I pulled out my phone, sparkly pink phone case and all. “Okay… You got your new medication for this month?” I hefted the small bag for the pharmacy.

“You got your wallet? You’ve been leaving that one on tables a bunch.” Lili said, crossing her arms.

“Yep, you reminded me to get it at karaoke,” I said, showing her the wallet.

“Got your keys?” That earned her an eyebrow raise and I gestured to the open door. She flushed a little, but relented. “I’m just making sure you have your shit together baby. You know how you love throwing your stuff everywhere and not picking it back up-”

“That was only one time, and I got my wallet back immediately!” I said, with a bit of exasperation.

“Yeah, and that was after we looked for it for an hour. And that was after you finally remembered which building we left it in during the trip,” Lili said in a deadpan voice. 

“Alright alright, I get it.” I said, “I got everything, you don’t need to worry… This time.” We hugged each other goodnight, with me smiling as Lili pressed a sticky, lip gloss covered kiss against my cheek.

“I’m gonna go boo, good night!” she called. I hefted my bags in the doorway as Lili clumsily jogged down the hallway. I was about to close the door when I heard Lili’s heels getting closer and closer.

“Hey, what’s up?” I asked.

“Make sure you check and lock your windows.” Lili said seriously, “And take. Your. Medicine. You hear me?”

“I hear you Lili, have a good night. And say good night to Bryce for me!” Another quick hug, and Lili ran out again as I finally closed the door. The night went pretty normally after that. I took off the pink minidress I had on, washed up, and changed into comfy clothes. I lounged on the couch with a movie when my phone pinged.

‘Lili: Did you check your windows?’ Totally forgot to do that. Although she’d never hear it from me, Lili does keep me on top of my shit. I walked all around the house, rechecking the lock on my front door, and made sure all of the windows were locked. A few months ago, checking my windows and doors each night wouldn’t even be on my mind. But after my vampire stalker came into the picture, everything changed forever.

A few years ago, the world discovered that vampires lived among us when three men attacked and drained a fifteen year old girl in the middle of the city. Luckily, people intervened, but she unfortunately died before getting help. When police restrained and calmed the vamps down, they revealed that the girls’ pheromones had smelled so good, it drove them mad with bloodlust.

Now people all over, specifically young girls and boys, have to take medicine in order to suppress their pheromones and the attacks. Unfortunately, my scent was so strong, I had to take double the regular dose. But the medicine didn’t keep my stalker away. He’s been on my tail for months, shrouded in a dirty black hoodie and following me wherever I go. Lili and her boyfriend Bryce have been great bodyguards, but they can’t protect me from that vampire’s horrible, bloodshot, hungry gaze…

I shuddered at the thought and swung my curtains shut. I need some calming tea with my pills to relax tonight. In a few minutes, a pot of water was heating up on the stove, and I was digging through my bag for my pills. The white box wasn’t there. I emptied it out to find Lili’s favorite chocolate, tampons, red lip gloss and her blue box of medicine. I sighed and grabbed my phone from the table. 

“Hello?” Lili said groggily.

“Hey you were right, I don’t have my medicine.” I said, “I think our bags got switched when we got to my place.”

“Aw man, I’m sorry boo. I’m guessing I need to go over there again?”

“Yeah, if you wouldn’t mind-” A small movement against the window made me pause. I slowly walked to the window, my phone dangling loosely in my hand as I stared into the night. Lili’s voice called out for me, as I gasped and backed away from the window. Underneath a streetlight at the corner of a road, stood the unmistakable figure of my stalker. He raised one long arm and waved, the sleeve of his hoodie flapping in the air.

“Mary…Mary, what’s going on?” Lili called, “Mary!”

“Holy shit, it’s him,” I whispered, “Lili, it’s him, he’s outside, he’s outside my fucking apartment! Holy fuck…” I peeked outside the window again, but he’d vanished. But he wasn’t gone for long. I shrieked as a long-nailed hand slammed against the window. The vampire’s claws sank into the wood of my window frame as he slowly pulled himself up to my eye level.

“My love… You can’t keep doing to me, you can’t keep tempting me like this…” I backed away as his gaunt face shone from the light of the TV. His inch long fangs gleamed in the white fluorescent lights, “Please, can I come in? I just want a taste, just a small one. I need to know if you taste as sweet as you smell.” I pressed my phone against my ear, whimpering as the vampire balanced himself on my ledge.

“Lili, call the police. Call the police, please call the police, he’s gonna-Oh my God!” Glass exploded out of the frame as he smashed his fist through the window.

“Mary, get out of there!” Lili screamed, “Get your purse and get the fuck out of there!”

“What’s going on?” Bryce said in the background, “Is that Mary? Is she okay?”

“Please…” My stalker said, reaching for me, “Please, let me taste you, let me feel you… Let me drain you!” He lunged for me and I screamed, bolting into my kitchen. My phone clattered to the floor, but I didn’t care. My eyes were focused on the knife drawer just a few steps away- 

A dirty, blood-soaked hand grabbed me and threw me against the wall. The vampire’s body pressed against me, barely moving as I struggled and shoved his shoulders. 

“What are you doing, let me go!”

“My love, I’ve dreamed of this for so long…” The vampire crooned. He buried his face in my neck and breathed in deep, trailing his nose across my skin. Tears welled up in my eyes as his tongue followed the path of my neck, “God, it’s so good! I need more… I have to have more!” He suddenly grabbed my face and pressed his lips against mine. Disgust and horror rolled through me as his tongue forced itself between my lips, spreading the taste of coppery blood across my tongue. I writhed against his grip, but he continued rubbing himself against me, moaning shakily into my mouth. I was just frozen there, forced to take this assault for as long as this monster wanted. But even though I couldn’t move my body, there was still something I could do. 

I braced myself and bit down hard on the vampire’s tongue. A stream of blood filled my mouth, followed by a roar of pain. The stalker leapt back from me and I ran towards the stove.

“You bitch!” He spat, “What the hell is your problem?” He reached for me again, but I was faster. I kicked him in the crotch as hard as I could before throwing the boiling water all over his face. His screams turned into animalistic howls. The vampire clawed blindly through the air as he covered his burned face, but I wasn’t done yet. I swung the pot over my head and bashed his head once, twice, three times. Adrenaline pumped through me as I unleashed all my panic, desperation, horror and fury on his head, hitting him over, and over, and over again.

The pot finally fell to the floor with a clang. My stalker twitched on the ground, blood soaking his greasy black hair. I waited with bated breath for him to spring up and attack again. But all he did was twitch and moan pathetically on my bloody floors. I raced around my apartment, grabbing my phone, a sweater and stuffing everything I could think of in my purse. I slid on my bunny slippers and raced out my door. My gasps filled the hallways as I ran down the hall, frantically dialing 911.

“911, what’s your emergency?”

“H-hi, my name is Mary and I have a vampire trapped in my apartment. He’s been attacking and following me for a few-” An explosion sounded above me, followed by the clattering of objects on the floor. I looked back to see the vampire, covered in a gigantic shadowy mass. Tiny red pin pricks glowed menacingly from the distance. They gradually grew closer and closer, and I realized my stalker was using… God I don’t know, he was using some kind of…shadow magic to run me down. I turned to run again, but in seconds I was pinned to the floor. My phone hit the concrete and the screen shattered and turned black. There was no time to scream as he wrenched my head to the side and sank his fangs into my neck.

Pain. That’s all I could feel. My blood was being pulled from my veins into the vampires’ greedy maw, as I feebly jerked underneath his body. His fangs slid from my throat and dripped blood onto my cheek. “This is your fault… It's all your fault.” I blankly stared at the vampire’s tear-filled face as he gently smoothed back my hair, “I wanted to be gentle with you. But you hurt me… So I had to pay you back.” He licked the blood from my face and turned my face to the side again, “But I have to say, you have the most delicious blood I’ve ever tasted. This was all worth it, my love.” I whimpered as his fangs sunk into my flesh again.

Everything in my vision began to swim and swirl together. The windows appeared to be melting, spreading gray matter and starlight onto the unforgiving concrete floor. The nearby stairs and railing kept swaying back and forth, back and forth, switching into various colors as I tried to keep my eyes open.

I couldn’t move. I couldn’t feel my legs and arms. I could barely twitch my hands or fingers, however much I tried. The only thing I could feel was the blood spilling from my neck and pooling on the floor. And the last thing I heard was the horrified cry of Lili, and the shouts of Bryce and three policemen as everything faded.

Breaking News: Another savage attack has befallen Rose Hill City. The victim was 25 year old Mary Oswald, a young woman with one of the most fragrant pheromones ever recorded in recent history. Fortunately, she did not succumb to her various injuries, including broken ribs and excessive blood loss, but she’s in critical condition at the Rose Hill Central Hospital. Her attacker, self-identified as “The Bloodletter” has been arrested and charged with attempted murder, stalking, and grievous bodily harm. We asked if he had anything to say before being arrested. Here are his last words before being incarcerated:

“I wanted to make the night more romantic, but some plans just don’t go the right way. But I’ll make sure to visit again, that way we can get to know each other better. Even though she hurt me, and even though I had to get a little rough with my baby, it was all worth it. She’ll realize I’m the one for her one of these days. I know she will.”

The End