; ; I wake from a dream of total blackness with Darlene sleeping in my ; arms. I don't even remember falling asleep, I don't even remember how ; I got into bed. I kiss Darlene's brow, but her body is as cold as a ; corpse. An intense thirst hits me, my throat feels scratched and raw, ; like it was mauled by an animal. And my stomach twists with ; discomfort. Darlene's hair tickles my nose. The thought of drawing on ; her cold blood repulses me. I release her and roll away, sit up. Thank ; God the ache in my stomach eases. I breathe in.
; ; I can feel them, all of them, they seem to be everywhere around me. I ; feel them but I can't see them, it's as if they are crowding around on ; the other side of the walls. Who are they, and why do I feel them? ; They are humans, I know they are humans. It's like I am a sideshow ; freak, and they gather around to watch me from the other side of the ; walls. I stand up and I feel their individual presences, so strong I ; could almost bump into them. But they are nowhere. I don't see them at ; all. Are they really humans? What is going on? What is this thing I ; feel?
; ; And there is something else. Something in the other room, Jessica's ; room, something different. Jessica. What has happened to Jessica?
; ; I go to the door to Jessica's room and push it open. Jessica is there, ; on the bed, dead, her chest ripped open and her blood soaking the ; mattress. Her eyes are wide and glassy, her mouth open in rigid ; surprise. I go over to her corpse and look into her open chest. Her ; heart is gone.
; ; Did Darlene do this? Did Darlene kill her? Did Darlene take her heart?
; ; No matter, Jessica is cold and utterly lifeless. She might as well be ; a pile of stones.
; ; I forget her and go to the bedroom window. It is night outside but the ; street light illuminates the block, and I see the world outside like ; it was strong daylight. The street is filthy, filled with the rancid ; scent of humans and vermin and engine exhaust. I never noticed it ; before, but I live in a pile of garbage. It is disgusting. Why did I ; think this place was something special? How much do I pay for rent? I ; can't remember. But surely it is too much.
; ; A woman walks by, a whore, a whore walking by on the street below sets ; my nervous system on edge.
; ; I watch her, and I am surprised, the more I look at her, the more she ; fascinates me. Her body radiates, I can see it, deep red waves ; flickering, like an old ember, all around her. I have never seen a ; person like this before! And I swear I can smell her, a dull, ; over-cooked scent, without a doubt, it is her, it is in my nose, but ; surely it can't be the whore I smell. I am six floors above her!
; ; She is not well, there is something wrong with her, an annoying ; illness that she can't seem to shake off. Annoying? Why do I know it ; is annoying? I listen harder and I think I can hear her, she's ; muttering or something, saying things that register in my head. Has ; something happened to my sense of smell? My sense of hearing? The ; whore is annoyed at feeling a little under the weather, she doesn't ; want to be out tonight. She paces down the street and breathes ; heavily. She is looking for men. Men she can blow or fuck so she can ; get money and pay her creditors.
; ; I concentrate and it's like the whore opens up for me. She is ; young. Just turned eighteen years old. But she is mature beyond her ; years. The life of a thirty-year-old packed into that tight, young ; body. She has pretty tits, small, with little pink nipples. Her legs ; are too skinny. And scars, scars along her ribs and along the line of ; her jaw, hard white spots speckling my red ember.
; ; I look right into her, and her history floods into my head, a ; disorganized, pathetic story. She isn't sure of it all herself, not ; the details. Too many nights in a drug or alcohol ; haze. Yelling. Beating. Molestation by a stranger when she was ; fourteen and should have known better. Fucking forty-year-old men when ; she was just sixteen.
; ; My skin crawls. She is fascinating! I watch her, she sighs and walks ; along, and I hear Darlene behind me, the pad of Darlene's bare feet.
; ; She comes up behind and presses against my back, she is naked, her ; skin cool, her arms hugging around my waist, rubs her nose in my hair, ; presses her lips against the back of my neck. She looks out the window ; over my shoulder, sees the whore. "A suggestion," she says. Her voice ; is sweet and helpful. "You don't need to kill them. Usually a taste is ; enough."
; ; The thought of killing the whore had not occurred to me, but what a ; thought! It would be a snap, I could destroy her with a flick of my ; wrist. And suck her blood and eat her heart! My stomach growls, a ; menacing rumbling sound. "And plan your kills in advance," Darlene ; says. "We can go unnoticed if we wish, but it's better to enter ; unnoticed when you kill. No witnesses."
; ; Yes, she makes sense. I nod and watch the whore walk past. She pauses ; at the corner, looks around. Darlene's moist breath caresses my ; ear. And the whore walks around the corner and out of sight. Oh! She ; is gone! My heart leaps!
; ; Darlene runs her hands over my belly and I my stomach lurches. "You ; are hungry," she whispers.
; ; I am hungry, so hungry. I am famished.
; ; "My sweet baby," Darlene kisses my shoulder and moves up to hold my ; breasts. "How is this beautiful creature born of me?"
; ; I love the way Darlene touches me, she rolls my nipples between her ; fingers, but I can not enjoy it. I am so hungry, and I want to go ; after the whore. I want to kill her and drink her blood. "I want to ; kill her, Darlene," I say.
; ; "Of course you do, baby," she whispers. "But not now. You and I, we ; will go out tonight. We will find some humans. Beautiful, powerful ; humans. And we will kill them. We will kill them all. A carnage. I'll ; show you how. We will bathe in human's sweet blood. We will drink ; until our bellies burst." And she laughs, her pretty soprano laugh a ; lovely song in my head.