I walked out of the hotel at approximately 7:57 PM. I grabbed a cab and told the driver I was from out of town and to take me where the action was. He gazed over his shoulder in a come‑hither way and removed his cap.
The driver turned out to be a woman. “The name’s Rosie,” she purred in the silkiest voice I'd ever heard. “I can give you all the action you'll be able to handle and still survive.”
I tried to avert her stare and looked out the window, or rather tried to look out the window. The cab’s windows were fogged over. I couldn’t see a thing. I looked around for something with which to clear the window. That was when I noticed that the windshield was also fogged over. How, I asked myself, can she see? Before I could begin to figure it out, she rolled over the front seat and landed next to me. She was naked as a jaybird.
“Don’t worry about a thing, honey,” she whispered in my ear. “The car knows the way. Besides, I want to get to know you better.” She began stroking my cheek and running her fingers through my hair. She had a body that did her voice proud.
Try as I might to resist, my baser drives overcame my resolve. I clutched her by the shoulders and kissed her full on the lips. She moaned. Her ruby lips parted just slightly to reveal a perfect set of pearly white teeth, and two needle‑sharp three‑inch fangs. I screamed. I attempted to break free with all my might, but her inhuman strength was too great. I couldn’t push her away. “Don't try to fight it,” she said. “It’s no use.” Closer and closer came those deadly incisors. I felt my arms give way. Just before she bit me, I mercifully fainted.
When I came to, I was lying strapped down on a hospital bed. I couldn’t move my arms or legs. I felt cold. My face was bathed in sweat. I began to struggle against the restraints.
“HELP!” I screamed as loudly as I could. My voice was weak. I was weak.
I felt a damp rag against my forehead. A soft voice was telling me it was all over and to just relax. A soft voice. That soft voice. Her soft voice. The voice from beyond the grave. I whipped my head around in terror, seeking the source of that voice.
“Please,” I pleaded. “Please don’t bite me again.”
She laughed. “Nobody is going to bite you, sir. You just fainted, that’s all. When you feel like you are able to sit up, there’s a cup of orange juice next to the bed. It will help you feel better.”
My eyes finally focused. The vampiress of my nightmare was standing next to me. Her long, raven hair was tied behind her in a stylish ponytail. She wore a crisp, white uniform with a large red cross on the sleeve. A name tag with the name, “ROSE” etched on it was pinned to her ample bosom. She smiled sympathetically at me. Suddenly, I felt foolish. Had it all been nothing more than a bad dream?
She was unstrapping the restraints. “Why don’t you try sitting up? Take it slow. We don’t want you passing out again, now do we?” She took my arm and helped me sit up. I felt a bit lightheaded, but I didn’t feel as though I was going to faint again. She handed me the small cup of juice. “Here. Drink this down slowly. Then whenever you feel like you can, go ahead and get up. We have what we need and you’re free to go.”
I slowly looked around. The room I was in was brightly lit and smelled slightly antiseptic. There were several other beds like the one I was sitting on. I noticed all were empty. “Am I the only one here?”
“The others have all left. You’re our last donor tonight.”
I stood up, shakily at first but I managed to move a few steps. She stood next to me for a moment, then reached up and crimped a tiny metal pin in the shape of a drop of blood onto my shirt pocket. “Thanks for coming in tonight. You may have saved a life.”
I nodded and made my way to the door. A glance at my watch told me it was past ten and I needed to get some sleep. The next day was going to be a killer and I had never felt more tired than at that moment.
As I walked out of the storefront office and turned the corner, I happened to glance through a portion of the window where the paint had worn off. Rose was inside, carrying the pint of blood I had just given. I presumed she was going to put it in the large refrigerator I saw in the corner. I sighed relief. Giving blood was never pleasant for me, but at least it was done for another year. For some reason, I couldn't stop watching the woman. She stopped in front of the refrigerator, looked left, then right and pulled the cap off the bottle. I had to lean against the building to prevent myself from fainting once more. As I gaped in horror, Rose upended the bottle and downed the entire contents.
She stared straight at me through the painted window. A tiny rivulet of crimson trickled down her chin. She licked it up with her serpent-like tongue. “Yes sir,” I heard her exclaim clearly with a haunting laugh. “You may have saved a life tonight.”