Brewed Nightmares

In the dimly lit streets of my city, I trudged, creating ripples as my heels touched the small puddles on the untarred road. It was a cold Halloween night, and after my trick-or-treating, I dressed in a black dress with a mask to spend the rest of the night with my boyfriend. Unfortunately, another lady arrived before me. He was startled when he saw me walk through the door and I guess he probably regretted not putting the lock on it. Cheating was a deal-breaker for me. There was no need for him to apologize.

I wrapped my arms around myself for warmth. The street seemed deserted, and only a few figures could be seen in the distance. I wasn't even sure if they were real humans, as ghosts could lurk around in Halloween disguises. I didn't care, as long as they kept their distance, I intended to keep my mind blank until I got home.

I turned into the next street that led to my house and spotted two shadows in the distance, sending shivers down my spine. The first shadow resembled that of a child struggling with the second shadow, which appeared to be that of an adult.

I had never been so frightened. I bent down and unstrapped my heels, took them in my hands, and tiptoed forward. The child let out a piercing scream, and its voice echoed and vanished with the chilling wind that swept over me.

To distract whatever was happening in that dark corner, I picked up a stone and threw it into one of the puddles. In no time, the adult figure dashed across the street. As he ran past a bright light that illuminated the area, I noticed what looked like bloodstains on his face, along with his menacing fangs. "Oh no!" I exclaimed, flinging my shoes in the air as I rushed towards the child.

"Are you okay?" I asked as I tried to lift her from the ground. She seemed weak, and she had a strong coffee scent about her. With my last ounce of strength, I carried her to the light, where I saw her clothes completely drenched in thick brown liquid, extending from her neck. "Hey, are you okay?" She didn't even move a muscle. "I can't leave her out in the cold," I muttered. My house was a few blocks away, and it was too late and frightening for a child to be out alone trick-or-treating at such an hour.

Upon arriving home, I helped her out of her soiled clothes, cleaned her up, and dressed her in something more comfortable. Then, I tucked her into bed. "We'll talk more in the morning," I assured her, and made to leave then she grabbed my hand. Her hands were icy, and she seemed frightened. "It's okay, I won't hurt you," I whispered, gently tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. She shuddered.

"He's a vampire, but a coffee vampire," she stammered, pressing her little hands into mine. "I don't quite understand," I said. "He had fangs. Terrifying fangs. When he grabbed me, I thought I was going to die until he emptied his thermos on my neck and started sucking on it. It tickled, but he wouldn't let me go until he was finished licking everything." Her lips were now very close to my ear as she whispered, and I could feel the tickling sensation too, so I could relate to how she felt.

"Go to bed now. You're safe here, okay?" She nodded and turned to her side. I lay awake, pondering what kind of vampire drinks coffee from people's necks instead of blood. Lost in thought, I heard something crash in my kitchen, and an adrenaline rush overtook me. I glanced quickly at the little girl who was already fast asleep, and I heaved a sigh of relief.

Appalled, I grabbed the bat that rested in the corner of my room and tiptoed to the kitchen. My palms were sweaty, and my hands trembled. Someone was in my kitchen. As I reached the living room, I noticed the door was slightly open, and disappointment washed over me.

With caution, I proceeded to the kitchen and peeked in, there he was—brewing coffee in my kitchen. I ran my hand along the wall and flicked on the light. He turned, revealing frightening red eyes, pale skin, elegant yet old-fashioned attire, and sharp fangs dripping thick coffee.

"What the hell are you doing in my kitchen?" I questioned, agitated, as I charged toward him with the bat. Surprisingly, he skillfully disarmed me, pressed me against the counter, and slowly poured coffee onto my neck, lapping it off with his tongue. "Now I wish someone could be this skillful when giving head," I muttered angrily, my thoughts briefly drifting to my foolish boyfriend.

It tickled, but the sensation was overwhelming. It was tormenting and almost deadly. I laughed until tears streamed down my face, and before I could lift my head, he was gone. I was left weakened, unable to stand, and I fell to the kitchen floor. I lost track of time, and it must have been morning when the little girl's scream jolted me back to the real world.

"Was the coffee vampire here?" She asked as I struggled to get up. I nodded and managed a weak smile. "I'm Sylvie. Thank you lots for helping me," she said, twisting her fingers and giving me the puppy eyes, then walked out the door, leaving me to contemplate how to clean up the mess that had been done by the coffee vampire in my kitchen.

My Halloween night had taken a bizarre turn. The encounter with the coffee vampire left me with more questions than answers. Who was he? Why did he trace me to my house? I wanted Halloween to be over as thoughts of this freaking vampire were haunting me.

^img1

^img2

^img3