A Good Vampire

One in every four is a vampire at the Firmex. Though they are strong and quick, they have some weaknesses too, and the cops are aware of them.

“A Good Vampire” by Srinandan Sarma starts with the Firmex county hiring a new cop who knows how vampires behave. On the other hand, Caleb, a county member, deserves to pay the price for the mistakes he made in a moment of haste.

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It’s about 4:35 p.m. now. Caleb walked towards the bloody main room and turned the radio off. His sobriety was unaffected by the unsightly blood. He completely lost his temper when he stabbed a knife into his wife’s neck. There has been no study that explains how a drunk person behaves. No study has explained why ruthless beasts like him act this way over trivial things.

It all started yesterday night with drinking and falling asleep on the couch. After getting up, he asked Dorothy for a coffee to sober up. A helpless soul like her has to admit the harsh reality of having a hung-over husband who abuses her, and yet she serves him, respects him, and “loves” him. The mysterious and unpalatable ‘LOVE’ made her serve him a cup of hot coffee with extra sugar.

The bitter flavour of alcohol didn’t leave his mouth, however, so he couldn’t taste the sweetness of the coffee. Being half-hearted, he started an argument. Like most who are hung over, he was easily infuriated, and it was his fault. Although she didn’t raise her voice, he raised his hand at her, assuming she didn’t obey, respect, or treat him well. It wasn’t mundane.

Illustrated by Nisha Yadav

He was high, and his eyes were blurry while he was holding a table knife. It all happened in a snap. As he yanked her head to a wall and stabbed her, her soul left her body as the knife severed her trapezius. Her blood spilt out like a fountain, and his face, hands, kitchen floor, dining table, and coffee cup were all covered with it. After a few seconds, he fell to his knees and dropped the knife. He was still hungover and confused. But another emotion came to him. Fear. It was so empowering that it took over him. He did not regret his action but feared getting caught. More than justice, he was scared of the devils of the night, the quick walkers & the night dwellers, and the vampires. They could smell blood, and they emerged from the darkness when the sun went down. Most of all, Caleb knew it.

With the blood spattered, Caleb knew there could be a knock on the door at any moment. He reached that conclusion when he noticed a bat near the kitchen window. He shivered for a moment but then pulled out scythes, wooden stakes, and all sorts of weapons from a secret compartment. His evil plan was to cover up the murder of his wife by a vampire. It’s a fairly easy transaction. Instead of being killed by a vampire, he can make a deal with them, and it is the easiest way to cover up his crime. He was ready but was still a little tipsy and scared.

At around 6 pm, he heard a knock on the door with an unfamiliar voice calling out. Suddenly, all surrounding sounds drowned out, making the heartbeat get seemingly louder. He shivered as he got up and approached the door. He knew well that vampires could not enter the house without the owner’s permission. Because the threshold on the mythological and spiritual level is considered a kind of magical and protective barrier that gives the house security, and it could also be the police. So he checked through the peephole and saw a young man. He wasn’t sure if he was a vampire, a cop, or someone else, but he was afraid. So, he hesitantly asked the boy for his name and whereabouts.

“I’m the only one who can help you in this situation,” the young man replied. Caleb didn’t quite understand the situation he was in. So he remained silent. Then the stranger added, “I’m Miles. The Sherif and I can help you before the others attack.”

Noticing the door still shut, Miles resumed, “I’ll cut you a deal if you confess, or else our friends will cut you open.”

Caleb finally opened the door. Taking a look at the blood everywhere and the dead woman, Miles curiously asked, “Why?”

Staring at the sheriff, Caleb didn’t answer. Miles could not believe there was a man who was more thirsty than the beasts that sucked blood & life. He again asked curiously, “Did she betray you?”

With his voice echoing, Caleb shouted, “I surrender. Lock me up!”

Staring into the open eyes of the victim, Miles snapped Caleb’s neck within a blink, and while his blood splashed everywhere, he opened his mouth to drink it. As the lukewarm potion touched his tongue, he felt a sign of justice. He bowed his head for the lady who lost her life for a moment before he calmly left.

At prime time, it was announced that an unmarried couple named Caleb & Dorothy, ages 39 and 32, were found dead, killed the Night-dwellers and the Sheriff Miles was appointed to get the perpetrator to justice.

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Credits

This flash fiction was reviewed by R. S. Chintalapati, edited by Aastha Agrawal, proofread by Akansha Pandey, & illustrated by Nisha Yadav.

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