“But, seriously, Tom, how do YOU do it?” Marvin asked as he placed an arm over his wife’s shoulders.
Tom cradled his trophy in one arm while the other one grabbed a drink from a passing waiter. “I’ll tell you my secret,” Tom took a drink before he continued, “but I’m afraid I’ve to kill you and stuff you as well.”
Everyone laughed. Marvin patted him on the shoulder. That joke always was a crowd pleaser. Tom smiled his thin smile at them.
***
Tom twisted open the knob as Jessica was telling him some joke from her childhood. He pushed open the door and flicked the lights open. The two stepped inside and Tom heard the girl gasped.
“What do you think?” He askedsmiling.
Jessica spun around, eyes landing on stuffed animal after stuffed animal. A great grizzly was standing, with paws raised, by the door. At the foot of the stairs, there were two wolves—faces snarling, teeth bared, bodies poised to attack mode. On top ofthe fireplace was a king cobra, its body coiled and its head raised. All inall, Tom had thirty two stuffed animals scattered throughout his abode—all of them of the predatory kind.
“Tom, this is amazing,” Jessica said in a hushed voice. “Were you also the one who caught them all?”
“My dad used to tell me that if a man wants things to be done perfectly, then he should be the one doing it,” Tom answered.
“How?” Jessica asked, with her back facing Tom.
Tom removed his glasses and wiped them with the sleeve of his shirt. “You really want to know? It’s simple really. I’m what you may call as a minimalist,” Tom answered, placing back his glasses. “I don’t use knives or chemicals or what-have-you in stuffing these animals. I use the gifts I have.” Tom reached for a syringe in the left pocket of his corduroy pants.
“And what are these gifts?” Jessica asked, turning around to face him.
In one swift motion, Tom had his right hand on Jessica’s mouth as the other hand plunged the syringe in the girl’s neck. The effect was immediate. Jessica’s body fell limp to Tom’s hands.“I’ll show you,” Tom whispered to his unconscious prey.
***
Jessica opened her eyes. Her hands and legs were bound by thick rope. She was lying on a stone, cold table. Jessica cried for help until her voice became hoarse and her throat hurt. No one came except Tom. He looked at her with his cold, blue eyes. He smiled. Jessica shook her head as she begged for him not to hurt her. Tom shushed him as he opened his mouth. His teeth grew sharp as his face grew longer. His ears grew pointed and the skin on his face seemed to melt. His eyes turned from blue to the color of rust.
Jessica could feel Tom’s calloused hands forcing her own mouth open. She saw Tom’s face drawing closer and closer until his lips were touching hers. She felt Tom sucking her life’s essence out of her body. She felt him pulling it out forcefully. Jessica struggled to escape, but slowly, slowly, her body grew rigid until she was no longer able to move. Tears froze in her cheeks as the last of her life’s essence was sucked out. Jessica’s face was frozen mid shout—her eyes reflecting fear and death, her very expression reflecting sheer terror.
Tom changed back to his human form. He dabbed his lips with a handkerchief then proceeded to remove, one by one, the ropes that bound Jessica. He estimated he had sucked out roughly about five years from the girl. Not bad. At most, animals were able to give him a year. Tom whistled as he carried Jessica’s body upstairs for display.
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©2012 JB Lacaden
Website: http://www.jblearnstowrite.com/
A writer who’s just recently trying to release his work into the world. I love writing fantasy and horror (as much as I love reading them).
