Shorty the Vampire

From the moment they met Anne didn’t like her. Was it her flawless face? Her ghastly pink hair? Her crimson dress?

This woman was her friend, Paul’s girlfriend. Her name was Amelia, but Paul, and everyone else called her Amy. He had invited Amy to the 21st party of Anne's close friend, Chloe.

Anne glared at Shorty, as she preferred to call her since she was a foot shorter than Paul. The vessels in her temples pulsed as they smiled at each other. Her nostrils flared as they tickled each other, and her fists clenched as they kissed.

Anne's attention shifted to the table at her side. There was a knife sitting next to the cake. The temptation to grab it and slash Shorty’s throat was growing.

As soon as she approached it, the temptation disappeared. She believed it was because of looking over at the cake. The cake had twenty one written on it and was made to look like Yoshi. It made her anger disappear looking at it. The night was already amazing, from catching up with her old friends, to the mix of old and new songs. She didn't want to ruin the evening by slashing someone’s throat.

Thirty sets of eyes would witness if she slashed Shorty. All these friends of hers would be gone if she did that. She’d have to avoid Paul and Shorty to stop herself.

Anne's thoughts were interrupted.

'A beautiful cake isn't it?' It was Erin.

Anne was unsure what to say back at first. Shorty was still on her mind, but talking about the cake would help soothe her.

She replied with a fake smile. 'It is. I'm, like, actual jealous I didn't get this cake for my birthday.'

It worked. Erin didn’t pick her true thoughts. 'She originally wanted a Zelda one, but changed when she saw Yoshi.'

She may have not liked Erin much, but it took her mind off Shorty.

'Aren't you happy that Paul has finally got a girlfriend?' Erin asked.

'I guess. Need to get to know her a bit more first.'

That one sentence made her want to shit. It would be a great way of ending the conversation.

'The two of them, oh my God, they’re, like, perfect for each other. She’s as nerdy as he is, and just as funny too.'

She wished she could shit on the floor and say that’s how she thought about Shorty.

'Be back soon,' she replied.

Anne went to the toilet. While washing her hands she stared at herself in the mirror.

The horrid horn rimmed glasses remained glued to her face. Her hair was a frizzy mess, the same colour as the load she left in the bowl. Many of the guys she had met were turned off because of her dorky appearance. Her friends said those guys were fucktards.

The only guy to have ever said she was pretty was Paul who, like her, had a mess of frizzy hair and glasses.

Paul had asked her out numerous times, but always declined. She liked him, but didn’t want to date him.

Then this Shorty woman came into the picture. Anne had heard everything about Shorty from Paul. At first she was happy that Paul had finally found a girl who would date him. It meant his attention was away from her. That had all changed when she met her earlier that night.

Seeing her in person was awkward. She sensed in her eyes that there was something not right. She saw evil intentions behind them. But that was nothing though compared to the smile Shorty had given her.

Anne wasn’t sure if she was hallucinating or not. Did she see fangs in Shorty's mouth? Was Shorty a vampire? She called herself crazy for believing that, and reminded herself that vampires were not real. But the thought didn't leave her mind.

Anne returned to the party. She scanned the room for Paul and Shorty. She saw them on the other side of the room.

They were sitting with some of Paul's friends, singing along to Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’.

Her temples pulsed again. At one point she thought Shorty hissed at her through those fangs. She became eager to slash her.

Chloe came up behind her.

'Feeling alright?' Chloe asked.

'Feeling fine,' Anne replied. She faked a smile.

'Awesome, I thought you'd left.'

'No, just needed to pretty up.'

Anne loved Chloe, but she couldn't stand the smell of her breath. It reeked of cheap wine. That smell was the reason she rarely ever drunk alcohol, although seeing Shorty stick her tongue down Paul's throat made alcohol sound good.

A drink would definitely help. She thought one of the beers the guys were drinking would do. She liked the taste of beer, but not as much as the bottle. She liked how good it’d look smashed against Shorty’s face.

A small smile appeared on her lips. She imagined the sound the glass would make as it shattered across Shorty's face, and the aftermath. Seeing the glass lodged in her face and eyes. Anne wondered how much blood would trickle out. She might even shove some in Shorty's mouth and make her swallow it. It’d stop her throat kissing Paul. No longer would she be sweet little Amy; she would be hideous to all who laid eyes on her.

Chloe interrupted again. 'I think Paul and Amy are, like, the cutest couple ever.'

Anne gave another false smile. 'I think so too.'

'Paul would be so happy to hear-'

Chloe stopped talking as her Mum walked in.

Anne looked at Chloe's Mum. She stood five foot nine, was plump and had a flow of blonde hair. She appeared as an older version of Chloe.

Anne watched as she lit the candles on the cake. As she did so, Anne scoped the room. She saw everyone stop their conversations and turn towards the cake. Paul and Shorty stopped eating each other's faces and approached.

Paul flashed a smile and she returned it. When Shorty smiled she brought up a fake one. Anger once again infested as Paul and Shorty stood next to her. The urge to slash Shorty’s throat grew. She did all she could to hold it back.

The candles were lit and the lights in the room had been turned off. The whole room started to sing 'Happy Birthday' to Chloe. She joined in too, in an attempt to forget all about Shorty for a few more seconds.

As they neared the end of the song, Anne glanced over to Paul and Shorty. Horror lit her face at what she saw. Shorty's lips were red - blood red. The fangs hung from her mouth, doused in red too. She was right; Shorty was a vampire in disguise, and her victim was Paul.

'Bitch.'Anne muttered.

At the second "hip hip", she tore the knife from Chloe's hand, and instantly slashed it across Shorty's throat.

Her blood exploded all over the room. It covered Anne, Chloe, and the cake. The cheers turned to ear shattering screams, most coming from Chloe.

Anne screamed, 'fucking die, you bloodthirsty bitch!'

She rubbed the blood from her eyes and stared into Shorty's. They were cold and lifeless. Blood flowed to the floor from the gash in her neck. Shorty lost balance and fell to the carpet, into a pool of her blood.

Anne took a breath and exhaled. She had finally done it. She had sliced that vampire bitch’s throat, and saved Paul from her wrath. Her hair was no longer pink. Never again will she be called sweet little Amy. A small smile appeared on her face again. It quickly vanished as she looked up at the others at the party.

The party had gone dead silent. Everyone was looking at her in anger and horror. She felt tightly gripped hands wrapped around her arms.

Anne was confused.

'What?' She asked.

A single teardrop fell from Paul’s eye. It landed by Shorty.

He slapped her face. 'You fucking bitch. You fucking killed her.'

'I had too, she was a vampire.' A stinging sensation appeared on her cheek.

More tears fell from his eyes. 'What the fuck are you talking about?'

Anne considered what to say for a moment. 'I...saw her fangs. I saw blood on her lips, and on her fangs. I...thought -'

'Thought what? That she had bitten me? That she was drinking my blood?'

'Y...yes.'

'Look down by your feet, then look in her mouth.'

Anne looked down. Blood was creeping towards her. The hands from her friends grasping her loosened. Beside her feet was lipstick. She picked it up and rubbed a bit of it onto the back of her hand. She gasped at it's glistening blood red colour.

She bent down and looked into Shorty's mouth. Her teeth were stained with blood and lipstick, but displayed no vampire fangs.

No, Anne thought.

She swore that she saw fangs on Shorty. Had she been that disillusioned about hating Shorty that she saw fangs?

Her hands trembled as she rose. She stared at them. They were covered in Shorty's blood. Innocent human blood covered her hands.

'No.' Anne said. Tears rolled down her stinging face. 'What have I done?'

Paul answered for her. 'You’ve murdered Amy, that's what you've fucking done.'

She looked up at Paul. An apology was on the tip of her tongue, but she knew it would be pointless. How can she apologise for killing his girlfriend? How could she apologise for murdering someone?

Anne couldn't take it anymore. She ran from the room and out of the house.