Vampire-Walkers

Inspector Mirza and Sania were at a table in Cafe Coffee. Sania's eyes were filled with tears.

''I'm sorry for your loss.'' The detective said.

Sania nodded her head. Her eyes were on her untouched cup of coffee.

''How about some good news? We found the killer.'' Inspector Mirza said.

''What?'' Sania asked finally looking up at him.

''Forensics are not sure if it is connected to the previous animal attacks. Because it clearly look like a robbery case. Your friend Nayyab Sultan had cuts all over her face. Knife blade cuts, and she also tried to defend herself as there were clear signs of struggle. But no bite marks.'' Inspector Mirza explained.

''How did you find the killer?''

''Found his blood on your friend's knife.''

''Can you tell me his name?'' Sania asked.

''That's strictly confidential.''

''Please...'' She moved closer and put a hand over his.

Mirza thought about it for a moment. ''It's gonna appear on the news tomorrow anyway. His name is Owais Shahid. That mechanic-''

''I know him. He was a friend of my Dad's.'' Sania said interrupting.

''Good.'' Inspector Mirza started drinking his coffee. When he opened his eyes again, Sania was gone.

A middle-aged man was sitting on a banged up sofa in his apartment. He was watching a reality show on TV. His beer belly protruding out his vest.

He wore a sleeveless vest and brown pants. The ginger haired man dug his fingers into the bowl of butter popcorn by his side.

There was a knock on the door.

''Come in. The door's open.'' The middle-aged man said.

The door swung open like a loud flash of lightning. Startled, the skinny man jumped off the couch. The bowl falling on the ground, spilling its contents.

''Ashraf's daughter. You-you scared the shit out of me.''

''Oh really.'' Sania said revealing her razor sharp fangs. her eyes turned a bright shade of red. ''Does this really scare the SHIT out of you?''

Owais's jaw dropped open. He tried to say something but horror caught his throat.

''You-you're the one I've been looking for!'' Owais exclaimed with bliss.

Sania remained unmoved. Her deadly eyes concentrated on the man before her.

''Look I'll show you something.'' He went over to the closet. He took out a pair of fake vampire fangs. He put them on the top of his front teeth.

''See I knew a vampires would come looking for me. That's why I killed all those people like that.'' Owais explained.

Sania's emotions were bursting in on her. She felt an uneasy rage. She wanted to feed!

''Bite me. I want to become immortal.'' Owais told her. He raised his head exposing his neck.

Sania moved closer to him. I'm going to suck the life out of you in one gulp, Sania thought.

''Bite me.'' Owais said. ''Bite me.''

''Sania stop right there!'' A familiar voice exclaimed fron the doorway.

Sania didn't listen. She continued her walk.

''Í listened to everything. You're not a killer Sania. Sure, you're a vampire. But there's a DIFFERENCE.'' Inspector Mirza told her. He raised his pistol at her back.

All of a sudden, she began running to Owais.

''No!'' Inspector Mirza fired his gun. Sania leaped over Owais. The bullet struck him on the chest.

Sania jumped out the closed window leaving shards of broken glass behind. Inspector Mirza checked Owais's pulse. There was none. He quickly looked out the window. The female vampire was nowhere in sight.

Three days later.

The night was warm. Sania invited Mr. Tahir and his wife over for dinner along with Hassan.

''I must say this chicken is delicious.'' Mr. Tahir announced. All of them were seated at the long dining room table.

''Thank you Mr. Tahir.'' Mrs. Ashraf said with a grateful smile.

''That's what I always say about Mrs. Ashraf's cooking.'' Hassan said taking a bite of a fried chicken leg.

''Your never say that.'' Mrs. Ashraf protested.

Everybody laughed. The doorbell suddenly rang. Sania went to answer it.

She opened the door and gasped.

''What's cooking tonigh Dr. Ashraf?'' Inspector Mirza asked with a grin.

''A nice warm BLOOD soup.'' Sania replied revealing her fangs.

''That will do.'' Inspector Mirza also revealed his set of fangs with a smile.

A few weeks later.

‘’Sweet dreams are made of this…’

Who am I to disagree?’’

Marilyn Manson’s song played. Hassan was driving his brown Mazda 6 down the empty countryside rode. He was on his way to Martyr Town. The afternoon sun showered dim sunlight through the windscreen. But his sunglasses blocked the rays.

He turned off the radio and reached for his CDs in the conglomerate glove. He wanted to listen to some romantic tunes to remind of his girlfriend. He took one out then held it in shock. A tired-looking young woman stood in the middle of the road. Suddenly, Hassan managed to turn the steering wheel just in time to miss her. Then he crashed his car into a tree.

***

‘’Miss please take a seat in the waiting area.’’ The male nurse told Sania as he aided in moving the trolley.

‘’B-but-‘’

‘’Please take a seat.’’ The nurse said interrupting her.

She stopped in her tracks. Hassan was carried to the hospital room. He was seriously injured. Sania started weeping in the hallway. Aunt Robina came running to her from behind.

‘’It’s going to be alright Sania.’’ She said hugging her niece.

‘’All this is my fault.’’ Sania sobbed on her aunt’s shoulder. ‘’I should’ve strapped myself to the bed in the first place.’’

Aunt Robina took hold of her face by the side. ‘’Don’t blame yourself. Sleepwalking is a common…umm-‘’

‘’Disease.’’ Sania said hopelessly.

Sania ignored her aunt’s explanations. She looked over her aunt’s shoulder at a close friend who had just entered the ward.

‘’I came as soon as I heard.’’ Inspector Mirza said.

He hugged her. Luckily, Hassan wasn’t there to see the scene.

‘’It’s getting worse day by day Ahsan.’’ Sania whispered in his ear.

‘’Let’s go somewhere quiet.’’ He said.

She wanted to stay and wait for the doctor’s say on her boyfriend’s condition. But she knew that this was more important.

‘’First we’ll go to my house I got to change.’’

She then started following him to the hospital’s exit.

Ahsan stared at the worried expression on Sania’s face. They were at Cafe Coffee. Sania kept swirling the small spoon in her latte. She had barely sipped it.

‘’Did we really have to come to this place?’’ Sania asked.

‘’It’s the best coffee shop in town.’’ Ahsan explained.

She stared out the window. Her translucent skin was glowing against the calm sunlight.

‘’It just reminds m-me of- Nayyab.’’ She said sadly.

Ahsan had forgotten about that incident. ‘’Look, I’m sorry. We can go somewhere else if u like?’’

Sania shrugged her shoulders, ‘’no need.’’

Detective Mirza moved his head closer to her. ‘’Two murders occurred last week.’’

‘’I know.’’

He raised an eyebrow at her.

‘’I did them subconsciously Ahsan.’’

‘’A murder is a murder.’’ Ahsan said shaking his head. ‘’Do you have a better excuse than blaming your subconscious.’’

‘’Have you come here to mock me?’’

‘’I’m trying to help you.’’ Ahsan said. ‘’Don’t you know anyone who could help you?’’

A smile spread across her cute face. ‘’As a matter of fact, I do.’’

‘’Want some coffee dear?’’ Mrs. Tahir asked.

‘’No, thank you, I just drank.’’ Sania said remembering the haunting coffee shop.

She was at the back of Fancy Flower-Shop along with Ahsan and the elderly couple. Both of them were sitting across Mr. Tahir on the small round table.

‘’So we’re having a nice little vampire reunion.’’ Mr. Tahir said pleasantly.

‘’It’s just that there’s nothing nice about it.’’ Ahsan said dryly.

Mrs. Tahir placed a cup of coffee near her husband and sat down beside him.

‘’Dear you look like you haven’t slept in ages.’’ Mrs. Tahir remarked at Sania.

‘’You’ve been walking lately, eh.’’ Mr. Tahir said.

‘’Yes, that’s why we’re actually here.’’ Sania explained. ‘’It’s getting worse Mr. Tahir. I haven’t slept in weeks.’’

‘’You’re a walker. It’s natural.’’

Inspector Mirza slammed his hands on the table. It broke in half because of his vampire strength. Everyone else jumped up. Luckily, Mr. and Mrs. Tahir were holding their cups of coffee when the table broke down.

‘’You call 20 murders natural?’’ Ahsan asked the old man angrily.

Within seconds Ahsan’s back was against the wall. Mr. Tahir held his light-brown long coat’s collar tightly. Their glowing vampire eyes flashing at each other.

‘’Listen here, son. I’m older and stronger than you. Don’t try anything stupid with me.’’ He told him and let go of his collar.

Ahsan dusted off his long coat. His nerves had settled down.

‘’Please excuse my friend Mr. Tahir.’’ Sania said. ‘’He’s just trying to do his job.’’

Mr. Tahir walked to a small book shelf. There was a cabinet underneath it. He opened it and took out something.

‘’Take this.’’ He said handing Sania a thumb-sized bottle containing a glowing green-colored liquid.

A frown spread across her cute face. ‘’You could’ve given this earlier.’’

‘’I had to know if you were ready.’’

‘’I were ready for what?’’

Mr. Tahir’s eyes flashed horrifically against the glass bottle. ‘’Do you have nightmares while you sleep Sania?’’

‘’What-‘’

‘’Well, do you?’’

‘’I used to. But they stopped last week.’’

An eerie silence spread across the room. Both of them were staring seriously into each other’s eyes.

‘’Take this tonight before falling to sleep.’’ Mrs. Tahir said finally.

‘’Okay we’ll be going now.’’ Inspector Mirza said thinking the scene was becoming like a Star Plus drama.

Sania said her goodbyes and started following Ahsan to the door.

‘’Remember one thing.’’ Mr. Tahir warned.

Both Sania and Inspector Mirza turned around.

‘’That if you are really having nightmares. Don’t take the drink.’’

Sania should’ve taken the warning seriously.

‘’Is Hassan alright Aunt Robina?’’ Sania asked through her cell phone.

She had just left the supermarket and entered the outside car parking.

‘’Dear he’s-‘’ her aunt blurted out.

‘’Just tell me the truth.’’ Sania urged.

‘’Hassan’s in a coma dear.’’ Aunt Robina said from the other end.

‘’What-‘’

Something sharp pierced the side of her neck. The cell phone dropped from Sania’s grasp. She turned around holding the pocket knife attached to her bleeding neck. A hooded figure stood in front of her. She couldn’t make out his face in the darkness of the night.

‘’You just made the biggest mistake of your life.’’ Sania said furiously.

She pulled the blade out of her neck and threw it away. Then she lifted the figure up by the front of the jacket. The figure’s hood was pulled back revealing his face. Sania’s bloodshot eyes changed back in shock.

‘’I know you.’’ Sania said.

‘’You killed her!’’ The 20-something year old man exclaimed.

His face was covered by a thin black beard. He had blue eyes and short straight black hair. An expression of fear swept over his face.

‘’You’re Bilawal aren’t you?’’ Sania asked.

Bilawal struggled to get free from her grip.

‘’You’re Nayyab’s fiancé.’’ Sania said.

‘’You mean ex-fiancé.’’ Bilawal corrected.

‘’I didn’t kill her.’’

‘’She told me about you. She saw you sipping money from a blood bag one day. You’re a vampire and a vampire had killed her.’’

‘’That wasn’t me.’’ Sania explained.

She let go of him. He fell on the ground with a loud thud.

‘’Who killed her then?’’ Bilawal asked getting up.

Tears filled her eyes. She turned around to hide them.

‘’Look that guy’s dead. Now just leave me okay.’’ Sania sobbed.

‘’Oh, you could’ve saved her you know.’’ Bilawal said. ‘’You could’ve-‘’

‘’Get out of my face!’’ Sania said turning around and revealing her true vampire face.

Her fangs were clearly visible now. Her eyes had become bloodshot. The fangs shined against the moonlight.

Bilawal ran away from her. She turned around, entered her car and cried all the way home.