Page 2 of Ghoul Kisses

Finally, Pete breaks the silence by asking me what my dislikes and likes are—the stuff you would ask on a first date. He didn’t offer any information about himself, and a part of me is glad because I couldn’t care less. I don’t plan to see him after tonight. The waitress sets the plate of food in front of me. I break the lobster claw, remove the meat and dip it in garlic butter. Placing the soft meat in my mouth, I revel in the sensation of it melting on my tongue. Butter drips down my chin, and I take a napkin, wiping it away. I eat in silence and finish my wine, the waitress coming by and refilling my glass.

I am ready for this to be over, and fuss at Vanessa about hooking me up with boring men. Don’t get me wrong; Pete is a nice guy, but I can’t see myself sleeping with him. And if I can’t do that, what’s the point of us trying to date? That sounds shallow, but when I find the right guy, I want to be able to crave him, his touch, everything about him, I want to be able to fall so hard for a guy that I get a stupid grin on my face every time I think of him.

“You want to take a walk on the waterfront before ending the night?” he asks, dropping a crisp hundred-dollar bill on the table. I want to refuse, but I don’t want to hurt his feelings. Instead, I nod my head.

We stroll on the sidewalk. From our side of the waterfront, I can see the city lights reflecting off the ocean. It’s a lovely view. Pete grabs my hand, and quickly I pull away not wanting to give him the wrong impression. We continue to walk in silence. My phone dings. I fish for it in my purse and click on the notification button. It’s a message from Vanessa.

How is your date? R U enjoying yourself?

Boring, I’ll tell you about it tomorrow.

I hit the send button.

Okay,

I toss my phone back into my purse.

“Pete, thank you for dinner, but can we finish this another time? I have to start work early tomorrow.” I fake yawn for emphasis.

“Where is the key?” he asks.

“Huh?” I answer, confused.

“The fucking key!” he screams at me. Everything happens so fast. My eyes begin to play tricks on me—his eyeballs turn black, and two pointy teeth protrude from his mouth. I thrust myself in the opposite direction, trying to scream for help, but fear grips my throat. My heart hammers in my chest as adrenaline spikes in my blood. Out of nowhere, Pete stands in front of me, pushes me down on the hard concrete, and crawls on top of me. I slap and punch him in the face, but he doesn’t flinch. He pins my arms above my head.

“Give me the fucking key, bitch!” What the hell is he talking about?

“Nessa has my house key,” I eek out, my voice barely a whisper.

I try to wiggle my way out of his grip, but it is no use. His lips press over my mouth and tears run down my cheeks unchecked. I feel his slimy tongue slithering down my neck, and a sharp, stabbing pain in my neck. A burning sensation crawls through my veins, weakening me further. My vision becomes blurry, and everything goes black.

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