It was 7 a.m. when Grace Mulligan finally managed to pull herself from her slumber. She needed to get to work by 10 a.m. She slowly opened her eyes to a room glowing in the early morning sunlight and smiled as her bedroom came into full view. She felt energized. She felt refreshed. The feeling of bliss seemed to fill every inch of her being. She would take her time getting to work today.
Grace had already climbed from her bed and was beginning to stretch when she realized her bedroom window was open. She stopped mid-stretch as a chill ran down her spine. The blood instantly left her face as she stared at the open window.
“Oh no. Please don’t let this be real”, she mumbled as her heartrate increased. She didn’t want to see the damage, but her curiosity got the best of her. After all, it’s probably a good idea to know just how bad it’s getting. She slowly rose and walked to the flat screen mounted in her front room. Picking up the remote from the coffee table, she switched the tv on and clicked through the channels until she found the local news.
A young, bright eyed man whom Grace could only assume had enough gel in his hair to supply a small hair salon in order to keep his hair in that ridiculous style appeared on the screen. He looked like a cheap Elvis impersonator to her. She couldn’t help but notice how the blonde of his hair made him look like he had a fresh beach bum tan. The idea of the cost of the bottle that this color came from made the corner of Grace’s mouth curl.
Her focus shifted from the reporter’s overpriced hairdo to the image that appeared beside his face. It was an image of red paint splattered all over a dumpster behind a local coffee shop. Grace simply shook her head as she mentally tried to picture the young, pimple-faced teens that made this mess in the name of acceptance. If only they could see now what they would see in the future. The kids who dared them to do this would grow up to be homeless bums or drug addicts. A crowd this poor kid that made this mess would grow up to be the polar opposite of. Grace could only hope this kid, whoever it was, would want nothing to do with the downfall that comes with either of those lifestyles.
The reporter began to say that the images that were about to be shown were disturbing and that any young children or those sensitive to violent images should leave the room immediately. Grace increased the volume and listened as she realized the dumpster with the graffiti all over it was actually a dumpster with blood and pieces of a local realtor all over it. The reporter stated that this seemed to be an animal attack due to the jagged appearance of the wounds. He continued by stating the coroner wasn’t sure what kind of animal could have caused this kind of damage due to the severity of the wounds. Wolves and bears weren’t common sightings in this area, but he assured his viewers this was being investigated. The screen was then filled by a slideshow of bloody photos of the scene. As each picture flashed on the screen, Grace found herself feeling an overwhelming feeling of hunger. She began to get the urge to go grocery shopping for a ribeye. Actually, the blonde reporter looked as though he had very healthy veins. This is the real reason she loved watching him every morning. She was admiring the one restaurant at which she knew she couldn’t afford to dine.
Just watching him gave her the dirtiest thoughts. She glanced at the clock as she briefly considered a quick hunt before work. She didn't have time so it would just have to wait. She pulled her coiled hair into a high bun and grabbed a light jacket from the hall closet before heading out the door.
The trip to The Weekly Review was a two hour trip into the city, but it was time well spent as far as Grace was concerned. She enjoyed the smell of fresh blood flowing through the veins of the nice gentleman across from her. She imagined her teeth sinking into his neck and her mouth filling with his blood. These thoughts aroused her and she grinned as a soft moan escaped her.
Two hours later the steps of her day job were in front of her. She was the editor-in-chief of The Weekly Review. She spends her days using red ink to mark all over the words of the overly optimistic writers that want to be the next Stephen King. It wasn’t a hard job, but it was tedious and Grace had a hard time working with red ink. The sight of it screamed at her from the white paper. The images from this morning’s new report flashed in her mind again. She tapped her pen rapidly on her desk and she began to pant lightly. Her dark brown eyes slowly morphed to the green of a reptile. Her gums began to itch and she felt the familiar feeling of her fangs beginning to form.
She began to panic. She couldn’t be seen like this at work so she left her desk quickly and ran to the women’s room. When she entered, there was a young intern washing her hands. Grace slowed her pace to a calm glide. The intern glanced at her and offered a brief greeting Grace stayed silent and approached from behind. This felt so right. Grace couldn’t help herself even though she knew what she was doing was wrong. She cups her hand around the intern’s mouth. She felt her body tense and the smell of blood filled her nostrils. She smiled as she watched the intern’s reflection in the mirror as her body fought to be free. Grace was pretty sure this young girl had been addressed as Anna. It didn’t really matter, but something about eating someone without knowing their name just didn’t sit right with her.
Grace slowly uncovers the intern’s mouth and asks what her name is. The frightened, pale faced girl caught her breath and whispered, “Anna. My name is Anna. Plea…” her mouth was covered again. Good. Her memory had served her well. Now Anna would serve her well. She inhaled the scent of Anna’s freshly washed hair and slowly tilted her head to the side. Grace allowed her teeth to sink slowly into Anna’s neck. When Grace had her fill of blood, she waited until the intern's body was limp before propping her body in an empty stall, locking the door and maneuvering her own body underneath the stall door. She hurried to the cleaning closet in the hallway near her office and grabbed four garbage bags. She quickly tucked them under her arm and returned to her feast.
Grace grabbed Anna’s cold leg and began to chew through it. She would be saved for later. Once the entire body was disassembled, it was placed in a total of four large garbage bags and stored behind a local restaurant near a dumpster. Once the body was hidden, Grace returned to her office and finished editing the final submissions for the day. She then took the two hour return trip home to her quiet apartment. When she unlocked her front door and entered, she was greeted by a flashing answering machine. It was ignored. There were more important things to focus on rather than a whining college intern demanding an explanation for being overlooked for publication.
Grace felt as though she was being watched, but ignored the feeling because the apartment smelled familiar to her. It smelled like her. Maybe a slight unfamiliar smell, but nothing alarming. She went to the fridge and grabbed a ginger ale. As she turned to head upstairs, she saw him.
“Well, if it isn’t Grace Mulligan. You've changed quite a bit since I last saw you. You’re looking even more beautiful than I remember”. His smile slowly stretched across his face as he watched her eyes.She would be changing soon. He could always tell by her eyes. He just had to make sure to look away in time. She really was a beautiful woman, but he knew she was a monster. He couldn’t love a monster.
Grace’s body was tense for a moment until she realized who was in her home. Her body relaxed as she focused in on his face. The only one she couldn’t have. Craig Winters. Her creator. The only one who really knew what she was. The only one she could never have. The one responsible for what she was. The corners of her mouth began to curl as she thought about the price of the bottle the color of his blonde hair was dispensed from. The thought disgusted her. She glanced at his neck and focused on how quickly his neck was throbbing. She could smell the fear coming from his pores.
“Hello, Craig. Great coverage of that dead body this morning. You looked handsome on the screen as always. It’s great to see you again” She used her most charming smile. Craig’s heart melted at the sight of it, but he had to be firm. Things were really getting out of hand.
“Grace. This has to stop. I’m here to warn you. It’s getting out of control.” He stands from the chair he was sitting in and brushed past her. She smelled of death. She must have had her recent kill. He was sure he would be reporting it on the news the next day. He opened her apartment door to leave, but first he turned to Grace and simply looked at her face one last time. Her eyes were a soft green and he could see a hint of her fangs. He glanced at the moon as it’s light entered the apartment. He nodded his head briefly and shut the door behind him.
Grace stood there in silence for the next five minutes before her stomach began to pull her forward. She howled softly and leaped through the open window, disappearing into the night.
As dawn nears, an officer drives past an alley near a local restaurant. He comes to a screeching halt when he realizes what he sees is a dismembered body that wild animals had been chewing on. Backup is called and by 7am, as Grace Mulligan is pulling herself from her slumber to prepare for another day at work, Craig Winters is reporting yet another discovery of a dismembered body behind a local dumpster.
Mid-stretch, Grace noticed her window was open. Her heartrate increased and the familiar chill ran down her spine. Her palms began to sweat and her stomach growled as she stared at the open window.
