Thirst

The first line of this short story is from the novel, “Snap” by Belinda Bauer.

 

"And the worst thing about it was he had failed just when he needed to make a stunningly good first impression.". And so, he blamed himself as he roamed. This was something he craved. He wanted it from every cell of his blood, from every sinew of his veins, from the depths of his soul, or whatever he had for that. Months of planning all laid to waste.

 

He can still recollect the first time seeing her. She was coming towards him among the crowd. Of course, not to him, but in passing by towards the railway station. He was hooked. As she glided by him, he turned and kept turning. She felt his eyes and turned towards his way but could not notice him. He gave a slight smile, pursed lips hiding his teeth. 

 

He trailed her, hiding in plain sight. Her rosy skin attracted him. He had not been with anyone for quite a while. He was roving alone, the pangs growing stronger. He wanted her to be with him, to be his companion, to be his succour. With her flushed form, he imagined the day when she would join his world, be his support and nourishment and they can forever flit across the worlds.

 

Now he started following her daily. After few weeks, he knew her routine. He planned to bump into her with a reason instead of an excuse. He wanted to make a very good impression the first time. That happened soon one day at dusk.

 

She was walking while talking on her phone. A thief snatched her phone and ran. She fell down and fainted. No one could catch the thief. Or the thief thought so, for he ran faster than anyone else. The thief turned into a dark alley reaching for safety in the darkness but bumped into him. He hit the thief on the face, pulled him towards him and pried the phone from him. While the thief tried to put him on a hold, he bit the thief who in shock let him go and ran away. With the retrieved phone he walked to her. His biting of the thief was on the spur of the moment but made him thirsty.

 

Someone helped her get up and got her water. The crowd went away slowly as she sat in a daze. He returned with the phone and gave it to her. She was surprised.

“Oh! Thanks so much, how could you get it back?”

“I just managed to anticipate well to stop the thief”

“You are bruised and there is blood in the corner of your mouth. Did the thief hit you? You should be going to the doctor”, she fussed over him. He said, “I am thirsty, I’d love to have a drink”.

“Oh, of course, I owe you at least a coffee. I know an old coffee shop nearby”.

“Sure”, he said. He was happy. Nothing better than saving someone their valuables to gain their trust.

 

It was dark now. For a coffee shop, it was surprisingly on the second floor of an old building. Two flights of steep stairs led up to the coffee shop. They started to climb the stairs. She was chatting about her work, her residence etc., mostly as she recovered from the incident. He didn’t care and didn’t listen. Anyway, he knew her well having been her shadow for the past few weeks.

 

His eyes were stuck on her nape. The dank stairs and being alone with her increased his thirst. He thought the going was good. He wanted to avail the moment. Her chatter was a chirping of a bird to him. Pleasant and meaningless.

 

The stairs led suddenly to a landing, sudden because it came into view only on the last few steps. A lonely bulb shone and reflected on a full-length ornate mirror at the entrance of the coffee shop. No one was at the entrance.

 

She said to him by way of chat, “Mirrors at the entrance are good fengshui”. His throat parched, he aware that his thirst was about to be quenched, didn’t say anything. He was waiting for the moment.

 

She was looking at the mirror admiring the gilded frame. With mouth agape, he stretched his arm to draw her into him. She suddenly screamed and with eyes wide, fled into the shop. Her jump and run startled even him. With his open mouth he came upon himself on the mirror. Just as his fangs were visible, his legs were not.