One of us

The day began like any other. People rushed from place to place, pushing onto subways, snipping at each other for ruffling newspapers.
Lara got to work feeling disheveled and moody. Things had taken a turn for the worse with her boyfriend Ben and she wasn't sure what to do. After six months going strong, thinking he was ‘the one,' she moved in with him. Now they fought over everything. She considered herself low maintenance and didn't need much bathroom time, yet it seemed like he was in there constantly. He liked eating out, but she really wanted to save money and get a car.
She plopped down into her seat with a sigh. It had only been a week; perhaps she just needed time to adjust. Maybe this was why the divorce rate was so high, people couldn't live together. Or maybe it wasn't true love, she thought as a gorgeous bike rider sauntered in through the door and smiled at her.
He had long curly hair that was wild, despite being pulled back in a pony tail. His teeth were sharp and pearly white. He reminded her of Red Riding Hood's wolf.
She signed for a small envelope without looking at it. Something about him captivated her, something familiar.
"You're not very happy," he said in a low, gruff voice.
"It's that obvious?"
"Many people aren't, but it's not that hard."
In speaking with him, she felt a connection that could only be described as sexual. He leaned close enough for her to feel his breath on her face.
He smelled familiar.
"How do you do it?" She finally said. Her boss, Mr. Blackman glared at her from behind the glass that separated them. For once, she wasn't worried.
The man took her hand. He felt warm, almost hot to the touch, but she didn't mind.
"Embrace change. Don't hold back." For a second, the scruff on his face reminded her of an animal and she had the thought, we are all animals. What are we trying to prove in this world of glass and steel?
Before she realized what was happening, he bit her gently on the wrist. The pain was quick. Delicious. His saliva entered her bloodstream and it was though she could taste his essence. Animal. She fell back into her seat, quivering. There was a howl in her ears, a beckoning toward something primal, something ancient. He turned to leave.
"Who are you?" She whispered breathlessly.
"My name is Jacob. You are one of us now. You will survive."
"Survive what?" With a wink, he was gone.
"What's the matter with you?" Her boss glared from the doorway of his office. His balding, portly shape was more of a nuisance than any real threat.
"Nothing, Mr. Blackman."
"I don't pay you to flirt."
She turned back to her computer, annoyed. He treated everyone like dirt.
That afternoon at lunch, people were acting strangely. Most people moved quickly to and
from their destinations, but she felt no urge to rush. Every now and then she caught the eye of a man or woman who smiled at her knowingly. Her wrist was marked by Jacob's teeth, and she felt her heart beating inside the tiny wounds, but it was not painful.
It actually felt very good.
When she returned to her desk, she called Ben, who was home sick with the flu.
"Did you hear the news," he sniffled. "Four people were found dead near Bethesda Fountain." He turned the television up and she heard something along the lines of "bodies...torn apart..." She found herself giggling, unable to control it. "You think that's funny?" Ben said through a stuffed nose.
"I don't know," she murmured thoughtfully.
"Well, come right home after work," he said urgently. "I have a bad feeling about this."
The strange thing was that Lara didn't. "Okay," she lied. He probably just wanted her to come home and take care of him.
As if he read her mind, he said softly, "I know this past week's been hard, but we'll get through it. I love you."
The words didn't come as easily as before, but she whispered it back and hung up.
She thought about Jacob all afternoon and even considered trying to find him. Her bite wound had completely healed and she couldn't stop touching it.
As she was on the subway riding home, she hoped he would come again tomorrow. A young girl with red hair was staring at her and she looked up. The girl had a certain something that reminded her of Jacob, but she couldn't place it.
Suddenly the train stopped and there was a loud noise and a rumble. People screamed, but somehow she had expected it.
An announcement came over the loudspeaker. "Ladies and Gentlemen, due to debris on the train track, we are momentarily delayed. Please be patient."
The lights flickered on and off again and there was the unmistakable sound of an explosion above them. There were sounds of screams and mutterings of terrorism. A baby in a stroller started wailing with all her lungs. The red haired girl approached Lara and she realized why she was reminded of Jacob.
Her face was covered with a similar type of scruffy hair. Her nose was slightly elongated and much pinker than a human nose should be. Despite the mutterings of worried passengers behind them, the girl was smiling.
"You know there's nothing to fear, right?"
Lara nodded. Although she couldn't put it into words, she knew everything was just fine.
"You're one of us. You're a lanugo and you will soon begin to crave human flesh. Let me see your teeth."
She was already craving something. She showed the young woman her teeth and was met with a loving hand on her head. "Yes. By tonight you will be ready to eat."
"What does that mean? Lan?"
"Lanugo? We are the next species of mankind. We've been growing slowly over the last couple of years, but more quickly these past few weeks. I'll explain more later." Men with flashlights had arrived on the outside of the subway. They pried open the doors and began helping passengers out of the subway cars.
Lara followed the mystery woman toward rescue. "What's your name?"
"It used to be Josephine, but in the new world I'm going to call myself Malika."
They were last to leave the car. An overweight, balding MTA employee helped Malika down by grabbing her waist. "Watch it, fatty," she threatened. "This is no time to be a perv." The man rolled his eyes and grabbed Lara in a similar way. She lost her shoe almost immediately in muck.
"Shine your flashlight over here," she requested, trying to balance on her other foot.
"We gotta get out of here," the man grunted. "City's in total chaos."
As if to illustrate his point, another explosion was heard right above them. People in the distance screamed and scrambled toward the subway platform, a short distance ahead of them.
"Come on girls," the fat man said urgently.
"No, you stay here," Malika said and grabbed him by the hair. She bit into his neck, tearing a huge chunk of flesh from it. He tried to scream, but it was garbled. Malika motioned for Lara to join. "You're premature, but give it a taste."
It was wonderful. Lara had never tasted such tender, succulent flesh. There was a howling in her ears, a calling back toward something primordial.
After they feasted, they made their way to the platform. "You have a choice now. You can devour a life, just like that, or you can turn others instead. Watch this." A handsome police officer had rushed to the edge and quickly helped them up. He shouted into a walkie talkie, "I got two more down here. The look badly hurt, covered in blood!"
He was confused by Malika's smile, and even more perplexed when she eased up next to him in a sexy way and kissed him full on the lips. After a second, he kissed her back, pulling her even closer. She pulled away, biting him gently on his lower lip.
His hands went to his face and he touched his mouth curiously.
"Thank you, Officer Thomas," Malika said and turned to leave.
"Call me Tom," the man said dumbly as the girls walked out of the station, hand in hand.
"Will he find us again?" Lara asked.
"Hopefully," Malika said. "He was cute."
Out on the street, Greenwich Village was completely leveled. All of the stores had been decimated and nothing was left standing. For some reason, this didn't bother Lara one bit. She knew that man made buildings had to be destroyed for nature to finally take herself back. The area was deserted, except for a human skeleton and another body that had been half devoured. Lara wondered if it was even worth it to try to find Ben at the apartment. It probably wasn't even standing anymore.
The sun was setting as they headed toward the Hudson River, passing a creature that was more beast than man. He bit into the face of a screaming teenage girl, silencing her immediately. He snarled at them and Malika walked a little faster.
The water flowed as it always has and always would.
"What happens next?" Lara wondered aloud.
"Well, chances are, we change until we're more animal than human, like that Lanugo we just passed. It's all about survival anyway."
The further they got downtown, the more people they saw that were like them. They were welcomed, hugged and kissed by strangers. Everyone danced in the rising moonlight. Another fully developed Lanugo appeared, holding an unconscious girl over his shoulder. He looked familiar, but before she could think, everyone pounced on the teenager and tore her to bits. Lara quickly grabbed for what she could. She savored the tender muscles of the girl's leg and before long, only bones remained.
The dancing continued. Lara dozed for a bit, satisfied, until she woke up to yet another cheer. The fully grown Lanugo appeared again and this time she recognized Jacob right away. He held another victim over his shoulder, a small boned young man.
Lara recognized Ben over Jacob's shoulder in a weakened state, fighting dully to get away. Her lover's eyes caught hers for a fleeting moment. He was terrified. Before Jacob could tear into his flesh, a noise shot through the air and everyone turned. Past the ruins of a stone fountain, another group had thrown a hand grenade. Everyone scattered as the explosion tore a hole in the middle of the street.
Lara picked herself up and looked around wildly. In the distance, Jacob was still clutching Boris and bent toward him, teeth exposed. A loud growl came from her throat and she lunged toward them. She looked Jacob fiercely in the eye. He stood back.
She took Ben's hand in hers and bit him as gently as she could. He writhed around as she savored the smallest sample of his salty blood. Then she let him go. Breathing heavily he pulled away and looked at her, free hand covering the bleeding one.
Jacob gave her a grisly smile and loped away.
Another grenade shattered the ground around them. Boris followed Lara toward their kind who had already pounced on the newcomers, tearing the screaming men apart.
Lara was not Lara anymore. Ben would become something similar; something animal. But first, he had to eat.



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