Treat or Trick?

The bright moon shone through the open curtains, illuminating the box in the center of the coffee table. The heady scent of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies overwhelmed my senses, and I desperately yearned to reach into the box and grab one. 

What could it hurt, I asked myself. You don’t want to find out, the practical side of my brain responded. 

Just a taste.

No way!

A lick?

Uh uh.

Anger and frustration beat at my core, threatening to overwhelm my sensibilities. It was at that moment that I discovered what triggered the Hunger. Panic replaced anger, as I ran into the kitchen.  Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. I sat on the floor of the pantry, sucking air out of a paper bag.

I don’t know how long I sat there before I fell asleep. I do recall seeing Chester walk past, purring as he rubbed up against the pantry door, pushing it closed and plunging me into darkness. 

The dream came, as it had for the past four days. 

I’m walking through a crowd of costumed party-goers, as laughter and strange music fill my ears. I’m searching for someone. Who?

There, in the corner. Kate is talking to a man. Very tall and lanky, his long black overcoat and shoulder length raven hair create a startling contrast to his ghostly pale skin. I feel myself gasp as he turns to look at me. Piercing blue eyes look directly into my soul, as he draws me across the room. I’m aware of smoke, of a cacophony of noise, but it’s meaningless. I see no one, as his magnetic eyes pull me towards him. I seem to come to myself as I reach the corner where Kate and the dark man are conversing. 

“Lisa!” she says. “I want you to meet Kyle. He’s in my Gothic Novel class. This is his house,” she explains, sweeping her arms around to indicate the space in which we’re standing. I look back at Kyle, intending to thank him for inviting me to the party. As I connect with his eyes, I’m caught again. Up close, I notice how blood-shot those crystal blue eyes are. My breath catches in my throat.

“Hello, Lisa.” His voice is deep and smooth, like melted butter. Kate fades into the background. Only Kyle and I exist. “Will you join me for a drink?” It’s not a request. Unable to refuse, I follow him down a dark hallway, up a curving staircase, and into a small room lined with bookcases. I notice the deep jewel tones of the room as I’m guided to a luxurious brocade sofa. I sit, perched on the edge of the seat, unable to leave and unable to relax. 

“Relax, Lisa. I’m not going to bite you,” he whispers deeply, his eyes serious yet mirthful as he gazes into mine. Was he reading my mind? I settle back into the cushions, very aware that we’ve left the party far behind us. From a crystal decanter on the end table, he pours two goblets of deep, red liquid. “To your health.” He raises his glass in a toast, and touches the crystal to his lips. I raise my goblet and take a sip. At once I’m aware that the rich, metallic taste on my tongue is not wine. Gasping, swooning, I pull the glass away from my lips. “Drink,” he tells me. And I oblige. Then I faint.

I wake to find myself still on the brocade sofa. The curtains are drawn tightly, and the only light comes from a standing brass lamp in the corner. As I sit up, pain slices through my gut, and I cry out before I can stop myself. 

“Did you rest well?” Kyle rises from the chair in front of the lamp. 

His eyes, cold as ice, no longer captivate me as I look at him. “What the hell is going on?” 

“I asked you if you rested well.” His voice, still rich and velvety, now carries an edge of anger.

“What did you do to me?” Panic rises, as the stabbing pains in my stomach intensify. 

“I’ve given you the greatest gift, Lisa. I’ve given you eternal life.” My mind is trying to wrap itself around his words, as I surely feel as though I’m dying.

“Eternal . . . what? What did you give me to drink last night? It wasn’t . . . “ the room begins to spin before I can get the word out.

“Blood? Yes, Lisa, it was. My blood.” 

My stomach twists inside of me, and bile rises in my throat. “Oh, God,” I whisper, just before I pass out again.


A plaintive meow woke me from the dream, and my relief at finding myself lying on the floor of my own pantry was tangible. My hands were shaking as I reached for the pantry door. Searing pain shot through my body as I let a ray of sunlight into the small room. Whimpering, I shut the door again. “I’m sorry, Chester. You’ll have to wait until it gets dark.” My eyes burned, but there were no tears left to cry. 

Weak with hunger, unable to eat, I sat curled in a tight ball next to a large bag of Meow Mix. There was irony there, but I was too fatigued to appreciate it. Five days it had been, since I’d been able to consume anything. My body was dying, though I could not. I drifted in and out of consciousness.

A much older memory, this time. I wake up to the smell of antiseptic and bandages. Through closed eyelids, I can feel the glare of fluorescent lighting. My knee is burning, and it’s with great relief that I open my eyes to find a bandage already in place. 

Miss Harkins, the school nurse, bustles over to my cot. “Your mom is on her way, Lisa. Just rest.” 

I’m puzzled. I remember tripping on the playground, and the feel of the cement as it scraped my knee. I remember sitting up to look at the damage, and then . . . waking up in the nurse’s office. “What happened?” I ask. 

“You fainted, my dear. Jordan said you took one look at your bloody knee, and just crumpled. Mr. D carried you to my office.”

Another memory, just a few years later. A knock on the door awakens me. “Lisa, are you ok in there?” my mother calls to me. 

I’m sitting on the bathroom floor, with my head resting on the toilet seat. Ew!  “I’m not sure.” Is this what I have to look forward to every month? Fainting each time I go to the bathroom?


The ringing of the telephone woke me this time. Was it safe yet? I carefully inched the door open, sighing with relief at the shadowy kitchen beyond. The phone hung on the wall just outside of the pantry. “Hello?” My voice was barely a whisper. 

“Lisa?” It was Kate. “Where have you been? I haven’t seen you since Halloween!” 

Anger seared through my body again, awakening the Hunger. “Your friend, Kyle! He’s a monster!”

“What did he do to you?” The alarm in her voice sounded genuine. “Are you ok? I’m coming over right now!”

Before I could tell her no, she had hung up the phone. 

Rage, fear, Hunger, desire, panic, loneliness. What should I do? Kate was my best friend! What would happen when she walked through that door? The puncture marks on my neck were nearly healed. Perhaps she wouldn’t notice? That was a laugh! I had to tell her, had to warn her. 

When the knock came on the front door, I was ready. “Lisa, open up!  It’s Kate!” 

“Hi, Kate. Will you join me for a drink?”