The Curse by Gerald Esposito

(7 ratings) Rate this Story (5 best) 1 2 3 4 5

His mouth had pulled back at the corners. His ears were now pointed. His eyes had sunken deeper into their sockets. All in all he had the impression that his face resembled a sickly combination of a rodent and a death's head. Needless to say, it was not the sort of face one was anxious to share with the living. His glowing yellow eyes were constantly on the lookout for someone to help dull the wracking pain in his body. He knew they could not be too strong, lest they be able to struggle and fight him off. The emaciated condition of his limbs afforded him no musculature to speak of, so any person of average strength could shrug him off like a loose fitting garment. A sleeping person was ideal provided that they did not wake up when he availed himself of their services. Drunkards were adequate, but he always felt lightheaded after they assisted him. Thankfully he was able to sniff out those unlucky souls who's blood was tainted by disease. The irony of that notion always amused him. He was concerned about their impurities. Now and then he had to resort to allowing children to assist him. He simply told himself that he was helping to take them away from their miserable life in the street, but that rationale always rang hollow. He hated doing it. After all, if he was doing them a favor, they would not whimper and cry the way they did.
Movement at the mouth of a dark alley caught his eye momentarily, but it was only a cat who like himself was prowling for it's evening meal. After some experimentation he learned that animals were unable to offer assistance to him. He could certainly partake of what they had to offer, but it would not sustain him. Apparently there was some special nutrient that only a person could provide. After a few more minutes search, he encountered something that looked promising. The doors of the building were marked with bright red cross symbols. A hospital. While the majority of the occupants would undoubtedly be useless to him due to the poisoning effect of the illnesses in their blood, there was bound to be someone who was recovering. After the latest wave of the plague swept the continent all facilities of this sort had become obsessed with cleanliness and fresh air. To that end, windows were left open a bit to allow air to circulate.
As quietly as possible, he managed to raise the sash, and with his ancient bones throbbing in pain, climbed into the hospital window. He landed with a thud and let out a low raspy groan. Listening for approaching footsteps he heard nothing and silently crept down the corridor. Like a living shadow, the creature slithered along the wall, sniffing the air. A diabolical smile curled over his features as he sensed something familiar and inviting. The next room contained what he sought. A woman was sleeping very soundly. He watched the almost hypnotic movements of her chest rising and falling. The woman had beautiful porcelain skin with long, rich chestnut colored tresses. He knew that what he needed lurked just beneath her smooth, luxuriant skin. A dull throb began to beat in his mouth.