Draculas

"Help my Dad. Please help him."

"Can you hear me, sir?"

Glassy eyes. No response.

The man needed a transfusion, but the hospital's blood bank was in the basement, and even if she made a run for it, and survived the dracula gauntlet, there was no guarantee the man would still be alive by the time she got back.

Je

Her finger attacked the keypad over the lock, punching in the four digit code by memory.

A red light came on, and an unpleasant raspberry buzz indicating she'd gotten it wrong.

She tried it again, slower this time.

Another raspberry. They had changed the code. Son of a--

"Lady, can you help me find my mommy?"

Je

"Randall! I need to get this door open!"

His head cocked up at the sound of her voice, and after tossing another chair onto the pile he limped over, pulling a screwdriver off of his tool belt.

"Dad! DAD!"

Je

"Got it!" Randall had jammed his screwdriver into the door jamb and popped the lock.

But it was too late. Even if Je

She walked to the teen, put a hand on his shoulder, and then he hugged her legs, squeezing them hard as he cried.

"Ah, shit," Randall said, noticing the dead man.

Je

"You need to clear a path to one of the doors, so we can drag this man out of here, before he turns into..."

Her voice trailed off, but Randall got the point, limping back to the barricade he'd made. Je

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Peter. Peter Bernacky."

"Peter, my name is Je

"He's...dead..."

"I know he's dead. But I need you to be strong for me. See those little kids sitting by the window? They're really scared right now. Can you help me try to calm them down?"

Peter nodded, and Je

"Please help me find my mommy. One of the monsters took her away." The little girl was tugging on her uniform.

"I'll help in a second, sweetie. But first I need to help Randall. I'll just be a second."

Her husband had pushed aside the pile of chairs, returning access to the door. Checking to make sure Peter wasn't watching, she wrapped her hands around his father's collar and began to drag him toward the exit. He was a man of average size, but the blood loss not only made him lighter, but functioned as a lubricant. She managed to get him three quarters of the way there by herself, and then Randall joined her.

They tugged the dead man into the hall, outside the picture window.

"We can't leave him here," Je

"We'll take him around the corner. He won't be able to--"

"Mommy!"

The little girl sprinted past, beelining down the hall.

Je

"I've got to get her, Randall."

"I'll get her. You're staying here."

"Randall..."

Randall shoved her back into the room, then limped off after the child.

Damn him. He probably won't even be able to catch her with that bad leg.

What a stupid, stubborn, selfless fool.

"Randall!" she called out after he rounded the corner. "Be careful! I..."

She almost said I love you, but stopped herself. Old habits die hard. Though, if she were forced to tell the truth in a court of law, Je

Staring down the hallway, she wondered if she should have just said it.

Wondered if she'd ever get another chance.

Squeak...

Squeak...

Squeak...

It was such a familiar sound. Je

What could it be?

Then Je

Be

She took a fearful look behind her and saw him standing at the other end of the hallway. Just standing there, watching her, his clown outfit drenched in gore. The dracula teeth had broken through his lips and cheeks. But, incredibly, he still wore the red clown nose and the fright wig.

Squeaksqueaksqueaksqueaksqueak!

The clown sprinted at her, its hands outstretched, talons wiggling. Je

--on Peter's dead father. Be

"Help me! Everyone, help!"

Peter and one of the boys began to stack chairs against the door. The others watched through the picture window as Be

When the door was as secure as Randall had had it, Je

"Miss, you need to be quiet. You're upsetting the--"

"What is that terrible clown doing?" the Grandmother cried.

Je

Familiar knots.

"Is that...a flamingo?" asked the old woman.

Je

One of the boys passed out.

The screaming woman passed out.

The old woman threw up, her dentures plopping into the puddle of puke.

Besides the flamingo, Be

"Get away from here! Get away from us, you fucking evil clown!"

Be

Then Be

A moment later, the clown was gone, his oversized shoes squeak-squeaking down the hallway...