My Date with Shadowcat313

One could come across all kinds of strangers in the city, from the crazy old man who pushed his shopping cart down the alleyways, collecting his treasures from the dumpsters, to the gangs who shot rival gang members daily, to the black-clad goths who routinely his their faces with death masks. Everybody had something to prove, it seemed. So when I met this woman online, I took it in stride, even though she could in reality be somebody completely different. She had downloaded a picture of herself posing on a metal bench, looking directly at the camera. If the person I was chatting with was the same woman, then I had hit the jackpot. Tall, with dark brown hair tied back in a strip of leather, violet eyes, beautiful lips that seemed ever pouty. The dark clothes she wore hid a lot of her body, but I was very interested just from her face.

When I first started chatting with her exclusively, she had begun with a message, which simply, yet cryptically, stated: I have a Secret for you...

We had seemed to get along in the public chats, so I figured, it's not as if I was dating anybody, and I'd been so bored, working the crappier jobs of construction, coming to my one-bedroom apartment, so I went with it. I typed:

Is it a big secret?

With her user name, Shadowcat313, was her response:

Quite!

My user name was Concretejungle0490. I typed:

Don't keep me in the dark, Nickie!

S: Funny you should say it like that...

C: Come on, tell me!

S: Okay, but don't freak out, okay?

C: That depends on the secret.

A few minutes passed by before she responded.

S: I want us to meet.

I stopped. I had seen plenty of the news stories discussing online predators, and knew that this kind of thing could be dangerous. But it was much less common for a person to pick a grown man as prey. With my construction job came plenty of manual labor, so I had built up plenty of muscles. I would be twenty-one in almost a month. I decided that it might be interesting, if nothing else, and if the person suggesting this was an online predator, he or she would be more than a little reluctant about me. So...

C: Somewhere public would be okay.

S: There's a coffee shop over on Fifth. Do you know it?

C: The one next to the bakery?

S: Yup

I hesitated a few seconds, and then typed in an affirmative.

S: Eight thirty tonight?

'So soon?' I thought, and then shrugged. Best to get it out of the way.

C: Eight thirty is good.

S: C U There!

The private chat notified me that she had logged off, so I did the same. Looking at the time on the menu bar on my computer, I saw that I had a few hours. I made a small snack of a bowl of popcorn, watched a movie on TV, and waited for eight o'clock. I quickly began to have doubts about meeting someone I had met online. It could be anybody, just making up stories. Or worse, it could be some pervert. But I had agreed to it, so I'd see it through. The movie ended, and though I'd seen it before and liked it, my mind was elsewhere. The eyes in that picture, the sensuous lips, all the details I could glean from the picture swirled around in my mind. When I looked at the clock above the TV, I saw that more time had passed since my mind had wandered than while watching the movie. It was seven, and I looked down at myself. I was still wearing the same dirt-smeared clothes I had come home from work in, and I probably smelled pretty ripe, so I stripped down and took a shower, grumbling as usual at the water temperature, which probably hadn't gone above fifty degrees in years. I used plenty of soap and shampoo, making sure to get all the grit and concrete dust from my hair.

When I stepped out of the shower, I felt much better, and dressed in a pair of black jeans and a gray T shirt, pulling on an old but clean pair of work boots. Combing the mop of unruly black hair on my head into a semblance of style, I applied just a smidge of cologne and tucked my wallet in my front pocket, where it'd be harder to pick. I didn't have a car, just a dusty old motorcycle that I'd bought three years ago from one of the guys I worked with. It took a minute to get it started, but it did, and I swung between two cars stopped at the traffic light, ignoring the bleat of the horn from the cab behind me and muffled yelling not in English.

I drove past the coffee shop on Fifth, looking to see if she had maybe showed up early, eyeing the rest of the patrons for anything suspicious, hung a U, and then parked my bike where I could see it from the coffee shop. I could hear some trendy new band's song playing in the shop as I opened the door and walked in. Still looking around, I counted seven other patrons, plus about five or six more staring intently at their laptops. I saw nobody as yet who resembled the woman in the picture, so I ordered a Chai Tea and sat at an empty table near one of the large windows. The place was noisy with the sound of chatter, the pecking of fingers on laptop keyboards, mugs clacking as they were set down on the chipped tile tables, and the espresso machine whining as another coffee was steamed frothy.

I sat there at the table, sipping on my tea, waiting. According to the simple black watch on my wrist, it was only three minutes until eight-thirty, and I still saw didn't see the woman from the picture, the woman who called herself Nickie. I wiped my hand across my itching eyes, feeling pretty stupid, and when my hand came down, I almost jumped four feet in the air. As if materializing from nowhere, there she was.

"You look like you were waiting for someone," she folded her long fingers on the table in front of her. Well, at least it was her, and not something worse. In person, she looked much prettier than her picture revealed. She wore her hair up in the same ponytail, a purple strip of leather holding it up. Instead of black, she wore a long-sleeved blouse, purple and tight in all the right places, accentuating her medium-sized breasts. Her jeans were tight as well.

I guess I hadn't said anything yet, so she tilted her head to the left, curiously scrutinizing me.

"Maybe I was wrong...You're not waiting for somebody?"

I found my voice and answered, "Nickie... um, Shadowcat313."

She smiled revealing perfect, white teeth, "And you must be ConcreteJungle0490. It's nice to finally see you in person, Gary."

"Likewise," I replied, and asked if she would like a coffee or anything. She shook her head.

"No, I just picked this place because it's public. You never know if a person online is who he says he is."

I laughed, "I know. I was starting to wonder if you were going to show. Are you sure you wouldn't like something to drink?"

She shrugged, "Maybe later."

"So," I got to the point, "You told me you have a secret."

"Can we go for a walk?"

A walk with a woman I barely knew seemed odd. She saw my hesitation.

"You're not worried that I'm not who I say I am, are you?"

"No, you seem to be who you say you are. But how do you know I'm safe?"

She laughed, her voice musical, "I don't. I guess that just makes it more exciting."

We got up, and I left a tip for whoever would be cleaning up after me. We left, and I remembered my bike.

"Maybe we can ride instead."

She looked at my bike, and shrugged, "Why not?"

I got on, and she followed, her arms slipping around my chest, her body pressed pleasantly against mine. It was just another reason to ride a bike instead of having a car. For once, the bike started on the first try, and I accelerated lightly. Her arms tightened slightly around me, making my skin tingle. I angled out into the road and off we went.

I drove for a few minutes, and then I felt her chin on my shoulder.

She whispered into my ear, "We can stop at the big fountain in front of the park."

Her warm breath sent shivers through me, and it took a lot of concentration not to tip the bike. I turned onto Twelfth and we reached the big marble fountain soon after. I shut the engine off and parked it near the steps. Her arms slipped from around me, and the pleasant pressure against my back abated. I got off my bike and followed her to the lip of the fountain pool. She was quiet as we sat on the cold marble. She looked at me, undecided as to whether I could be trusted with her secret.

"Okay," I was completely alone with this woman at a fountain in front of a park just after sundown, and I felt a bit of anxiety as I realized that. "If you don't want to tell me, you don't have to, I guess. But I would like to know."

She looked down for a second, making her decision, and then confessed, "I'm not a very normal woman."

I waited, thinking that she would tell me she used to be a guy or something, which would be more than a marvel of modern science, since she looked all woman to me.

"In truth, I'm...This shouldn't be so difficult to tell you, but it is... I'm a vampire."

Not really believing, I replied, "And me without my garlic!"

She stood up abruptly, "I knew this was a mistake."

Strange, but despite Nickie's absurd claim, I didn't want her to go. I grabbed her hand gently, "Wait, I'm sorry. That was uncalled for. It just threw me."

She sat back down next to me, "I know you don't believe me. I can see it in your eyes, but if you think I'm crazy, then why did you stop me?"

"I'm not the kind of guy that gets scared away easily. Even if I don't believe you, that doesn't mean I want you to go."

She sighed, "Then you really don't believe me. Okay, then I guess I'll just have to prove it to you." She smiled again, baring her white teeth at me, and I couldn't help but notice her canines, which had lengthened considerably since she had smiled at the coffee shop. But with the internet, anyone could purchase these novelties that did the same thing and looked quite real.

As if reading my mind, she prompted, "You can touch them. They're not fake."

I reached out and touched one of her long canines, wiggling it slightly. I even got closer, picking up the sweet perfume that she was wearing. I peered closely at the tooth, aided by the light of the street lamps that lined the fountain and entrance to the park. I couldn't see where her tooth ended and the fake one began. But still, that in itself meant nothing.

If she was willing to go so far as to glue extensions to her canines, how convinced was she of her status, really?

"Impressive," I smiled, "But what else can you offer for proof?"

She took my hand and pressed it to her neck, which was warm, not corpse-cold, I noticed. She held my hand against the spot on her neck where the carotid artery is most easily felt, and instructed, "Time my pulse. In fact, tell me if you can even feel it."

I waited, my index and middle finger together on the carotid artery, and my breath stopped. She was right. I couldn't feel the pulse. My fingers moved on her neck, looking to see if I was on the right spot, but there was no pulse anywhere. She let go of my hand, and it fell to my lap.

"No pulse," I breathed, stunned.

"You seem convinced now."

"This can't be happening."

She laughed, "That seems to be the consensus."

I looked at her with a bit of fear now. I think the shock of it prevented me from running.

"So I...I guess I'm your... your food, then?"

She patted my hand, "You're just lucky you were yourself online and not somebody trying to pull a fast one on me. Besides, you seem like a sweet guy. Maybe I'll have a taste later, but for now, I think it's in your best interest to show a girl a good time. What do you say?"

I had seen my share of vampire movies like everyone else, and even read a few vampire novels. But to actually know that vampires exist was almost unbelievable. And here I was sitting in front of a real...not quite live... specimen. Still, for a vampire, she was still gorgeous! Maybe it couldn't be all that bad for me. I forced myself back into some state of normalcy.

"Well, okay. But how could I possibly show you a good time? And what is a good time for you?"

She stood up, pulling me by the hand, "How about we go check out a few clubs?"

I started to agree, but then stopped myself, "I would, but I'm only twenty. I can't get in for another month."

She giggled, "My, aren't you young. You seemed much older when we chatted online. Don't worry, I'll get you in without a problem."

She led me back to the bike, and her arms went back around my chest, surely feeling my heart pounding with a mixture of fear, trepidation, and, incredibly, excitement. Here I was taking a vampire out to party! It sure wasn't what I had planned when I'd been waiting at the coffee shop.

For the second time, I felt the pressure of her body against my back, and it somehow felt just as pleasant as the first time, if not more so. When her head rested against the back of my neck, I felt the stirrings of an erection, which startled me a little. Was I actually feeling desire in such a vulnerable position, no real way to defend myself if she was planning to bite? Yes, I had to admit, I was. I weaved through traffic for about ten minutes, and then we were stopped outside the Cube. Techno music could be heard even out here, mostly the rapidly thump of the bass. When I managed to find a place to park, I could've sworn that I felt her warm lips on my neck for an instant. My knees were a bit weak as I dismounted the bike. She led me up the stairs to the second floor where the club was located. A heavy-set bouncer stood on the landing just past the top step.

The bouncer grunted, "Show some ID, both of you."

I knew I was seconds from being embarrassed as I pulled my driver's license from my wallet. Nickie showed hers to the bouncer, and he nodded, so I showed mine. He looked from the ID to me, seemed about to say something, and his eyes went blank for a second. Nickie was staring at him intently as that happened, and I wondered if this was her doing. Finally, the bouncer mumbled, "Go on in," and Nickie stopped staring at him, leading me inside through a set of red velvet curtains. The club was pretty large, and it was packed. The music was ten times louder inside than out, a real assault to the eardrums. I wanted to ask Nickie what she did to that bouncer, but competing with the volume of the music was futile, so I let myself be led by her. We ended up in front of a small booth, where two men and a woman sat. Nickie looked right down at one of the men, and then bent down, saying something into his ear.

As I watched, baffled, understanding showed suddenly in the man's eyes. He smiled, and I cringed a little as his unnaturally long incisors flashed in the strobing lights.

He and the other two stood up and vacated the booth, exchanging a few more words that I couldn't hear. Nickie laughed and patted the guy on the back as he and the other two blended into the mass of dancers.

Still dumbfounded, I watched as Nickie sat down, her enticingly round buttocks available for a second for me to view, and then, she looked up at me and motioned for me to sit down. I took the opposite seat, completely out of my element in this club. She looked at me, such devilment in her violet eyes, and leaned forward. I did the same, and she said loudly, "Relax! You look as if you're going to die of fright or something!"

"I might just do that!"

She grinned, "That wouldn't be any fun for me at all!"

Unsure of what she meant by that, I was saved from a response as a waitress showed up to take drink orders. She was almost covered by a rainbow of glow sticks and necklaces, which was slightly amusing.

Nickie called out, "Rum and Coke for my friend here!"

The waitress pointed to her, and she shook her head, so the waitress disappeared to get my drink.

"Who were those people you were just talking to?"

She shrugged, "Just some friends of mine!"

"They're like you!"

Her smile returned, amused, "Oh yeah?"

"I saw their teeth!"

"Unlike mine, theirs are prosthetics! They're no more vampires than you are!"

"They think you're faking like they are?"

"I know, it's so Anne Rice, isn't it?"

I laughed, and my tension eased a little. She winked at me seductively.

"What did you do to the bouncer?"

"Oh, him? It's just a little trick I learned, makes it easier to get into places, or to get guests into places!"

"So you get inside their minds and make them change their minds? Can you make them do what you want them to do?"

"Well, it's more like mixing information up in their minds! When I let them go, they just go about their business!"

I started to realize as she explained all these things to me that she might only be telling me because she didn't intend for me to live long enough to repeat them. What had I gotten myself into?

She frowned slightly, looking at me, and I knew that she had read my mind, as she had probably been doing it all evening.

"Is that why you're telling me all this?"

"That kind of hurts my feelings! I've never told anyone else all this! Why would I tell you if I was just going to kill you anyway?"

I felt a bit guilty for having jumped to conclusions like that.

"I guess you'll do what you want anyway, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't make me change my mind. I would feel better if I could make my own decisions."

The hurt look leaving her eyes a little, she nodded, "I guess that's fair! I was just afraid that you wouldn't have come with me if I hadn't!"

I started to say that I would've, but I couldn't say it, because I don't know if I would've or not. It complicated things.

She must've gotten tired of yelling to be heard. She tapped her head, and pointed to mine. Suddenly, the music faded in my mind, and my mouth went agape with awe.

Inside my head, I heard her voice, "That's much better. So...why didn't you ask me not to read your mind?"

I started to speak out loud, but she tapped her head again, and I got the picture. I thought, 'In case I want to tell you something that I can't say out loud.'

"Oh? Like what?"

My face reddened, but I found it easier to think it than say it out loud, 'Just that I think you are the most gorgeous woman I've ever seen.'

I didn't expect her reaction. She blushed.

"That's so sweet of you to say! I'll bet you say that to all the vampires you meet."

'I mean it.'

"Stop it before I melt!"

My drink arrived, and I tasted it. I didn't usually drink, since I didn't like the woozy feelings I got. I think she got the point, and she took it from me.

'I'm sorry,' I figured a mixed drink here was probably about seven bucks a pop.

She winked at me, "It was on the house. Besides, you're driving, so you should probably be clearheaded. Are you ready to go?"

'Sure.'

We got up and walked outside, Nickie flipping a wave to the bouncer, who smiled and returned it. I got on my bike, and her body against my back became more pleasant than last time. Perhaps feeling more comfortable on a bike, her hands were around my stomach, her face nuzzling my neck affectionately. I started the bike, and we were quickly rolling.

'Where to now?'

Her lips brushed my neck, teasing the hairs, "Let's go to my place. I'll show you around."

As if having a GPS system implanted in my head, the directions were suddenly just there, and I followed them easily, until she needed to stop for a minute. She disappeared into the darkness, and I waited, but not for long. She came back, got back on behind me. She seemed much warmer, and it wasn't difficult to figure out what she'd needed to stop for.

'You didn't kill him, did you?'

"You worry too much. He won't remember a thing when he wakes up."

We rode for a while longer, and then we were there. I stopped the bike in front of a two-story home in a neighborhood of similar houses. I parked in the driveway. As I climbed off, she turned me around to face her, and then planted a kiss directly on my lips. When she pulled away, she was smiling.