Bait
Mette Angerhofer
Issue #4 (June 2008)
“Hey Spencer! Look at that weird girl! She’s been sitting on that park bench across the street all night,” Claire called to her twin between mouthfuls of candy. 
“Is she crying? She looks like she’s crying!” Spencer shoved Claire aside to peek out the small window beside their door.
“No, I think she’s just cold. That weird white dress of hers is lacking in material.”
“She looks like a babe. I think I’ll talk to her and maybe even invite her in.”
Spencer raised his caterpillar eyebrows a couple of times at Claire with an impish look in his eye. He withdrew his hand from the orange candy bowl and opened the door. A cool gust of wind brushed his cheek. “While you’re at it, ask if she’s seen any trick-or-treaters. There haven’t been any all night!”
“People are getting so worked up about sending their kids trick-or-treating these days. I wouldn’t be surprised if none of them came this far. I mean, here’s a dense forest right on the edge of the park. It’s a perfect place for kidnappers to wait. Or maybe your smell is just keeping the kiddies away.”
“Spencer! Claire! Dinner’s ready!” their mother called, before Claire could fabricate a worthy insult. “I hope you didn’t spoil your appetite with all the Halloween candy you’ve been eating. That’s supposed to be for the trick-or-treaters, you know.”
Spencer dragged himself back through the door and to the table. He glared sourly at his mother as she served several spoonfuls of string-beans and a large portion of liver to him.
“Dinner looks rather…healthy tonight, Julia,” said their dad.
“What you mean is disgusting and inedible,” Claire said under her breath to Spencer. The pair snickered like mischievous rats.
“What did you say?” Julia stared directly into Claire’s soul and glared, causing her stomach to tighten.
“I said what you mean is delightful and edible. Yep, that’s what I said.”
Julia rolled her eyes. “You two better eat everything on your plate, or you won’t get anymore candy. I shouldn’t have to tell you how to eat. You’re sixteen for crying out loud!”
It seemed that the two sat at the table for fifteen years, mashing up their liver and beans and creating sculptures from the resulting medium. Julia never kept her eyes off of the two, and they were forced to put up a white flag and eat the now cold and grayish mess on their plates. “I think I’m going to be sick!” Spencer complained after his last bite.
“That’s no fault of mine,” his mom said. “You’re the one who’s been devouring our Halloween candy like a pig. There’s not going to be any left for the
kiddies.”
“Mom, it’s eight. There aren’t likely to be any kids at this time of day. Just let us eat the rest. That way you won’t have to kill yourself trying to resist it in the next two days,” Claire said.
“Well…hm…I don’t…”
“You do. You know you do!”
Julia blushed and made a little hmf sound before leaving the twins. They raced from the table to their big orange candy altar in front of the door. Just as Spencer was reaching for a bite-sized Three Musketeers, he looked out the window. The gorgeous blonde babe was sitting on the same bench as before. “She’s still there!” Spencer exclaimed, smiling slyly.
“Go talk to her. Maybe you can get her number. Ooh la la! Spencer’s got a crush.”
Spencer straightened his back, ruffled his hair, and left his cozy home. Goosebumps raced up his arms, although they were covered. ‘I don’t know how she’s able to bear this!’ he thought to himself.
He quietly made his way to her. She held her face in her hands, like she’d been doing all night. Her skin was a deathly pale blue, yet very beautiful. A leaf crunched beneath Spencer’s size thirteen Vans. The girl’s head jerked up as if with a string. “Why are you so sad on such a festive night as this?”
“You wouldn’t understand. None of you people ever do. I hate this disgusting holiday and all the rituals involved with it,” her tone of voice was drenched in a death-wish for the interloper.
“Try me. I’m a good listener. Also, if you’re so against the ‘rituals,’ then why are you dressed up? You’re like a fairy, right? And wouldn’t that be considered a ‘ritual’?”
Grinning, Spencer plopped down next to the girl and leaned in close.
“Sigh…fine. If you really want to know, I’m not a fairy. I’m a vampire.”
“What? Don’t vampires wear black and stuff?”
“Only the bad ones, the ones who suck blood. You know, us vampires really don’t need to suck blood. We’re still extremely powerful without it, but there are some vampires who use the blood to get an unfair advantage over the others. It’s like steroids, and oh my goodness! What did I just tell you?”
“Steroids, huh? Interesting. So what all can you do with your powers?”
“I’m not getting into this again. The last guy I told about me being a vampire ran and got the whole village to chase me with wooden sticks and holy water, which, by the way, doesn’t actually do anything. Naturally, I got away, but it
was quite irksome and I haven’t trusted a guy ever since.”
“Listen…what’s your name?”
“Bridgette.”
“Listen, Bridgette. I’m not going to tell anyone. Honestly, most people around here would consider me a quack if I said anything, and I’m not so sure I
believe what you’re telling me. I’m just enjoying the story and hoping to get your phone number.”
“Fine, but if Ginia and Varn find out I told anyone, the punishment will be severe. So, first of all, vampires have super-strength, invisibility, speed, and agility.”
“Can you fly?”
“Not exactly, but all vampires are able to transform into anything. If I felt like flying, I could turn into a bird.”
“Or a bat?”
“Well, yes. That is the animal of choice for most vampires, but I prefer being an owl.”
“Can you only change into animals?”
“No, I can change into anything that breathes.”
“Show me.”
Bridgette snapped her fingers and was suddenly a gnarled, old hag with hairy warts protruding from her crooked nose. Spencer yelped, but before he could get a good look, she was back to her pretty self. “What’s your natural state? Because, I don’t think it’s fair to be going around looking as gorgeous as you do if in all reality you’re hideous.”
“What you’re looking at is my natural state. I don’t really like to change into anything but animals. It feels too weird. Sometimes I like to amuse little children by mixing up my face, but that’s about it. There were some really cute trick-or-treaters I saw today. They were just howling up a storm but then…” Bridgette clapped her mouth
“What? Tell me! I mean, I’m really curious, because we haven’t had any trick-or-treaters all night.”
“Go!”
“Huh? We were having such an interesting conversation.”
“I’ve said too much. Ginia and Varn will be back soon, and I don’t want them to…”
“Who are they, you’re parents?”
“They died in the 17th century.”
“Friends, maybe?”
“Nope, friends wouldn’t do what they did. Go, I’m serious.”
“But why?”
“You’re in danger!”
Bridgette lifted up her dress and showed Spencer her ankle. A brass cuff was locked around it and chained to the park bench. “Did Ginia and Varn do this to you?”
“Yes.”
“You’re a vampire. Why can’t you just break free?”
“They’re more powerful than I am. I can’t break the spell on this chain.”
“Why’d they do it?”
“Don’t you get it? I’m their bait!”
There was movement behind them. Spencer started from his seat, but was grabbed by a cold, clammy hand and dragged across the field into the dense expanse of forest beyond. Before his mind lost consciousness, he noticed several pieces of candy lying in the light of the moon.
