Vignette
by Michael S.
Collins
In a dark
subway station, you never know quite who you
might meet. Sure, you might meet no one, though
if it is getting late, and the last trains of the
day are winding down, then that’s rarely
likely. There’ll always be someone to share
the platform with. Probably drunk, especially if
its weekend, but any other day of the week might
bring alcohol spewed friends clattering down the
escalator and trying to ask for a light. But
tonight it wasn’t anyone quite so harmless.
Jerry slunk down the stairs, and watched the girl
get on the train. He made a quick pace up to the
subway car, but the doors had shut already. He
knocked on the window, so she was watching him,
then melted through the window into the
compartment. She was dead before he could do
anything, her heart had given out on her mid-scream.
That’s the problem these days, people always
died of heart issues on seeing the melting trick.
It left no time for a suitable kill.
Jerry sighed
internally and ate her. There was little time to
devour once the person was actually dead. The
meat went off. They never thought about that when
they went and died, did they? Selfish prey. His
phone went off, signalling a text. Jerry checked
it and shivered a little.
“Get home
now, before I have to track you down. Linda.”
Hell have no
fury like a wife on the prowl. Jerry melted back
through the walls and headed home. Trouble with
the wife was a step below executed by the State
in terms of things to look forward to. At least
when you are to be executed by the State, there
are things to look forward to.
Linda was
furious. “You’ve been killing again,
haven’t you?”
“No.”
“Don’t
you lie to me, I can always tell when you’ve
been killing. You can smell it on your breath.”
Jerry tried to
look sheepish.
“Just for
once I wish you could come home from work without
having the police round here to check your
whereabouts. All this lying is doing my head in.”
“You knew
what you were marrying into?”
“Yes, a
bunch of serial killers. But bloody hell,
you’re still my husband.”
“I know I
am, but you’re my wife!”
“I gave
up on the murdering long ago, like I promised.”
“I never
promised I would!”
“You
implied it. You’ve been using the melting
trick too again. We’ll have those FBI agents
on top of us again. God, why can’t you be
more mature?”
“I’ll
try not to kill folk in future, dear. I promise.”
“I’m
still annoyed. Now I’ve got to clean the
blood off your clothes before morning.”
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