Written for Creative Copy Challenge 185 Loquacious, Sedentary,  Artistic, Voracious, Fluorescent, Rad, Delicious, Rotund, Decapitate, Slimy

and thanks to Wordnik – Word of the day – Soucouyant!

Henry thought the party tiresome. Being stuck in a corner with a loquacious youth who seemed to think “rad” was an actual word, was not his idea of a good time.

“These little crackers are rad!”

“Isn’t the Dean’s home rad?”

I should have wacked her with my cane.

He only accepted the invitation because he had heard that the Dean of the university had quite an artistic flare and stories of the beautifully decorated home and delicious fare had been spoken of in awed tones at his gentleman’s club. Henry had lived a sedentary life and was a bit on the rotund side. He walked with mincing steps, skirting the slimy puddles.  The fluorescent street light shone on his balding pate.  He poked at a piece of paper with his cane and glanced around uneasily.

The night was warm and humid and Henry was sweating as he turned away from the lights, down his quiet street. The house mother had left him was in need of a few repairs but it wasn’t his fault that his investments hadn’t paid off the way he had expected. Henry had an astute mind and a flair for finance.  How could he foresee the market going soft?

He shivered slightly, even in the heat. It must have been the tale told by the Dean’s sister. A disturbing woman with wild hair and clothing that was far too bright. Her eyes glittered and made Henry’s heart pound in the most disconcerting way. She spoke with an accent and claimed to have traveled from the West Indies. Even her name was exotic…Valencia. Henry didn’t much care for exotic people or places. He preferred his own home, his daily newspaper, and his morning tea at he same time every day.  He pulled his handkerchief from his jacket pocket and mopped his forehead.  He walked quickly now. The shadows were deeper and the usually comforting lane seemed menacing. He heard an echo of footsteps somewhere behind him. He thought again about the story of the soucouyant – an old woman who could turn to a fireball and slip through your keyhole and suck your blood, either turning you into her kind or killing you so she could wear your skin and pursue more victims. What a lot of rot. Henry chuckled at his nervousness.  Too much rich food made for crazy thoughts.

He could see his home just a few doors down and he nearly stumbled in his haste. He remembered the strange woman extending her hand to him as he made his goodbyes.  She smiled at Henry.

“You are not superstitious?”

Henry frowned and pulled his hand from her grasping fingers.

“No I am not. Nothing but a bunch of silly tales made up by uneducated people trying to explain the world.”

She smiled again and the glare from the lamps glinted off her teeth. Henry felt the room spin and drew back. Surely a trick of the lights…She licked her lips.

“There are many things in the world – terrifying things with voracious appetites that cannot be explained.”  She patted his cheek. Henry had been backing up slowly and jumped when his back touched the door.

“Ggggood evening madam!” Henry stammered and turned to escape into the night.

Now as the conversation came back to him he kept seeing those shiny teeth.  He nearly stumbled as he hurried up the front steps and let himself in, throwing the deadbolt behind him.
He shook himself and sighed in relief.

I am being ridiculous!  A glass of brandy and then bed!

Henry took off his shoes and set them next to the door, putting on his slippers. He poured a glass of brandy and sat in his leather chair with the lamp spilling cheerful light around him.  A combination of nerves and the brandy (and a very full stomach) made him sleepy and he soon dozed off.  Henry was snoring when the front door lock began to glow.  A bright ball of fire flowed through the keyhole and Henry jerked awake in time to see the flames shimmer and fade until the form of Valencia stood before him.  His lamp dimmed and just before the room was plunged into darkness, Henry screamed at the sight of those bright white teeth.  Henry stopped screaming as the vampire jaws nearly decapitated him.

The soucouyant would have to wear her own skin another day.