Pulled Over

Sam was four minutes out of town when the lights flared behind her. Her roommate's words flashed through her head, but an ingrained trust in public authority made her slow down. It was a cop. Why would he be a threat? Maybe he could help.

The cruiser rolled to a stop behind her. After a minute the officer stepped out, clean shaven and disarming. He had a solemn boyishness about his face that Samantha found particularly harmless. This would be fine, she told herself. It would be okay.

She rolled down her window as he approached.

“Good evening officer, was I- um... speeding or something?” In truth, Samantha hadn't been paying attention to how fast she was going. She just knew that she needed to get somewhere. It felt incredibly reckless now that she thought about it.

"Not tonight, miss," he said, a smile on his face. "Your plates are just out of date."

A hot, itchy sensation started crawling up her throat. "That can't be right, I renewed them yesterday."

The officer shrugged. “Sometimes there’s a mix up with the DMV, not all the papers go through or something. Maybe it’s a clerical error. Could be a number of things. But it’s best to be safe, you know? So why don’t you come and sit in my car while I double check. We’ll take care of it real quick. No hassle.”

Samantha’s smile became thin and fragile. “Is that really necessary?”

He chuckled like a normal human being, but she watched his face intently anyway, looking for… something. “Well, I wouldn’t want you driving off after I leave, would I? Just wouldn’t be a smart thing to do. No, I think it’s best you wait with me.”

Samantha wet her lips. She could hear Salesh’s voice in her head. She felt like an idiot. “What if- what if I don’t?”

Something in his face changed. “That wouldn’t be advised.”

Don’t stop.

Samantha felt her palms sweating.

“Alright.”

She jammed her key in the ignition. The officer moved too fast for her to see. He tore the whole side door off. Samantha screamed. Before he could reach for her she tumbled out the other side, rolling to the bottom of a shallow ditch. She got up and ran as fast as she could, but it was futile to start. He was too damn fast.

A solid weight collided with her back, sending her crashing to the ground. Grass and dirt covered her teeth, filling her mouth. A rough hand turned her over. She reflexively brought up a knee, making contact with a satisfying grunt, but it barely did anything. He hissed in her face, clasping a hand around her throat. His eyes were wild, hateful. He started tightening. Samantha would have liked to imagine that this would be the time all those self defense lessons her mother enrolled her in would finally take effect, but she did nothing. Her eyes bulged, arms flailing. She just choked.

He leaned closer, his teeth unnaturally sharp. His breath smelled like brimstone.

“You’ll end up just like him, bitch.”

His head exploded. Blood splattered everywhere. Samantha was too shocked to do anything other than cough violently. She sucked in lungfuls of air, partaking greedily. His body fell away, lifeless, and two stormy blue eyes took its place. They ran the length of her body, full of concern. They settled back on her’s.

“Are you okay?”

Samantha had never been so glad to see her roommate in all her life. From her dark skin, to her sleek black hair, down to the sharp edges of her face. She obviously had some native american blood in her, something Sam never really took the time to consider before now, but there were far more pressing matters to deal with than her friend’s heritage. Sam pulled her into a hug, sobbing quietly. Salesh hugged back.

“You told me not to stop,” she mumbled, sniffling like a child. “I stopped.”

“I know, but it’s okay. It’s okay,” Salesh said, rubbing her back in circles. “You’re safe now. Everything’s all right.”

They stayed like that for a while, Samantha crying into her shoulder, Salesh whispering simple comforts into her ear. It felt surreal sitting next to a fresh corpse. Gradually Samantha’s heart rate lowered, her tears ceased. She wiped her yes, her arm still trembling. She had never felt so helpless and terrified in all her life. It was awful. She had thought she was going to die.

“How did you find me?”

“There’s a bug in your phone,” she said. “I was tracking it the entire time. I started driving as soon as I saw you slow down.”

Some part of Samantha wanted to object to that, but she vomited instead. Salesh silently held her hair out of the way while it happened. Samantha, for her part, couldn’t believe she felt embarrassed. Stomach unloaded, Sam’s traitorous eyes swam back to the body with a fresh hole in its head. She could still feel his warm blood on her face. His hand on her throat. She vomited again.

“You killed him,” she said afterwards, staring at the gun tucked in her friend’s waistband. It was huge. Where the hell had she gotten it? Had she always had it? Who the fuck was her roommate?

“He’s not human,” she said. “Not really, anyway. Watch.”

Bemused, Samantha stared at the body. Nothing happened at first, but then thin, wispy tendrils of black smoke started wafting of his skin. There was a sharp sizzling sound, the distinctly nauseating smell of burning flesh, and then the body turned to ash, collapsing in on itself. Only a pile of dust and clothes remained. Samantha felt her brain trying to make sense of what she just witnessed. It couldn’t.

“He’s a vampire?”

Salesh’s smile was wry, humorless. “Something like that.” She stood, holding out a hand for Samantha. She took it without thinking and followed Salesh as she started walking back towards the road. She hadn’t heard her friend drive up, but there her car was, parked haphazardly between both lanes. Typical. “We need to go. We’ll take my car.”

“What about mine?”

“We won't need both,” she said, looking back at her. “And no offense, Sam, but your’s is a piece of shit.”

Samantha nodded. It was true.

Conversation died as they both climbed into the car. Salesh turned the key and brought the engine to life. She pushed on the gas, and together they sped away faster than strictly necessary. Through the rear view mirror Samantha could see the police cruiser dwindle in the distance, and she had the distinct impression that she had left something behind.

Her old life.