I flipped on the radio and heard Nadine's crystal clear, seductive voice, relieved to finally be within range.
"I'm just wondering what all my lovely listeners out there plan to do this weekend," she was saying, "My best friend, Lacy, is coming for a visit and we plan to party it up. Perhaps you all can catch us at the Grind tomorrow night. I'm taken, but Lacy is a la carte." Great! It's just like Nadine to spill my life story to the public in the hope of setting me up. She, of course, is on her flavor of the week, Greg, but as always, is soooooo serious. She can't stand to be single, and she projects on to me.

I told her that I wasn't ready for a relationship. Thad and I had just broken up, and I just needed some time away. Please, don't make me regret this, Nadine!

I drove on anyway against my better judgment. I had about an hour to go before I was to meet Greg at the small diner so that he could show me the rest of the way. Or was it Gary? Or Dan? I groaned in frustration. I'm pretty sure that it's Greg. Greg sounds like a pretty boy name. Nadine only dates pretty boys. Except for that one, that could've been the one for her if she wasn't so focused on looks. She said that she just wasn't attracted to him. If only she had just given it a little time. Nadine has never been known for patience, though.

"Don't worry, Lacy. They all think that you're hot."

What! She showed my picture! To how many? I slammed on the brakes and pulled over to the side of the road. I leaned my head down into my hands and just breathed.

"Lacy, just call in! I'm getting a lot of requests to hear your lovely voice," she went on.

Now she's just goading me. She'd better be! She knows that I would never call in. Not even if my life depended on it.

Deciding that she was just teasing me, I checked traffic. That's a laugh. I haven't seen another car for at least fifteen minutes, and that's being generous. I pulled out onto the road and drove on.

"Well, it's time again for some music." Thank God! "Let's do some Lacy inspired music." Oh no! I waited as she started the music track. My heart dropped when I heard the opening lyrics of Buckcherry's 'Crazy Bitch.' I turned it down, unable to listen. I didn't really like the song before, now I really don't like it. Leave it to Nadine. It's probably her favorite. She might even see this as a compliment.

I drove on with the radio turned down. I could still hear it. Just not really loud. When she came back on a few songs later, thankfully, she was talking about something other than me. Then, of course, she also had to please the advertisers.

I drove past the large, rustic 'Welcome to Pinewood' sign and drove down the main street until I got to Dale's Diner. She said that it was the only diner in this small town. I parked in the almost empty parking lot, grabbed my purse and walked in. Fortunately, cringe-worthy country Western music was playing instead of Nadine. I looked around and spotted who must be Greg right off. Typical Nadine's type, he had short dark hair, a baby face and muscles that showed through his tight black t-shirt. I give him two weeks before one of them calls it quits.

He stood up from the table, "Lacy." I approached him. "I'm Greg. I'm supposed to show you the way to the station," he held out his hand. I took his hand with a smile, "Can I see some ID?" He looked at me funny, "Sure." Sorry. I don't know you or how many other people Nadine told about this meet-up. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. He flipped it open without taking his driver's license out. I squinted at it. Greg Bradford. Nadine never told me his last name. I was kicking myself internally for not asking. I perused the picture. It looked like him. A little different, but passable.

"Nice to meet you," I smiled again. He put a couple of dollars on the table to cover his drink and put the wallet back in his pocket. "Nadine's been talking about you for days. I feel like I already know you," he said as we exited the diner. I inwardly cringed. This could be good or bad. "Don't worry. All good things," he said a little too quickly. "I don't know much about you," I said apologetically, "she's talked about you some." He shrugged his shoulders. He's not to worried about it.

"So, I thought that I'd ride with you. Then I could just get my truck later," he said. "That's fine," I agreed, "I should probably get some gas though. Can you show me to the convenience store?" "Sure," he agreed as we got in my small tan SUV. He directed me to the only gas station in town. He pumped the gas for me while I went in to pay. Inside, I found the bathroom, then grabbed myself a bottle of sweet tea. I went up to the cashier, a petite blonde, chewing a wad of bubblegum, and paid for the gas and tea. "Honey, where did you find him? He is a fine specimen of a man," the blonde asked, her eyes never leaving Greg. "At the diner," I answered truthfully. She took my money, then went back to ogling Greg through the large window.

I smiled and shook my head on the way to the car. He had already got in and was waiting. I got in, took a drink of my tea, then put my hand on the shifter. I looked down at my hand when I felt his on mine. "You know, you and I could just take off from here and never look back," he said. I looked at him, incredulous. No he didn't! I can't believe this!

"What about Nadine?" I asked, on edge. I saw a strange look pass across his face, then, "Oh right. Nadine." Then he removed his hand and looked away. I considered taking him back to his truck. I ultimately decided to go on. We were only about fifteen minutes away from the radio station.

I turned up the radio to limit further conversation and drove in the direction that he indicated.

About twenty minutes out of town I heard a loud pop and my steering wheel started to shake hard. Great! I pulled the car over to the side of the road. We both got out to look. A flat tire. Just my luck.

"I can change it if you have a spare," he offered. "I have one in the back," I answered, walking to the back of the SUV. I opened it and took out my overnight bag. He took out the tools that he would need and the spare tire and carried them to the front driver's side tire. It only took him a few minutes, then he put everything back. I put the overnight bag back and shut the gate. If nothing else, I was thankful that I had him to change the tire.

We got back in the car, ready to go. It shouldn't be that much further.

My phone rang. It was Nadine, "Lacy, where are you? Greg has been waiting at the diner for you for a half an hour. He was running a little late. Did he miss you?"

I felt a prickly sensation all over my body. If Greg is at the diner, then who am I with? I turned and looked at him. He had a dangerous look in his eyes. He took the phone out of my hand and hung up on Nadine, "Well, I guess you've found me out. Drive." He had a large hunting knife in his other hand.
I froze. "Drive!" he yelled. I jumped.

I turned the car on with trembling hands then put my hand on the shifter. He put his hand on mine, "Well, I guess we can go on that trip after all." "Where are we going?" I asked with a shaky voice. "Not much further," he answered, "Now, go!" I put the car in gear and started driving.

My phone started ringing again. He hung up on whoever it was, probably Nadine again, and turned the phone off. He dropped it into the center console. At least he didn't chuck it out of the window. Although, I'm not sure that it mattered.

"Pull in there," he indicated an old decrepit barn off of the side of the dirt road. I pulled up next to the barn, trying to think of what to do, but my mind was muddled. I'm not sure if it was fear, probably fear. I had never felt emotions like this before.

I almost laughed at the irony of the situation. It was Halloween and I'm starring in my own personal slasher movie. Hopefully it doesn't come to that. Me dying, I mean.

I reluctantly put the car in park and turned it off. "Get out. Nice and easy," he commanded. I opened my door, got out and walked to the front of the car, where he met me. "Go in," he told me, a slight lilt to his voice. He was enjoying this. I shuddered at the thought of what he had planned.

I slowly made my way to the giant, faded, double barn doors and pushed one side open. At the last second, I sprang into action, knowing that this may be my only moment. My only chance. I jumped inside and shoved the door shut behind me. I slid the old bar of wood down into place, locking both doors to each other, with a splintering groaning noise. He chuckled loudly and started shoving against the doors. They groaned and complained against the force. They weren't going to hold for long.

I backed away from the door slowly until I met something hard and prickly behind me. I turned to look. It was a wall of hay bales. I quickly moved and slipped around behind it, searching frantically for anything that I could use as a weapon. I found nothing. What are the chances? An old barn, in a horror story, and no usable weapons. In any horror movie there is always old rusty tools that can be used as weapons. The victim is just too stupid to use them. Why aren't there any in this one? I focused on the bales of hay. Maybe I could push them over onto him. This was my only option, as I had no weapons and, of course, in this ridiculously insane shit show, there was no back door to the barn.

I didn't have time or the means to test my plan so I waited as he pounded against the old rotten doors. I heard the loud crack of splintering wood and the crash of the door falling. In typical slasher fashion, he called out, "Ready, or not, here I come!"

I waited until I could hear his labored breathing on the other side of the hay, then gave a loud groan as I pushed. Nothing happened. What, did this wall have concrete blocks in it? I shoved again. It didn't even budge a little.

He chuckled, a sound I was beginning to hate, "I can hear you." It also probably helped him that I was in the only hiding spot in the whole barn. A genius, he was not. Also Nadine's type.

I backed up to even more hay as he rounded the corner, knife still in hand. He started to advance, closing the distance, then stopped short just a few feet away.

I noticed a quiver in his voice, "Your eyes. Th-th-they're glowing or-r-orange."

I had wondered if it would happen. It had been so long. Too long. I felt my fingernails elongate as I started to advance on him. I, the predator and he, now my prey. I felt my teeth contracting in sync with my muscles as my clothes slowly burst at the seems. I began emitting a low growl.

He dropped the knife and slowly started backing away, "I didn't mean it. I wasn't going to hurt you."

"I know you weren't," I growled with a toothy smile.

"What are you?" he whimpered as I advanced on him, continuing to transform, anticipation building. He stopped when his back met the barn wall.

I got up right next to his ear and whispered, "Monster." Then snapped my teeth. He jumped, then, "You're not a monster. You're beautiful." I caught the tantalizing scent of sweat and his natural musk. I licked his cheek from neck to right up by his eye. He closed his eyes and gave a nervous little laugh. "You taste divine," I purred. I ripped open his tight black t-shirt exposing his well developed six pack. I lightly rubbed my hands across his chest.

"Are we gonna...?" he couldn't finish his question. I had started kissing his chest. I worked my way over to the right side of his neck, where I leisurely kissed and licked. He tilted his head to the left allowing me greater access. "That feels so good honey. Why don't you work your way down?" he whispered softly. I just sighed.

I opened my mouth as wide as I could and bit down. He gasped/yelped as I sunk my teeth deep into his jugular. I had considered just killing him, but decided that I'm thirsty. The taste of fear and arousal, in his blood, was tangy and sweet, so delicious. He cried out and fought as I drank, the warm thick liquid sliding down my throat, but I was too strong for him. Eventually the fight went out of him, he twitched a few times, then he went limp. I drank him dry, then tossed his lifeless body aside. I wiped my mouth with my sleeve as he exploded into a fine mist of dust
.
I left the barn then, transforming back quickly. Once the deed is done, it all happens fast. I went to the back of my car and swiftly changed into clean clothes from my overnight bag. My torn, bloody clothes went into a trash bag. Once in the driver's seat, I got a wet wipe out of the center console and, using the rearview mirror, cleaned the remnants of an excellent snack off of my face.

I drove back to town and found Nadine's house easily enough. I got out, got my things and went up to her porch, hoping that she had gone home to wait for me. She met me at the door before I even knocked.

"So, how'd he taste?" she asked, eyes flashing orange.

"Delicious!" I smiled.

She returned the smile, "The good-looking ones are always the best."