NIGHT SKIES

Farther down the street, walking toward them, are the four figures, three men and a woman. They are walking at a fast pace and with purpose. Their movements are faster as they get closer and closer to the group of college students.

Devin looks up and sees the four coming toward him and his friends. He can only make out their silhouettes from the lights on the lampposts. The dark flowing clothes and almost capelike coats are attire he doesn’t see every day. They move in and out of the light. But as they do so, Devin senses danger. He thinks it’s a gang of some sort, but why would they be after him and his friends? He has no answer and no time to think of a reason.

A passing car’s headlights strike the four figures. In that flash of light, Devin now sees the danger he sensed just moments ago.

The female member of the dark group has her mouth open. Devin sees her teeth. These teeth are not like any he has seen before. Thoughts run through his mind if he really saw her teeth, or was it a shadow or a trick of light. The figures walk under another lamppost. Devin’s eyes confirm what he saw the first time, teeth like razors. He panics and yells to his friends.

“Let’s go, now!”

Jorge is deeply engaged in conversation with Kim and Angie. Tina was still admiring one of the dresses. But Martin looks up very startled by Devin’s outburst. He looks at Devin and sees how he is almost petrified with a frozen stare. He has never seen him look so helpless and afraid.

Martin turns to look down the street to see what menacing sight Devin’s eyes were capturing. He quickly blinks. He too sees what Devin sees. What looks like four people walking to them seems to morph into four devil- like creatures coming in closer and faster. Martin gives a quick halfhearted warning to complement Devin’s outcry.

“Go, run!”

Martin and Devin turn and run in a similar direction up the street. The other members of the group see them running and can’t comprehend their hurry, especially since they were running in the opposite direction of the movie theater.

They don’t have to wait long to see what all the commotion is about. The woman and three men are upon them.

Angie, Tina, Kim, and Jorge have little time to react. Kim is thinking where are the chivalrous men that would come to her aid? 

By now, Martin and Devin are not anywhere in sight. Angie is attacked first by the female stranger. Her three friends are attacked one by one. No one has time to scream. They feel their bodies being drained of life. The worse thing that can happen to them is happening to them; that is, dying a senseless death at night on a sidewalk. This was the type of death one would think would be restricted to a robber or meth addict.

But there are no more robbers or drug addicts in Detroit, just innocent college students being victims to a hideous death.

“Give me some more information on the people you saw, the ones with the large teeth.”

“They were dressed in black, not punk, not grunge, not urban, but a combination of the three.”

“What else?”

“How many of them were there?” “Four, just like we said in the letter.”

“I’m just checking to make sure you don’t change your story. What else, Martin?”

“There were three men and a woman.”

“What did the woman look like?”

“She looked like the devil, a pretty devil. In fact, she’d

look real nice in a swimsuit. Probably one of those suits that—”

“Stop that. No one asked you that.”

“You said you wanted to know what she looked like. I was just giving you a visual.”

“I just need pertinent information. If I need anything else, I’ll ask your friend.”

The chief has no time for Martin’s playful attitude. Lives are at stake. Every minute wasted could put another person at risk.

“That’s all for now. I’m going to talk to your friend.” “Can I go?”

“You can leave the station. But stay near your cell phone and the city limits.”

The chief gets up and walks out the door. She turns a corner and walks into the observation room on the viewing side of the two-way mirror. Sitting in a chair with his legs-crossed is Mayor Blue, reviewing some notes.

“What do you think, Mr. Mayor? Do you believe they saw the killers?”

Blue pauses for a moment. “I believe they saw vampires.”