Changes (13 page)

“Didn’t look like nothing?”

“I said it was nothing. Just drop it.” Jimmy downed half his glass, and set it back down to the bar with a slight, heavy bang. The burning of the vodka wasn’t as strong as it was with the first drink.

“Did you see the look on her face? She looked terrified and speechless. I’ve never seen that look on her before?”

Jimmy shot his head around to his friend. “I said just drop it!” Authority erupted in his voice. In fact, he almost growled out the words.

Brandon raised his eyebrows instantly. He looked to Jimmy, and could see the determination on his face. The look told him to end their line of discussion and now. Quite frankly, it surprised him entirely. It also kind of worried him as well. It wasn’t like Jimmy to do that. He couldn’t remember the last time his friend had ever looked at him like that. He couldn’t remember him ever sounding like that either. Something did change about him, so he did what he asked him, he shut up, dropped the conversation, and went back to his drink instead.

The two of them said little else for the rest of their night together. Brandon kept his conversation light and with little substance. After about two hours, both were ready to leave. The buzz of the bar was at its height and so was Brandon. He was more than just drunk; he was completely smashed. He knew it, and so did everyone else that looked at him. As for Jimmy, he felt completely normal even with the six or so drinks that he downed. In fact, he didn’t feel drunk in the least. Apparently, his urge to drink didn’t quench his thirst the way he wanted it to.

Leaving the bar, they made it to the sidewalk, with Jimmy helping Brandon out the front door.

Outside, looking at the night, he had to stop. “Man, what a night?” He looked to the street and then to the sky. Not a cloud was in sight. Every star there was, was out and was shining brightly. They twinkled with authority. They sparkled with wonder. “It’s so beautiful isn’t it?”

Brandon looked up with his arm wrapped firmly around his friend’s shoulders. He felt so drunk that he could barely bring his head up at all. “What the fuck are you talking about?” He saw the street and the building across from them. How he was ever going to get home, was the only thing that was firmly on his thoughts. So much so, he didn’t think he would even be able to find his car yet alone find his way home. It seemed like a concern, but that’s all it was.

“The night?” Jimmy couldn’t understand what his friend wasn’t seeing. It looked like such a marvelous sight. How could he miss it? It felt like a marvel sitting right in front of his eyes. “It’s magnificent.”

Brandon laughed. All he saw was a man walking on the opposite sidewalk from them, and then watched him cross the street towards them. “Him?” He laughed louder.

Jimmy took his left hand, brought it up to his friend’s chin, and held his head up towards the sky. “That, you moron?”

Brandon laughed again. He saw nothing but a black sky. “Dude I’m so drunk, I can’t see my own feet?” He took a deep breath, and then slurred it out with one giant exhale of air, laughing at the end of it.

Jimmy looked from his friend and back up to the sky. The nearly full moon looked so bright that it caught his eyes with a marvel that felt almost hypnotic to the mind.
God, isn’t that so beautiful? It’s almost hypnotic. It’s almost calling me.
“Do you see that?”

“I’m hammered.” Brandon laughed again. He had other things on his mind that seemed far more important than looking and trying to find the sky. If he could think about what that was, he’d say it, but he couldn’t, so he didn’t even try to.

Jimmy looked back to his friend briefly and noticed something about him that looked different. Around Brandon was—well—a hue of light. It looked yellow. It looked almost like a halo. He’d never seen it before, and it made him look back up to the moon. All around it was a magnificent halo that circled it so completely that it almost doubled its size. It also looked almost pure white, and looked so bright, as bright as the sun, but it didn’t hurt to look at it. “Wow!” He looked back at Brandon. “What a sight?” He couldn’t believe any of it. It all looked like magic. It felt like the most magnificent thing he’d ever seen before in his life.

Brandon forced his head back down. “I think I’m going to puke!” he needed to warn just in case. His stomach started to do somersaults under his ribs. Looking up didn’t help and only added to the feeling. Looking down, wasn’t helping all that much either.

“You’re hopeless?” Jimmy finally looked back down. “Come on?” He pulled Brandon off the sidewalk and led him across the street.

When they reached the opposite sidewalk, Brandon started gagging, and it didn’t take long for everything in his stomach to come up with one giant burst of air.

Jimmy stopped just in time for everything to miss his shoes, and instead, it hit the side of the building in front of them. Watching him briefly, throwing up everything in him, he turned back up to look at the sky again. The moon almost winked back to him.
It’s almost hypnotic.
He thought, listening to his friend throw-up all over the side of the building behind him. It never even dawned on him, that under normal circumstances, he would have probably joined him, just by listening to the sound. This time he didn’t. He just cared more to look up at the sky.

“Man?” Brandon finished, left the wall, and turned to Jimmy. He wiped his mouth with the back of his right hand. He felt better already. His head seemed to clear, and his body stopped shaking.
It’s funny how throwing up makes me feel better.
“I haven’t done that in a while?” He stopped right beside him.

Jimmy turned from the moon and back to his friend. “You ready?”

Brandon nodded.

Jimmy took him again, but this time Brandon was able to walk on his own, so he let go, and together they headed down the sidewalk side by side.

“You’ve been acting odd, you know that?” Brandon stated as they turned the next corner to the right. Behind the building was the parking lot. It was going to take a few minutes to get there, so it gave him the time to talk some. He no longer felt concerned about getting home, but now wanted to more than ever. He had to do it quickly before the alcohol attacked him again.

“How do you mean?” Jimmy had to ask.

“That, back there.” He pointed with an uneven arm back to the spot where he threw up. His arm, in all actuality never came close, but pointed back to the bar instead. He felt lucky to be able to lift it at all. “You have the weakest stomach I’ve ever known. The last time I threw-up all over the place you gagged and joined me.” He brought his arm back down with a loud slapping sound following it. He shrugged for good measure.

Jimmy shrugged his shoulders and sighed. “It didn’t bother me.”

“And what about Sally? You stood up to her man. If I didn’t see you do it, I wouldn’t have believed it?”

“I guess I was just tired of being pushed around by her that’s all.”

“Yeah, if you say so?” They turned at the back of the brick building into the parking lot behind it. “I don’t know. Look at you. You’ve lost a good twenty pounds. You shaved your head almost bald. You stood up to that money-grabbing bitch, and then you watched me puke all over the place but didn’t gag once? Whatever happened, I’m glad as hell it did.” They headed into the parking lot and stopped just behind their respective cars. “You should have gotten a job with my place years ago.” He laughed sounding rather boyish and giggly. He always became both when he was this hammered.

Jimmy nodded. He had no answer to anything he heard, so he decided not to try to explain anything. Besides, he didn’t know any of the reasons for it anyway, so why bother with it. Who would even care? “You’re not driving home.” He watched Brandon take out his keys and hold them out in front of him. He looked like he was trying to find the right one to use to get into his car, and seeing it, made him feel worried. He didn’t intend to let him drive home like he was. Besides, it was a good way to change the subject as well, so he went with it.

“I’m fine.” Brandon looked up from his keys and stared at his friend. He felt much better, but still had trouble in seeing him clearly. Hearing him, and seeing him flutter around inside his head, he had no argument with what he just heard. He didn’t even try to fight it. “You’re right. I’d probably kill people if I drove myself?” He laughed again. All their talking suddenly brought his stomach to turn again. He gagged some, and held his breath. It helped, the gagging stopped, and his stomach went back to normal.

Jimmy laughed and held his right arm out, motioning towards his car.

Together, they both went to each side of the car, Jimmy to the driver’s side and Brandon to the passenger, and they both opened their doors and sat inside. Together, they left the lot, and Jimmy took Brandon home.

The breeze felt wonderful as he ran through the trees following the scent. Which felt better, he couldn’t tell? They were both so wonderful to the senses. They were both so complete. One was cool to the flesh; the other was so sweet to the nose. Following the sweetness, he ran harder, picking up his stride and made his way into the deepness of the trees. He was almost there. It now seemed like just a matter of time before he reached them.

He stopped at a large tree, came behind it, and crouched down along its side. The nighttime air looked so bright with the moon overhead. He looked around the tree and could see a winding road coming from the right. He stayed there and took a deep breath, taking it all in. Behind the road, the buildings glistened on the other side of the park. They looked so tall. They all looked so bright with the lights in the windows of all those buildings twinkling like stars. The scent came towards him from the right and it only added to his hunger. This looked like the perfect place to wait for them to come to him. Wait he would do. He had the time. He didn’t need to rush.

Up ahead, the scent increased as it came by the winds. It grew stronger. It made him almost lose his mind. Sure enough, on the right, the scent became two people coming up along the road. They came around the bend and were almost there. Their scent almost called to him.

They walked together as they moved, holding hands and talking to each other. He could hear them laughing. The man kissed the woman on the cheek, wrapped his right arm around her shoulders, and held her briefly.

Seeing them, and now feeling them, he bent down at the knees, brought his legs up, and readied himself for the strike. He pushed himself further back into the deepness of the shadows.

The smell continued. Their laughing came stronger.

The sweetness was almost there. The sound moved, carrying to him with a subtle strength that felt hard to comprehend all at once. He knew that he needed take the man first. He looked larger. He had to be stronger. He would put up a fight.

The air cracked. He pulled back. They were almost there. It was now, or never.

He pounced with strength and flew from the trees. He sprang to them so fast that he crossed the few feet between them within only a brief second. He jumped the man first, grabbed his shoulders, and tackled him to the ground. The swiftness of the action tumbled the woman with them, and she fell to her face. The man struggled, but he had him well. He couldn’t move. It seemed all too quick. It felt all too brutal. Neither of them had the chance to react.

He brought his mouth down to the back of the man’s neck and with all of his taste; he bit down strongly on his throat. The taste of blood overpowered his tongue. It flowed. It oozed. It went between his teeth, and tasted so warm. The warmth of his flesh bounced around his gums, his tongue, and his mind. It tasted so strong, feeling it. It felt so wonderful tasting him. The man stopped moving quickly. His blonde hair looked splattered with his own blood.

The woman screamed a loud shrill shriek through the nighttime breeze. The sound startled him some. It burned his ears. She hurt his mind. He picked himself off the man. He had to stop the screams. He had to silence the pain. He jumped her fast.

She didn’t have a chance. He brought his mouth down over her throat and squeezed. The feeling of his teeth pierced her tender flesh. She died so quickly. Her screams stopped so fast. He released her and turned around, looking around them, seeing if anyone had seen the attack.

No one else was there. No one had seen him. He had made the kill with ease.

He turned back to the woman, came over her, and went to her breasts first. He sunk in his teeth, and tore at her blouse, tasting her flesh, and swallowing it down. He kept gorging until he reached her belly, and that’s when he heard it. The beating heart came soft. The smell of the child came strong. Smelling it, and listening to the heart stop, he took a deep breath. Its life faded. It died.

What did you do?

He pulled himself off her, and lifted his head towards the sky. He screamed off into the night. He screamed for the pain. He screamed for the agony of everything and more. He howled letting his feelings fly.

Jimmy opened his eyes and sat up in bed. His mind raced as his entire body shook beneath the sheets. Both caused him to rush both hands to his face. He placed his head into his palms and took a deep cherished breath.
What the fuck was that?
He pulled his feet to the floor. He pulled himself over to the side of the bed and dropped his arms.
God, that poor woman. She was pregnant. I killed her child.
He shivered with the thought as tears formed in his eyes. He looked up and saw his bedroom door. He then looked to his right and found the mirror, and that made him look back to the bed. Seeing everything, he sighed. He realized that he was still in bed.
It was a dream. It was just a Goddamn dream.
He took a deep and relieving breath. It took another few moments to wash the thoughts out of his mind.

He stood up, and shook his head.
What the hell am I doing?
He didn’t know, but he did feel something. He felt odd. He felt cool. He felt unfeeling, almost unhinged. Again, he just shook his head.
It was just a freaking dream dude. That’s all it was. A nightmare. Get with it.
He was right. It made sense, so he again, shook it all off.

He left the bedroom and walked out into the living room, walked to the sofa and grabbed the remote. He stared down at it and then to the television under the bay window to his right. Seeing them, together, they made him feel numb. He felt almost lost. He didn’t need them, so he dropped the remote back to the table, turned, and headed to the kitchen instead.

He walked to the counter, made a pot of coffee, and there he turned back. He took another deep breath. He sighed. He then winced. He felt better already. That was until his stomach growled making him look down at it oddly. He wasn’t used to seeing it so small and smooth as it moaned. He felt hungry. He felt starved in fact. He turned right to the refrigerator, and opened the door. He had no idea what he was looking for, but went directly for the meat drawer and pulled it open without hesitation. He removed a packet of sandwich meat, and closed the door. He ate every piece of meat there was. He barely gave himself the chance to chew it. He just swallowed it down until the meat was gone. It tasted so good. It tasted so wonderful, that so much so; he wanted more, so he turned back to the refrigerator and opened the door. He stood there looking, but found nothing. Everything seemed gone. A knock, coming from behind him, snapped his mind back to where he was. He turned and looked to the front door, and took a deep breath.
Perfume? A woman?
He could almost hear her breathing. He could almost hear her heart beating. He knew who it was.
What the fuck does she want?

He sighed, left the kitchen, and made his way to the front door. He opened it, and sighed again. “What do you want?”

“Hi?” Sally smiled as her face blushed over, going bashful all too fast. She wasn’t expecting for him to answer the door in only his white underwear, but that wasn’t everything. Seeing him in his full glory made him look almost fantastic. His stomach looked so smooth and his body looked beyond firm. Hell, he looked more than just fantastic; he looked downright Godly. Whatever he did to perfect himself, she didn’t know, but at that moment, she didn’t care. “Wow!” She couldn’t believe it. She couldn’t believe him. She had to gasp, and had to sigh some just from the sight of all of it. She had to try to bring her mind back to what she came there to do. It just seemed far too difficult to do it, right at that moment. “You look great!”

“What are you doing here, Sally?” He didn’t smile. In fact, he felt perturbed more than anything else that she interrupted his feeding. He wasn’t expecting her, and as far as he was concerned, she picked the worst time to pay him a visit.

She smiled, fully and pure. “I told you last night that I was going to come over.” She sighed, sounding rather confused. “I thought you wanted me to come and get the rest of my stuff?”

He sighed. “Now?” He bowed his head some, and leaned against the side of the door.

“Is it a bad time? Did I wake you?” She grew even more bashful. She just couldn’t get her thoughts off him.
Why didn’t he do this when I was with him? I might have stayed?

He took a deep breath.
Why the fuck not.
He moved from the front door and headed to the center of the living room. He remembered what he told her, but he didn’t care either way. “Okay, whatever.” He stopped by the front of the sofa and turned around. “You never listened to me before? Why now?” He winced. He couldn’t think of anything but food. He still felt hungry. He needed to eat, but standing there, turning to her, a new scent came to him almost all at once, and it smelled so sweet. It smelled rather ferocious in its intensity. Smelling it and having it overcome him; he lost all of his thoughts of food, and a new hunger replaced it. Instead of his stomach growling, the new hunger grew in his loins. He started to get excited, and started to get—well for the lack of a better thought—horny. Instantly an erection grew inside his shorts. Instantly his mind turned sexual just as quickly.

“I always listened to you Jimmy,” she began, but noticed the erection growing in his
tighty-whities
instantly. Quickly, her mind faded from what she tried to say and went lost to nothing at all.

He never flinched when he crossed the floor between them with just one-step.

“You smell wonderful.” The bulge grew larger now that he stood directly in front of her. Her smell grew as well with it. The feeling of wanting her grew stronger yet. “You smell so fantastic.” He took her shoulders with both hands, and held her firmly. He took a deep breath, and brought in her fantastic scent deep into his pallet. His erection grew stronger, and his heart raced faster. However, his mind never felt clearer than it did right then.

Sally had no idea what to think. “Jimmy?” She swallowed, still trying to gather her thoughts. She felt lost. She wasn’t thinking straight. “Jimmy, please?” She felt his strength emanate through her shoulders as she heard his voice grow deeper, almost powerful within itself. With both, her want for him grew in leaps and bounds and overcame her just as fast. Why he never became forceful with her before, raced through her like a thunderclap. Why he never took her like this, back then, when they were together, made her shutter. Instantly, her breathing picked up its intensity, and her heart began to pound inside her chest. Her eyes also began to water. Why was he doing this now? Why did he have to find himself now, after she had left him for another?

“What’s the matter?” He almost purred as he brought himself closer, and now, he almost seemed lost within her smell. He felt almost lost within her sweet, sweet scent. He could hear her heart so clearly that he could have tapped out the sound. He could smell her beginning to sweat. He could almost breathe her breaths into his. It became overpowering to him, now, wanting her, that he couldn’t resist it. “I thought this is what you always wanted?” He pushed his face right up to hers, and slowly, he brought his mouth over her lips. “I thought you wanted a man?” He kissed her, pressing his lips to hers with such strength that they almost blended together. His tongue slid between her lips and parted them, heading into her mouth, reaching for her throat.

They kept like that for nearly a full five minutes, tasting each other with such power, that she almost melted from the heat. Slowly, she tried to pull them apart, but she seemed to lose the fight to want him to stop. He tasted so good. He felt so good in front of her with his body pressed against her breasts. His arms went around her back and down her back to her waist like fire.

He squeezed her to him. He held her so closely and so strongly, he could almost feel her ribs bending to his. Without effort, his hands went to her blouse, and unbuttoned it and pulled it off to the floor with one swift motion. His hands slid down to her jeans and just as smoothly, he unbuttoned her pants. With one swift motion, he slid both her jeans and panties off her hips. They slid to her knees and to her ankles and only stopped at the floor.

She now stood there completely naked below her bra. She didn’t fight him. She couldn’t stop him. She couldn’t bring herself to say anything. With one strong lift, he took her under her legs and carried her through the living room, to the back hallway, and into the bedroom without so much as a struggle. The kiss never let up the entire time they moved.

In the bedroom, he didn’t hesitate as he carried her to the bed. He kissed her mouth as he unclipped her bra with almost no effort. He pushed her to her back, and without using his hands slid his briefs off quickly. He moved so smoothly. He moved so strongly. He did everything without having to think. He did everything without having to try. He released his kiss, and moved his lips down her chest, licking and kissing every part of her skin, passing from one erect nipple to the other.
God, she tastes so sweet. God, she smells so strong.
He moved down from her nipples, and using his tongue, coursed down the center of her breasts to her navel. He circled it several times before heading down between her legs. It’s there that the sweetness of her smell grew stronger and more pronounced, and God what a smell it was? She tasted like candy. She tasted like heaven. Everything seemed to be all rolled up into one beautiful scent. He breathed her in. He took the smell and coursed it through his blood. He felt it. He absorbed it. He consumed her. It felt like such a great smell; she made him feel like she was heaven on earth.