The town was cloaked in a grim, gray drizzle appropriate to Halloween night. The big car moved through increasingly meaner streets as the small groups of trick or treaters dwindled. Finally, the driver stopped in front of perhaps an older apartment house. He said to Anika, “This is the address. I don’t like the looks of it.”
Anika said, “That makes two of us. However, the client is paying double rate. For double rate, I take a chance. I have my emergency transmitter on a 10-minute cycle. If it goes off, I am in trouble; come and get me!”
The big man shifted slightly and checked the deadly .357 magnum he carried. “OK, Miss Anika, if they want trouble, I got trouble. However, watch yourself.”
Anika braced herself and got out of the car and dashed through the drizzle into the little lobby. The lobby was as crummy as one would have suspected from the street view. However, there was a buzzer panel and the button on Suite 13 seemed to work.
A rather strange voice with a trace of some sort of accent Anika could not place asked, “Who is there?”
Anika replied, “I am Anika, your appointment.”
The voice said, “Ah yes, Anika. Please do come up. The lift is at the end of the little hall. Just press the number 13 button and I will await you.”
Anika walked to the end of the hall and, as promised there was a charming little lift. It was complete, except for missing the CONDEMNED sign. It was apparently operational. Oh well, double pay, double risk. Anika slid the cage aside, stepped into the elevator and punched the 13 button.
The elevator went up quite a ways. It was slow moving and Anika counted the floors as she passed them. It appeared that number 13 was on the fourth floor. The elevator ground to a halt, after a few nasty little judders and then, after a considerable wait, the door opened. A tall form waited in a lit doorway down the hall. Anika took a deep breath and reset her trouble transmitter for another 10-minute interval. She then started down the hall.
As Anika walked down the hall, she noted that there appeared to be only the one door off the hall. Presumably there were four units per floor except that number 13 occupied the entire fourth floor. Anika walked up to the tall form in the doorway.
“Welcome Anika, enter my abode!”
Anika stepped past the form into what appeared at first to be a very large formal living room. There were floor to ceiling windows with heavy drapes. There was a large, very ornate fireplace at the far end of the room. In front of the fireplace was a bed! The bed appeared rather odd in a living room but that was the client’s business.
The tall form steered Anika toward the fireplace and the bed. As Anika slowly walked down the room she tried to look at the chairs or couches that seemed set against the walls. For whatever reason, Anika’s eyes would not quite focus on the furniture. Similarly, there seemed to be pictures or wall hangings on the walls but, once again, Anika’s eyes would not focus on the items. Suddenly, double pay did not seem like such a good bargain.
They reached the bed at the far end of the room. The bed, at least, was solid with no shifting or blurring. The fireplace was not a fireplace! It appeared to be some kind of altar!
Anika turned to tell the man that she would need to use the bathroom first.
The man had discarded the cloak he had worn. Under the cloak was a thin but strong looking bone white body. Protruding from the ghastly white body were three things. There was an enormous erect penis and two very nasty looking fangs in a blood red mouth.
Anika turned to run. It was useless! The thing snared Anika and ripped her clothing off. It threw Anika on the bed and then leapt on her.