The Odd Family's Book of Bedtime Stories

The Thief

I took another shot and slammed the glass on the counter. It burned on the way down, spreading across my chest and warming me up. It seemed like I was always cold. I was alone and had been for the entire night. There were beautiful women all around me. In fact, the bar was packed tonight. It just seemed like no one was interested tonight. I had never struck out so hard. Deciding to get one more drink before going home, I signaled to the bartender. Some nights just weren't as good as others.

"This one's on me." Her voice was smooth. She was beautiful and met all of my requirements. She was the one. I knew I had to pull her in. I shook my head and gestured freely to the wooden bar in front of us.

"No, no," I told her, "I insist." She didn't argue. I had never seen her before, but I knew I had her hooked as she took the drink and downed it with a smile. I waved for another one. She had downed the first one too fast before I could make my move. I didn't let it phase me, I already knew I wouldn't have another chance.
"What's your name?" I asked. I wanted to distract her with conversation. It was always the easiest way to keep them from spotting me.
"Jane," she replied as she took the drink. "You?"
"Sam," I lied. "My name is Sam." I had always liked Sam better than Eric. I wouldn't want her to have my real name if she were to escape, either. Not that anything like that had ever happened. At least, not yet. We made small talk for a while. It seemed the conversation was going nowhere important, and yet it continued.
"You wanna get out of here, Sam?" Jane asked after only a short while. I grinned wickedly and stood. I'd be able to accomplish my goals a lot easier outside in the dark parking lot. I wouldn't even need one of the tiny pills in my pocket.
The night air was cool, and the parking lot was dark. The only nearby street light had been broken, leaving shards of glass around the pole. We were alone. I scanned the empty lot several times to be sure. It was always a nosy passerby that interfered. There were none tonight. It was the perfect setting. I grinned and turned toward Jane, balling up my fist. I knew exactly where to strike to cause the most damage. My truck was only a few feet away. It was going to be a good night, after all.
Everything went black.
When I woke, I had a throbbing headache. The surrounding lights were blinding. I squinted and tried to shield my eyes. I could not stop the groan that escaped my throat as nausea overwhelmed me. I gagged and swallowed, trying to get it under control. I lifted a hand and then dropped it. It seemed heavier somehow. When I finally focused enough to make out my surroundings, I grew even more confused. I was in what appeared to be a cheap motel bathroom. I didn't remember getting a motel. I remembered nothing.
Slowly, I made out strange details. The bathtub was full of slowly melting ice, but my skin felt numb. I could not feel the cold. I only knew it had to be there. Empty plastic bags littered the floor, and there was a phone on the side of the bathtub. Its cord disappeared into the dark room beyond. I couldn't hear anything but the sound of blood rushing in my ears, but I knew I was alone.
I slowly reached for the phone. Every move I made hurt more than the last. It seemed to take forever to pick up the phone. I knew I had to call for help, but I wasn't sure who to even call. All I could remember was Jane smiling at me in the parking lot. I didn't know where I was or what had happened. If I called 911, how would I know where to send them? Then I remembered. I was in a hotel room. Fingers trembling, I mashed down on the zero, hoping someone- anyone- would answer.
They did.
The medics arrived promptly. I passed back out once more, grateful to be somewhere safe and alive. All I could feel was pain and as they lifted me from the tub, just before I passed out, the cold. When I woke up again, I had to learn the hard truth. Doctors sat beside me as they explained.
Monsters lurked in dark places like that, they told me.
They hunted people like animals.
I was lucky to be alive, given the circumstances. The cuts might have been by an amateur but they had done minor damage. I would recover, they said.
I could live with just one kidney.