Curse of the Smiling Vampire

Chapter 9

Herbie's mother took one look at the chaos in the large aquarium and screamed. Herbie's dad came running out of the bathroom, pants around his ankles and wearing only his battleship adorned boxers. "What is it?" he moaned, trying to pull up his trousers.

"Ralph, my fish!" she cried, "Look at my fish!" The tears streaming freely down her face, ruining the make-up caked there.

Ralph stared at the tank, unbelieving. All that was left of the three large angel fish were a mess of scattered fins and a tail resting on the bottom of the tank. The guppies were strung out in the water, tiny pieces floating everywhere. Nothing was left alive.

"Who could have done this?" Edith wailed.

"Shut up for a minute," Ralph said under his breath. "Let me think this out."

"Think it out?" she said, staring at him in disbelief.

"Yeah," He said, ignoring his wife's glare and removing the heavy lid covering the tank. One of the tanks dual powerhead was floating in the water, spinning around in the whirlpool created by the heads constant stream of water. Ralph yanked the powerhead's cord from the wall outlet and watched as the head sank, disturbing the fine layer of silk-like fins scattered on the bottom.

"The eel is gone," he said flatly.

"What?" Edith said, taking one step towards her husband while wiping the tears from her eyes.

"I said the God damned eel is gone!"

"Where could he have gone?" Edith asked, advancing another step to stand beside her husband.

"I don't know...But Bob is gone, too. I hope he hasn't gone and flipped out again," he said grimly.

"Ralph," Edith said, "where could and eel and a crab get to?"

"I don't know, dear," he said flatly.

"We are not in danger, are we?" she asked, the fear evident in her voice.

"Don't worry, Hon. I have dealt with Bob before and I can handle him again."

"But, Ralph...how did they get out?"

"I don't know." He looked at the tank in silence, and after a minute addressed his wife: "the lid is latched and the cover weighs 75 pounds; neither one of them could have lifted it."

Edith didn't notice the pained look on her husband's face; if she had, she would have realized that her husband didn't believe his own last statement.

"...Help...," came a disembodied voice in Edith's head.

"What did you say, Ralph?" she said, turning her tear-stained face to meet his.

"Huh?"

"I said what did you say?"

"I didn't say anything..."

"...Help me..." came the voice again, this time it was in Ralph's head, too.

"Oh my God!" Ralph exclaimed, turning to bolt up the second flight of stairs to Herbie's room, Edith in quick pursuit.

Ralph stood in the doorway to Herbie's room, staring in disbelief at the mess on the floor. The room looked like it had been ransacked by pros. Herbie's desk was overturned and his papers were scattered all over the floor. The 10 gallon aquarium was in pieces all over the floor. Ralph walked in and squatted by the cracked plastic base of the aquarium. There was a light layer of blood along one of the jagged edges.

"Fluff?" Ralph called.

"Help me, Ralph," came the light, far away voice.

Ralph glanced around the room frantically, spotting a white glimpse under the far end of Herbie's bed. Ralph hurried to Fluff's crumpled body as Edith came to the door.

"Ralph? What is it?" she said.

"It is Fluff," he said, gently cradling the limp body in his arms. "She looks like she has been attacked."

Ralph winced at the two long gashes down Fluffs white flank.

"Who did this, Fluff?" Ralph asked.

"...Bob..." came Fluff's distant voice. "....Must stop Bob..."

"What?" he thought.

"Bob....he is going after Tess....you must stop Bob..."

Ralph turned to Edith. "Honey, you better go on to work," he said.

"But what about you?" she countered.

"I have to take care of Fluff," he said, "and get that damned crab."

"Be careful," Edith said, coming forward and kissing him on the cheek.

"I will, Hon. I have dealt with Bob before. I will find him, only this time I'm gonna grind him under my heel!"