Cab Ride

Title: Cab Ride
Author: Perry
E-mail: icemulder@hotmail.com
Characters: Derek and his *special* visitor
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy, Joss and Co. do.
Summary: This is an extremely short story. Derek, a cab driver, picks up one more passenger, his very last passenger....
 

Derek ran his hand through his ever-thinning hair. It was past 2 am, and he was thoroughly beat. In fact, as he rounded the corner from Oak nut street to Penn Avenue, he was considering turning off the big yellow sign on his hood, and heading home.
He needed the extra money, though, so as the street lamps diminished, and the only light around him was that of his own head lights, Derek told himself to pick up one last costumer, and then call it a night.
If only he had called it a night before he hit the stop sign.

The stop sign had 'Go' spray-painted on it, and was hard to read in daylight, so Derek barely saw it at this late hour.
He could barely see the man leaning against the stop sign as well.

Derek slowed to a halt, wondering if the guy needed a taxi. The sooner he found a costumer, the sooner Derek could go home.

The man approached Derek's passenger door, his face in the shadows.

All that Derek could see of this man were his clothes, which look slightly dirty, but still somewhat fancy, so the man didn't resemble anyone poor.

The man opened the back seat passenger door ever so slowly, "Can I have a lift?"

Derek nodded, and clicked on the meter as the man climbed in.

"Where you headed?" Derek prayed it was close to his own home.

"Parking lot behind Wendy's, if it isn't too much trouble," the man spoke with a strange accent, or maybe it was just Derek's tiredness that made the man speak oddly.

"Um, sure," it was a strange request, considering how many Wendy's there were. After asking the passenger which one, Derek was convinced this guy was mad. It didn't matter, as long as the guy had some cash.

"So, what do you do a living?" Derek usually didn't enjoy conversing with passengers, but asked this anyway, needing something to keep himself awake.

"Not much," was the man's answer.

Derek looked into the rearview mirror at the man.

He wasn't there.

Derek shifted the mirror a little bit, but the man wasn't anywhere in the reflection.

Beginning to get uncomfortable, Derek said, "Ya know, is it possible that you could get another taxi? It's late, and I'm not sure I won't fall asleep behind this wheel before we reach Wendy's."

"That's okay you'll do," the man had a certain air to him, he wasn't going to leave.

Derek continued to periodically check in the rearview mirror. He had heard about stuff like this, but never actually had one in his own cab.

The stop light in front of him flashed from yellow to red.

As Derek slowed to a stop, he turned in his seat to look right at his passenger.
The man smiled devilishly.

"Why do you want to go to Wendy's so much? Or rather, the back parking lot?"

"I'm hungry," the man smiled again, "I could use an appetizer before my main meal though."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Derek's eyes widened in horror. What was this freak going to do?

"You'll find out," the passenger grabbed Derek from the backseat, and pulled the cab driver's neck towards him.

Derek tried to yell, but  it was too late, the passenger's facial features had changed into those of a demon's.
Derek prayed with all of his might as the man's fangs extended, and sunk viciously into the cabby's neck.

Blood flowed from the puncture wounds into the passengers mouth, and along down Derek's shoulder.

The vampire feed gratefully, and threw the limp body aside. He climbed out of the car, amongst angry honks, for the light had turned green.

The blonde haired man wiped his mouth, shrugged his shoulders and disappeared into the night, suddenly very full.
The End

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