Suckers - J.A. Konrath

"Yes," somebody replied. My heart gave such a jolt that for a second I thought it had popped
free of its tubing and rolled down next to my stomach.
It was a woman's voice. She sounded like a grandmother.
"I'm here, too," said another elderly-sounding woman, her voice coming from the other side
of the room.
Both women giggled.
I heard something that sounded like chains rattling. I stayed put, hoping that my eyes would
quickly adjust to the dark. C'mon, eyes, let's get a move on. Let me see the freaky grandmothers.
Let's go. Aw, man, this sucks.
"Who are you?" I asked.
More giggling. More chains rattling.
"Who are you?" asked the woman to my left. She sounded like she was maybe five or six
feet away. Not nearly far enough.
"I'm Andrew Mayhem," I said. "I mean you no harm."
The giggling turned into outright laughter. I figured I deserved it. I wiped some sweat off
my forehead and continued to stay where I was.
"We mean you lots of harm," said the woman to my right.
"Lots and lots and lots," her companion added.
"I bet your blood tastes gooooooooood."
"Real, real good."
As I looked from side to side, I could now vaguely see the two figures. They seemed to be
chained to the wall. I slowly backed up against the door, hoping that their chains were
sufficiently short to keep them from tasting my blood.
I knew they weren't vampires. I didn't believe in vampires. I did, however, believe in crazy
old ladies with a blood fetish, and I found them rather unnerving.
"Should we bite him?" asked the woman to my left.
"Bite him and drink him all up?"
"Yes, indeedy."
"Mmmmmmmmmm."
I clenched my fists. "I don't want to have to hurt you," I announced. "But I will. I'll do it."
The women began to slowly walk toward me, chains dragging on the floor behind them. I
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