A vampires pet

The streetlights blurred into streaks as Keeley stomped down the sidewalk, the anger a hot, tight knot in her chest. Fired. Again. Because her 'new spunk' had apparently gone stale.

She shoved her earbuds in deeper, the music a futile attempt to drown out the bitter taste of unfairness. Head down, lost in thought, she turned a corner, only to realize too late that the familiar glow of the city had vanished. No streetlights. Just an inky, suffocating darkness.

A quick glance at her phone, a dying flicker: 10:30 PM. Her mom was going to kill her. Panic, cold and sharp, began to prickle. She pulled out her earbuds, the silence amplifying the thumping of her heart. Just breathe. Retrace your steps.

Then, a wet, sickly-sweet cloth slammed over her mouth and nose, cutting off her breath. She screamed, a muffled, desperate sound, her hands scrabbling at the arm that cinched around her neck. Tears streamed, hot and fast, as a husky whisper tickled her ear: “Just breathe and it’ll all be ok darlin’.”

Her lungs burned, demanding air, but a primal instinct screamed, Don’t breathe. Don’t. The world spun, vision blurring, as a massive headache exploded behind her eyes. The last thing she registered before darkness claimed her was being slung roughly over a shoulder and hearing the ominous thud of a white van door closing, followed by two unfamiliar voices.