Phantasmagoria: Jimmy Didn’t Come Home Last Night

A young vampire’s coming-of-age.

When he turned to go, Brenda placed a hand on his arm. “Don’t go.”

Danny looked back at her. What now?

“I’d like you to stay,” she said. “We need to talk.”

They’d been through that before. Danny sighed as he turned back to face her. “About what?”

He thought she’d say, Us, but she surprised him.

“It’s Jimmy.” Our son. Born before their own changes began. “He didn’t come home last night.”

Where had he been, then? Seventeen years old now. The boy knew better. Things had gotten worse for them all. It was no longer safe to go out. Especially after dark.

“Is he home now?”

“No, not yet, anyway. I just called, but he didn’t answer.”

The sun was blazing already this morning.

Danny and Brenda now occupied separate units in the self-storage building. Others like them, including the owner of the closed-down business, lived in their own units. No one there would be outside in the bright sunlight.

Jimmy would be inside somewhere. Here, or somewhere outside this building? Hiding in isolation or feasting, as only a predator could?