Page 6 of Zombies, Satyrs and Vampires, Oh My!

My lips twitch and it almost feels like a smile, but that would mean enjoyment or pleasure or humor at the least. Before today, the most emotion I’ve felt in the last two decades has been the acknowledgment that I should probably be annoyed that I don’t feel any emotion. But this woman is causing reactions in my body.

“Let me ask you a question,” I say. “Are you a vegetarian?”

“I could never be. As much as I love animals, bacon is life.” Her entire face lights up when she says this and damn if my cock doesn’t notice that too.

“I don’t eat people. Never have. Never will. I do eat brains. But it’s not that different than eating other organ meats which are very popular in other cultures.”

“Okay,” she says. “Where do you get them?”

“A few places. There is a local farmer who I purchase from. The coffee shop in town keeps me stocked too and has created a delicious drink for me. And I order them. I have an industrial freezer in my butler’s pantry.”

“So you’ve never like grabbed someone’s pet and attacked it?”

“Fuck no! I’m not a monst—” I exhale slowly. “All right, I can see how I might be deemed a monster or a creature, but I can assure you that most of us here in Screaming Woods are civilized. We were once just like you, after all.”

She stares at me, her mouth open.

“People don’t tend to just wander into our town. They come here for very specific reasons. Now there are new developments in town that are attempting to bring humans back so we can have an integrated community. But so far it’s pretty slow going as I understand it. Others have come for the freak show, because let’s face it, it’s not every day you can walk into a town to see a minotaur and a wolfman having a conversation. So, what is it for you? What brought you here?”

She swallows visibly and my eyes snag on the milky complexion of her neck. Her skin is so perfect. I want nothing more than to lean in and lick her again. Just another taste.

“Research,” she says.

“Explain.”

“I’m a writer.”

“A reporter, then? We’ve had plenty of those pop up over the years. Always looking for the dirt on the town. Maybe I should have left you to the mothman then.” I step away from her, putting the sofa between us so I’m not tempted to touch her. It’s the reminder I need. No matter what my urges say or how she smells, this woman doesn’t belong to me. No way would a beauty like her go for a … well, a dead guy like me. So I need to just back off.

“I need to do some work of my own. You can use this as your office if it suits your needs. The kitchen is fully stocked and straight down the hallway to your left.”

“You’re leaving?”

“Not the property. I’ll be in the workshop behind the house. You’re perfectly safe though. No one can get into my house unless I want them to, and you have nothing to fear from me.”