The Blood Quest

If someone had told me that on this day, I would lose my normal, boring life, I might have worn something else. Instead, I dressed as a whore. Yes, that is right; as a whore, you see, it is Halloween. I wanted to go as something none of my friends would think of. So here I am, dressed like a street person, feeling so many emotions I couldn't even seem to cry. How did it happen, you might ask... Well, that is a story I can seem to recall… Maybe if the throbbing in my head would stop.

A month or so ago, the news anchors were telling everyone to be careful because street people were going missing. How they could tell with how many people on the street, I really had no idea. You see, I am a rather well-off woman. I was, in a word, born with a silver spoon in my mouth. So the papers and the news kept warning that the cops were looking for the bad guys. The crazy thing is, a few weeks after the beggar or hooker went missing, they would show up again. Blood would be splattered all over their bodies; limbs would be missing. The one woman happened to be missing a leg, breast, and part of her head. The cops really had no idea what was going on; all the cases grew cold after a few days. No family to keep the cops moving on the missing or dead.

It really was a scary thing to think that someone was out there taking people. They were doing goddess knows what to them. I am getting off the topic here, so I should really get back to the fact that I was going to be dead in only thirty days. I am sitting reading the paper when my phone rings.

"Hello..." I answered, but already knew who was calling, why she wanted to bug me this early in the morning.

"Natalia... Have you read the paper?" Oh, joy, it was Mom calling to tell me about the bad news yet again. Please don't ask what my mother was thinking when she named me; we aren’t Russian or have any Russian blood in our veins. The one person who seems to read the bad news then thinks I really want to hear more about it. It took me a moment not to roll my eyes a second time, but I finally answered her.

"Yes, Mother, I read the paper. I have the news on as well. That poor woman didn't have a chance, it would seem. They are getting worse with the parts they are taking." I mumble into the phone, trying not to set my mother off again. My tea is getting cold, but I like it better that way. I cradle the phone between my shoulder and chin.

"It is just horrible; maybe you should..." Mom started, but I already knew what she was going to say, so I cut her off.

"NO...NO...no… I am not moving back in with you and that beast you call a husband." I snarl into the phone, almost dropping it onto the floor. Furthermore, I am rather sure my mother is glaring at the wall. I was sure she wanted to come over here to drag me back home.

"Natalia! That is not a proper way to speak about your stepfather." Oh, she wants to really know how I feel about the beast. He was nothing like my loving father, whom my mother ditched when she figured out he didn't really understand the meaning of saving money. Dad was more likely to go out to spend the money than keep it in the bank. I am not a small woman, so I have to either go to a designer or have them fit me, OR I can go to Cato. They never have anything worth my time. So it is a plus that I have a black Visa card for the designer. I love the way my jeans hug my rather ample rear. The sound of my mother yelling in my ear snapped my mind back to the phone and off the wonderful clothes I should go buy. I really should consider my Halloween costume.

"That man is nothing more than a beast; I have nothing nice to say about him. Dad will always be the only man I will call "father," "dad," or so on." I tell her with a huff at the end, like it would be the last word on the subject. My hands twist in my red hair.

Here came the fight; it always went this way with my mom. She didn't see my dad as anything more than a slug that should have some salt poured on him. That is a nasty thought, but I really need to stay on point here. What should I dress up as, a Hamm... My mother is going on in my ear, so I tune her out to allow her to rant for a while. A little while with Mom is almost an hour later, and she finally gives up that I am even listening to her.

"Since I know you aren't listening to me, have you figured out your outfit for the party?" She says with a slight sigh at the end. I know that she hasn’t finished with the topic, but I am safe for now.

"I was thinking about Cinderella. The problem with that is my rather large boobs." I almost laugh when I hear the slight gasp on her end.

"Really... You are a lady, not a college co-ed." Well, at one point, I had been a co-ed. Mind you, I didn't stay the whole four years. It really wasn't because I was bad at school; it was more that I got sick of adults acting like five-year-olds. I did get my two-year degree."

As I was saying, I can't really wear a corset with such large breasts. They might fall out. So, I was thinking about going as a witch. The problem with that is they are so played out." I spoke like I really knew what I was talking about. I hated corsets. They really did make my overly large breasts look like they would fall out of the top.

"You really should think about something less normal." My mother said, but as usual, I ignored her.

"A whore... How about I go as a whore!" I was only kidding in truth, but what else did she expect?

"NATALIA... You are not going to dress up as a whore and come to my party. Besides, with all the kidnappings, I would worry myself sick if you went outside dressed that way." The high pitch of her scream gave me a throbbing headache. I wished she would stop being the wicked queen today. She hated most of the things I came up with as costumes. The only thing my mother wanted was for me to be married to a hot CEO who had more money than God.