Here's my contribution to the Halloween challenge!  As
this was spur of the moment, it hasn't been beta read, so
excuse any boo-boos.  Comments and ratsies can be sent
to: Libratsie@aol.com

The FOREVER KNIGHT characters do not belong to me,
but I promise to replace them with new ones if I
accidentally break them.

May be archived on www.FKFANFIC.com and Calalilly's
Homepage of the Ratpack ONLY!!!! All others should ask
first.

THE TARGET (01/01)
by Libby Singleton

     Screed waited, perched precariously in a tree.  The
wind was blowing hard enough to rock the limb, making
even the balance of a vampire questionable.  Yet he refused
to move; refused to lose his one chance at redeeming
himself.
     "'Alloween," he muttered to himself, following the
comment with a raspberry.  "When thingees gew bump in
the night.  Only them mortal-types 'ave forgotten ol'
Screed's suppose tew be doin' the bumpin' n' thumpin'!"
     Screed's evening started bad, then went down hill
quickly.  His first intended victim, a businessman cutting
through an alley after he'd run out of gas, simply looked at
him and laughed.  "Laughed at me, 'e did," Screed
complained softly.  "Dinna even startle the droog."
     A group of trick or treaters who strayed from the
usual route, seemed more promising.  The oldest, dressed
as Freddy Kruger, was no more than twelve, if that.
Screed chose to jump out from behind a pile of garbage
waiting for pickup.  In previous years, that prank would've
caused at least one of the urchins to leave a puddle on the
pavement.  No such luck this time.  Instead, the oldest
simply blinked and said, "Lousy costume, dude.  Michelle,
show him yours."
     A tiny girl, so small Screed hadn't noticed her until
she stepped away from the group, was dressed as a female
seductress.  Or so he thought until she opened her mouth.
The tot's canines sported as natural looking a pair of fans
as Screed had ever seen, even on his own kind.  He sniffed
the air suspiciously and studied her aura to make sure this
wasn't some sort of freaky vampire tot, trying to fool the
carouche.  No such luck.  She smelled like a peanut butter
sandwich and an unwiped bottom.  While he was still
puzzling over the situation, the kids simply walked around
him without so much as a by-your-leave.
     Feeling a bit depressed over the way his Halloween
was going, he'd decided to give up.  Perhaps things were
hopping a bit more at the Raven.  Because he was a
carouche, the higher vampires usually didn't appreciate him
hanging around.  But this was Halloween, surely they'd
give him a break - bird's of a feather even if the choice of
entree differed.  Cutting across a cemetery, Screed saw at
least a dozen mortals.  Curious, he landed behind a large
tomb.
     "Damn it, Brad!" a teenage girl shouted.  "That's
_not_ in the official rules!"
     "Hey, I'm the one running this game, Janet!
Nobody else has a gripe about it.  If you don't like the
scenario, then get your _own_ group together!"
     "Then... I'll just do that!"
     The lone girl stomped toward the tomb as the rest
headed for the opposite end of the cemetery.  Too good an
opportunity to mess, Screed immediately leapt out.  He
landed in a crouched position, fangs bared.
     The girl, dressed in black from toe to toe, did jump
back.  However, she didn't scream or even faint, as
wenches were prone to do in Screed's mortal days.
"Nosferatu?"
     "Huh?"
     "What clan are you?  What kind of vampire?"
     Screed answered without thinking.  "Carouche."
     "That's not in the official rules _either_!" Janet
cried with exasperation.  "If you're going to play, you
should play with the official rules!"  Throwing up her
hands, the girl stomped past Screed and out of the
cemetery.
     "Wot are _you_?" Screed mumbled sarcastically,
imitating Janet's high pitched whine.  "Mistress o' the bitch
an' moan?"
     A car driving past Screed's tree snapped him out of
his unpleasant reflection.  Grinning, he recognized the
vehicle.  His target had finally arrive.  This one he'd scare,
he had to.  This was his last chance as dawn would soon
bring an end to Halloween.
     The trunk popped open before the woman got out
of the car.  She removed an obviously full paper sack,
balancing it on her right knee as she pulled two plastic
sacks out and closed the trunk.
     Screed waited until she was under his perch, then
he leapt.  As he sailed to the ground, he vamped totally
out.  His eyes glowed and his fangs descended totally as he
snarled from deep in his chest.
     The tactic worked!  The paper sacks dropped to the
pavement, the sound of breaking glass filling the night air.
The plastic bags were thrown, causing paper towels, toilet
paper and other items to scatter across the parking lot.
     Tracy Vetters pulled her gun.
     "Gotcha, Baby Jane!" Screed shouted to the world.
"Scared ya right proper, I did!  Oughta 'ear yewr 'eart -
thumpin' right proper, it is!"
     She lowered the gun.  Even in the dim light, her
face was red with anger.  "I'm going to _kill_ you,
Screed!"
     "Somebody already beat ya tew tha' de-tail a long
time ago," Screed pointed out.  "Don't let the ghoulies
getcha!"
     As Tracy spouted nasty notions about stakes and
garlic, Screed took to the air.  His mind was at peace and
his heart healed.  This Halloween hadn't turned out so bad
after all!

-end-

-Libby
**Never try to teach manners to a Ratpacker,
it just wastes your time and annoys the Ratpacker**