Free Running From the Night by R. J. Terrell

whipped his hand out of his pocket and stabbed at the vampires smiling face. The blond man easily caught his wrist and squeezed. The thick piece of mirror fell to the ground. The vampire tsked at him.
    “Nice try, but predictable. I thought you would have come up with something better—” he never finished talking, for the weapon in Jelani’s left hand was only meant as a distraction while the piece in his right hand came out of his pocket and straight up under the vampire’s chin. Jelani didn’t hesitate, and drove the glass as far into the other man’s chin as he could. There was a sickening gurgle, and the vampire slapped him across the head and sent him spinning to the ground.
    He shook his head slowly and tried to rise. That blow left him as dazed as if he’d been kicked. When his blurred vision started to clear, he saw the vampire, gurgling curses as he slowly, painfully extricated the glass from his neck. Blood seeped through his gritted teeth, and Jelani knew he’d scored a painful injury. He started to run, but before he could think twice about it, he ran forward and grabbed the other piece of the broken mirror, still wrapped in the toilet tissue.
    The vampire had squinted his eyes closed as he slid the glass out of his chin, and so he didn’t see Jelani grab the other piece. When he opened his eyes, it was just in time to see the sharp edge coming for his right eye.
    Jelani put all his weight behind the stab, and drove the glass as far in as he could. By the time the vampire screamed Jelani was already sprinting in the opposite direction. He looked over his shoulder and saw that some bystanders had heard the wailing and had come closer to see what was going on.
    He hoped the vampire wouldn’t attack any of them, but there was nothing he could do about it. He just hoped he’d slowed his attacker down long enough to put some distance between them.
    He turned left on Smithe Street, then right on Granville. He had to find a place to hide!
    Granville always being a busy street, he slowed his run to a jog, so as not to appear suspicious. By a stroke of luck he came across a nightclub called the Darkroom and turned in. The place was crowded and dark, but to his disbelief, there was no line at the door! Perfect. When he made it to the counter, he had a moment of panic and slapped at his legs, looking for any stray money. He sighed in relief and let his head hang back when he felt his wallet in his back pocket.
    “You that desperate to get in here?” the girl at the register asked, smiling at him.
    “I really need a drink,” he said. “It’s been a rough night like you wouldn’t believe.”
    “I wouldn’t mind hearing it.”
    He smiled politely. “Maybe another time. I’m really kind of wiped out and need to just sit down. I’m not much good to anyone right now.”
    She shrugged. “Go on in.”
    “Thanks.” He sifted through the many bodies dancing and standing around, and found a booth in the back corner of the club and made straight for it. A few minutes later he was sitting in the darkest corner of the Darkroom, making his best effort not to be noticeable while nursing an untouched vodka and soda. His eyes rarely left the hall that led to the front door, and once, he had been concentrating so hard on watching for his pursuer, that he unconsciously took a sip from his drink. It tasted so bad it was almost painful. Why did people drink this stuff?
    The loud music pounded his ears, and he politely refused every offer to dance that came his way. After he’d turned down the fifth girl who tried to pull him onto the dance floor, a guy walked up and tried.
    “Those were some pretty girls that tried to get you on the floor,” the guy said, and Jelani knew what was coming. He smiled tiredly at him.
    “Yeah, I know. Especially that last one! Oh, my God! If it wasn’t for the fact that I’ve been on my feet all day and am just exhausted, I would’ve been grinding all over that!”
    “Mmm. Well, have