"Do you think she’ll like me?"

"What’s not to like?" Philip said, putting his arm around Lucy’s shoulder and squeezing her tight.  She slipped her arm around his waist.  "You’re just nervous because it is your first time meeting her, but I can assure you, she will love you, just like I do."

"What if she thinks I’m odd?"  Lucy persisted, gnawing on her bottom lip.  "I’m not really a people person."

Lucy mumbled in reply.  It was true, Philip accepted her for who she really was, and perhaps his mother would as well.  She had never been successful with men before, was used to spending time on her own while her class mates from school had gone out on dates, but from the moment she had met Philip, they had connected.  He had seen past her awkward shyness and looked into what dwelt within.  When he had asked her to come to dinner with his mother, she had been overjoyed at the prospect of meeting the only member of his family, but at the same time she had been terrified at the prospect.  She didn’t make a good first impression, and she had heard about how protective mothers were of their sons.

"What if she doesn’t want to see anyone with her little boy?"

"I’m nobody’s little boy," Philip laughed.  "Besides, she is dying to meet you, she is sick of hearing me going on about you."

"You’re right; I don’t know what I’m so worried about.  It is not like she is going to eat me!"  Lucy noticed Philip frown.  "I’m sorry honey; I didn’t mean to imply that your mother was a battle axe or anything."

Philip grunted and nodded at the brownstone building that nestled under the shade of two sycamore trees.  Lucy had to squint to make out the shaded windows and the black front door through the gloom.

"The evenings are really drawing in, aren’t they?" she said, noticing the chill on the air for the first time.

"Come on, it’ll be warm inside," Philip said, hustling Lucy in through the front gate and up the short flight of steps to the door.  As he reached out to press the doorbell, she drew back. 

"I don’t know Philip, maybe this is too soon, we’ve only been going out for a couple of months . . ."

Philip took hold of her hand and pulled her to the threshold of the door.  "You really have nothing to worry about."

Before she could reply, the door flew open behind Philip and a small plump woman peered out.  She smiled when she saw Philip, her tiny black eyes glinting as she looked at Lucy.

"Come in, come in, you are welcome to my home," she said, waving her hand to the darkened hallway beyond, her voice surprisingly robust in contrast to her elderly appearance.

"Hello mum,' Philip leaned down to kiss his mother’s grey, wrinkled cheek.  Lucy hung back, but he tightened his grip on her hand and pulled her into the house with him.  "This is Lucy."

"Hello Mrs. Stockwell."

"Call her Janet," Philip said.

"Mrs. Stockwell will do fine," Janet said, closing the door and pushing the deadbolts firmly into place.  Lucy glanced at Philip.  "You know I don’t like to be locked in," she hissed.

"Mmm, maybe you don’t have to lock up, mum, it’s still early out."

"I feel safer this way son," Janet said, and under her firm gaze Philip hunched his shoulders and nodded submissively.  Lucy looked at him, amazed that within two seconds of entering his mother’s house he was a different man from the one she had grown to love.  He seemed smaller, younger, his eyes less bright and his jaw weaker, than he had when they had walked up to the house.  She squeezed his hand and smiled when he glanced at her.  A touch of colour came back to his cheeks.

"Bring your friend into the dining room so I can have a proper look at her," Janet said, shuffling down the hallway towards a room whose doorway was a rectangle of light in the dark corridor.  Lucy noticed that the old woman was wearing knee length stockings and that the elastic had gone in one of them, making it droop around her ankle like an extra fold of skin.  The peculiar smell of old age wafted towards Lucy in Janet’s wake, making her feel uncomfortable.

"Come along, what’s keeping you?"  Janet called.

"Are you all right?"  Philip paused before following his mother.  Lucy nodded and tried to look cheerful, although her smile felt forced. 

The dining room was large, dominated by a mahogany table so highly polished that Lucy blinked in the reflected light from the electric chandelier directly above it.  Three place settings sat forlornly at the far end of the table.

"Stand over here, under the lights," Janet said, grabbing Lucy by the arm and towing her into the room.  Lucy didn’t like the feel of the old woman’s dry skin against her wrist, but she didn’t object as she was positioned against the table, the glare of the lights on her head, and Janet stood back, removing a pair of glasses from a battered case in her pocket and propping them on her nose to examine Lucy more closely.  The barrage of questions was unexpected.

"What age are you?"

"Eighteen. "

"Where did you meet my son?"

"At the blood clinic, where I work."

"Who are your parents?"

"I don’t have any; they died when I was very young."

Janet shook her head and tut-tuted under her breath.  "Who raised you, what family do you have?"

"I was raised with other girls, in a school."

"What are your intentions with my son?"

Lucy heard Philip snort, repressing a laugh, and looked away from his mother to see him giggling behind her.  "To have my wicked way with him, Mrs. Stockwell."

To Lucy’s relief, Philip stepped in to save her from the interrogation.  He put his arms firmly on his mother’s shoulders and guided her to one of the chairs at the table.

"Stop it mum, you’ll make Lucy blush.  She’s an old fashioned girl; we’re going to wait for the wedding night."

Janet’s face creased into a smile.  She patted Philip’ hand affectionately. 

"I think she is a lovely girl, a real find, a treasure." She beckoned for Lucy to come closer.  "‘I am very glad to meet you, young woman, I’ve been hounding Philip to bring you for dinner and it is good that he has finally has."

Lucy sighed with relief and let the old woman take both her hands.  Her grip was surprisingly strong.  Philip had grown pale again and when Lucy tried to catch his eye, he looked away.  He seemed shaken as he took a seat beside his mother. 

Janet caressed Lucy’s hand.  "Thank you dear that would be great.  I find it harder to do things these days.  Let’s go into the kitchen now.  You must be hungry, I know I am."

The old woman stood up and led Lucy towards the kitchen.  A strangled cry escaped from Philip’ throat, making Lucy look around.  He looked paler than ever. 

"Are you ok?"

"Lucy, I’m sorry."

Lucy laughed.  "Sorry for what?"

Philip swallowed.  "Sorry, I’m going to stay here and not help you."

Janet waved Philip’ worries away.  "Us girls will look after that, won’t we Lucy?" and, slipping her arm through Lucy’s, she led her into the kitchen.

"You really have a wonderful son, Mrs. Stockwell.  I’d be a different person if it wasn’t for Philip.  He made me see a new side to life."

The kitchen was large and dimly lit by a single bulb hanging from the centre of the ceiling, leaving the extremities in shadow.  Lucy looked around for the serving dishes and food, but there were no pans on the stove and, even though the work surfaces were cracked and dusty, they were clean and free from clutter.  She must be a very organised woman, Lucy thought.

"‘Can I get anything out of the oven for you?"

"No, dear, you just stand over there."

"No, you’re fine where you are."

Lucy looked around.  "Where’s the food?"

A change came over Janet.  She still was small and plump, with curling grey hair closely hugging her head, rough crinkled skin and beady eyes, but now she seemed to stand a little straighter as if strength had returned to her weakened limbs.  Lucy shook her head.  Had she imagined it, or was Janet leering at her?

"It’s right here," the old woman said, stepping towards Lucy with strength and vigor.  Lucy backed away and felt the counter top pressing into her hip.

"I don’t see any."

"You’re it," Janet said, opening her mouth wide and revealing two long yellowed fangs that protruded from her upper jaw.  She pounced on Lucy, bending her back over the counter, her hands digging into Lucy’s shoulders and her lips fumbling for the artery in Lucy’s neck.

"You’re a vampire," Lucy was too shocked to say or do anything else.  The stench emanating from the old woman was unbearable.  It wasn’t the smell of age, as she had thought earlier, but the scent of the grave itself.

"Clever girl," Janet mumbled, her voice slurred as she drooled onto Lucy’s neck.  "I like you, Philip picked you just right.  You’re young and strong and no one will notice you’re missing.  You’ll restore my health to me."

Her speech ended in a gurgle and Lucy felt the pin prick of fangs sinking into the soft flesh of her neck.  At the same time, Janet pressed more of her weight against Lucy’s body.  It made her shiver with disgust.  She slapped at Janet, then slid her arms under the vampire’s and pushed with all her might.  Janet fell back, dislodged from Lucy’s neck with a sucking sound.  Lucy could feel her skin tear and she clamped her hand over her neck, sliding away from the counter and moving deeper into the kitchen.  Warm blood oozed between Lucy’s fingers.  Janet stood where she was, looking at Lucy with amazement.  Blood trickled out of the corner of her mouth, and her face, bloated like a leech, looked smoother and fresher than before.

"How did you do that?" the vampire snarled.

"Keep away from me, don’t come near me," Lucy frantically searched for a weapon with her free hand, afraid to look away from Janet.

"You’re strong, much stronger than you look."

"Philip, help me."

Janet chuckled and stepped closer, hemming Lucy in.  "He won’t help you, he brought you here for me."

"You’re not getting my blood.  I need it, every drop."

"You’re lucky, you got away from me once, but you won’t get away from me again.  I’ve drunk more ones like you than you can imagine, girlie, and no matter how hard they fought they all went down the same way.  So give it up now, and come to momma."

"Never."

The vampire snarled and lunged.  Lucy tried to dodge past her, making for the door that led back to the dining room, but Janet was faster and knocked into her, pinning her against the wall.  The vampire was smaller than Lucy, and she had to drag her down to clamp her mouth once more around the bleeding tear in her neck.  Lucy struggled, but Janet kept a firm hold on her arms and she couldn’t get free to push the vampire away.  Janet stood so close her sizeable stomach and sturdy legs kept Lucy from being able to kick out at her with her feet. 

"No," Lucy screamed.

Janet stopped.  She was staring at Lucy’s neck.

"Please, let me go."

"I nicked your artery."

"Please, I won’t tell anyone.  Just let me go."

Lucy tried to look down at her neck.  She could see a thin trickle of blood already drying on her top.

"You’re not human."

"Oh," Lucy blushed.  "Well, no, I’m not actually."

Janet stepped back, wiping her hands on the back of her patterned skirt.  Her snarl turned into a grimace.

"What are you?"

Lucy touched the wound on her neck.  It wasn’t even sore any more, merely tender.  She looked down at her fingers, caked with dried blood from when she had first put her hand over the wound.

"I’m a succubus."

"Filth!"  Janet spat, stepping further away from Lucy.  "How dare you enter my house?  How dare you lead my poor son on, when all along you had designs on him?"

"Don’t you think that is a bit hypocritical?"

Janet gnashed her fangs together.  "My son is a good boy; he takes good care of his mother.  It was hard for him, adjusting to my vampirism, especially after the death of his father, but we have pulled together as a family.  He treated you well, didn’t he?  You can’t say that the last few months weren’t pleasant."

Lucy had to admit it was true.  "The other girls used to laugh at me when I was younger; I wasn’t skilled at using my powers like they were.  When Philip came along, I was so happy to finally find someone I agreed to wait until after we were married to take his strength.  Little did I know he was using me to feed his mother.  Ha, I suppose that makes a change."

"Little slut," Janet cried, racing towards Lucy, her arms out stretched, her fingers hooked into claws and her fangs bared.  Lucy side stepped, but Janet was expecting it and raked her cheek with her nails.  The force of the blow sent Lucy spinning back across the kitchen.  She slipped, hitting her shoulder into the sink and dislocating it on the hard edge.  She screamed, her legs crumpling under her.

"You may heal quickly, but there won’t be anything to heal when I’m finished with you," Janet said, advancing.

Biting her lip against the pain, Lucy took hold of the sink with her good hand and pulled herself up.  She could feel her power draining as her body struggled to repair the damage.  She knew that if it fell too low, she would die.

The pale light glinted off Janet’s yellow teeth as she came to finish the job.  Lucy braced herself against the sink, ready for the last fight.  With one hand she opened up the drawers in the counter, looking for something to defend herself with.  Her fumbling fingers folded around an object and she pulled it out, sticking it in front of her body to repel Janet.  The vampire didn’t slow her onward rush and ran straight onto Lucy’s weapon.  Janet’s hate filled face turned first to glee and then once more to surprise as she looked down to see the wooden handle protruding from her heart.

"Oh thistles."

With a squelch, Janet dissolved into a mess of blood and dried skin on the worn tiles of the kitchen floor, leaving Lucy holding the bloodied handle of the wooden spoon.  On the verge of hysteria, she tossed the spoon onto the remains of the vampire, and stumbled towards the door.  It opened as she approached, and Philip peered in.

"Is it over?"

"Almost."’

He frowned and stepped into the room.  "Mum?"

"No, it’s me."  Lucy stepped into the aura of light thrown by the single bulb.  Philip recoiled at the sight of her.  She wasn’t surprised, she was a mess.

"What happened, where’s mum?"

"She’s over there, by the sink.  I’m afraid her meal disagreed with her."

Philip ran into the room, hurrying towards the sink.  Lucy stopped him.

"It isn’t a pretty sight."  She was so weak, she knew she was going to pass out, but she used a little of her much needed power to send a spark towards Philip to enthrall him.  He looked down at her and his expression softened to one of concern.

"Are you all right, what happened to you?  Come on, I’ll carry you into the sitting room and then I’ll call for an ambulance."

Lucy smiled weakly and shook her head.  "No, it’s ok; there is no need for that.  Just stay here with me."  She staggered a little, and Philip held her up in his strong arms.  She knew she had to take his strength from him now, or she would die.  It was her first time, and, although she had been taught how to do it at school, doing it wasn’t the same as reading about it.  Her need overcame her nerves.

"Philip, I’m sorry."

"For what?"

"For this," Lucy said.  Reaching up, she drew Philip’s face down and kissed him.