Vampires In Space

Prompt:
Write a 650 word story in the crime genre. It's about a vampire and should include coloring pencils. Also use the sentence 'I can't see you.' Bonus prompt: The story takes place in space.

Vlad stood at the viewport gazing out at the stars streaming past. It was a shame he couldn’t have done this centuries ago. The space station was the perfect environment for a vampire. There was no sunlight to worry about and with hundreds of people coming and going on a daily basis there was an unlimited supply of food. And as an added bonus, even those who believed in vampires would never believe in a vampire in space.

He sighed and turned away from the window. He wasn’t here for the view, he had a job to do and a client waiting for results. Consulting the slip of paper he pulled from his pocket, he glanced at the designations beside each door as he wandered along the curving corridor. A7-12G, that was the one he was looking for.

Casually, Vlad strolled slightly past his target to the next view port. Any moment now . . . Right on cue a klaxon sounded. Vlad faded into a white mist as the emergency crews hurried down the corridor.

When the way was clear again, Vlad solidified and went to the door he’d marked. He’d already determined the occupant was in one of the inner rings at work, the way should be clear to get what he came for.

Back on Earth he could have stayed in his vaporous form and slipped under the door. But here in space the doors were air tight. Deftly he attached the bypass to the keypad and in seconds had the door sliding open.

“Too easy,” he murmured.

Slipping inside he glanced around. “Where would he hide it?” Vlad murmured.

The Spartan quarters didn’t leave many options. He ran his gloved hands lightly over the shelves of the single bookcase, a tasteful faux wood, but found no hidden compartments and the sensor built into his left glove stayed silent.

Pursing his lips he took a second look around, studying the artwork on the walls.

“A wall safe? Seems a little obvious.”

Still, he checked behind the pictures on the walls and sure enough, one of them hid a safe. It took only a matter of seconds to open it, but what he sought was not there.

With a growl of frustration he shut it again.

Moving into the sleeping area, Vlad checked the artwork in there for a second safe and even went through the closet and dresser. Still nothing. The drawers in the night stand caught his eye.

“He wouldn’t be so obvious, would he?”

Vlad’s eyes widened as he opened the drawer. What he sought lay nestled inside. Not trusting it could be that easy, he waved his left hand over the box but detected no sensors, no trip wires, no pressure plates.

With a huff he scooped up what he came for. With preternatural speed, he left the sleeping area and was back in the corridor before the foot traffic resumed.

Vlad made his way to the landing bay where his client was waiting.

“Do you have it?” she asked as he reached the rendezvous point.

“Yes, I have it right here.” Vlad patted his breast pocket. “Where are you? I can’t see you.”

A dim light flickered on, illuminating the young blonde woman. She held out a credit strip. “The agreed upon price.”

Vlad took the strip and passed over the box he’d retrieved. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure,” she said, opening the package to check its contents.

“I looked in the box, but all that’s inside are colouring pencils. Is that really what you were looking for?”

“They’ve been in my family for years,” she said, pulling one of them out. “They’re made of real wood.”

Suddenly, she lunged forward, burying the pencil in Vlad’s chest. His look of astonishment turned to dust along with the rest of him.

“Wood’s been hard to come by in the last few years, but even the wood of a colouring pencil can is enough to dust a vampire.”