Sifting his hand through the garbage-strewn floor of the subway car, John found something that he could use to defend himself from the crazed maniac advancing on him.
It was a rusty tire iron.
John hoped that he could crack the bastard in the head with it – maybe he could knock him out – and then intimidate the girl into leaving, so he could search for a key and get Tiffany the hell out of here!
Unfortunately, the naked man was less than cooperative.
Easily dodging John’s wide-arching swings, the man’s eyes flashed red – and with a feral snarl – he ducked in. Before John knew it, he was upended, on the ground, and in a grapple.
'Were those fangs?!?' John’s mind reeled – as he felt the guy biting into his neck. 'Son-of-a… Oh! …'
"Dude, you’re lunch, haha!" the girl by the door taunted.
John could feel the blood in his body flowing out through the wound in his neck. The lunatic had John in a tight embrace and was drinking deeply from the bite. It was… pure ecstasy!
John had never felt such an amazing high! It was like sexual climax a hundred fold; and completely engulfed John’s senses! He closed his eyes and found himself lost in it for a few moments – until horrid screaming abruptly tore him back to reality.
Woozy from the loss of so much blood, John struggled to open his eyes, and thought he could see a strange golden light radiating from the side of his neck. Looking at his attacker, John saw the same light – in liquid form – all over the man’s mouth and chin. His blood? His blood was glowing?!? The guy was grabbing his throat, as if choking, and screaming in unfeigned agony!
The veins in the man’s head, neck, and chest stood out taught – filled with golden light – spreading into his torso, arms, and legs. They grew brighter and brighter, until John could smell the stench of burning flesh! Then the man abruptly burst into flames – spontaneously combusting right before John’s eyes!
The inhuman thing staggered back – convulsing horribly, as magnesium-white fire consumed it quickly –crumbling the remains to the floor in a pile of something akin to charred earth!
The girl by the door meanwhile, shrieked in recoiling horror at the gruesome display. When her legs finally caught up with her brain, she turned and fled as fast as she could, into the darkness of the subway tunnel and beyond.
Completely astonished by all this, John wiped the side of his neck with his hand and brought it up to his face. Sure enough, for a few moments, his blood shined through the darkness with the luster of pure gold! Then all the light faded away – leaving John’s hand just plain bloody. Feeling his neck once again, John discovered that he had two deep puncture marks, where the – whatever it was – had bit him.
Instinctively, John tried to stand, but was too dizzy to keep his feet. Slumping down into a chair next to the still handcuffed and unconscious Tiffany, he tried to get his bearings back. As soon as he felt up to it, he would start searching for the key.
As John sat there, a column of warm light began to shine down on him from above. Looking up, John witnessed the ceiling of the subway car seem to roll itself open, like two halves of a scroll. Beyond the part, John could see a heavenly portal of some kind!
A woman with golden wings of light and a fiery burning halo descended out of the portal, until her bare feet stood on the floor in front of John. She was dressed in celestial white robes with a red sash over one shoulder and what looked like a sling wrapped around her waist.
She was comely, but not overly so, a brunette, and spoke with a calm soothing voice.
"John, I am the Angel Serapheen," she said.
"I am here to help you understand things. And in so doing, have blessed you with a new calling from on high."
As she spoke, the portal above closed and the light faded, along with her wings and halo – though her glorious celestial robes continued to illuminate the interior of the subway car, by virtue of their stunning white radiance. Aside from that however, and being bare-footed, the woman now looked like a normal human being.
"Your wounds," she asked, "may I help you with them?"