Katie's Hellion

She moved to the bars at the front of her cell, aware of the beast across the hall doing the same with a growl. Pale hands draped through bars two cells down from the beast.

"Did you just call me lunchmeat?" she asked.

"Oh yeah. A little mortal meat, some cheese and crackers. How ya doin', lunchmeat?"

"Pretty shitty. Is there anyone here who doesn't want to eat me or drink my blood?"

The masculine voice gave a surprised laugh, and he pressed his face to the bars. He looked human, aside from the fanged smile.

"Sexy lunchmeat," he said. "You'd enjoy what I'd do to you."

"Never really been a fan of being eaten alive," she returned.

"Spunky. Me likey."

"Thanks, psycho."

"You talk big behind those bars, little girl."

She stared with surprise at the low growl from the darkened cell across from her.

"The rabid dog speaks," she noted. "I'm already in Hell. I'm thinking death might be a bit more to my liking."

The pale, fanged man laughed again.

"Which one of you will promise me a painless death?" she baited, at her last wit's end.

"I'll make it less painful than usual," the pale man said.

"I like pain," another voice down the block growled.

"Less pain than Jared."

"More pain than Jared but less than Khakhala."

"No deal."

"No death, just pain."

"Mortal blood rocks."

"Can I get some action and then give you a painless death?"

The immortals in the cell block threw out their best offers, and she couldn't help the sense of terror settling into her gut.

"No," she replied. "No action. Just the pleasure of killing me. You can do whatever you want to my body afterwards."

"No good to me dead."

"Only good to me dead. Not allowed to kill."

The voices down the hall were all male, though she doubted any of them were human.

"No pain," the beast before her said.

"Don't you want to drink my blood?" she asked skeptically.

"It won't hurt, little girl."

His menacing growl chilled her more than any of the others'.

"I'll think about it," she replied, and stepped away from the bars.

"Hey Lunchmeat," the pale man, Jared, called.

"Yeah?"

"Don't stick your hands outside the cage."