The Other One.

Chapter 1 - A Boring Night.

“So boooring,” Mike said to himself, as he wandered down the chocolate aisle. That was the problem with working night-shift at a re-fuelling station in the middle of the suburbs.

The road outside had been devoid of any traffic for at least an hour, and he'd not had a customer for at least two.

“Booring,” he repeated. Then. “Hello.” A car had just pulled up outside. A large, black, expensive SUV. Not your run of the mill vehicle.

He scampered back behind the counter and waited, curious to see who the driver was.

After about two minutes he frowned. The doors remained firmly closed, and it hadn't moved. He was considering going out to see if they realised the station was self service when, finally, someone stepped out.

Mike's jaw dropped.

The woman, and she was all woman, who exited the vehicle was drop dead, smoking super-model hot. She was wearing a long black coat, cut off at the arms. As she walked, it blew open slightly. He wasn't totally sure, but it really looked like she wasn't wearing anything underneath.

The doorbell rang as the goddess pushed the door open.

“Hel...” Mike's voice cracked. “Hello there,” he managed to finally get out. “How can I service... be of service to you today... tonight.”

The woman just smiled and played with her long blonde hair as she strode closer, her black, high heeled boots clicking on the tiles of the shop. Mike swallowed.

Finally she stood before him on the other side of the counter. Slowly, and with the smile of the devil herself, she leaned forward, giving Mike a gobsmacking view down her top.

She wasn't wearing anything underneath.

“Hello,” she said. Her voice was like the purr of a cat.

“H...h...hi,” he managed to get out in reply.

“Would you do me a favour?” she asked.

“Sure.”

“Open the register and give me all the money.” She smiled widely.

“What?”

“Please?”

”I... I'm sorry miss, I can't...” he stopped. The woman had pulled an enormous gun from somewhere and was now pressing the barrel against his forehead.

“Please?” she asked again.

“S...sure.” Mike, to his everlasting shame, pissed himself.

“Go on then,” she said, pushing his head back with the gun.

Urine leaking down his leg, Mike, hands trembling, moved over to the register. He was just about to open it when he became aware of the reflection of a flashing blue light coming from outside.

“Fuck.” His customer snarled as she saw the cop car screech to a halt outside, disgorging police as it did so. She whirled back to Mike. “I didn't tell you to stop!”

Mike gulped and pressed the button to open the till.

“You, in the shop!” The male voice shouted through a megaphone. “Come out with...”

What she should come out with was left unknown, as the woman opened fire, blasting away and shattering the glass at the front of the store. The coppers outside dived for cover, just as another two cars and a van pulled up. Mike ducked down behind the counter and started to scuttle away, only for his progress to stop abruptly as something grabbed his leg.

“You! Where are you going?”

Mike rolled over onto his back and looked up. The woman's eyes were, terrifyingly, glowing a dull red, and her arms seem to have swelled, showing muscles a body builder would be proud of. The coat was struggling to contain her.

“Put down the gun and come out!” came another megaphoned warning from outside.

“Come and get me copper” she shouted back, loosing off another volley of shots. At the same time she pulled Mike along the floor, apparently with no effort.

“Last chan...” the police officers' message was cut short by another fusillade. The gun had to be some kind of automatic weapon.

This time a barrage of shots replied, blowing chunks out of the counter and the rear of the shop. Mike covered his face with his arms and screamed like a bitch, but the woman, if that's what she was, simply threw back her head with maniacal laughter.

“Is that the best you've got pigs?” she screamed, as bullets slammed into the wall all around her. “Here, try one of these!” She pulled something out of her pocket, did something with it and threw it towards the massed police.

There was a short lull in shooting, followed by a massive explosion. Mike, having already emptied his bladder, now voided his bowels as his place of employment turned into a fiery scene from hell.

The woman howled with laughter again, barely audible now against the backdrop of explosions and screams from outside, and loosed off even more shots before stepping over to the till, which had been blown open in the exchange. She scooped up a handful of bills and turned her attention to Mike. Reaching down, she pulled him upright with one burly hand.

Her face was now more demonic than beautiful. Eyes glowed red, her hair was now black, and seemed to move around in a snake-like manner of its own accord. As she opened her mouth, he saw her teeth had become sharpened spikes.

“Mummy!” he exclaimed as he was pulled closer.

“You,” she hissed, “you are cute.” An impossibly long, narrow tongue slipped out of her mouth and, slowly, licked his face from chin to hairline.

As another giant explosion shook the ground beneath them, she smiled. “I've enjoyed our date. I think you'll be seeing me again.”

So saying she leaned forward and kissed Mike. Despite everything, the kiss literally took his breath away. A feeling of nirvana swept through his body. His legs, already weak, gave way, and he would have collapsed had she not held him up.

Their encounter was interrupted by the arrival of more police.

“Later lover.” Suddenly she was the super hot babe from before again.

Then Mike was on the floor, paralysed despite the glow of flames getting closer.

When he recovered enough to move, the woman was gone.

“She didn't even tell me her name,” he croaked, and passed out.