The Stench From The Meat

         Lou Ramsey dreamed of 1904 as he lay a copy of The Jungle by Upton Sinclair down underneath the office table on a break and returned to his job. He thought he smelled stench in the meat-packers warehouse where the deep back corner could be found. This was at the edge of town. Lou Ramsey’s beat-up S-10 white pickup was parked in the back. It had been sitting there since nightfall. Lou Ramsey checked himself for wounds. He looked fairly clean. He had been stringing up large quantities of meat for hours. But his aged hazel eyes were hazy. He pondered what it was that he had left to do, in order to finish off the job with the short, stout but handsome Biloxi Lyle, the only two on nightshift that Halloween evening. This was Lyle's first night to work at the warehouse. Lou had never seen his face in town before. Lou was weary of a few losers who had come straggling in to argue with him about the subject of a sizeable loan a few hours ago.
          He shook off his worries and said to Lyle, “What do you say we go out for a drink tonight? I have some money problems and I thought I could cash in for some nice dough at some slots. Want to come with me?”
         “Sorry,” said Lyle, “I have a date with Lindsey. I can’t miss her smile, this late.”
         “Alright, alright,” Lou grumbled. He was tired about arguing with everyone including his co-worker Lyle, so he smiled with a grimace and said he was just about to call it quits and make an exit.
         When he thought of it, the chilly air was a welcomed choice to the smells at the meat-packing house. He had been in there for hours. At odds with himself for not having Lyle to gamble with he chose to go into the Casino Hotel himself. He lingered at the slots playing quarter after quarter in the machines. Later, he realized he had made $125. He knew that would not be enough to pay off his debt with his loanshark companions. So he bravely bet all of it on Black Jack and before he knew it he had built up a pile of chips in front of him. Suddenly he stopped. He had done it.
          He was richer than his dreams took him, he thought. He walked out of the Casino with $128,000.
Lou Ramsey whistled and hustled along as he put his hands down deep into his pockets. He now had a full wallet. Life had treated him well, this evening. He was ready to meet up with his lawless companions.
         He quickened his steps as he made for the meat-packing house. He could hear footsteps behind him and the giggling of a young woman. Lou was frightened. He didn’t want anything foolish to happen.
         Suddenly he opened the door. He had a key to the business so that he could use the men’s room at any time--day or night. He ran in and used the urinal stall and again heard louder voices coming from somewhere else.
         ”Wow!” he thought, “My God they got here fast. Right on time.”, as he fumbled with his zipper
         Lou was ready to pay. He looked into the eyes of . . .
         Why, it was Lyle and his girlfriend! He was seeing this beautiful girl up close. Lyle had just walked into his life and he noted to himself the handsomeness of the couple. She had deep-set green eyes, was wearing a hooded cloak in red velvet and looked pale as a ghost.

         She approached Lou Ramsey with a snide remark about how she knew his name. Then she revealed herself. She was quite unforgettable. Her curls fell from around her face and around her cloak, her mild skin was noticeably flawless, her eyes unquestionably fearless in the deed she planned on.
         She was about to bite down on him and she asked him if he wanted to tell her any secrets, serious in her intent to kill him. Her eyes smoldered, her hand raised up in a warning sign.
         “What?” Lou Ramsey didn’t understand. “Look,” he said gruffly, “Some fellas are going to be around. I’m waiting for them. It’s important. Leave me alone.”
         But he was never aware of it. Lyle and Lindsey were two blind lovers, two beastly vampires. Her fangs were bloodied by now. And there lay Lou Ramsey, dead as a doornail. Lyle took his wallet and the two lovers were about to leave the premises rich.
         But not before the loansharks found them. They had doubled back nicely. They took the wallet with all of the money in it. Then knocked out the portly Lyle, tied up his beauty,Lindsey, put them in Lou Ramsey’s front seat and placed Lou Ramsey in the bed of his truck. After that, they drove the pick-up truck to the nearby river and watched the truck drive itself into the water.
         Who would get away with what?The loansharks were smart as cookies and defeated these two vampires by more than roughing them up. But whose defeat?
          At dawn, Lyle awoke and untied Lindsey. But not Lou Ramsey, he hadn't survived. He was just another corpse now. Vampires could do just about anything. Even live underwater for several hours. How immortal! But poor Lou. What a sad, wicked and lamentable loss! He was found by the police the day after Halloween night. If a juvenile lady vampire didn't kill him off, the underworld would.