Blood Suckers

The sun took a deep breath as it slowly went under the horizon. Dust seemed to be growing in the evening market as people gathered to talk about their day. They gathered in the tea shops and under the big peepal tree. Some sat there contemplating their day, reading newspapers and watching people, all while slowly sipping their tea.  Others chatted with the villagers bragging about their offices and their children. They talked loud as they spoke of how they had met with a famous person at the office, and how their children were somewhere far away fulfilling their dreams. The audience could only listen in awe and console themselves, knowing they could never be like these educated bada people. In the background was the constant whirring of the kerosene stoves, over which was a big wok filled with hot oil. The cooks were making pakodas, samosas, puris with the flair of a chef in a French restaurant. Nearby, in the middle of the square, was another vendor who seemed to have his hands full. Business was good for his evening momo as people queued up to get at their favorite dumplings. They blew at it to cool it down faster so they could gulp it quicker. Further down was a group of vendors selling pani puris and chana chatpats catering to a more bitter-sour palate.

Above this evening commotion lay a group of silent watchers as they quietly waited for darkness to fall and the people to go back to their homes.  Some of the scouts were already at work irritating the people so they would go home sooner. A few would die, but it would not be in vain. They were in the trees, in the grass, everywhere patiently waiting and waiting.  Although their lives were short, they had been taught to be patient and stalk their prey.

The last suns ray finally disappeared and there was only darkness filled with the electric lights. They liked this modern invention.  It gave warmth and helped them move about freely, occasionally invisible in the darkness and then visible again in the light. This partial invisibility gave them a chance to get closer to their prey.  But still they waited.  Some impatient ones had already gone hunting -- some had died while others had had their fill. But the thirst for blood was insatiable. They would be hungry again and again, and the hunt would go on throughout the night.

The blood suckers had heard about places where there was so much jungle and brush that they could feast all the time.  Drifters had told stories of not getting time to sleep.  It was an eating festival all day and night long. They could choose which animal they wanted to feast on. It was a free for all.  No one cared and everyone was free. But these hungry creatures didn't care for stories.  They liked their societal structure just the same.  There were some rules that they had to follow but it was not much compared to the reward of drinking human blood.  They just loved the flavors of human blood, after all the blood took its taste from the prey’s food.  Sometimes it was salty and sweet, sometimes it had a spicy kick to it, and sometimes it was just a medley of flavors. Oooooo..... you just could not explain the flavors.  It was just sooo worth it.

With modernization, the humans had developed methods to thwart off these vampires. In the past, there had not been much options.  It was easier to find loopholes to sneak through and get at the blood. But now it was much difficult.  The humans had found new technology and had become smarter.  The older folks told stories of how their ancestors had it easy, how they didn't have much to worry about, how it is such a difficult world now and how much better the past was. Even though their methods remained the same as it had been in the past, the foolish humans array of preventive measures could not keep them from getting at their food.

And now it was time to feast.  Their leader at the front buzzed at everyone. Eagerly they hovered with their needles sharp and ready to do the biting. The scouts had come back with news of where the easiest preys were to be found.  Hunger gave them little patience yet discipline kept everyone in their place.  The leader was amused and impressed by their hunger and discipline but he would have a mutiny if he kept them too long. So with a final buzz he flung towards the dimly lit houses, his mob of hungry mosquitoes following right behind him.