The Renfield Syndrome by Clifford Beck - HTML preview

Chapter 54

Caspian had never been to a big city, and Toledo was almost overwhelming, taking on the appearance of a concrete jungle. He had never seen such buildings that looked like they could pierce the clouds. Camilla knew the city very well and named buildings and parks as they drove by them. Soon they stopped in front of an office building, and getting out of the hearse, she pointed out the sign.

“This is the guy who did my fangs,” she said. “He does all kinds of stuff, but he does custom work too—all under the table, of course.” Opening the door, Camilla escorted him down a long corridor and through another door. The lettering on the door’s frosted glass indicated the office of a professional dentist. Caspian was relieved to know that this was not some back alley operation but a medical professional with a legitimate business. Camilla quietly opened the door to the sound of a dental drill. Having never been to a dentist, Caspian trembled slightly at the high-pitched buzzing that came from a nearby room. The secretary looked up from her desk. There was nothing odd about her; no fangs or gold teeth—just a woman in her fifties trying to make a living.

“Camilla,” she said. “What brings you around?”

Her smile was obviously disingenuous, and having dealt with Camilla before, she didn’t seem to approve of her dress or lifestyle.

“I brought a friend,” she answered. “He wants fangs too.”

She gave the woman a slightly sarcastic smile as if she were telling her to ‘fuck off.’ The drilling suddenly stopped, followed by a glance from around the doorway of the examining room.

“Camilla, how are you?”

The voice came from a man in his forties—professionally dressed with gloved hands.

“How are the fangs?” he asked. “Any problems?”

Camilla flashed a smile, exposing the doctor’s work.

“Perfect,” she replied.

Ducking his head back in, the sound of drilling commenced as Caspian and Camilla sat in the waiting room. Twenty minutes later it stopped, and shortly after a young man walked out with his cheek packed with cotton. “So,” the dentist said. “Bringing me another patient?”

The man stepped out, drying his hands on a few paper towels. Caspian stood up and, facing him, extended a hand. “I’m Caspian,” he said.

Extending his hand, the dentist offered a firm handshake.

“Doctor Ryan Williams,” he replied. “C’mon in.”

Caspian wasn’t fond of the idea of anyone doing anything to his teeth, but this seemed to be an exception. As he followed the doctor into his exam room, he noticed Camilla turning towards him in her seat. Anyone would have noticed, but a man notices certain things faster. Camilla wasn’t wearing underwear, and by the look in her eyes, it was almost as if she was showing off -- baiting him for what would no doubt be a promising evening.

Sitting in the chair, the doctor flipped a switch, easing the back down towards the floor, and aiming a light onto his mouth, began a conversation. “So,” he said. “Where are you from?” The doctor was already busying himself as he began exploring Caspian’s mouth, commenting on anything unusual he found. “New York,” he mumbled. It was as if the doctor was an expert in mumbling, understanding every word. “City or state?” he continued. “Upstate,” Caspian responded. Continuing the conversation, the doctor pointed out a substantial cavity in a back molar.

“Huh,” he commented. “Look at that. That’s a big one. You know, I can fill that cavity while you’re here. I won’t even charge you much for it.” Lifting his hands from Caspian’s mouth, he readied the electric device he would use to create his fangs. But according to his sense of ethics, he felt obligated to make sure that Caspian did, indeed, want this done. “Now, you’re sure about this, right?” he asked.

Caspian was never so certain about anything in his life, thinking about how cool it would look just before eliminating his next target. “Absolutely,” he said.

The doctor snapped the filing head onto the end of the drill and, placing it on the side of one of Caspian’s canines, began the process of filing it to a point. Within only a few minutes, he started on the other side. Standing back, he observed what he had just created, and grabbing a mirror, asked for Caspian’s opinion.

“So, what do you think?”

A wide grin came over his face as he requested that he continue with the other tooth, and within ten minutes his work was done. Not many would approve of such unusual dental work, but Caspian was overjoyed by the results. Picking up a dental pick, the doctor returned to the examination of Caspian’s rather unhealthy teeth. Sinking the end of the pick into the black growth on his molar caused him to jump slightly.

“Yeah,” the doctor said. “If we don’t take care of this, you could end up with a hell of an infection, and you don’t want that. That would hurt like hell. Then we have to pull it.” This did not sit well with Caspian, and he mustered the strength to sit through the procedure as the doctor drilled out the material that was slowly eating away at the troublesome molar. Soon, he began mixing the amalgam that would be pressed into the hole he had drilled out. Testing his bite force, he concluded the procedure, and raising the chair up, released Caspian from what many would consider torture. “Okay,” he said. “We’re done.” He led Caspian out into the lobby, and motioning him to a chair, asked his secretary to tally up the cost. “Give him fifty percent off the filling,” he said.

The secretary nodded as she added up the total.

“Five hundred dollars, please,” she said.

Camilla grew concerned that he might not have the money, but reaching into his hip pocket, Caspian retrieved his wallet and, opening it, withdrew five one hundred dollar bills. “Here you go,” he said.

Taking the money, the doctor expressed his impression of a young man who did business in cash. “Cash,” he said. “Nice. Do you want a receipt?”

Caspian politely refused, and walking over to Camilla, displayed his new fangs. She was more than impressed. “Goddamn,” she said. “That’s hot as fuck.”

In Caspian’s mind, Camilla had no idea what she was getting into, but he would later discover that it was he who was unaware of what the coming night held.

Leaving the dentist’s office, they walked to Camilla’s hearse, and bringing its engine roaring to life, she tapped the gas, sending them both down the street. As a woman, she was far more forward than most and easily made her desires known to any man she wanted.

“Well,” she said. “Now that you’ve got those awesome fangs, let’s go to my place. We can order out, then who knows what. Are you game?” Caspian gave her a half smile, ignoring the voice in his head that begged for her blood.

“Always,” he replied.

Caspian turned to examine the interior of the hearse. He wasn’t into the whole goth thing, but he couldn’t help but be impressed at what he saw as a work of art.

“Wow,” he began. “You really put a lot of work into this, huh?” A broad smile came over her face that demonstrated the pride and pleasure she took in owning such a vehicle. “Oh yeah,” she replied. “I did all the work on this big black monster— alone.”

Caspian was more than impressed and, looking back again, noticed something that looked like a bed. With his curiosity piqued, he inquired about it. “Fuck,” he said. “Is that a bed?” She looked at him briefly with a teasing grin and, revealing one of her fangs, responded with a seductive tone. “Why?” she asked. “Haven’t you ever been laid in a hearse?”

Now Caspian realized where the evening was going. They could either end up in her bed with their fangs digging into each other’s flesh or in the back of her hearse naked under the full moon, a slight breeze drifting through a cracked window. Since meeting her, Caspian suddenly felt intimidated, not knowing how to respond or what to say. Yet, in spite of this, he managed to blurt out a response.

“Uh, I guess I never thought about it.” Glancing at him again, she gave another brief grin.

“Well,” she began. “You might be in for a treat.”

Caspian's response was immediate as his face flushed with arousal. Another glance was all Camilla needed to know what he was feeling.

“Goddamn,” she said. “You’re getting a boner, aren’t you?”

Obviously embarrassed, he tried to think of a manly statement— something that would ward off the realization of being found out in the most personal way possible. “Is that what that is?” he said. Releasing her right hand from the wheel, Camilla reached over and grabbed what was growing larger by the second.

“Yeah,” she said. “That’s a boner alright. I can’t wait to get my mouth around that.”

Truth be told, beyond ripping the breasts off the dying bodies of two women, Caspian had no experience with sex and suspected Camilla knew it. Certainly, she had a lot to teach him, and when the time was right, he would be more than a willing pupil.