Loss to win.

Prelude

My breath was coming in ragged gasps. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears. It felt like it might burst right out of my heaving chest.

I was scared, petrified. I knew he was coming, he was so fast. I had chills running up and down my spine.

A sure sign that the vampire king was near.

I frantically searched the kitchen for what I was looking for.

No one could save me from the Vampire kings wrath.

The cruel vampire creature was obsessed with my unique blood, not just that though...it was crystal clear to me that he craved my body.

The way his wicked tongue had dipped into the shallow of my neck as his fangs elongated to pierce my veins.

I couldn't speak, he had me tongue tied. My mind screamed for someone to save me. There was no one coming to rescue me.

But just before he could penitrate my neck with his razor sharp fangs, there was a noise.

His hearing was much more acute than mine, but I heard it too. So he left me.

He was gone like a bolt of lightening.

I almost cried in relief when he zipped away from my flaccid body to check on that interuption.

I lost control and slid down the wall briefly- before scrambling to my knees, then pushing up from the floor, I ran.

Down the spiral stairs and right into the large kitchen below. I needed to find a weapon.

Using my background as a scientist, I rummaged through the castle pantry, scanning for a chemical composition to use against him.

My hands trembling as I grabbed at ordinary items on the shelf.

I had an idea. Alone these things would pose no threat, but in the right combination...deadly to a vampire, at least I hoped so.

Chemiluminescence, I needed lye and hydrogen peroxide. Finding nothing in the pantry, I yanked the cupboards below the kitchen sink open.

There! I found what I needed. I had to work quickly. My hands shaking as I dissolved the ingredients together slowly, so slowly.

" What the f**k are you doing Mrs.Wick?" his growling deep voice behind me nearly made me drop the artificial sunlight I was creating.

**************

Chapter one, Loss to win.

My husband Raphael Wick had passed away 2 years ago now.

He was a good man, my Ralphie. I had always called him Ralphie, despite that moniker not being anything near his angelic name. It was our thing. He called me Pippy.

We met over our love for the game ping pong. He was good, I was better.

His death nearly took me under with him as I had lost interest in the entire world and decided to become a professional drunk.

My friends Lia and Serina were the ones to give me CPR, literally.

They found me dead drunk in my expensive home on a Sunday morning. I was still warm, so they worked together to revive me.....I reluctantly lived.

The doctor told me I needed to stop drinking and get a real life.

I didn't want to hear this...but here I am at the YMCA with Ralphie around my neck- well his ashes are in my pendant.

I rolled the red crystal between my fingers as I eyed my next opponent.

I was singularly focused on slamming this small plastic ball down his arogant throat in a much needed release.

He had a smug look on his pretty face, as he rocked back and forth on his heels with a red paddle in his hand.

I got this. He's trash.

"Gruhh!" He served with a grunt.

The ball bounced once then went right into the air in perfect position for me to jet it back to him in a loud whack.

He swung, but he missed. I had put my signature spin on the ball.

"Point to Piper." The coach said.

I was on a non pro team at the Y, but I was their star player.

My hand moved on it's own as I turned my green paddle side to side in anticipation for his serve.

My eyes focused on my wedding band, the thick gold shimmered under the fluorescent lights. I felt a sudden surge of anger hit me forcefully.

Ralphie! Why did you have to leave me so soon?

The ball came whizzing towards me and I hit it back with unconscious ease.

You know I wanted to die with you. Why did you call my friends to rescue me that day, why Ralphie?

I was totally zoned out now. But I seemed to play my best when I was talking to my dead husband.

The day I had died, both of my friends received a call from Ralphies phone. Thinking it was from me, they tried to call me back.

I was passed out drunk...moving towards the eternal light. I didn't even have his phone. It was in his desk drawer that day. So...he did that. Damn his nerve.

" Game! Piper Wick wins the match. Congratulations. The loser buys dinner...it's tradition Angus." Coach Bradly said smiling at us.

I looked at my opponent who was not happy about losing and having to buy dinner. But rules were rules.

"This f*****g sucks, you cheated...dumb blond bitch." Angus mumbled under his breath.

I hung my sweaty armpit around his shoulders as I said,"Blond yes, b***h? Sometimes...but I beat you fair and square."

He threw my arm off and shoved me back in anger.

"Get off me you psychopath. You stink like a sweaty pig!" He scowled.

" Actually Angus, if you took my class you would know pigs don't have sweat glands. Maybe you should sign up for my biology course this semester."

" f**k you Piper. I'm not signing up for your dumb class, How are you even old enough to teach anyone?" he barked.

" Uh, professor Wick to you Angus and I may be your age, but I graduated young and started college lessons as a freshman in high school.

I earned every single degree I posses and I do have three now."

" Huh, show off!" He huffed off to the boys locker room.

No...my students do not respect me, mainly because of my young age, but they do learn from me.

I have heard my class is sought after by freshman, at least. They don't know me from Adam.

When Ralphie and I met in high school science class, he was three years older than me.

But we went off to college together. We married two years ago, he died after our honey moon. I was still mad him for that.

Ping pong was our game. We played on opposing teams. When they opened up the teams to be co-ed, I made it on the same team as Ralphie.

We were undefeated. Together we were a force like no other. We beat everyone...together.

Then after the game, we celebrated eachother's success with our aroused bodies.

The passion we shared was like a fire storm...it burned like a bunsen burner on high.

My science analogy of love...of course. Imagine me...a biology teacher and him..a student of medicine.

Together we understood eachother's language. We were a perfect match.

Ralphie was Korean by nationality, came to the states when he was 4 years old. He lived with his rich uncle.

When his uncle died of old age, Raphael got his entire fortune.

He was a very rich man.

Now, I posses the money, the big house, the fancy cars that are growing dusty in the 6 car garage and I am also responsible for his family back in Korea.

He set up accounts that took care of all of his family after his uncle died. I kept those accounts going for my dead husband.

I learned basic Korean from Ralphie. I wouldn't dare to say I was fluent now, but I could communicate fairly well.

I never spoke to his parents after his death, I tried to call them, but they refused to speak to me...thinking I only spoke English.

I was so broken at the time, I didn't even try to persuade them I could speak their language.

I was only speaking to Ralphie after drinking endless bottles of booze. He was a good listener.

Something shifted these past few years though...the longer I stayed sober...the less I could see his face. I couldn't remember his beautiful face. It pissed me the hell off too.

I made my way to the girls shower room for a hot shower, then a quick change into my leather pants and jacket.

Putting my smoked out helmet on, I snuck out the back door.

My bike was waiting there for me. It was a black and red Suzuki 650 V twin.

Actually it was Ralphie's bike.

He taught me to ride. I loved it.

I jumped on the bike, adjusted my back pack and pressed the electric start button as it came to life with a roar, "my dragon." I called her Ryong.

Zooming through the city, I made it to my house, happily avoiding that dumb Angus at dinner, though I would have loved to make him buy me a meal.

" Welcome home Mrs.Wick." Grant, the world's best smelling butler said as he took my motorcycle for me to park in the garage. "Miss Abby made kongguksu noodles for dinner."

" I love that woman." I sighed as I walked into the foyer, smelling delicous homemade broth.

************

After that excellent dinner, I needed to finish grading my student's papers before my show came on.

I loved Korean soap dramas. Ralphie got me hooked.

I ate a handful of grapes as I slashed red marks on all of the wrong answers.

" Wait a minute...these tests are exactly the same...all of these last 4 tests."

I knew someone had cheated off of someone else. But they got all the same answers wrong so they all failed.

I set the papers aside and made some notes on each paper.

'See me after class.'

I would give them all a chance to come clean. But..of they lied to me...grrr! Pop quiz time.

My phone rang.

" Hey Piper, got a minute?" It was my coach.

"Oh yeah, sorry I missed dinner. I had homework to grade." I apologized.

" No, it's not that...Angus was pissy all night anyway. It's just...I want to recruit you to the nationals coming up in two months. Piper, you are good...real good. I think we can win with you on the team."