by Amy Cross
The woman stared at him for a moment, before finally spotting movement nearby. Turning, she saw that a group of men had begun to lead her brother Edgar down from the town.
"Are we to die together?" she asked, before panic and fear finally flooded through her body. "Edgar!" she screamed, trying to get to her feet before being forced back down by Alderman Petrov's assistants. "Edgar, they mean to kill us! Is it not time to fight back? Edgar, you must stop this madness!"
A pale and thin man, with a sickly countenance and an uncertain gait, Edgar showed no sign that he'd even heard his sister's words. Allowing himself to be led to the edge of the river, he knelt obediently, as if he had fully accepted his fate. Bowing his head, he looked like a man who expected to have his life ended at any moment.
"Edgar, you must do something!" the woman shouted, trying once again to get to her feet, but finding herself quickly forced back down. "These men are dangerous fools! He has a stake, and he means to use it against us! He thinks we're vampires!"
"Silence!" Alderman Petrov shouted, using the blunt end of the stake to hit the side of her face. "Hold her up!" he barked, turning to the two jailers who had accompanied them down to the river. "There is no need to delay the moment any longer! After all, we carry out this act not for pleasure, but because it is our duty to atone for all sins that have been committed in our town."
"Edgar!" the woman screamed as she was dragged up by the jailers, who held her in place despite her attempts to get free. "Edgar, they're going to kill us!" the woman continued, trying with all her strength to struggle loose. "Are you going to let this happen? We have to do something! We have to get away! Edgar!"
Still kneeling, Edgar didn't even look over at her. He just stared at the river, watching as the water drifted gently past the small town. It was almost as if his mind was somewhere else entirely, and he clearly had no interest in helping his sister.
"As you die," Alderman Petrov continued, placing the sharp end of the stake against the woman's chest, "I sincerely hope that you are finally able to accept God into your soul. It might very well be too late for you to be forgiven your many sins, but at least you might serve as an example to those whose hearts remain pure." Glancing over at the crowd, he noticed several children with their eyes fixed on the stake. "It is saddening indeed," he said eventually, "that young and pure hearts must see such horrific acts. I only hope that these children, who have the misfortune to witness your wretched form, are able to learn from this example."
"Then why don't you -" the woman started to say.
Before she could finish, however, Alderman Petrov grabbed her shoulder and pulled her closer, while thrusting the stake so deep into her chest that it emerged, bloodied, from her back.
Letting out a gasp, the woman stared straight ahead.
"Feel the force of God's power," Alderman Petrov hissed. "Feel the quality of his mercy."
Her eyes wide open, the woman did not respond. The stake had entered her body and run straight through her heart, and blood was beginning to trickle from one corner of her mouth. She struggled for a moment, but it was too late and all she could do was reach up and desperately try to pull the stake loose.
"Such a pathetic gesture," Alderman Petrov whispered. "The last, desperate act of an evil creature that has finally met its fate."
Stepping back, he couldn't help but smile as he watched the woman fumble with the end of the stake. She staggered forward, before finally turning to the crowd. With a grunt, she ripped the stake from her chest and dropped it to the ground, exposing a clear hole that ran all the way through her torso. Blood poured from the wound as she moved her lips, as if she was trying to say something, and then she dropped to the knees before falling forward and landing face-down on the grass.
Silence fell upon the scene.
"Death shall greet all the Devil's workers," Alderman Petrov said eventually, addressing the hushed crowd. "This foul heathen had the chance to embrace God, but she chose instead to let darkness enter her heart. Any one of us could make the same mistake, and it is only through strength, hard work and unity that we can possibly hope to remain strong."
A few meters away, still on his knees, Edgar Le Compte continued to stare at the water. He had not responded to the death of his sister. In fact, he had not even flinched. It was as if he had long been resigned to this moment, and felt that there was no way to react. He certainly showed no inclination to fight back or try to escape, and he seemed to have accepted his fate with a degree of calm and composure that made some members of the crowd feel a little uneasy. He had not looked at his sister's corpse, or at her murderer.
"And what of this miserable sinner?" Alderman Petrov continued, retrieving the bloodied stake from the ground before walking over to Edgar. "What are we to make of a creature that cannot even muster a sliver of emotion when his own sister is slaughtered before his eyes? Does he not recognize that even though she became a sinner, she must have once been a pure and innocent child? Does he not care that the blood spilled on the grass here today comes from his own sibling?" He walked slowly around Edgar, waiting for some kind of reaction. "Does he not weep for the loss of the one person for whom he should care?"
Showing no sign of any reaction, Edgar continued to stare straight ahead.
"Perhaps the vampire does not care," Alderman Petrov said, stopping directly behind Edgar. "Perhaps, to the vampire, death is just an inconvenience. After all, the world must seem very different to one who has such powers. An ungodly heretic, born of the Devil's mind. Does not this lack of emotion serve to remind us why we should show no care for the life of such a beast? His own sister, a mortal girl drawn into his sickening world, and he cares not for her death. What cold blood must flow through this monster's veins, that he utters not one word of sorrow at her passing." Leaning closer, Alderman Petrov smiled as he admired Edgar's pale skin. "Is that why you desire human blood? For its warmth?"
"Kill him!" a voice called from the crowd. "Don't give him a chance to run!"
"He won't run," Alderman Petrov replied. "God is holding him in place."
Slowly, a smile crept across Edgar's lips.
"You find something amusing?" Alderman Petrov asked. He waited for a response. "This game has gone on long enough," he continued eventually, placing the tip of the stake against Edgar's back. "Rest assured, we shall ensure that your body is never again able to rise from its grave. We know how to make a vampire stay dead, Mr. Le Compte. Your villainy shall not rise from the grave. The line of your evil shall end here."
With that, he forced the stake into Edgar's back until the tip emerged through his chest.
"Scream," Alderman Petrov whispered. "Show your pain."
Still staring straight ahead, Edgar showed no reaction to the stake that had been driven through his heart. There was still a smile on his lips, and his eyes held a dark glare that seemed to already contain a hint of death.
"Worthless sinner," Alderman Petrov continued, slowly twisting the stake. "Had you lived a virtuous life, you would now feel God guiding you through the pain of death. Instead, it is Satan who prepares to welcome you. I'm sure you realize that you will burn for all eternity. Perhaps, finally, you will one day realize that you should never have turned your back on the Lord."
As he finally pulled the stake from Edgar's back, the alderman stepped away and waited for the final moment. After a minute had passed, however, he realized that no blood was flowing from the wound. Turning to look at the crowd, he saw worried looks on the faces of those who had gathered to witness the execution of the two monsters. Although they had faith in God, the people clearly worried that the power of Satan might prove to be too strong.
Realizing that he must take the lead, Alderman Petrov walked around to look at Edgar's face, and he quickly saw that the wretch was dead. He had died on his knees, without buckling or falling, without calling out or bleeding more than a couple of drops.
"Is he dead?" asked a nearby voice from the crowd.
Ald
erman Petrov nodded, although in truth he was concerned that some kind of trickery might be at play. Finally, removing a knife from around his waist, he approached the body. Without saying a word, he placed the blade against Edgar's neck and began to hack away. It took a few minutes for the job to be finished, but finally, as two other men held the corpse's shoulders, Alderman Petrov tore the head away and dropped it to the ground.
"Can there be any doubt now?" he asked the assembled crowd.
A hush fell upon the crowd. Most of the men stared in shocked awe at the horrific scene, while the women and children looked away.
"Take the bodies," Alderman Petrov said to his assistants. "Ensure that they're buried deep, in unmarked graves on the edge of town. And bind their hands and feet together. The male in particular is a wicked creature, and he might yet try to force his way back into our world. We shall have to remain vigilant."
Turning, he walked past the crowd and made his way toward the town. With the bloodied stake in his hand, he reminded himself that God would surely be pleased that such sinful wretches had been executed. Filled with a sense of his own self-importance, Alderman Petrov finally reached the edge of town and looked back to see that the crowd was slowly following him, while his assistants were carrying the two dead bodies away.
With the sinners having been killed, Alderman Petrov was convinced that the town would soon return to prosperity, and that God would allow the people of the region to once again feel the warmth of his love. His only concern was that the graves would not hold such vile bodies, although he felt that God would surely help to press down the soil.
Two
"Was he really a vampire, father?" asked the young girl as she gathered plates from the table. "I mean... do such things exist?"
"It pains me that you even ask such a question," Alderman Petrov replied, glancing with disdain at his youngest child. "Have I not taught you that evil dwells in many parts of the world, and shows its faces in many forms?"
"But why would God create such monstrosities?" the girl continued. "The Bible makes no mention of these creatures."
"Such passages have been excised," Alderman Petrov explained. "The story of Lilith was deemed too horrific to be relayed to honest men and women, but the book of Genesis once explained with great clarity how Lilith seduced Adam before becoming the queen of all those who have taken on demonic form. You should be glad that the Bible has had such dark secrets removed, else the whole world would remain in permanent and rapt fear. These dark creatures have been driven back to the shadows, but they still exist and only our faith will prevent them from returning."
"Yes, father," the girl replied, carefully taking the plates out of the room.
"You mustn't scare the child," Alderman Petrov's wife said after a moment. "She's very impressionable."
"I don't mean to scare her," he replied, "but I do mean to make her aware of the dangers that exist in the world. It's all very well for us to sit and claim that vampires don't exist, but such ideas will not help us when the creatures are climbing through our windows. You saw the famine that came to our land when those two wretches came to the town. Edgar Le Compte was no ordinary man. He was a creature of the night, and he possessed his sister's undying loyalty. We have done the world a great service by cutting short their miserable lives."
"But did it have to be in such a violent manner?" his wife asked. "It seems most distasteful to hack the head from a man's shoulders."
"He was no man," Alderman Petrov replied darkly. "He was a beast."
"But still -"
"I'm afraid there is no other way to deal with such vile creatures. They cannot be killed by normal means, but they can be cut down and buried in such a way as to prevent them ever returning. Even if Edgar Le Compte is not entirely dead, he shall never be able to trouble us again. With his head removed, the vampire can cause no further harm."
"And you're sure of that?"
Alderman Petrov nodded. "I have studied texts, Sarah, and I have heard tales from other towns. I know of these creatures, and I know their weaknesses. There have been others in the world, and there will perhaps be others again. They are powerful, but it is God's will that they must be destroyed. And that is precisely what I have done today. I have obeyed the Lord." He paused for a moment. "Someone had to step up, my dear," he added eventually, with a hint of pride. "I saw no other man in the town show signs of the necessary strength and faith. We must all be thankful that I knew how to deal with the vampire threat."
Smiling politely, his wife rose and left the table, just as the daughter returned.
"Are you sure they can't rise again?" his daughter asked after a moment, loitering in the doorway. "If they're stronger -"
"Put such thoughts from your mind!" Alderman Petrov replied quickly, raising his voice a little. "Edgar Le Compte cannot act against the will of God. Precautions have been taken to ensure that there is no way he is able to return to our world, while his sister was a mere human and thus has passed on to meet her fate in the next world. As we speak, Madeleine Le Compte is burning in the fires of Hell. Does that not make you feel a little better, my dear?"
"Very good, father," the girl said. "Would it be okay if I go and play outside?"
"Not tonight. It's clear that you need to study the Bible more closely. No good can come of constantly playing childish games. Instead, you must work to improve your mind. Go to your room and I shall come through shortly and set you some instructions for the evening. No daughter of mine shall waste her time playing foolish games when there is important work to be done." He paused for a moment, recognizing the disappointment in his daughter's face. "You'll thank me one day, my dear. When your mind is strong and your love of God is unbending, you'll understand that I have always had your best interests at heart."
There was an awkward pause, and although Alderman Petrov was waiting patiently for his daughter to leave the room, the girl seemed reluctant to depart.
"Is something else troubling you?" Alderman Petrov asked impatiently.
"No, father," she replied, "it's just..."
"Go on, child."
"You'll think me foolish, but... I'm frightened, father."
"Frightened?" Alderman Petrov replied, raising an eyebrow. "Of what?"
The girl turned and looked over at the window.
"Of the vampire and his sister?" Alderman Petrov continued. "My dear, you must have more faith in your father. Have I not already explained that the pair of them are dead?"
"Yes, father, but... Are you sure that you can kill them? I mean, if he's a vampire, surely he has..." She paused for a moment. "Well, doesn't he have powers that might be greater than..."
Alderman Petrov waited for her to finish the sentence, although he knew deep down that she probably had more sense than to question her father's abilities too closely.
"I'm sorry, father," the girl said eventually. "I don't know what came over me."
"I am the senior figure in this town," Alderman Petrov replied. "I have held my position for more than twenty years, and I have learned more than a little about how to deal with dangers. Do you honestly believe, child, that I would tell the people of this town that they can sleep securely, if I was not absolutely certain that those beasts had been slaughtered?"
"No, father."
"And do you think that a lowly beast, a child of Satan, would be able to trick me?"
"No, father."
"And do you suspect that I might be some kind of pompous fool?"
She shook her head.
"Then surely your worries are groundless," he continued. "I am telling you, child, that I have banished the danger from this town. Almost single-handedly, in fact. You won't be seeing such creatures around here again. I did what was necessary, and although I certainly did not enjoy slaughtering Edgar Le Compte and his sister, I stepped up and did what needed to be done, at a time when no-one else was willing. Does that not tell you a little, my dear child, about the nature of your father and his mettle?"
&nb
sp; "Yes, father," the girl said. "Might I go now? I should like to begin my evening's work."
Alderman Petrov nodded and watched as his daughter hurried through to the far end of the house. Although he was a little disappointed that the girl lacked faith in his abilities, he was aware that she was still very much a child. She would learn, though, and one day she would understand the true nature of evil. Alderman Petrov was firmly of the opinion that he was the most powerful man in the town, and he felt that all the citizens would recognize his strength now that he had dispatched the vampire. More than ever, he felt truly secure in his position.
Taking a deep breath, Alderman Petrov sat back and reflected upon the day's events. The town had been saved from the scourge of a vampire and his vile sister, and now the healing process could begin. There was hard work ahead, but Alderman Petrov was convinced that with faith and discipline, God's favor would return and provide bounties for everyone. In fact, he was quite certain that one day he would be hailed as the man who had brought peace and sanity back to the town by ridding it of the cursed vampire. God had surely been watching on this fine day, Alderman Petrov reminded himself, and order had been restored.
Three
"Alright!" Alderman Petrov shouted, struggling to get dressed as he made his way to the door. It was well past midnight, and he had been fast asleep until some lunatic had begun hammering on the front of the house and demanding his attention. He was used to such interruptions, of course, since he was widely considered to be the leader of the local community. Still, after the day's exertions, he'd been hoping for a full night's sleep. "I'm coming!" he called out as he slid the latch across and pulled the door open. "What do you -"
He stopped speaking as soon as he saw the panicked face of the innkeeper.
"What's come over you, man?" he asked, peering out into the dark street. "Can't it wait until morning?"
"The graves!" the innkeeper said, grabbing Alderman Petrov by the shoulder and pulling him outside. "The graves have been disturbed!"