Ben thought over that last statement carefully.

“So it’s not about simply bashing the stake through their inhuman chests?”

Father Cuthbert shook his head sadly.

“I sometimes wish that it was. You see, vampires have a knack of knowing when they are in danger. This usually wakes them up. An inexperienced hunter would almost certainly be going to his death.”

“So how do we avoid that?”

“Truth is we don’t. We just have to make sure that we are a little smarter, that’s all.”

The preacher lifted up the leather bag and escorted Ben out of the chapel and into the now busy street.

“You have any idea where they could be resting?”

The father smiled pleasantly.

“There is one place in town where they would feel safe. That old derelict house.”

“I know the one you mean,” Ben replied. “Shall we walk or take a taxi?”

The preacher ignored the question and proceeded to walk briskly toward their destiny.

The shoppers ignored the strange couple as they followed the main street in a northerly direction, not stopping until the traffic lights came into view.

“You can back out now if you wish.”

Ben shook his head.

“I’ve come this far father. May as well see it through.”

“Suit yourself.”

The priest led the way across the road and stopped, gazing at the old front porch.

“It certainly looks the part.”

“Are we going inside then?” Ben asked.

“You are a little over eager you know. This will be no picnic.”

The reporter smiled as he walked toward the closed door and pushed gently.

“It’s damn dusty in here,” he muttered.

“What do you expect? Vamps don’t do the hoovering.”

Ben stepped gingerly inside the empty room, the thick dust making him cough violently.

The priest followed and gazed around with wide-open eyes.

“Those stairs lead to the upper floor,” he muttered. “The pigs may be up there.”

He placed his bag upon the floor and opened it swiftly. He handed the cross to Ben whilst arming himself with the stake and mallet.

“You lead the way.”

The reporter was rather shocked.

“What if they appear?”

“Shove it into their faces man!”

Ben took a breath and began the slow ascent toward the bedroom door, where the two creatures were indeed asleep. As he reached it, he suddenly began shaking nervously.

“Just let me calm down a moment.”

The priest stood at his side as the reporter tried to get a grip.

“I think that I’m ready now.”

The priest watched as the door was quietly pushed open and their eyes saw the couple lying atop the soiled sheets.

“What are you two up to?” a loud voice called.

The priest whirled around and spotted a curious law enforcement officer staring from the lower floor.

Ben felt his blood run cold as the couple stirred restlessly.

“Come down here now.”

The priest shrugged his shoulders and began to make his way down again as Ben shrugged his shoulders.

“We are just looking around,” Father Cuthbert assured the officer.

“With those weapons? Give me a break father.”

Ben had still not moved and made a rather rash decision. He ignored the intruder and entered the room slowly. As he did so, the door slammed shut at once. The priest whirled and said, “We have to help him.”

The officer drew his weapon and muttered, “You just stay here a second.”

Within the dark bedroom, Ben seemed to be frozen to the spot. The couple were now fully awake and staring at him coldly.

“A policeman is coming up behind me,” Ben stammered.

Trayhas leapt from the bed and knocked the cross from his shaking hand.

“You brought him here?”

Ben shook his head violently.

“Nothing to do with me.”

“Kill him Trayhas!”

The vampire heard the cop reach the top step and made an instant decision. He grabbed the reporter by the throat and pulled the door open. Stepping through swiftly, he tossed him at the startled officer.

As the mortals crashed down the steps, he slammed the door shut again.

“It’s ruddy daylight!”

Hollandia became suddenly afraid at those awful words.

“They will kill us for sure.”

“Not if I have anything to do with it.”

He stepped toward the bed and as she rolled off, dragged it toward the door. She watched as he lifted it up, creating quite a formidable barricade.

“That should hold them for a while.”

“All day my love?”

He shook his head.

“It will only buy us a little time my sweet. No worries though, I’ve been in far tighter spots than this.”

Below the floor, the policeman’s body lay sprawled as Ben stood shakily.

“His neck is broken father.”

The priest ran for the dangerous staircase and leapt up two steps at a time. When he found the door firmly closed he began pounding with a fist.

“Open up damn you!”

Ben quickly joined him and gave it a hard kick.

“They must have locked it.”

“They shall not escape that easy my friend,” the priest said thinking rapidly.

He took the cross from the reporter’s hand and thrust it against the woodwork.

“What good will that do?”

Ben watched as smoke began drifting from the door.
“Where evil dwells, this jewellery shall seek it out.”

Within the room, the odour of charring wood was clearly detectable.

“They must have found petrol,” Hollandia gasped.

Trayhas knew better of course.

“The damn crucifix! Step back a moment.”

They did so as the smoke turned to true flame.

“We are finished now!”

“Would you shut up?” Trayhas demanded.

He watched the flames mount toward the top jam and began calculating the odds.

“This is going to be a little tricky love. Wish me luck eh?”

As the door became a veritable inferno, his foot lashed out viciously. The weakened door splintered at once and he leapt through, colliding with his enemies. As they crashed down, he looked around with wild eyes.

“Dead eh? Not quite I think.”

He dashed to the front door and slammed it shut as flames reached the rafters. Turning sharply he noted that the mortals were moving onto the steps.

“Fancy frying with me then?”

Cuthbert shook his head as screams came from inside the bedroom.

“You will never escape this,” the priest said confidently. “The sun will turn you to ash, if the flames don’t get you first.”

Trayhas simply smiled and spread his palms slowly.

“So be it father. I’m ready if you are.”

Father Cuthbert moved down the steps even as flames tore across the wooden ceiling. From behind Ben, the screams had ceased from the bedroom.

“I’ll put an end to your vices!”

Trayhas laughed in his face as the priest reached the floor.

“We have to get out of here!” Ben yelled as smoke billowed around him.

Trayhas dashed toward the far wall as the priest pursued him.

“You can leave Ben; I have to finish this now!”

The terrified reporter dashed for the door and threw it open. He turned and saw the priest lunge with the stake.

“Goodbye father,” he muttered before scrambling for safety.

As he staggered free, the flames erupted through the open door as a final battle reached its deadly climax.

Trayhas had sidestepped the strike and smashed his fist across the priest’s exposed neck. As he went down, burning debris fell and blocked the exit.

“At least I got you monster!”

Trayhas reached down, kicking away the weapons before hauling him above his head.

“No one gets me holy man. I appear to be immortal.”

Trayhas threw the poor man upon the burning pyre, his screams echoing around the smoke filled space.

Ben was watching from the road as the upper floor collapsed into the main room, the ring of sirens filling his ears.

“Oh father...”

He realised how difficult an explanation would be and ran toward the lights, even as a thin mist rose above the raging inferno.

When the fire tenders arrived, the wreckage could not be saved, so the firemen simply sprayed it lightly with water. For over an hour, the water hissed upon the hot embers until the flames went out at last.

When the sun set, only whorls of smoke indicated that a building had ever been there.

Safely inside his home, Ben sat upon his bed thinking the events over.

“No one will ever believe this tale. Even I find it hard to believe.”

A white mist drifted under the locked door and crept silently toward him.

“Oh I don’t know.”

Ben glanced up and yelped at the vision of the eternal predator.

“You can’t be...”

“Flames cannot harm us when we dissolve into mist young man. Neither can the sun for that matter.”

He saw Ben glance toward the cabinet where the cross sat waiting.

“Don’t be a fool,” Trayhas hissed. “I just popped in to say farewell.”

“You are leaving us?”

The cloaked creature nodded sadly.

“Time to move on young man. Canada has proven a little hot for my taste.”

“Where will you go?”

Trayhas shrugged his manly shoulders.

“Somewhere a little quieter. Try to remember this experience. Few mortals encounter me and live to tell the tale.”

Ben saw the figure vanish within a cloud of mist before seeping under the door once more. He stood from the bed and wandered toward the window. He gazed out at a familiar dark world, a world that now looked decidedly unsafe...Finis...