Revenge and Redemption

Once Benny and Autumn were out of school, they were ready to get married and settle down together. Their wedding was small and inexpensive, and the honeymoon was a road trip to New York City, where they made stops at all the tourist attractions and even took the time to stop in and visit a friend from school who had moved there last year to try and be an actor in a Broadway musical.

Something that caught Benny's eye one day while they were about to enter Macy's department store, was a crazy, unwashed, old man who wore a large cardboard sign which covered him front and back. It read; "Don't become one of them, it's time to fight back!!!"

"The vampires are taking our city from us," the man shouted. "Don't let them seduce you into their service. The time has come to fight back."

Benny couldn't help but stop and stare at the man for a few minutes, his mind going back to that night in a dark bathroom after a concert. A night he hadn't thought about for a couple of years.

When the man noticed he had Benny's attention, he stopped shouting and addressed him directly.

"You've seen one of them, haven't you? You know exactly what I'm talking about."

Autumn grabbed Benny's arm and pulled him away from the stranger.

"What are you doing?" Autumn asked. "This is my first time in New York too, but even I know to stay away from the crazies.

Benny let the issue drop for the moment, but he felt he had to share everything with Autumn. It was only later that night, while they were in the hotel room that he finally told her the full story, including the advice his father had given him.

"Wow, that is some very cryptic advice," Autumn said once her husband had finished.

"Do you think I'm crazy?" he asked.

"Maybe a little."

"I know it's weird, but I'm sure what I saw was real. I have not suffered from hallucinations before that night and I haven't had any since. I haven't done any drugs stronger than weed, and that doesn't cause you to see things."

"You smoked weed that night, maybe it was laced with something else."

"You, Jack, and Marvin smoked the same stuff. Did you see anything strange that night?"

"No," Autumn said with a note of defeat.

"What if that old man on the street out there is right? What if there are vampires out there?"

"I guess we should just do what your father said, or else we will end up being the crazy fucks shouting about horror movie creatures taking over the world. That's what it comes down to, ultimately. No one would believe us any more than they believe the guy with the sign."

Benny conceded this point, and though he couldn't do anything about this little issue, he felt a lot better knowing Autumn believed him and was on his side. The fact that she said "we" instead of "you" was enough to show just how much she really loved him, despite what others would see as the ramblings of a lunatic.

The Writemans didn't see another vampire the rest of their trip but Autumn's psychic gift was as strong as ever. They had to abandon the car and after two days they found themselves deep in the wilderness of the Rockies. The trees were bright and beautiful with the brilliant colors of Fall, and Autumn frequently commented about the ones she liked the best.

None of them were even sure they were in Colorado anymore, hell they could have been in Wyoming for all Benny knew. They had followed no map to get that far, there hadn't been any signs on the back roads they had followed; there was only Autumn's guidance. All they new for sure was that they were heading north.

By the time they started to ascend the steep incline of a mountainside, Autumn had started to look bad. Her skin had gone past pasty white and had taken on an almost blue tint. Time was growing shorter.

"How much further, Autumn?" Frank asked after they had climbed 2/3 the way up the mountain.

"I don't know," Autumn said, "maybe 600 yards or so. A little ways through there," she pointed to a large area of the forest that had grown heavy with underbrush and looked very much as if someone wanted to keep people from entering the land beyond.

Frank and Benny pulled out their swords and began hacking away at the thick branches. With each section they cut down it seemed like more would pop up.

"I don't think we're getting anywhere," Benny stated after ten minutes of work.

Frank looked back and forth down the line of brush, "Yeah, I think your right. Maybe there's a way around it."

As Frank spoke, Benny bent low to examine the branches closer. He was amazed to see that everything he had just cut down was growing back right before his eyes.

"Dad!"

The Old Man turned at Benny's call and followed his gaze to the old plant life. He saw what his son had found almost immediately. The branches and vines he had cut down were slowly reappearing. Yes, it was slow, but far faster than any plant should grow.

"Guys," Autumn said from behind them, "I don't think it's growing, I think it's moving."

"What?" the two men asked in unison.

Then, without warning, the vines whipped out at them with lightning speed, wrapping around Benny and Frank and pulling them to the ground. For a moment, they both just laid there, completely bound by the vines. Autumn ran to Benny and tried frantically to get the vine off of him.

Then, like racing dogs just let out of the gate, the two men took off, dragged alongside the wall of vines.

Benny thought he had never moved so fast before in his life, the surrounding trees screamed by in a colorful blur. The thing dragged him across a tree stump and he hit his head hard on a rock as he came over the other side. He was sure he had blacked out, but couldn't tell how long. When he looked around again everything was distorted and blurry.

Suddenly, the two of them were yanked upward into the branches of the biggest weeping willow tree Benny had ever seen. He caught sight of his father as he dangled there, upside down, and could see the Old Man struggling to escape the vine's grasp. Benny wanted to get out of the trap, he needed to get out, but he still felt dazed and weak from the bump he took on the head.

Without warning, a heavy cracking sound traveled up the trunk of the tree and seemed to reverberate throughout every branch. The revolting sound made Benny's head throb like the string of a bass guitar.

The loud crack came again and Benny craned his neck up (which, in this case, was been down) and tried to find the source of the sound. His vision was still blurry, but he could make out a ghostly figure walking away from the base of the tree.

The newcomer backed away from the trunk and ran forward again, slamming into the tree with their shoulder as if trying to break down a door. The tree shuddered violently with the force of the impact.

Benny closed his eyes and tried hard to focus and stop his head from spinning. All the blood rushing to his head wasn't helping his pounding skull. He looked back toward the stranger on the ground and he was finally able to focus and the identity of the ghost became clear.

"AUTUMN?" he shouted, a fresh spike of pain shot through his head at the strain in his vocal cords. He watched again as Autumn ran to the tree and slammed into the trunk. The tree gave another shudder and the cracking sound grew louder and longer as if the tree would split in half any minute.

The tree didn't split in half with Autumn's final blow, but it did fall over, pulling all of its roots out of the ground with it. As it came down, Benny saw his dead wife cling desperately to the trunk, trying hard to avoid the huge mound of earth that was pulled out with the roots.

When the weeping willow hit the ground, Frank and Benny were pulled violently through the branches before the vines finally loosened their grip and sent them tumbling to the dead leaves below.

Frank slowly got to his feet, every muscle in his body was aching and he had suffered a few cuts and bruises. Otherwise, he seemed to be in one piece. He looked around and found Benny lying a few yards away, his body seemed broken and motionless. The old man felt his heart sink.

After dragging his feet to his youngest son, Frank dropped to his knees and carefully turned Benny over onto his back. A thousand images raced through his mind, all the fond memories he had of bringing up his baby boy.

"Benny," he pleaded, "please be okay."

Benny's eyes popped open and he looked at his father, "My head is killing me."

Frank sighed with relief and wrapped his arms around Benny's head and shoulders.

"Head, Dad," Benny moaned, "watch the head."

With some effort and a lot of help from each other the two men got to their feet and began looking for Autumn. They found her sitting against a large boulder a short distance away from the upturned tree roots. With her chin resting on her chest and hair hanging over her face, she looked completely exhausted.

"Autumn, are you alright?" Benny asked.

The dead girl slowly raised her head, "I guess I still had a little of that superhuman strength left after all."

"Yeah, but it looks like you overdone it," Frank added, "do you think you can walk at all."

Autumn stood up with help from her husband and father-in-law, when they let her go she stumbled and nearly fell on her face. The two men caught her and each put one of her arms around their shoulders.

"I think if I could just get some rest I'd get a little energy back," Autumn said in a weak, trembling voice.

Frank took a look at the surrounding woods, "Alright, we can set up camp for the night, but first I want to get as far away from this fucked up tree as possible."

With the tree out of the way, a path had cleared that would take them closer to their destination. Beat up and tired, the Writemans nevertheless remained completely on guard for any other traps that may be waiting for them.

The area beyond the weeping willow was vastly different then the woods they had been traveling through. While the trees before were painted with bright fall colors, everything on this side was dead and ugly.

Before long they came to a wide clearing and Frank had the others hang back while he made sure the area was safe.

Ten minutes later, he returned and said; "Alright, we'll make camp here for the night, and in the morning, with the sun shining bright, we'll make our way through those trees and Benny will stake that fucker in the heart."

"Sounds like a plan," Benny said, exhausted. He plopped down on the ground and started to remove his gear. He and his father were packing enough heat to fight a small army. "I think the tree was just a booby trap to keep wonderers out, we could keep a lookout tonight, but I don't think they're going to fuck with us."

"Yeah, I know, and that doesn't really sit well with me. We may be walking into a trap. We'll keep a lookout anyway."

"I'll keep a lookout," Autumn offered, "I don't need to sleep. Just some time to regain a little energy."

Benny was preparing to get some much-needed rest when he heard a rattling sound come from his right. He looked up to see his father holding a small bottle of ibuprofen.

"When you get to be my age you're always prepared," he said with a smile. "Need some?"

"Hell yeah!" Benny exclaimed. He took four with the bottled water from his bag and soon felt the pain in his head fade a little.

The young man lay down with his head on Autumn's lap and, looking up at the darkening sky, he noticed the dancing lights of the aurora borealis for the first time since they had begun climbing the mountain. He had wanted to see the northern lights in person since he'd seen them in a John Wayne movie when he was a boy.

"Northern lights," he said to the others.

Frank looked up. "Yeah. Typically can't see them this far south, but I did read about a solar flare recently that would cause this. It's a beautiful sight."

"It really is," Autumn said. She ran a hand through Benny's hair. It soothed his aching head.

Benny fell asleep with his eyes on the lights, wondering if this would be the last time he saw them.

The cold early morning air chilled Benny and Frank as they broke through the remainder of the small wooded area. Autumn, on the other hand, looked completely comfortable and far better than she did the night before. The low temperature so high up the mountain seemed to be preserving her body, at least a little. For the first time, Benny noticed a small green spot forming at the corner of her mouth as well as a few larger spots on her arms. Her dead body was starting to rot and Benny knew their journey would have to end here.

The trees and rocky ground this high were covered with fresh, virgin snow (the dead trees they had seen before had become less frequent, replaced instead by full, robust evergreens) and breathtaking didn't begin to describe the view of the surrounding mountains. Benny had to wonder to himself how an area so beautiful could house creatures as vile as vampires.

They climbed a slight hill and came to the edge of a wide stone bridge. Across the bridge stood a great castle that seemed to be built into the side of the mountain.

"Now that's impressive," Frank said. He looked up at the jutting roof and added; "This place is completely camouflaged, even from the sky. If we didn't have Autumn guiding us we would have never found it."

"Alright," Benny said, "it's pretty cool. But let's not shit ourselves."

The trio began to walk across the bridge when Benny noticed a large circular courtyard in front of the castle that was covered by a canopy, formed by several tall evergreen trees that seemed to bend forward to meet each other. Frank and Benny had taken a few more steps before they realized that Autumn had stopped walking.

"What is it?" Benny asked, seeing an expression of mixed horror and disgust on her face.

"Look," she said, pointing a shaking finger, "around the edge of the courtyard.

The two men looked to where Autumn was pointing and immediately saw what had shaken her so badly. Benny felt his stomach roll over and was sure that if he had eaten anything in the past twenty-four hours, it would have been splattered on the rocky ground right then. There, forming a large circle around the courtyard, were approximately fifty long spears protruding from the ground, each one holding an impaled human body. A couple of the bodies were long dead skeletons and some others still looked fairly fresh, but many were still moving, trying desperately to escape their torturous deaths.

"Autumn, are you sure Odin Sway is in this castle?" Benny asked.

"Positive."

"Fine, let's get in, stake him, and leave as soon as possible."

"Agreed," Frank added.

The Writemans now approached the front doors at a much quicker pace. They crossed the courtyard (noticing the stench of the impaled bodies as they went) and as they reached the bottom of the broad, stone steps that led to the entrance, the large oak doors slowly creaked open. The three Writemans' stopped in their tracks. A tall man with a fair complexion, bushy brown hair, and a thick mustache walked out and Frank immediately recognized him.

"Vlad the Impaler," the Old Man said in a breathless voice.

Vlad smiled and said; "Welcome to my home."

Frank's hand went to the butt of his Uzi while Benny gripped the hilt of his sterling silver samurai sword.

"Please," Vlad said, and as he raised his hands the weapons were pulled away from their owners by some unseen force, each landing at opposite ends of the courtyard. "There is no need for those here, no one will attack you."

The three mortals stood motionless, staring at an ancient, historical figure that appeared to be no more than forty years old.

Vlad seemed uncomfortable with the silence and began to fumble for something to say. "You recognize me," he finally blurted. "It's the mustache, right? I've had it for ages, but I just can't bring myself to shave it."

This was followed by a few more moments of silence.

"Oh, come now," Vlad said cheerfully, "why do you all look so surprised?"

"We-well," Benny stammered as he looked nervously to his father and then to Autumn before returning his attention to Vlad, "we didn't really expect anyone to be up."

"Ah, of course, sunlight. Well, I have evolved beyond the weaknesses of younger vampires. I am what is known as a Vampire Lord. I have abilities that the young ones cannot even begin to comprehend. As such, I am unable to be killed by the usual means. That would make me one of the most powerful beings on Earth. But enough about me. I believe you are here in regards to one of my servants, Odin Sway."

"I've come to kill him," Benny said plainly.

"You cut right to the chase, don't you? Please, come in, and we will speak on this matter as friends."

Frank began to object, but Benny put a hand on his arm and said; "I'll be alright, Dad."

The old man let out an impatient sigh. "Alright, we'll be right here. You have fifteen before we come in with guns blazing."

"That should be ample time," Vlad said politely.

The vampire ushered Benny through the door, leaving it open as a show of good faith. The entrance gave way to a huge foyer, the floor and walls made of the darkest black marble he had ever seen. An exquisite staircase rose from the middle of the room and up to a landing that was shrouded in shadows.

Benny was led to a large library off to the left of the foyer. Inside blazed an immense fireplace that threw light onto a seemingly endless collection of books that lined the walls. In the middle of the room sat two high-backed chairs turned toward each other.

"Please," Vlad stated, "let us sit by the fire. You can chase the chilly air from your bones."

Benny sat silently and waited for Vlad to speak again.

"First, I want you to know that your wife was killed without my approval, and although Odin held the blade that killed her, he had absolutely no choice in the matter."

"No choice!" Benny shouted in disbelief, "If he didn't want to kill her he could have told the others no. He could have-"

"MISTER WRITEMAN!" Though Vlad was one man, three voices shrieked from his mouth. "Please wait until I finish."

Benny sank back in his seat, not daring to say another word.

"You see, Mr. Writeman," Vlad continued in the same polite manner as before, "Odin Sway is what we call a 'lesser vampire'. This means he is compelled to do what he is told by those superior to him. We are all separated into clans. I am the head of my clan and I am a vampire lord, as I mentioned before. The level below lord is master, which was the rank of those you killed in Indiana. By the way, I am not angered by their deaths, for I myself would have killed them given the chance. The business relationship we had with your father was very important to us."

"Why would they act without your permission?"

"It happens quite often, I'm afraid. Some vampires get into a position of power and before you know it, they are behaving like gangsters instead of businessmen. Although Odin is gifted, he is still a few years away from being a master. Lesser vampires cannot control their actions when they are issued an order by those above them. Odin greatly regrets what his masters made him do. Vampires, by nature, are peaceful, emotional creatures. At least they are nowadays."

"How do you explain the impaled people in your courtyard?" Benny asked with a note of disgust.

"My art is rarely understood by mortals."

"Art? Are you talking about the people dying painfully on those spears out there?"

"Dying? On the contrary, Mr. Writeman, they are being reborn into my clan. There are hundreds of thousands of people in this world who want to be a vampire. You and your lovely wife used to be two of them if I'm not mistaken. 'Goth kids', right? Well, before they become vampires, they have to be servants. I have twenty-five mortal servants in this castle right now. When they reach the age of forty, I set them loose in the woods on the other side of the valley and I hunt them down, for I do still enjoy a good hunt. They start the change before they're impaled, and after a month they are let down. The sun doesn't affect them in that time."

"And the two skeletons that are out there?"

"They were vampires from another clan who once tried to assassinate me. They are stabbed through the heart. I keep them there as a warning to others who entertain such foolish ideas. They are on two pikes which are never hit by the sun's light."

"You still have to feed on people, doesn't that make you evil?"

"Actually, the servants give blood to us voluntarily. I like to drink mine from a wine glass. It's so much more civilized than gnawing on some poor fellow's throat. That's not to say we don't have the occasional rogue vampire, who reverts to the old ways and runs around killing innocents and sucking them dry, but they are usually captured and punished."

"Usually?"

"Well, there is Deppleo."

"Who is Deppleo?"

"Deppleo is the god of all vampires. When your Christian god said 'let there be light', Deppleo was born in the shadows that light cast. Through the ages, he has thrived on slaughtering mortals and drinking them dry and to this day his hate and disdain for humans have not subsided. He is the only being I answer to."

"How does he feel about the way you treat mortals nowadays?"

"He doesn't care, as long as the vampire population continues to grow, he is satisfied."

"So, he's the only one that kills mortals for blood?"

"Well, he and the Wintermen, but they don't matter right now because it isn't winter and we're getting quite off the subject. Deppleo has left it to me to bring your situation to a close, and as far as I can see, I only have two options.

"Option number one; fight you to the death to save the life of one of my children, which I assure you, would be a very swift fight."

Benny had no trouble believing that.

"Or, option two; turn Odin Sway over to you and let you have your revenge."

"So, what's your choice?" Benny asked, suddenly feeling uneasy

"You will meet Odin and me in the courtyard after sunset, by then I will have my decision."

Benny stood and walked to the door.

"I sympathize with you Mr. Writeman," Vlad said from his chair without turning to look at the young man. "I too was in love once, long ago, in my mortal days. She also died before her time, although her life was taken by her own hand. The man I'd become, and the acts I had committed drove her to it. I had no thirst for revenge, so I did the next best thing; I lost my mind. I renounced my Christian god and went on a rampage, never quenching my desire to spill the blood of others in the most sickening ways I could imagine. Of course, my deeds caught the attention of the vampire god, and his gift only amplified my rage."

Vlad then turned and looked Benny in the eyes, "Mr. Writeman, you must know that Odin is beaten down by the guilt he feels for what he has done to your wife. He is a shattered image of the man he once was."

Benny turned from Vlad, feeling a hot tear spill down his face, and said in a quivering voice; "Aren't we all?"

Vlad stared at the young mortals back as he left the library, and in a whisper said, "I suppose we are."

Benny, Autumn, and Frank returned to their campsite, where Benny retold everything that he heard from Vlad.

"So basically, he's saying Odin Sway was controlled by the five masters we took out in Gary," Frank said when Benny stopped talking.

"Yeah, that's the gist of it," Benny replied.

"Do you believe him?"

"It seems to fit, especially if you consider Odin's behavior when we last saw him."

Frank turned to the dead girl, "What do you think, Autumn?"

"It's the truth," Autumn replied. "I don't think he had any desire to kill me, and I'm sure he took no pleasure in it."

Frank said; "So, with this new information, do we go on or turn back?"

"There is no turning back," Benny stated, "not for me."

"Benny, you'd be killing an innocent man."

A confused expression flowed over Benny's face. "Dad, what do you think we've been doing all this time? According to Vlad, none of these vampires have ever taken a life, and you've killed more of them than any of us."

Frank plopped down heavily on an overturned tree trunk. "You're right. The five in Gary should have been the only ones to die."

"Besides," Benny continued, "Odin is the last one. When he's dead Autumn will finally be able to rest in peace. We'll stay here until nightfall, then go and find out what Vlad's decision is."

The other two agreed and Frank pulled out the last of the sandwiches they had gotten at a gas station before they left civilization. They ate what very well could be their last meal.

Nightfall came and the three Writemans made their way up to the courtyard to find only Vlad and Odin waiting for them. Benny felt relief at this, but Frank, as if reading his mind, leaned in and spoke in his ear. "Stay alert; there could be more hiding in the shadows."

Autumn took Benny's hand in hers. "It's Halloween night you know?" she said quietly.

Benny thought about it a moment. "Oh yeah, I suppose it is. Well, Happy Halloween, we certainly are in a fitting situation for it."

"Yeah, Happy Halloween."

The courtyard was dimly lit by torches that ran along the edge of the circle, one placed between each of the impaled bodies.

Benny stopped at the end of the bridge with Frank and Autumn just behind him. Vlad approached them from the center of the courtyard.

"Benjamin Writeman," he said in the same polite manner as before. "I'm glad you have come. After meeting you today I realized that I have only been thinking of a way to get Odin out of this mess and I never intended to hand him over to you. I was wrong to think this way. You are both suffering, and you are both honorable men, so a third option accrued to me. We will let your swords decide who dies."

Benny suddenly felt his heart drop into his stomach.

"That doesn't really seem fair," Frank interjected.

"Odin will not use any of his vampire abilities," Vlad replied, "only his fencing skills. I have commanded it. You, Mr. Writeman, may use any weapons at your disposal."

Benny thought on this a moment, then he pulled the AR-15 off his back and laid it on the ground. Next, he pulled two 9mm pistols from their holsters and cast them aside, keeping only his sword and a wooden stake that was hidden in his jacket.

"Indeed you are noble," Vlad said. "Just keep in mind, Odin is almost two hundred years old and has practiced his technique since he was a child."

Benny stared at Odin, trying hard to read his expression, but could find nothing there.

Old stone face returns.

"I have been made aware," Benny said.

"Very well, then you will each say your goodbyes to your loved ones."

Benny turned to his father and smiled. "Well, old man, it's been some adventure, huh?"

"You say that as if you were going to lose," Frank said sternly. "You just remember everything I taught you and you'll do fine."

Benny was confused again. "What are you talking about?"

"Come on, Benny, when you were a kid didn't you ever wonder why I took all those lightsaber battles so seriously?"

"What are you saying, Dad, that you were secretly training me to sword fight a vampire when I was a kid?"

"Of course not," Frank laughed, "but I did always try to teach you boys how to defend yourselves in just about any situation I could think of. Some ways were just a little more subtle than others."

Benny smiled and hugged his father, Frank returned his embrace. Without another word, Frank walked away to leave Benny and Autumn alone.

He held his wife for a long moment before speaking. "I will not say goodbye to you again," he whispered in her ear.

"I know you'll win," Autumn said in a quiet voice, "and, when the time comes, we'll be together again."

Benny nodded, took a deep breath, and returned his gaze to Odin Sway. The vampire stood motionless, his face showing no anger or fear, no excitement or pleasure, only the blankness of a dead man.

Benny pulled his sword from its sheath slowly, letting the moonlight gleam off the solid silver blade. Odin held up his walking cane and pulled it apart revealing the long, straight blade that was concealed inside.

They stood in silence for a moment with the others watching them quietly from beyond the courtyard.

It was Benny who made the first move.

He ran swiftly at the vampire with his blade held low and trailing behind him. When he was close enough, he brought the sword up in a wide arch. Odin stepped to his right, barely avoiding the hit.

Benny spun with the sword's momentum bringing it again to Odin's left side. There was a high clang as the swords met for the first time.

Odin then brought his sword in toward his body and lunged forward in a jab. Benny blocked the attack, preventing it from entering his chest, but still felt the blade puncture his left shoulder. A low moan escaped his lips.

Still, the vampire showed no emotion, he only pulled the blade out of Benny's shoulder and repositioned himself for the next attack.

Benny then leaped into the air with his sword raised high above his head, bringing it down hard against Odin's blade. The force of the attack knocked the vampire off his feet. Landing on his back, he brought his sword up just in time to block another swing from Benny. After a quick roll, he was back on his feet blocking another hard hit.

Back swinging his blade, Benny was amazed at his opponent's agility, as he dodged the attack completely. Odin gave another thrust and again Benny blocked it, but again felt the vampire's sword enter his left shoulder. He felt warm blood flow from the large wound.

Wiping his hand on his pants, Benny looked back at Odin. The vampire's white suit was covered in dirt and grass stains, his normally neat hair was loose and hanging over his face.

Still, there was no emotion there.

Again, Benny ran toward Odin with his sword held low, this time he swung the blade up diagonally, but again, Odin stepped out of the way.

The vampire thrust his sword at Benny's chest once more and again Benny blocked it, but as the creature's blade came toward his right shoulder, Benny spun, using his right hand to slip the wooden stake out of his jacket and drive the tip beneath Odin's ribcage and into his heart.

With a gasp, Odin fell forward into Benny's arms, and Benny gently laid the vampire down on his back.

As he knelt over Odin, Benny could see tears flowing from the vampire's eyes and great sorrow in his once emotionless face.

"I'm so sorry, Ben," Odin sobbed. His left hand was laying limp at his side with his sword still slightly gripped. His right hand was gripping Benny's shoulder. "I didn't want to hurt her."

"I know, Odin," Benny said, and now he began to cry, partly because he knew now that Odin was innocent in all of this, but mostly because he knew that when Odin fell, a few yards behind him, his wife fell as well.

"Can…can you forgive me before I die?" the vampire pleaded.

"Only if you do me one favor first," Benny replied.

"Anything."

Benny swallowed hard and forced himself to say the words. "Kill me."

"What!" Odin exclaimed.

"I have avenged my wife, Odin. When you die, so will she. For good this time. And when I die, who knows how many years from now, we'll be together again. I don't want to wait," Benny began to weep harder, "I don't w-want to w-wait. Kill me…and all will be forgiven."

Without another word, Odin positioned his sword over Benny's chest and pushed the blade into his heart.

Frank stood silently next to Autumn as they watched Benny pull the stake from his jacket and plunge it into Odin's chest. As Benny slowly lowered the vampire to the ground, Autumn collapsed at Frank's feet.

"Autumn!" he exclaimed with concern as he knelt down beside her. "So, this is it, huh?"

"Yes," Autumn replied weakly, "when Odin Sway dies, so will I. Benny has avenged me. Isn't that romantic?"

Frank stroked her hair, "Yeah, it sure is, pumpkin. At least I get to tell you goodbye this time."

Autumn smiled, "Goodbye, Frank."

"Goodbye, Autumn," at that moment, Frank heard Benny's voice rise slightly, the only words he could make out were; "kill me", It was really all he needed to hear. He gently lay Autumn down and began to walk toward his son.

Suddenly, Benny lurched and rolled over, Frank could see Odin's blade protruding from his son's chest.

"Benny!" Frank shouted, now running to the limp figure lying on the ground. He stopped and knelt down beside his son, at first only staring at him in disbelief. Why had he asked Odin to kill him?

"Why, Benny?" he whispered through his tears, knowing he would get no answer. Benny Writeman was dead.

"Mr. Writeman," Vlad said from over his shoulder, "would you please come with me?"

Frank didn't move.

"Please," Vlad pleaded, "we haven't much time."

Frank stood and stared at the ancient creature who now spoke to him.

"We must leave the dead alone for the moment, if you would come with me you will see why."

The Old Man finally gave in (out of curiosity) and followed the vampire to the castle doors.

Inside the castle, Vlad led Frank to a staircase that stood a short distance to the immediate right of the entrance. They climbed only five steps, when Vlad turned quickly around, black robes flapping with the vampire's momentum, and directed Frank to sit on a step near a tall window that looked out onto the courtyard. Vlad sat quietly on the step above him and placed his hand on Frank's shoulder.

"Watch closely," the vampire said, pointing out the window.

Through the window, Frank could see the bodies of his son and Odin Sway lying in the middle of the courtyard. About ten yards from them lay the body of his daughter-in-law.

After a moment, he noticed some movement and realized that Benny was slowly standing up. Frank's face lit up with a smile, but it faded quickly when he noticed how strange his son looked. It wasn't Benny standing up; it was a shimmering blue, translucent image of him. A second later he saw a similar image standing up from Autumn's body.

"It is their spirit's that you see," Vlad said quietly as if speaking too loud might scare them away.

The two ghostly figures only stared at each other for a moment, and then Benny ran to his wife and took her in his arms. Frank stared in awe. The embrace seemed to last an eternity, and the old man didn't want to see it end. The spirits finally came apart and as Benny ran his hand through Autumn's hair, Frank could see, even from this distance, how deeply they cared for one another.

"Their love must have been great," Vlad said.

"Yeah," the old man replied, "yeah it was."

Benny spared one last look at his father and smiled as if he knew Frank watched from the window. Then, the two spirits ran across the bridge, hand in hand, and disappeared into the woods.

Frank began to sob uncontrollably. Vlad's hand remained on the Old Man's shoulder for a moment longer, then he stood and walked back down the stairs, leaving Frank to his sorrow.

After a long while, Frank came into the library where Vlad sat in silent thought, staring into the fireplace.

"I'm sorry about that," Frank started. "I don't usually break down that way."

"It's all right. We have both lost children this week. For men like us, tears are our only therapy."

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that as well. I had no idea they weren't in control of themselves."

"I know. You were only defending yourselves, and it is all in the past as far as I'm concerned. Let us start anew."

"I'd like that."

"Please, take a seat. I am having a dinner prepared for you now."

As Frank sat down a loud howling arose on the wind outside.

"Werewolves?" the Old Man inquired.

Vlad grinned. "Yes, they cry for Odin Sway," Seeing the puzzled look on Frank's face, Vlad elaborated. "Odin was the only vampire alive that could communicate with them telepathically. Over the course of his life, he built a very strong bond with them."

"That certainly explains a lot about what happened in the graveyard and the cornfield."

"Yes, I've heard that story. A most impressive victory for the Writeman clan. Mr. Writeman, I consider you a friend now."

"Then please, call me Frank."

"Very well, Frank. As a result of our friendship, you will no longer have to worry about attacks from the vampires of my clan. The other clans will not get involved in our business either. However, the werewolves now see you as an enemy. I don't think they will attack you out of respect for me, but you should tread lightly. One more act against them could result in the entire werewolf community coming down on you."

"Understood," Frank said.

"If you have questions about anything, please don't hesitate to ask."

Frank thought on this a moment and then said; "The weeping willow tree in the woods. I am curious as to how you managed to create such a creature."

"Witchcraft, of course," Vlad said plainly.

"You know witches?"

"One or two."

As Frank processed this new information, the door to the library opened and a human servant entered declaring that dinner was served.

Over the next week, Frank stayed at the castle as Vlad's guest and learned everything he could about vampires, werewolves, and the vampire god, Deppleo. Graves were dug for Benny, Autumn, and Odin Sway. Frank and Vlad were the lone mourners and each spoke over the funeral.

At night, Frank walked the halls of the castle, meeting many vampires who called the impressive structure their home. Much to the old man's surprise, none of them seemed to hold a grudge against him and were actually quite polite. During the day those same halls were completely deserted, with the exception of a few servants and Vlad of course.

"Do you ever sleep?" Frank asked Vlad one morning.

"I have lived for centuries, my friend," Vlad replied, "the blood of millions weighs too heavy on my shoulders for sleep."

"How long has it been since vampires began to live in a civilized society?"

"Not long," Vlad paused to stroke his mustache in thought. "Close to one hundred and fifty years now. All of the lords got together and decided that our way of living needed to be restructured. In order to keep a low profile, we realized we had to stop leaving blood drained bodies lying around."

"So, before that you were…"

"I was insane with blood lust," Vlad finished. "People change, though. Even vampires."

After the week was up, Frank decided it was time to say his goodbyes, Vlad walked with him to the courtyard.

"I'd like to thank you for letting Benny and Autumn rest here," Frank said, "this is a beautiful area."

"With the exception of the impaled bodies, right?" Vlad laughed.

"Hey, if it makes you feel any better, I never understood Jackson Pollok's artwork either."

"Well, you're not alone there. It is an honor to have Benny and Autumn here. Before you go I want you to take this." Vlad reached into his black robes and produced Odin's cane. "Part of your child remains with me, I would like a part of mine to go with you."

Frank stared down at the silver dragon that formed the handle, the morning sun gleamed in its eye. "Thank you," he said, taking the cane in his hand, "I'll take good care of it."

"I know you will."

"And thank you for all of your hospitality."

"Of course. Tell me, Frank, where will you go from here."

Frank thought on this a moment and said; "I'm going to find my other son, Jack."

"Ah, yes, he has been turned. I will give you this warning, beware of the Wintermen."

"The Wintermen?"

"They only surface in the winter months, when their powers are strongest. They prey on other vampires, especially those who aren't tied to a clan, like your son. In a little more than three weeks' time, he will be completely turned, it would be wise to find him before winter. My information points back toward Indiana."

"I'll keep all that in mind."

"What will you do once you find him?"

"I'm going to cure him."

Vlad laughed. "There is no cure for vampirism."

"There is one," Frank said seriously. "I'm going to kill your vampire god, Deppleo."

Surprise is an emotion Vlad had not felt in a very long time. This statement set him overflowing with it. "Killing him may be impossible, finding him may be just as hard."

"I have to try. I suppose that makes us enemies."

"On the contrary, I would welcome a mortal death. You have my full support. Just remember, though you will always be a friend to me, if Deppleo commands it, we may face each other eventually."

"Hopefully, it won't come to that. Goodbye, Vlad, and thanks again."

Vlad watched as Frank walked back toward the woods and into his next adventure.

He then said with a whisper; "Good luck."