The sun went down. Lenore creep from her shoal grave, listless and hungry. At the same time, Baron Latos rose from the coffin in his castle crypt, driven from the dreamless nap of decease by a most unholy craving. And, on the other side of town, Daniel got out of bed, went to the kitchen, and mixed himself a sweet talker out of pig 's blood and crimson Kool-Aid. ( Because drink blood straight gave him gas ).

Lenore wore the dress down winding-clothes of the grave, smeared with dirt. She crept along on all IV, hiding in disconsolate alleyway and behind hedgerows, skulking and stalking. mogul Latos wore his finest tailored suit and most expensive black cape. He called his inhuman handmaid to groom the carriage and horses, as he was going out to mingle with unsuspicious individual. Daniel put on elbow grease and an old Invader Zim tee shirt with a bloodstain on the sleeve and sat down to watch the Futurama marathon on communication channel three.

His phone rang. It was Jenna. `` Hi, dear ! '' he said.

'' Where are you ? ''

'' I just got up, '' he said, taking a swig of cherry-flavored blood. `` Are you coming over ? ``

"You 're supposed to be taking me to Lianne 's party tonight ! It 's Halloween and I want everyone to see that I 'm dating a vamp-iiiiire ! They 'll all be top-notch jealous. ``

'' I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that. ``

Jenna made a lilliputian"Uck !"dissonance. `` Just get over here and put on your costume."

'' What dress up ? ``

'' You vampire costume ! ``

'' But I 'm a vampire already ? ``

'' But I want everyone to be able to differentiate. ``

She hung up.

* * *

Lenore followed the strait of euphony and people. The streets were crowded and she could n't drag on away a victim without being seen, but perhaps this house full phase of the moon of mass and strange interference would afford an opportunity. She slipped in the bedroom window. An unsuspicious individual was sleeping here. In the iniquity, she followed his odor. As she came closer the olfaction grew inviolable. She bared her fang. The smell was—

Terrible.

The drunk man rolled over and belched, scratching his hairy belly. Lenore moved on. Even she had standards.

Latos arrived on fundament because the police kept pulling his carriage over for obstructing traffic. He followed two delicious-looking miss for a few blocks and saw that they were going to the two-story house on the corner, the one alive with lights and music and conversation. He chuckled at the young people in their Halloween costumes. `` Ah, soul, '' he said, running a gloved deal along his contraband goatee, `` how foolishly they embrace the trapping of expiry, never realizing how close they really are to the true and final touch of—

'' Wait, are they playing Chris Brown ? Really ? That's so unfitting ... ''

He waited at the room access for 20 mo trying to ascertain the rectify person to ask over him in. Finally he settled on following the pizza guy in, on the grounds that getting permission from someone with permit was probably good enough.

Daniel arrived in his girlfriend 's Hyundai. She led him in by the hand, but he tried to lollygag by the doorway. `` I don't want to do this,"he said.

'' You look fine. ``

'' Why did you have to put all this labored livid physical composition on me ? ``

'' You need to count pale and dramatic. ``

'' I look like an anemic mime. ``

'' You could pull in the spirit off if you tried. Bare your fang. ``

"I do n't have Fang. ``

'' Then bare your alveolar workplace. That span is pretty chilling. ``

Daniel did his Charles Herbert Best. He looked like he was perpetually just about to sneeze. Jenna was dressed as a cat, and she flicked her tail as she appraised him. `` You 're doing it incorrect. Try smoldering. ``

'' What 's smoldering ? ``

'' It 's a form of glower. Only sexy. It 's a vampire matter. ``

'' I don't think it is. If it was, I'd be doing it. ``

'' Oh come on ! '' she said, dragging him inside.

Lenore sat on the stairs. She was confused. She picked life-threatening mold from under her ragged fingernails while assessing the penny-pinching partiers. This one over here smelled like a haemophiliac, and those were never filling. These other ones had a lot of rum in their bloodstream, and she was going sober this year. Her stomach growled. This was looking to be a farsighted night. A drunk teen sat next to her and looked at the torn winding sheet wrapped around her body. `` Cool costume ! '' he said.

She snarled.

'' Do you need to go upstairs ? ``

She sniffed him. Leukemia. He probably did n't hump. She patted his head once, gave a slight nod of compassion, and crawled away. There had to be something around here she could eat.

Latos was finding that this was not the kind of party he was acclimated to. For one thing, when he dramatically swept into a room nobody stopped what they were doing to stare at him, transfixed. They did n't even sprain down the music. `` Good eve, '' he said to a pretty blonde matter, `` I am Baron— ''

'' Oh my god, jello shooters ! '' she said, and ran to the bar. OK, strike one. He flagged down a mathematical group of girls near the window. `` Listen to them, '' he said, `` nestling of the night ! '' He waited. Usually when he said that a wolf howled, but it did n't sound like there were any out tonight ? He cleared his throat and said it louder : `` minor of the dark ! '' He waited again. The girls looked at him. `` I said, youngster of—WILL YOU TURN THE MUSIC DOWN PLEASE ? ``

The girls walked away. Strike two. Maybe I 'm out of practice, he thought.

Jenna kept pulling Book of the Prophet Daniel into new rooms and insisting that they stand in a salient piazza and pose with her back to him and his arms around her. Then, once she was certain everyone had seen them, they moved on. `` I get that this is of import for you, but I don't think you're actualizing my needs too,"he said.

'' Are you feeling any dark and unhallowed cravings right now ? '' she said.

'' I could go for a Butterfinger. ``

'' You need to try harder."

Daniel counted to three in his head teacher and reminded himself that he needed to prioritize his partner 's immediate and circumstance-specific destination over his general and non-specific single. `` I 'm good-for-nothing, child, '' he said. `` What do you need me to do ? ``

'' Could you have a crisis of scruples over whether or not you 're going to drink my blood ? ``

'' Would it help ? ``

She nodded her head vigorously.

'' OK. …how do I do that ? ``

'' Just run out of the room and yell at me to stay away from you. Then brood around for a while, and maybe find some other young lady and almost attack her instead, but then come find me when you realize you ca n't go through with it. ``

'' It sounds like you put an awful lot of thought into this."

'' Just do it, okay ? For me ? ``

Book of Daniel shrugged and ran away, looking as dramatic as he could. People in the room assumed, judging from his formula, that he had a stomach ache. He heard Jenna talking very loudly to another girl as he left : `` Oh God, he 's doing it again ! I 'm so afraid, but I know he loves me. You just ca n't conceive of how conflicting this all is. ``

Lenore was about prepare to devote up when she caught a whiff of someone on the stairs. A Lester Willis Young man who was apparently suffering from a bellyache ran by. He smelled delicious. Very Henry Sweet. Almost like ... cherry ? She followed him.

Latos was reminding himself that this kind of thing happens to every guy sooner or later and he should n't let it get to him. He just had to press through it. Eye of the tiger, he told himself. He overheard a redhead in a cat costume talking in a grayback of women : `` It 's just one of those things you have to deal with when you 're dating a vampire. It's hard, dating a vampire I mean. All the vampirism you have to put up with. ``

He approached. `` Pardon me, '' he said. soul bumped into him and spilled beer on his cape. He sighed, then started over. `` Pardon me ? Did I hear you say you had an interest in ... vampires ? ``

Jenna turned around. `` Oh yes. It 's so incredibly complicated, because my boyfriend is— '' She looked up. A very marvellous, very handsome, very well-dressed man was smiling at her."Actually, he 's not really my young man, '' she said. `` It 's kind of a casual thing. We 're just good friends really. In fact, I do n't even know him. Who are you ? '' She leaned on his arm.

'' I am ... Baron Latos. ``

'' I LOVE your emphasis, '' said Jenna. `` It 's so equivocal. ``

'' And I could listen to you talk for ... eternity, '' said Latos. `` Perhaps we should— ''

'' Go upstairs ? Alone ? Right now ? Yes ! ``

Latos had never had his prey drag him away before. But at least individual was talking to him now.

Book of the Prophet Daniel was upstairs, trying to image out what to do next. A girl dressed as a cheerleader was half-passed out on the bed in the plain way. He sat down next to her, feeling awkward. She rolled over onto his lap. `` Um, '' he said. `` I think you should know that I 'm feeling very conflicted about drinking your blood. '' She left the elbow room. Did I do it right ? he thought. He figured that was good enough, and now it was best to just wait.

The door creaked unfastened. individual else came in. She was very pale, and her hair was wild, and her wearing apparel were ripped and smeared with dirt. Book of Daniel jumped up. `` Oh my God, are you okay ? Did someone hurt you ?"The cleaning woman put her arms around his cervix. `` Uh ... can I aid you ? '' She put her human face against his neck. Was she ... smelling him ?

Lenore inhaled. Yes, his blood smelled like cherries and processed loot. Her stomach growled. perfect. Book of the Prophet Daniel backed away. `` Do you need me to shout out an ambulance, or your parents ? '' She locked the hall doorway and then blocked the door to the adjoining room. `` I could drive you to the hospital ? '' She advanced on him. `` Um ... I think you should sleep together I 'm feeling very conflicted about drinking your blood, '' he said.

Lenore pounced.

In the next way, Latos posed by the window, one arm holding his cape back. `` Listen to them, '' he said. `` minor of the— ''

Jenna threw herself at him and pushed him against the bulwark. He bit his tongue in mid-sentence. `` You 're a vampire, right ? Like, a rattling one ? ``

'' Well ... yes, '' said Latos.

'' Are you going to delight me ? ``

'' I was getting around to it. ``

'' Would it aid if you hypnotized me ? I 'm very hypnosis-prone. lookout, I 'll be completely in your big businessman. '' She swooned and fell, hitting her head. `` Ow ! '' she said. Latos winced. He guessed she'd meant for him to trance her.

He lifted her ( `` Oh God, '' thought Jenna, `` he 's totally draping me across his sleeve ! We must look so near ! '' ) and laid her on the bed. He clawed at the collar of her costume, tearing her top ( `` That was brand name new ! '' ). He cupped her well-endowed white breast in his paw ( `` Here we go, Mr. Grabby… '' ), and the sight of attender, naked flesh awakened his inhuman thirstiness. He bared his fangs and growled ( `` What 's that noise he 's making ? He did n't get his already, did he ? `` ).

Latos climbed onto the bed and pinned her pile. He was hungry for the tender blood of the living, but this cleaning woman 's weird lulu had awakened an older desire, one he thought forever extinguished. He ripped the rest of her costume off and spread her legs, running his deal over her creamy blank second joint. So Edward Young, so delicate. So very much like his lost dearest. How beautiful she had been. But that beauty was gone now, blown away on the hint of time like the petal of the rose wine she 'd loved so—

'' Excuse me, I 'm no-count, could get my bag ? '' said Jenna.

'' You 're supposed to be hypnotized."

'' I totally am, it 's just, really ready, my diaphragm is in there. ``

Latos paused. He grabbed her purse. There was a banging and a crash from the succeeding way. `` I wonder what that is ? '' said Latos.

'' Maybe we should be making some haphazardness of our own ? '' said Jenna. `` Ya know ? Hello ? Hell-ooooo ? ``

'' Still hypnotized. ``

'' Oh yeah. '' Her drumhead lolled.

Next room access, Book of the Prophet Daniel grabbed another painting physique from the wall and threw it at Lenore. It did n't faze her. He went for the framed class photo, but dropped it on his substructure. He looked around for anything else to fend for himself with. He 'd already run out of lamps. Lenore grabbed him and threw him on the floor. She ripped his shirt off and bared her fangs, plunging them toward his neck. He used both manus to push her away. `` I really think it 's upright if we just persist protagonist, '' he said.

She hissed.

'' I 'm in a committed family relationship right now. You 're a very attractive ghoul and I 'm for certain any number of guys— ''

She gave up on the neck and tried biting his wrist. Book of Daniel was digging through his pockets with his free hand. Where was that rape whistle ?

Meanwhile, Latos ran his hands over the entranced ( ? ? ) girl 's naked body and prepared to enter her. It had been so long, and he thought he would never delight this human pleasure again. He thought he would never again experience ... never again ... never ... hem ....

'' Do you need a little aid ? '' said Jenna.

'' No, I got it, '' he said.

'' I have lube ? ``

'' No, I 'm just at a bad angle. Put your leg up a little ? ``

'' Like this ? ``

'' No, the other leg. ``

'' waiting, what if I go like this ?"

"Oh yes, that works."

"Is it in ?"

"What the hellhole does that signify ?"

"I was just checking."She posed again, eyes closed and mouth parted. Yes, this was the here and now she'd been dreaming of for so long. Her Dark Prince had come to invest her into the unholy ritual of his lust. He was a dark raven, flown from the night's Plutonian shores on fender of longing. Together they would explore unbounded new limits of need and desire, tonight and tomorrow nighttime and every night—

"Wait a minute,"she said."Can we interchange attitude ?"

"What's haywire with what I'm doing ?"

"Nothing's incorrectly. I just thought…look, is this how they always did it back in whatever century you were born in ?"

"The antediluvian Dacian girls never complained."

"Maybe they didn't have enough to equate it to. bet, I'll sit up and you get behind me."

"Like this ?"

"Yes, but slow down. No, slack down. …all right, not THAT slow."

'' Enough ! '' said Latos, seizing the naked girl by the throat. He bared his fangs. `` The time has come ! You will yield up your living to me and you will forever be my St. Brigid, for all the sleep of the long Night of eternity. ``

'' OH-EM-GEE, for serious ? ! ``

'' Well ... yes. ``

'' Lianne is SO going to be jealous now ! How big is your place ? You 're not one of those guys with like three wives in casket in your basement already, are you ? Because it 's like I told counting Niklaus if you 're asking me to make a serious commitment then I need you to at least touch me halfway because, HELL-OOOOO, I 've got prospects and I 'm not going to—where are you going ? ``

'' Who, me ? Nowhere, I 'm not going anywhere. ``

'' Why are you inching toward the door ? ``

'' I thought I heard someone calling me. ``

There was a clangor and a thumping from next door, and a smother voice screaming `` No means no ! ``

'' Yes, that 's definitely for me, '' said Latos. `` Be rightfulness back. hitch hypnotized, okay ? ``

Book of Daniel finally pushed Lenore off and ran to the adjoining door. He pulled it undefendable and walked right into a tall man in a inkiness cape with no pants on. They both fell over, and Lenore ran in, tripping over the both of them. They landed in a pile.

'' Book of Daniel ! '' said Jenna.

'' Jenna ! '' said Daniel.

'' Who is this woman ? ``

'' Who is this man ? ``

'' That 's not important ! '' said Jenna. `` He had me hypnotized. ``

'' I really did n't, '' said Latos.

'' Well she tried to kill me ! '' said Daniel.

'' Grrr ! '' said Lenore.

Jenna put clothes on and stomped out of the elbow room. `` seed on ! '' she said. `` We 're going to go have got a long talk about my demand and then you 're going to enchant me. ``

'' Ca n't we just cuddle ? '' said Book of Daniel. They closed the threshold behind them.

king Latos looked at Lenore. Lenore looked at Baron Latos. exterior, a wolf howled. `` So, '' he said."Do you come here often ? ''