House of Death

...and there's a house there. A sanctuary of death. A cradle of fear and chaos. The house imprisons its master so that he becomes his servant....

(excerpt from the notes of Dr. F.H. Bielski, a patient at the psychiatric home in Manice)

***

"Vampires? That's good. Ha, ha!" the tall man burst into laughter. "And what else, werewolves and those little... Well... Dwarves.

" "Funny." the young woman looked up from the stone tablets. "My first reaction was identical."

"I don't believe it, show me." the man almost pushed his colleague away.

"See for yourself, unbeliever." the woman deftly moved out of the way. "Just don't forget, I taught you to read hieroglyphs.

" "That doesn't mean you can't make fun of me."

"Believe me, I don't find such things amusing." the woman folded her arms across her chest. "And what, Mr. Archaeologist?

" "Fuck! Indeed." "The man took a closer look at the poorly carved hieroglyphs in the stone slab. "Who found these?

" "Guess." A sly smile appeared on the woman's face.

"Probably some professor," the man mused aloud. "But which one? Qatari? Right? One hundred percent, that fat guy. Right? Did I guess?

" "Unfortunately, it's a box, sir." The woman smiled triumphantly. "Kids.

" "What?

" "These tablets were found by three boys playing.

" "Seriously? Where?" The man's eyes widened with curiosity.

"Have you heard about that church on the outskirts?

" "The one every two... No, three days ago, it collapsed from old age. If I remember correctly, a priest died there.

" "I see you're watching the news, Tomasz." The woman smiled ironically. "Exactly that little church. Apparently it was very old. So old, in fact, that none of the local residents could tell me when it was built. Personally, I'd estimate it to be somewhere between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries." The priest who cared for him was supposedly insane. The Vatican excommunicated him. No one would tell me why. I only learned that they were going to demolish the church. And now that it collapsed on its own and that priest died, it could play into the hands of various people.

"As usual, you've done your 'homework,'" Tomasz looked at his friend. "I'm full of admiration, Kasia.

" "You know me, after all. You know I like to know what I'm dealing with.

" "Their hunger is immeasurable, their only desire is to tame it..." The man read the two selected lines again, leaning over the old writing. "That really sounds like a vampire story to me."

"But what were those vampire stories doing in that old church?"

"You said that priest was insane, and they excommunicated him."

"You think it's his work? He probably didn't scrape it himself. Unless it was about eight hundred years old. And I suggest we reject that hypothesis outright.

" "So he probably found them somewhere and dragged them to the church.

" "Or he didn't have to drag them out of nowhere, as you said, because he could have simply found them somewhere in the church."

"One thing we know for sure: someone must have brought them to this church at some point.

" "How do you know?" Katarzyna looked at Tomasz curiously.

"What do you mean, archaeologist?" The man tried to make the word "archaeologist" sound almost like an insult. It was his way of repaying his coworker for her "archaeologist." "But you yourself said, Kasia, that the church is at most five hundred years old, and the inscriptions on the tablets are eight hundred.

" "Indeed. That's obvious.

" "You know what?" The man left the table. "I see you need a break." "Come on, let's go to Mateusz's at this hour, I don't think he's serving dinner anymore, but maybe he'll make an exception for friends."

"Believe me, he will. Oh, right. You're paying the bill today. I paid yesterday and the day before, I remember correctly. I won't let you fool me anymore."

"Disgusting woman," Tomasz whispered with a smile. "After we eat, we'll go near that ruined church; maybe I'll find something the lady deigned to overlook.

" "Your sense of humor is pathetic." The woman turned off the lamp. "Let's go to that dinner, but then I'm going back; I still have three more tablets to translate. If you want, go to that church yourself. I'd probably just be bothering you anyway."

They smiled at each other; they loved these little squabbles; at first glance, they formed the core of their friendship. But somewhere deep inside them lurked something they hadn't yet noticed. Something that remained hidden and attacked at the least expected moment, mercilessly entangling its victim. However, for now, they were unaware of the presence of this eternal power.

They dressed and left the laboratory.

***

"Fuck!" he cursed under his breath as another door slammed in his face. "Kasia was right—a true conspiracy of silence," he thought.

He looked around. Five farms lay within his sight. He'd already visited four, but this one remained. Although the distances between the houses were only a few meters, he preferred to travel by car, so he would always be nearby if one of the farmers got the idea, for example, to set his dog on him. He preferred to be on the safe side in this strange, unfamiliar territory. He got into the car and drove to the last cottage. He got out. The front was dominated by a ruined house. The windows were boarded up, and broken roof tiles lay everywhere. "Does anyone even live here?" he thought. He approached the door. Before he could gather the courage to knock, the door swung open with an unbearable squeak. A chill ran down his spine.

"Good morning! My name is Tomasz Banicki, I'm a scientist. I'd like to ask a few questions," he shouted from the threshold.

"Come in!" a pleasant female voice came from the back of the room.

He took the first step, then a few more, and found himself in the middle of the dimly lit cottage. He looked around for the innkeeper. He spotted a massive wooden table against one of the four walls. A candle stood on it, its flame illuminating the face of an old woman.

"What do you want to ask?" the old woman smiled, but the smile was lost somewhere in the tangle of wrinkles etching her face. "You're probably interested in this church. Just like the woman who was hanging around here yesterday. Only she avoided my house. But everyone avoids it. And yet, I have my ways of finding out why someone comes here.

" "I, as you can see, haven't avoided your house.

" "Indeed," the woman looked at Tomasz. "That says a lot about you. People have it too good these days. They live in all their luxury and can't imagine anyone living in such a shack. But you didn't come here to listen to the ramblings of an old madwoman."

"As you guessed, I wanted to ask you about this church," Tomasz admitted. "But maybe first you could tell me something about yourself. Who are you?

" "As I said, I'm a crazy old woman. "

The man looked at the old woman.

"Please don't talk about yourself like that.

" "When it's true," the woman giggled. "Okay, ask whatever you want, but I have one condition. "

Tomasz looked at the woman in surprise.

"Don't be afraid; it's not an unreasonable request. I'd be happy if, after we've finished this whole interview, you'd sit and talk with me for a while. About nothing in particular, just to give the crazy old woman a few minutes of your time.

" "Of course I'll stay," he promised.

He took a notebook out of his pocket.

***

"Ha! He's screwed you again!" The slightly overweight man handed Katarzyna the bill.

"You know what, Mateusz," the woman said, grimacing. "He'll get his way someday. She'll simply kill him someday." (As she uttered these words, she had no idea they were prophetic...).

"What's that sly bastard up to this time?" Mateusz took the calculated sum of money for the meal from Katarzyna. "And where's the tip?

" "You know what, you're being mean," the woman feigned indignation. "Do you know how much an archaeologist earns now?" "Pennies, and besides, I've been feeding this freeloader for three days. Where have those gentlemen gone?

" "Apparently they heard about the feminists and ran away," Mateusz continued, sneering.

"You mean creature," the woman smiled, shaking her fist at the restaurant owner.

"You'd be mean too if you wore such a stupid jacket." The man gestured to his work clothes. "But wait, you are mean."

"You really do look stupid in that reflective jacket. But no one's forcing you to wear it." You're the boss here, you're in charge.

" "But you know how he attracts customers.

" "Are you surprised? People like going to the circus.

" "Now I feel really offended, you witch!" This time the man feigned insult.

"Okay, it's nice talking to you, but I have to go." Katarzyna rose from her chair.

"Exactly!" Mateusz made one last attempt to stop his friend. "What have you dug up recently? Some mammoth. You never brag about anything. What are you working on, some secret government projects?

" "Nothing interesting. Some fairy tales about vampires.

" "Or maybe werewolves?

" "I've heard that somewhere before." The woman burst out laughing. "Believe me, you won't deny knowing Tomasz. Well, I have to get to work.

" "Goodbye then.

" "See you later."

She put on her coat and left the restaurant.

***

"What?" Tomasz jumped up from the small bench he was sitting on. "He was your... I mean, your brother."

"I knew this would surprise you," the older woman smiled. "Yes. Father Karol was my brother. His funeral was yesterday.

" "I'm sorry," the man sat back down.

"Me too." The woman lowered her gaze and pondered for a moment before adding. "Karol was an unhappy man."

"Will you tell me more about him?" Tomasz asked cautiously. "We found some strange old tablets with legends in the church."

"Legends..." the old woman fell into thought again. "Karol knew many legends. He often told them, but it had been so long since he'd been here. He'd become somewhat nervous. The last time he visited me was a year ago, he was exceptionally restless. He wasn't the same man. I remember him jumping from tree to tree as a child. He was so happy and carefree then. Something had changed him, frightened him to the point of shaking his sanity. I saw the fear in his eyes. This wasn't Karol.

" "What could have happened to him?" Tomasz looked at the woman curiously. Something told him this woman possessed the information he was now beginning to desire. He didn't know where this feeling came from, but it was incredibly strong. It burned with some primal urge. He had to have this information; he was ready to crack the woman's skull if it would help extract it from her mind. These thoughts frightened him. A chill ran down his spine. His head spun. He shuddered.

"Did something happen to you?" The woman sensed something was happening to him. "

Everything's fine." He stood up, resting his hand on the rotten table. "I'll go outside and smoke."

The woman watched Tomasz go.

He stepped out onto the veranda and leaned against the beam supporting the veranda roof. He was breathing heavily. What he had experienced a few seconds ago was terrifying. He felt someone interfering with his mind. This person he had become, for a split second, was capable of killing. Death was his entire being. He shuddered again at the memory of that terrible feeling. He reached for a pack of cigarettes and lit one. He leaned against the wall of the house and took a drag.

His hands were shaking.

***

"But what exactly is wrong with you?" Katarzyna asked.

"I don't know," came the voice from the receiver. "It's the first time I've ever had anything like this. I'm telling you, it's like something's on my mind. A terrifying feeling.

" "I see that too much work isn't good for you," the woman laughed. "You pulled a few all-nighters and your little brain is already picking up the satellite.

" "Very funny," the man said, not laughing at all. "I hope you're right and it's just exhaustion.

" "What were you thinking? You have to pay for the satellite; it's bad enough you're already eating for a sucker.

" "I'd rather pay our bills for a year at the most expensive restaurant in town than go through the same thing again."

"Oh my! That really sounds serious," Katarzyna laughed into the receiver. "You need to get some good sleep.

" "And how's the translation coming along?" Tomasz changed the subject. "Are you managing without me?

" "I see your spirits are returning," Katarzyna said happily. "I managed to translate less than the first three lines of the next table. They say something about some rituals. About human sacrifice. Give me a few more hours. I'll call you back when I figure it all out.

" "Okay!" came the voice from the receiver.

"Could you tell me exactly where you are now?" Katarzyna asked.

"In that old cottage you missed," Tomasz explained. "With the sister of that priest who's been lost under the rubble.

" "In the old cottage..." the woman thought for a moment. "...there wasn't any cottage there.

" "Please, don't joke!" the voice in the receiver grew serious. "Are you trying to scare me? You won't succeed; I'm immune to your jokes."

"That's nothing." Katarzyna was deadly serious. "Father Karol's sister has been dead for fifteen years. That's what the locals said.

" "Stop it.

" "I'd give anything to see your face right now. You're probably shaking like jelly." Katarzyna burst out laughing. "You fell for it like a child."

"You know what? You're cruel." Tomasz exhaled. "And I didn't believe your story for a second."

"Yes, yes... you coward." The woman was still having a good time.

"Okay, I'll stop," the man announced. "I'm going back to the ghost house." He tried to make a joke.

"The landlady might actually be offended by the lack of attention.

" "So call me if you find out anything. "

She heard a beep.

Tomasz hung up .

***

"About vampires?" The older woman was surprised. "No. He never mentioned anything about them. Although... He told all sorts of legends. But about vampires? I don't know."

"I'm asking because the stone tablets found in the ruins of the church speak of these terrifying creatures, straight out of horror movies."

"Oh yes!" The older woman slammed her hand on the table. "I remember. He used to scare me with a story like that when we were kids. No... I think it was about werewolves. I guess I can't help you after all.

" "Well. Thanks anyway." Tomasz smiled warmly. "I'm sorry to bother you and make you talk about your brother, who died just a few days ago in such tragic circumstances.

" "For me, my brother died a year ago," the old woman said sadly. "The person who visited me last year wasn't my brother anymore. He looked like Karol, but as I said, he was changed. "

"I don't understand.

" "Me neither." The woman wiped the tears welling up in her eyes with her hand. "But there is someone who should help you."

Tomasz looked at his interlocutor curiously.

"Karol mentioned something about a nearby estate. Apparently, some wealthy man lives there. Karol once mentioned him as some eccentric scientist. I don't know where the house is exactly, but it can't be far.

" "Thank you for the information," Tomasz said, rising. "I'll go now."

"You promised you'd talk to me."

"Indeed, I'm sorry," the man sat back down.

The sun was slowly sinking below the horizon.

***

"There's something on the map," Katarzyna said into the receiver. "I think it's this house. Apparently, the guy doesn't like visitors. He built the house right in a clearing in the middle of the forest. You can't get there by car. There's no road on the map. You'll probably have to wade through the forest. I doubt you'll find it—you'll get lost faster.

" "Trust my instincts," she heard the reply in the receiver.

"Wait for me," Katarzyna said in a tone that brooked no argument. "I'm getting in the car and I'll be at your place in an hour.

" "Come on. I'll manage. I used to be a Boy Scout," Tomasz boasted.

"You have to wait for me there."

Tomasz hung up.

"Idiot," Katarzyna muttered under her breath.

She put on her coat and ran down the stairs. She got into the car.

The tires screeched.

***

"Where is it?" – he whispered the question, even though there was no one nearby to answer. He looked around. Trees and other lower plants surrounded him. The rustle of trampled leaves came from beneath the soles of his boots. Besides his heavy breathing, it was the only sound reaching his ears. No birdsong, no wind rustling. Only that eerie, silent darkness and fog. A thick fog spread just above the surface of the forest floor. Tomasz stopped and took a deep breath. He realized he was lost. The day was drawing to a close, and he was wandering alone through an unfamiliar forest. A flat stone lay before him. He walked over to it and sat down. He felt the chill radiating from the boulder. He took two deep breaths, trying to overcome the instinct to panic. It was the last thing he needed right now. He remembered his uncle's house. It was huge, with many rooms and nooks. As a little boy, he had gotten lost there. With tears in his eyes, he searched for the room he always stayed in when staying with a relative. His uncle found him sobbing in the corner of one of the many corridors. This adventure had taught him that sometimes one gives in to panic too quickly. There's always someone to help, someone who will search for him and eventually find him. He was no longer a child; he tried to be and seem independent, but now he had to admit he couldn't do it alone. He could get up and wander the forest all night and maybe find the house he was looking for, or at least a way back. But Tomasz remained sitting on the rock. He knew that if he didn't return or say anything, Catherine would start looking for him. "She'll probably wake up the whole town looking for me," they smiled at the thought. At the thought of Catherine, he felt a sense of relief, an indescribable warmth in his chest. Suddenly, it dawned on him. With a quick movement, he yanked the phone out of his jacket. "What am I thinking?" he chided himself and dialed a number. Catherine's number.

"Fuck!" he cursed. "No signal? I can't be that far from the city." He began to pace around the neighborhood, his eyes glued to his cell phone's display.

"One bar!" he exclaimed, almost at the top of his lungs. He was as happy as a child. Like the time his uncle had found him in the huge house. He didn't change direction, even though he stumbled over the protruding tree roots almost every step.

"Go ahead, little one," he said to the second line on his phone's display, which appeared and then disappeared. He spoke softly, almost in a whisper, as if he might startle it. Suddenly, he stumbled. He lost his balance. He hit the ground. The phone slipped from his hand and rolled several times, coming to rest in a pile of colorful leaves. But the man didn't look at the phone. A large shadow caught his eye. The shadow of a huge house. For a split second, he unconsciously compared the image before his eyes with his uncle's house, which he remembered from his childhood. He often recalled that beautiful, bright house. Beautifully woven curtains gleaming in the sunlight. Plants climbing the walls, whose names Tomasz never learned, but whose beautiful flowers bloomed in spring, remained in his memory. The building before him, at that moment, seemed to be the polar opposite, a distorted reflection of the warm, cozy home that would remain etched in his memory for the rest of his life.

He propped himself up on his hands and stood. He moved toward the terrifying structure. He stopped before a carefully carved door. Carved into the wood were bas-reliefs depicting repulsive, humanoid creatures. Their distinctive feature were their distinctly oversized fangs.

"Vampires," he whispered, grasping the massive doorknob. The door opened with an unbearable screech. Tomasz crossed the threshold.

He felt a jolt. Something lifted him from the ground and threw him with full force towards the wall. He hit it, feeling a searing pain shoot through his skull.

He lost consciousness.

***

"Answer the damn phone!" she screamed into the receiver. But her screams were useless. All she got was an automated system informing her that the caller was out of range. Angrily, she threw the phone into the glove compartment. She gripped the steering wheel with both hands. She pressed the accelerator. She had a feeling Tomasz had found something. She wasn't sure if it was anything significant, yet she always liked to stay informed. She pulled onto a narrow road, the car barely squeezing between the bushes growing on either side. She didn't care about the paint, not in a car she could afford on her meager archaeologist's salary. The road became bumpy, yet she didn't slow down. Water from the puddles, displaced by her tires, drenched the plants growing alongside the road. The thought that Tomasz might have found something important in the case they were now investigating bothered her.

"Why do others always find things? Why not me?" she tormented herself with these questions.

The road seemed endless. It stretched for several kilometers now, bordered on both sides by dense vegetation along its entire length. She constantly monitored her location on the map; the road she was currently traveling on was marked as a thin line, barely a centimeter wide. In reality, it was completely different. As usual, the shortcut turned out to be longer than the main road. She cursed loudly and increased the vehicle's speed.

The moon was bright high in the sky.

***

"What happened?" he muttered quietly. Consciousness slowly returned to him, and with it a terrible pain in the back of his head. He opened his eyes. The room he was in was half-dark. He couldn't see anything in front of him; whatever was there was lost in the darkness. He tried to stand up, but something prevented him. He jerked his body. In vain. Something held his legs and arms. He lay on a stone altar, his limbs tied to it. He noticed several thin, long channels near his body, which, he realized, led to a single spot. He had to raise his head to see them.

"A chalice," he said, surprised. The channels merged into one and led to a beautifully

ornate golden chalice. "What the fuck is going on?" he exclaimed, jerking his body again. This resulted only in pain in his wrists and ankles. The bonds were truly solid. Someone wanted him to have no chance of escaping.

"Okay, psychopath!" Tomasz shouted through gritted teeth. "Did you try to scare me? You succeeded. Untie me. Do you hear?"

No one answered him, but the man knew he wasn't alone in this dark chamber. He sensed a presence. Fear gripped him. Various thoughts raced through his mind. The situation he found himself in was far beyond his previously orderly life. He rose at six in the morning every day. He washed up and ate breakfast, so he could be at the lab by eight and begin his daily dose of banter with Katarzyna. But now he was certain he wouldn't start tomorrow this way. He wasn't even sure he'd live to see the next day.

"What do you want from me?" he asked, hoping for an answer. "You can't kill me! A friend is looking for me. She knows where I am—she'll notify the police."

Suddenly, from where he'd been sensing someone's presence all along, he heard the sound of footsteps. Someone was emerging from the darkness.

"We're waiting for her," the figure's voice had a strange accent. "She's the one I'll kill you, and I assure you, she'll do it very slowly. "

Ominous laughter echoed through the room.

"Where are you?" she asked, as if Tomasz could hear her. She slammed the car door and headed toward the trees. She unfolded the map. She was on the yellow trail. It ended only a dozen or so meters before the house where Tomasz had gone, and where he was presumably currently staying. She wondered who the owner of the house built in the middle of the forest could be. Tomasz probably already knew this and was learning the answers to her questions. She couldn't bear this uncertainty. She quickened her pace. She could barely make out the white and yellow rectangles painted on the trees. She glanced at her watch. The hands read twenty minutes past 10 p.m. The stars twinkled high above, piercing the cloudy sky and the spreading treetops. Suddenly, the trail ended. Katarzyna glanced at the map. According to her calculations, she had to walk another two hundred meters north. In the open, she would probably have seen the house, but the dense growth of trees prevented it. Having chosen the right direction, she continued on her way. Her chosen path proved to be the right one. An old, dilapidated house emerged from behind the trees. She broke into a run, pausing only at the large door. The door opened, and she stepped inside. She found herself in a grand hall. Before her was a wide staircase covered with a red carpet. On either side of the walls hung paintings depicting elegantly dressed people from bygone eras. Between them hung pieces of armor and a multitude of bladed weapons. Catherine set foot on the first step of the stairs. At the end, two doors stood side by side. They looked identical; the differences between them were apparent only in the wear and tear of the paint over the years and the rust that had formed on the metal parts. Without hesitation, she turned the handle of the left door. She heard the grinding of metal.

She activated the mechanism.

***

"No!" he exclaimed, struggling to free his hand as the sharpened end of the metal rod approached his. It emerged from the darkness seconds after Tomasz heard a sound like the scraping of metal on metal. The point touched his skin. A shiver ran through the man's body in response to the sting. His hand instinctively clenched as the rod slowly pierced his skin. Tomasz began to struggle, but the bonds that bound him still held him.

"So your friend is already here," announced the figure standing before him. Despite the darkness in the chamber, Tomasz could clearly see the face of his tormentor. He would have given anything at that moment to spare him this sight. The eyes of the distorted face stared straight ahead, as if dismissive of him, but Tomasz knew this creature was there specifically for him. In other circumstances, he would have welcomed such attention, but this terrifying creature was there to torment him, to take pleasure in his suffering, not to care for his well-being. He lacked attention; for many years he had been alone in the world. He had a few friends in whom he could find support in difficult times, but there was no one close to him. He had indeed encountered Catherine along the way; she was the ideal woman—beautiful, intelligent, witty—but she always remained to him only a friend with whom he shared common interests and passions. A

piercing pain tore him from his thoughts. A rusty rod passed through his clenched hand. Drops of blood, drawn by gravity, dripped onto the slender trough and slowly began to flow down it.

"Who the hell are you?" The bound man looked at the terrifying figure standing

before him.

"Devil," the creature repeated after Tomasz, baring its oversized fangs. "You think I'm Satan? Fool!"

Tomasz dropped his head to the stone table with a feeling of helplessness and averted his gaze toward the trough, where his blood was flowing in a thin stream. He felt nausea, then vomited. Half-cooked scraps of food he had eaten just a few hours ago in the company of his two friends landed right next to his face. He felt the stench of vomit creeping into his nostrils.

"You're so weak," the creature brought its hideous face closer to Tomasz. Their eyes met. "Do I scare you? I feel every cell in your body tremble before me. What a beautiful feeling. It's been so long since I've enjoyed that. You asked who I am. I think that, though you are a miserable creature, you should know who feeds on you. You call me many things, but I think the term vampire should mean a lot to you.

The creature reached out and took the cup filled with Thomas's blood. It

brought its rim to its blue lips.

"Is anyone here?!" Katarzyna exclaimed as she walked down the corridor she found herself in after crossing the threshold of one of two identical doors. She kept hearing the sound of gears moving inside a giant clock somewhere behind the walls. She had no idea that she had triggered the mechanism, or that it was connected to the metal rod currently in her coworker's hand. Unconscious, she walked across a soft crimson carpet spread along the length of the corridor, at the end of which she saw another door. This time, only one, but identical to the previous two. Reaching the end of the corridor, she gently pressed the doorknob and pushed the door open. She encountered resistance. The door was closed. She knocked softly and waited for any response from the other side. She waited a few seconds and knocked again. No one answered. Catherine turned on her heel and headed back down the hallway, intending to return to the hall, where another door waited, the only way she knew to access the rest of the house. She quickened her pace and soon found herself at the right door, which was open. When she turned its knob, she heard the sound of a mechanism being activated. The sound was identical to the opening of the left door. She found herself back in the same hallway as a few moments before. This momentarily disoriented her, so she paused for a few seconds before continuing. The door at the end of this hallway was open. She was blinded by the glow of lit candles scattered throughout the vast chamber she found herself in. Only one spot in the room was dimly lit, precisely in the center. She stared at that single, dark spot. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. In the center of the room, on a catafalque, lay an open coffin, weathered by the ravages of time.

Something moved behind her.

***

"Your bride is getting closer," the vampire commented as the sound of gears releasing reached his deformed ears. From the darkness, above Tomasz's right hand, a rod emerged, looking like an exact replica of the metal in his left. The man was slowly losing his senses, which dissolved into a blissful state of unconsciousness. The will to survive, engraved in every human's consciousness, gave way to this sensation. As blood flowed from his body, so did his life. The rod sank into his bound hand. A wave of pain returned, reminding him that his soul was still trapped within his body. He screamed at the top of his lungs. Blood flowed into the gutter. The monster, watching this scene, wiped its bluish lips with the back of its hand and, before the first drop of blood could fall on the rectangular stone, placed the chalice it had emptied beneath it.

"You humans have delicious blood," the vampire licked the back of his hand. "Not like those rats or other animals I've been forced to feed on these past few years. What good are the rodents the priest brought me? Karol was a good man, but he was too stupid to bring me a human. I regret not feeding on his blood instead of enduring his human frailties. You're probably wondering what will become of you now." The creature grabbed the already-filled cup and took a sip. "Surely you have enough sense to know you won't see the sunrise again. There's not much blood left in your body. Soon you'll meet this creator you humans love so much. You are vanity, but I envy your faith, that there's someone looking down on you and listening to your wails about how bad things are for you on this earth.

" "Catherine..." Tomasz stammered, gathering his last strength.

"Do you care about her?" A mocking smile appeared on the vampire's face. "Don't worry.

She's here. I think my brides will take good care of her, so that she will soon take her place among them, as Charles called it, in the harem. I will give her happiness so sublime that you could never offer her."

After this speech, the monster approached Tomasz and leaned over his head. He was close. Incredibly close. The man felt the vampire sink its fangs into his artery.

Tomasz left, never to return.