Vladimir was feeling unsettled. It was sunset and he was just waking up from a day's deep slumber. The Steak and Kidney was a convenient little stopover, until his gold mastercard arrived.

He considered the events of the previous evening. Dirty, smelly folkies. Here was a most inconvenient situation. Mary Ellen, the reborn pagan Goddess, had flaunted herself at him on the balcony, and he'd quite forgotten himself. And those three ridiculous yobbos, Rhymin' Simon, Micca and ColK, interfering, manhandling him like some common bar brawler, and interrupting his evening meal.

Vladimir knew it was important to fully consummate and consume a blood encounter, for a victim who remained alive would become...




a soul wraith, a vampire, destined, like himself, to prowl the world in search of the right blood group. What's worse, a new vampire could behave indiscreetly, unable to temper their bloodlust, and call unwanted attention to the existence of more sophisticated vampires like himself, who generally operated quietly, without leaving traces. He knew that he would have to track down the Goddess Mary Ellen (what did they call her, Magenta?) and complete the blood sacrifice, consume her, and ensure that no traces were left.

Hmm, she could make a tasty snack, and feed him over a numnber of weeks. Vladimir decided to go to Woolies and buy some snap lock freezer bags.