The Vampire's Tribute
I hoped our family name was cursed, perhaps, and Keri would be overlooked for the next five years, just as I had been.
The clock chimed at 8pm, and the vampires processed the long lonely road down from their castle. They wore black cloaks with the hoods drawn up. With just their sallow, pale faces visible, even their hair hidden, the only flash of color on them was their red eyes.
They looked over us with bored disdain. To them, we must have appeared nothing but cattle, to be fed upon at their leisure.
When they reached the base of the clock tower, one stepped forward before the rest.