“Oh, my God,” Alvie squealed, clasping his hands over his mouth in surprise.
The television showed a studio room somewhere that’d been decked out to look like a quaint, homely type of living room. I picked up the remote and tried changing the station, but every single channel showed the same picture.
On an armchair sat Theodore, wearing a plain brown suit and smart dress shoes. His hair had been combed into a neat style. He looked completely normal, and it was a stark contrast to his usual wacky appearance.
On the armchair opposite him was Rita, who, just like Theodore, looked nothing like her usual self. She wasn’t wearing a single scrap of make-up. Gone was the heavy black eyeliner and the ghostly pale foundation. Her hair was pulled back from her face by a clip, and she wore a white dress with a flowery design.
The camera focused on Theodore as he smiled and began to speak.
“Good people of Tribane,” he said. “I’m airing this emergency broadcast as there are dark forces at work in our city. Dark forces that need to be expelled. I’m sure you have all been affected by the attacks from those Satanic fanged beasts that can only be described as … vampires. I’m here to help you. My name is Theodore Girard and with me today is my daughter, Rita Girard.”
The camera panned to Rita as she smiled benignly and nodded hello.
“Together we have decided to call on the people of the city to set up a force against the vampires. They are an infestation that needs to be expelled. We were here first, and we will be here when they have been exterminated. A lot of you will be aware that they have used their ungodly powers to trap us all inside the city so that they can kill us without interference from the outside world. I need each and every one of you to join me if we are going to succeed in defeating them. Together we can thwart their dark plans to murder us all.
“I make no claims to greatness. Like you, I am just an average man, but I refuse to allow the devil to win. I refuse to allow him to take away my right as a human being to a life free of constant threat. So, what I ask of you is this. If you are with me, take a piece of white chalk and draw a circle on your front door. The houses with circles will show where humans are living. If there is no circle, we will know there are vampires within. I have it on good authority that they all sleep during the day, so they will be unaware of this broadcast. They will not know why there are circles on your doors.
“At first light tomorrow morning when the vampires are asleep, I ask that you all gather on Campion Row with whatever incendiary devices you can find. Together, we will set the vampires alight, and they will burn in their dark slumbers. Please, do not be afraid to leave your homes. In just one day’s time, we will all be able to live safely again. Stand with me. Believe in this, my people, believe.”
As the last word left his mouth, the broadcast immediately cut off, and the channel went back to normal.
“Well,” Gabriel said, his eyes wide in shock. “That was …”
“Quite ingenious,” I finished. “If I didn’t know he was such a psychopath, I might actually be impressed.”
“He intends to murder my people while they sleep in their beds,” Cristescu said, his face etched in fury. “I won’t stand by and let it happen.”
8.
Tegan
Once Theodore’s broadcast shut off, it was like everyone started talking at once, and I couldn’t think straight. I put my hands over my ears to try and block them out, so I could think of a plan.
Theodore wanted the humans to set fire to the homes of vampires, but surely he must know that burning didn’t kill a vampire. They either needed to be staked or decapitated. So, if he was aware of this, then why on earth had he set this mad plan into action? The words he used and the tone of voice he employed were very cleverly thought out. He wanted to incite a mob even as he came across as a humble, concerned citizen.
He even referred to himself as an average man. What a joke.
“Vampires can’t be killed by burning,” I said, but no one heard me over the din of voices.
“I said,” I repeated, shouting now. “Vampires can’t be killed by burning, so why is he getting the humans to burn them?”
Everybody’s attention fell on me.
“Perhaps he doesn’t mean to kill the vampires,” Delilah suggested. “Perhaps he simply means to frighten them enough so that they’ll leave. They’re all vulnerable during the day, and Theodore wants to play on that vulnerability. Show them that even though they might be stronger than humans at night, they are far weaker when the sun is up.”