"Tammi. Tammi, telephone," her mother warbled up the stairs.

"Be right there." She closed her homework book and plodded down to the hall, where her mother held out the covered receiver and whispered, "I think it's a boy!" Eyes twinkling, she scurried off to the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron.

Tammi grimaced and spoke listlessly, "Hello?"

"Tammi? It's Allen-"

"Allen, hi I was-"

"Just listen please. We have to talk - but not on the phone," Allen's voice sounded nervous.

"Allen, what is it? What's-"

"Please meet me. We really have to talk. Out behind the school - in thirty minutes."

      Tammi became frightened at the sound of his voice. "Allen how can I just go out? What will I tell my parents? What's wrong Allen. Tell me, please."

"Just say you're going to Gloria's, you're always over there anyway. Thirty minutes Tam. Don't let me down." The call changed to an ominous dial tone.

"Allen?" Tammi replaced the receiver and immediately jumped as the telephone rang again. "Hello?! Allen?"

"Tam, it's me, Gloria. Boy you're in deeper than I thought."

"Gloria. Listen," Tammi said, ignoring her friend's insinuation, "I need a big favour. I have to go out and meet Allen behind the school in less than half an hour." She rushed the words out so that her friend could not interrupt. "I'm going to say I'm coming to your place so please, back me up."

"But- what. Don't you-"

"I don't have time to explain anything Glor. Just be a friend and back up my story." Tammi rang off and hurried back up the stairs for her jacket. Slipping into her coat, she spied her crucifix on the chain hanging from the hook on the bedroom mirror. With a shudder, she picked it up and studied it for a moment before slipping around her neck. Grabbing up her knapsack, she bounded down the stairs, leaned into the kitchen doorway and announced that she was going to Gloria's house to study for a while.

"Oh. Oh well, all right dear. Be careful and don't be late," her mother called after her daughter's vanishing back.

"Ten thirty!" Her father called out from the living room, as she slammed the door and ran down the steps. Tammi's mind was racing, filling with all kinds of horrible thoughts. Each running step on the pavement seemed to flatten out with a dull thud and her breath scraped against her throat. With no moon visible, the avenue seemed unusually dark in spite of the streetlights. Tammi ran harder, tears welling in the corners of her eyes.

      Gloria sat by the telephone trying to make sense out of what she had heard. Her wonder soon changed to concern and then to worry. She picked up the telephone and dialed rapidly.

"Peter? Gloria. Listen something's happened. We've got to get over to the school." And she related her tale to her levelheaded friend.

Several telephone calls later, the group's individual parents were all satisfied they knew where their children were. Peter was at Martins. Martin was at Peters. Gloria was at Christine's and Christine was at Tammi's. In reality, they were all in a chattering clump, hurrying through the night to their schoolyard.

*****

Vladia watched with a shiver of anticipation as Tammi appeared at the far corner of the schoolyard next to the building. Glancing down, she stroked the hair of the glassy eyed boy sitting at her feet. "Soon my precious Allen. Soon."

The school looked totally strange to Tammi in the dark. Weak little security lights pressed feebly against the blackness. The high, windowed walls seemed to lean over toward her, its rough stone face taking on the appearance of some ancient cave wall. She edged along the shadow of the building, stopping every few steps to stare ahead into the black schoolyard.

"Allen?" Her voice cracked, betraying the confidence she was trying to muster.

      She saw some movement on the far side of the yard near two huge old maple trees and quickened her pace toward them.

"Allen? Is that you? Where are you?" As she neared the trees, she saw him sitting still on the ground, staring at her. "Allen! What's the matter?" Tammi ran up and dropped to her knees in front of him. His face was pale and his expression blank; dead eyes, staring at nothing.

"Allen, what's wrong," Tammi shook him fiercely by the shoulders.

"He's just fine, my little lady." The cooing voice so close to her caused Tammi to cry out and she fell into a sitting position with her arms behind her.

"You!" she cried in alarm.

"Yes. Me," the voice dripped, closer, " how nice of you to remember, but do you know who I am? No? I didn't think so." The pale face floated out of the shadows and leered down at Tammi, trembling on the ground.

      Only a sliver of reflected light down the side of the black gown assured Tammi that the head was indeed, attached to a body.

"I am Vladia. Princess of the night and soon to be eternal master of this young mortal." She let her scarlet nails caress the curve of Allen's cheek in a dramatic gesture. "Young Allen here, has been providing me with my daily bread, as you mortals might put it." She tipped his head back and Tammi's eyes riveted on the two small puncture marks in his neck.

"No! Oh Allen. What have you done to him? Why-"

"Shh, shh. All in good time." Unable to resist, Vladia stood Tammi up and drew her over to stand by Allen. "This fine specimen," she cupped her hand over Allen's hair, "will soon be my personal attendant. My eternal servant. He will provide for my every whim through eternity." Vladia's eyes glowed menacingly as she brought them to bear on Tammis. "You, my dear, on the other hand, will simply provide me with tonight's feast."

      Tammi tried desperately to pull away but she could not move and Vladia's blood red mouth split into a bone-chilling smile, exposing the two glistening white fangs. Tears filled Tammi's eyes and she began to whimper, watching Vladia's pink tongue drag slowly over their needle sharp points.

"Wh- why are you d-doing this?" she managed.

"Why?" The tongue stopped its grazing, "Because my dear, it's what I do." Vladia turned to Allen. "I will wake your friend in a moment. He won't be able to move, but he will be able to see and watch while I demonstrate the art of feeding." Her eyes flashed wickedly back to Tammi. "Then, with one final taste from that youthful throat," she scraped her nail down Allen's neck, "he will become one with me, with the kingdom of the night - mine, forever."

"No! NO!" Tammi struggled harder and screamed out for help.

"Oh yes. Yes my little morsel. Shout away. There is no one to hear."

*****

The group all stumbled to a halt, bumping roughly into one another.

"Did you hear that?" Gloria gasped.

"A scream. That was a scream." Christine shivered and moved closer to Peter.

"Well are we here to do something or what?" Martin piped up, annoyed.

"You're right. C'mon." Peter willed his knees to stop shaking and began a slow trot toward the schoolyard.

      They all ran as if they were fastened together, kicking each other's feet and stumbling about in the dark. When they reached the yard, they all stopped together again, the girls pushing the two boys ahead of them.

"Quit shoving Gloria," Martin snapped, "we're trying to hear."

"D-do you see anything Peter?" Christine asked in a tiny voice.

"Shh. Wait a sec." Martin pulled a flashlight out of his pocket and clicked it on, creeping nervously ahead.

"Where did you get that?" Gloria asked, tugging at his sleeve.

"Out of my coat. Who cares? What difference does that make? Jeez Gloria, sometimes."

Peter grabbed his arm and pointed with a jerk, "Over there. By the trees. Shine it over there."

      The beam of light ran out bravely for a few yards then died, as though exhausted from the effort. Still, in the faint glow they could make out the dark, moving shapes under the trees.

Vladia frowned, pausing to glare at the silhouettes behind the puny light. "What now," she growled.

Tammi forced herself to push another shout through her constricted throat and she squealed even louder as Vladia threw her to the ground.

"Tammi? Allen? Is that you guys?" All four were shouting back at once as they crept closer.

"Wait a minute," Martin whispered, struggling with the pocket of his baggy pants, "umph, there." He withdrew an object made of wood that looked like an 'x'.

"What the heck is that?" Christine asked.

"It's a cross," Martin boasted, "you know. To drive off vampires."

"That's not a cross." Gloria hissed angrily.

"It is so," he complained, "it just got bent in my pocket. There. Is that better?" Martin twisted the two pieces of wood at right angles.

"Oh for god's sake." Christine moaned, forgetting the circumstances of the moment.

      Emboldened by his confidence in his handiwork, Martin stepped forward, arms extended holding the flashlight and the cross. The rest followed closely behind in a ragged single file.

Resigned to having to deal with meddling children, Vladia went to Allen and placed her fingertips on his temples. "Wake my soon to be prince. Wake and behold the folly of your fellow mortals."

      A buzz went through Allen's head and his eyes snapped open in fright. As Vladia stepped away, he could make out the prone form of Tammi on the ground in front of him. His mouth moved but no sound came out. He tried to get up but there was no response, no feeling in his body. Only his eyes seemed normal. The shaking light approaching out of the blackness of the schoolyard drew his attention and he could make out four dark, huddled figures.

"Keep coming children," Vladia called in a bored voice, "appetizers weren't on the menu, but, what the heck."

      The group stopped, stunned, when they were within several feet of Vladia's grinning apparition.

Swallowing noisily, Martin coughed out his warning. "Back. Back vampire. Don't mess with the cross."

"The what?" Vladia wrinkled her brow but could not restrain an outburst of eerie laughter. "Are you joking? That looks like an 'x' to me."

"I t-told you Martin." Gloria poked him again, hissing nervously.

Martin stared at his handiwork and handing Peter the flashlight, twisted the sagging wood back into a right angle. "There. Now see. It's a cross, not an 'x', a cross. Now back off before I brand you with it."

      Folding long slender arms across her chest, Vladia fixed Martin with a withering stare, "Any idiot who would believe that two pieces of wood, held together with duct tape, is a cross, deserves exactly what you're going to get." She pointed her dagger-like finger at Martin and fixed him with her blazing eyes.

      With a series of yelps and cries, the foursome jumped back, Gloria and Peter falling to the ground. Martin stood with his mouth hanging open, staring at the smouldering pile of ashes at his feet. His fingers stinging with the pain of the burn they had received.

"So much for that." Vladia sneered, probing at the tips of her fangs again. "Play time is over professor vampire killer. Now, which of you would care to be joined for dinner first?" She ambled slowly toward the frozen group, arms stretched wide apart in a menacing welcome.

      Tammi crawled silently over to Allen, the terror of the unfolding drama making her teeth chatter. She put her face close to his and whispered his name frantically. Nothing. Just a scared helplessness poured out of his eyes. As she watched, she realized they were darting from her face to her chest and back again. Puzzled for a moment, the purpose finally struck her like a gong - the crucifix!

She fumbled with the neck chain and drew it out, holding in front of her, trembling almost uncontrollably.

"Vla- Vladee-," the words croaked out of her mouth weakly, "Vladia! You want a real cross. I've g-got one for you."

      A spike of uncertainty passed down Vladia's spine, rooting her to the ground. She glared at the four cowering figures in front of her then slowly turned her slender neck around and faced Tammi. At first she could not pick out the danger whose signals were coursing through her brain, then she watched, as the girl stood on shaky legs and wobbled toward her.

The tiny cross picked up a meager reflection in the schoolyard lights, and Vladia felt her stomach turn over. She roiled inside with fury. Flee! Her body screamed. Don't be robbed of your eternal slave, her emotions countered. Torn in her dilemma, she waited that fatal moment too long. Tammi thrust the crucifix toward her from but a few feet away, determined to keep it there no matter what.

      "You little witch!" Vladia shrieked, splitting the night with her agony. She threw her arms up in front of her face but the effort was wasted. Smoke began to curl from the edges of the black gown; her once pale skin began to darken. Gaining confidence, Tammi stepped closer. Vladia was unable to move. She writhed back and forth, twisting her arms in front of her trying to avoid the crucifix. The smoke rose in a vortex around her, a thickening yellow mass that engulfed her completely. Only the vivid brilliance of her wild, green eyes showed through.

"No!" The wretched plea tore from her throat, "No! This is not my destiny." A flame appeared within the smoke; a rainbow of colours growing, growing, until it became a dazzling white conflagration that roared like a freight train. "MAEstroooooooo . . ." the final howl ripped through the night, screaming up into the heavens and fading slowly as Vladia disappeared within the holocaust.

      Everyone stood dead still for the longest time, just staring at the circle of black ashes on the ground. A car horn sounded off in the distance and was answered with one more impatient. It was not until Tammi heard the weak moan behind her that she was able to tear herself away, the startling after image of Vladia lingering on her retina. Allen had slumped to the ground and was groaning in pain. She hurried to his side and, cradling his head in her lap, she began to sob.

"Is he okay?" Peter asked, giving a wide berth to the charred dirt as he approached.

Martin and the others joined them and began helping the two of them up, "Allen? You okay pal?" Martin jiggled him, supporting his arms.

"We'd better get him to the hospital." Christine offered, wringing her hands and clutching at Peter.

      Allen shook his head and coughed violently, nearly falling from their grasp. "Nuh- na- no hospital. I'll be fi- fine. Gimme a min-minute."

Tammi wiped her eyes and covered Allen with a worried gaze. The colour seemed to be returning to his cheeks and with a little difficulty, he straightened himself, leaning on his two friends. After a couple of moments he seemed to be pretty well his old self; his voice stronger, able to stand safely alone, and the light of recognition returning to his eyes.

"I'm okay now, really - I'm all right," he finally said.

"Oh Allen, are you sure? I think we should still-"

"Tam - Tam it's okay. I'm fine, I am, really." He reached out and squeezed her hand reassuringly. "What happened to- where's that-"

Martin jumped in, "The vampire? She went up like a Roman candle! Man, you should have seen it - spooooky."

Gloria dragged over to the group and stared at Tammi. "Tam, I- I- uh, I really didn't believe you the other night." She plucked at the hem of her sweatshirt nervously, "I just thought- I mean I-"

"It's okay Glor. To tell you the truth, I still don't." Tammi went and put her arm around her weeping girlfriend.

"Could we please get out of here?" Christine pleaded.

"Good idea," Peter said, and began leading Allen away from the unpleasant surroundings.

"Here, you help Chris. This is my job." Martin commanded, taking Gloria by one arm and Allen by the other.

      They departed the schoolyard in a slow procession, glancing back repeatedly to make sure the ashes were still ashes.