You wake with the dawn and find two of the others already up. “We couldn’t sleep so great being exposed out here.” One of them says to you.

As the last two get up, you realize just how hungry you are and remember that you didn’t eat anything last night. You dig in your bag for your meat strips but find nothing there, remembering that you finished them off on the third day in the stadium. You accept some rations from the other guys but it seems to do little to your hunger.  You think back to when you used to feel this hunger practically all the time, seems your days of living happily in the stadium and not feeling hungry are over for the time being.

You all check your surroundings but it’s all clear and you head off again about an hour after dawn.

“Won’t the others catchup to us at this rate?” one of the others asks out loud. It’s your friend that answers. “Nah, we are a few roads North of them and will be heading up to the highway by lunchtime, so even if they do move faster than us, they will pass right by us to the South and never see us. Hey if all goes well we will meet up with them in a few weeks at the colony and have a great laugh about this all!”

The mood seems to lighten a little after that and you all keep moving with some quiet chatter going on. You even join in some of the joking and in the light atmosphere begin to forget about feeling hungry again.

It’s a few hours later and you are getting close to the on ramps for the highway when you begin hearing the noises.

Its very faint but you call it out anyway. “Low rumbling to the South.” The others pause and listen for a time before one turns and says. “I hear it now, sounds like the Jeep, they will be passing us soon. Those are some ears you have mate!”

“Seems they are making great time if they are passing us already, they might actually do it at this rate!” one of the men jokes as you all start walking again, listening to the low rumble get louder, then start to get quieter as they pass you a few roads to the South.

Its only a few minutes later that you hear a crashing noise and the rumbling stop.

“Gorram Harbinger! They are being ambushed aren’t they, we should go help them!”
> You can't sacrifice yourself by running into an ambush for them. Head North!
You all chose to leave for exactly this reason didn't you?

"Guys, we knew this might happen, it's why we left. If we run after them now we will just be dying with them at best and if they aren't really in trouble they will probably shoot us on the spot for deserting!" You tell them, trying to get them to leave the others for dead.

"I can't!" is all one of them says before starting to run after the noises, clearly set on helping at all costs. The two others shrug and run after him, leaving you standing alone. You watch them disappear then shrug and begin heading North slowly, you'll keep to the plan even if you are the only one.

You keep moving slowly and finally start up the on-ramp to the highway when you hear a shout behind you. turning you see one of the survivors running your way, chased by a fast type.

Swearing you run back down and signal for the man to run past you, as he does you pause just for a second then swing. Your bat connects cleanly with the fast types head as it tries to pass you at full speed, intent on its prey. You watch it back flip and land with a thud, clearly not going to move again, before running after the man.

You catch up quickly and call after him "Where are the others what happened?" he slows to a stop and nearly collapses "They are all dead, everyone dead. It was a trap, as we arrived to help they came after us too, I only got away because they stopped to eat the others before chasing me!" You realize that he is just a kid, probably still in his teens. You take his arm to help him walk and head up onto the highway.

After a time you Find a secure looking van and you both get inside, securing the door behind you. You divide out the rations for a meal but your old hunger is back and even a full meal doesn't help. watching the depressed kid sink into the corner of the van and stare at nothing until he sleeps makes it worse too.

"Every one of them dead." You think as you watch the kid sleeping.


You remember what happened on your first mission, going after them will be suicide and probably a trap.

Luckily 8 men volunteer quickly enough and no-one blames those who don’t so you get away with no shame from it, you head off to your normal duty for that day, you’re on balcony 6 for the next 4 hours or so. You’ll be the only one there since it isn’t really an important one, kind of to the side of the main entrance and not looking at anything of interest.

Its half way through your shift when you hear some muffled sounds coming from over the city and it seems another sentry heard it too, you report hearing it then head back up. Once you get off duty though and come back down it’s not to a pretty sight. It seems that they worked out that the noise was gun fire and the ‘rescue’ team was now also overdue.

You think back again to your first mission and what seemed like a trap, your starting to get a bad feeling about the city now. Seems like scavenging too close to the city center isn’t such a good plan anymore.

You have to choose whether to dump these guys and head out alone now or hold out until they are ready to make a larger push for the colony to the east, sure you have lost men recently but true to their word, they have recruited nearly a dozen in the last month. You had no idea there were so many survivors up in this area or you’d have come North a lot sooner.

You’re also pretty sure that the Capt. is going to order a push East soon too, even with the losses, their numbers are still good and they have the guns and equipment for a full military push through the open streets, the scouts have everything planed out route wise with backups for it things go wrong.
> You stay and help get ready for the push East with the military guys, they have the guns afterall
It’s only a few days before your guesses are proven correct. The captain gathers everyone briefly and outlines a plan to head East. They have one working Military Jeep that they have been saving and lots of guns and ammo stockpiled for the attempt. Everyone is going along. They plan to head at a good pace just around the North of the city center along roads that have been scouted in advance over the past few weeks and head right for the bridge in force. Once over and safely near the ‘Eastern Haven’ as they call it, some of them will return with the jeep and begin their work here again to gather more survivors and get them across when they grow in number.

Happy to be getting a free escort to your destination you continue your efforts to help the stadium and the next few days pass.

It’s the day before the convoy leaves when you are approached by your friend from your first mission just as night falls.

“Hey man, a couple of us don’t like the odds of this mission, they are going too close to the city center and that place is a death trap, also recently it seems like too much has been going wrong. We think the harbinger is behind it and we are getting out before everyone gets killed, you with us?”

You weren’t expecting this since you’ve only been thinking of getting East for the last few days but you have to make a choice since he is clearly geared up and ready to leave.
> You stay with the heavily armed convoy
You aren’t going to leave the convoy now when you’re so close to your goal so you wish him the best of luck and wave him off; you can let the Capt. Know in the morning and just not tell him how long they have been gone. Staying has always been voluntary anyway.

Morning comes and there is no sign of them, you report to the Capt. what happened and he simply nods. “Thought he might, hasn’t been the same since that mission. Glad you stayed though.”

You head back to your post and prepare, you leave in 3 hours.

The time arrives and you all gear up and follow the jeep, it weaves through the barricades and you all push the moveable ones out of its way until it stands ready to go on the road, its 50cal. reassuringly manned on the roof.

“All stay close to the jeep and keep moving, we don’t stop for 4 hours when we make our first checkpoint, if you are too tired to continue then ride the tailgate and side seats on the jeep for a few minutes but switch out fairly.”

Then you are moving. This level of exercise is nothing to you so you don’t feel the need to rest until three hours of jogging go past. That’s also about the time you turn a wide corner to find a full roadblock of cars.

“I thought you scouted this!” one of the men shouts up

“We did, but things have changed, we switch to route 2! Back 50 meters then we swap to a road parallel to this one, we only lose 5 minutes!”

Its then that the bus comes rolling down the road you were headed back too and blocks your retreat.

Swearing can be heard now and men and women preparing their guns.

“Hold and prepare to fire!” the captain shouts but there isn’t anywhere to run even if you wanted too, infected start appearing in the doors and windows of all the buildings around you and start climbing the cars, climbing out of the bus until you are totally surrounded by a horde of infected, even a few mutants among them.

You finally realize that you friend was right, the harbinger COULD control the infected and had come for you all. “Too late to make use for that information now” you think to yourself as the attack begins. At first the guns take them down but then the gunner on the jeep gets shot by something, followed by those doing the most damage, and the rest are swarmed over.

You included.


You don’t feel like alleyways today so you raise your hand for going in the front. The leader nods. “You’re with me then, we all meet in the middle of the store once we check all entrances are clear.” The other two men head off for the alley leading round back as you carefully approach the front door.

Since you are unarmed you pull the doors open and jump back to give your partner a line of sight but there is no sign of movement so you both slip inside.

The store was some old grocery and drug store combo, it has been mostly cleared out but it was done in a rush and there are still useable supplies on the shelves and floor if you sort through it. You and your partner begin to check the aisles more carefully when you hear the shot coming from the back of the store and you see the other two men stumbling in the back door, slamming it shut behind them.

The first thing you notice is that one is clutching his arm and his has a large gash out of it. “It was under some trash, it didn’t move when we poked the bags or anything but after we went by and were trying the door it suddenly lurched up and grabbed me; bit me before, before I knew, before.” He stops and winces in pain, dropping his gun.

Red sirens begin going off in your head. “His speech! He’s Going!” you practically shout.

Your partner swears and glances around, we have to move NOW! Grab what you can and start running, I’ll finish him off then follow with my bags once I know for sure he’s turning.
> You say "Hold on, your gun will attract more of them, I'll use my bat then make my own way back, I know how to move safely alone!"
He looks at you for a few moments before nodding in assent to you plan, he grabs the other man and they start running out of the store with the bags of supplies you had grabbed.

You turn back to the man whose speech had slurred just in time to see him stumble then shake slightly. It only seconds later that he suddenly leaps at you with his teeth bared. Luckily you were ready and his head is cleanly intercepted by a swing from your bat. He crumples to the ground and you glance around.

The others were long gone so you quickly try to grab some food when you hear noises from behind the back door, you’re about to run for it yourself when the noises begin out the front too. You glance round and see a large number of shamblers starting to appear and make their way into the store. The rear door opens and more start coming in the back to, heading towards you.

“They worked out how to open the door?” is all you have time to think before you are fighting for your life against the growing number of infected.

It’s not long before they start to latch onto you and weight you down. It’s shortly after that, that they tear you apart as they eat you.


You all head out quietly about an hour after dawn and make your way through the main streets, you don’t have a gun like the others but you do have your bat which you trust a lot more, using it doesn’t cause enough noise to call others to you after all.

“I heard you guys had originally cleared this place out of infected?” you whisper to the nearest guard.

He thinks for a moment before replying. “We had, but then that thing lead hundreds more to us, and what with all the ones bitten again when the walls fell… well let’s just say it’s not as safe as it used to be. Seems the vaccine doesn’t always work too well against direct exposure either, only the airborne strains, some people are immune but others turn right after getting bit.”

You file this information away for later and keep a look-out since you’re nearing the store now and the leader is speaking up.

“Right it's go time, two for the front, two for the rear.”

The front is visible, it’s fairly open and all the large windows are broken giving easy access and sightlines. The rear must be through one of the alleyways you glimpse to the side.
> You rear?
You are considering the rear of the shop when someone else volunteers for the front which makes your mind up for you. You are paired off with a younger man who is clearly wearing a suit under his jacket. You ignore his choice of clothing and you both begin to carefully circle round the back of the store.

The first alleyway you come too is clearly the right one. You see the dumpsters with the shops logo all over them and think you can see the back door some distance down the alleyway. You turn to your partner. “So what’s the plan?”

He simply smiles at you before replying “Oh I have several plans. I have assessed dozens of situations like this and have backups for every eventuality. Careful research and planning is what always leads me to victory!”

“Odd” you think before speaking aloud again. “Of course, that makes perfect sense, but what’s our plan for right now?”

The man stares at the alley for a moment or two, “Ok you lead and I’ll back you up. Prod each dumpster and garbage pile you pass to check for hidden infected. If a shambler appears then you bat will be the best choice, a different kind or more than two of them and I’ll use the gun while we retreat to meet up with the others!”

You shrug and start forward; it was an acceptable plan after all.

The man whispers to you as you progress. “Names Drak by the way, not the one my parents gave me of course but I took it on after the infection, has a nice ring to it!” You nod back to him as you prod another garbage pile with your back and get no response. “A lot of people did that, kind of like a new start thing right?” You poke around inside a dumpster again for no response.

“Exactly!” The man replies. “For all intents and purposes civilization ended, we are beginning anew in a new world so the new life begets a new name, don’t you agree?”

You have just reached the backdoor and are about to open it when you hear a startled cry from behind you follow by two shots. Spinning around you see Drak with blood pouring down his arm and a dead shambler half out of a garbage pile you had just poked. “He didn’t respond when you poked the pile then went for me faster than I’ve ever seen one move!” He manages before wincing and grabbing his arm.

You swear and force the door open; you both pile inside and slam it behind you. The others are headed your way guns at the ready. “What happened?” the leader calls out to you as they approach. You take half a step forward and do the talking for Drak since he is clearly in pain. “We were moving forward and being careful, I swear we poked and prodded every single piece of garbage when one leaped out and bit Drak.”

The man swears and glances at him before turning back to you. “Drak’s always so careful too; we should get out of here soon. Grab what you can and let’s go.” You nod and turn to help Drak just in time to find him leaping at you, there’s no time to react as he sinks his teeth into your throat and rips out a large chunk of flesh, you knock him off and stand up again but immediately feel dizzy, he must have caught an artery. You feel blood pouring down your shirt as you see him spring to his feet and come after you again.

“Gorram idiot had to turn into one of the fast ones didn’t he!” you think as you meet his lunge with a swing from your bat. His head caves in and his body his the floor only moments before you fall too due to the massive blood loss.

You manage to roll over and see the leader of your team pointing his gun at you. “I’m sorry, but this is the only mercy I can give you now.” He says as he fires.


Eyes fluttering open, you find yourself there in the Nightmare Realm again. You’re sprawled out on a soft, eerily warm ground. A dull, strange pulse that trembles through the ground. The ground's texture is unnerving as your fingertips run across it, closer to flesh than earth. You squint, making out thin veins spread out through the ground, pumping a black liquid through the flesh that stands in stark contrast to the brownish-red of the floor. You briefly look at yourself for any injury, but you don't see anything wrong, at least visibly. You're wearing a pair of simply cloth pajamas that hang off your pale, frail frame and some small, featureless blue slippers.

Standing, you look around at the nightmare realm surrounding you. The sky is black and lifeless, not a single shining light to break the dull veil of oblivion that hangs over your head. You’re in the middle of a forest of jet black trees that spike out from the ground like pillars of obsidian, their trunks all charred and blackened by what you presume was fire. From the tree's branches hang red, glistening organs and chunks of flesh, blood dripping down from them. A length of rotting intestine, a split open stomach whose food has spilled out to the ground, a long strip of unidentifiable flesh, they all just hang their like some horrifying butcher’s display.

In contrast to the dark floor there’s several chunks of bleached white bone about the size of a child’s head in the ground, sticking out like everyday rocks. You grab the nearest one cautiously, turning it over in your hand to reveal the bottom of it is covered with beetle-like creatures, which make a strangely human-like panting. Thin, long pink tongues extend from their mouths towards you, before you frantically shake them off the chunk of bone. Nervously, you toss the chunk of bone back to the ground.

You look around for anything useful, something to help you get out of this insane hellscape. Next to one of the trees, leaning against the gnarled black roots is a red, plastic Zippo lighter, seeming out of place in the whole world of nightmares. There’s a lake of black, unreflective liquid that you stare at, its waters thick and oil-like. Sitting next to it, far enough away from you that you’re not too scared, is a figure.

The figure looks like a badly deformed child, although its face is closer to that of a hairless rat, a long snout that extends past its face. You pause, noticing its eyes are a pair of black buttons, stitched straight into its sockets with red thread. Its limbs are thin and frail, and although it seems to be naked. Its skin is pale and leathery, hanging off it in patches to reveal the black flesh underneath. It holds in its hand a fishing rod, sitting there casually as if nothing was wrong. You wonder if it’ll act as a friend or foe. Sitting next to it is a black oil lantern, from which the only light in sight shines out, brightening the area.
> You follow the pulse of the ground
Dropping to your knees, you press your thumb against one of the veins going through the ground, feeling the warm pulse of blood go through. You follow the vein, the pulse growing louder and louder, stronger and stronger with every beat.

Continuing to follow it, you soon reach a thick mass of flesh, coils of muscle filled with the black, oozing blood. The thing spasms every few seconds, and you wince as you realize you’re listening to the beating of a heart.

The heart lies there, spasming and beating as you wonder what to do.
> You attempt to kill the heart
You take a deep breath, looking around before seeing a chunk of bone. You lift it up, shaking off the bugs that cling underneath, before ramming it into the heart. It bounces back, but you feel there’s some leeway, so you heave it back into the air before bringing it down. The heart bursts open as you drive the chunk into it, spraying you with the black bile-like blood as it covers your arms up to your elbow as you plunge your hands inside. It spasms one final time, spraying blood out, before you toss the chunk aside.

Listening to the silent night air, you hear the faint beating of other hearts, keeping the nightmare realm alive. There must be hundreds of them. There’s no way you’re killing this hellhole.

> Back
Eyes fluttering open, you find yourself there in the Nightmare Realm again. You’re sprawled out on a soft, eerily warm ground. A dull, strange pulse that trembles through the ground. The ground's texture is unnerving as your fingertips run across it, closer to flesh than earth. You squint, making out thin veins spread out through the ground, pumping a black liquid through the flesh that stands in stark contrast to the brownish-red of the floor. You briefly look at yourself for any injury, but you don't see anything wrong, at least visibly. You're wearing a pair of simply cloth pajamas that hang off your pale, frail frame and some small, featureless blue slippers.

Standing, you look around at the nightmare realm surrounding you. The sky is black and lifeless, not a single shining light to break the dull veil of oblivion that hangs over your head. You’re in the middle of a forest of jet black trees that spike out from the ground like pillars of obsidian, their trunks all charred and blackened by what you presume was fire. From the tree's branches hang red, glistening organs and chunks of flesh, blood dripping down from them. A length of rotting intestine, a split open stomach whose food has spilled out to the ground, a long strip of unidentifiable flesh, they all just hang their like some horrifying butcher’s display.

In contrast to the dark floor there’s several chunks of bleached white bone about the size of a child’s head in the ground, sticking out like everyday rocks. You grab the nearest one cautiously, turning it over in your hand to reveal the bottom of it is covered with beetle-like creatures, which make a strangely human-like panting. Thin, long pink tongues extend from their mouths towards you, before you frantically shake them off the chunk of bone. Nervously, you toss the chunk of bone back to the ground.

You look around for anything useful, something to help you get out of this insane hellscape. Next to one of the trees, leaning against the gnarled black roots is a red, plastic Zippo lighter, seeming out of place in the whole world of nightmares. There’s a lake of black, unreflective liquid that you stare at, its waters thick and oil-like. Sitting next to it, far enough away from you that you’re not too scared, is a figure.

The figure looks like a badly deformed child, although its face is closer to that of a hairless rat, a long snout that extends past its face. You pause, noticing its eyes are a pair of black buttons, stitched straight into its sockets with red thread. Its limbs are thin and frail, and although it seems to be naked. Its skin is pale and leathery, hanging off it in patches to reveal the black flesh underneath. It holds in its hand a fishing rod, sitting there casually as if nothing was wrong. You wonder if it’ll act as a friend or foe. Sitting next to it is a black oil lantern, from which the only light in sight shines out, brightening the area.
> You inspect the tree trunks
You head over to the black tree trunks, running a hand over the ash-covered trunk. Some of the ash rubs off, and you roll it between your fingertips. You notice that there’s several deep gouge marks in the tree, no doubt from some horrifying beast.

A drop of blood lands on your shoulder from the organs hanging above you, and you step back away from the tree.


Eyes fluttering open, you find yourself there in the Nightmare Realm again. You’re sprawled out on a soft, eerily warm ground. A dull, strange pulse that trembles through the ground. The ground's texture is unnerving as your fingertips run across it, closer to flesh than earth. You squint, making out thin veins spread out through the ground, pumping a black liquid through the flesh that stands in stark contrast to the brownish-red of the floor. You briefly look at yourself for any injury, but you don't see anything wrong, at least visibly. You're wearing a pair of simply cloth pajamas that hang off your pale, frail frame and some small, featureless blue slippers.

Standing, you look around at the nightmare realm surrounding you. The sky is black and lifeless, not a single shining light to break the dull veil of oblivion that hangs over your head. You’re in the middle of a forest of jet black trees that spike out from the ground like pillars of obsidian, their trunks all charred and blackened by what you presume was fire. From the tree's branches hang red, glistening organs and chunks of flesh, blood dripping down from them. A length of rotting intestine, a split open stomach whose food has spilled out to the ground, a long strip of unidentifiable flesh, they all just hang their like some horrifying butcher’s display.

In contrast to the dark floor there’s several chunks of bleached white bone about the size of a child’s head in the ground, sticking out like everyday rocks. You grab the nearest one cautiously, turning it over in your hand to reveal the bottom of it is covered with beetle-like creatures, which make a strangely human-like panting. Thin, long pink tongues extend from their mouths towards you, before you frantically shake them off the chunk of bone. Nervously, you toss the chunk of bone back to the ground.

You look around for anything useful, something to help you get out of this insane hellscape. Next to one of the trees, leaning against the gnarled black roots is a red, plastic Zippo lighter, seeming out of place in the whole world of nightmares. There’s a lake of black, unreflective liquid that you stare at, its waters thick and oil-like. Sitting next to it, far enough away from you that you’re not too scared, is a figure.

The figure looks like a badly deformed child, although its face is closer to that of a hairless rat, a long snout that extends past its face. You pause, noticing its eyes are a pair of black buttons, stitched straight into its sockets with red thread. Its limbs are thin and frail, and although it seems to be naked. Its skin is pale and leathery, hanging off it in patches to reveal the black flesh underneath. It holds in its hand a fishing rod, sitting there casually as if nothing was wrong. You wonder if it’ll act as a friend or foe. Sitting next to it is a black oil lantern, from which the only light in sight shines out, brightening the area.
> You fetch the lighter
You move over towards the gnarled, tangled roots of the tree, blood from the organs that hang above dripping down to you. You pause, seeing wrinkled fingers wrapping around your other hand. You’re torn through the air with a scream, smacking into the earth as you’re quickly dragged down a burrow hidden in the roots of the tree. You tumble to your ground, collapsing in front of a horrifying creature.

The creature looks to be a strange hybrid between a spider and an old man. It’s body is spider-like, covered in a pale, translucent ooze. Its head is that of a smiling old man, although the same ooze drips from the corners of its mouth. Its eyes are black, lifeless orbs. It’s eight long, spindly legs each end with a human hand covered with a wrinkled, grey skin.

“Good evening, my child,” it says, with the voice of a kindly grandfather.

It’s long, spindly arms reach around, it’s wrinkled fingers grabbing your limbs and lifting you into the air.

“A shame I won't be able to take you to the tea party soon, but I'm just so very hungry. I’m going to savor your young, soft flesh,” it says, as you scream into the silent darkness.

Hours later, when the last breath finally expires from your broken form, its long arm reaches out from its den, placing the bright, red plastic lighter in front of the den, waiting for the next fool to come. They always did.


Eyes fluttering open, you find yourself there in the Nightmare Realm again. You’re sprawled out on a soft, eerily warm ground. A dull, strange pulse that trembles through the ground. The ground's texture is unnerving as your fingertips run across it, closer to flesh than earth. You squint, making out thin veins spread out through the ground, pumping a black liquid through the flesh that stands in stark contrast to the brownish-red of the floor. You briefly look at yourself for any injury, but you don't see anything wrong, at least visibly. You're wearing a pair of simply cloth pajamas that hang off your pale, frail frame and some small, featureless blue slippers.

Standing, you look around at the nightmare realm surrounding you. The sky is black and lifeless, not a single shining light to break the dull veil of oblivion that hangs over your head. You’re in the middle of a forest of jet black trees that spike out from the ground like pillars of obsidian, their trunks all charred and blackened by what you presume was fire. From the tree's branches hang red, glistening organs and chunks of flesh, blood dripping down from them. A length of rotting intestine, a split open stomach whose food has spilled out to the ground, a long strip of unidentifiable flesh, they all just hang their like some horrifying butcher’s display.

In contrast to the dark floor there’s several chunks of bleached white bone about the size of a child’s head in the ground, sticking out like everyday rocks. You grab the nearest one cautiously, turning it over in your hand to reveal the bottom of it is covered with beetle-like creatures, which make a strangely human-like panting. Thin, long pink tongues extend from their mouths towards you, before you frantically shake them off the chunk of bone. Nervously, you toss the chunk of bone back to the ground.

You look around for anything useful, something to help you get out of this insane hellscape. Next to one of the trees, leaning against the gnarled black roots is a red, plastic Zippo lighter, seeming out of place in the whole world of nightmares. There’s a lake of black, unreflective liquid that you stare at, its waters thick and oil-like. Sitting next to it, far enough away from you that you’re not too scared, is a figure.

The figure looks like a badly deformed child, although its face is closer to that of a hairless rat, a long snout that extends past its face. You pause, noticing its eyes are a pair of black buttons, stitched straight into its sockets with red thread. Its limbs are thin and frail, and although it seems to be naked. Its skin is pale and leathery, hanging off it in patches to reveal the black flesh underneath. It holds in its hand a fishing rod, sitting there casually as if nothing was wrong. You wonder if it’ll act as a friend or foe. Sitting next to it is a black oil lantern, from which the only light in sight shines out, brightening the area.
> You head off into the trees
Heading off into the woods in a desperate attempt to find a way out of this place, you quickly hurry off out of the light of the lantern. You’re soon drowned in darkness, without the light of any light to guide you. After a few minutes, as you're feeling your way forward to avoid hitting a trunk, you hear the faint sound of someone weeping.

A huge, towering creature of black fur with muscles that ripple underneath, standing like a gorilla with two massive, clawed hands appears out of the darkness, right in front of you. It’s face is a white, china mask of a crying woman, with tears of red flowing down its cheek. It continues to weep as it moves towards you, a hand wrapping around you. It lifts you up, moving you right in front of its crying face.

Suddenly, it flings you into a tree, shattering your ribs. You hit the ground with a scream, as it continues weeping, although you can’t see where it is. You lie there in pain, listening to the sound of the crying growing fainter as the monster moves away.

Suddenly, you hear the sound of laughter, growing closer and closer. You try to move, but you’re effectively crippled by pain, unable to move. You close your eyes and like your assailant, begin to weep, hoping whatever creature finds you first does its job quickly.


Eyes fluttering open, you find yourself there in the Nightmare Realm again. You’re sprawled out on a soft, eerily warm ground. A dull, strange pulse that trembles through the ground. The ground's texture is unnerving as your fingertips run across it, closer to flesh than earth. You squint, making out thin veins spread out through the ground, pumping a black liquid through the flesh that stands in stark contrast to the brownish-red of the floor. You briefly look at yourself for any injury, but you don't see anything wrong, at least visibly. You're wearing a pair of simply cloth pajamas that hang off your pale, frail frame and some small, featureless blue slippers.

Standing, you look around at the nightmare realm surrounding you. The sky is black and lifeless, not a single shining light to break the dull veil of oblivion that hangs over your head. You’re in the middle of a forest of jet black trees that spike out from the ground like pillars of obsidian, their trunks all charred and blackened by what you presume was fire. From the tree's branches hang red, glistening organs and chunks of flesh, blood dripping down from them. A length of rotting intestine, a split open stomach whose food has spilled out to the ground, a long strip of unidentifiable flesh, they all just hang their like some horrifying butcher’s display.

In contrast to the dark floor there’s several chunks of bleached white bone about the size of a child’s head in the ground, sticking out like everyday rocks. You grab the nearest one cautiously, turning it over in your hand to reveal the bottom of it is covered with beetle-like creatures, which make a strangely human-like panting. Thin, long pink tongues extend from their mouths towards you, before you frantically shake them off the chunk of bone. Nervously, you toss the chunk of bone back to the ground.

You look around for anything useful, something to help you get out of this insane hellscape. Next to one of the trees, leaning against the gnarled black roots is a red, plastic Zippo lighter, seeming out of place in the whole world of nightmares. There’s a lake of black, unreflective liquid that you stare at, its waters thick and oil-like. Sitting next to it, far enough away from you that you’re not too scared, is a figure.

The figure looks like a badly deformed child, although its face is closer to that of a hairless rat, a long snout that extends past its face. You pause, noticing its eyes are a pair of black buttons, stitched straight into its sockets with red thread. Its limbs are thin and frail, and although it seems to be naked. Its skin is pale and leathery, hanging off it in patches to reveal the black flesh underneath. It holds in its hand a fishing rod, sitting there casually as if nothing was wrong. You wonder if it’ll act as a friend or foe. Sitting next to it is a black oil lantern, from which the only light in sight shines out, brightening the area.
> You pull organs down from the trees
You move towards the branches, attempting to pull the organs down. When that fails, you wrap an arm around the tree trunk, lifting yourself up somewhat and shaking a branch. Several bloody organs plop down into the dirt.

Suddenly, the soil begins to morph, as it cracks open to reveal small, human-lie mouths. The creepily human-like teeth bite and tear at the meat as they swallows the meat, devouring the organs.

> You attack the mouths
You quickly look around for a bone chunk, grabbing it and shaking the bugs off it. Quickly, you smash the chunk of bone into a mouth, knocking bloody and broken teeth out. The mouths gnash soundlessly as you smash the chunk of bone into them repeatedly, smashing out countless teeth. The mouths shut closed, morphing back into the ground.

Cautiously, you collect a handful of broken, bloody teeth, but the mouths don’t make a reappearance.


You move towards the branches, attempting to pull the organs down. When that fails, you wrap an arm around the tree trunk, lifting yourself up somewhat and shaking a branch. Several bloody organs plop down into the dirt.

Suddenly, the soil begins to morph, as it cracks open to reveal small, human-lie mouths. The creepily human-like teeth bite and tear at the meat as they swallows the meat, devouring the organs.

> You quickly flee
You're unwilling entirely to let those mouths get you or get close to you. You quickly backpedal, heading to the relative safety of next to the lake.


You walk slowly towards the strange figure. It eagerly turns to stare at you as you approach, moving slowly and cautiously. When you’re standing less than a meter away, it begins to approach, it’s frail arms reaching up to your face, two pale, disgusting fingers entering your mouth and tapping against your teeth. Quickly, it jabs its finger forward, knocking a loose tooth free from your gums with a few drops of blood.

“Mine,” it whispers in a soft, rasping voice.

You pull back frantically as it releases its grip, looking towards you with indifference again as it slowly picks up the loose tooth, raising it to its mouth and swallowing it whole. You step back, ready for it to strike, but it returns to its spot by its lantern, grabbing its fishing pole. You wiggle your tongue around in the new gap in your teeth, staring ahead nervously.
> You offer it a tooth
Not knowing what else to do, you step forward, pointing to one of your teeth.

"A tooth. You get one tooth."

The figure nods happily, motioning for you to kneel down. You do, and suddenly its disgusting fingers force their way into your mouth. They're surprisingly cold, tasting of a mixture of soot and rotting flesh. Its fingers squeeze a tooth tightly, before tearing it free of your mouth in a single motion. You go to move away, but the creature doesn't seem satisfied with its single tooth now that its so close or doesn't understand your offer, grabbing another tooth.

At that point, you quickly panic, and begin to move desperately as you try to escape it as it tries to hold you in place to remove your teeth, shaking you violently in an attempt to get you to stop moving. You keep moving your head rapidly, trying to avoid it getting a grip on another tooth.

It lets out a rasping scream in frustration. Finally, holding your head tightly, it twists it around and forces your head under the black, murky water. The water oozes into your throat, flooding into your lungs as you try to scream, but instead the liquid just pours into your throat. As your body seems to realize its hopeless to fight, the last bit of strength drained from you.

Your last thought is a morbid one, but you think that it'll be a lot easier to pull out your teeth once you're dead.


You walk slowly towards the strange figure. It eagerly turns to stare at you as you approach, moving slowly and cautiously. When you’re standing less than a meter away, it begins to approach, it’s frail arms reaching up to your face, two pale, disgusting fingers entering your mouth and tapping against your teeth. Quickly, it jabs its finger forward, knocking a loose tooth free from your gums with a few drops of blood.

“Mine,” it whispers in a soft, rasping voice.

You pull back frantically as it releases its grip, looking towards you with indifference again as it slowly picks up the loose tooth, raising it to its mouth and swallowing it whole. You step back, ready for it to strike, but it returns to its spot by its lantern, grabbing its fishing pole. You wiggle your tongue around in the new gap in your teeth, staring ahead nervously.
> You try to take the lantern
You move towards the creature’s lantern, but it quickly grabs your hand. Its cold, semi-moist fingers wrap around your wrist as it gently but firmly pushes you back.


Dropping to your knees, you press your thumb against one of the veins going through the ground, feeling the warm pulse of blood go through. You follow the vein, the pulse growing louder and louder, stronger and stronger with every beat.

Continuing to follow it, you soon reach a thick mass of flesh, coils of muscle filled with the black, oozing blood. The thing spasms every few seconds, and you wince as you realize you’re listening to the beating of a heart.

The heart lies there, spasming and beating as you wonder what to do.
> You leave it
There’s no way you’re messing with whatever’s there. You’re just not willing to do it. You step back, moving away from the heart.


The night is cold, dark and starless. The only light other than the candle Mama clutches in her hand comes from the moon, whose once bright, white, inviting and warm light is now deep red, like it's been splattered with blood. You're curled up with your two sisters, Ivana and Lilia, with Mama sitting over you, her candle in one hand and a wooden crucifix in the other. Papa is nailing boards to keep the door shut, hastily trying to give you some extra protection.

It's the Night of the Blood Moon. You've never been through one, the last happening less than a year before your birth, but now, after another twelve years, it had arrived. Your eldest brother, Dornan, told stories about it, stories that chilled you to the bone, that kept you from sleep, that gave birth to the horrors of your nightmares. If even a fraction of what Dornan said is true, the screams should begin soon.

"Mama?" Lilia asks.

"Hush, darling," Mama replies, as Papa finishes boarding up the door and grabs his shotgun from it's place on the wall. He takes his spot next to you, his gun pointed at the door, and you wait.

The screams start soon. Howls of pain and terror from other houses of the town. Ivana is old enough to know to stay quiet, but Lilia soon starts to cry. Mama desperately tries to hush her six year old daughter, but to no avail.

"Sssh! Sssh, darling! It's alright, you just must stay quiet!" Papa says.

Suddenly, a tall, dark shadow passes by the window. Papa immediately grabs his shotgun, frantically raising it to his shoulder. The shadow disappears, and Papa breaths a sigh of relief.

"Scared of something?" a deep, guttural voice says from behind you.

Papa turns, firing his shotgun as the monster speeds forward. It grabs Papa's throat with unnatural speed, smiling as it holds him in the air, strangling him.

The monster looks hideous. It's dreadfully pale, it's face twisted with hate, and looks to be hairless. It's eyes are completely black, like the endless darkness of its soul, and it's mouth is filled with mangled teeth with two large fangs, curved and bloodstained, with even more blood pouring down its face. The creature snarls, before smiling as it turns to look at you and your siblings.

"Ah... so young... so fresh..." the vampire says, licking it's lipless mouth with a forked tongue. "Peasant, your daughters are mine. Don't struggle."

The vampire tosses Papa to the ground, turning towards your siblings.

"No! No! You will not take my daughters!" Father says, grabbing for his gun.

The monster strikes, smashing it's boot into Papa's head.

"How dare you?!" the monster screams. "I gave you your land, I gave you your house, I give you your life!"

The monster begins walking toward Papa, who desperately crawls back to the wall.

"I keep the beasts away from the village! I let you roam the night all but one night every twelve years! I don't ask for your wife, to allow you to sire more. I don't ask for your son, to leave you a legacy. I only ask for your daughters! How dare you attempt to deny me that?"

As the vampire walks towards Papa, his fangs bared, you see a chance to get Papa's shotgun. Still, you don't want to anger the vampire further. Perhaps the best option is to hope for the beast's mercy.
> You grab for the gun
You scuttle forward for the gun, grabbing it. You aim it at the vampire, grabbing the trigger and pulling it tightly.

The gun explodes, sending you falling back with the recoil and smacking into the wall with a painful thud. The vampire roars as buckshot slams into his back. He grabs your father by the head, twisting with inhuman speed as your hear a painful snap. Then, he turns, staring at you. He snarls, walking forward quickly. You reach for the gun again, but he steps on your hand as you yelp in pain.

"You dare shoot me? I have lived millennia, you think you'll be the one to end my life?" the hunter snarls, before laughing, a horrible, terrifying noise. "You have balls, little one."

You stare at the monster in front of you, trying to stare him, but you see nothing but hate and unquenching thirst behind his eyes.

"Yes... I see strength in you. Potential. I have an offer for you, as the newfound man of the house. Join me. Let me take you on as my... apprentice. As my servant. As my slave. As whatever I need you to be. In exchange for your servitude, I offer you not only your life, but the life of your mother and sisters."

You stare at the monster, whose eyes narrow as he waits for you answer.
> You agree
"OK," you say, gulping.

The vampire smiles, perhaps in an attempt to calm you, but the way his smile curves upwards seems unnatural. It's like the smile of a wolf who has found a young, bleating lamb all by itself.

"Perfect," the vampire says, dropping you to the ground.

The monster walks out of the hut, barking out a single order.

"Follow," he commands.

You walk outside to the glow of the red moon, seeing a dozen bodies, pale from blood draining, lying on the street. A single carriage lies there, with a hunch-backed man sitting there, wearing a low-down bowler hat, a balaclava and a large coat that cover his appearance.

"Haygarth! We're finished here. I've fed," the vampire growls.

The hunch-back nods eagerly, grabbing the reigns of the horses.

"Yes, sir, ready to go, sir!" Haygarth says eagerly. "And the boy?"

"He is mine," the vampire says, as he steps into the carriage.

"Yes sir, yes sir! Up front, boy! Quickly!" Haygarth says.

You quickly walk up to the carriage, climbing into the shotgun seat of the carriage. Haygarth seems badly deformed, clearly attempting to cover his appearance with his large coat, low hat and balaclava, but he still looks monstrous. Haygarth quickly stirs the horses into a trot, as you leave the town that's always been your home.

"You're to serve Count Grey?" the hunchback asks.

"Yes," you say, barely coming to terms with the fact.

"Hmm... we'll see how long you last," Haygarth says. "Yes, we'll see..."
> Three Years Later...
You sit on the ground, scrubbing the cold stone floor of the Grey Castle, named as much for its cold, lifeless demeanor as much as its owner. Haygarth stands over you, watching as he makes sure you do a proper job cleaning the blood stains that cover the ground, a remainder of the last girl foolish enough to be out at night.

So far, your job has been simple. You have little contact with Count Grey, as you work in the day and sleep at night, whilst he sleeps in the day, coming out at night to hunt, feed, plan and much more. Mostly, Haygarth forces you to work at any job he sees fit. He seems to think you're little different from a pack horse, working you as hard as them. If anything, he's feeding the pack horses better. You see your role in the castle as a servant on your more optimistic days, and as a slave on the worse ones.

"Good, good, put your back into it! Yes, that's it!" Haygarth says, as he hurries around the room, collecting pieces of clothes left over from the poor girl being brutally murdered.

"Yes, Haygarth," you reply, putting your pressure on the brush as you splash some more water to get rid of a particularly disgusting stain of a mixture of blood and urine.

Haygarth is a hard ruler, forcing you to work day and night. He's not sadistic or cruel, he just doesn't seem to understand that you're not an animal who needs a break. Hell, perhaps his only redeemable feature is the fact that he works himself even harder. As he rushes past, trying to do various chores, you can hear him angrily mutter to himself to go faster.

You finish off the stain, quickly crawling over to the next. You sigh as you realize just how much you need to clean. Your knees hurt from crawling around all day, your hands are covered in blisters, and you've done nothing but work all day. You had two ive minute breaks to cram food into your mouth, and one more to shit, and that was it. Who the fuck has only two people to keep an entire castle from falling into disrepair?

"Hurry up, boy! Use some of those strong muscles! I want to be able to see my reflection in it!"

Will he ever leave you be? The bastard can't just let you fucking work, he has to constantly remind you that you're not doing good enough?
> You insult Haygarth
"Really? You want to see your reflection in the floor? Maybe I should leave it dirty so you wouldn't have to look at your malformed, pathetic excuse for a face," you say, as a year of anger is released in a single jab.

Haygarth stops suddenly, looking at you. He frowns, looking at the ground behind you, where ironically you've polished the stones enough for him to vaguely look at himself.

"You... you know, you sound just like my mother, or Count Grey. Mean. Cruel. Perhaps it's good you've found yourself serving a man such as the Count. He could be your soul mate, if he had a soul."

Haygarth hobbles out of the room, leaving you alone. You continue keeping working, but fuck, the floor is pretty clean. You sit down, leaning against the wall as you sigh as your aching muscles get relief. You take a deep breath, as you watch the the sun fall in the distance. After about half an hour, the moon has finally appeared, and Haygarth appears.

"Come. We need to wake Count Grey," he says, not looking at you.
> You follow Haygarth
You follow Haygarth along the hallways with haste. You hurry down the stairs, quickly heading to the lowest floor, at the center of the castle, into a dark room, empty except for a single, candle-adored coffin leaning against the stone wall, and a large, black sword hanging above the coffin.

The coffin in intricate, a large, black wooden coffin with an intricate, thorny pattern, and a single silver, demonic face with a roaring mouth with a pair of fangs on the front.

The sword, on the other hand, is somehow even darker, its surface seeming to suck the very light from the room. Even staring at the thin edge makes you feel like you've been stabbed. You can practically taste the hatred and malice that emanates from it.

"Do you feel it?" Haygarth says. "That is the master of the home."

You feel the hairs stand up on your skin. The air tastes stale and rotten, and there's a general feeling of dread emanating from it. In a place like this, you feel even if you called on the good Lord to save you, he would be unable to find your soul in such an abyss of all warm or love, let alone rescue you from it.

"What now?" you ask.

Haygarth grabs your hand, pulling it forward until your hand touches the metal.

"It... stings," you say, as it feels like your hand is both being put against a hot stove and a freezing block of ice.

"You'll get used to it," Haygarth says, drawing an iron blade from his side.

Haygarth presses the blade against your arm, smiling as he slices open your arm, a long, deep cut appearing with a stream of blood.

"Ah!" you yelp as your arm is covered red. "Stop!"

"It's necessary," Haygarth replies. "We need to draw blood."

"Did you need to cut so deep?" you complain.

"I wanted to," Haygarth replies, shoving your arm in the silver mouth of the demon, cut first. Blood begins to pour down the creature's mouth, as the coffin's door clicks open. Haygarth grabs you by the collar, pulling you back. Count Grey steps forward. He looks the same as he has every night since the night he took you, except now his lips look parched and cracked, his eyes immediately darting down to your arm.

"Thirst," he moans, staring at your wound.

Haygarth hits you in the back with a snarl.

"Come on, boy, feed your master!"

You hold your arm forward, as Count Grey grabs it, his mouth darting down to your bleeding wound with an insane speed. You close your eyes and wait for the pain of his bite, but instead feel his cold lips on your wound, instantly beginning to suck the blood out of your arm. You take a deep breath as you go pale, Haygarth putting your arm around his shoulder to keep you from fainting. After about a minute, Count Grey stops, raising his head as he smiles.

"Good. I was thirsty. The bitch from the other night was dry, and half her blood ended up on the floors. Good thing I managed to stop myself from draining you completely," Count Grey says.

He looks up at the sword that hangs above the coffin, staring at it for a second.

"Do you see that sword? While I like to keep up to date with my weapon technology, such as with rifles. grenades and the new and innovative Maxim Gun, in cases of the super-natural, the old stuff is the best. I've had that sword since I was a child. Forged it myself under command of my master. So many ancient, arcane inscriptions, horrid rituals and infinitely worse had to be done to make it the thing it is today. It's name is the Psychí Líptis. It is a killing machine. You will become the same."

Count Grey s walking past you, and up the stairs.

You stand there, waiting, looking at Haygarth for what to do.

"Follow!" Count Grey's voice booms.

You quickly hurry up the stairs after him.
> You an Hour Later...
You sit in the shotgun seat of the coach, as Haygarth continues spurring the horses forward. You're entering the village of Nitchidorf, with Count Grey resting in the back. The carriage's wheels roll into the village, stopping as you enter the village limits.

"Go open the doors for the Count," Haygarth says.

You nod, quickly hopping off the carriage. You run to the back of the carriage, opening it as the tall, gaunt Vampire steps out, tilting his head to stare down at you.

"Follow," he commands.

He begins walking along the street, staring at each of the houses.

"We must find you a little... playmate," Count Grey says, looking at the houses.

He sniffs the air, staring at the houses. His eyes flicker to you, filling you with dread as he licks his lips, still stained with bits of your crimson ichor, looking hungry.

"Ye-yes, master," you say, nervously.

The vampire stares at you for a second, before looking away. He seems impatient.

"Yes... I can smell two prominent ones. Tell me, Samuel, what do you think? There's a young one who smells freshly bathed and lemongrass perfume, or one that smells of fresh dough and... terror sweat. It appears the latter one can see us. Which is it, Samuel?"
> The first girl
"Uh... the... the fi..." you stutter, tripping over your words as the vampire growls.

"Have I found myself with another fool, a boy with the mind of a mule?" the vampire says, his long, gleaning white fangs, the corners of his mouth still red with your blood. "I've had a year out of you. Perhaps it's best to finish you off now."

Count Grey slowly walks forward, snarling as his fangs poke out, looking like huge spears.
> You attack
You charge forward, but you're a child, and he's an immortal, ancient vampire. He grabs your neck, holding your head high to expose your neck. His mouth immediately shoots forward, biting into your neck as he begins to drain you of your life force. You gasp as your blood is drained, before he drops your dead body to the ground.


"Uh... the... the fi..." you stutter, tripping over your words as the vampire growls.

"Have I found myself with another fool, a boy with the mind of a mule?" the vampire says, his long, gleaning white fangs, the corners of his mouth still red with your blood. "I've had a year out of you. Perhaps it's best to finish you off now."

Count Grey slowly walks forward, snarling as his fangs poke out, looking like huge spears.
> You stand your ground
You stand your ground, as the vampire grabs you by the throat, lifting you into the air. His grip is tight, strangling you as he snarls, looking you at you with his cold, dark eyes.

“I’m going to feel nothing as you die,” he says.

Your brain begins to scream from lack of oxygen, as his eyes stare into yours. Your vision gets blurry, as your head begins to pulse with a desire to simply close your eyes and pass out. Suddenly, he releases you from his grip, as he drops you to the ground.

“Perhaps… perhaps you’re ready to truly serve. Your life is mine, Samuel. If I decide to break your neck, you’ll lay your head down on the table and have your neck broken, understood?"

"Ye... yes, sir. Whatever you desire," you manage to spit out.

"Good. The rich one, was it?" the vampire says, smiling. "Follow me."

You quickly begin following, walking along the stone road. You stop at one of the larger brick houses, with a fancy looking brass knocker. Count Grey briefly knocked on the wooden door, waiting. There was a loud noise inside, as the owner scrambled to get ready. The door opened on a chain, with an elderly bespectacled man peering out.

"May I... oh, my..." the man said, stepping back.

Count Grey grabbed him by the throat, tearing the door open as the chain snapped. Count Grey raised the man into the air, tossing him aside.

"Follow," Count Grey shouted, as the old man struggled to stand, grabbing a letter opener.

"Stay back!" he said. "You stay away from..."

Count Grey let out a snarl, as he bared his teeth, his eyes filling his hunger. The old man meekly dropped the letter opener, stepping back. Count Grey walked forward into the house, sniffing the air. With a quick kick, he smashed the door open. You stood behind him, watching as a young girl barely into her teens lies, wearing a night gown. From the wet path on both the gown and the sheets she's curdled up in, it appears she's peed herself.

"Ah... so fresh... so young... so delicious," Count Grey says.

The girl screams for her grandfather, but Count Grey simply grabs her by the hair, in a quick jerk ripping her from the bed. Count Grey walked along the hallway, dragging her towards the coach. You follow, passing the disgraced looking grandfather.

"Grandpapa! Grandpapa!" the girl screamed, as her father just looked down, ashamed.

Count Grey dragged her into the coach, throwing her into the back, before locking it. He motioned for you to follow.

"It's a beautiful night. The moon's full in the sky. I need to... negotiate with a few of the beasts of the night. I shan't be long. When to the West the honorless dogs create endless machines of war and to the East our enemies have endless' souls to give, we could always use more allies, yes?"

You nod slowly, as the Vampire slides his coat off his gaunt frame, holding it out. You stare at it, before realizing he wants you to take it and grabbing it.

"Take the girl back to the castle. Detain her. Then, await my return."

"Yes, sir," you respond, as your master turns away, strolling off into the night.
> You head back to the castle
You walk towards the shotgun seat, climbing up to sit next to Haygarth.

"The girl is alive and in my coach, yet the master is not. What happened?" he asks.

"Count Grey is hunting. You need to take me and the girl home."

"What's to become of the girl? Is she a blood bag, or a new apprentice?" Haygarth asks, raising an eye. "Neither would be particularly surprising."

"I don't know," you admit.

"So be it," Haygarth replies.

You put your head against the back of the coach, and close your eyes as you head towards the castle.
> You an Hour Later...
The coach enters the castle gate, as you climb off the coach. Haygarth lowers the portcullis, as you go to the back to open the coach. The girl sits there, staring at you in terror.

"Get out," you command.

The girl nods, crawling ahead as she gets out of the coach. You grab her by the wrist, leading her along to the coach. She doesn't talk, seemingly in shock. She doesn't say a word, instead staring at you in terror. You wonder if you should try to converse, to calm her, or keep unemotional and professional about this issue.
> You talk to the rich girl
"So, do you have a name?" you say.

"Yelena," she says, struggling to even talk.

"My name's Samuel."

You walk on for another few seconds of silence, as she looks at you, her face pale.

"Am I going to die?" she asks.

"You..." you begin to say, before she stares at you, trying to see if you're lying. "I don't know. I'm sorry."

She nods.

You show her down the stairs, before leading her into a prison cell. You lock the cell door, staring at her from behind the bars. She stares blankly ahead, leaning against the wall and sliding down to lean against it, her nightgown now covered in mud and dirt.

You leave her there, now secured, and end up heading to bed for a few hours sleep before Count Grey arrives back.
> You sleep...
You awake to the prick of fangs against your neck. You don't move, taking in a deep breath.

"You looked so... so appetizing. Let's go. We need to finish the last stage of your path towards becoming a true apprentice."

You nod, standing. You make your way down to the prison cell, where the girl still waits. She looks up, terrified.

"What... what is to be done with her?" you gulp.

"She is food. Learn that fact," your master says.

The vampire draws a long dagger from his side, handing it to you.

"If you're going to be my Ghoul, you need to prove you're capable of preparing my food. Kill her,"

You hold the knife, staring at it as the girl begins to cry. You notice from the wet patch growing on her nightgown, she’s pissed herself once more.

“Kill her. She’s weak, you’re strong. Slice open her throat, so I can feed,” Count Grey commanded.

The girl breaks into sobs as Count Grey opens the cell door, swinging it ajar and motioning for you to enter. You nod, walking forward with the knife held tightly in your hand.
> You kill her
You step forward, into the cell. You close your eyes, moving forward as you grab the girls’ head. You hold the knife to her throat as she struggles desperately, her fingernails scratching at your face. You stab her through the throat, directly through the main vein. She collapses, shuddering as blood spurts out and begins to run down her neck, staining her hair crimson. You feel like bursting into tears, but you know to show weakness would be to end up like her… if you were lucky.

“Good,” Count Grey says, tossing a rag forward. “Hold it against her neck to stem the bleeding, and then pick her up and follow me.”

You grab the girl, holding the rag tightly against the wound to stem the bleeding. You lift her over your shoulder, standing up. You follow Count Grey along the hall. Soon, you find yourself in front of a large, wooden door. Haygarth has forbidden you from entering, which only mean that you had one less room to clean. Count Grey pulls a short, silver key from his pocket. He opens the door, revealing a massive storage room. The room is filled with cabinets and shelving units. They’re all filled with crystal bottles, filled with a scarlet red ichor.

“This castle was built to withstand a siege. It’s storerooms could keep a force here going for years with wheat, potatoes, salted meats and more, as well as small gardens. Unfortunately, I require a more… delicate solution to avoid starving.”

You look at the endless bottles of blood, wondering how many lives were given to fill them.

“It’s quite hard to successfully bottle blood. Let alone hard hard it is to get it from the victim without a needle and a few hours. You’ll need to get quite good at that.”

“You want me to kill people and bottle their blood?” you ask.

“Yes. Not just anyone. Virgins, particularly. Once they’ve lost that, their blood’s impure, and will spoil quickly enough outside the body. After that, you’ll need to keep it around for a few days, make sure it doesn’t spoil.”

“I thought you said virgin blood doesn’t spoil.”

“It doesn’t, but in this day and age, it’s so hard to tell. I always struggle to pick out my targets. I want them to be young enough to be a virgin, but still old enough to… well, perhaps from the morality my tribe taught me oh so many years ago, I don’t want to kill babies, or children that young. I’m perfectly willing to, mind you, but I don’t find it necessary when there are so many other potential blood bags. Even then, you can never be sure. You always have some human filth so enamored with mortal concepts like sex that they end up defiling children. You’d be surprised by how young I’ve found my victims to be, yet still spoiled. Oh, they say power corrupts, but it just lets people be who they are naturally. Perhaps some day, we’ll see who you are at heart.”

“Does… does it have to be children?” you ask. “What about someone like… the Catholic priests in the village?”

“Ha! I’d be able to find more virgins among the girls at the whore house then at the church!” Count Grey says, laughing. His laughter is… unnatrual. Even though you understand the context to the joke, you still somehow feel as if he’s laughing maniacally since he’s got you at his mercy, which you suppose he does.

You weakly smile, before the weight of the dead girl over your shoulders becomes too much and you lower her onto the cold stone floor, keeping the now red, sticky rag pressed against her wound.

“Ah, yes. We’re wasting time,” he says.

Count Grey grabs a crystal bottle, handing to you.

“Move the rag, and replace it with bottle. Fill it,” he says.

You take the bottle and remove the rag, quickly pressing the bottle against the bleeding wound, as blood continues to flow into it. You take effort not to look at the girl’s face, watching as the bottle is slowly filled.

"The heart is a tremendous organ, isn’t it?” Count Grey says, licking his lips. “So… fresh. So… delicious.”

The vampire snarls, taking a deep breath. For a second, his face contorts into a combination of that of a starving man willing to break any moral code to feed his hunger, that of a hate-filled demon knowing nothing other than the negative emotions that plague the depths of man’s soul, as well as that of a beast, knowing only hunger. You step back, almost knocking over a rack of bottles, before Count Grey pauses.

“Don’t worry, little one. It’s just that staring at the blood makes me so, so thirsty. I’d imagine you’ll be able to fill up a lot more bottles than I, seeing as you won’t be tempted to down the bottle you’re filling at any given moment.”

Count Grey takes the bottle, pouring a small amount into an ornate wooden bowl, before capping the bottle with a crystal stopper.

“No, we test. You get this little box,” he said, grabbing an oak box from the cabinet, and opening it to reveal various things.

Count Grey draws out a long tooth, seemingly from a vampire. It looks to be a curved, deadly sharp fang.

“This belonged to Elise the Skin-Taker. You need to drop the fang in the bowl, and leave it there for three days. If the tooth is no different, put the tooth back in the box and put the bottle with the others. If the tooth has turned black, dump out the blood and wash out the bottle. Then, use a blade to scrape of the rotten outside, and put the rest, the tooth that's not rotten, back in the box. Be careful. A tooth can only last two or three of these, and I only have so many. Getting more takes another trip to the wilder regions and find a maddened, bestial vampire without reason or logic, a bandit who has found himself with the gifts of the blood moon or some aspiring Vampire who wishes to be a count."

Count Grey puts the bottle on the stone table, next to the bowl.

"You've prepared your first bottle, little one. You'll prepare many more. You've proven yourself tonight. Now, your job changes. Follow me," he says.

Count Grey walks along the hallways, stopping at a small, wooden door that again has remained locked during your stay here. He opens it with the same key, before handing it to you.

"Here. This is your new room," he says, opening the door.

In stark contrast with your last room, a simple tiny bed in a barren room, this one is surprisingly less furnished. A desk and chair stands there, a mirror, a wardrobe and a large bed. A gun rack sits by the single window, with two rifles and a shotgun in it.

"Thank you, thank you master!" you say.

"Open the wardrobe," Count Grey commands.

You walk forward, opening the wardrobe. Inside is a pair of black leather boots, black trousers, a black shirt, a dark red leather long coat and belt and a dark red tri-corner hat.

"Put it on," Count Grey commands.

You quickly get undressed, as Count Grey stares, bored, at the wall. You get dressed into the outfit, turning to look back at your master.

"Yes... it fits well. Kneel, dog," the vampire says.

You drop to your knee, bowing your head low. You look up at Count Grey, who raises his arm to his mouth. He bites it, releasing a flow of blood that runs down his hands. He holds it out, staring at you expectantly.

"Drink," he commands.

You look at the burgundy liquid running down the vampire's arm, in stark contrast with the white, ghastly skin. You put your mouth to the wound, and begin to suck.

The liquid is like a poison. Your skin begins to tingle, as you feel drowsy. You try to pull your head away, but the vampire holds it in place.

"Drink!" he commands aggressively.

You keep drinking the cold liquid down, as your stomach begins to churn. You feel like you're about to collapse into a coma, as the blood seems to drain your life source. Finally, Count Grey lets you pull your head back.

"Rise, ghoul," he commands.

You stand, trying not to puke. You look at Count Grey, who raises an eyebrow.

"Are you going to vomit, child?" he asks.

You feel the puke rise up in your throat, but hold it down, shaking your head.

"Well done," he says. "Now, you're a ghoul. No longer will you work like a slave with Haygarth. You will hunt for me when I am busy. You will scout and pick out potential prey. You will guard the castle. You will be a true minion."

You nod, eagerly.

"I... am yours, master," you say.
> Three Years Later...
You sit in the shotgun seat of a carriage with Haygarth at the reins. It's been a long journey. You have to venture to meet with King Ferdinand I in order to arrange taxation laws and other things you haven't been educated well enough to understand. You're finally entering the territory under Count Grey's control, staring out at the village you're entering as the sun falls in the distance.

"Stop here," you say. "I want to grab a bite to eat."

"We must be home soon!" Haygarth says. "Count Grey's in the back, he might wake up soon. Sun's almost gone."

You're hungry, thirsty and you've been traveling for the past three days. There's no way in hell you're going back to the castle for Haygarth to cook up his famous soup, which you're certain he's literally shitting in.
> You attempt to convince Haygarth to stop
"Haygarth, be fair here. Do you really want to go back to the castle to have to cook for us? We could quickly get some grub, some drinks, and then head back to the castle. Right?"

"Don't like leaving carriage. There's always pointing, laughing, staring," Haygarth says, pulling his balaclava up to the bridge of his nose. "Fine. I'll pull in. You go eat. I'll wait here, eat something when I get home," he says.

The carriage pulls in alongside a tavern, as you look to Haygarth, who looks fairly pathetic as he attempts to cover his mishapen form.
> You enter the tavern
You walk inside the tavern by yourself, feeling the weight of your Leu-filled wallet in your side pocket. You walk along, and immediately garner the attention of everyone in the bar. Your garb makes it immediately clear to anyone but the most ignorant or simply stupid of the peasants that you're a servant of Count Grey. The tavern quickly clears out, heading to their various homes, leaving only a few idiots too old and stubborn or young and cocky to realize staying near you is death.

You toss a crumpled note on the counter, looking up at the bar tender expectantly. Soon, you find yourself drinking a pint, a plate of chicken, boiled potatoes and cabbage in front of you. You smile, eating it up eagerly, downing the pint in a few gulps. You belch loudly, smiling as you find yourself now filled with food, warm and content.

"Where's the bathroom?" you ask, feeling the need to piss rising as your full bladder demands you act.

"Bathroom's broken. Go outside," the bar-tender replies.

You raise an eyebrow, tapping on your hat.

"Do you know who I am? Who I work for?" you ask.

"I do. If he shows up here, I'm as happy to show him the broken toilet as I am you."

You sigh, standing and walking outside into the alley. You unzip your trousers and pull out your dick, pissing onto the side of the old building.

Suddenly, the cold blade of a knife is pressed against your throat.

"Don't move," a deep voice whispers. "Hands in the air."

"Do you expect me to let go of my dick and piss on myself?" you ask, more annoyed than scared.

"Finish up," the voice says.

You finish pissing, popping your genitalia back in your trousers, buttoning it up, and slowly turn to face your attack. Two teens, barely fifteen by the looks of it, both with short blond hair, one skinny, on large and muscular, stare at you. The skinny one holds a pistol, while the big one holds the knife pressed against your throat.

"What's this about, gents? Revenge?" you ask, knowing just how many family's want your blood for taking their daughter's.

"What? We don't know you," the big one says.

"The wallet. Now," the skinny one says.

You pause, frowning.

"Are you seriously fucking telling me you've decided to mug me?" you ask, surprised.

"Why the fuck wouldn't we?" the big one asks, pushing you against the wall as the skinny one draws his own knife with his left hand, strolling forward to press the barrel against your temple.

"Wallet. Now," he says.

"Fucking idiots. You don't recognize the outfit, eh? I'm a fucking Ghoul, Count Grey's personal assistant."

The big one looks at the skinny one nervously.

"Maybe we should let him go," the big one asks.

"He's bluffing," the skinny one says, licking his lips. "Ghouls... ghouls are rotten, aren't they?"

"The sun's down, boys. Count Grey's due to wake..."

"Shut it! Wallet, now!" the skinny one commands.
> You buy time
"Do you know how dangerous the count is? He'll drink you dry, his fangs'll prick..."

"Shut it!" the skinny one says.

"Let's just go," the big one says.

"First, the wallet!" the skinny one says.

"I think I can hear Count Grey. He's co..." you say, before you're interrupted by the skinny one pulling the trigger, covering the wall with your brain matter.


You walk inside the tavern by yourself, feeling the weight of your Leu-filled wallet in your side pocket. You walk along, and immediately garner the attention of everyone in the bar. Your garb makes it immediately clear to anyone but the most ignorant or simply stupid of the peasants that you're a servant of Count Grey. The tavern quickly clears out, heading to their various homes, leaving only a few idiots too old and stubborn or young and cocky to realize staying near you is death.

You toss a crumpled note on the counter, looking up at the bar tender expectantly. Soon, you find yourself drinking a pint, a plate of chicken, boiled potatoes and cabbage in front of you. You smile, eating it up eagerly, downing the pint in a few gulps. You belch loudly, smiling as you find yourself now filled with food, warm and content.

"Where's the bathroom?" you ask, feeling the need to piss rising as your full bladder demands you act.

"Bathroom's broken. Go outside," the bar-tender replies.

You raise an eyebrow, tapping on your hat.

"Do you know who I am? Who I work for?" you ask.

"I do. If he shows up here, I'm as happy to show him the broken toilet as I am you."

You sigh, standing and walking outside into the alley. You unzip your trousers and pull out your dick, pissing onto the side of the old building.

Suddenly, the cold blade of a knife is pressed against your throat.

"Don't move," a deep voice whispers. "Hands in the air."

"Do you expect me to let go of my dick and piss on myself?" you ask, more annoyed than scared.

"Finish up," the voice says.

You finish pissing, popping your genitalia back in your trousers, buttoning it up, and slowly turn to face your attack. Two teens, barely fifteen by the looks of it, both with short blond hair, one skinny, on large and muscular, stare at you. The skinny one holds a pistol, while the big one holds the knife pressed against your throat.

"What's this about, gents? Revenge?" you ask, knowing just how many family's want your blood for taking their daughter's.

"What? We don't know you," the big one says.

"The wallet. Now," the skinny one says.

You pause, frowning.

"Are you seriously fucking telling me you've decided to mug me?" you ask, surprised.

"Why the fuck wouldn't we?" the big one asks, pushing you against the wall as the skinny one draws his own knife with his left hand, strolling forward to press the barrel against your temple.

"Wallet. Now," he says.

"Fucking idiots. You don't recognize the outfit, eh? I'm a fucking Ghoul, Count Grey's personal assistant."

The big one looks at the skinny one nervously.

"Maybe we should let him go," the big one asks.

"He's bluffing," the skinny one says, licking his lips. "Ghouls... ghouls are rotten, aren't they?"

"The sun's down, boys. Count Grey's due to wake..."

"Shut it! Wallet, now!" the skinny one commands.
> You attempt to negotiate
"Look, you take my wallet, Count Grey's going to feel disrespected. Best case scenario, he sends me out with a rifle to track you down and..."

"Shut it!" the skinny one says.

"Let's just go," the big one says.

"First, the wallet!" the skinny one says.

"Worst case, Count Grey comes after you personally. He'll..." you say, before you're interrupted by the skinny one pulling the trigger, covering the wall with your brain matter.