The night watchman blew a white cloud into the freezing cold of the night. She ate her way through his thick coat and made him tremble. The pale light of the moon only sparsely illuminated the cobblestone alley.
Even his swaying lantern, flickering in the icy wind, could no longer provide light.
Now he was glad that his round was over. He picked up his heavy bunch of keys and unlocked the door to his little guardhouse. Light and warmth flowed towards him. Security.
He turned once more and looked up the street ...
For a moment he had the feeling that he had seen something ...
A shadow, a figure, but the street was empty ...
The night watchman shrugged. Who should hang around here at this time and in this cold ...
But then he thought about it. There had been strange incidents in this town for a few weeks. Men had been found dead. Respected, rich men.But they weren't just killed. They were cracked. Their bodies torn and badly battered.
On the other hand, there were also dead women. Mostly virgins. They were found dead. But they weren't badly battered, nor did it look as if they had fought against their killer.
The only thing the medicus could find on all women were bite marks. Just two teeth that went deep into the flesh.
There were already rumors among the residents of a vampire ...
Since then, the somewhat aging night watchman always carried a chain of cloves of garlic with him ...
Suddenly someone slipped past behind him. He turned around in a flash. The long pistol at the ready.
The end of the run pointed to the beautiful nose of a young girl.
She was 17, maybe 18. Her blonde hair fell to her waist and her hazel brown eyes looked at him slightly startled.
It was a face to melt away.The thin, well-formed mouth was slightly open and her delicate fingers, which were tucked into woolen cuffs, she had placed against the back wall.
The night watchman lowered the pistol.
"Excuse me, madam, but at this hour I did not expect to meet someone like you here. Delicate beings like you should have long been at home in the cozy living room or in bed. It is not appropriate for your own kind without the protection of another person to walk the streets of the night. "
"Forgive me if I frightened you, dear night watchman. I'm on the direct way home and will be there shortly. So you don't have to worry. And as for protection ...", she drew a long silver one Chain from her décolleté, from which a small cross dangled. "... I am adequately equipped." She smiled shyly.
The old night watchman couldn't help but smile. "Well, madam. So run home quickly and take care of yourself."She curtsied.
"I will do that. Thank you Lord for being so lenient and not telling my parents about it."

The girl ran quickly down the street. The night watchman smiled. ° This youth ... °, he thought and turned around. But suddenly a shiver ran down his spine and he felt hot breath on the back of his neck.
He didn't dare to turn around and then he heard this honey-sweet and ice-cold voice in his ear at the same time. She whispered, but the old man could understand every word.
"Who doesn't know it? The feeling when fear creeps you out of ambush, a shudder of foreboding makes you tremble."
The night watchman swallowed.
"I ... I ..." he stammered.
"Take it easy my friend. I'm only here to advise you ..." the stranger whispered behind him.
"Guess something? What?"
"Well that's easy ... Stay in your little hut tonight. Go to sleep and close your eyes as tightly as you can.I advise you to take my warning seriously. "
"B-but why?" Asked the old man.
But he got no answer. He turned around with a jerk and drew his pistol, but the place was calm and peaceful. Only a small black feather slowly sank to the ground.

The silver chain on her neck bobbed back and forth.
Naoko ran as fast as she could, along the dark alleys, towards the parents' house.
It was so dark between the closely packed houses that you could hardly see your hand in front of your eyes.
Naoko was a little afraid of the dark, but there were only two blocks left.
She reached the first intersection. Although this one didn't deserve the name.
The alleys crossed, but they were so narrow that you couldn't really speak of an intersection, but rather of a fork.
Naoko slowed down because a person was standing at the mouth of the alley. She was leaning against the wall of the house and had one leg bent against the wall.The arms were crossed and from under his black, long robe, which covered the entire body, only two black, lackluster boots could be seen.
The wide hood, which he had pulled far over his face, overshadowed his eyes and only showed his mouth and nose.
The mouth was shapely but serious. The person seemed to be waiting for someone and what made it even more creepy, they looked in Naoko's direction.
Naoko approached slowly and a little fearfully. The stranger made no move to move.
Now she was only a few steps away from him. All she had to do was pass him.
She whispered ... "Our father who you are in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done in heaven as well as on earth and forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors."
She was almost past the stranger when he suddenly got in her way. Not malicious, almost as if by accident ...
"You pray that our Father? Am I that scary?", he raised his head a little. At that moment the moon came out from behind a cloud and illuminated the scene so that the stranger's gray eyes could be seen.
"Nothing will happen to you ... can those eyes lie?"
For some inexplicable reason, the girl was suddenly electrified. She took a step towards the stranger, but then flinched back again.
"In your innocent eyes the glow of calamity sparkles, your body and soul are no longer yours ...
Hopeless the message of the day the accursed one on which he took possession of you ... "
The stranger was visibly nervous. "You are quoting very nicely from the Bible, but what do you mean by that?"
"You are a vampire! It has been rumored for a long time and now you want to get me.", Naoko pulled the small silver cross and let it dangle in front of the stranger's eyes.
It began to squirm. "Take it away, it hurts so much!" He put his hands over his face.
Naoko looked triumphant."I will kill you with the power of this cross and free this city from you."
The vampire paused. Then he began to laugh softly. At first it was just a low giggle, but it increased from second to second until he finally laughed at the top of his throat.
"Yes. Just laugh, then others will come to my aid.", Naoko stammered, a little unsettled by the creature's sudden amusement.
The vampire looked up. His now ice-cold eyes flashed at her and a broad grin bared his sharp canine teeth.
"I just pissed you off a bit. The old wives' tale that crosses would harm us is nonsense. But a nice try."
He stepped up to her in a flash. He embraced her like a big hug.
She didn't resist ... His spell was already beginning to work.
He leaned her against the wall and kissed her tenderly on the mouth. When he slowly let go of her lips again, hers moved a little behind his. She didn't want it to end ... He came with his mouth very close to her ear and whispered softly: "Believe me, if there was another possibility, I wouldn't bite you.But you will soon understand ... "
He carefully lowered his head to her neck and bit into it ...