1982: Small Town Bloodline Records

You should be scared.

"Carl, what are you holding?"

At nine o'clock in the morning, Todd Croft showed up at Carl's house on time.They had already made an appointment to go out together.

Carl changed into a new suit, picked up the bag on the table, went downstairs and went out with him.

"A few comic books." Carl yawned and said slowly, "I saw someone selling these in the newspaper a few days ago, so I called him. It's a complete set, very neat."

On the morning of early winter, a layer of leaves fell on the street, and when the shoes stepped on, they made a crisp sound like fried pork chops.Carl took out a pack of fudge from his pocket and handed it to Todd, "Want some?"

Todd took the packaging bag, poured out a few and threw it into his mouth, "I like this." He chewed the fudge and said casually, "Is Ronald and the others still bothering you?"

Todd is a tall, thin boy about Carl's age, with blond hair, a few freckles dotted on the bridge of the nose and cheeks, and because of a family genetic history, his face is pale and lacks blood most of the year.They have known each other since they were seven years old, and it has been nine years now, and it will continue in the future.

"No," Carl gave him all the fudge, and received a series of gratitude from the other party, "I won't give them this opportunity again."

Ronald kept his word and returned the cello to him after seeing the gold coin.But in the last few days, they approached Karl again, wanting to ask more about the manor, such as where he found the gold coin, and whether there was anything else of value—of course Karl would not tell them the gold coin The real story is just a very vague warning to them not to go near the manor, because there are very evil things there.As expected, Ronald insisted that this was an excuse that Carl had come up with to monopolize the wealth of the Wilbert family, and threatened that he would let Fern and Rooney teach him a lesson.

Had Todd not arrived in time, Carl might not have been able to escape that day.

"I heard from my dad that Ronald's brother was on drugs." Todd's dad is a policeman, so he always knows something that ordinary people don't. "Stay away from them."

But regardless of whether Ronald and the others believed what he said, Karl would never take risks for them again.

Later, along the way, they stopped discussing this disappointing topic and turned to talking about things in school.

"We're here." Todd pointed to the elegant milky white building in front of him and said, "Daisy should have been waiting for a while."

Daisy Willard is Todd and Cal's school friend.Today was her birthday, and she had invited Carl and the others to their house—the party started at night, but they could do something else during the day.

From the location of the house, it can be seen that her family is a typical middle-class family with a wealthy life.Carl could see Mr. Willard greeting guests at the gate from a distance.Mr. Willard also saw them and waved his hand to signal them to come quickly.

As soon as Karl and the others arrived, they saw a red figure jumping out of the room.It is completely different from when she was in school. In private, Daisy Willard dresses like a magazine cover girl, mature and sexy, but her words are very childish.

"You guys are really slow."

"Happy birthday, Daisy."

Carl brought her the gift he had prepared, and she couldn't wait to open it, only to find that it was a comic book.

"I've wanted this for a long time!" Daisy hugged Carl affectionately, and Todd couldn't help but look here, "Thank you, I can't wait to go upstairs and read the comics."

"Let's talk if you have anything to say." Mr. Willard patted his daughter on the shoulder. "I baked a snack, I hope you like it."

Five minutes later, Carl and the others were sitting in the living room of Willard's house, eating delicious finger biscuits and cupcakes, watching TV, while Daisy was engrossed in reading the comic book Carl had given her.

"This is delicious." Todd couldn't help eating two more biscuits, "My mother always burns."

"Of course my father is the best." Daisy's face was full of pride, "I can let him teach you next time."

In Carr's house, Mrs. Morrison usually did the baking of pastries.It's not that Carl has any opinion on this, but Daisy's family is a little different from them: Daisy's mother died when she was very young, and she was brought up by her father Hangel Willard. raised by people.Mr. Willard works in the hospital. His medical skills are superb and he is loved by the local people.

The days are filled with endless TV shows, card games and petit fours, and as night falls, the highlight of the day finally arrives.

Mr. Willard is the head chef, and his skills are as exquisite as his medical skills. Throughout the afternoon, Karl and the others could smell the aroma coming from the kitchen.

Colorful star tablecloths, colorful balloon ribbons, twinkling lights, a three-tiered cake and delicious dishes, the restaurant is set up like this, with a pink banner in the middle that says "Happy Birthday Daisy" typeface.

There are not only Daisy's classmates at school, but also a family of three from the neighbor's house. When Mr. Willard is busy with work, Daisy often stays at their house.

Daisy received so many presents that the sofa in the living room couldn't fit them all.Everything was so good that Carl couldn't help being a little envious of Daisy.

Halfway through the party, Carl noticed that Todd and Daisy had quietly left the table together, apparently by appointment.

Did they keep something from him?Of course, Karl didn't go out to disturb them, he just rested his chin and listened to other people's conversations.The window of the dining room is facing the garden of Willard’s house. Due to the lack of a qualified hostess, and the winter has come unknowingly, the garden is very barren. Just when Ka was about to look away and focus on the meat roll on the plate, He caught a glimpse of someone standing outside the yard.

From such a long distance, Karl could only vaguely distinguish the light color of the other party's hair, reflecting the dim light of street lamps in the dark night, but this was enough for Karl to recognize him.

The blond vampire spotted him too, and met his gaze from such a distance.

"Get out of here." The voice of the blond vampire appeared in his mind, and he was so startled that he almost shook the plate in front of him, "immediately."

Most of the people at the table focused on him. He collected himself, pretending that he was just careless just now, "I...I feel a little uncomfortable, let's leave."

"What are you doing here?"

Carl came out in a hurry, wearing only a thin gray sweater on his upper body, and soon shivered in the cold November wind.

The blond-haired vampire didn't seem to hear his words, and his eyes were still looking at the window with the warm light.Carl followed his gaze, and could vaguely see the figures in the room and the pink banner, warm and lively.

"Edgar," he called the name out of habit, "what are you doing here?"

After having a name, the image of the blond vampire instantly separated from those vague-faced vampires, becoming distinct and independent.

"I want to confirm something." Edgar glanced at him, "I'm glad you haven't forgotten my name."

The street lamps stretched out the shadows of the two of them, and Karl put his hand to his mouth and breathed out to warm himself.It's really cold, and it will probably snow in a while.

"Then why are you standing here?"

Carl's original intention was to say "what to do if other people see it." But Edgar obviously understood another meaning, "I can't get in, and I don't want to disturb other people in the room."

"Why..." Carl shut his mouth.This is a really stupid question, stupid.

He had read this passage in a book before: Those who knock on your door late at night are not only your dear friends, but also those monsters with ulterior motives and evil intentions.So wise people, don't believe in those promises that are hypnotized, don't be tempted by illusory glory and wealth, cherish your life, and keep your door closed until the sun rises.

Not only vampires, any dark creature needs permission from the owner to enter someone's home.

"Why do you want me out of here?" Carl didn't ask how he got the voice directly into his head.He's a vampire anyway, and a little witchcraft isn't a big deal.

I don't know if it's a psychological effect, but the place where Edgar bit me and has healed feels a little painful.He reached out to feel for it, but there was nothing but a strong and rapid pulse.

"You really don't know?" Edgar asked him back.

"What do I know?" He felt a little guilty, not daring to look Edgar in the eyes.

He has long noticed that Edgar's iris is very light blue, more like a cold glacier than the blue sea, "Pay attention to the evil around you, they are closer to you than you think."

The vampire in the dark alley, the monster in Wilpert Manor, and even the blond vampire beside him, the huge dark world showed him the tip of the iceberg.Carl's fingertips were cold, and he subconsciously wanted to refute his statement, "Daisy is my friend..."

Under Edgar's gaze without any emotion, he couldn't say the following words.

All he knew was Daisy in school and Mr. Willard in her mouth.

Edgar didn't care about his reaction, "I came after the breath of the same kind."

Carl's eyes widened, "What are you talking about?" A few hours ago, Daisy and Mr. Willard greeted them in the sun, "They can't be vampires!"

"Of course they are human beings." Edgar sneered, "Who told you that evil is equal to dark creatures?"

At this moment, when he couldn't doubt in his heart, he confidently declared that the Willard family were all good people, but doubting his friends made him feel painful.

"I don't understand what you mean, and I don't want to understand." He took a step back, "I have to go back, it's not good if I stay out for too long."

He ran away from the blond vampire as if running away.

On the way back he bumped into Todd and Daisy, both flushed cheeks and with a suspicious gleam on their lips, but Carl was too distracted to notice.

"Carl, why are you here?"

"It's a little hot, I want to breathe." He said casually.

Todd and Daisy looked at each other, obviously not believing his statement - who would run outside in the cold in a thin sweater?But they didn't continue to ask, and returned to the bustling restaurant with him.

The beef on the plate was cold and tough, and Carl raised his fork and poked wildly at it.

"Carl, are you uncomfortable?" Todd noticed his abnormality, "Do you need to call Mr. Willard to help you?"

"It's nothing, there's no need." He refused too quickly and became suspicious, "It'll be fine later."

"Okay." Todd looked around, "It happens that Mr. Willard is not there either."

Mr. Willard is not here.Carl took another look outside, but there was nothing but dead bushes.

Edgar has left.This discovery made him briefly relieved, but then tensed up again.

A night spent at Wilbert Manor, infested with vicious blood-sucking creatures, had led to an uncontrollable trust in Edgar.

He believed Edgar's words more than he thought.

What exactly does Edgar mean by the same kind of breath?

The party lasted until after nine o'clock in the evening, and the guests did not stay long, and soon left Willard's house.

Daisy changed the dress she was wearing, went into the bathroom and took a simple shower, and then lay down on the warm and comfortable bed.

The surprise and excitement brought by the birthday still remained in her blood. She closed her eyes, but couldn't fall asleep after tossing and turning.

She received so many presents that they nearly filled the long dining room table.What she likes most is the new dress and bicycle that her father gave her—every year, her father prepares a double gift for her to make up for the vacancy left by her mother's death.

Gifts, and mother... She was so excited that she almost jumped out of bed.

When she was very young, her mother pointed to a small wooden box and said, "Dear little princess, I have carefully prepared a mysterious gift for you... well, not now, I will put it Hidden in a corner of the house, I will hand it to you when you turn 16." When her mother died, she was only six years old, so many years later, although her father never remarried, he never talked to her about her mother , her memories of her mother have become very blurred, and she only remembers the warm hands and long light chestnut-colored hair that occasionally appeared in dreams.

Curiosity about the last mysterious gift her mother left her burned like a fire in her heart.

She tiptoed out of bed, stepping more deliberately as she passed the master bedroom.

But judging from the absence of light through the crack of the door, Dad was already asleep and would not know about her little adventure in the middle of the night.

When she was 12, her dad packed up all of her mom's belongings and put them in a storage room in the basement.She tried to protest, but seeing her father's face full of sadness and pain, she couldn't say anything.

The entrance to the basement was hidden in the cupboard under the stairs. Holding the flashlight, she quietly opened the cupboard door, removed the wooden board covering it, and walked in cautiously to reveal the dark stairs.

I don't know if it's because there are too many sundries piled up. The storage room is very crowded, and the narrow aisle in the middle is only for one person to pass sideways.

She quickly found the corner where her mother's belongings were piled up.

Not this, not this... She opened the dusty canvas cover and rummaged through a pile of old things, choking on the dust several times in the process.

The jeweled comb, the white pearl necklace, playing the handmade music box for Alice...everything can bring back her memories of the past and make her burst into tears unconsciously.

Every morning in the past, my mother would sit in front of the carved dressing table and comb her soft and beautiful long hair with this exquisite comb. The pearl necklace made her skin fairer, and the music box was the first gift her father gave her. gift.She suddenly understood why Dad had put away these things—no one can live forever grieving the loss of a loved one.

Dong dong dong, the light knocking sound pulled her out of the sentimental memories.

"Who is it?" She raised her sleeve and wiped her face carelessly, "Who is it?"

The storage room was still the same, cramped, crowded, and chaotic, and there was no living creature other than her.

As if to prove that it wasn't her hallucination, the rhythmic percussion sounded again, clearer than last time.

She followed the sound and found that it was the wall on the left, with a watercolor painting in the style of Titian hanging on it.

The knocking sound came from behind this wall, and it was like a desperate heartbeat.She was so nervous that she couldn't breathe, and quietly put her ear on it.

"Who are you?" She switched to English, "You..."

"What are you doing? . . . Daisy?"

Suddenly the door of the storage room was opened.

"It's nothing." Daisy was so nervous that she almost screamed, she forced herself to calm down, and met her father's probing gaze, "I...I miss my mother a little bit."

The knocking stopped, and the other side of the wall was as quiet as if nothing had happened just now.

"is it?"

"Yes." Mottled tears remained on her face, "I'm sorry Dad, I was too willful before."

Mr. Willard breathed a sigh of relief, and patted her on the shoulder, "Go back to your bed. Sorry dear, I thought there was a burglar in the house, so I was a little nervous."

Daisy nodded and left the place as if fleeing.

Fortunately, the light in the basement was too dim, otherwise Mr. Willard would have been able to see her unnaturally pale face and frightened eyes.

Her long nails had dug right into the flesh of her palm—she would have screamed if she hadn't.

If it was at any other time, she must not understand what the knocking sound just now meant.But today during the day, she saw such a story in the comic book Carl gave her: the little girl Linda went to visit her new friend's house, but she didn't expect that her new friend's family was a demon, and everyone who came to visit their house was arrested. Into the basement imprisoned torture.

She imitated the rhythm and knocked on the bed board.

In the comics, the woman who was tortured to the brink of death knocked on the wall of the basement to call for help from Linda outside.

Three times short, three times long, and three times short.

Morse code, translated as SOS.

SOS, international distress signal.

She curled herself up into a small ball, covering her mouth to keep herself from screaming.

Someone from the other side of the wall called her for help.

After confirming that Daisy had really left, Hangel Willard locked the door of the storage room and dragged an old armchair against the door.

After finishing all this, he took off the picture frame with ease, and pulled out two movable bricks—he built a new wall in front of the original wall, and a small body was stuck between the two walls— —showing a delicate girlish face.

The upper half of her face was tightly covered by a silvery black eyepatch, only her thin lower jaw was exposed to the air.

"What do you want to do?" Hangel Willard walked around irritably with his hands behind his back, "Daisy almost found you! Do you know what consequences this will bring? That is my daughter!"

He stopped abruptly, and stared coldly at the girl behind the wall, "You did it on purpose. You want her to know your existence, and you want to tell what we did."

The pale lips tugged, but stopped in a subtle arc - like mocking, but also like crying.

"Hangel, each of us should be responsible for our own actions." Her voice was very hoarse, as if swallowing hot charcoal, which was not what such a young body could say, "We owe her of."

Hanger Willard sneered, "You put it lightly, do you know how hard I have worked all these years?"

"Daisy needs to know the truth." She let out a sigh from her chest, bleak like fallen leaves in the autumn wind, "the truth about Winnie's death."

"Shut up!" Hangel twisted his face when he mentioned the taboo name.He growled, "You fucking shut up!"

"Winnie Willard," the girl said unmoved, "the autumn ten years ago was not a so-called accident, but a deliberate murder."

Hangel took out a small pistol, pointed it at the girl's eyebrows, and threatened viciously, "Shut your mouth, and don't let me hear you mention that woman again."

The whites of his eyes were bloodshot, his pupils shone with a ferocious and cruel light, and a throbbing blood vessel burst out on his forehead, "This is a silver bullet that has been specially treated by the exorcist family. Once it hits liquid silver, it will spread rapidly." Spread. If you don't shut up, I'll shoot you."

The people behind the wall giggled, and the laughter was creepy.

"You shoot." She raised her chin slightly, and changed her tone, like coaxing or a lover's whisper, "Shoot, Hangel Willard, I order you to shoot."

The skin under the blindfold was scorched black by the invisible flames, and large cracks spread out at the edges. She remained unmoved, "Shoot Hangel, so we can escape together."

Hanger Willard moved his finger on the trigger, but the bullet was still in the clip—the safety was not pulled, and he did not lose his last sanity after all.

He suddenly woke up, raised his hand and slapped her, "You don't want to die?"

Her cheek was turned to one side, but there was not even a fingerprint left - if such a brutal force were applied to an ordinary person, it would have already swelled up.

"Hangel, you really let me down." She laughed more and more loudly, "You know the connection between me and you, so you dare not look me in the eyes for so many years. You use cloth mixed with silver Make this blindfold, you dare not look into my eyes, you know I will order you to kill me. Coward, you coward!"

Hangel stroked her cold and smooth marble cheeks, wiped off the bloody tears, and hurriedly apologized, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, I didn't want to hurt you at all. What I came here for ? Oh dear, you must be hungry, see what I have prepared for you, your favorite blood." He became gentle and gentlemanly again, took out the blood bag from his pocket, "Don't provoke me anymore, I I don't want to hurt you at all."

Smelling the sweet scent of blood, the girl behind the wall couldn't help opening her mouth under the stimulation of her sad nature, and stretched out her sharp fangs to pierce the blood bag.

A vampire can't resist the lure of blood, especially now after being burned by Silver.

She ate greedily, grunting contentedly from her throat.

"Recently some trivial things have haunted me, and I have no time to hunt for you. Wait, wait, I will find you fresher blood..." Hangel muttered, "My Doro Reis, my Lolita. I would do anything for you, anything, as long as you can be good...so don't hurt me anymore, I'm just a human being, a fragile human being, I will break my heart and die dead."

"What a great love."

Sensing someone behind him, Hanger instantly became alert, "Who?"

A tall and thin figure stepped out of the darkness.The girl behind the wall looked calm, as if she knew he was in this place from the beginning.

The uninvited guest applauded softly in the middle of the night, "What an amazing love. Humans and vampires, an unethical love affair." His whole body was wrapped in darkness, only his eyes were frighteningly bright.

"Who are you?" Hanger Willard quickly aimed his gun at the uninvited guest.This time he didn't forget to open the insurance.

"You personally welcomed me in like a distinguished guest, have you forgotten?" The green-eyed devil reminded Hangel Willard in case he didn't remember, "The sun had just set at that time."

"It was at that time...you sneaked in at that time." Facing the pair of green eyes that shone with dim light, Hangel took a step back and leaned his back against the wall.

At sunset, the neighbor's family of three knocked on the door on time, and Hangel Willard, who came to greet him, was in a trance for a moment.

A cold breeze brushed his cheek. "Can I come in? My friend."

He thought it was the hostess who spoke, "Of course, come in quickly, it's time for dinner."

With his own hands, he brought this terrible monster into his house.

"What do you want, blood or...?"

"In order to support my little kinsman, you still really have good intentions." From the corner of the eye, he glanced at the empty blood bag under his feet, and the green-eyed vampire pressed his cold lips to Mr. Willard's ear, "I know all your dirty secrets. If you don't want them to be released to the public, you know what to do." He said something in a volume that only the two of them could hear clearly, and Hangel's face changed drastically. "Look, there's nothing I don't know."

"Are you threatening me?" Hangel Willard struggled to resist the vampire's terrifying mind control.

"I'm just ordering you." The vampire raised his left hand and drew a symbol in the void, Hangel screamed and threw away the melted and twisted scrap iron in his hand.His tone was gentle, and there was a chilling malice hidden in it, "I never negotiate conditions with inferior species."

39 Wilgelson Ave.

The curtains in the master bedroom were drawn tightly so that no light could come in.

There are only simple tables and chairs and a heavy black wooden coffin in the room.

Edgar remembered well that the night he moved to this town was moonless.He found an illiterate and dumb coachman, paid him a lot of money, and then used mind control to erase all his memories of himself.He did so properly, so foolproof, and only hoped that he could taste the sweet taste of revenge in the near future-Eugene told him that the guy he had been looking for was probably hidden in this remote town.

Edgar sat at the desk and put aside the empty cup in his hand. There was a circle of dried dark red blood on the edge of the cup.

In the very center of the desk were the manuscripts and letters he had received at Wilpert Manor.

The manuscript is written in a unique language, somewhat like a character painting, but more complicated than a character painting: it originated from witch hunts in the Middle Ages, and was invented by some spellcasters as a last resort in order to protect themselves, so it has been preserved for so many years. Circulated only among carefully selected spellcasters.

Originally, Edgar didn't understand these things, but that guy taught him himself—he said that he was once an apprentice of a human spellcaster, and he accompanied his teacher through cruel purges time and time again, so he Knowing so many spells, most of them are weird and weird, so weird that people dare not even think about them.Edgar still remembered that there was such a small spell that drained the blood of living people instantly, and the released blood would be contained in a prepared vessel, like a dark red gemstone.

Except for that one time, the guy never talked about the human spellcaster who taught him to cast spells, and Edgar didn't have much interest in him.

Inferior species, that's all they think of humans.

In the past few days, Edgar has read the manuscript many times over and over again.

The guy is still doing that experiment—after all these years, he still hasn't succeeded.Edgar couldn't help laughing out loud at this discovery.For that guy, but also for my former self.

And that letter.Even with his eyes closed, he could recall the pattern of wax paint: it was a poisonous snake with a letter D embedded in the letter D, with a triangular head raised high, and it was likely to jump up and bite at any time.He is familiar with that handwriting, how could he not be familiar with it.He has received such letters countless times in the past, and it can even be said that what he looks forward to most is the monthly correspondence.

Those were the years when he had just been turned into a vampire.Living in confusion and emptiness, he met that guy, who was knowledgeable and funny, and invited him to join his plan.

They have traveled the same path, driven by it, through countless long years.

Until he wakes up, they have different natures, and he can't live with one mistake forever.

He took out the thin letter paper from the envelope, and he could recall what was written on it without looking at it.

"To my old friend Edgar:

The stage is ready, the actors have gathered, and the opening time is approaching. I sincerely look forward to your appreciation.

loyal,

Ignatz Dulles"