*Please note that this is a direct sequel to 'Beauty Has Her Way'. Enjoy!*

"Just press play and all will be revealed."

"I wish you'd quit being all mysterious-like and get to the point."

"Stop being a whiny girl, press play, and the point will be so sharp it will cut you."

"Edgar-"

"Look I went to a lot of bloody trouble recording this for you... It's pretty good if I do say so myself. I'm thinking it could be the basis for my memoirs," Edgar interrupted, first with frustration, then with self-pride.

The other boy guffawed, rolled his eyes, and then hit play on the small tape recorder. Edgar turned the volume up. Loud hissing sounded out over the racket around them. The tape clicked over then muffled rustling echoed from the speakers.

"...Is this thing on? Check check..."

The recording clicked off for a brief moment before Edgar's growling voice continued:

"This is an account of the Frog brothers. I am Edgar Frog and my brother is Alan Frog.

This is for the benefit of the less enlightened of you out there, those who are unaware that the things that go bump in the night do more than walk around bumping into things. There is another world that lies close to the surface, waiting with gnashing teeth to devour everyone in its path. Alan and I are at war with this satanic world.

Evil wears many faces, but the one we are most familiar with is that of the Vampire. We have battled face to face with the powers of Darkness. The Undead. Nosferatu. Vampires appear normal to the untrained civilian. Their true face is grotesque, with demonic glowing eyes and fangs.

Forget what you have seen in the movies or read in books. Forget garlic and crosses. They don't need an invitation to enter, but if they are invited you will be rendered powerless.

Here's the truth behind the myth: they have supernatural senses, strength, and speed. They can fly. They do not age, die, or have a reflection. Destroying a vampire is tricky and no two vampires go the same; some implode, some explode, but all will try to take you with them. Kill them with sunlight, holy water or a wooden stake through the heart. We haven't had the chance to test decapitation.

A person becomes a vampire when they are bitten and drained to the point of death, and then drink the blood of a vampire. Or, if they drink the blood of a vampire, and then die*. Until they make their first kill, they are in limbo as a half-vampire. Half-vampires have the chance to be saved – if the Head Vampire is killed, all half-vampires will return to human.

In 1987 a war between the factions of light and dark ended in a blaze of righteous fire. Four vampires and their Head Vampire were vanquished by us. But there was one problem. It came in the form of an improvised staking, by an inexperienced civilian half-vampire. This failure took a year to come back and literally bite one of us.

For the last year the unholy elements in our town kept their distance, obviously the knowledge of our vampire slaying prowess instilled them with fear. Alan and I continued to patrol the area, researching el vampiro, and combat training. People still went missing, but not like before.

Until a couple of weeks ago, Alan and I believed that we had annihilated the vampire gang. By killing the Head Vampire, Max, and his four Boys, we had cured three half-vampires, and saved two others from eternal damnation. We also prevented the numerous deaths that would've continued had these blood-suckers been left to feed off the population of Santa Carla.

Recently things took a turn for the worst. A new Darkness seemed to be spreading, or should I say an old one...

We had a tip that purchases had been made at a magic store for a resurrection spell. Sure enough a powerful incidence of black magic occurred on the one year anniversary of our battle.

We learnt later that our informant was Marie, a practitioner of magic, the owner of a local new age store, and friend to Star, a half-vampire girl we saved last year. Marie's journal revealed that the purchaser of the spell's ingredients was the leader of the vampire gang we had wiped-out. The stake, or rather the antlers, had in fact not killed him.

David, the vampire leader, spent a year recovering from our attack, his mind hell-bent on revenge. His plan included luring Star back with a forged letter, which offered her a job running Marie's store, Gypsy Rose. It is believed that Marie, contrary to the fake letter, is not on a holiday, but no doubt dead at the hands of David.

With his Boys resurrected and strengthened after a week of frenzied feeding, they ventured out to the Boardwalk; we spotted them while on patrol. A few days later we had a chance run-in with Star. That night we warned her of Their return; the next night she was calling us for help. I saved her from a vicious attack by David, temporarily wounding him with holy water.

Unfortunately Alan was captured during our escape... and turned into a half-vampire in front of us. To stop the leader from finishing Alan completely, Star traded herself for him. My brother was weakened by blood loss and slowly began to Turn; a half-vampire that could be saved if we identified the Head vampire.

The next day we found Star free and unharmed by the vampire gang. Through some miracle of the twisted desire of David, she had argued her way out of being killed or bitten. David issued an edict that she wasn't to be hurt. It's clear he still wants to return her to his blood-sucking gang. Vampires are evil... and weird.

Alan suffered as the 'infection' from the vampire blood spread. He slept while Star and I studied Marie's notes. We discovered many things, including the fact that David had somehow made himself the Head vampire. Alan's cure was at hand. All we had to do was kill David.

However my brother left unexpectedly, forcing us to search the Boardwalk for him. It was a race against the setting sun.

When I found him it was too late. The infection had taken control of his mind and he declared he wanted to remain a vampire.

I have spent the last week tirelessly tracking him. Star and I have spent every waking moment trying to save Alan... from himself, as well as avoiding David and his Boys. Our priority is Alan and the plan is to kill David. This is complicated by the other three vampires in the gang: Fuck-face, Shit-head, and Douche-bag. Err Dwayne, Marko, and Paul.

The body-count in Santa Carla is rising. Time is running out. With Alan playing for the other side I needed reinforcements. The pickings were slim. I had no choice but to-"

The tape-recorder ground to a halt with a loud click.

"Hey! Why'd you stop it?! I was just getting to your introduction!" exclaimed Edgar.

"Why? Why?! How can you even ask that?! You missed out key events from the past, and glossed over what's been happening here! All that shit about the righteous fight blah blah! I could've saved you some tape: Vampires exist; we ALL fought them using stakes and holy water. David survived and brought the other three vampires back from the dead. He obviously still has a thing for Star, lured her back, and tried to re-vamp her. It goes without saying They want revenge – we killed them! But I want to know the important stuff: how did David survive, what the fuck was the spell he used, is Max back, where is Star and Alan... and why do we have to talk about this on Ferris wheel??!! Ohhhh God, I feel sick. . ."

Edgar pursed his lips together and tried to breathe through the insults.

"We're here because I need to be constantly on the move. I suspect the vampires are using daytime spies. They could be anywhere. They might even be zombies under mind-control. The Comic Store is off limits – it's the first place they would look for me... plus with me running around trying to save Alan, and Alan... 'missing', Mum and Dad closed the store. It's up for sale."

"What, no more Comic Store?"

"I don't know. There have-"

"ZOMBIES?! There are vampires AND zombies. Dude, my mum is totally going to freak if there are zombies involved."

"Chill out. It's just a hunch. And I was right about the vampires wasn't I?!"

The Ferris wheel stuttered to the bottom and started another climb. People above and below hooted with laughter, calling and waving to their friends. The car they sat in rocked gently in the sea breeze, slowly rising to the cloudless sky. Hazy sunlight bet down on the Boardwalk, turning noses pink. Edgar watched a flustered mum dole out ice-creams to a troop of preschoolers. All hell broke loose when one of the ice-creams slopped to the ground.

The boys sat in silence, each reflecting about what lay ahead. Edgar awkwardly packed his tape recorder into his back pack and glanced at his friend.

"It is good you came. Star will be happy to see you..."

"Ha, don't be so sure. Does she even know I'm here?"

Edgar hurried over the sensitive subject. "In any case, when Alan sees you I am sure it will help. He'll be glad you came."

"I hate to be the one to say this, but you know, Mikey didn't change when he was bit. I mean, he changed with the fangs and all, but not his personality. Same with Star and Laddie. They chose not to become killers. If Alan-"

"He's just confused!" Edgar barked angrily. "Or David did something else to him. I know my brother and he is not the killing type... unless it's undead already."

"Ok, ok. Sorry man."

Edgar grunted and gave a curt nod in response. "The ride is nearly over. We'll head over to Star's next and go over the plan for tonight."

"About the zombies..."

"Pay attention Emerson. Be on guard at all times. We could be attacked at any moment. Welcome to my world."

"I forgot how awesome your world is Eddie," Sam Emerson replied sarcastically.

The pair dodged across the Boardwalk, Edgar glowering at all in his way. Sam jogged to catch-up with this friend, lagging behind Edgar as he adjusted his jacket collar until he was satisfied.

"I've been thinking about possible titles," Edgar called over his shoulder.

Sam frowned. "Huh?"

"Titles for my book," he explained. "How about: 'Memoirs of a Teenage Vampire Killer', or 'Fighting Satan's Spawn'?"

Sam snickered and smoothed a hand over his blonde hair. "How about 'Tales from a Padded Cell' cos that's where you'll end up if you try and tell your story."

The boys bickered and laughed their way to Gypsy Rose, not a zombie in sight.

*Referring to 'The Lost Boys', where Michael drinks from the bottle of David's blood, then falls off the bridge with the Boys. Author takes the liberty of assuming the fall would've killed Michael if he hadn't had the vampire blood in his system.