Charlotte isn't it time you stopped this mad life?
Don't you ever think about the bad times?
Why do you have to live this way?
Do you enjoy your lay?
Or is it the pay?—

"22 Acacia Avenue"—Iron Maiden

Seuche in Deutschland

Chapter X

Lysander and Alcander did not have to search long to find the home of the man in question. Lysander knocked on the door, and a woman in her middle-forties answered.

"Yes?"

"Mrs. Gutzke?" Lysander began.

The woman nodded. "Yes, I am she."

"My name's Lysander Tepes and this is my brother, Alcander."

Alcander bowed to the woman after he was introduced.

"I'm a representative of the Wallachian Government, which is part of Romania; and my government has sent me here to investigate the epidemic that has affected the city."

"…Yes?"

"Through out investigation we encountered your pastor at St. Andrew's Lutheran Church. He informed us that your son's ill."

"…Yes, that's correct."

"May I ask a question about your son's illness?" replied Alcander.

"…I suppose so."

Alcander placed two fingers against his throat. "On your son's throat does he have a pair of marks that're white with a red center?"

Mrs. Gutzke gasped. "Why, yes…he does!"

"And do you know how long he has had them?" added Lysander.

"…About three or four days ago."

"Would it be all right if we saw him?"

"…Yes."

Mrs. Gutzke directed Lysander and Alcander to her son's bedroom, which appeared very similar to Lysander and Alcander's bedrooms when they still lived with their parents. Unlike female victims of vampires, the brown hair-brown eyed teenager did not bother to hide his wounds.

"Stephen," his mother began, "these two men'd like to talk to you."

Stephen yawned, and turned to Lysander and Alcander. "About what?"

"Well, it's those wounds on your throat," replied Lysander. "Do you know how you received them?"

"…No."

Alcander moved closer to examine the wounds. "They're a bite. Do you know what bit you?"

"I already told you that I don't…well…"

"Yes?" replied Lysander.

"Well…I do remember something…But it was only a dream."

"And what was in this dream?" asked Alcander.

"A girl…"

Mrs. Gutzke chuckled, but Lysander and Alcander did not change their expressions.

"And this girl bit me on the neck."

"And this was only a dream?" asked Lysander.

"Well, I woke up right after it."

"With that wound on your neck?" added Alcander.

"…Yes."

"I've had many dreams before too, but they usually don't result in a wound when I wake up."

"Let me ask you a question," began Lysander. "When you had this dream did you—at any point—taste this girl's blood?"

"…I'm not sure."

"You're not sure?"

"No."

Lysander turned to Mrs. Gutzke. "Could you leave the room for a moment please?"

Mrs. Gutzke nodded and left the room.

Lysander turned his back to Stephen, and removed the crucifix from his neck.

"What're you doing?" asked Stephen.

"I'm removing my necklace. I'd like you to hold it for a moment."

"…Why?"

"I just need you to do so."

"You're queer, but whatever."

Lysander closed his hand, so Stephen could see neither the cross nor the corpus.

"Please, hold out your hand."

Stephen did as Lysander requested, and Lysander dropped the crucifix into his hand.

Stephen screeched, as the crucifix burned an imprint onto his hand before he dropped it on the floor.

The teenager clutched his hand and wept, while Lysander and Alcander crossed themselves.

Mrs. Gutzke re-entered the room when she heard her son's cries. She took her son into her arms, and glared at Lysander and Alcander.

"What in God's name did you do to my son!"

"This," Alcander replied. He picked the crucifix from the floor; and presented it to Mrs. Gutzke. "We placed this in Stephen's hand."

"A crucifix?"

Mrs. Gutzke examined the imprint on her son's hand, but at the same time she held the crucifix too close.

"Get that thing away from me!" Stephen exclaimed, while he swatted the crucifix away. "I don't want to see that fucking cross!"

Mrs. Gutzke gasped, and Lysander retrieved the crucifix.

"I think we should talk outside," Alcander replied.

Lysander and Mrs. Gutzke nodded.

"All right, explain to me what's wrong with my son!"

"Have you ever heard of nosferatu, Mrs. Gutzke?" asked Lysander.

"Nosfer-what?"

"Nosferatu," replied Alcander, "it means 'vampire.'"

"Vampire? …Well, of course I've heard of vampires, but what does that have to do with my son?"

"It has everything to do with your son," responded Lysander. "He's been infected by a vampire."

"What! …Of all the ridiculous things…"

"Hear my brother out. I understand that what he says sounds queer, but it's still the truth. Consider this…that mark on your son's hand was due to Stephen tasting vampire's blood—the crucifix reveals it. You touched the same crucifix, and nothing happened to you. Furthermore, you also saw how he reacted when the crucifix was too close to him. Those who've tasted the blood of a vampire can't look at religious pictures or relics."

"…I really don't understand…"

"You don't have to understand," replied Lysander, while he touched Mrs. Gutzke's shoulder. "All you need to do is follow our instructions, and your son'll be all right."

Mrs. Gutzke nodded. "I'll do whatever you ask. Tell me everything."

Lysander smiled. "Good. Place a crucifix or cross outside Stephen's window. And make certain that all the doors and windows in the house're locked. Finally, don't allow someone who you don't know to enter. In another week or so, once Stephen regains his health, let him receive the Eucharist in church…understand?"

"…Yes."

"Good. We'll keep a watch."

Two hours later, Lysander and Alcander remained in the shadows outside Stephen's bedroom window.

"This is so boring," whispered Alcander.

"Where would you rather be?"

"…At a tavern somewhere."

"…Somehow I didn't think you'd say that."

"Oh? What did you believe I'd say?"

"That you wanted to be with Jessica."

"…Yes…that too…"

While Alcander thought about Jessica, his eyes happened to catch a young woman beneath Stephen's window. The young woman raised her eyes to the crucifix, snarled, and prepared to walk away.

"Look at that," replied Alcander.

"I am. It's time for us to make our move."

Lysander and Alcander stepped out from the shadows, and when they did the young woman stopped as well.

"All right," began Lysander, "you know that we're watching you. Now turn around and face us."

The woman did as Lysander requested. She had green eyes and brown hair, and was dressed very similar to the vampire that Lysander encountered last night.

Lysander smirked. "I've been noticing a pattern here…vampires and prostitutes."

The woman glared, but Lysander was not finished.

"All right, tell us who your master is?"

The woman did not respond to Lysander's question. Instead, she charged at him with her fingernails. Each nail was as sharp as a razor blade, and she made a quick swipe against Lysander's cheek.

"Oww—damn!" Lysander replied, as he held his bloody cheek.

The woman prepared to make a second attack on Lysander, but she forgot that Alcander was nearby.

Alcander stamped a crucifix into her brown hair. The woman screeched and fell to the ground. She attempted a counterattack, but Alcander exposed a piece of the Host.

The woman hid her eyes and cried. From the ground she begged Alcander to put the Eucharist away.

"That can't be done," Lysander replied, while his cheek clotted. "You're going to tell us who your master is, and then—maybe—we'll think about it."

"No, I'll be killed…I want to be free."

The woman's words, 'I want to be free' moved Lysander with pity. "Your human side's returning. This master's who made you who you are today, correct?"

"…Yes."

"If you tell us who he is I believe Christ'll have mercy on your soul."

The woman raised her eyes. She looked at the Host, and her expression changed from fear to peace.

"The master's name is…Alric…Alric Ingber."

"And where's this Alric Ingber now?"

"He's in the city…He never stays in the same place for too long."

Lysander nodded. "Thank you." Then he turned to his younger brother, and gestured to the Eucharist. "Cander, give her peace."

Alcander nodded, and placed the Host into the woman's mouth—within moments, the girl's body combusted.

Lysander and Alcander gave the Sign of the Cross.

"Do you think her soul went to Heaven?" asked Alcander.

"…I suppose only God knows that…But I remember that the Church teaches that we're saved by grace—that's what the sacraments're about, of course. But God's grace exists outside the seven sacraments too, and I'm sure that the Lord gave that woman some of His grace when she told us the name of that head vampire." Lysander smiled. "Come then, how 'bout a drink?"