Author's Note: Thanks to the reviewers who caught my "centered text" error! I fixed it and it should be easier to read. Now on with the story.

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Fangs A Lot-3

"Louisa!" Shouted Chet, running to the opened door. "Are you all right? What happened?"

The young woman didn't answer. The characteristic sounds of a struggle drifted up from the cellar, followed by the thud of a body hitting the floor.

"Gage! Desoto! Let's go!" shouted Brackett. "Louisa could be hurt!"

The trio ran down the stairs, their eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness. They walked slowly across the cellar floor, searching for the young woman. Johnny gasped when he felt his foot strike something soft. The paramedic bent down, trying to locate what he had hit.

"Here, Johnny, use this," said Roy, handing Gage a penlight. Johnny turned it on, drawing back in shock when the narrow beam revealed Louisa sprawled out on the earthen floor, unconscious.

"My God! What the heck is that on her neck?" questioned Roy. "It almost looks like she was...bitten!" He pointed out two bloody holes side by side just over Louisa's carotid artery.

"Let's get her upstairs," ordered Dr. Brackett. "Somebody get these lights back on."

At that moment, the lamps flickered, then stayed on, filling the room with harsh, glaring light. The men carried Louisa up the stairs and laid her down on a sheet-covered sofa near the back of the main room.

"What's that?" asked Marco, pointing to his sister's throat. "Are they what I think they are?" he gasped, his face turning white.

"Fang marks," confirmed Brackett. "Without a doubt." He looked up. "Roy, you and Gage go down and see if there's anyone else in that basement.

The paramedics returned a few minutes later, looking very pale and shaken. "Doc, you're not gonna believe this," stammered Johnny, "but there's an empty coffin in the corner of the room down there." He swallowed loudly. "And a pool of blood where we found Lou."

"Dix, go get my bag out of the trunk," said the doctor. "I'll bandage those wounds. After she comes around, we'll take her to Rampart," he added, bowing his head to hide his smile.

"A coffin?" asked Chet incredulously. "Gage, you're off your nut. There's nothing down there. You probably saw an old packing crate or something."

"If you don't believe me, go look for yourself," snarled Gage. "Packing crates don't have satin linings, last I knew."

"I think I will. Come on, Marco."

"Me?" No way, Chet," answered Lopez, making the sign of the cross on his chest.

"I'll go with you, Kelly," said Mike Stoker. He gave his shift-mate a shove, then followed him down the cellar steps.

Louisa waited until she heard Mike and Chet's footsteps fade, then opened her eyes. "He bought it!" she whispered gleefully. "Okay, where are those fangs I gave you, Hank?" She took the teeth and positioned them in her mouth. "How do they look? Realistic enough to scare the pants off a certain Irishman? Now the white powder. Fast, before they get back!"

Dixie returned, carrying Brackett's medical bag. The nurse stepped back in surprise as Louisa flashed her newly-acquired dental appliance at her. "My God, Louisa," she gasped, "they do look real!"

"They should, Miss McCall. They were made by a dentist who was kind enough to put a rush on them."

Brackett quickly bandaged the fake wounds on the young woman's neck, taping the end of the gauze in place seconds before Stoker and Kelly came back into the room.

Chet's eyes widened when his eyes settled on Louisa's face. "What's wrong with her? She's so pale!"

"Classic sign of vampirism, Chet," growled Dr. Brackett. He reared back when Louisa's eyes flew open. Her irises glowed an eerie shade of red, thanks to the cosmetic lenses her make-up artist friend had inserted while she was still in the cellar.

"Everyone get back!" cautioned Roy. "Louisa, it's okay. We're your friends."

The young woman hissed viciously at the paramedic, revealing the razor-sharp fangs in her mouth. She sat up and got to her feet, running across the room and vanishing upstairs.

"Uh, wha-what do we do now, Cap?" asked Marco, playing along with his sister's prank. "Should we go after her?"

"I strongly advise against that, Marco," said Dr. Brackett. "If she bit one of you..."

"We can't just leave her here!" exclaimed Hank. "Isn't there something you can do, Doc?"

"I'm afraid not, Captain. So far, medical science hasn't been able to find a cure for this condition. If I remember correctly, there are only two fool-proof ways to dispose of a vampire. A stake through the heart, or exposure to direct sunlight."

"No!" shouted the Captain. "I won't let you kill Louisa, no matter what she is now! Just forget it!"

Across the room, Joanne Desoto screamed, riveting everyone's attention. "I heard something on the stairs!" She cried, pointing to the still-open cellar door.

"I think now would be a good time to end this party, people!" said Dr. Brackett. "Everyone, get your coats and get out of here immediately!" he ordered.

Before anyone could react to the doctor's command, a tall, white-faced figure dressed completely in black appeared in the doorway. The figure's lips were stained with blood, streaks of it painting his chin. It raised its arms, as if reaching for another victim. Piercing shrieks echoed throughout the mansion, and the party guests scrambled for the front door.

"What the Hell is that?" hollered Chet. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm out of here!" The Irishman turned and fled, screaming at the top of his lungs in sheer terror. When he reached his van, Chet threw open the door and frantically keyed the ignition. Gravel scattered in all directions as the rusty vehicle sped down the driveway and out onto the narrow dirt road leading to the old house.

Brackett, Dixie, and the rest of Station 51's crew remained behind, struggling to control their laughter. Louisa appeared at the top of the staircase, grinning manically.

"I don't think I've ever seen Chet move that fast," she cackled. "Trent, you were great!" she said to the figure dressed in black.

"Thanks, Lou," answered the figure, removing his mask to reveal his identity: Trent Fisher.

"Man, you even had me scared," laughed Johnny. "Louisa, I gotta hand it to you. This is one prank no one will ever top, not in a million years."

"Okay, now for phase two," answered Louisa. "When you guys go on shift tomorrow, make sure you tell Chet that you left me here. I'll wait until sundown, and then make my next appearance."

"Where will that be?" asked Dixie.

The young woman grinned wickedly. "Standing at the foot of Mr. Kelly's bunk, in full regalia," she said. "Mike, since you bear the last name of a famous vampire writer, I'm going to give you the honor of 'killing' me. Trent, go get Madeline so she can give Mike some pointers on how to make it look authentic."

"How will that work?" wondered Marco, grinning from ear to ear.

"Maddy is a wiz at special effects. She'll put some padding and a blood pack on my chest so that it will look like the stake has actually gone through my heart. At least the blood will be real. I had Dr. Brackett siphon off a pint the day I told him what I was planning."

"We better keep the defibrillator handy in case Chet goes into cardiac arrest," joked Roy, drawing laughter.

Trent returned with a tall, blonde woman in tow. "Everyone, this is Madeline Hughes."

"Hello," she said. "Okay, which of you is going to deliver the 'fatal' blow?"

"I am," replied Mike, stepping forward.

"Great. Louisa, let me fix you up with the padding so we can show your friend how to 'stake' you without actually inflicting any damage."

Within minutes, the device was in place, and Madeline instructed the engineer where to insert the stake. Stoker thrust the wooden object into the spot Madeline pointed out, and red liquid poured out. Louisa dropped to the floor, her hands wrapped around the wooden stake.

"If I didn't know this was a trick, I'd swear that Louisa just took a stake through the heart," marveled Brackett. "Amazing. Even the blood looks real, even though I know it's not."

"It's not?" asked Johnny.

"No," answered Madeline. "We're saving the real thing for tomorrow night."

"Okay, you guys," said Louisa, rising to her feet, "get going. When you get to work in the morning, act shell-shocked so Chet won't get suspicious."

"Let's go men," ordered Hank. "Are you staying here tonight, Lou?"

"That was the plan, Hank. In case Chet decides to come back and investigate, we want to make sure we're here to 'greet' him."

"Hey, Lou? I just have one question," said Johnny. "Can those fangs really break the skin?"

The young woman grinned. "You want me to bite you so you can find out? They're made from the same stuff dentists use to make dentures."

"I'll take your word for it," chuckled the paramedic. "See you tomorrow night."

The men left. Dr. Brackett and Dixie remained behind, congratulating Louisa on her prank. "This is definitely one Halloween I'll never forget," commented Dixie. "It was an honor to be part of it."

"Same here," put in the doctor. "Good night."

Louisa, Trent, and Madeline went upstairs to find a suitable place to bed down for the night. The three friends talked and laughed well into the night, finally settling down as the sun peeked over the horizon.