The wound closed and healed. Within a minute there was nothing left besides a small scar that the man probably wouldn't notice when he awoke.

That's how vampires protect themselves. Unlike in the movies, they don't kill people when they drink, not unless they are starving or get carried away and go too far. They drink in small doses, a little here, a little there. Sometimes they attack people out in the open, as we had just done. Other times, they creep into bedrooms late at night or into hospital wards or police cells.

The people they drink from hardly ever know they've been fed on by a vampire. When this man woke, he would remember only a falling red shape. He wouldn't be able to explain why he'd passed out or what had happened to him while he was unconscious.

If he found the scar, he'd be more likely to think it was the mark of aliens than a vampire.

Hah. Aliens ! Not many people know that vampires started the UFO stories. It was the perfect cover. People all over the world were waking up to find strange scars on their bodies and were blaming it on imaginary aliens.

Mr. Crepsley had knocked the scoutmaster out with his breath. Vampires can breathe out a special kind of gas, which makes people faint. When Mr. Crepsley wanted to put someone to sleep, he breathed into a cupped fist, then held his hand over the person's nose and mouth. Seconds later they were down for the count, and wouldn't wake for at least twenty or thirty minutes.

Mr. Crepsley examined the scar and made sure it had healed correctly. He took good care of his victims. He seemed to be a nice guy, from what I'd seen of him — apart from the fact that he was a vampire!

"Come," he said, standing. "The night is young. We will go find a rabbit or a fox for you."

"You don't mind me not drinking from him?" I asked.

Mr. Crepsley shook his head. "You will drink eventually," he said. "When you are hungry enough."