Vampire Sunrise

Charley, the Witch

"Thank you all, please hide yourselves from the humans," I said to the demonic army. They all went back to wherever they were before, and Anthelion continued his vampire hunt. Angel and I walked back over to our spot and sat down on the bench.

"Angel, why did the minions all come now, but not when I fought the Sollictus or the Imperious," I asked.

"We do not interfere in the queen's business unless the queen asks. In the case of the Holy water, it does kill us, so we must honor our highest law to protect the queen from certain death."

I nodded. It seemed if the minions thought I was possibly going to die, they intervened. Good to know.

A few minutes after we were situated, a Channel 3 van pulled up. Eddie Baker got out, holding a cup of coffee in one hand and a cigarette in the other. He looked around and saw the pile of dead vamp bodies and me sitting on the bench. Angel was hidden and incorporeal as usual.

Eddie walked over to me; the stream of blood still washed under my feet.

"What in the holy fuck is going on here?" He said exasperatedly.

I chuckled. "Hi Eddie, you look good on camera."

"So, do you, dragging a freaking vampire down the street." He took a drag from his cigarette. "Was it you that tied up those vampires?"

"I'll never tell." I smiled back at him and batted my eyelashes.

Eddie was a sight to behold. He had to be overweight by about seventy pounds and wore a crooked tie positioned halfway around his neck. His pants were up past his belly button, and there was a gap between the bottoms of his pants and where his socks should be, but he didn't have any on. Eddie also needed a bigger Channel 3 raincoat. The one he had on didn't meet in the middle.

"Good God, that's a mountain of death; there must be at least forty bodies," he said, then lit another cigarette, using his hand to shield the flame from the rain.

"Set up the camera on the skateboard ramp." He pointed, directing the camera guy that got out of the van. "I am for sure getting lead anchor out of this deal," he said under his breath as he continued to observe the area.

"Eddie, I have a request. Please don't use me in any camera footage, and don't jot down what I say, ok sugar?"

"I'm a journalist; it's my right to report the truth. I don't know how you play into this story tonight, but I'm going to get to the bottom of it," he responded firmly.

"OK, sweetie, have it your way."

I got up and walked over to the news van. Another cameraman was still inside, readying more equipment. I reached down and grabbed the front driver's side wheel, and stripped the nuts pulling the metal wheel and tire off of the van in one motion.

"Eddie, you seem to have a problem with your wheel; better call roadside service." Eddie was stunned.

I walked to the rear driver's side wheel and pulled it off, too, stripping it the same way. There was no way that tire was ever going back on.

"What in the hell are you doing? How are you doing that; don't destroy the news van!" He gasped.

"Eddie, it looks like you've got a problem with your broadcasting antennas," I said.

"OK, I won't film or report anything you say, damn it. Now just stop with the van."

"Certainly," I replied.

"Eddie, I like you, but you're a reporter looking for a story, so I'm going to go against my better judgment and give you the benefit of the doubt that you're going to do the right thing. If you do slip up, and anything about me hits the airwaves, I'm going to come looking for you, or else he will."