"What is wrong? You do not look all right." Brett asked.
"The Councilmembers are gone." Paddy told him.
"Gone? Gone where?" Brett asked.
"Gone as in into a pile of ashes."
"What?!" They both said.
"There was a bright light. It made my skin burn. The Councilmembers were on the roof. They had no protection." I told him.
"Is it safe for us to go outside?" Brett asked.
"I do not know but I am waiting for nightfall." Paddy told him.
"Yes very good idea."
They went to their own rooms.
We came out at nightfall to survey the Manor. Paddy and I went on the roof and cleaned up the Councilmembers. Their ashes were mixed together. They must have been holding each other when they burnt up. We put their ashes in Councilwoman Cleo's favourite vase. Brett made a plaque with their names on it.
Shaun and Colleen arrived in the afternoon. Shaun looked at Paddy. "What are those men doing?" He nodded towards the humans. "They are finishing the pool in the basement that the Councilmembers paid for."
"Oh I see." Shaun said.
I came into the Common room with some tea and biscuits for them.
"Kylie!" Colleen cried out."Your skin!"
"I am fine Colleen. Just slightly sunburned." I smiled.
"Where were you when it happened?" Shaun asked.
"I was in the cold storage getting chicken for Paddy's meal when it became very bright and my skin started to burn."
"I found her screaming I brought her to the bathing room and cooled Kylie down in the shower." Paddy told his parents.
Brett and Edward were standing in the doorway. "Come in." Shaun told them. "Where were you two yesterday during the sun flash?"
"Down in the basement digging Sir."
"Good you were protected." Shaun nodded.
"I have spoken to the other Councilmembers. They want an Emergency meeting in two weeks. I have booked passage for all of us on an Oceanliner. We leave in two days for Canada."
"Yes Sir."
We left instructions to the men who were making the pool that we would be gone because of a family emergency. They were to finish the project.
We boarded the oceanliner and set sail to North America. Many of our community were on this ship. We slowly found out that many vampires perished with the sunflash.
We arrived back in Montreal, Canada a week later. We were in the cavern the next day. It was just easier to run then wait for a boat to take us up the St. Lawrence Seaway.
Within a week everyone arrived for the emergency Meeting.
We put the vase containing Councilman Klaus and Councilwoman Cleo's ashes on the dias with the other Council members. First the rest of the Vampire Council was put beside them. There was a thousands of urns on the dias. The werewolf and Mixed Blood Councils stayed off the dias in respect.
Julian and Athos stood at the front of the dias. "Can all the vampires please come to the front." Athos said.
"Is this everyone?" Julian asked. We looked around. "Yes." Julian shook his head.
"One of my science friends told me what happened two weeks ago. It was gamma ray flash from the sun. They are highly unpredictable so we must be very careful." Athos looked at all the surviving vampires. "And it looks like there is only guardsmen left that survived." He smiled. "This is easy. You all know the laws and obey them faithfully." We nodded. "There is no reason we need to be governed by our own people when we have two Councils to confer with. Do you all agree?"
"Yes Sir."
"All right. Zeus write down all the survivors names so that the registry can be completed."
"Yes Sir."
Zeus had everyone line up to take their names. The other Councilmembers asked, "What are we to do with the ashes?"
"There are many chambers down below we could put all our friends in." Annabelle suggusted.
"Yes that is a good idea." said Councilwoman Martha. "Are we in agreement?"
"Yes Madam." Came the response.
"Good we will find an appropiate chamber for all our friends."
We found one of Katey's former garden rooms still had the tables set up. We brought all the urns down and place them on the tables. Victoria May and Benjamin brought in two large pots of flowers. They were placed near one of the mirrors for sunlight.
A little while later we were standing in the main square Councilman Lance asked Zeus. "How many vampires are left?"
"One hundred and five Sir. And they are all guardsmen."
"Good. Thank you Zeus." The Councilman nodded. "My fellow Councilmembers and I have been discussing what to do with remaining vampires. We decided we will share the responsibility of all of you. I am sure some of you will become spokemen when needed." We nodded. "Are we in agreement?"
"Yes Sir."
"Good. This concludes this Emergency Meeting. You may all return home. See you at our regular gathering."
So that ended our great vampire community none of the guardsmen ever made a vampire because we know how hard it is at times to control them.
After our last gathering, we were still at one hundred and five I do not think we will be a large group again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
