Mr. Vampire Who Lives in My Neighbourhood

14

She had crafted the perfect plan to lure the vampire, and the best bait was "blood." Taking advantage of her job, she brought home a few bags of blood from the blood bank. When Farrell appeared, her first move was to catch his attention with the fresh blood, then the traps hidden around would ensnare him. This way, she could interrogate him thoroughly and confirm if he was behind the recent murders.

Everything set, the night deepened. She avoided the main lights, opting for a soft glow from a night lamp, with the fresh blood bags laid out on the table as bait.

As the crescent moon rose, an ethereal mist gathered outside Florence's apartment.

As time ticked by, the silence grew, broken only by the occasional whisper of the evening breeze against the window. The stillness made her more alert, her heart pounding for reasons she couldn't fathom. She, who had spent countless nights alone with the deceased in the morgue, found herself unnerved by the slightest rustle.

The doorbell rang suddenly, startling her nearly to the floor as she scrambled to maintain her balance.

Turning on the light, she peeked through the peephole to see a radiant smile belonging to the Farrell, the new neighbor next door.

The door opened to reveal Florence wearing a breezy silk robe, having just emerged from a bath. "Farrell? At this hour?"

From its depths emerged Farrell, dapper as ever in frock coat and cravat.

"Florence, my dear! I've come bearing gifts."

"Ah but the night has just awoken!" He unfurled a parcel of obscure independent films and books on biological forensics. "I guessed correctly you might share these academic tastes."

"Well, well. How unusually thoughtful." Florence examined the titles with muted delight. Their rapport had indeed been warming. "I was about to review case histories but this is also...intriguing."

Bounding inside, Farrell gestured with a magnanimous twirl. "Then by all means, pursue those dreary medical codices, and I shall regale you with my adventures thwarting occult smugglers off the coast of Estonia!"

Florence hid a smirk, adjusting her reading glasses. "Make yourself at home as always. But do lower the theatrics - my neighbors are elderly."

As she sorted documents, Farrell recounted whispered tales amidst the glint of strange relics and sea creatures that left even her skeptical mind enrapt. Hours raced by unheeded.

Noticing her empty tea cup, Farrell gracefully rose to refill it. There the elaborate blood bag trap glowed under dim lights. "My, my Florence...one can never be too vigilant with protecting such precious research, eh?" Lifting the steaming pot, Farrell simply chuckled. "I shall await that brew with bated breath!"