Jonathan stared in disbelief.

“Alphonse?” Jonathan said, shocked.

There he was before him. The vampire’s pale skin, contrasted with his dark clothes, nearly matched the white walls of the house. Jonathan watched as he stepped quickly into the room, fully expecting the vampire to vanish, a hallucination.

“Come, quickly now,” he said, more urgently. He held out his hand, and Jonathan stared at it a moment before reaching out.

His ...