Sammy suddenly saw something quickly dart away in the corner of her eye. She turned around, and suddenly felt two hot teeth puncture her neck. She fell to the ground.

Karumi stepped out of the cab and on to the busy streets of Kyoto. She had come to investigate the case of a young girl, Janny, who had one day pricked her finger on a rose thorn and fell asleep. She hadn’t woken up since. Karumi searched her purse for the slip of paper that had the address written on it.

It was noon when Karumi arrived at the house. She was led by Janny’s father and mother through the gardens of their home, and soon arrived at a door. It slid open to reveal an empty room, with only the little girl lying on a futon sleeping.

"She was playing in the garden and pricked her finger on a rose thorn. She came inside and said she was sleepy, and hasn’t waken up for fourteen days." Said the mother, Kitaru.

Karumi stared at the face of the young girl, her hair bright red against her pale skin. Her eyes were closed.

"We asked a doctor to come in, but he said there wasn’t anything he could do. When Medical Science failed us, we turned to our beliefs. We called in a priest and he said…" The father’s voice wavered. "He said she was possessed…"

Karumi’s heart skipped a beat. "Possessed? I have dealt with these types of cases before. I’ll have to find out what spirit has taken over her body…"

From her purse, Karumi retrieved a gem. It was colored purple and black, each color swirling into each other and set in copper. Karumi started chanting, rubbing the gem in her hand. Suddenly she stopped, the gem dropping to the floor with a loud thud. Karumi gasped. A demon spirit!

Karumi watched the steamy white swirls rise from her cup of green tea. "I’m sorry that I can’t do anything. You see it’s a…a demon spirit. I can’t draw it out; it must come out on its own. I’m sorry…"

"That’s all right." Motoko, the father, said, even though Karumi knew it wasn’t all right. There was no way to cure their daughter.

"You did the best you could." Kitaru said. They led Karumi to the front gate. "Thank you for your help." Kitaru said, handing her some money.

"Please, keep it. I don’t think I’ll be needing it." Karumi said. She nodded good bye and the front gate door closed with a thud. Karumi turned around to see a boy peering over the fence. He had a large butcher knife in his hand. The boy turned around and stared at Karumi. She took a step back.

"W-what are you doing?" Karumi stuttered.

"The vampire lives in there." The boy said, looking around nervously. "I’m going to kill the vampire."

Karumi leaned against the glass window and watched the people go by. They were all busy, everyone going some place.

"So what happened that night?" she asked the boy, whose name was Ryuko.

"I was with my girlfriend, Sammy. We said good bye." Ryuko said. "I turned around and started walking home…

"Good bye, Ryuko." Sammy said. Ryuko turned around and started walking home. He was walking for a couple minutes when he heard a noise, like a dull thud. "Sammy!" Ryuko quickly ran back to where Sammy was standing, but now she was lying on to the concrete pavement. "Sammy!" Ryuko rushed to her. He turned Sammy’s body so he could see her face. Her eyes were glassy and he noticed two small holes on the right side of her neck. Blood oozed from one of the holes…

"I’m going to get revenge for Sammy. No matter what, I’ll kill that vampire!" Ryuko crushed his can of coke with one hand and threw it to the ground. A few people walking by peered curiously at them.

Ryuko was silent.

"I’m sorry about your girlfriend, Ryuko. But killing the vampire won’t bring her back." Karumi said.

"I don’t care." Ryuko spat. "I’ll kill that vampire anyway. I don’t care what happens."

Karumi felt sorry for him. Living each day with a bitter hatred inside him, she didn’t know how Ryuko could live with that, or perhaps it was the only thing that kept him going.

Erin cut the fabric carefully; making sure it was straight.

"I’m just going into the back room to get more pins." Her father said and disappeared through the back door that led to the storage room.

"Okay." Erin said and continued cutting. There was a faint thump. Erin looked around her father’s fabric shop, and wondered if her father was okay. She shrugged it off and continued. Suddenly there was a loud crack as the front window broke, and Erin fell to the floor, her eyes glassy and the scissors still in her hand.

So far all the victims have been girls…a university student, a schoolgirl, a reporter, a seamstress, and another schoolgirl. There must be some connection. Karumi stopped and looked around Tengoku Square. It was dark now, and the dim light of the lamps created shadows. The wind rustled through the treetops with a ghostly whistle, making Karumi’s skin crawl. Maybe I shouldn’t be here, Karumi thought, thinking of the vampire. Suddenly she saw something flicker and dart across the square, too fast for her eyes to capture. Her scalp prickled. Karumi jumped with fright at the sound of a loud crack of a lamp exploding, and another one. One by one the lamps cracked and she was left standing in the empty dark.

Through the dark she could see shadows, and the shadows took the shape of a girl wearing a traditional kimono. She sat on the top of the entrance to the square and a figure stood behind her, suspended in the air and hidden in darkness.

The girl laughed. "Don’t meddle in things you know little about. You’re a medium. You should know that."

Karumi didn’t take her eyes of the girl. "Who are you?"

"My name is Miyu. Princess Miyu, a demon hunter at day and vampire by night."

Karumi gasped. "Vampire…"

Miyu laughed. "Vampires are not what they seem. So typical, rising only at the time of midnight with clouded eyes and tainted lips. Only humans would think that."

Karumi’s heart beat faster. She looked into the laughing eyes of the vampire.

Miyu laughed. "I have no purpose for you. I am only here to tell you that you shouldn’t get caught up in things you don’t know about." With that, Miyu disappeared along with her friend, leaving Karumi alone.

"I can’t stand it!" Ryuko said. "I’m going to kill it tonight. I can’t wait any longer."

Karumi watched the angry Ryuko. What was she to say?

A couple of metres away, Miyu sat in the trees, watching the two. "Look at them, Larva. Plotting my fate, their eyes too clouded over to know that the truth is within them. It’s time to do something about it…" Miyu stretched her hand out toward Ryuko, silently beckoning him to her. She smiled when she saw Ryuko coming toward her.

"Ryuko!" Karumi called, but he didn’t turn around. He came to Miyu and she floated down toward him, embracing him with her pail arms. She reached for his neck.

"No!" Karumi couldn’t let Miyu take him. She reached for the Cross that hung on a chain around her neck and held it out in front of her. It suddenly broke off and flew towards Miyu like a bullet, but she caught it in her hand. Still sucking at Ryuko’s neck, Miyu opened her hand and powder, like sparkles, floated to the ground with the breeze.

Karumi gasped. Miyu was no ordinary vampire. She was still awake in the daylight and the Cross had no affect on her at all. Karumi’s knees buckled and she collapsed to the ground, and could do nothing but watch.

The daylight gave way to a dark world where echoes were heard and flesh red with blood, draped from every hanging branch. Karumi’s stomach lurched.

Miyu stopped and lifted her head.

Ryuko was still in a trance-like state as Miyu floated away from him. The darkness wore away and was replaced by the familiar surroundings of the park.

"Ryuko?" Karumi watched as he sat on the swing.

"Aren’t you still going to kill her?" Karumi asked. There was a pause.

"No. That doesn’t matter anymore." Ryuko said. He seemed as if he was in a dream.

"But what about Sammy? What about your vow for revenge?" Karumi said.

"I don’t care for that anymore." He said. "Nothing matters…"

What had Miyu done to Ryuko? It was like he wasn’t him any more, like something had taken over him.

Karumi stepped out of the Public Library and on to the dark empty streets. She had been researching about possession and vampires but her efforts amounted to nothing but several cups of coffee and useless information. She searched her purse for rental car keys but couldn’t find them. Karumi suddenly felt a presence near her.

"Oh, what tangled webs we weave…" Miyu appeared and floated towards Karumi.

"Miyu!" Karumi said. "What have you done to Ryuko?"

"I simply gave him what he wanted." Miyu said. "He was living his days in anger. I cured him. He will remain happy forever, even though the world may fall apart around him."

"How can you do that to him?"

"It is what I do." Miyu said. "I am a vampire, but not the type of vampire the books describe. I cure people of their problems. I can give eternal life. You should be careful. I told you not to interfere with the unknown." She hovered near Karumi, so close Miyu could almost reach her neck. "You don’t know the consequences…" Karumi could hear her heart pounding in the silence. Miyu smiled, her eyes laughing, then faded away but echoes of laughter was still heard.

"You’re the one who examined Janny when she pricked her finger, right?" Karumi asked.

"Yes." Doctor Yoku said. "Such a tragic case it was."

"Can you tell me about it?"

"Okay." Yoku said. "The family was driving back home from their holiday in the mountains. They had an accident…the car crashed at one hundred and ten kilometres an hour into a pole. Young Janny lost a lot of blood and had to be put in intensive care for days. We were running short of blood then, and the parents offered to give theirs for the little girl to live. Her parents died."

"Died?" Karumi said. "But I just spoke to them a few days ago. They can’t be dead." Karumi sighed closed her eyes. All the events passed whirled in her mind in a crazy thunderstorm and she was beginning to wear out.

Karumi was suddenly aware that the atmosphere had changed. She opened her eyes to find herself back in Janny’s room. She stared at the small girl. Janny’s eyes were closed and her chest was rising with each breath. Suddenly her eyes opened. She sat up and stared at Karumi with large green eyes. Janny leaned on Karumi’s thigh and craned her head towards Karumi’s face. Karumi trembled, leaning back.

Suddenly the two doors slid open and a brilliant light shone through. The light faded and Miyu appeared at the doorway with the figure behind her. "Larva!" Miyu called. The dark figure looked up at Janny and Karumi could see him clearly. He wore a mask, painted white with large blue tears coming from each eye. Its mouth was stretched in a grim smile.

"Janny is possessed by a demon spirit. Its name is Raku." Miyu said. "Inscribe Raku’s name in fire."

Larva held his arm out and in the palm of his hand a ball of blue fire appeared. With a loud crack, the ball of fire shot out and hit the back wall, spreading so it formed the shape of the word Raku in Kenji.

Janny screamed. From her mouth a serpent slid through, growing in size. The serpent cried out, a loud inhuman cry that hurt Karumi’s ears.

Janny crawled into a corner, tears in her eyes as she watched the serpent writhe around the room.

Strings of blue light streamed from the ground and wrapped around the serpent. The light swallowed the serpent up and it disappeared.

The fire flickered out and left charred black lines. The room became silent.

"Janny!" Karumi cried, reaching for her. She tried to comfort Janny’s sobs but failed. Janny stopped crying. She walked toward Miyu’s outstretched arm.

"No!" Karumi yelled. "I won’t let you take her!" She grabbed Janny and held her against her chest. Janny’s eyes flickered and her body grew limp. "Janny!"

"It’s too late." Miyu said. "I could have saved her, but you didn’t let me. She could have lived…as a vampire."

Karumi lay Janny’s body on the floor.

"It’s too late now." Miyu said. "I must go. Good bye." And in a brilliant flash of light, Miyu and Larva were gone.

"Wait!" Karumi cried, but it was too late.

Karumi breathed in the crisp morning air as she walked through the park to see Ryuko. He had been sitting at the swing ever since that day.

A group of schoolgirls burst into laughter not far from her. They stood at the bridge, watching Ryuko.

"He is so weird!" One of them said. "Why does he spend all of his days sitting on that one swing? Isn’t he bored?"

"You know what I heard," Another one said. "That he spends each day in a mindless happy dream."

Karumi recognized the girl. It was Miyu.

"Yeah right!"

"Come on," Miyu said. "Wouldn’t you like to be happy for all eternity?"

"Hey, we’re nearly gonna be late for school!"

Karumi watched as the girls rushed off.

A mindless happy dream… She looked at Ryuko, swinging dreamily back and forth as the sun shone around them and the birds twittered.

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