The four other people around the table let out long-suffering groans of frustration. 
 

     “Marvin...what the hell is your character’s bravery score?”  Asked 
Melinda-of-the-many-piercings. 
 

     “Character?  Bravery score?  What dost thou be talking about?” 
 

     Todd stopped running the game to roll his eyes.  “It’s at default, he put all his 
points into ‘Buffness’ and ‘Toughness.’” 
 

     “So the average person would knee a bloodthirsty monster who just ripped several 
other people apart instead of running like hell?” 
 

     “He would if Marvin was playing him.  Who took my beer?” Gary looked 
crestfallen as Marvin finished off the last brewski. 
 

    “I think Jen and I are gonna call it a night.”  Albert said as he got their coats. 

     “Yeah, this game was like a real bummer.” Jen said knowingly.  Her and Albert’s 
characters had been so engrossed in each other that the aforementioned vampire had torn 
them in half without their noticing. 
 

     “I’m in on that.” Melinda and Gary both jumped up and fairly ran out the door. 
 

     All the while Marvin was rolling his dice over and over, only trying to get Todd’s 
attention when he rolled a really high number. 
 

     “Please tell me you’re taking laughing boy with you...” 
 

     Todd looked so pitiful as he begged that Albert felt bad telling him, “Sorry, man, 
I got so much shit in my car I’ll be lucky to fit Gary and Mel in it.  Looks like you’ll have 
to take the hero home yourself.” 
 

     Even the slashing motions Todd made across his wrist failed to sway his 
unfaithful companions. 
 

     “So did I hit him or what?” Marvin asked, seemingly oblivious to the situation. 
 

     “Yeah, whatever.  He’s rolling on the ground in pain and stuff.”  Todd began the 
long process of picking up the basement.  He never drank or smoked, but the others 
always seemed to make up for him.  The fact that Marvin was still adding to the pile 
didn’t help much. 
 

     “Cool, I poke out his eyes!” 
 

     Todd had had enough.  “He bites off your finger, you bleed to death.  Game 
over.” 
 

     “Wow, that’s a very vindictive attitude for someone with as trusted an office as 
game master to have.” 
 

     “Will you stop it?  It’s just a game but you manage to take all the fun out of it.  I 
mean, who the hell is going to have the presence of mind to knee a blood-spattered 
servant of hell in the nuts, especially with...” Todd rifled through character sheets and 
found “Wallace Knightbane” who seemed to have a lot of writing under the point 
garnering, but debilitating “... fears of: spiders, darkness, fire, loud noises, crowds, and 
BLOOD! “ 
 

      “Oh please, like my character’s supposed to be scared of some 
angst-ridden-monster-against-his-will-but-fighting-to-retain-his-humanity guy who likes 
to wear black and frighten teenagers on make-out bluff.”  Marvin made several ‘scoff, 
scoff’ sounds. 
 

     “So you’re telling me you wouldn’t be the least bit phased by the sight of 
someone suddenly having gleaming, dripping...” Todd suddenly turned his head around 
“FANGS!” 
 

     Marvin started laughing hysterically, “Those are really good fakes, but they are 
way too obvious.” 
 

     “They aren’t fake, little man!” Todd’s eyes burned red and his face became more 
animal like.  Bloody froth began to spatter when he spoke. 
 

     Marvin dropped his dice.  “Jesus, ok...  You made your point...settle down.” 
 

     “I haven’t even begun to make it.  You’re not so brave now, are you?”  Todd 
menacingly stomped toward the shaking Marvin. 
 

     “Sh-sh-sh-it!  You’re for real, aren’t you?” 
 

     “Good for you.” 
 

     “W-what are you doing to do to me?”  Marvin tried to use a TV Guide as a 
neckguard. 
 

     “I’m going to drink your blood.  You gonna stop me?” 
 

     “Yep.” Marvin punched his hand into Todd’s chest cavity and came out with the 
vampire’s withered heart.  Todd didn’t even have time to scream before he turned to ash. 
 

     “Your games sucked anyway.”  With that Marvin loped out of the house and 
began howling at the full moon.