Once, the nest had numbered eight vampires, dedicated to serving their leader, the Queen of the Vampires. Over the previous evenings, she had sent them roaming through the town, in search of victims whose deaths would bring her the life force she needed.
Midsummer's day was approaching fast, and she knew that she had to break free of her imprisonment before then, if she was to avoid the ultimate dissolution that would result from the flows of mystical energy that converged on the town every year. Every evening, her minions brought back victims - but nowhere near enough. Every evening, the time available for hunting became progressively less as sunset came later and later, and sunrise earlier and earlier.
Still, the Queen reflected as she studied the three remaining vampires cowering before her, there was satisfaction to be had from making an example of one of them - to encourage the others, naturally. She smiled a mirthless, lop-sided smile as she contemplated the frantic attempts these creatures would soon be making to blame one another for their failure, and so escape her anger.
"So," she said. "Another night gone. You could have brought back three victims each - that's nine in all. Instead, even after getting rid of five poor performers, you managed a pathetic four. Who still isn't pulling their weight? Who's letting everybody down?"
All three vampires spoke at once, each naming one of their supposed comrades and pointing a finger to ensure that there would be no doubt.
"Darius," said the Vampire Queen, fixing one of her cringing acolytes with an icy glare. "You blame Toby. Why?"
"It was the old man," Darius told her. "Toby had him cornered, but she heard his dog barking. She challenged Toby, and he ran off without even trying to fight."
"I see," the Queen nodded. She paused for effect before turning to another vampire. "Aurora, you also blame Toby. Why Toby?"
Aurora seemed more confident. She gathered her thoughts, and looked the Queen straight in the eye as Toby shrank back against a boulder. His attention was on Aurora and the Queen, allowing Darius to move, unseen, to stand on the other side of the boulder, behind Toby.
"Because he ran off instead of fighting," Aurora said.
"Because he ran off instead of fighting," the Queen repeated slowly. "I see. But Toby wasn't the worst vampire, was he?"
"I sup... suppose not," Aurora stammered, her confidence ebbing once more.
"You suppose correctly. At least Toby brought back two victims - you didn't bring any!"
Aurora's confidence was completely gone now, and she began to look around her, desperately seeking a second exit when she knew full well that there was only one, and the Queen barred the way.
"But." said the Queen, "It's votes that count." She nodded to Darius, and as he plunged a stake through Toby's back and into his heart, she added: "Toby, you are the weakest link. Goodbye!"