Marie. Marie, Marie, Marie. How could you?
The second and third were named Karl Niers and Peter Hopf: they knew each other well, and shared several interests. I do not think that they were intimates in that particular way, but the two were often in each other’s company. It was hardly difficult to come across them in one of the half-grown parks that Bavarians so love to scatter about their domains. I was surprised, honestly; not many people dare stroll through the park at dusk, even in these safer times. And for good reason.
Herr Niers I killed right away, brazenly choking him in clear view of Herr Hopf. For a moment I thought that Hopf might remain frozen to the spot until it was his turn to die, but the man took to his heels while I was shoving Niers under a shrubbery for later. He was too terrified to even scream, which is something that happens often enough in vampire attacks to suggest a supernatural cause.
The condition would not last long, so I left Neir’s cooling corpse behind while I chased down Hopf. It was not a particularly lengthy chase. In fact, it lasted precisely as long as I needed to spot a suitable spot for disposal; once I spotted it, I leapt forward to grip my quarry with pitiless hands. He did find breath enough to start begging, but I silenced that with a single, powerful slap.