Andre grinned as he hammered the last nail home, nailing the bulletproof cover over the final window in the stone building.  He had been a fool to invite Claude into his home.  He should have realized it was strange for his old friend to demand he be invited in before crossing the threshold.

His studies had been extensive and he had taken every precaution he could think of.  He had dug a moat around the house and installed a series of pumps, surrounding his home with a ring of flowing water.  A priest had been by earlier in the day to bless his home, anointing the entrances with holy water.

Every window in the home was now covered by a layer of bulletproof glass.  A silver crucifix was stood before each window, facing out.  Strings of garlic were hung on either side of each.

Garlic was also hung inside of each door and he had gone so far as to scatter rice outside of every last one, hoping that the old tales of vampires’ compulsion to count things were true.

Finally, he started a roaring fire in the fireplace.  Smoke from the dry oak logs billowed up the chimney as warmth and light filled the room.  He walked over to the wall, punching in the code for the home alarm system that had actually been installed years before.

Satisfied at last that he was safe, he collapsed in his plush, leather armchair in front of the cheery fire.  

He had closed his eyes and was just dozing off as he felt chilled hands gently kneading his shoulders.  His blood ran cold as he heard his friend Claude’s voice whispering just behind his ear.

“Impressive, truly.”