31 Graves for October: A month of horror stories to unearth.

"Is it true that ghouls can experience the last moments of a human's life by consuming them?" said the woman.

Without looking up, Thornton knew it was a vampire. They had a certain smell. Not altogether unpleasant, but a distinct odor nonetheless. Thornton replied, "It's true enough, miss..."

"Addison Rothchilds," she replied.

The ghoul nodded, still looking down.

"Do you retain that knowledge?" asked the vampire.

Thornton had forgotten his manners. He stood, indicating the chair at the opposite end of the café table. Then, he saw her.

Addison was beautiful. She was tall and had long wavy blonde hair that went past the waist. She appeared to be in her early twenties, though with vampires age was relative.

Thornton knew that vampires and ghouls could produce offspring. Someone like Addison could be the one to make him settle down, raise a family of "goopires".

She sat, winking. She seemed to know what he was thinking. Immediately, Thornton grew embarrassed. Perhaps the rumors that vampires could read minds was correct.

Thornton played it cool. He sat and returned to the black coffee he had ordered. Addison pulled out an amulet, letting it sparkle by the modest light of the candle in the center of the table. It was black obsidian set in shimmering silver. Thornton wondered if she were trying to bewitch him and decided he didn't care.

Thornton said, "I bet werewolves hate that."

Addison laughed. It was a sound pregnant with malice yet alluring as sin. "Not just them. This is the Charm of Sonora. It has...powers."

Thornton wasn't curious by nature, so he didn't pry. She had somewhere to go with this, he knew, but he didn't like being guided in conversation. He took a sip of the coffee.

"I have a bet for you, ghoul. This charm against your fancy convertible out there," said the vampire.

Despite himself, Thornton looked into her black soulless eyes. "On what terms?"

She smiled, fangs curling over her bottom lip. "I wager that you can't eat a corpse a day for all October, then come back and tell me something interesting about them before midnight on Halloween."

Thornton smiled. This could be interesting, he thought.