Born without an expiration date

Thirty-seven

LEANDA

One thousand, three hundred, and nine-teen. That is how many Vampires were in the lab. That is how many we saved. Most were extremely weak. Luckily we had somewhere close to take them to recover. Quinn and a few of the young ones stayed behind to burn the lab and all evidence.

When everyone was at the safe house, it was time to mourn. Eighty-eight. That is how many we lost. We lay their bodies out in neat rows, and then stood in the shaded doorway, and watched as the sun rose and burnt their bodies to ash. A few tears were shed, it was a sad time. Most had lived long and full lives, but that never mattered. Whether they were hundreds of years old or thousands - it never made it any easier. Sometimes it even made it worse - some were friends I had many memories of. Friends I had fought through many wars with, friends I had drank with and danced with, friends who had ultimately given their lives to save others. A small ritual to lay them to rest, and now it was time to move on.

We had a logistical problem that needed immediate attention. We had over a thousand Vampires, who had not had blood in many weeks, maybe months. We could not let them wonder free in the town, it would be a m******e. They were trapped in the house by the sun, sleeping and recovering. But come nightfall, we would not be able to keep control of that many hungry beings.

Fire messages were sent to local friends, in the hope that something could be done. And everyone who could go out in the sun, despite being exhausted already, headed out again to see what they could do.