Vampires of Port-Au-Prince

The sun rose over the City of Port-Au-Prince, bathing the Haitian capital in its golden light. The arrival of daylight banished the creatures of the night to their lairs, and Sebastien Guillot was among them. The six-foot-tall, dark-skinned and bald-headed Haitian Vampire returned to his dwelling, located underneath the remnants of Saint Bastille's Cathedral, located in the Delmas neighborhood. Casually lifting a two-ton rock obscuring the entrance to his underground lair, Sebastien carefully put it back into place.

"Lakay se lakay, home sweet home," Sebastien Guillot said to himself. The Vampire's eyes scanned the lair. Everything was right where he left it. Two mattresses piled side by side, along with some heavy blankets, and a few items including books, knifes, candles, matches, and more blankets. Sebastien felt the heat of the sun even this far underground. The sun's rays could not penetrate Sebastien's lair, he'd made sure of that, but the Vampire could feel his bane at work just the same.

Just like rats always construct an emergency exit for their lairs, Sebastien had a hidden escape route safely leading out of his nest. The City of Port-Au-Prince is chaotic due to political unrest but those things never last too long. For a Vampire like Sebastien, every day is a battle. At the end of the day, all of Humanity numbers among the Vampire's enemies. Sebastien does not let his guard down because quite frankly he cannot afford to. Life is a vicious game, and the undead existence is proving to be even more cutthroat...

When the 2010 Earthquake hit the Island of Haiti, hustler and swindler Sebastien Guillot was trapped underground and encountered an ancient creature. A thing that had been living on the Island of Haiti since the time of the Taino Indians. An Arawak tribesman named Baropo, who once fought alongside legendary Carib tribal leader Caonabo, the man who defied Christopher Columbus military might. The undead monster made the dying Sebastien an offer he could not refuse. Baropo the Arawak Vampire turned Sebastien into one of the Undead. Sebastien has roamed the Island ever since. Such is his fate.

Once upon a time, Sebastien was a mortal man. A student at the University of Notre Dame of Haiti, Sebastien was the cocky bad boy that all the ladies craved. He was dating a beautiful young woman named Pauline and he'd been somewhat serious about her. Pauline loved Sebastien and wanted to make an honest man out of him. When Sebastien got arrested for a get-rich-quick scheme, Pauline bailed him out. After his case got dismissed by the Criminal Court of Port-Au-Prince, Sebastien celebrated by making love to Pauline and then proposing to her.

"Pauline, you make me want to be a better man, I want to spend my life with you," Sebastien said to the tall, awkward yet beautiful lady who had his heart. Like the clever, conniving sort that he was, Sebastien had the proposal planned to a T. He invited Pauline to a fancy restaurant, and they dined on delicious, expensive food. Pauline was still blathering about Sebastien needing to change his ways when he silenced her with this supposedly impromptu proposal...

"Oh my, of course I accept," Pauline said, gushing as she admired the shiny engagement ring Sebastien gave her. Sebastien got down on one knee and proposed to Pauline at a nice restaurant called Maison Lorraine, located in Petionville. The other restaurant patrons smiled and clapped, feting the happy couple. Sebastien pulled Pauline into his arms and kissed her passionately. Yes, Sebastien was a scumbag but he really did care for Pauline and wanted a life with her. If only he knew what life had in store for him...

Sebastien rested peacefully on the twin mattresses, and pulled the covers on his body for an extra layer of protection. Tonight's Hunt had been successful. The gang warfare blighting the capital was intensifying. Amid the chaos, nobody paid attention to one more missing person case. Sebastien was discrete, and disposed of his victims after feeding on them. A Vampire must feed every few days in order to survive. If there are too many Vampires in one locale, they will be detected by humans and destroyed, or exhaust the food supply. Both scenarios are unacceptable to Sebastien. He's a rather conscientious Vampire.

One of Sebastien's first victims had been Baropo, the ancient Arawak Vampire who turned him. The wizened old monster had been around for over eight centuries and at one point, the Arawak tribal folk revered him as one of the demons of their ancient religion. Sebastien learned the ways of the Vampire from Baropo and then disposed of him. As a mortal and as a Vampire, Sebastien has always been ruthless. The weak and the stupid deserve whatever fate befalls them.

"I am the last of the Arawak Vampires," Baropo protested, the day Sebastien disposed of him. Smiling, Sebastien grabbed the ancient Native American Vampire and tossed him into the sunlight. Baropo burned to ash. After taking care of that little ditty, Sebastien helped himself to the gold and diamonds that Baropo had spent centuries amassing. The ancient treasures of the extinct Arawak people were buried in Baropo's lair, located beneath the streets of Port-Au-Prince. The old monster had been quite the hoarder. Oh well, Baropo's loss was Sebastien's incredible gain.

Sebastien slept in the death-like sleep of the Undead. The Haitian Vampire's chest did not rise and fall, for he does not breathe. Deep underground, with rats, worms and other pests for company, Sebastien is far removed from the humanity on which he feeds. Sebastien still wears the form of man but does not belong to the tribes of men any longer. The world changes, nations rise and fall, and the Vampires, creatures of forever, continue to feed upon the race of Man.

Even as Sebastien the Vampire slept, his mind raced. The Haitian Vampire wondered what became of his eternal enemies. In the West, most people think of the supernatural as simply the stuff of myth and legend. On the Island of Haiti, most people believe that the supernatural is as real as it gets. Men and women born with special abilities, referred to as Bokor, Houngan and Mambo, fight against the forces of the supernatural. The Vampires, Werewolves ( locally known as Loup Garou ) and Demons have learned to fear these unique people. Sebastien is no exception.

In the City of Cap-Haitien, located in the mountainous Nord Department of Haiti, trouble is brewing. La Societe De Lumiere, whose men and women Hunt the unnatural throughout the Island of Haiti, is gathering. For today's meeting, the members gathered in an empty classroom inside Le College Notre Dame Du Perpetuel Secours, a prestigious all-male Catholic School. The evil that they fight has been multiplying amid the chaos gripping the Island of Haiti, and something had to be done about it.

"Mes freres et mes sœurs, bienvenus, my brothers and sisters, welcome," said Madame Pauline Calixte. The tall, dark-skinned and curvy, forty-something Haitian woman smiled at her colleagues. The six women and eight men seated in the classroom nodded and greeted the speaker. All of them were Bokors and Mambos, men and women born with extraordinary powers. They were all that stood between the people of Haiti and the monsters of the supernatural. This wasn't a social call but a call to arms.

"Les Vampires de l'Ouest se multiplient, the monsters of the West are multiplying," said Jean Bertrand Matthieux. The short, stocky and muscular Haitian man, a former police officer, looked at his brethren as he spoke. Madame Pauline Calixte nodded her assent, and Jean Bertrand Matthieux then continued his report on the situation in Port-Au-Prince. The Vampires were multiplying left and right, and something had to be done about them.

"C'est notre tache de les detruir, it is our task to destroy them," Madame Pauline Calixte said firmly. The men and women gathered in the classroom exchanged looks of apprehension. The Island of Haiti is gripped with social conflict as well as the usual troubles that come with infrastructure, healthcare and economic problems. The Vampires, the supernatural world's most opportunistic predators, were taking advantage of the situation. Something had to be done about them before it was too late...

"I have identified some of the capital's most vicious Vampires and their locations," said Jean Bertrand Matthieux. The stocky man texted pictures of the intel he'd spent weeks gathering. There were pictures of about a dozen Vampires. Madame Pauline Calixte and the others checked their phones and looked at the intel. The group leader's heart skipped a beat as she saw a disturbingly familiar face.

"Sebastien," Madame Pauline Calixte whispered. The others were too busy looking at their phones and downloading the data on their Vampire targets to notice the group leader's discomfort. Madame Pauline Calixte set down her phone and put on a brave smile. She hadn't seen Sebastien Guillot in a long time. Hell, she had no idea that he'd become a Vampire. She thought he was among the hundreds of thousands who died in the 2010 Earthquake. Back then, Pauline and Sebastien had been college sweethearts. How times have changed...

"We have our assignments, my brothers and sisters, bonne chasse, happy Hunting," said Jean Bertrand Matthieux. Madame Pauline Calixte thanked the group members for coming. They headed to the Armory, located underneath Le College Notre Dame Du Perpetuel Secours. The men and women of La Societe De Lumiere armed themselves with silver bullets, rifles, bayonets, machetes, swords and wooden stakes. Nothing quite like a Vampire Hunt to get the blood going. These Hunters and Huntresses love their job and do it happily.

Madame Pauline Calixte returned home that night, and made preparations to leave Cap Haitien. She headed to the bus station and boarded a bus heading out of the City of Cap-Haitien, in Haiti's Nord Department. It would take a couple of hours to reach Port-Au-Prince. There was gunfire erupting all over the capital but didn't faze her. The seasoned Huntress kills Vampires, Werewolves and Demons for a living. The thugs, gangsters and hoodlums ravaging the country did not worry Madame Pauline Calixte. This tall, stoic Haitian woman is made of sterner stuff. Still, she was quite emotional as she headed to Port-Au-Prince.

"Sebastien, tu n'es pas mon fiance, tu es un monstre, you are not my fiance, you are a monster, Madame Pauline Calixte repeated to herself as the bus neared Port-Au-Prince. The Huntress set foot in the capital of Haiti, and looked like any ordinary middle-aged black woman walking the uncertain streets. As if by instinct, thugs, gangsters and hoodlums gave her a wide berth. Predators know other predators when they see them. The Huntress has come to the capital of Haiti to kill Vampires, and at the top of her Hunting List is one who used to be her fiancé. How will Madame Pauline Calixte handle her task? The Huntress does her job happily.

When night fell, Sebastien went out. He walked through the streets of Port-Au-Prince, looking like any tall, handsome, twenty-something young black man. One of the many benefits of the Undead state is the absence of aging, along with robust health, superhuman strength, enhanced stamina and an accelerated healing factor. Vampires are not invincible but they are quite durable. For fourteen years, Sebastien the Vampire has made the City of Port-Au-Prince his hunting ground. He prefers to slay murderers, human traffickers, rapists and other criminals, the sort of scum that society does not miss.

The moon hung fat in the Haitian sky, and Sebastien smiled at the pale mistress. The gangs were everywhere in the capital, and Sebastien figured he'd catch one and drain him or her before disposing of them. The night was young and so was Sebastien. The Haitian Vampire stood atop the old Notre Dame University campus main building and looked at the sprawling metropolis of Port-Au-Prince. Will the capital ever catch a break? Sebastien has the potential to live forever, but doubts he'd ever see that come to pass. The capital has the worst luck in the world.

"Sebastien," came a feminine voice, startling the hell out of the Vampire. Sebastien whirled around. Some newbie Vampires would attack without hesitation, fangs bared and claws extended. Sebastien is no rookie. He has fought many men and women in his time, as well as fellow monsters. Port-Au-Prince's most elusive Vampire is careful. He faced the new threat with utter calm. The woman stood a short distance away, a wooden stake in her hand.

"Bonsoir, madame," Sebastien said as he faced the Huntress. The Vampire knew his enemies when he saw them. The Island of Haiti has societies of men and women dedicated to slaughtering the supernatural. Sebastien usually managed to stay off their radar. Sebastien didn't kill innocents, unlike most Vampires, who saw no difference between bad people and good people since all humans are food to them.

"I am here to end you," Madame Pauline Calixte said as she stepped closer to Sebastien. A look of surprise crept into Sebastien's handsome face as he recognized her. It had been almost fifteen years. Sebastien, being a Vampire, still looked like the twenty-something young Haitian man he'd once been. Pauline had aged, albeit in a fine, MILF kind of way. Pauline looked at Sebastien coldly and hefted the sharp stake in her hand. Huntress and monster exchanged a resolute nod.

"I cannot allow that, Pauline," Sebastien said, and that's when the Huntress came for him. Madame Pauline Calixte has been hunting monsters for a long time. The job of Bokor and Mambo, defenders of the Haitian community against supernatural threats, are typically passed from mother to daughter, father to son. With uncanny speed, the Huntress came at the Vampire. Sebastien dodged Pauline's attack and tried to kick her legs out from under her. Undaunted, the Huntress pressed her attack.

"You are a monster and I must kill you," Madame Pauline Calixte said, and she lunged at Sebastien with the stake. The Vampire caught the Huntress's hand and twisted it, forcing her to drop the stake. Groaning in pain, Madame Pauline Calixte pulled a silver dagger out of her pocket and tried to stab Sebastien with it. The Vampire recoiled. Silver weapons are really harmful to Vampires. While dodging Pauline's attack, Sebastien tripped and fell. The Huntress stood over the Vampire, ready to end him.

"I am sorry it's come to this," Sebastien said, and Pauline raised her dagger, aiming for his heart. Sebastien the Vampire is a good guy of sorts, as far as the Vampire community is concerned. Yes, he can be ruthless but he doesn't believe in unnecessary killings. At the end of the day, though, survival comes before goodness. Sebastien saw Pauline, his former fiancée, ready to murder him, and he wasn't about to let her end him out of chivalry or male niceness or something.

"Die, monster," Madame Pauline Calixte said as she brought the silver dagger down on Sebastien's chest. Sebastien was suddenly thankful for the bulletproof vest he'd taken from a corrupt cop a while ago. The vest blocked the dagger, surprising the hell out of Pauline. The Vampire yanked the dagger from the Huntress's hand and thrust it into her chest. Pauline gasped in shock as the Vampire used her own weapon against her. The Huntress coughed blood and looked at the Vampire standing over her. The monster had won...

"What a waste," Sebastien said to himself. The Vampire looked at the woman he'd once loved as a mortal. Pauline Calixte had been Sebastien's lover and biggest supporter during their halcyon days at the University of Notre Dame in Port-Au-Prince. He had no idea that she was a Huntress. Every monster knows that the Hunters and Huntresses are recruited among men and women born with extraordinary powers. These fanatics kill all nonhuman monsters indiscriminately. They were the bane of the supernatural communities.

"You must discover the other side," Sebastien said to Pauline. The Vampire bent over his victim and smiled cruelly. Biting into his wrist, Sebastien drew blood and let his blood drip into Pauline's open mouth. The Vampire's blood seeped into the Huntress mouth, invading her body. The Vampire virus rapidly altered the Huntress at a genetic and cellular level, mutating her from enhanced human to blood sucker. Sebastien carried Pauline back to his lair. Three nights later, Pauline arose as a newbie Vampire.

"You turned me into a monster," Pauline said to Sebastien, after she realized what he'd done. Angered and disgusted, the newly made Haitian female Vampire tried to punch her maker but Sebastien was too fast. Sebastien caught Pauline's wrist and pushed her back. Pauline hadn't lost any of her fire. She was just as spirited as Sebastien remembered. Sebastien smiled, pleased with the success of Pauline's transformation from Huntress to Vampire. This was deliciously ironic...

"Pauline, you are a Vampire, like me, you don't have to be a monster, I only kill bad people, but whether you accept this or not, you aren't with the Societe De Lumiere anymore, you are one of us now," Sebastien said coldly. Pauline glared angrily at Sebastien as she considered his words. Pauline Calixte felt strange. She no longer breathed. She felt cold and hungry. She also felt superhumanly strong and powerful. The Vampire state was...different.

"I will hate you until the end of time," Pauline Calixte said, flashing her fangs. Sebastien laughed and sped away. He'd said as much to Banopo, the ancient Arawak Vampire who turned him into one of the Undead. Whether Pauline chose to embrace the life of a Vampire, or foolishly got herself killed by going back to the Hunters was up to her. Sebastien gathered his money, and boarded a boat leaving Port-Au-Prince for the shores of Miami, Florida. A couple of days later, Sebastien was chilling in Miami's Little Haiti Neighborhood.

"To new beginnings," Sebastien the Haitian Vampire said to himself. The City of Miami, Florida, is beautiful and diverse. As a tall, good-looking ( and eternally young ) black man, Sebastien can have all kinds of fun in such a locale, especially since he's filthy rich. After liquidating the Arawak Vampire's treasure, Sebastien is now worth eleven million U.S. dollars. Sebastien wondered what Pauline Calixte was doing. Has she accepted her new status as a Vampire? Has the change driven her to madness? Sebastien didn't care either way. He was done with Pauline.

"I will kill you someday, Sebastien," Pauline Calixte grunted as she ran through the streets of nighttime Port-Au-Prince. After Sebastien turned her into a Vampire against her will, Pauline tried to go back to the Societe De Lumiere for help. The group, which Pauline once considered family, were horrified by her transformation into a Vampire. The Hunters and Huntresses tried to kill Pauline, and not even her old friend Jean Bertrand Matthieux wanted to give her a chance. They saw Pauline as a monster, something to be killed.

One of newbie Vampire Pauline Calixte's first victims was Jean Bertrand Matthieux's wife Sophie. The bastard deserved all the pain and misery in the world for betraying Pauline after she became a Vampire. Pauline vowed to hunt down the Societe De Lumiere and their families one by one. She knew where they lived, how they operated and how they thought. Pauline armed herself with guns and knives instead of relying on brute strength and speed like most Vampires did. When a Hunter or Huntress becomes one of the Undead, they're super dangerous...

One by one, Pauline the Vampire destroyed the Societe De Lumiere. The supposedly enhanced men and women of this secret group of monster-fighters were no match for her. After finishing with her old friends-turned-enemies, Pauline looked for Sebastien. The Island of Haiti is full of Vampires and most of them had something against Sebastien for his do-gooder ways. They told Pauline that Sebastien had gone to the United States. Pauline is hot on his trail. The cocky Haitian Vampire ended Pauline's world when he turned her, and she wanted revenge. Pauline's sole reason for living is ending Sebastien's eternal life. Mortal or immortal, we all need something to live for...