Quinn, accused of starting a fight at school, arrives late. Tonight, his story deals with suspicion, and the danger to which its misdirection leads. Submitted for the approval of the Midnight Society, he calls this story "The Tale of Vampire Town."
One stormy night, funeral director Carl enters Wisteria Funeral Home. He hears a suspicious sound.
In the morgue, from a table, a sheet-covered body rises. Carl jumps, and bangs his head, knocking himself out. Above him, the intruder grins, revealing a large set of fangs. Gloved hands rip open Carl’s collar - beneath which lies a silver cross. With a hiss, the caped intruder flees.
Mark and Carol drive son Adder to Wisteria, fabled Vampire Town, for a search of its catacombs for legendary vampire Dreyfus. The car parks by a remote, three storey greystone hotel. Adder uncorks a small blue bottle of "Raven's Blood," a mixture of nightshade and mandrake, irresistible to vampires. In the hotel foyer, Mark asks Stanley about the vampire rumours, which are dismissed as folklore. Adder asks to see the Catacombs. With a reproving note of Adder's outfit, Stanley tells them they're sealed off.
In the dead of night, Adder flicks on a torch, and steals through the foyer’s "no entry" door into the basement. From the shadows, Stanley and Carl nervously watch. In the basement, Adder forces open a rickety wooden door. Inside, he feels for a light switch, and presses it. Dim overhead lights show a wide, low-ceilinged passageway. Against walls of rock are propped several pikes, each topped with a human skull. Adder casts around his torch light, which lands on several unceremoniously strewn skeletons. Behind Adder, Stanley and Carl, each with a stake and hammer in hand, nervously follow.
Adder finds a huge stone sarcophagus. From the lid, he brushes away dust, to reveal the name Dreyfus. The two pursuers burst in, stakes poised. From a round hole in the sarcophagus lid protrudes a wooden stick. Adder pulls it out, flings it towards his persecutors, and runs. The sarcophagus lid shifts sideways. From inside reaches a ragged grey hand.
Through a wooden door, Adder gives his pursuers the slip. The door creaks open. In steps a lone man in a black jacket and black cravat. His head, etched almost to the bone, is green and purple with decay. He introduces himself as Dreyfus. Adder takes a defensive photograph, pushes past the dazzled vampire, and runs.
He finds his path barred by Stanley and Carl, who disbelieve his claims of non-vampirism. Adder runs, to find himself once more pursued by the shambling Dreyfus.
Adder leaps for a ventilation hole, and clambers into a basement across town. Upstairs, he finds himself in the local morgue. He nears another door. It's opened by Stanley, steak and hammer poised. Through the door behind Adder arrives Carl.
From the floor between them rises a shaft of ethereal smoke. Within forms a dark silhouette, which solidifies into the fiendish figure of Dreyfus. The smoke clears. Dreyfus seizes the throat of the terrified Carl. Stanley panics, drops his stake and flees. Adder uncorks his bottle of Raven’s Blood. Crazed with desire, Dreyfus staggers forward. Adder places the bottle on the coffin. Dreyfus drinks. Adder steps back, and wrenches down a curtain.
Caught in a glaring shaft of early morning light, Dreyfus falls to his knees, and spasms. The rays gradually blast his frame into a flaming husk. The skeletal remains drop to the floor and crumble to dust. Adder raises his camera, and takes a picture of Dreyfus’s dusty remains.
Next morning, after a good nights’ sleep, Rose and Mark step into the bright sunshine. Suddenly, they are surprised by the arrival of Adder - smiling airily in a green and blue shirt. With the catacombs closed, Rose suggests they do something else. Adder takes up his dad's offer of using the reserved Jet tickets.
He returns to the foyer, and hands Stanley the bottle of Raven's Blood, in case of more vampire attacks. Since Dreyfus rose only last night, who, Adder wonders, attacked Carl last week? Stanley grabs Adder’s shirt, and whirls him round - so that they both face a large mirror. The only reflection is Adder’s. Stanley bears his fangs…
On closure of the meeting, Andy and Vange delicately apologise for casually suspecting Quinn of having started the fight. He graciously puts them at ease - the guy stole Quinn's lunch, so had it coming.
This episode provides examples of:
- Ancient Tomb: Beneath Wisteria is a network of catacombs, which connect to at least two buildings. Down here are several entombed vampires, which the locals generally manage to keep entombed.
- The Bad Guy Wins: While Dreyfus is killed, the tale ends with confirmation of another vampire to be on the loose: Stanley, who prepares to bite Adder...
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Nervous Stanley has been hiding his vampirism all along.
- Continuity Nod:
- Revelation of an apparent innocent to have been a vampire all along somewhat recalls “The Tale of the Nightly Neighbours”.
- Adder’s killing of Dreyfus by opening a curtain somewhat recalls “The Tale of the Midnight Madness”.
- Feral Vampires: Dreyfus’s speech is restricted to brief indication of his intentions. His gaze evokes bestial, obsessive desperation.
- Goth: Subverted. Adder uses Goth apparel to think like a vampire, but this approach is overall theatrical.
- Holy Burns Evil: In the first attack, the vampire is repelled by Carl’s cross.
- Missing Reflection: Stanley.
- Scenery Porn: Some lovely shots of the surrounding countryside.
- Wham Shot: A mirror shows Stanley to have no reflection.
