Hi Mum, it's Sammy (clone 47 - part 8)

I had an unexpected bonus. Don had a decent car, I found the keys on the ground after the Reaper had gone.

Since Don is in no condition to use or appreciate a vehicle, I may as well have some wheels of my own.

I'm not sure I mentioned. My hard work and dedication to the team moved me up to one of the starters.

It's good for both me and the team. My skills and speed are hard for any other team to match when they only have mortal players.

Robert Newbie retired, Angel Lobos is my new boss. I think that's great, we've been friends for some time.

It's not too hard to get Angel to visit. He lives across the street. It only takes him a moment to walk over.

We chatted about a few things, including work. Angel agreed to give me a raise.

He also agreed to help me with a more physical need before he went home to his wife.

It's 8 in the morning and some idiot human wakes me up with a phone call. Don't they know I should be sound asleep now?

"Yes what?"

"Really?"

"I think I could arrange some time this evening?"

"I'd really rather not at this time in the day."

"The mayor insists? Well, I guess I could go over for a short time."

I hung up and sighed. The mayor wants some sort of ceremony and he insists on now. So I grabbed a shower, got dressed and walked out of the door.

And straight into a cage. Someone had set up a cage just outside my front door.

The cage had a keeper. George Dean was standing just on the other side.

I'm not sure if I should be flattered or worried that the highest ranking cop has been seconded to watch over me. If it were night, I would never worry. During the daylight, I have no special powers of persuasion, speed or strength.

It took a truck and 6 burly men to move the cage from outside my door to here. I'm trapped in the center of town in full sun. Oh god, that sun is intense.

"George, my dear fellow."

"That's Mr Dean to you, vampire."

That's not a promising start. "Surely Mr Dean, there's been a dreadful error. If you could just let me..."

"I know what you want. It's worth my job and my pension to let you out of this cage without proper authority."

"And proper authority would be?"

"The orders were signed by the mayor. He must countermand them."

I tried for awhile but Dean pretended I no longer existed. He didn't react to anything I said.

It wasn't long before I was desperate to get out of the sun. The now familiar feel of my skin sizzling slowly grew more intense.

Finally, the mayor arrived. If Walter Grisby will have the cage opened now, I'll be fine. I might smell a bit like a roast dinner but I'll be fine.

"Mr Mayor, my dear sir. There seems to have been a small mistake."

"Mistake, Mr Grant?"

"The police feel that I need to be held here. But I've done nothing wrong."

"Nothing wrong, Mr Grant? You consider the death of Don Lothario nothing?"

Oh, shit. "Death? I know nothing of a death."

"We have proof that you were in the graveyard in the company of Don Lothario the other night. We have proof that you bit him. There was a photographer there, he was interested in seeing if he could capture ghosts on film. He caught you and Don on film instead."

Damn, was that who I smelled?

"It took us all of yesterday to dig through the city laws, Mr Grant. What we eventually found was very interesting. We have a custom of trial by ordeal for determining the guilt or innocence of a vampire. The vampire is placed in a cage for one full day outside. If they live, they are innocent. If they die, they were guilty."

Grisby continued, "Many of our fine citizens have been complaining of vampires in their midst. They know they're being hunted. They don't like it."

"But I take only from the willing."

"That might have been true once, but you crossed a line. You are a danger to the community at large."

"I could leave town."

"It would be irresponsible of me to allow you to terrorise another community. This ends here." With that, the mayor walked away. I watched my hopes of survival go away with him.

---

People wandered by the cage all day. Most acted like there was an obstacle to avoid, sparing no glance in my direction.

A few came by to jeer, including members of the opposing team.

A few came by to offer me what comfort they could. MJ was one of the latter.

Ripley also visited me in kindness. Ripley has promised to deliver this last note to you when I'm finished.

Eventually, I was overwhelmed by the hot sun on my skin. I fainted. I have no idea how long I was out. It must have been for some time, someone managed to place an old lawn chair in one corner of the cage and my bass near the center. I suppose that someone decided I didn't have to spend all my time standing and bored.

When I woke, I felt very weak. One of the smallest toddlers from the toddler coaching class could have easily bested me in a fight.

My skin was extra crispy and my thirst was starting to build.

I was grateful for the bass. It gave me a way to distract myself.

I played for hours.

It was finally evening. No more sun beating down. At long last, no more sun.

I had been very badly damaged by sunlight during the day in the cage. I could feel myself recovering slowly from the sun, however I still didn't feel like my vampire self.

Thirst was beginning to truly plague me. And it is building fast. Much faster than usual.

"Hello? What?"

"Yes, I would be very interested in life insurance. Could you get me signed up in say, ten minutes?"

"No?"

"In that case, I don't think there's time. Goodbye."

It's time to set this note to the side for Ripley. Thirst is beginning to drive me insane. If I cannot drink soon, I die.

The death of a vampire

If they have been badly damaged by sun, the end is much faster. Sam had the Very Thirsty (24 hours) and Madly Thirsty (24 hours) moodlets. However, these moodlets counted time very very fast. He died well before the end of his first day in the cage. Nothing like the 3 days it should have taken a healthy Sim to die.

Death by thirst wins points as a spectacular death. Now I've only actually seen death by age, fire, starvation and drowning. So one of the others might be interesting but a vampire death by thirst is quite impressive.

First your poor Sim crumbles to dust.

Then the Grim Reaper shows up.

And you get a very spooky ghost because you can hear and see their heart beat in their chest.

All up, one of the coolest ghosts I've seen.

Sam usually just shakes hands with the reaper. I can't remember him ever pleading, though it could have happened at least one.

Ah the irony. The Reaper decided to stay and clean up Sam's ashes. Now in spite of him being able to enter a cage with no door, he's now complaining that he can't leave again.