Night fell over the City of Cap-Haitien, in the heart of Nord-Department, Island of Haiti. Andre Gustave woke up, stirred from slumber by the departure of the hated daylight. Like all of his kind, Andre Gustave hides when the sun comes up. The hated sunlight doesn't merely burn the creatures of the night, it kills them. A certain lethargy comes over all vampires whenever the sun rises, and they feel the urge to sleep regardless of where they happen to be. Andre, as unusual as he is among his Undead brethren, is no exception to that rule.
Last night, Andre hid underneath a dilapidated house in the environs of Bel-Air, a hilltop community near a woodsy area overlooking metropolitan Cap-Haitien, Nord-Department. A woman named Lumen lived in this walled villa but she died a long time ago, leaving no heirs. Now, the property has gone to seed. It looks rough but it's the perfect lair for one of the Undead. It has numerous rooms, and it's sunproof because it's boarded up. Andre headed out, after making sure he was clean and neat. The Undead must blend in wherever they are, because that's part of the survival game. Andre isn't new to this by any means...
The Haitian people, just like their West African counterparts, know the existence of the supernatural. The Island of Haiti has a sizeable population of werewolves, and these wolf-men and wolf-men are collectively known as the Loup Garou community. The Haitian vampire community, much smaller in number than their werewolf counterparts, are typically overlooked. The Haitians tell tales about the Loa people, the magically gifted Houngan men and Mambo women, but they don't talk much about vampires. Andre Gustave is just fine with that.
In the darkness, Andre scanned his environment. Taking to the trees, he caught a large horned owl and fed upon it. The animal's blood flooded Andre's Undead body, revitalizing him. Andre does not breathe and his heart does not beat, but he needs the blood of living things to survive. Andre doesn't feed on humans because of The Pact. On the Island of Haiti, the people have a centuries-old deal with the supernatural community. The Haitians only hunt those who hunt them. Andre only feeds on animals, so the Haitian people don't come after him. Life is better without making unnecessary enemies...
The Island of Haiti has remained largely untouched by the Covid mess which continues to ravage the world. Andre wasn't surprised. The Haitian people are a hardy bunch. Even after over two centuries of living on the Island of Haiti, Andre is still enamored of his homeland. The other members of the Undead with whom Andre is acquainted tend to leave their homelands once they're turned, and they roam the world in search of adventure. Andre Gustave is something of a rarity among the blood drinkers. The Haitian vampire leads a sedentary existence because, well, he's a patriot...
In 1804, when the Haitian Revolution stunned the world by defeating the French colonial forces, Andre Gustave was among the warriors standing besides General Jean Jacques Dessalines. The six-foot-three, brawny and dark-skinned young man was born on the Rousseau Plantation not far from Vertierres and ran away at the age of nineteen to join the rebels. Under General Jean Jacques Dessalines stern leadership, runaway slaves fought as an effective army, defeating the Europeans and shocking the world. The Haitian Nation was born, but for Andre, that's when everything started to go wrong...