True Blood
A little vampire story...
Before we begin, let me tell you one fact you might not want to hear. Everything you know about vampires is wrong. It's myth. Made up hooplah to scare the masses. And although I giggle and enjoy reading the Anne Rice stories, not to mention the touches of Stephen King, and of course, the one that started it all, Bram Stoker's Dracula, it sometimes saddens me to see people actually dressing up trying to be a vampire when it's not even Halloween. But, to each their own I guess.
I know all of this because I actually am a vampire. I do have the longer teeth, but they are not nearly as exaggerated as they appear in movies and on television. I do require some blood for an energy source, but it doesn't have to come from living people nor fresh from their necks. In fact, I usually just cook my steak to an incredibly rare pink and that'll do the trick. For a while, I enjoyed hunting, and I tried getting the blood directly from the deer itself, but that got tiring after a while. Now, the rest of it, the reflections in the mirror thing, the garlic and crosses keeps me away thing, and the super senses and strength deal...all that's a bunch of bull. Garlic bread is my favorite side to any Italian dish I order. My house has several mirrors in it, and I am somewhat vain from time to time. I can't read your mind, or lift cars, or jump over houses, or move at lightning quick speeds. I am stronger than most normal humans, for sure. And I work out regularly to add to that strength, but you won't see me in the World's Strongest Man competitions any time soon. Those guys are just insane! To look at me, you'd think I'm a regular person, which is how I like it. It's hard enough dealing with the fact that I'm only one of a few hundred people in the world.
I'm sure you're wondering how I became a vampire. Well, that's what makes me more unique than most. I was born one. My mother, who originally was a housekeeper in England, and my father, who was in the US Army, were both created shortly after World War II. But, they had already been in love and planned on marrying before this incident ever occurred. And, since getting the bite (they weren't actually bitten, I just like to say that for fun) only gave them some abilities, but mostly created weaknesses, they decided to have a child anyway. Now, the novels and folk lore will tell you that the one who does the creation usually sticks around to teach the fledgling vampire. That wasn't the case with my parents. In fact, until I was born, they never saw another vampire again. To tell the truth, I've only seen two, but that's because I had to try and hunt them down. Like I said, a few hundred the world over, we can hide and never be found if we want. But, had my parents gotten to talk to their maker, he may have told them that vampire babies are usually stillborn. In fact, I am the only one in existence, that I know of. Most vampire babies die upon birth, and the race can only continue through the traditional methods. Of course, the traditional methods are pretty much the same methods that HIV and AIDS get spread, through the exchange of bodily fluids. Again, no biting of the necks is really required, but I'm sure some of the others out there will do it just for novelty's sake.
I'm not sure why I lived and most others have died, and I really don't worry about it too often. But it is a very taxing situation from time to time. I often have questions that cannot be answered, and discovering that my limitations and abilities are vastly different from my parents can cause quite a shock. For instance, the daylight. That is true, my parents cannot go out in the daylight. They don't burst into flames or become instant dust or anything like that...but when the old soldier man stepped outside for the first time since being made, his flesh started to get increasingly hotter, and his skin felt like it was being dried into jerky. Basically, it was a severely bad sunburn, and it happened over the period of a few hours. He wasn't even sure it was happening until he went back inside and the cool shade hit him. And all the Aloe Vera lotion in the world didn't cool it off for months. But, my parents don't sleep in coffins. They just put a blanket over the windowshade during the day and sleep it off. My father now works nights at a loading dock, and my mother works for a phone answering service overnight. During the day, they sleep. They can see sunsets and sunrises, and get back inside with minimal damage, but they usually just skip the romantic stuff and go right to bed after work. But that's them. I don't have any problems with sunlight that you don't have. Stay too long, and I get burned, just like you. I actually have a pretty decent tan going for me right now.
Of course, my parents never told me about what I was until I was much older. Oh, that's another one, we're not immortal, just...lengthened. Most vampires actually get killed, so we're not really sure of how long they can truly live for, but if we use me as a judge, I grow like dog years...only, one for me is like seven for you. But, I'm not sure of the exact ratio. One of those pesky questions I'd like to know about. Having a general idea of when you're going to die is usually a good reason for making something out of your life. Most humans know they have until they're in their 60's or 70's to do whatever they wanted to do. They may not know the exact year, but they have an idea.
As it stands, my parents had me back in '62. Now, here it is '05 and I'm roughly 20 years old, physically. I was home schooled through my childhood, got a GED through the mail, and now, after working and goofing off for the 80's and 90's, I've decided to go to college. The hardest part is getting through the paper work, so that it doesn't appear on paper like a 43 year old man is trying to enroll in college as a freshman, and then have a 20 year old kid walk through the door. Luckily, as computers have advanced, I've gotten into hacking, and program writing, and many other technological skills that Vlad The Impaler would marvel at. Heck, I could probably enroll him using that name and they wouldn't catch it for at least a semester.
Anyway, before I sidetrack too much. My parents are worried about my venturing off, as most parents do. I've traveled some before, a road trip here and there, site seeing some national monuments and what not, but I've never actually left home. I mean, why would I? My parents and I get along great, I'm not exactly a total fit in society (try making friends just to watch them get older and older yet you still look 12...that wouldn't raise a few eyebrows now would it?), and on top of that, free rent. It was great. But, I have learned that, as I mentioned earlier, most of the vampires we do know about are because they've gotten killed. It's funny, in reading those novels, people still fantasize about what it'd be like to be a vampire and live for hundreds of years...but if the vampire is in that book, then chances are they're telling you how someone is hunting them down and trying to drive a stake through their heart. Which, is how we've come to know that there are some out there...usually when they get burned alive or stabbed with a stake. Mob mentality would have my parents vanquished in a matter of days if it was known that they were vampires, never mind the fact that we've lived in the same neighborhood for nearly 4 decades now.
So, knowing that my parents life expectancy isn't as easily predicted as some hope, I've decided to get a real education, and hopefully find a way to be my own boss. Then, I wouldn't have to worry about co-workers wondering about how much red meat I consume and not gain weight, or why I never celebrate a birthday, or anything like that. I loaded up my pick-up truck (yes, it's black, but only because that's a cool color, not because I'm "goth" or anything), and moved my stuff to school. I went back home for one last visit, and then, loaded up my most prized possession, my Harley Davidson, I headed off to school. If I thought I had some questions I wanted answered before, I had no idea what was waiting for me in college. And I'm not even talking about the stuff that gets taught in the classroom. But, the hour has drawn late, and you silly humans need your rest. Heh, so do I, and yes, I prefer to sleep at night, too. I will continue at another time, should you care to hear more about a true vampire.
Hope you enjoyed, there will be more to come.
Before we begin, let me tell you one fact you might not want to hear. Everything you know about vampires is wrong. It's myth. Made up hooplah to scare the masses. And although I giggle and enjoy reading the Anne Rice stories, not to mention the touches of Stephen King, and of course, the one that started it all, Bram Stoker's Dracula, it sometimes saddens me to see people actually dressing up trying to be a vampire when it's not even Halloween. But, to each their own I guess.
I know all of this because I actually am a vampire. I do have the longer teeth, but they are not nearly as exaggerated as they appear in movies and on television. I do require some blood for an energy source, but it doesn't have to come from living people nor fresh from their necks. In fact, I usually just cook my steak to an incredibly rare pink and that'll do the trick. For a while, I enjoyed hunting, and I tried getting the blood directly from the deer itself, but that got tiring after a while. Now, the rest of it, the reflections in the mirror thing, the garlic and crosses keeps me away thing, and the super senses and strength deal...all that's a bunch of bull. Garlic bread is my favorite side to any Italian dish I order. My house has several mirrors in it, and I am somewhat vain from time to time. I can't read your mind, or lift cars, or jump over houses, or move at lightning quick speeds. I am stronger than most normal humans, for sure. And I work out regularly to add to that strength, but you won't see me in the World's Strongest Man competitions any time soon. Those guys are just insane! To look at me, you'd think I'm a regular person, which is how I like it. It's hard enough dealing with the fact that I'm only one of a few hundred people in the world.
I'm sure you're wondering how I became a vampire. Well, that's what makes me more unique than most. I was born one. My mother, who originally was a housekeeper in England, and my father, who was in the US Army, were both created shortly after World War II. But, they had already been in love and planned on marrying before this incident ever occurred. And, since getting the bite (they weren't actually bitten, I just like to say that for fun) only gave them some abilities, but mostly created weaknesses, they decided to have a child anyway. Now, the novels and folk lore will tell you that the one who does the creation usually sticks around to teach the fledgling vampire. That wasn't the case with my parents. In fact, until I was born, they never saw another vampire again. To tell the truth, I've only seen two, but that's because I had to try and hunt them down. Like I said, a few hundred the world over, we can hide and never be found if we want. But, had my parents gotten to talk to their maker, he may have told them that vampire babies are usually stillborn. In fact, I am the only one in existence, that I know of. Most vampire babies die upon birth, and the race can only continue through the traditional methods. Of course, the traditional methods are pretty much the same methods that HIV and AIDS get spread, through the exchange of bodily fluids. Again, no biting of the necks is really required, but I'm sure some of the others out there will do it just for novelty's sake.
I'm not sure why I lived and most others have died, and I really don't worry about it too often. But it is a very taxing situation from time to time. I often have questions that cannot be answered, and discovering that my limitations and abilities are vastly different from my parents can cause quite a shock. For instance, the daylight. That is true, my parents cannot go out in the daylight. They don't burst into flames or become instant dust or anything like that...but when the old soldier man stepped outside for the first time since being made, his flesh started to get increasingly hotter, and his skin felt like it was being dried into jerky. Basically, it was a severely bad sunburn, and it happened over the period of a few hours. He wasn't even sure it was happening until he went back inside and the cool shade hit him. And all the Aloe Vera lotion in the world didn't cool it off for months. But, my parents don't sleep in coffins. They just put a blanket over the windowshade during the day and sleep it off. My father now works nights at a loading dock, and my mother works for a phone answering service overnight. During the day, they sleep. They can see sunsets and sunrises, and get back inside with minimal damage, but they usually just skip the romantic stuff and go right to bed after work. But that's them. I don't have any problems with sunlight that you don't have. Stay too long, and I get burned, just like you. I actually have a pretty decent tan going for me right now.
Of course, my parents never told me about what I was until I was much older. Oh, that's another one, we're not immortal, just...lengthened. Most vampires actually get killed, so we're not really sure of how long they can truly live for, but if we use me as a judge, I grow like dog years...only, one for me is like seven for you. But, I'm not sure of the exact ratio. One of those pesky questions I'd like to know about. Having a general idea of when you're going to die is usually a good reason for making something out of your life. Most humans know they have until they're in their 60's or 70's to do whatever they wanted to do. They may not know the exact year, but they have an idea.
As it stands, my parents had me back in '62. Now, here it is '05 and I'm roughly 20 years old, physically. I was home schooled through my childhood, got a GED through the mail, and now, after working and goofing off for the 80's and 90's, I've decided to go to college. The hardest part is getting through the paper work, so that it doesn't appear on paper like a 43 year old man is trying to enroll in college as a freshman, and then have a 20 year old kid walk through the door. Luckily, as computers have advanced, I've gotten into hacking, and program writing, and many other technological skills that Vlad The Impaler would marvel at. Heck, I could probably enroll him using that name and they wouldn't catch it for at least a semester.
Anyway, before I sidetrack too much. My parents are worried about my venturing off, as most parents do. I've traveled some before, a road trip here and there, site seeing some national monuments and what not, but I've never actually left home. I mean, why would I? My parents and I get along great, I'm not exactly a total fit in society (try making friends just to watch them get older and older yet you still look 12...that wouldn't raise a few eyebrows now would it?), and on top of that, free rent. It was great. But, I have learned that, as I mentioned earlier, most of the vampires we do know about are because they've gotten killed. It's funny, in reading those novels, people still fantasize about what it'd be like to be a vampire and live for hundreds of years...but if the vampire is in that book, then chances are they're telling you how someone is hunting them down and trying to drive a stake through their heart. Which, is how we've come to know that there are some out there...usually when they get burned alive or stabbed with a stake. Mob mentality would have my parents vanquished in a matter of days if it was known that they were vampires, never mind the fact that we've lived in the same neighborhood for nearly 4 decades now.
So, knowing that my parents life expectancy isn't as easily predicted as some hope, I've decided to get a real education, and hopefully find a way to be my own boss. Then, I wouldn't have to worry about co-workers wondering about how much red meat I consume and not gain weight, or why I never celebrate a birthday, or anything like that. I loaded up my pick-up truck (yes, it's black, but only because that's a cool color, not because I'm "goth" or anything), and moved my stuff to school. I went back home for one last visit, and then, loaded up my most prized possession, my Harley Davidson, I headed off to school. If I thought I had some questions I wanted answered before, I had no idea what was waiting for me in college. And I'm not even talking about the stuff that gets taught in the classroom. But, the hour has drawn late, and you silly humans need your rest. Heh, so do I, and yes, I prefer to sleep at night, too. I will continue at another time, should you care to hear more about a true vampire.
Hope you enjoyed, there will be more to come.