the night.
****
“In other news,” the human on the TV announced, “Vampire Forces was called to a torching on the outskirts of the city. Complaints from neighbors summoned VF where they found ten men, slightly intoxicated, had bound a vampire with silver chain and were dragging it behind their truck while waiting for the sun to rise. VF sent the men on their way and took the vampire into custody where it was later destroyed and the ashes sent to local scientists.”
I glanced at my brother and he quickly looked away. His shoulders were stiff, a wary look in his eyes. I kept staring, knowing if I gave him my creepy vampire stare long enough he'd cough up what was bugging him.
“Didn't that bother you?” he finally asked.
“No.”
“The newscaster talked about destroying that vampire like they were putting a rabid dog down. The men that caught it were half drunk and were just sent on their way ? Shouldn't they have been taken to jail to sit overnight? Something to condemn what they did? How did they even restrain a vampire with silver chain? That doesn't work. None of the old myths work. Wood stakes? Ha! That quickly killed the vampire slayer movement,” he ranted.
“Old myths?”
“We've known about vampires our whole lives – I mean when you were human too, you knew. Anyways, before people knew vampires were real, there were stories, fictional stories that told all sorts of absurd things. Wooden stakes, garlic, crosses and coffins; the only thing that was right was sunlight.”
“Why do vampires die in sunlight?”
He shrugged. “Dunno, still haven't figured it out. There's like a million scientists working on studying vampires. Well, they claim to only be studying the ashes collected, but there are rumors they have live specimens. It's never been confirmed or denied, but everyone figures that has to be how they've disproved most myths.” He turned the TV off, leaning against the windowsill. “I don't even know why they bother. If you see a vampire, you're supposed to call VF.”
“You don't like this subject,” I noted.
He looked away. “We went to one once, a torching. You, me and a few friends. It was on the outskirts of the city. Most vampires are caught in big cities, never in small towns like ours. Everyone was gathered around this pyre, the vampire tied to a post in the middle. It was starved, you could tell. Vampires look like chemo patients when they don't get blood, thin and sickly... sicker looking. Probably the only way they caught it. Everyone cheered and clapped when they lit the pyre. It screamed the whole time, this awful banshee wail. On the drive home we joked about it, but truthfully, we were freaked out.”
“And now you feel different because of me.”
He picked up the photo album and opened it, flipping through the pages. “I thought I knew everything, had life figured out. Then you became a vampire and everything changed.”
I took the book back, staring at my human self. The human me smiled, a sparkle of life in his eyes. “Everything changed because I turned.” I turned to him. “I didn't want to. I remember thinking, Not me .”
“Denial, they say every vampire gets it,” he sighed, propping his chin on his palm. “It’s why they go back and kill their entire family.”
“That's not by choice,” I replied. “When I came home, why do you think I hid in my room? I still had memories; they were fading, but I tried to hold onto them and ignore the need I felt. I didn't want to hurt my family.”
“You remember that?” he asked, hope in his voice again.
“I remember the feeling,” I said. “The memories disappeared, but I still had this terrible fear of hurting someone, but I no longer remembered who. I understand now it was my family I hadn't wanted to hurt. You.” I looked at him, tilting my head. “I don't miss being human though.”
“Hard to miss something you don't remember,” he agreed.
“I'm better off now,” I assured
****
“In other news,” the human on the TV announced, “Vampire Forces was called to a torching on the outskirts of the city. Complaints from neighbors summoned VF where they found ten men, slightly intoxicated, had bound a vampire with silver chain and were dragging it behind their truck while waiting for the sun to rise. VF sent the men on their way and took the vampire into custody where it was later destroyed and the ashes sent to local scientists.”
I glanced at my brother and he quickly looked away. His shoulders were stiff, a wary look in his eyes. I kept staring, knowing if I gave him my creepy vampire stare long enough he'd cough up what was bugging him.
“Didn't that bother you?” he finally asked.
“No.”
“The newscaster talked about destroying that vampire like they were putting a rabid dog down. The men that caught it were half drunk and were just sent on their way ? Shouldn't they have been taken to jail to sit overnight? Something to condemn what they did? How did they even restrain a vampire with silver chain? That doesn't work. None of the old myths work. Wood stakes? Ha! That quickly killed the vampire slayer movement,” he ranted.
“Old myths?”
“We've known about vampires our whole lives – I mean when you were human too, you knew. Anyways, before people knew vampires were real, there were stories, fictional stories that told all sorts of absurd things. Wooden stakes, garlic, crosses and coffins; the only thing that was right was sunlight.”
“Why do vampires die in sunlight?”
He shrugged. “Dunno, still haven't figured it out. There's like a million scientists working on studying vampires. Well, they claim to only be studying the ashes collected, but there are rumors they have live specimens. It's never been confirmed or denied, but everyone figures that has to be how they've disproved most myths.” He turned the TV off, leaning against the windowsill. “I don't even know why they bother. If you see a vampire, you're supposed to call VF.”
“You don't like this subject,” I noted.
He looked away. “We went to one once, a torching. You, me and a few friends. It was on the outskirts of the city. Most vampires are caught in big cities, never in small towns like ours. Everyone was gathered around this pyre, the vampire tied to a post in the middle. It was starved, you could tell. Vampires look like chemo patients when they don't get blood, thin and sickly... sicker looking. Probably the only way they caught it. Everyone cheered and clapped when they lit the pyre. It screamed the whole time, this awful banshee wail. On the drive home we joked about it, but truthfully, we were freaked out.”
“And now you feel different because of me.”
He picked up the photo album and opened it, flipping through the pages. “I thought I knew everything, had life figured out. Then you became a vampire and everything changed.”
I took the book back, staring at my human self. The human me smiled, a sparkle of life in his eyes. “Everything changed because I turned.” I turned to him. “I didn't want to. I remember thinking, Not me .”
“Denial, they say every vampire gets it,” he sighed, propping his chin on his palm. “It’s why they go back and kill their entire family.”
“That's not by choice,” I replied. “When I came home, why do you think I hid in my room? I still had memories; they were fading, but I tried to hold onto them and ignore the need I felt. I didn't want to hurt my family.”
“You remember that?” he asked, hope in his voice again.
“I remember the feeling,” I said. “The memories disappeared, but I still had this terrible fear of hurting someone, but I no longer remembered who. I understand now it was my family I hadn't wanted to hurt. You.” I looked at him, tilting my head. “I don't miss being human though.”
“Hard to miss something you don't remember,” he agreed.
“I'm better off now,” I assured
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