Children of the Night...

I thought I was alone as I silently entered the house, but a voice caught my ear, making me freeze.

“Funny thing about gaining immortality, it can happen to anyone, at any time, whether it is wanted or not…”

I turned, seeing nobody around at first, then I spotted a small girl sitting in the corner, facing away from where I stood, seemingly oblivious to me as she played with her dolls. Had she been here the whole time?

“I met a strange man one night, who claimed he was a predator… but he wasn’t after lusts of the flesh like most who were called such. No, he wanted something… more vital.” It indeed was the girl who was speaking, for she continued as she looked up at me, eyes turning eerily luminous… and red. “But, that was three thousand years ago…” She smiled now, and her too-long and too-sharp teeth gleamed…

(#00653 - A288)

“Ah,” I said. “You must be the permanent installation the realtor told me about. Hello. My name’s Melanie Brisko. What’s yours?”

The little vampire boggled, fangs withdrawing back into hiding. “You’re supposed to scream,” she said. “They all scream…”

“I’ve frequently mourned that I’m not like all the other girls,” I smiled for her. “It’s high time that that sort of thing became beneficial. Can you eat human food, or is blood all that you can subsist on?”

Haunted eyes. “I… don’t know. After everyone went away I lived on rats. And when the rats went away I lived on pigeons. And when the pigeons went away…” she hugged her favourite doll tight. After three thousand years of being loved, it was showing the strain. “I can hypnotise deer. They come right up to me.”

“That’s a very useful talent,” I said, setting up. “Does your hair grow?”

A dumbfounded stare. “You’re supposed to be scared. You’re supposed to be afraid of me. Why aren’t you afraid of me?”

“I’m too busy being afraid of cities and crowds. You? You’re a little girl who’s sorely in need of a bath, fresh clothes, and a good combing. Then we can work on some hot food and probably some sorely needed cuddles.”

“Why? I’m a monster.”

“I’m of the opinion that being monstrous doesn’t necessarily make one a monster. With love and care and attention to your needs, you could become a reformed citizen.”

“I’ll try it,” she said. “I’ll probably eat all your blood tomorrow.”

“That’s why I bought the pigs.”

Since neither of us knew about her hair, it took quite a few baths and washings to get all the tangles out. Were it not for her paleness, she could have passed as any other little girl with her long brown hair in pigtails.

I fixed up her dolls for her, of course. And thanks to satellite internet, I was able to fix up the house and some of the caves that had been converted into living space in ages past. She took the name Grace, and she flourished in my care.

That was how it began. Four hundred years ago, now. Oh, I don’t blame her for biting me. The poor darling needs a mother. And I was mortal.

We keep the pigs for when we need blood. They’re immune to the vampiric virus. For the rest of the time we could almost pass as normal humans.

Almost.

Let’s just say that there’s a reason we don’t allow our photos to be taken. Just like there’s a reason we don’t go out in the sunshine without heavy protection.

Now don’t panic. See? This is why we don’t tell people about us. I can assure you, you’re perfectly safe. That asparagus? I feed it to our guests to make sure my Grace doesn’t get it into her head to add members to our little family. Changes your flavour. Makes you… unappetising.

And anyway, we’re going out to talk to the deer. Sweet dreams.

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