First Time Cotton Candy

Modern Day Vampire

     Getting an interview with a real living vampire is difficult. Those that are apart of vampirism stay very secretive by nature keeping majority of the truths to themselves, but after constant rejection for a face-to-face meet one finally said yes. For the protection of his identity his name will be changed.

     The beginning of the interview was at sundown at Starbucks in Stevenson Ranch of Santa Clarita Valley. It was cold that evening and a light flickered to my left as the generators turned on. White noise of constant chatter surrounded the outdoor patio where we spoke, but he sat calmly with his legs crossed smoking a cigarette. Today is three days before Allhallows Eve and he looks no different from anyone else. His skin was ruffed with facial hair, average in height, attractive dark features, looking no older than early twenties, dressed in a checkered blue button down, converse, and bright blue contacts. His name is Eli, age 31, shares he was born in 1886, and says he is a vampire.

     Before I could even ask my first question he began it for me saying, “ You are probably wondering where my fangs, pale skin, and black cape are?” He laughed and giggled as he inhaled his cigarette slowly. Eli continued, “ Well my fangs only come out when I get excited and the pale skin was never a deciding factor on being a vampire.”

     Between the worlds of fact and fiction the truth of the modern day vampire has been covered by the myth that translated into American society. The association of blood sucking, fangs, stakes, coined phrase such as “walkers of the night,” and dark worn attire have been images that represented the vampires for centuries. He wanted to make clear that these depictions were not always accurate, and only because you think you know them from television, movies, and books doesn’t mean the public knows who they really are.

     As I got comfortable in my seat he began to explain how the mere look of a vampire as been rapt so much in fiction that the truth of their physical attributes are no longer valid. Eli smirked and took another drag of his cigarette looking at the passing people walk by. He looked me straight in the eyes and said, “ Not just anyone can be a vampire, but if there was one right next to you a person wouldn’t even know it.” I asked him to elaborate, “ Your next door neighbor with a Florida tan can be one, the old lady you see pass by you walking her dog can be one, your child can be one, because being a vampire is not depicted by such things.”

     There are several colleges that offer the literature and history of vampirism when I researched for this meeting. Some of these colleges are Texas Christian University, Aurora University, The University of Hertfordshire, and Harvard. Harvard University Extension School offers a course in vampire literature and film, while Hertfordshire offers a master’s degree in the study of vampire literature.

     I asked what he thought about these schools teaching the literature of vampirism and he smiled kindly but found it funny. He started to speak again,“ You can learn all you want about the history and folklore, like between a Sanguinarian and a Psi Vampire, but unless the teacher is a vampire the truth will never be fully told.  Nor will they tell you the whole truth.“ These two types of vampires are what most vampires classify themselves under. The commonality that can be used to broadly understand the vampire, Eli explains, is they are incapable of producing enough energy of their own, so the need to feed off of others is eminent. This energy can be taken from nature, people, or any other source of the living state.

     In the sacred texts of Buddhism and Hinduism there is a common belief system in the borrowing of energy between people. It talks about the sharing and giving back of energy does exist. Sometimes people just do not know they are doing it.

     As the minutes passed I could see Eli beginning to fidget. He continued even more quietly as he got closer to speak. His demeanor changed like a friend talking to a friend, “I want you to know that not just anyone can be one. It is either something you are born with, or acquired by from a vampire. Majority are kind in nature, and don’t like to share who they really are.”

     After a few moments of silence, Eli shares he is a vegetarian. “Not all Vampires feed on blood, “ he sips his soy latte, “I don’t eat meat, because I don’t like how the animals are treated in the food industry.” His life as a vampire is under the type of a psi vampire or physic vampire. These vampires are those that grab the energies around them for feeding as well as eating physical food like everyone else.

     Towards the end of the night, I wanted to know more about his personal life, and if a vampire could have a normal life. As I watched him laugh from my question he replied, “ Of course. I have a boyfriend, and we are very happy. I have extended an invitation and he is fine not being a vampire for now. I have a great job that I love, live with roommates, and do normal things like go to the beach.”

     Just like in the beginning when Eli sat down and gave me a witty comment, he decided this interview was not quite finished. His physicality became calm and collected once again. He told me that there is one more question that he knows I am dying to ask. I hesitated, because there was. He smiled, came close to my ear, and whispered, “ Don’t you want to know how to kill a vampire?” After researching that question so many times, I found myself only at dead ends. He got up, flicked his glowing bud on the floor, and left me with, “Well I’m sorry to tell you, but only a vampire will ever know the real answer to that one. “ The young man looking no older than 24 years old gave me one last smile, turned around, and walked away.