I’m prowling the streets, eyeing the two-legged juicy morsels as they trot along with all the cares of the world laid upon their heavy shoulders. It’s a sad place. People here don’t want to be here. They deserve to be in a better place. I like to think of myself as a dream-maker. I make their dreams come true. They may not like my methods but I’m sure they’d feel a lot better in the new place they’re going. At least they would if they were good people. I looked across the street and realized that I was unconsciously rubbing down my arms. I was shivering. I don’t shiver. It may be minus five degrees out in the streets, but I knew that it wasn’t the cold that was giving me the jitters. It was the thirst, the need. I glanced again at a plump boy waiting for his daddy to close up the shop. Darn! What’s with all the shawls, scarves and turtlenecks. Aren’t humans strong enough to handle the cool breeze anymore? I walked on, searching for a more accessible target.

I stepped into the tube train and silently thanked the cosmos for the extra hours of prowling I’ve been given today. Yes, indeed it’s a special day. Three thousand years ago on this very day, my ancestor passed the ancient rite at the peril of his soul to bring forth our superior race. Unfortunately, he brought the curse upon us as well. Yet we continue to celebrate this day, Friday the 13th, as we continue our meaningless roving along the plains of the earth. As I sat musing about the miserable times I have ahead of me, my eye caught a reflection from the side window. An attractive female executive was openly eyeing me appreciatively from a corner. I smirked to myself, why is it the female that is always the easy target. Feeling a little melodramatic, I twitched my eyes and slumped unceremoniously unto the floor. Unsurprisingly, the lady immediately got up and scrambled over to my seemingly unconscious body. She tried to feel for my pulse. Fortunately, I haven’t had one for quite a while. Seeing how she has cleverly managed to land herself in exactly the right place to act out her fantasy, she wasted no more time looking for further proof of my vital signs. With a wicked smile, she lowered her lips to perform the “kiss of life” upon my inviting and upturned lips. With a quick sleight of hand, I easily maneuvered her neck to graze my fangs while pinching her throat to stop her from breathing. I didn’t like my victims screaming into my ears, and I hated to waste blood that tends to drown one’s lungs.