From the smallest towns in middle America to the biggest and brightest of the nation's cities, from Europe to the far reaches of Australia flourishes a subculture cloaked in darkness -- one that is often misunderstood and misinterpreted by mainstream society. I am referring to the Gothic subculture. However, even within the subculture, all is not what it appears to be ...

The same can be said of Gangrel. With the onset of haunting entrance music, he emerges from smoke and fire, clad in black leather pants and a white ruffled shirt. Silver jewelry -- large crucifixes, charms depicting mythical creatures such as dragons -- adorns his body. Gangrel is the image of what is considered Gothic. But he also appears to be a vampire, with fangs protruding from his mouth, lips stained a deep red, and he drinks from a chalice filled with a substance some speculate to be blood. His mysterious and macabre demeanor does lend itself to the Gothic and vampiric image -- is Gangrel Goth ... vampire ... or both?

Goths hold dear all that is dark -- dark clothing, dark literature, dark music. For some it is a form of rebellion or a way to attract attention. Yet for others it is a way of life -- not a fad or a mere fashion statement.

Music is the crucial aspect of what constitutes Goth -- an outgrowth of the punk scene of the late 1970s. Goths frequent clubs that cater to the Gothic palette, playing music ranging from Siouxsie and the Banshees to Sisters of Mercy -- Marilyn Manson is not Goth! The clubs are very similar -- dimly lit by flickering candles, the air heavy with smoke -- havens for those who are often ostracized by the mainstream. The dark and otherworldly atmosphere of the Goth club is their home.

Most Goths possess a wardrobe of all-black attire. Both men and women paint their faces a ghostly white, shadow their eyes a haunting black and color their lips a deep crimson red. Goths adorn themselves with silver jewelry representing symbols from a myriad of religious and ancient traditions. Also popular is transvestitism wherein women don masculine attire and men wear skirts or dresses. Another frequent look is that of androgyny, where the gender of the individual isn't readily appearant.

Nourishing the intellect is also very important to the Gothic lifestyle, and many are drawn to writers and poets of yesteryear, such as Keats, Poe, Dante and Mary Shelley (who wrote Frankenstein). Modern literature many Goths are into includes Anne Rice and her vampire chronicles, Ray Bradbury and H. P Lovecraft and favorite movies include The Hunger, A Clockwork Orange, The Crow and The Lost Boys.

Goths appear to celebrate all that is macabre, dark and somber. They are fascinated with death and with outcasts of society -- vampires, for instance.

Within the Gothic subculture exists another -- one that embraces all the dark and macabre more closely. I am speaking here of those who live the vampire lifestyle.

The vampire is a darkly erotic and enigmatic figure that has captured not only the imaginations of horror writers of the written text and silver screen, but also the lives of many individuals. Those who assume the vampire lifestyle most often adopt an "alternative" family -- joining a coven or clan. These "families" differ from the mainstream in both social values and norms, as well as structurally. There exists a distinct hierarchy -- for instance, unlike our own society, the elders are respected and deference is cause for exile. Perhaps one of the greatest acts of rebellion is "embracing" another -- bringing another into the clan without the permission of the elders.

Those who claim to live the vampire lifestyle identify most closely with the outcasts of society. Never fitting in socially with the light of day, they come alive at nightfall. Most assume "normal" lives, going through the motions of holding jobs, paying bills, putting gas in their cars ... but they are truly creatures of the dark, and the club scene is their home. Reckless and rebellious, they live on the edge. And while they will often use the Goth club scene as a playing field, their own often encompasses a more risque environment -- milieus such as S&M clubs are popular. The mythical vampire -- an immortal, cross-fearing, shape-shifting entity -- is just that -- fiction. And while some of today's lifestylers take part in blood drinking and have fangs implanted, not all who go to these measures or engage in such behavior are necessarily vampires. However, one thing is for certain here -- truth is stranger than fiction.

The vampire lifestyler claims to have an increased sense of awareness and greater physical strength than its more human counterparts. Blood drinking is supposedly an incredibly intimate experience -- more erotic than other intimacies, especially as it transcends the boundaries of gender. As horrifying as the idea of a bloodsucking entity is, there is also a certain enchantment -- a sensuous, forbidden aspect that tends to expose a part of the self most have kept hidden. Nevertheless, the image of the vampire -- young, beautiful, powerful and rebellious -- is sexy enough in its own right.

Gangrel is an extrovert. He is a natural born leader -- not afraid to show the world the kind of lifestyle he lives -- what he believes in... Edge -- Gangrel's alter ego prefers to remain in obscurity -- to revel in the darkness of the underground life he leads. And Christian is proof of Gangrel's incredible power of persuasion, turning brother against brother, and then reuniting them to fulfill his own needs...

Gangrel, Edge and Christian -- there are ties between these three that are stronger than blood -- or perhaps it is "blood" which ties them together in the most literal sense.

Some may question if they are truly creatures of the night, playing out their games in arenas across the country. While I do not claim to know the answer, I do have some words of advice: Before you decide where it is you believe they fit, be sure to look very closely ... for all is not always as it appears.