Vampire Apocalypse
Prompt: You’ve just become a vampire. On the downside, finding fresh human blood is hard in a zombie apocalypse. On the upside, being a vampire makes you immune to the zombie virus.
Entry: I hadn’t expected this twist. The news reports all screamed the oncoming disaster of airborne illness. A brain-altering virus that presents like Poe’s Red Death and brings victims back as violent, lifeless monsters hungry for blood. Spread the love. Further the virus in new hosts.
No one turned their eyes to the increase of crime, disappearances, sudden suicides. It all seemed to be the precursor to the panic that would ensue. Well. Humans actually became the perfect prey for a different threat.
“Vampire” is such a dramatic, overdone word. What they - we, I guess - really are is an experiment gone wrong and hidden over the decades. In an attempt to end world hunger, a new race was created that doesn’t eat, but drinks. And has the potential to spread. As the rest of the world panicked in preparation for a surge of violence, my people found an opportunity to feast as never before. Human prey is usually difficult to trap. Not the case when mass hysteria sweeps the nation.
I suppose I was lucky to survive the transition. Many do not. That was by the grace of my mentor, a more experienced hunter than most. He explained the history of our race to me when I became coherent again. When he left, he gave me basic guidelines for survival in this world. He told me the following:
Drink every night. Otherwise, you will lose control and become victim to impulsivity.
Leave signs of your presence behind for others like you. We are solitary creatures but awareness of the local community fosters strength in numbers. We use a series of symbols to communicate discreetly.
Do not befriend humans. They are entertaining but dangerous. Do not forget that they are your prey. Being top of their food chain means they are crafty and sly.
These rules may have worked when the world ran like a well oiled machine. We had a niche in society and fit into it so snugly no one knew we existed. But the world is changing rapidly. Our presence cannot remain hidden for much longer.
