Waiting For Dawn

6 pm

She loved Vampire films, and tonight she was going to watch a classic, "Nosferatu", Max Shrek's portrayal was her favourite portrayal of the undead. While she loved Christopher Lee's "Dracula", his suave vampire did not hold for her, the threat and creepiness of the Max Shrek monster.

Although she had originally intended to watch it alone, a friend had said they would like to come round and would bring some wine.

7 pm

Her friend arrived with three bottles of Merlot, and they opened a bottle and filled two large glasses. They talked about Vampires, and laughed that the Merlot was really human blood as they shared a bowl of crisps.

8 pm

"Nosferatu" was on the BBC iPlayer, so it was a free view, and still a wonderfully creepy horror film

As they watched, they held hands and moved closer, feeling the heat of each other's bare skin.

For both of them, this was an unexpected development; they were friends, close friends, but there had never been a physical attraction, until now.

Maybe it was the heat, maybe it was the film, maybe it was the Merlot, maybe it was all three.

Then there was a kiss.

9 pm

Kisses multiplied as "Nosferatu" played in the background and eventually finished, leaving the iPlayer on the Home screen. The film was forgotten as all that mattered now was her friend, and her friend was responding.

10 pm

The three bottles were empty, the crisps were finished, but they weren't.

11 pm

A playful bite, she drew her friend's blood, and tasted it. Were those fangs were in her mouth, she bit deeper, and her friend screamed.

12 pm

Midnight, and she was gorging on her friend's blood and flesh. She was another Nosferatu, another Dracula, another vampire and her hunger and desire would be sated on the blood of her friend.

1 pm

Her friend was silent now and offered no resistance; she could drink her fill.

2 pm

How did this happen? She didn't know. A million questions went through her mind. Her dead friend lived alone and had no family, although their work might notice when they did not turn up on Monday, but it was Friday now.

Had she always been a vampire?

She didn't know.

She never had a problem sucking her wound clean if she ever cut herself, but that was hardly vampirism.

3 pm

She was feeling tired, the room was hot, but her friend was now cold, though still bleeding.

Drifting off into a dark dream, she was the one being ravished by the vampire, but she knew she had to keep him distracted until the sun rose, and accepted his depravity, which she justified by being certain this would end him.

4 pm

She woke with a start. If she were a vampire, she must stay out of direct sunlight. She did not question this any more.

It is what it is, and she must deal with it.

She would not sleep any more.

7 am

She was sitting with her friend's exsanguinated body. She didn't dare open the curtains and expose herself to direct sunlight.

Yesterday morning, she had woken as a human, yes, one with a penchant for horror films and books.

This morning, she was a murderous vampire with a body to dispose of, a fear of direct sunlight, and cross-shaped objects. Her life had not just changed direction; it had careered off the road into a completely new universe.

Her clothes were stained with her friend's blood. She wiped it with her fingers and still got a buzz from the taste. This would happen again, she was certain.