ANN AND THE VAMPIRE STORY

A story of a sister's love, anorexia nervosa and a vampire.

    Ann was a cute eight year old girl, my little sister. I loved Ann more than life itself. I was just entering my teenage years when she was born. As time went by, our mother being very depressed, I was the one who took care of Ann, teaching her how to take care of her basic needs and how to interact in the world, and everything in between. I also, taught her to love poetry and to love vampires and werewolves. But mostly vampires.

     Ann was also an artist, just as I was, and she liked to draw with felt tipped pens. One day she came running to me, all happy and excited.

     “Tina! Tina!” she cried.

     “What?” I asked, looking up from my college textbook.

     “I got bit by a vampire!”

     “You did?” I asked, smiling.

     “Look!” Ann said and turned her head to show me her neck. On it I saw two red dots drawn there by felt tip pen.

     “Ah!” I said delighted. “You did. Now you're going to turn into a Creature of the Night. You're going to become a vampire by tomorrow night.”

     “Cool!” She cried.

     Ann did this quite a bit, pretending she had been bitten by a vampire. She always used her red felt tip pen to make the bite marks and that always made me smile. Ann was in love with vampires just as much as I was.

     At night, especially when daylight savings time caused it to get dark early, Ann and I would be outside. Our parent's back yard and the neighbor's touched and they always had a porch light on.

     “Look Ann.” I pointed one night to the porch light. “See the vampire dancing beneath the porch light?”

     She'd look. “No, Tina, I don't see a vampire dancing there.”

     “Look closely, look real hard. There, beneath the porch light. See the male vampire with long black hair, white skin and red eyes? All dressed in black.”

     “No! No! I don't!”

     Ann would get slightly upset because she could not see the vampire.

     “You will Ann, you will. I promise.”

     “Okay Tina.”

     Ann believed me. She believed she'd see that vampire. And I believed it, too.

 

     Some years later I became very sick with anorexia nervosa and depression. And I lost a lot of weight, reaching 35 pounds below what would be normal weight for my height and age. I became suicidal.

     Ann watched all this. She watched me slowly die.

     And I wanted to die. I decided to starve myself to death after seeing a psychiatrist and after several hospitalizations. These experiences had been very bad ones, traumatic and they left me with no hope what so ever. I had no hope of getting better.

    I curled up in bed and Ann came into my room with a Hershey bar she had stolen from our parent's bedroom. She gave it to me.

    “You're hungry Tina.” Ann said.

    I took the Hershey bar, kind of angry she gave me food, but I didn't let her know. She was just trying to help me. No way was I going to eat it; I'd throw it away later when she wasn't around.

     “Can we look for the vampire dancing beneath the neighbor's porch light?” She looked hopeful.

     “Sure.” I said. It was dark and I slowly got out of bed. When I stood I was very weak and very dizzy. I had not eaten or drank anything for 3 days.

     I steadied myself and put on a pair of blue jeans and a T-shirt. It was in the middle of August and it was a warm night, near 10:00PM.

     “Let's go.” I said and out into the night we went. The neighbor's porch light was on and I said, “Look there Ann, see the vampire dancing under the porch light?”

     “Yes, yes Tina!” Cried Ann. “I see the vampire! He's dancing beneath the porch light. Swirling and twirling! I see his red eyes and his long pointed fangs!”

     I laughed, happy for a moment. I had not been happy for a long time.

     I engulfed Ann in a big hug. “See Ann, I told you you'd see the vampire!”

     “You did Tina, you said I'd see the vampire and I do!”

     “I love you Ann.”

     “I love you Tina.” She paused. “But please don't die! I don't want you to die!” Ann broke into a sob. I held her close. I wanted to cry, cry for her pain, cry for mine, but I was too dead and too dried up inside. I had no moisture to make tears to cry.

     I went back to bed; drifted in and out of a starvation fog. Time drifted by, I didn't know how many minutes, hours or days went by as I drifted in and out of consciousness.

    Ann came into my room and I stared up at her. There was something different about her. She seemed more glittery and more bright.

    And more pale. Really more pale and she had on dark sunglasses.

    “Hi Tina.” She said. Her voice was still Ann's yet different.

    “Yeah Ann, what's up?” I said, feeling like I was trapped in a situation very surreal.

    “I'm worried about you Tina. Seven days have gone by and you haven't eaten or drank a thing.” Ann moved closer to the bed.

    I didn't know what to say, so I just nodded at her.

    “I don't want you to die, Tina.” Ann said. “I don't want you to die.”

    “Ann.” I said. But what could I say? I held out my too thin stick like arms to her. “Let me hug you.”

    “I've seen the vampire again. On my own. I went out to see if he was there.”

    “You did?” I asked, my arms dropping to the bed in a moment of surprise. “You saw the vampire dancing beneath the neighbor's porch light?” I felt a little confused.

    “Yes Tina.” Ann moved to the head of the bed. I felt severe coldness all of a sudden. I was startled. Ann's skin was strangely white, marble like in appearance. Was I already dead, I wondered? Or was I having a really weird dream as I descended into death? “You are trying to commit suicide by starvation, aren't you?” It was a question asked with almost no emotion. “You're unhappy, aren't you, sis?”

     “Yes.” I said. An ominous feeling was enveloping me. “Yes, Ann, that's all true.”

     She was leaning close now and I knew the cold was radiating from her. “I went to the vampire. I called to him. And he came to me, Tina.”

     “What are you saying Ann?” I was a little afraid now. Afraid of where this was heading, even though I didn't know where that was.

     “I told him about you. How you could see him dancing beneath the porch light, how you helped me to see him. He was quite pleased and surprised you could see him.”

     Now I was scared! I had never actually seen a vampire in reality; it had been a playful fantasy, a game I had played with Ann.

     “Ann.” I cried weakly and unexpectedly she removed her dark sunglasses. I almost screamed in shock and surprise. Ann's eyes were sparkling crimson with a strange inner light.

     “I told the vampire you were in a lot of emotional pain and trying to starve to death by anorexia nervosa. That made him sad. I said I wanted to help you, Tina, that I love you and wanted to make you happy. He thought that was nice and asked what that help might be.”

     Ann paused. I knew what was coming now; I knew where this was going. I was breathless with fear and excitement.

     “I said I wanted you to become a vampire, that would make you happy, right Tina? Was I right?”

     “Yes, Ann, you were right.” I answered and I waited.

     “That vampire pulled me into his arms and sank his fangs into my neck. He drained me of my blood and gave me his.” Ann tilted her head and showed me her neck. I saw two red bite marks on her throat. They were red and scabbed over with dried blood. Ann had been bitten by a vampire! A vampire that I had created by my fantasy, a vampire that had become real to Ann and had bitten her and turned her!

     “I am a vampire now Tina. The vampire turned me so I could turn you! Free you from your horrible emotional pain.” Ann smiled, exposing her fangs. Thin, needle sharp white fangs.

     “Ann!” I tried to scream but I was too weak. Ann dropped down onto me and buried her mouth in my throat. I felt her fangs sink into my flesh, felt her drawing my blood from me and swallowing, over and over again. I felt death seeping in, blessed death when suddenly Ann pulled away, bit her wrist and put it to my mouth. I felt her blood on my lips.

     “Drink Tina. Drink and live! We will be vampires forever, live forever! You will be happy at last!”

     And I drank Ann's blood. I drank as much as she gave me.

 

     I woke the next night as a vampire. Ann was waiting for me, so was my fantasy vampire turned real. We went out into the hot August night for my first hunt. Then Ann and I went out together many many more nights to hunt. And at last I was happy, really really happy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

           

Reviews

[Eric Cox]

A very cool write. It goes from reality where your kindness helped your sister much, to a fantasy shared of a vampire dancing in a porchlight, to your struggle in the past and the very cool fantasy of Ann becoming a vampire and bringing you happiness through the magic of being a vampire. A cool story. Cool creating. Excellent pen upon this.

[Tina Kline]

Thanks so much!

[Eric Cox]

You're welcome :)

[felioness]

Awesome story Tina. I also love vampires. The story carried me from start to finish. Also for some reason I am unable to email anyone on writers cafe. The area one writes in is not there!!! So thanks for the win on your contest. I was honoured!

[Tina Kline]

You are most welcome.

[Star Wolf]

A very compelling story of love and survival. Plus its also a vampire story, a story of an anorexic and the love of sisters. Awesome story!

[Tina Kline]

Thanks!

[Wolf's Dark Song]

A really amazing vampire story. It is almost believable, but maybe it is a true sgory! I enjoyed this vampire story just as much about two sisters love for each other as well as the vampire.

[Tina Kline]

Thanks!

[Coyote Song]

A very touching story about sister's love for each other with a bit of darkness added. The love for her older sister leads the younger one on a journey to save her life. She knows her older sister likes vampires so she sets out and becomes one by seeking the vampire her sister says she sees all the time. Once a vampire she turns her dying sister into one. A very moving story...fantastic job on this!

[Tina Kline]

Thanks!

[Traci]

Very well written, Tina. Your choice of words and imagery enabled me to visualize the entire scene. And it was very believable. The imagination is a very powerful thing. Great job!

[Tina Kline]

Thanks!

[Summer'sBreeze]

wow you have a way with words that do make it sound so real
i love this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Black Cat Fever]

I say this does have a ring of truth to it. I can just see this actually happening. Brilliant work. This really ought to be made into a movie.

[Wicahpi]

Wow! This is so real it's believable! lol
I was thinking that there was a bat flying around
the neighbors porch light...but that never was.
A fantasy turned real; imagination gone wild!
Or, is that 'gone vampire' :)

This is my favorite story of yours.
Just fantastic and brilliant!