I am a vampire

I am a vampire.

I say this because I prey on people. I prey upon emotions. I look for that soft spot and I plunge in my fangs. I stare intensely at people. I try very hard to charm women on the dance floor. I touch them oh so lightly. And they all fight back. Their friends fight back. They call me names to try to discourage me. They point out and paint features of my body as grotesque. I roll with it. After all, I'm a vampire. Vampires don't have feelings for the hurting. I prowl all night long in search of fresh blood.

Blood in this case isn't that human connective tissue specialized for transporting oxygen and nutrients to various parts of the body. No. Blood in this case is experience. I slurp up experiences. Last night I met and danced briefly with a girl who lost her boyfriend/husband in a car accident. I touched her arm where she had been sewn up. The puncture points of the staples or thread and the long slit indicate that she was splayed open to have her bone fixed probably. Her friends were like pack wolves, simultaneously nipping at my heels and corralling her away from me. They were protecting her. I was the threat. That's why I'm the vampire. I swoop in with an intense stare and a pocket full of charm and try like hell to impress. It's a lot of fun being a vampire. There is so much pain in the world. It's like a drug when I milk it and feed on it.