#vampire pred

Why had you decided to take this dare? That question repeated itself in your head again and again with each step you took towards the entrance to the castle. For centuries, your town had circulated rumors that a vampire count lived in the dismal keep that towered some distance from the town. You were a bit of an urban legend and horror junkie, and had tried to do your fair share of research on the history of the castle.

In the week leading up to Halloween, some of your friends had dared you to visit the keep and try to find the vampire that lurked there. It seemed fun at first, and appropriately spooky, but the drive there had you filled with doubt. After all, there was a difference between saying and doing. But the place looked stable enough up close…you’d be in and out. Just an hour or two hour adventure. Right?

Equipped with your phone, a flashlight, a water bottle, and snacks, you swallowed your nerves as you stepped up the stairs to the massive, oak doors. One of them was open just a crack, giving you enough space to shimmy your way inside. The inside was appropriately massive; there was a surprising lack of dust or debris for an abandoned keep. Moonlight flitted in through the windows, illuminating a long, red rug leading down a vast hallway.

Heading down the main hall, you gazed at a line of portraits hung up along the walls. Each one depicted men and women with ashen flesh, white or silver hair, and fancy clothes in red, black, and gold colors. It really did feel like you were in some vampire movie. You chuckled softly to yourself, half expecting a swarm of bats to burst out of nowhere.

Each room of the castle seemed to be well maintained. You’d honestly been expecting something more spooky and dilapidated. Who was keeping this place up and running? Was some dedicated preservationist camping out here, or repeatedly making that drive up the mountain road? As you stepped into what looked like a parlor, your eyes traveled over the plush furniture, blood red rug, golden candelabra holding flickering candles…

Wait a minute…that candelabra was lit. If this place was abandoned, then where did the fire come from? The sound of footsteps made you freeze. Either that was another explorer, a thief, or this place really wasn’t vacant. You looked over to the nearest hallway, trying to think of what you might say to this stranger. But when the man stepped into the parlor, all possible words left your mind.

The man was about eight feet tall, as pale as the people in the portraits and having messy silvery hair. He wore an incredibly ornate coat and suit; red, gold, and black, decorated with bloody rose pins and shiny rubies. He wore an equally fancy top hat with a golden bat pin, and long, thin batlike wings extended out from his back. His blood red eyes sized you up, his pointed ears perking up.

“Ahh…a visitor? I haven’t had any visitors in quite a long time…” he said. “Welcome to my home, dear. Please, don’t be so afraid.” But you were frozen. The vampire was real…here, in the flesh, and you were an intruder and likely prey. Fear and instinct kicked in, and you turned and fled back down the way you came. Screw the bet, you weren’t being drained tonight!

“Wait! Please, don’t run!” he cried. But you ignored him, trying to find your way back to the entrance. As you dashed around corners and through hallways, it quickly became apparent that you were lost. The moment you stopped to catch your breath, a large, silver bat flapped up before you, instantly transforming into the vampire you’d just fled from. “I’m sorry, but I cannot let you leave just yet!” he exclaimed, towering over you.

The Count’s ruby-red eyes suddenly glowed. You cowered back under his intense stare; he somehow seemed taller now, growing by the moment. Looking down at the floor, you realized that it was getting closer. He wasn’t growing-you were shrinking! You turned to run again, but the Count grabbed 

“There we go…it’ll be okay, luv,” he said softly, gently petting your head with his thumb. “I’ll just tuck you away for a bit…keep you close to me…” You wriggled in his hold, trying to make sense of his words…and then he held you up and opened wide. The candlelight caught on his fangs, glinting like ivory spears.

“No! Don’t eat me!” You cried. The Count only gave you a soft look before slipping your legs into his mouth. You froze in fear of being sliced on his razor sharp fangs. You shuddered at the feeling of his saliva soaking your pant legs, his tongue sliding against your lower body. All you could do was watch helplessly as your feet slid into his throat.

The vampire was slow and gentle as he slipped you further into his mouth. Your hips slid past his lips, your legs engulfed by his throat. You tried pressing against his lips, but he slurped in your belly, then your chest, leaving only your head visible. The tip of his tongue slid out and curled around your head, pulling you all the way inside.

Your fate was sealed as the Count’s mouth closed behind you. You were up to your hips in his throat, your back pressed against his tongue. Now that you were completely inside, the Count was swallowing you faster, pulling you closer to your slimy doom. Your struggling did nothing to make the vampire spit you out. You tried to grab onto his uvula, but your hands slipped from the fleshy tab. One last strangled cry left you as you were engulfed by the pulsing abyss.

You clawed at the slimy, squishy walls of the vampire’s gullet, one more futile attempt to save yourself. You felt your devourer shudder, his fingers pressing against the bulge in his neck. It was a long, constricting slide down to his stomach, and by the time you were squeezed inside, you felt like your very bones had been beaten.

Shivering, you took out your flashlight and looked around. It was a pink, balmy pouch, about the perfect size to hold you. As if you belonged here. You curled up, whimpering, especially as the Count started to rub you from outside, as if you were just a snack to him.

“I’m…I’m sorry, my dear…I shouldn’t have done that…” he murmured, gently stroking over you. “For decades it has been only my butler and I, and the loneliness has been crushing. I promise not to hurt you…and I will let you go before sunrise. I hope that you can forgive me.”

You laid there in shock. He wasn’t going to hurt you? He did sound genuine…not to mention deeply sorrowful. You tried to think of what it would be like to essentially be alone for possibly hundreds of years. Perhaps you’d be just as desperate for company. And you had to admit, it was surprisingly warm and cozy inside this undead creature’s stomach.

Hearing the Count starting to weep, you reached over to gently rub the stomach walls. He froze, shocked. But he slowly started to purr, rubbing over you in return. He’d spent countless years longing for affection. For the first time in so long, he felt loved…even if just a little. “Thank you, my dear…” he murmured.