Wannabe Vampire

Life is pain. A miasma of pain and blackness, leaving me drowning in pain and misery.

Even though I am but 12, I know this world is shi- garbage. Everything is terrible all the time.

And the worst is my mother. This malicious malcontent constantly hangs around and doesn’t understand the pain I go through every day.

You see, I am a vampire. A creature of the night. An undying spectre of darkness set to consume the world. I am the apex predator among apex predators. 

And she thinks she can make me go to soccer practice?

Of course I can’t go. They choose to have the practice take place during the accursed day, a time where I have to be very careful.

Since  I am still a relatively new vampire, I will not instantly die if I venture into the accursed daylight. But I still hate it, and I should be able to say no. 

But my mother is making me go anyway. Even though it is overcast, I can feel the faint burning sensation of the clouded sun. 

I know I’m not supposed to draw attention to myself, there are probably enemies all over the place. Vampire hunters just waiting for me to slip up and admit to what I truly am.

“Ten hut! Everybody form ranks!”

I hated coach Ronald with every fibre of my being. He was loud, annoying, always angry, always energetic, and got way too invested in how I’m feeling. I just wanted to sit in the corner and wait out the time, but he would always come up and ask how I’m doing, and try to get me involved. 

I wasn’t even going to look him in his eyes. He was probably a vampire hunter just wanting me to reveal my weaknesses. 

“Okay kids, today we’re going to be doing some basic shooting drills. Practise lots, because afterwards we are doing a competition with a cool prize!”

He brought his hand from behind his back and showed off a limited edition official Batman skateboard. He also had a bag containing wheels and trucks of various sizes. 

This was one of the few times I was actually excited. Everybody loved Superman, and some people claimed to like Batman, but I was the only one I knew who truly understood Batman. I understood the pained existence he led, how he had to protect the city from the darkness. If I had that skateboard, maybe it would inspire me to be a benevolent vampire, protecting the city from the shadows.

I had to win that skateboard.

I looked around at my “peers” and saw none of them had the drive or determination to win the skateboard. It was a prize meant for me.

The only problem would be unleashing my full power while still protecting myself from the pain of the accursed sun. 

The actual practice was painful. Everybody else, with their normal human bodies, seemed to be doing so much better than me and my apex predator body. Clearly the sun was causing more trouble than I thought, even if it is technically overcast.

But worst of all was when Ronald tried to help me. He saw me make a single mistake, and immediately pounced, trying to “help” me. But I knew he was just trying to confirm that I was a vampire.

“Hey buddy, your foot’s hitting the ball wrong. You want to hit the ball with the top of your foot.” He then grabbed my foot and physically showed me how the ball should be kicked.

I hated this, so I deliberately chose to prove him wrong. Every time I kicked using the top of my foot, the ball careened away, showing Ronal that I rejected him.

Of course, everyone else was still doing better than me. If this was at night, where I could unleash my full power on these mortals, it would be no contest. But this accursed sun prevented me from going all out.

Also I had to keep my power level in check, lest Ronald get any funny ideas.

Jim, my long standing “friend” (as much as a powerful apex predator can be “friends” with the prey) wasn’t really paying attention. He often stood out in the field, spacing out, and looking at the sky. 

He was a rather slow sort, and he never once suspected my secret. Even when I would refuse to venture out in the blazing sun, he never once questioned it. Of course, the thought that he was playing dumb always crossed my mind, but I wasn’t too worried. He genuinely believed that Superman could kill Batman, so he wasn’t very intelligent in general.

Eventually the practise wound to a close, and I grew more and more frustrated by my lack of mastery. Everyone else could control the ball with ease, while mine would barely make it to the net. 

The contest was simple, Ronald put five targets on the edges of the net, three on the top and one on each side. You get five shots, and you get one point for each target you hit. 

I was near the end of the line, which I preferred. This would give me a chance to use my analytical mind to acquire the other’s techniques. This would be child’s play. 

The first kid to go, a girl I didn’t know the name of, looked very confident. She strode to the five balls, and gave the first one a mighty kick. It sailed completely over the net. She tried again, and the ball sailed in the middle of the net, far away from any of the flags. She tried again, anger filling her stride, and hit one target. She missed the next two, and ended with one point.

This process repeated itself for the next dozen kids. The first few would completely miss the target, they would get frustrated, and end up with one point. One kid got a point on his first kick, and quickly swelled with confidence. The next four shots were completely off the mark, leaving him dejected and angry. Such basal creatures, letting their emotions control their actions.

Eventually it came to me. There was only one person with two points, so this shouldn’t be too hard. I analysed everyone’s movements, locking their techniques into my mind. Most made the mistake of missing the target on their first few shots. I would correct that mistake.

I took a few steps back, felt the wind, and gave it a running start. I sent the ball flying with all my otherworldly might! It flew, racing towards one of the targets, then started falling. And falling. 

By the time it reached the net, it was rolling on the ground, no upward motion of any kind. 

That was my strongest kick. Maybe I was still restraining myself for some reason.

No! This will not do! I must win that Batman skateboard! 

Psyching myself up, I unlocked the hidden well of power that dwelt within my soul. Feeling the eldritch energy coursing through my veins, I knew I could not fail.

Running to the ball, I threw my arm behind me, just like how ninjas ran. Increasing my speed, raising my power, I drove my foot into the ball with all my power. It flew! It flew fast, and high. Too high, in fact. It sailed over the entire net.

I knew I had it in me, I just needed to dial back my overwhelming power. 

Locking myself to 85.7% power, I ran at the third ball. I was aiming for the top middle target, the easiest one to get. Right before I hit the ball, my feet slipped. I stumbled, but still kicked the ball.

Already cursing under my breath, I readied myself for the fourth kick. But, to my surprise, the ball actually hit one of the targets! It was the far left target, but that didn’t matter. Clearly my body knew I was still pouring too much power and adjusted itself accordingly.

I need to empty my mind. Lining up the next shot, I closed my eyes and prayed to the elder vampires before me. I let their power flow through me, felt their wisdom guide my foot, and launched the ball like a rocket. Opening my eyes, I saw that I actually hit one of the flags!

I was tied for first, and I still had another ball to kick! This was clearly too easy for someone of my skill, and I knew that the board would be mine.

Following the same technique as before, I let the power and wisdom of the elder vampires guide my foot, and it delivered the ball to the target. I was winning! The board would be mine!

I only had to wait for a few more mortals to make their pathetic attempts. The next one was this tiny little girl, a few years younger than me. She was probably too busy picking flowers or laughing at rainbows to actually put in any effort. 

I closed my eyes and started walking towards my prize. It was basically mine, I just had to wait for the formality of competition to be over and one with. 

I heard the little girl deliver a kick, then I heard the crowd cheer. They were probably just cheering because she was able to kick the ball to the net at all. Such a child would never be a threat to me.

Another kick, and another cheer. I heard Ronald shout “Two points!” over the cheering crowd.

I opened my eyes, and what I saw enraged me. This tiny child, this literal baby, had two points and three kicks left!

She was a perfect kicker!

No, something must’ve been wrong. Maybe they were just giving her points for just kicking the ball at all. Grown ups would often do that for babies, give them free points for just “trying their best.”

I watched this small child run up, kick the third ball, and see it strike a target dead centre. This was not fair. She was somehow cheating!

She kicked a fourth ball, and scored a fourth point. This was not fair! I worked hard, and here she is, just cheating her way to my skateboard. And she’s a girl, she doesn’t like Batman! Girls never like Batman, they always like Wonder Woman or ponies or whatever girly garbage they are into. When I rule this world, those will be the first things I exile, and everyone will be glad I did!

But first, the matter at hand. How could this child score a perfect game? Were there strings attached to the ball? Drones hidden inside? Magnets? Maybe she was a witch, and she summoned the spirit of a long dead soccer player to play for her. 

When she kicked, and scored, with the fifth and final ball, my suspicions were confirmed. There was literally no way that a little girl could summon forth the determination and drive comparable to my own. 

I could feel the righteous rage coursing through my veins. This was an insult to me and my future legacy. This would stand! 

But wait. What if this is a trap. Ronald is probably doing this intentionally, trying to get me to reveal my true form. Then he would have proof enough to drive a stake through my heart. I bet that skateboard was coated in garlic or holy water.

This little event opened my eyes to the cruelty and injustice of the world. Ronald was willing to cheat me out of my righteously deserved prize just to out me as an unholy abomination. 

When my mother took me home, I was meditating in the car, thinking about the day’s events. Going over every moment in my mind, I found my weaknesses and failures. Well, maybe failure is the wrong word, as I was cheated out of my deserved victory. 

What I needed was more power. I needed to get stronger, then no one would ever take away what’s mine.

I couldn’t help but laugh as we drove up into the driveway. I was ready to do anything.

I ran up the stairs, going onto my laptop. The fellow vampires would know what to do. 

When I found out I was a vampire, I went looking for others like me. It was actually relatively easy for me to find, mainly because being a vampire grants me increased intellect and mental powers. I was able to find all the secret websites that normal people can’t find.

Here, in the forum of darkness, I was at home. No one would laugh at me for protecting myself from my nemesis, the sun. No one would question why I preferred to sleep in as late as possible. And there would always be someone to point out great ways of hiding my fangs. 

Creating a new thread, I described my situation. I told my peers about the contest, how it was rigged against me, and how I needed more power. I needed to discover my special talents, and figure out how to use my supernatural abilities.

One of the first replies mentioned how every great vampire got their abilities: drinking the blood of an innocent. I was already drinking blood, or at least that’s what I called my tomato juice. It was cold and sweet, and filled me with power. 

After telling the poster that, he replied that tomato juice only quelled the hunger. It did not truly satisfy my thirst. Luckily there was a way of doing this without alerting anyone to your dark proclivities. Extract from a living host. 

Many vampires on this site had willing victims donate their blood on a nightly basis. Sadly, I do not have any thralls that I have enslaved, and I don’t think I could find any before Ronald found me out. I needed power, and I needed it now.

A fellow vampire said that over the counter sleep medication, like ambien, was a great resource when she was just starting out. It puts the victim into a deep sleep, and they are unlikely to awaken from a little prick. 

I decided that’s what I was going to do, get some sleeping pills and extract some sweet nectar from one of my family. 

Getting the pills was actually quite easy. There was a kid at school who could get anything you wanted, for a relatively small fee. And Mom always kept some money in the box at the front door for emergencies.

The only problem was giving my victim the pill. My parents stayed up forever, and I would not have the fortitude to stay awake until they fell asleep. 

My only other option was my little brother, Jason. Because he was only five, he went to bed at 7:00, a full hour before me. I could stay up, give him the pill, and follow him to bed relatively easily. 

Now I just needed to wait.

6:50 pm rolled around, and Jason was on his ipad playing Minecraft. Ugh, I hated that baby game, only actual babies played that stupid game. I much preferred mature games like Mortal Kombat or Hatred. 

“Hey Jason, can I use the ipad?”

“Noooo, it’s miiiine!” He always squealed like a pig when you tried to take something from him. I found that somewhat poetic.

“What if I give you some candy?” He was always in the mood for candy, and our parents never gave him any. They were health nuts that hated sugar of all forms. 

“Is it goooood candy?”

“Oh the best, it’s secret candy. I got this candy at school especially for you.” He was always attracted to the forbidden, like a sheep to a flame. 

Before handing the pill over to him, I warned in a grave voice. “Remember, don’t tell anyone about the candy. If you do, I won’t be able to get you more.”

“I promise, now give me the candyyyyy!”

He eagerly gobbled up the pill, crunching loudly. I don’t remember if it was supposed to be a chewable, but whatever. As long as it went down.

“This candy tastes weird...”

“Oh, that’s because it’s a special candy for big boys. If you don’t like it, that must mean you aren’t a big boy yet.”

“No, it’s good, I’m a big boy now!”

From what the kid told me, it would take about 10 minutes or so for the effect to kick in. That would be perfect. 

In the meantime, I pretended to use the ipad. I wasn’t interested in baby toys, but I had to make it look like I really wanted it. Eventually Mom came to bring little Jason to bed, and it looked like he was already very tired.

I could hear the two getting ready, Jason brushing his teeth and so on. Mom came down the stairs, and I knew that it was time. 

Quietly, I grabbed a steak knife from the drawer and made my way up to his room. Using my dormant vampire powers, I was able to conceal my movements from prying eyes.

Opening the door, I saw Jason laying in bed, the night light glowing faintly green. It was time.

I experimentally poked him with the steak knife. He didn’t wake up. I pinched his skin as hard as I could, and he still didn’t wake up. Perfect.

The knife went in rather easily. Almost too easily, like his skin was wanting to open up to me. The crimson liquid flowed like beautiful wine. I gave it a lick. It tasted sweet, almost metallic. It tasted like... like...

Power.

I kept drinking, feeling the surge of energy coursing through my veins. Jason stayed still, barely stirring in his dreamless sleep. This was incredibly easy. 

It took almost half an hour before I had my fill, and Jason still did not stir. This was perfect, I think I’ll do this every night.