Adam's Story
Prologue

There are many distinctive qualities about vampires that are widely known and used with such infinite finality that they are regarded as nothing less than absolute fact. Most of these incredible truths, while being imaginatively tantalizing, are nothing more than glorified myths.

That being said, please allow me to disclaim some of the lore that does not directly pertain to the story I am about to relate. Anything I leave out will most likely be described in detail during the tale within.

The first item I would like to relate to is our physical appearance. We real vampires - I say “we” because I am in all actuality a real vampire - do not look much different than human beings. In fact we are human beings, only less alive. Since we are not wholly dead, we do not have the sickly blue-white complexion of a corpse as some think. But our skin is of a paler color than it was when we were ‘normal’. That is due to our low heart rate and the insufficient oxygen content in our bodies. My heart pumps blood at a rate of approximately twenty beats per minute during normal daily activity. The speed can increase or decrease based on the level of exertion just like everyone else.

The low heart rate and slow stream of blood is also what makes our skin cooler to the touch than a non-vampire’s. And what helps us to survive extreme climates that a human could not possibly survive. The weather doesn’t affect me the way it does you. I could be perfectly comfortable in the Arctic or the Sahara wearing nothing but jeans and a tee shirt. My internal body temperature would remain at or close to thirty-six degrees Fahrenheit. However, the warmth or coolness of my skin does fluctuate occasionally.

Which brings me to my next topic: a vampire’s skin. It is much tougher than a humans. We are not impervious, but more insensitive to epidermal harm. We do not burn in sunlight or even tan. Nor do we suffer from any common skin condition that can afflict humans. Such as acne. I was eighteen when I was changed. I didn’t have much of a problem with acne before, but I have since had no problem with it. I haven’t even got razor burn - a disorder that plagued everyone who used a straight razor. And I do have to shave if I don’t want facial hair. Even a corpse’s hair and nails grow.

Vampires also have limited regenerative capabilities. Our cells build and repair at an alarming rate compared to a human’s. If a vampire does manage to get cut, it will heal within seconds, or minutes depending on the severity of the wound. It would take a traumatic injury to kill a vampire.

As for respiration, I normally take around one or two breaths per minute instead of the average ten or twelve. Breathing is not just something vampires do to appear normal. We do have to breathe. Yet we can go for longer periods of time without air. I believe the longest I have ever held my breath was fifty-seven minutes and nineteen seconds. Impressive, but I believe Vampirism is an automatic disqualification in world record contests. I would have to check the rules more carefully.

Eyes are a different matter. It’s hard to explain a vampire’s eyes. I can tell you that mine were vivid brown in life but are now more of a hazel color. They have a rusty ring close to the pupil which gets redder after I’ve fed. I suppose that’s from living on the blood of others. I have seen others with a darker color but as I said, it is hard to explain.

Coffins. I loved watching Bela Lugosi dramatically climb from his coffin as much as everyone else, but that’s just a movie. I do not sleep in a coffin. The four hours I use to escape the monotonous affairs of everyday life are spent on a cheap lumpy mattress.

One other common misconception about vampires is our libido. A subject I don’t broach often because of it’s delicacy. I was raised during a time when sex was not discussed openly as it is today. But I will say that we do not suffer from insatiable lust - at least I don’t. Vampires are capable of performing the same as everyone else. And - again, for me - the drinking of blood is not always an erotic experience. Though many of my donors have considered it the equivalent of intercourse, I have never seen it that way. For me, it’s just the way I continue my existence. Not much different than having lunch in a crowded restaurant.

Also, vampires are completely incapable of reproduction. We are not able to procreate among each other or humans. All vampires are sterile.

That being said, I will waste no further time exposing lore and move into the tale I wish to be told. I will start at the beginning...

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