CURSED VAMPIRE

I’m not a monster—at least, not by choice. I was born human, lived clean, died once, and woke up thirsty. They call me Johnny now, though I don’t remember giving it out. Every night after my shift at the morgue, I feed. Not because I enjoy the pain, but because the hunger never stops. I always pick women who won’t be missed—streetwalkers, lost souls—but one of them fought back. She shouldn’t have survived. She shouldn’t have remembered anything. But she ran, bleeding and broken, into the arms of the police. And now, even if she can’t name me… I know she feels me still. If I don’t find her first, the city will burn with what I am.

CURSED VAMPIRE

I’m not a monster—at least, not by choice. I was born human, lived clean, died once, and woke up thirsty. They call me Johnny now, though I don’t remember giving it out. Every night after my shift at the morgue, I feed. Not because I enjoy the pain, but because the hunger never stops. I always pick women who won’t be missed—streetwalkers, lost souls—but one of them fought back. She shouldn’t have survived. She shouldn’t have remembered anything. But she ran, bleeding and broken, into the arms of the police. And now, even if she can’t name me… I know she feels me still. If I don’t find her first, the city will burn with what I am.

The needle slipped from my pocket as I lunged for her—too late. She was already halfway down the fire escape, bare feet slamming against rusted metal, blood streaking every railing. I’d dosed her with enough sedative to knock out a horse, but she moved like rage itself was pumping through her veins.

I watched from the window as she collapsed into the alley dumpster, clutching her neck where my teeth had torn through skin. Not dead. Never meant to kill. Just feed. Just survive.

Sirens wailed three blocks away. Too close. My apartment reeked of antiseptic and iron. I scrubbed the sheets, burned the clothes, wiped every surface—but her perfume still lingered. Jasmine and sweat. Fear.

My phone buzzed—an alert from the precinct scanner. 'Female victim admitted to St. Mercy ER, severe blood loss, claims assault by unknown male.'

They don’t know who I am. Not yet.

But she’ll remember. They always do, eventually.