#vampire stories

[zooophagous]

Strauss often found himself in contemplation of his kind. Of vampire kind, as a whole. To be certain, there must have been many short lived and tragic wayward souls. There may also have been some benign or even actively benevolent- but the wicked and selfish were by far the most talked about. He was certain however, that regardless of alleged crimes, no vampire deserved this.

A shallow scrape of dirt was the only salvation between himself and the sun. He had covered himself well, but the heat of the day bore down hard on the earth and he felt its threat and nearness though he did not feel its burn. The sifting silt had clung to the wetness of his open blisters, creating grit against his new skin and covering him in unbearable itching. Any movement in discomfort threatened to expose him to the light once more, however, so he lay deathly still in forced stoicism. 

He had been comfortable underground, once. The cool and well carved crypt beneath his vault was quite a bit more spacious than this, and less fragile. In fact, he had weathered more than one war in the safety of his lair. It was made of dirt, yes, and often subject to flooding or other whims of weather, but it was familiar and safe. Strauss did not feel safe here. Some vampires had castles, he had a grave, and right now he didn’t even have that much any more.

He wondered quietly if Sylvain had a lair. She has to sleep somewhere. Maybe she too found herself hidden in a dumpster or a sewer, once, alone and afraid. Maybe she was there now, if she couldn’t get back to civilization in time. It was difficult to think about her. At least this meeting with her didn’t end with broken bones, but if he were honest, the burns hurt more.

He was unlikely to be found quickly, and any attempt to crawl out of his shallow grave now would only be met with more pain. He decided to escape the only way he could and retreat into his dream state. By the time he would rise, it would be safely dark again, and by then the pain on his back and arms would hopefully be over with. 

Dreaming was difficult under these circumstances, but he’d had harder sleeps before. Funny how he longed for his dorm in the institute now, when not long ago he spent many sleepless hours there waiting for some assassin to try to claim him. Maybe one would claim him here- though he doubted Sylvain would hurt herself just to further torment him.

The threatening heat of the midday sun became a calming warmth, the heaviness of the dirt a gentle blanket, and his forced stillness became rest. It was a deep rest, brought on by exhaustion and injury, his body clawing every inch of healing out of the sleep given to it. 

He was disturbed. Something had moved the protective earth from his ersatz tomb. The sudden directness of sunlight made him recoil even in his sleep, but it quickly passed. 

He was being led, being moved, and in no shape to argue. In moments he was somewhere dark again, and covered over with cloth instead of dirt. It could only be the institute, coming to his rescue once again. He didn’t recognize this driver but he didn’t much care. Instinctively he crawled into the back seat of the car, into the safety of the dark cabin, curled himself into a crumpled ball and was dead to the world once more.

He was dimly aware that he was being jostled and prodded. Not a novel sensation- the nurses and researchers had often manhandled him in the name of science while he was in recovery. This one was foolish. They were pestering him before administering any tranquilizers, or painkillers, and they were very stupidly sticking their hands in his face. He felt his jaw pulled open and his lip lifted.

He shot out his hand suddenly and seized the nurse by the arm, opening his eyes with a baleful gaze as he did so. His intense expression was clouded by confusion. This was not a nurse. Nor was this the medical wing. 

The frightened face of the priest was trembling before him. Surrounding him was no hospital or the official buildings of the institute. It appeared to be more of someone’s own personal house. He was on no cot, but a hideous floral couch, still naked but draped in borrowed crocheted  blankets.

“Where am I?”

“Oh! S- so sorry! I didn’t mean to wake you up- I mean, I wasn’t sure I could wake you up. I was afraid you had died!”

“I have died.” Strauss groaned and released his hold on his host. “You are very stupid to put your hand in a tiger’s mouth. Will you please answer me, and tell me where I am?”

“You’re at my house.” The priest backed away from the couch as Strauss slowly sat up. “Don’t worry, you’re safe, if that’s what you’re worried about. I think you can probably hold your own against me.”

“You…” Strauss stared hard at the stranger. “You were the one Sylvain wanted to kill. Gregor, was it? Why are you touching my face?”

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself. I saw the fangs and got curious.” He smiled nervously. “Gregor, yes. ‘Greg’ is fine. I was going to call you an ambulance, when I found you I was sure you were dead. Something told me to wait and see, though.” 

He got up and began walking to the dingy wood-paneled kitchen of the little house. “Call it a hunch.”

“Greg.” Strauss repeated. “I wish I could say it was a pleasure, Greg. I am Doctor Strauss. ‘Strauss’ is fine. How did you find me?”

“Well, first I saw you and that woman fighting. Then I saw the strangest thing. She stripped naked and started… I don’t know. Flapping her arms?”

He demonstrated awkwardly. “She started changing and getting ugly. Then you started running. And I took off after you. I should have ran, sure. But I couldn’t look away. Then there were these two things with great big wings flying over the city.”

He poured himself some stale coffee, and another mug for Strauss, which he presented to the vampire with a tired smile. “I figured one of them must be you.”

“You saw that?”

“Yes. Got in my car and followed you the best I could. I couldn’t believe it. I lost track of you for a bit and thought maybe I was going crazy and had hallucinated the whole thing. But then I saw drag marks in the fields as the sun came up. Followed them till they turned into footprints, then found you buried in a ditch.”

Gregor sat down across from the weary vampire, who cupped the hot mug gently in his claws and daintily sipped at it.

“I thought I was too late. Maybe she’d killed you and tried to bury you. When I started clearing dirt off of you though, you moved. So I got you into the car and brought you here. I didn’t know what else to do.”

“You did not call the police?”

“I’m not sure what you are, sir. I feel like you probably do not want to talk to law enforcement, however.”

“Very astute, sir.” 

“I let you sleep on the couch for a bit, but when I checked on you again you weren’t breathing, and you had no pulse, and I thought maybe it was too late for you and decided that…”

“Decided to sate your curiosity while you still could, before my body was collected and disposed of?” Strauss pulled back his lips in an ugly sneer, showing off the full lengths of his yellow fangs. 

“I suppose I can forgive you for that indiscretion. I suppose I should thank you, for saving my life.”

“I think we’re even on that front. That woman really wanted to hurt me, didn’t she?”

“Perhaps we should not talk about that. She had some very serious accusations about you, that if they were true, I may not necessarily disagree with her.” 

“Yes. She had a lot of opinions about me.” Gregor set his lips in a thin line. “None of it is true, do you hear me? I know how it looks, and I know it’s a problem in the church. But not from me it isn’t.”

“Did you do something to make her think so?”

“I’ve made my share of mistakes, sure. But not with children. My mistake was a woman in my parish. One just a little younger than myself. When she moved away, I moved to follow her. It’s that simple. Nothing more.”

“The act of falling in love is a mistake?”

“It is when you’re a priest.” Gregor sipped his coffee and made a bitter expression from its unsweetened tang. “Vow of celibacy and all. Can’t make it official, so you can only live in sin, unless you don’t want your career anymore.”

“Why not simply leave the priesthood?”

“Easier said than done. I’ve spent decades learning and working like this, I’m not suited to anything else anymore. Easier to ask forgiveness than seek permission.”

“Catholics are such strange creatures.” Strauss finished his coffee.

“Speaking of strange creatures…”

“Yes?”

“What are you?”

“It is a secret. You will mention my existence to no-one. There are many who would do me harm if I am discovered.”

“Just say it.”

“Your culture would call me a vampire. I am dead, sir, and have been for a very long time.”

“I was afraid you’d say that.” Gregor swallowed hard. “Ironic that a priest is hosting a demon in his house.”

“Does it bother you?”

“No. Even Christ showed mercy to demons, when they begged not to be cast into the pit. I can play nice too, for a bit. Are you bothered by crucifixes?”

“Hehh, no. You mistake your god for being far more potent than he is.”

Strauss stood up and the afghan fell from his shoulders, leaving him naked in the living room.

“I must use the shower. And the phone. Do you have a razor blade I can borrow?”

“Yes, follow me.” Gregor led Strauss to the bathroom while politely averting his eyes. “You can use my razor, there’s fresh blades in here, towels are in the cabinet over the toilet.”

Strauss closed the door and was finally alone, safe in a small windowless room bathed in dingy yellow light. His face in the mirror looked worse than usual. His normal pallid tone was pink and peeling around his face, but the worst of it were his arms and his back. Dead skin draped over and across his body, stained from earth. It resembled cobwebs, or perhaps the dressings from a mummified corpse.

Where the ruined skin broke, a shock of pink was seen below it, fresh skin trying desperately to solidify into a useful hide once more. He opened the drawer and found a box of razor blades. He claimed one, and set to work carefully trimming the sloughed skin from his arms and shoulders. It fell to the floor like ashes. He took a towel from the cupboard and pulled it back and forth across his back, filing it off in hideous flakes. 

Finally content, he stepped into the shower. Hot water caused the raw skin to sting, he ran it cold, and busied himself with picking bits of grit and dirt from his burns where he could see and reach them. The water ran brown and dirt fell out of his hair in dark clumps which slowly dissolved down the drain.

He finally stepped out and dried himself. He left the towels on the floor with nary a care to the mess he’d created. As he stepped out, he realized he had been given another charity- a neatly folded set of clothes, although sans undergarments. He pulled the uncomfortable items on with a grunt. The athletic pants in particular fit poorly, and left exceedingly little to the imagination. Perhaps he’d wear such a thing for his mate, but not for a priest.

It would have to do. He emerged clean and dressed, though still looking more than half dead.

“If you lend me your phone, I will take my leave shortly.”

“Yes. Of course.” He handed over a cell phone.

Strauss pulled up the keypad and put in the number. He didn’t know many phone numbers, and hated using them, but this one, he knew by heart.

“Thank you for calling the Van Helsing Psychiatric Research Hospital, this is Sandy, how may I direct your call?”

“Guten tag, frau Sandy. I need to speak to Director Van Helsing. It is urgent.”

“Oh! Oh my God you’re alive! Yes, of course, one moment.”

There was a pause. Muffled and static filled strains of Vivaldi poured through the earpiece for long, painful moments, when finally there was a soft click and an answer.

“Artemis speaking. Strauss? Is that you?”

“Ja.”

“Strauss, where the Hell are you? Are you ok? What happened?”

“Sylvain is not the killer.”

“What?!”

“I would prefer to explain it in person. I am in the house across the street from the large red brick church downtown. How fast can you get here?”

“Ten minutes. Actually, make it seven. Don’t go anywhere. Do you need medical assistance? Is anyone hurt?”

“Nobody is hurt. Not badly, anyway. I am in need of a feed and a change of clothes. Please do not send Ursula. I have been battered enough for one day.”

He hung up and nearly handed the phone back to Gregor, but paused. “Did you happen to take any photographs of the woman who tried to kill you?”

“Oh, I tried. I got a few blurry ones of her when she took off flying.”

“Has anyone else seen them yet?”

“No. I don’t even have social media.”

“Good.” Strauss crushed the phone in his claw and dropped the crumpled metal and glass remains.

“...Oh.” Greg replied, crestfallen.

“Believe me when I say it is for everyone’s collective good.”

“Is she coming?”

“Yes. Very shortly.”

“Is she the one?”

“The one what?”

“The one you and that woman were arguing over?”

“Ah.” Strauss looked down. “You heard me confess to that, did you?”

“Hard not to, when you’re having a brawl over it five feet from me.”

“If you must know, yes. That one is Artemis. She is my mate. If you are a wise man, you will keep that fact to yourself.”

“It’s a secret, eh?”

“If certain people knew about us, it could very well be fatal for me. If you talk I will be forced to kill you and eat you out of pure self defense.” Strauss huffed.

“Hey, relax. I know all about it, right?” He smiled sadly. “Looks like both of us know a thing or two about falling in love when we shouldn't.”

“Your beloved is probably much safer to chase than my own.” Strauss sighed. “I think you should go to her, leave the church, leave any place Sylvain might find you. She is not gone, and her grudges run deep.”

“What do you suggest I do, Strauss? Can I do anything to… I don’t know. Ward her off? Fire? Garlic?”

“No. You will only enrage her. I recommend this, Gregor.”

“Yes?”

“Do not go out at night.”

#writing #writeblr #wayward souls #vampire stories

[empirearchives]

More vampire stories from the Napoleonic era

From Manuscrit trouvé à Saragosse (The Manuscript Found in Saragossa), by Jan Potocki, published between 1805-1815

#Jan Potocki #Potocki #Manuscrit trouvé à Saragosse #vampires #horror stories #horror #french literature #vampire stories #vampire #napoleonic era #napoleonic #first french empire #french empire #French lit #France #Poland #polish literature #The Manuscript Found in Saragossa #The Saragossa Manuscript #Spain #19th century #19th century literature #1800s literature #paranormal

[netherworldpost]

The Broken Chair Room

The witch's heart seized with passion, the steady clock hand in her chest mightily turning from "infatuation" to "love" with a biological silence, and a soul-felt gonggggg, in the broken chair room of her home.

For, you see, it was so named because it was full of, as one might guess -- wait! --are you reading too far ahead? Tsk tsk!

"This is my Broken Chair room," she said, hesitantly, a moment, a breath, an eyelash of words, before the above mentioned temperament migration.

The vampire looked around, eyes wide with surprise, taking it all in visually, absorbing the oddity, counting, as was her kind's curse, the chairs in a single observant sweep.

Not a single chair remained intact, not a single place could one sit, so no one sat.

Without hesitation, without request for explanation, the vampire simply picked up one half of a chair and broke it into three --

-- then picked up one half of this broken chair half, and broke it into two, too!

The witch, it could be said, and accurately (oh how nice!) never moved so fast in taking the vampire's face in her hands, and taking the vampire's lips onto hers.

Kiss, kiss! Kiss, kiss!!

#vampire #witch #vampire stories #witch stories #gay monsters #gay vampire #gay witch #halloween #october #halloween stories #october stories

[tales-of-venus-and-basil]

I want a vampire story that centers around a hundred year old vampire that fought in the Civil War BUT was on the union side of the war and eventual fough in both world wars . And this man HATES racists. It's brought up that he fought in the world and a black character asks why he didn't do anything about slavery. He turns and gives the coldest stare and says, "who the guck said I sat back and did nothing against those bastards."

I might write it eventually 🤷‍♀️

#my writing #vampire headcanons #vampire stories #vampire story #vampire stuff #vampire #why are there so many confederate vampies anyway #writing prompts #writing prompt #writing stuff #writing #fanfiction writer #horror story #story prompt #story

[brieflyinfatuated]

Heads Up Seven Up!

Thanks @aether-wasteland-s and @the-stray-storyteller!! I'm FINALLY back on the writerly shenanigans- your tags have been the sweet siren's call I hear in the night...come, come back to writeblr...

So here are seven sentences (is it supposed to be seven lines? TOO LATE) from my latest WIP, a gothic romance styled vampire thing- I'm talking bad weather, lonely castles, a damsel in distress and people with #secrets to keep >:3

The road was icy, large banks of snow piled high on either side. The figure was dressed in a working shift, the apron a white flag catching in the violent gusts of wind. She’d lost feeling in her legs in the early hours of the morning, it was nearly sunrise now, the weak light of dawn threatening to break through the squall of snow and sleet. There was so much snow that she didn’t notice, at first, when she fell. The snow on the ground, she decided, was harder than the snow in the air. / The wind blew, the snow fell, and the figure wore it like a blanket, it fell so softly. She drifted into sleep, dreaming of horses- the sound their hooves made as they struck the ground, the sound of a rider's boots crunching in the snow in a dismount. *** aaand bc I have no self control, the rest of the scene*** A second figure appeared in the blizzard. They were dressed for the weather in a thick cloak, nudging the woman with the toe of a heavy boot. A rather nice boot, she thought, as the hard snow of the ground disappeared beneath her, been kicked with worse. ***ok I'm done now I promise***

Okiedokie now for my next trick, I shall tag seven writeblrs :3 As always, no pressure to participate, and lmk if you want to be added to/subtracted from my taglist! <3

Today's lucky winners are @vicstmichael (check out Elaine's Gift on Goodreads!!) @btranwrites (am I following ur new account? I should check that) @authoralexharvey (dunno if ur into tag games but HERE WE ARE) @lilymelancholy04 (my valentine <3) @sarcasticjuiceboxes (or possibly @is-daydreams but that's not tagging properly :'( @regalserpent (you seem to be writing heaps lately that's so awesome!!) and @cedar-west (I love your STUDY acronym!!)

#writeblr #heads up seven up #tag games #writing #writing snippets #briefly writing #oh wait my writing tag was you brought this upon yourselves #or maybe that was just for poetry #gothic romance #vampire stories #WIPs #gif is from the addams family I think :3 #long post #the issue I find with WIP games is they're so rough they really need to be edited before u post lo so u do a quick edit then find #a bunch more mistakes/issues after you post #and ur like hmm yes this is not my best work #but also it kinda is so u leave it #it's good practice putting yourself and your writing out there that's all Im saying #I guess it's not an issue then/maybe that's the whole point #I have learned something this day #feature not a bug

[frenchvani11a]

A Vampires Masquerade

By FrenchVani11a

The room had been elaborately decorated, and candles from the tables on the side and the chandelier shrouded the alluring ballroom in a gentle light. The band, consisting of an accordion, cello, violin, drum, and piano played into the room, driving a number of equally lavishly dressed couples to dance, intending to dance into the night with each other under the dreamlike music. Not one identity was revealed, for the masks of this masquerade were all extravagantly detailed, yet concealing.

She entered the ballroom, formally late. Her elaborate black dress flowed in unison behind her like a starry sky as she walked. She made her way to the side of the room to watch the graceful dancers, not noticing all heads turning to her. For some, it was awe at the beauty of her dress and herself, and for others it was because their fangs extending a small amount at the thought of blood from such a gorgeous woman.

Her dark gown seemed to flow constantly, if only standing still. A presence was felt behind her but before she could look a gentle tap was felt on her shoulder. She turned.

"Madame," A voice of red wine said. The man was very tall and dressed in an all black suit with an exemption of his blood red tie and gloves. She found him handsome.

"A woman as beautiful as you should not be here unaccompanied." He bowed down slightly and held out a gloved hand. The woman took it, willing to waltz with him.

At the beginning of the next song by the band, they seamlessly entered the dancing group. Together they stayed and swayed for a time she couldn't count. They both remained dancing with each other for the night, entranced. She never once wished that night to dance with any of the other men there, feeling light with this dark figure. Soon, everything around the two seemed to fade, as they closed out the party around them, focusing on each other and only each other. She closed her eyes and leaned into his chest, never once noticing she was the only reflection in the polished floor they shared that night.

#writing #writing ideas #vampire #masquerade #masquerade ball #vampire masquerade #writing prompt #story ideas #vampire stories #dark waltz inspired #original writing

[moondrama]

Started and finished Tooth Pari: When Love Bites (2023) over the weekend.

When it was trending daily, I thought it would be a silly show but I watched it anyway because I like vampire stories. It was actually very nice in my opinion. They added a lot of content, overlapping stories, backstories, problems and solutions in only 8 hour-long episodes that felt fulfilling. I do think the last episode was a bit rushed as you'd typically expect the protagonist vs antagonist showdown to have a longer buildup but I guess this was fine too. I didn't fully understand the water power thing Rumi suddenly had.

I liked the ending, it was simply and straightforward and...I guess they're gonna do a season 2 now?

This show, though an 18+ fantasy, still had the vibes of shows that Netflix calls 'understated' which I really like.

Also, idk if it was just me but the audio quality (or maybe the intonation of the actors) was a little poor at times.

Overall, nice chill show. Had fun watching it.

#tooth pari #tooth pari: when love bites #netflix #vampire stories

[celestevampire]

Taking a Long Break

Well since Halloween is over. I will be taking a long break until next year when I start creating a book 2 for School for Little Vampires on Wattpad. Yes I will confirm to you all that there is definitelly going to be a book two of this. Mainly bc it was a big success. It won't be released until around Oct 10 threw 20 2024. I will slowly be doing videos of the first story on my YouTube channel. I may pop in every now and then. I thank you all for being a great audience and I hope to see you all there again next year.

#school for little vampires #die schule der kleinen vampire #school for vampires #vampire series #vampire story #vampire stories

[juliawriting]

Hi everyone! I'm Julia, a dark fantasy author and illustrator. Been on tumblr for years (as @kuroifeather) but haven't started a proper writeblr until now.

I write about socially awkward werewolves, vampires with daddy issues, depressed immortals, and reckless protagonists. All of them queer, all of them idiots, and all of them coping with trauma in unhealthy ways.

Find my stories on Wattpad here!

I've recently also started a Bluesky account.

#writeblr #writing community #dark fantasy #fantasy #fantasy books #books #wattpad #wattpad writer #wattpad story #wattpad books #amwriting #writers of tumblr #novel writing #paranormal #werewolf #werewolves #vampire #vampire stories #mxm #queer #lgbtq #author promotion

[isabelcanasauthor]

"No Other Life," by Isabel Cañas

Istanbul, 1569

Cities like her make men leave their hearts on their shores. “Seeing you,” the men say, “I want no other life.”

Each night, as the diadem of the Bosporus drifts into slumber, violet shadows drape the narrow streets of Eminönü. I watch the window, thinking of you moving through the sleeping city, your footfall silent as the breathing of dreamers. I imagine you slipping velvet mist over your shoulders, sweeping past mosque and meyhane, sleeping beasts and sleeping houses. Full houses. Empty houses.

I was born in this city, raised on a tongue of land embraced by swift straits and glittering seas. My grandparents were not. They taught me, their only granddaughter, ladino songs rich with the silt of the Guadalquivir, thick with longing for a west that fell too soon into twilight.

It was my singing that drew you to our house in Tahtakale that autumn night. I sensed you before I saw you, as a bird senses the gaze of the garden cat from the shadows. I was drawn to the door, unlatching it with slow hands so as not to wake my grandmother.

It was dark. I saw no one. And yet the raised hair on my arms, on the back of my neck, told me someone was there.

My breath died in my throat.

Won’t you invite me in?

Keep Reading

#short fiction #short story #short stories #fiction #historical fiction #vampires #fantasy #historical fantasy #ottoman empire #magnificent century #but with vampires #writeblr #vampire fiction #vampire stories #vampire #sapphic #istanbul

[theogbubblesnake]

so I rewatched the first Twilight movie, my honest thoughts 🖤🌹

I honestly really liked it, enjoyed it all over

It's not as bad as people say it is, yes, it's cheesy and some lines are stupid but there's also a lot of great characters, funny lines, romantic lines, Edward Cullen is the most adorable soft vampire not gonna lie(lol), I love his family and how they wanna be good people, (I Love when the vampire allegory is used like that, to show that it's an allegory on self control and choosing to either be a good person or a bad person/etc), I honestly think it was a good movie, yes it's not perfect but so what, I think it's cute

#ask me anything #vampire #Twilight #Twilight Movies #Stephenie Meyer #vampire stories

[witchqueenofthemoon]

via @curiousvolumes

#edward gorey #vampire stories #vintage horror #vintage books #curiousvolumes #vampires #vampire books

[jessicanjpa]

The more I try to get into other vampire media, the more I'm like "hmm, no thank you" so I guess I don't actually like vampires in general, I just like Twilight's vampires 🤷🏻‍♀️

I don't really enjoy other vampire or werewolf stories either. For me it's about these characters in particular and the fact that they've been set throughout real human history. That and Twilight's wonky blend of sci-fi and fantasy, I never get tired of that either.

#Inbox #Vampires in media #<-I think I'm going to change this tag to #Vampire stories #Or something like that #Twilight also is just chock full of themes I like to read

[rebb003]

The day after reading this introduction to the 1977 collection THE DRACULA BOOK OF GREAT VAMPIRE STORIES, I found myself in my attic, scribbling my own vampire story in fountain pen, wiping up the tea I’d spilled with my literal sleeves because I’d forgotten a napkin—and I thought to myself, oh no.

#vampire #vampires #sheridan le fanu #carmilla #vampire story #vampire stories #life imitates art #oh no oh no #amwriting #writerslife #writeblr #writers on tumblr #horror #horror writing

[smokiedokie]

I opened my copy of The Tale of the Body Thief & immediately had to close it again because of this silly little annotation

#yes I spelled channel wrong #but honestly #totbt is just one long get ready with me YouTube story time #the vampire chronicles

[steelsuit]

Vampire Spawn 🩸🦇

#Astarion #baldurs gate 3 #bg3 #vampire #baldur's gate 3 #poster #pic #Astarion my beloved #his story means a lot to me so wanted to do something more detailed with him..