Language in the Blood

  ***

  In the past, I had tried to trace my maker by talking to others about theirs. Most of the stories were absolute nonsense. Amongst the Goths, it was mostly a very childish competition about whose maker was older and who had the most historically interesting background, but often I would stumble across a so-called expert like Vampanillo78. I got talking to him in an internet café later that night.

  Vampanillo78: You really know nothing about vampires MacFangs. 1845 is not an old one; I was made by a real old one who had been made during the Spanish inquisition.

  MacFangs: How?

  Vampanillo78: He sucked my blood and then I drank his ancient blood.

  MacFangs: Sorry, I mean why you?

  Vampanillo78: Because I am special.

  MacFangs: Aye, you’re special alright.

  Vampanillo78: Thanks MacFangs.

  I had one interesting lead. I knew my maker was blond and rather tall, so I posted a question on one of the forums.

  MacFangs: I heard about this tall, blond vampire that was active in the Great War. Has anyone heard a similar story?

  An interesting reply was soon posted.

  TruthseekerNL: There is some evidence that the Germans in 1938 experimented with using vampires as secret weapons.

  MacFangs: Evidence, really?

  TruthseekerNL: There is this photograph doing the rounds on the internet showing a Polish soldier, and he seems to be fighting off something invisible attacking his neck. He looks absolutely terrified. According to witnesses this was a vampire that was tall and blond, but of course he isn’t visible on a photo.

  MacFangs: When was this picture taken?

  TruthseekerNL: It was in September 1939 during the battle of Bzura that 2 Polish soldiers claimed one of their comrades was killed by a vampire. As the Poles lost the battle and had to retreat, there was no physical evidence. But the soldiers stated that when darkness fell this German soldier attracted them, bit and killed one of them and then just disappeared into the night.

  MacFangs: Have you heard of any other such stories Truth?

  TruthseekerNL: There are a lot of accounts by German soldiers too, about two possessed allied soldiers attacking and killing German troops, mainly during the Ardennes offensive, but I don’t think this is your guy as the two were described as being dark haired. Ya beauty! George Senior and I are an internet sensation!

  MacFangs: Amazing stuff. Do you know if there have been any other sightings of a tall blond vampire after World War 2?

  TruthseekerNL: There have been two more, both in Berlin. One was in 1973 when East German border guards heard the alarms going off, but could not spot anything on their CCTV screens. When the patrol went out they just spotted a tall blond man going over the wall and disappearing into West Berlin.

  MacFangs: And the second?

  TruthseekerNL: Really quite recent. In 2010 they found the body of a woman with her throat cut in an apartment, but the forensic scientist noticed that the blood puddle was far too small and that the victim at the time of death could only have had about 2 litres of blood. The average human holds about 5 litres. I think this is due to a vampire attack but the German police put it down to maybe a ritual killing, where the victim was bled at another location, then moved to the apartment. Anyway, a man was seen leaving the apartment and he was described as tall and blond.

  MacFangs: Thanks Truth, you really know your stuff.

  TruthseekerNL: Yeah I hope to catch one of them one of these days, I think there are two active in the south of France and this one in Berlin.

  What? Fuck! How the hell...? That rattled me. Maybe hanging around with the glitterati hadn’t been such a good idea after all.

  MacFangs: How do you know about these two in the south of France?

  TruthseekerNL: There are all these stories from paparazzi photographers in Cannes who swear they took pictures of a dark-haired woman and a young man, but when they looked at the pictures later, there was no image of them.

  MacFangs: Wow, spooky.

  TruthseekerNL: I know! I’ve already booked my flight to Nice. I have to check this out.

  MacFangs: Well good luck, when are you going?

  TruthseekerNL: I’m going in a few weeks. I know the Cannes festival would be better but I really can’t afford the hotels and the flights around that time. I hope they are still in town.

  Now this was interesting and very unsettling as well. Nanette would be well miffed if she knew an internet nerd was on to her and worse, he had already booked his flight to Nice. I decided to send her a quick email, vampires being hunted down wasn’t in anyone’s interest and I might need her again.

  The last story Truthseeker had told struck me as particularly interesting. It was so similar to my own murder of Yvette – like father like son, I supposed – and it made me even more determined to find my maker. He sounded like a chap who had ‘lived’ through some tumultuous times and could give me valuable insight into how to survive as a vampire, but before I could embark on that mission, there were a few other issues to be addressed.