I sighed and rolled out of bed. Lying in the pile of blankets, my tired eyes opened slowly. The room was dark, but my eyes had long since adjusted to a life in shadows.

I scrambled around, looking for a shirt. I could see in the dark, but I couldn't see in the mess. I kicked at a pizza box. I really needed to clean up.

Shrugging on a shirt, I sat down on my bed, falling into the usual routine. Shirt, socks, jeans, gloves. Where were my sunglasses? I reached for my desk and grabbed the glasses for when I would inevitably have to leave the house during the daytime.

I pulled open my laptop and winced at the bright screen. The screensaver was of me on holiday at my parent's beach house. I sighed.

Back then I was normal. I surfed, got tanned. Then I had that night with her. She was in the picture too, with beautiful pale skin and dark hair. I was clutching her round my waist, tight. We were both grinning wildly. Her eyes were glinting with passion and hunger.

I remember that night, dark as day. It was a great night. I met her at the bar, drunk out of my mind. We made out- the chemistry was amazing. One thing left to another... But then it happened. Something changed in her face and her smile grew insane. She lunged for my neck as if she were starving...

Just thinking about it made the odd scars tingle. I felt at the two circular bite-marks on my neck. I shuddered.

Trying to distract myself, I turned back to the computer. An alert came up on the screen. A message from Jan.

'Hey buddy. We still on for tonight?'

My fingers hovered over the keyboard.

'I don't know man, I'm not feeling go--' I paused and rubbed out my reply.

'Yeah. Meet at the bar.'

I checked at my watch. 8. The sun had already set, and I just felt so much better. I scanned the room.

"You all right? You're really pale."

I turned to see my oldest friend standing behind me. I'd been looking forward to tonight. Me and Jan hadn't seen each other as much since Zoe got pregnant.

"How is Zoe?" I thought Jan's wife. How far along was she now? 6 months? 7?

"She's good, she's good. Are you hungry? I'm starving."

I thought back to my desperate binge this morning. Eating burger upon burger. As much fast food as I could, then healthy food, then a whole loaf of bread. My belly just stretched but didn't fill. I threw it all back up.

Jan was eyeing my stomach in fact. I knew I looked strange. My cheeks were hollow as if I had eaten in months, I was spindly and stick-thin, a shadow of my former self.

"I'm ravenous."

Jan bit into his Big Mac, asking me questions about my recent holiday. I stopped answering. I knew I had to tell him the truth. I couldn't keep up the charade much longer. I was so, so hungry.

We walked past a glass window. My reflected brown eyes seemed red in the glow from the street lamp. They burned with the same look I had seen in that girl 2 months ago.

"Jan."

"Yeah?"

"I... I think... Um," I swallowed. "I think I might be a vampire."

Jan stared at me, silently. Then he burst out laughing.

"Nice try man. You're a good actor and all, but you're not that good. A vampire? Yeah right."

I raised my head. I knew what I should be thinking. Something along the lines of 'He's right, vampires aren't real'. But... somewhere inside me, something turned. I growled with rage.

Stop! I told myself, but didn't listen. You'll hurt him! He's your f... I grinned maliciously, unaware of the long fangs pushing down my canines. My food. He will satisfy the hunger.

I lunged at him, aiming for his neck. He screamed.

"What the--"

His neck snapped easily under my new found strength. His dark blood oozed out of the two puncture marks, and I lapped it up like a dog. He was delicious. His life force was draining down my throat. I sucked his blood dry.

I wiped the dark crimson from my neck and stood over his slumped body. He was deathly pale.

I retreated, smiling. When he woke up, he'd be hungry. I stole away, thinking of his gorgeously plump wife. My next meal.

Vampires were real.