My name is Maloryn and yes, I am a vampire. Vampyre if you
prefer, though that spelling too has been corrupted into fiction and
farce.
Why call myself a vampire? What would you call
someone who feeds on the blood and vital energies of others in order to
stay healthy and who prefers and is better adapted to nocturnal
activities if you were trying to describe your condition to a
stranger? I can either attempt a ten minute description of my
condition only to have them say, "so, you're basically a vampire" or
just start the conversation with "yes, I am a vampire".
I've
been a vamp for as long back as I can recall. My background was not
conducive to positive thinking about my condition and led to my
isolation beyond even what is common today with newly awakening vamps.
The "goth" scene had not yet really emerged, though hints of it
existed, and like many others, I kept my sanguinary habits very closely
held.
The emergence of the Goth
culture and the vampire role-players in their self-perpetuating cycle
left me amused and somewhat curious. It also allowed me to think that
there may be others like myself who stood on the fringes of those
cultures, actual vamps, not lifestylers or just fetishists. Over time
I learned to recognize the "ping" of other vamps and noted those who
would also notice my presence.
Then I
discovered the online vamp community and things began to fall faster
and faster into place in my head. Before it became a virtual orgy of
repressed teenagers, many of the vamp chat rooms actually had real
discussion about vamp phenomenon and experiences. There were those who
claimed to be thousands of years old, of course, but I can recall such
flakiness even before the Internet moved beyond dial-up BBSes.
Unfortunately, anonymity often encourages stupidity.
Unfortunately,
personal matters and relationship issues caused me to become less
active online for many years as I tried to focus on more personal
issues, such as my significant others and my career. Years later, I
returned and discovered the AVA. After a few months of posting and
conversation, I was convinced to join and here I remain.
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