Christiano Orellana is a vampire. A creature of the night. Elegant and Graceful, a bloodsucking force to be reconed with, should the wrong situation arise.

Blood Pooled around a pale body. A dark figure crouched down over the being, almost black in the inky forest. It's head turned around and it's eyes opened, revealing two neon green shining spheres focused on me, freezing me in place. My arms swayed a bit as i tried to turn but my feet were cemented into the ground. I'd caught him feeding. And now I was dead on my feet.

I can't remember when I'd met him or when exactly I had learned his name. But I can remember Journalism Class Sophmore year. I don't think I noticed him the first day. Or maybe even the first week. But slowly he seeped into my subconcious and i recognized him and his name whenever rarely I happened to notice him at school functions and, only once, on the street.

In Journalism we shared a 'joint friend' with which we both talked perversely, though never bridging the gap to speak to each other often if at all which waas ironic, considering we sat with only the 'joint friend' between us. In total that year I think he may have said five words to me. I never wondered about this though, on the contrary, it was very normal for Chris to just sit and concentrate on his writing, or his thoughts, I couldn't have been sure which.

He never let anyone see his writing except for maybe the teacher so that he would pass the course. And although I had never read his work, I always admired his style. He was always so focused, his long ringlet almost-black hair hanging over, covering his face. His pen would dance frantically across the paper, pushing his hair away from time to time, revealing a stone hard expression on his angular face.

Distant memories flashed through my head. None of my previous conceptions about him mattered now. Now he turned and got to his feet, never breaking the eye contact with me. My heart beat against my chest, as if it wanted to escape my body and flee, as I couldn't. It quickly became a violent drum in my ears as my adreniline levels skyrocketed.

Time seemed to stop as I wondered at the chance of it all. It's chance's fault that i was ever involved with Chris at all. One experience that had devidedly chosen my fate.

The Journalism teacher's husband owned a coffee shop and, at the time, buisiness wasn't going so great. To attract attention the students were encouraged to come to read, and listen to, poetry. I went one night with a lack of a better activity to occupy myself.

I barely recognized him in the surprisingly dark room but sitting in the secondrow, slightly to the left of center stage, at a round table with a cilindrical candle shedding a light glow on his vaguely interested expression directed towards the stage.

The dim light from the candle cast a pale orange glow that exadurated his sharp features and gave him an almost angelic aura that I couldn't take my eyes off of as I made my way towards the stage. I'd only just tried my hand at writing poetry and I found inspiration in the strangest places. For this one, it was a conversation during manhunt after eating three bags of chips and two sodas each. As follows, word for word, is the 'convo':
"Bleh! I am a vampireeee!!! Roar! I'ma suck yo blooooood!"
"Dude, what the hell!! VAMPIRES DON'T ROAR!!? D:"
"The fun one's do! :D"
I found this in particular a brilliant example of my friends' very complicated and interesting thoughts, probably stemming from some popular trend or craze they happen to be riding. From this I wrote a passionate deep poem about the hardships of life as a moral vampire, ending, of course, with a roar.

Applause welled up around me, filling up the room and encasing me in a think suit of fulfillment and accomplishment. Nothing could put me down. I was untouchable.

I staggered offstage, high on life and lingered in the darkness, beaming into the dark, velvety curtains. "Hey, do i know you...?" A voice from behind made me jump.

I spun around and found myself face to face with the elusive Christiano Orellana. I was a bit peeved at him for not knowing who i was but at the same time excited that he recognized me at all. "Yes, I'm Emile, you sit on the other side of Amy in Journalism 2nd periond."

"Oh yea, yea! I totally forgot. I knew we had a class together. Never thought Mrs.C could teach someone to write so well." My obvious statement was matched with a sly smile. His bright eyes staring so intently on mine made me nervous and I had to look down.

"Ha...I'm not that good. I mean you ace the class and you don't ever have to try!" I tried to pass off my slight blush as a bout of heat from the spotlights. His sly smile resurfaced as he brushed off the compliment and was called away by a tall boy with gelled powder blond hair that i recognized as a jock that sat at the table next to mine during lunch. Later as I was passing to leave, I mumbled a cheery good-bye to the boys. From behind me I heard the vaguely familiar voice of the blond boy say,"You just missed your chance didn't you?"

"Yeah..." My heart skipped a beat. What were they talking about??

"What?" I whirled around, throwing a few loose locks of hair in my eyes. I brushed them aside watchinghim looking nervously indecisive for a moment.

"Can I have your number?"

I had been so excited that night. So full of life and love. How clueless I was. Fate was throwing me hopelessly down a dangerous and painful path that no human should have to endure. Well, at least it would all end soon. I jolted within myself as my mind raced through what would happen next.

Maybe he would stay frozen, staring at me for eternity? Maybe he had finished feeding already? Would I die slowly? Or would the small ounce of humanity resurface and take me quickly,l painlessly? What would happen next?? and would my vast, beautiful, loving memories of him be overrun by this last, final good-bye? Would the pain of loosing him take me over? Ha. Then I could become a poltergeist. I laughed nervously inside my head at my bittersweet and awkward joke.

I tried to recall every sweet memory I could find. Curly brown hair dyed orange by a summer sunset, iceskating, badly, at the indoor ice rink, many nights together on his couch watching bad movies, the night he told me about his "condition."

It had been late at night, but not too late to be outside. We were in his pool and the light from the full moon above reflected in the blue-gray water. I'd scraped my hand earlier and was carefully examining a small pebble wedged in a crease near my thumb when two tanned hands, soft now from the chlorine, snaked their way around my stomach.

He pulled me close to him and I could feel his warm breath on my ear. After a moment, he finially spoke. "I need to tell you something." Confusion fogged up my thinking. Had something bad happened? Did I do something wrong?? Was he cheating on me???

"Yea, shoot." Panic layered over my confusion.

"I'm not really sure how to tell you this... I've never done this before..." My mind shot to the worst possible scenarios. Breaking up with me?? " I mean... I never trusted anybody enough to..." Stalling, tripping over his words.

"Spit it out." I was getting impatient and my anxiousness over his news took over me. In truth I thought his stuttering incredibly adorable. His arms tightened in embarassment. "...sorry, that was harsh... go on."

I wish I could have seen his face. Wish I could've had the chance to decode his expressions. After a long while he relaxed and breathed more evenly. He took a long time and quite a few times i thought he would speak on ly ot be let down with a sigh.

Finiallly, he began. "...You know how I couldn't lay on the grass in the sun that time at the park...?"

"Yeaaa...? You're allergic to pollen or somehting... right?" Nothing was connecting in my head.

"...And you know how we never go and eat together...?"

"You said you eat at work." I couldn't find a logical explaination for these random statemtnes.

"Emile... I'm not alllergic to pollen. And I don't work at night... If I tell you my secret... I can't ever let you leave." His secret? What was he talking about? In any case, I quickly decided that I needed to knonw. And i considered what I wanted my life to be. And then I realized that I had already almost subconciously, decided that no matter what, he would be forever in my future.

I thought about my decision for longer than I needed to. He waited patiently behind me as I deliberated. Finially I was finished. I tried to turn and face him but he only tightened his arms securely around me,locking me in place. I want4d to speak to his face but I supposed this was as good as it would get.

"Chris, we've been together for a long time. And i've realized that no matter what lies ahead, I want you there to face it with me. There is no reason on Earth that you could tell me that would make me want to leave you." I'd said all that I'd reasond with myself as backs to support my decision. I'd said all that but I didn't feel I was finished talking or making my point. " And all of that's because...because I love you."

I was whirled around and was once again brought face-to-face with the apparently soon-to-be-forever-mine Chris. His usuallly almond brilliant eyes were now blood-shot and full circles. They were much too red for any amount of chrlorine to have caused. I opened my mouth to speak when at the same time his odd eyes dissapeared and his lips came down hard and passionate on mine.

My eyees closed and I mirrored his movements, felt his soft, full lips on my smaller, more delicate ones. The familiarity wasn't there though. Behind his needy lips were two large, hard objects, protruding just like... just like fangs!

The realization set in as we both pulled free. I didn't see his face time, he cradled my head between his neck and his shoulder. His voice in my ear was soft and delicate, afraid to break the silence.

"Emile... I'm not human."

The secrets flowed then. Like how he could go out in hte sunlight but it made him very tired.And how he never liked to drink human blood, especially not from live humans BUT how he did have a preference from the 'old days', pale people. He'd told me once that he'd always loved how you could see the veins through their skin. Like it was just asking to be spilled, he'd said. Makes me wonder what he'd first wanted my phone number for, considering my very light cream complexion.

What ever had been his reason, I wouldn't know now, seeing as my minutes, maybe even my seconds were numbered. I wasn't even supposed to be here. As I thought back I eralized it was Chris's fault I was here at all.

About 2 days ago, Chris had stopped answering his phone and text messages. I began to get so worried that I couldn't stand by waiting for him to answer me and tell me he was safe anymore.

I tried to comfort myself last night, thinking things like: Maybe he only broke his phone...the spazz probably threw it in the pool or something...Ha; What could have possibly happened to him? I mean he is a... a vampire...; Or Maybe he decided to be impulsive and went camping... without his phone...

These thoughts were always followed by a: He would have already replaced it though!!; I guess I never got used to calling him that. But I guess everything has a natural enemy right??? MAYBE A YETI GOT HIM!!!!!; Or a NO WAY he is NOT impulsive and he HATES the outdoors!!!!

My sister stared at me oddly as I paced the hallway and made up my mind to go pay him a visit.

I pulled up to a dark house with a vast woods behind it and rang the doorbell. When it went unanswered and I saw no movement within, I took the liberty of opening the door myself.

I stepped over the threshold as I had done one-hundred times before. There was an eerie stillness to the air. I called out a few times, once in each direction of the mid-sized house. I recieved no answer again and ventured out, around the large pool and into the surrounding forest.

Wandering far from the house, my every through urged me to turn-back. Fighting all the reflexes in my body, I pressed on, determined to find my love. A shrill cry not too far to my left tipped me off.

I only had to walk a few feet to ge to the source. Crouching animalistically I'd found him.

Now my memories flashed in my eyes. Face to face with my destiny. Behind those green eyes I'd loved so deeply lay a monster tha I just couldn't slay. I also knew that behind those eyes burned a firey love that no one since the likes of Romeo had ever seen. This was my final moment but I felt peaceful. What we had had had greater than any human boy could have given me.

I could tell he was about to rush me but I didn't move. He was fighting the beast but I knew he wouldn't win. The beast put on a face of cockyness and an evil smile only it could pull off. Tears swelled down his cheeks, clouding his brillliant eyes.
He couldn't stop it. Helpless, We seemed to watch, onlookers, not players in the scene before us. He charged at me and lunged at my neck. I kissed him as his fangs sank in deeper and deeper

Then everything went black.