Yes, this is only a mere loft at the top of this apartment, but it is comfortable and suits me well. Keeps me high above the noisy New York streets, away from the crowded areas I detest so. Feel free to help yourself to anything I have to offer. You may want to refrain from the wine bottles in the refrigerator, I do not believe it will be to your liking. Are you more relaxed now? Good, this is much better. I am now ready to tell you why I called you here tonight. I believe you are the right one, the one who I have searched for, for ages. The one who shall be my child. Still confused? Heh, I don't blame you. Allow me to explain. I am not like you as I told you back in the alley. That is truer than you know. I am not even mortal. I am a descendent of a demon named Caine, The brother of Abel, Son of Adam and Eve. When God witnessed the atrocity that Caine committed by killing his only brother, God gave him the curse of vampirism. Yes, I am a vampire or kindred, as we prefer.

Still hard to believe? I shall elaborate further. I, like many of my kind live behind a curtain we more commonly call 'the Masquerade.' It is because of that our people remain an enigma to yours. Do you see how I breathe, blink, have flush skin? These are all acts I must carry out to uphold the Masquerade.

You look uneasy. Please keep calm, you have nothing to fear of me, yet.

Good, now I shall continue. I became what I am in 79 AD by a savage beast like creature I encountered fleeing through the forest. I am roughly two millennia old. I admit, I do drink the blood of the living, sometimes from wild animals, and sometimes not. Think back to the alley. When you first turned around to hear the man's scream. You saw my sword plunge through his breast, but is that all you saw? You tried to forget it, make your self believe it didn't happen, but it did. I drove my enhanced canines into the unsuspecting mortal's shoulder and drained him of the of blood he had to offer. It is this blood that keeps us alive. My heart does not beat, my internal organs have long since withered away, it is the blood that makes me eternal. My flush skin, the warmth of my body, my keen sight and super human agility and strength all depends on the blood. Whenever I use these abilities, in attempts to give myself a human appearance I expend precious blood. The more I do this the more I must feed. So if you do not mind I shall revert to my natural state. I am glad you are willing to see past appearances.

Back to the blood drinking, it does not always result in my victim's death. It takes a little self-control to keep ones spirit from stealing all of the blood from a person. Then to close the wound and make damn sure they never remember what happened. Nothing is worse than violating our sacred Masquerade, so sometimes it is just better to kill.

Perpetuating my existence and rejuvenating my body is but one use for the blood I consume. It gives me a feeling so pleasing you could not begin to understand how it impacts me. It is an experience like none you have ever encountered. You cannot begin to realize the experience we get from drinking the blood of a kine, er excuse me, I mean a human.

You have had a long morning, you should rest now and we shall continue this tonight when I feel stronger, and you will be more at ease. I do warn you, do not try and escape. Many months ago, unbeknownst to you, I tagged you. By a small scratch on your back, this letting all other of my kind know you were mine. The police can't help you, and if you repeated what I've told you to anyone they would think you mad. You have no where else to go. Sleep child; let your body rejuvenate itself. Then we shall continue.

***

Ah good evening lass, you have finally awoken. You've slept soundly for nine hours. I am pleased to see you have not left. It shows you trust me. That will be important in the days ahead. I have told you much about my kind, but I shall now let you know more about me. Almost two millennia ago a horrifying animal like beast assaulted me in the woods. Snarling and growling at me. I lived in the town of Pompeii in the old Roman Empire. Mt. Vesuvius had erupted the day before, destroying the entire city and its inhabitancy. My family, my friends, they were all killed. I was running for my life through burning embers and choking ash. How ironic it was for my to finally reach safety only to meet my end by this grotesque beast. He pounced on me with full force I felt my ribs crush under the tremendous weight. Then I felt my now limp body thrown against a tree smashing my spine. Then finally, his enormous claws penetrated my breast and he bit into my jugular vein. I felt all traces of life being stolen away from me slowly, I felt my body begin to rise. Higher and higher. Then, when I felt my journey finally coming to an end, I dropped like a lead weight. My throat singed with my first taste of blood. The beast decided to allow me to live, for now. It had been done. I wasn't sure exactly what happened, but soon after I blacked out.

I woke up in the dead of night covered head to toe in white and gray ash. Did I trip on a rock knocked unconscious and dreamed the whole thing? No, more like a nightmare. Then I stood up brushed the cinders of my body, and looked down at my bloodstained tunic. It wasn't a dream after all. I was almost to the capital of Rome. I ran as fast as I could to get there. Wait I thought, I'm running, I felt like every bone in my body was smashed. It was my new existence that caused my to regenerate so rapidly. Then I realized why I was running. I had become very thirsty. Upon reaching the city gates I frantically looked for an open cabaret of where I could quench my thirst. A sentry directed me too one and dashed to it as fast as I could. I drank every ounce of wine I could get my hands on. Soon the bar keep got worried and asked me to pay, but I had no money. He ordered me to leave but all I could think about was drinking. I felt my body changing, mutating somehow. My fingers and nails became claws my teeth became tusks. I lost control. The bar keep had already alerted a Roman officer who barged in to arrest me. He was terrified by my appearance. He started to run for help when I leaped from the table where I stood and slashed his neck with my claws and instinctively drained him entirely of his blood. My next victim was a bystander at the bar who I fed off of in a similar manner. Then another and another. Soon a battalion of Roman troops appeared outside the tavern and surrounded me. Without thought I picked up the sword of my first victim, the Roman officer and slashed through their ranks. The way a violent wolverine slaughters any animal in its path. I escaped into the forest and blacked out again. Again I awoke, this time in a cave. It was dark inside but I could see if though it were day. Before me sat a woman with two wolves. She was a kindred too, she explained. She told me the experience I just witnessed was, what kindred called, frenzy. This happens when a vampire loses control because of a lack of blood. She taught me everything I needed to know. Just as I shall do the same for you. My sire or parent vampire I never saw again to this day. She was my mentor, as I shall be yours. I will not repeat the policy my sire had when he abandoned me all those years ago. You shall not suffer that travesty.

Through the years I've led a nomadic unlife. Never staying in one place for an extended period of time. Finally I've found my way here to New York City where I have found many others of my kind. Yes you have been surrounded by us your whole life and have not even realized it. Does that shock you? It probably should.

It is my responsibility however to clear up a few misconceptions you may have about us. Any priest, even the pope himself can approach me with as many crucifixes as he wished and I would be unfazed. Garlic: its nothing but another spice on the rack. Sunlight however does burn our skin, but we do not vanish into a puff of dust upon the slightest glimmer. These are things you see in movies and read in dime novels. We are not slaves to the devil or anyone else for that matter. I bear allegiance to none, although I did have ties to an organization called the Camarilla. However I has become all to apparent to me that their dreams, are in fact nothing but dreams. They are a sorry bunch that has illusions of grandeur of a peaceful human and kindred coexistence. However I cannot speak any higher for the hateful Sabbat. They would much rather conquer humanity than live parallel to it. It is these misconceptions that cause vampire killers or witch hunters to pursue us to no end.

There are several types of witch hunters. First and most common the self appointed ones that have lost a family member of friend to one of our hungers. Second believe it or not, government agencies that track us down, because we are considered a threat to national security. Third and most dangerous are the religious hunters who believe we are all pawns of Satan and serve his demonic wishes, bringing chaos to the entire world. As I said, I serve none but myself. If I am being manipulated from afar, it is unknown to me, perhaps I'll never know. The oldest sons of Caine work in strange ways, it is impossible to tell for sure. Your eagerness has convinced me though; you are the one I want. Do not act alarmed, I know you want what I have to offer you. The gift of eternity. First let me show you around my world. Give you a better understanding of who we are. Do not, like I said attempt anything stupid. I would be a pity to have to kill you.

This is a local bar I have frequented during my stay here. How many kindred do you suppose are here right now. Three, five guess? Ten you say? Try thirty. See how well we hide ourselves. You see the man in the leather jacket? He is a Brujah. Like myself, they are powerful fighters, but unfortunately they have little to gain from it. The fancy dressed man over there, doing the poetry reading. Yeah the one with the funny hat on, with the great big plume feather in it. He is a Toreador. I've never really wanted to be the artistic, intellectual type. Seldom do our kinds mingle, although his poetry and sculpture do intrigue me. More than likely he will bring home one of the girls he's charming and well, you know. Don't you dare try to interfere, or I'll kill you here and now. It is the way we are not different from a snake preying to the mouse. Lastly the group on the far side are Venture. They are always involved in drug and prostitution rings. However some like those few over there own a legitimate businesses. They are rather successful so I hear. You never really can tell with them though. Well the night is young lass. I turn you loose now, like a fox, into the fresh night air. Go where you will and don't turn back. I intend to properly hunt you down and capture you as my prey. It will be very difficult but try to carry on as normal, for the rest of the night. Do not try to alert anyone. You know there is no point. Before you know it you will find yourself back at my haven, where I will have prepared a feast for you.

Be off now, tomorrow this will be but a mere memory in your mind. One of many that you will have from now to eternity.