Chapter 23

The night was low in temperature, and all Luna could do was sip her bottle of blood, fantasizing about how things would turn out tomorrow night.

"Hey, what can I call you?" Luna directed her sentence to the boss vamp. who was currently alone with her.

"You mean my name?" He asked.

"Yeah, of course"

"Abubakar" he uttered shortly after.

"Abubarker" Luna repeated wrongly due to her American accent.

"It's not pronounced that way. We Africans hate it when our names aren't vocalized correctly"

"Why?"

Abubakar gets on his feet to express himself.

"Well, the African culture is amazing. We name ourselves based on our way of life. Basically, it would mean something else when pronounced the wrong way"

"If you're an African, how did you get here? How did you become a vampire?" Luna asked, observing his steps.

Abubakar suddenly gets emotional. What used to be a straight face went all gloomy.

(He seats across Luna)

"What's wrong?" Luna asks him.

"We used to live in the Western part of Africa, where it was peaceful and stress free, until the Original vampires attacked. They were fierce, ugly looking creatures and free of any emotions. We had no idea about vampires back then, making it easier for us to fall prey. Most of us were drained off, while the rest of us were turned. As vampires, we were able to do anything"

"Like travel across the globe just for the fun of it" Luna guessed.

"After we realized we couldn't walk in the day, traveling was difficult. We improvised tho, being nocturnal beings, traveling only in the dark, having fun, feeding on humans. Well, later on, we learnt control, and have been living in Moore's Creek now for a long time"

"So you mean, all the others are Africans too?"

"Yes. We all come from the same place"

"So you're not the boss of 'em after all. Why do they respect you so much?" Luna inquired.

"Africans pay attention to age. I was older than all who were turned, so even as vampires, they never forgot respect" Abubakar explained.

"Cool shit. So about the others who went to have fun, leaving me here with boring you. Shit. I didn't mean it that way. Just that, they are having fun, taking the fresh stuff while I'm stuck here with you. When would they get back?"

Abubakar taps Luna on her shoulders.

"Relax Newbie. Being a vampire isn't fun as you think. They wouldn't come back, we would meet them at our cottage somewhere in this woods. You know, the sun is gonna be up in some hours, and well vampires ain't cool with sunlight"

"I don't know much about vamps Ab. Tell me more"

(Abubakar chuckles)

"I see you've changed my name to Ab" he grins widely.

"Yeah well, since you didn't like the way I pronounced your name. Ab is cool tho, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is"

(Luna chugs down a large amount of blood down her throat, and gives out a loud belch)

"How many of those have you had newbie. Jesus!"

"Just a few bottles. You asked me to serve myself, didn't you. Just tell me more about vamps. And right, teach me how to fight"

(Abubakar clears his throat, getting rid of any obstruction in his vocal cords)

"Vampires can't procreate, but we love to try"

Luna choked as she heard that, eyes wide open, getting the joke Abubakar pulled off, at the same time, realized one of the shitty cons of being a vampire.

"Holy cow! Chill, you mean, as a vampire, it is impossible to have a child. But vamps know this, yet they have sex. For the fun of it. Fuck" Luna exclaimed.

"Yeah, its shitty right?"

"Has some good sides tho. You could have as much sex as you want, without the fear of getting pregnant. Although, it is kinda shitty in a way"

"Yeah, I guess so"

"Tell me more Ab"

"Vampires can't survive without blood. It could be human or animal blood tho. Whatever it is, just have some blood, and we aren't cool with vervain"

"Isn't that a plant?" Luna interrupted.

"Yeah, you should stay away from it. Hurts as fuck. Vampires are immortal, although a stake to the heart would end a vamp without thinking twice. We heal fast, don't fall sick, have terrible speed, and ohh, terrible hunger. Also, our emotions can either be too much or blank. Literally as a vampire, you can turn your emotions off, feeling nothing. Or you could let it overwhelm you"

"Whao. How do I get to turn my emotions off?"

"It's a switch in your head. Flick if off!" Abubakar gestured with his hands and mouth, making a flick sound with his tongue.

"What switch. Come on Ab. Tell me this shit right"

"You're a vampire, newbie. You'd figure it out when the time's right"

Luna stands up, stretching her muscles. She's been seated for hours now, her body needed a little stretch.

She whispered some words from her mouth, moving her body like she was fighting the air. She makes a forceful thrust with her foot, accompanied her leg kicks with punches to thin air.

"Whatever. Teach me how to fight" Luna pleaded, while she displayed her shit.

Abubakar joins her in her display, acting as her opponent. He throws a few punches which Luna dodges reflexly, and leg kicks which Luna uses against him, chucking him to the sticky ground.

"I'm saying it again. You're a vampire newbie. No one needs to teach you how to fight" He hurries to his feet, shaking off the mud on his clothes.

"It's all in here" Abubakar points his hand towards Luna's chest.

Abubakar sighs, and continues, "You've learned all you needed to, which is a bit of our history, pros and cons of being a vampire, and the right way to feed. Fighting, compelling, speed, switching emotions on or off. They all come easy, natural! It's why you're a vampire, it's why you can't walk under the sun, it's the reason you've got that incessant hunger for blood. Let your vampire mojo take charge newbie. Don't fight it, let it in. Breathe it, live it, express it"

(Luna closes her eyes, while listening to Abubakar, getting into her inner self, letting her vampire mojo in)

"Perhaps you're right" Luna concurred.

"You're talking to a 130 year old vampire. Of course I'm right"

(Luna gapes in amazement)

"Let's get to the cottage. The sun is almost up" Abubakar instructed.

"I have one more question though" Luna asked.

(Abubarkar motions for Luna to go on)

"Alright so, uhm. If Roberto has these feasts yearly, why hasn't he been exposed. I mean, if every school that comes camping never goes back home, that should fuck him up right. Moore's creek should have been reported by now, the police should have come ransack the whole place"

(Abubarkar smiles)

"That's why he is a vampire Luna. Roberto has compelling powers too, and besides the original vampires he's got have more effective compelling powers. Whoever comes looking for anyone gets compelled to forget, and sent back. In about a month after, their names would have been compelled out of history. There was this one time, where the police came here too, after reports made by parents, but they were all compelled, and sent back. It's a complex shit, but Roberto and his originals brace themselves for it"

"Whao...they keep compelling until no one comes looking for them?"

"Damn right. Nuts, yeah? It's also why there are rumors about this place being haunted, because whoever comes, goes back forgetting a lot of things"

"Fuck. I hate Roberto"

"Yeah we all do. We really should get to the cottage"