The lore surrounding vampires pushed out by pop culture is primarily false or misleading. For instance, the sun doesn’t kill us; it only reduces our ability to heal and changes our hair color. Moreover, we can’t be killed by humans; they can only seal us away. Father is the only one who can take the gift he bestowed upon us, and he has only done it once. And in my opinion, the worst misconception of them all is how we become vampires.

When I first met my father, I worked at a brothel in Chur, Switzerland. I volunteered to work there to pay off my husband’s gambling and my mother’s medical debt. I can still remember how captivated I was by his white hair shining in the Sun as he walked through the door. I still don’t know what made him take an interest in me, but I’m glad he did. A few months after meeting Father, I received news that my mother had passed, and my husband had remarried. I was devastated when I learned my husband had remarried, but I still loved him, so I continued to work off his debt. Unfortunately, weeks later, I was forced to leave the brothel once I fell ill with an unknown disease. I then walked the streets of Chur in search of an empty alley because I assumed that would be an excellent place to die, but Father found me and offered me a gift. Father stated for me to receive his blessing, I would have to sacrifice my heart and my humanity.

Somehow I passed out, and when I came to, I was lying in a bathtub with Father and my husband standing over me. With his hand fixed around my husband’s throat, Father asked if I was willing to sacrifice my heart and humanity? With tears in my eyes, I looked at my husband and stated, “I sacrifice.” Within moments my husband was decapitated, and the bathtub began to fill with his blood. Father then cut his wrist and held his bleeding hand over the tub. Once the tub was full, Father slit my throat and left me there. Everything then went black, so I’m not sure what happened next, but when I woke, I have reverted to my ten-year-old body. Father then entered the bathroom and, with a massive smile, stated,” Welcome home, little bat.”