How to Protect Yourself from Vampires

I Met A Real Vampire

Because I've become an amateur expert on the subject of vampires, people have asked over the years one profound question: Do you believe vampires really exist? The short answer is…YES!

Anne Rice‘s books inspired me to delve deeper into vampire fiction. I've written vampire poetry, studied the subject rather extensively, read countless books on the subject–fiction and non-fiction–and have finally released my debut novel…a vampire romance set in the early 1500s of Scotland: MIDNIGHT CONQUEST. So, I definitely wanted to believe in vampires, but never knew one…until this incident.

I was in the military at the time and in my twenties, going to technical school to learn a new skill, so I was in a strange and unfamiliar environment. While sitting in the day room reading, an attractive man came in. Even now, I cannot recall his face. I just remember thinking he was a handsome man and was flattered he sat at the table with me, starting up a conversation.

Forced to put my book down and interact, I became engaged in an interesting chat…but I noticed it was all about me. Normally, I don't mind talking about myself, but he kept asking questions about who I was, where I came from, where I'd been, etc., so I became suspicious and limited my answers, not wishing to divulge overly-personal tidbits.

I noticed my energy waning. I crossed my legs.

I tried to redirect the conversation to him. Where did he come from? Where had he been around the world? His answers were also limited.

He turned the topic back to me, and as the conversation wore on, so did my energy. I crossed my arms.

When I involuntarily slouched, as if I were about to nod off, I turned my body to the side and crossed my arms over my chest, my hands on my shoulders.

He smiled and said, “Why are you closing yourself off? Open up a bit. Have I hit on a topic that has caused you to withdraw?” He leaned forward and touched my knee, urging me to uncross my legs.

A cold chill danced up my spine and caused the hair on the back of my neck to bristle. I stiffened and said, “You're a vampire, aren't you?” To this day, I can't believe I had the gonads to say something like that to a complete stranger, but it just popped out of my mouth.

His response was even more shocking. He sat back, without missing a beat, and his mouth spread into a grin. “You caught that, huh? You're good. Most people never guess, or at a minimum never say it out loud.”

I stood up and grabbed my book. “This conversation is over.”  I locked myself away in my dorm room.

True story! And, yes, I'm including it in one of my future novels. I already have plans for the scene.

Vampires Are All Around Us!

The long answer to, “Do you believe in vampires?” is yes, I do because of my experience. Do I think they're like Dracula? I'm on the fence about that. I do know there are people out there who live such a life and even consume blood, be it human or otherwise; but do the fang-wearing, blood-sucking variety of vampires really exist…I'm going to reserve my answer on that one for now until I meet one…if I live to tell the tale.

However, many of us have met vampires of the emotional- and energy-sucking variety and never knew it. They live under our own roofs and they're in our own families. They're people we work with and associate with on a daily basis or in passing. The sad part is a lot of them do not know they are vampires. Of course, in my situation described above, he knew what he was and did what he could to exploit casual conversation.

Regardless of whether they know what they are, being around vampires will give you the following symptom: You feel very drained. These are the people you say, “I can only take her in small doses.” Or you might say, “Jeez, every time I'm around that guy, he just demands all of my attention!” And then there's, “Every time she comes around, she just sucks the energy out of room!” Does any of this sound familiar? If so, that person in question could very well be a vampire!

Here are some things you can do to protect yourself against vampires:

1. Examine the relationship – Does this person add joy to your life? Do you have a mutual relationship with them, or is it always about them? You may need to simply cut this person out of your life entirely, or at least minimize your interaction with them. In those situations where it may be a family member, you may not have the option of completely avoiding this person. So, proceed to step 2.
2. Awareness is your greatest defense – Just being aware of these vampires can be enough to protect you. Once you're aware of what they are, it's easier to see the signs and that alone prevents some of your energy from flowing out of you.
3. Body language is your armor – Crossing your arms over your chest is a good way of cutting off that flow. If you're sitting down, you can cross your legs. Your solar plexus (where your breast bone is located) or around your stomach is from where most of the energy usually flows. Turn that away from the person. Your face can still be turned toward them as you speak, but turn your body in another direction.
4. Move away – Like the person in my own experience described above, some vampires are persistent and you just need to walk away from them. You don't have to be rude. Just make your polite excuses and step away from the vampire.

“Hello. My Name is Arial and I'm a Vampire.”

I have a confession to make. I, too, am a vampire. It was very hard to admit, but the more I studied vampires, the more I realized I exuded the characteristics. For those who know me, but to whom I have not made this confession, you would probably agree. I tend to talk endlessly, mindless of the time or energy I'm sucking from people.

However, I've recognized this and have made great efforts to curb my energy-sucking behavior. Many people I know now, to whom I've made this confession, have protested and said I'm being too hard on myself…but they didn't know me before I became aware of my behavior. I have calmed down QUITE a bit over the years. However, those closest to me have seen me slip up every now and then, my husband being one of my prime witnesses. I have very forgiving friends, to whom I am grateful, as they accept me for who I am…vampire and all. 😉 This is probably why I love vampires so much as I can relate to them.

So, for those of you who are vampires, or think you might be, there is hope! You can control your cravings and the need to feed off people…at least enough to live in normal society. 😉

Have you had your own experience with a real vampire? Do you have vampires in your family? Are your friends or co-workers vampires? Are YOU a vampire? I'd love to hear from you, so leave a comment.

That's my two pence…

Arial 😉