I, Jenna, am a vampire... but a good one. I fight on the side of good while the world around me has gone bad.
The contamination spread from the foulness of the River has turned most humans into spawn. My partner, Logan, and I have preserved the last oasis of humanity... so far.
This is my story.
[6 years earlier]
"Hi, Jenna," said Professor Mobley. "You've become quite the woman. You're 21 now, right? Your birthday was over the weekend?"
"That's right, Professor," I replied. "So why have you called me into your lab?"
The gray-haired genius sighed. "Take a look at these blood samples."
I examined the slides on the microscope. A shock pulsed through me. "These are... like mine!" I gasped. "Professor, where did you get these?"
"Three of our local residents were playing by the River," Professor Mobley explained. "They were overcome by a foulness that emanated from the water itself. They came straight to me and my assistants restrained them, and then took the samples. Mr. Dyson has already taken the other townspeople into his self-sustaining shelter. Thank Zeus his grandfather built it when the Cold War was at its height. The town's people can survive indefinitely and there's no earthly way the spawn can get at them. That's what they are, right?"
I sighed. "Yes, Professor."
"Jenna," intoned the professor, "one more thing. How come you're not like the others?"
I looked straight at Professor Mobley. "I don't know."
It was the next day that I met Logan. He was swinging an old-fashioned sword at a wooden dummy. "What are you doing, boy?" I called. He looked no older than 14.
"I'm no boy," he replied. "My name is Logan. I'm 19 years old, so that makes me a man. I'm going to take out the foulness emanating from the River."
"With that?" I inquired. "How will a single sword be enough?"
"If there's a single entity, a single sword will do," Logan replied with confidence.
"I'm Jenna," I giggled. "You seem self-assured. Maybe we can work together to stop the entity. You see," I smirked, exposing my fangs with a giant grin, "I don't like evil ones of my kind running loose."
Logan's jaw dropped six inches as he stared at my fangs. "You... you... " he gasped. "Stay away from me!" He waved his sword in a menacing manner.
I drew my ceremonial dagger that had been passed down through three generations of female vampires in my family and approached Logan. He lunged forward and a quick flick of my wrist stabbed his hand that was holding the sword, not deeply, but enough to cause him to drop his weapon. I took his hand, licked off the blood and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "You need more practice," I grinned at him. "Meet me outside the Fortress tomorrow, in the Glade. Two p.m. sharp, and we'll rehearse."
"You... you didn't transform me," Logan gasped. "You're not evil?"
"My family have been good vampires for three generations," I said. "Vampires can be good. It's just spawn that are evil, because only an evil vampire creates them."
Within a few weeks of training, Logan was almost as skilled as I was. He had a natural ability with his sword. My abilities had been hard-won, through years of training, but he just had an instinct for swordsmanship.
I suppose it's impossible to spend six hours per day training alone with a companion and not develop feelings for them. One day after we had finished, I broached the subject. "Logan," I said, "don't go back to the shelter tonight. Come with me to my house."
The entity within the River sensed a new presence, because three spawn attacked us as we walked back. Logan and I easily dispatched them. "You're really good with that blade, Jenna," he said in an impressed tone.
When we arrived at my house, I barricaded the door with some practical magic -- my witch training sealed the house off, so nothing could get in or out. I lay Logan next to me on the couch. "Rest," I said. He put his arm around me and leaned his head on my shoulder. I smiled at him and wrapped my own arm around him.