The Predator (Part 1)

Look, there has been a lot of misconception about us.  That's partially our fault.  We've generated a lot of wild ideas about ourselves for the last couple centuries.  First some false rumors, then Bram Stoker... the film industry has also been very good for us.

The hope was that you humans wouldn't believe we even existed if your ideas of us were so ridiculous.  It's worked, hasn't it?  That's why you think I'm crazy.

The rumors we've spread were only very loosely based on truth.  The sunlight thing?  Totally bogus.  We just happen to be nocturnal.  Most predators are, you know.  Our eyesight is better in low light conditions.  We can hide in the shadows and stalk our prey.  But we don't burst into flames or anything when exposed to UV rays.  Oh, and we don't sparkle, either.  That's just... weird.

Crosses?  Are you serious?  Let me put it this way:  If you were being attacked by a bear, would you count on your crucifix to save you?  We're not demonspawn.  We're flesh and blood, just like you.  We just happen to have slightly different dietary needs.  Well, that, and we tend to be stronger and faster than you humans.  I'm told it's like the difference between dogs and wolves.

Well, yeah, the blood part is real.  Meat is somewhat satisfying, but blood is what really nourishes us.  I haven't studied medicine, so I don't know all the details.  Eric has tried to explain it to me before.  Apparently our bodies don't produce some sort of something, so we need to consume blood regularly to replace it.

We're not monsters or anything.  Just... predators.  And I'll point out that we rarely actually kill our prey.  We don't need to.  We only need maybe a pint of blood a week to live.  The Red Cross takes hundreds, even thousands of pints from you humans every day.

I'll admit, I tend to feed three or four times a week.  I, um... enjoy the hunt.  But I haven't killed anyone in decades.

No.  No, I didn't--would you shut up and listen?  I didn't kill her.  That was not my fault.

I know what it looked like, dammit, you don't have to tell me what it looked like.  I understand why I'm here and I understand why you suspect me.  But if you'll just listen, I can explain what happened....