Diana's Story

Jessica wakes the following night. She shivers in bed, thirsty for fresh blood. She finds a note on her bed.

Come join me for breakfast. We have a lot to discuss.
-Diana

What does Diana want with me? Jessica wonders. She is still unsure about how she feels about...everything. She remembers how good it felt to drain the bloodslave last night. She wants more. She still feels a little queasy about the mechanical exsanguination that she witnessed, but is surprised about how much less revolted she feels today.

Jessica's curiosity gets the better of her. (Plus, she is hungry.) She throws on a silk robe from the closet and leaves her room. Jessica strides down the hall to Diana's room, and knocks.

"Come in, dear" Diana says. Jessica tentatively opens the door. The iron maiden-like contraption is thankfully empty. Diana is dressed in a nightgown, sitting at a table. Strapped to the table, spread eagle, is a nude human woman. The girl is gagged and wears a blindfold.

"Jessica, come join me for breakfast" Diana says, gesturing to the empty chair across the table from her. Jessica slowly approaches and sits down. The smell of the human is driving her wild. "We have a lot to discuss" Diana says, "but first let's eat."

Diana leans down and bites into the girl's breast. The human jerks, but doesn't struggle. Jessica can't resist. She doesn't even want to. She sinks her fangs into the bound girl's neck. Blood spurts into her open mouth. She closes her eyes, savoring the flavor. The two vampiresses feed together, the only sounds in the quiet room are their sucking and swallowing. The girl's pulse weakens and the vampiresses remove their fangs, licking the wounds. Diana leans across the table to kiss Jessica, who doesn't reciprocate. Diana frowns.

"I know what you saw last night was... jarring" Diana says. "Elizabeth wants us to explore a more agricultural model."

"It was ghastly" Jessica says.

"Why?" Diana asks. The question is not defensive, but inquisitive. Jessica isn't quite sure how to respond.

"You hunt from and sometimes kill humans, right?" Diana asks.

Jessica nods.

"More advanced species consume less advanced species. That's nature. We can't change the fact that we are the superior race, and that we require human blood to live. Jessica, do you really find it so much more savage to quickly drain a human in a machine, than to, say, bleed them out slowly, your fangs tearing at their throat?" Diana asks.

She has a point Jessica admits. Can I really say that it's "wrong"? Maybe this is more humane? Jessica doesn't know what to think.

"Elizabeth and I think we need to move to a more sustainable model here. In the long run, vampires will rule this planet. The humans have had their time and squandered it. Breeding uncontrollably, polluting the air, water and soil, changing the climate. We vampires could be far better stewards of this world than the fickle mortals. Our longevity prevents us from succumbing to their selfish myopia." Diana's elocution is elegant, and Jessica finds herself being convinced. We are fitter, stronger, smarter. Why shouldn't we rule? Jessica thinks. She nods along with Diana's words.

"Now, I know that what you saw last night...without proper context...might have been upsetting. When we take over, we'll need efficient tools to bring the human population back into balance with the carrying capacity of Earth. But that is by no means representative of our vision" Diana explains. "Do you have any questions, dear?"

Jessica has so many questions, she isn't sure where to start.

"When is this all going to happen?" Jessica asks.

"Oh, not for decades. There is so much work to be done. Many more vampiresses need to be born. Governments need to be enthralled. Infrastructure built." Diana answers.

"Do you feel any... guilt?" Jessica asks.

"Honestly? No. They are food" Diana says, "at first I did. But over time I stopped worrying and just embraced my true nature, you will too". Diana smiles kindly at Jessica.

"How did you fall into all of...this?" Jessica asks, gesturing at the contraptions around the room. Diana begins her tale.

It feels like a lifetime ago now, but before Elizabeth I was a shy, middle aged hematologist working to make millions for my faceless pharma masters. It's funny really...blood has always been top of mind for me. I was researching synthetic blood substitutes that could be used in surgery and transfusions.

I was very lonely and repressed back then. My work was basically the only thing in my life. I didn't really have any friends, and certainly no romantic interests. I hadn't had the courage to come out to anyone yet, and was still even lying to myself at times.

As if I wasn't depressed enough, a few months before I met Elizabeth, I was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor. I was despondent, just miserably counting down the days. I was so distracted that my work suffered, and I lost my job. I considered suing, but with so little time left, why bother?

My condition did make me more confident though. I started drinking in lesbian bars, but never was outgoing enough to make a move. One night, the most beautiful woman I had ever seen walked into the bar and locked eyes with me. Tall, pale, with deep full red lips and long thick black hair. She was a vision. And she was looking at me. The woman glided over and say down next to me. I couldn't believe it.

"Diana, I've been closely following your work. I'm quite interested. My name is Elizabeth" she said, offering me her hand. I shook it, confused... But too excited to question too much.

"I want you to continue your blood research. But I know that your time is...constrained. I can make you young and healthy. Forever. But you have to trust me" she said. I think she could read the disbelief and apprehension on my face, and she abruptly leaned in to kiss me. It was the first time that I had ever kissed a girl. I felt in love. Elizabeth was so beautiful, so charismatic.

Elizabeth took me home with her that night, and I made love for the first time. It was magical. I couldn't believe how cold Elizabeth's body was, but was too aroused to think much about it. Elizabeth made my whole body sing. For a night, I was about to forget about my health, my unemployment, my loneliness.

After we had made love, Elizabeth showed me her fangs for the first time. I wasn't scared. I felt safe with Elizabeth. She gave me choice: she could give me her dark gift and turn me that very night, or she could wipe my mind, so that I'd wake up in bed forgetting her completely.

I didn't hesitate. I chose life. The next night I rose as a vampire. Hard to believe that was almost fifteen years ago.

I imagine my transformation was not unlike yours, Jessica. I found my strength and freedom exhilirating. But I was also frightened of the darkness, guilty at first over how we feed. Over time, the shame passed and I learned to embrace our true nature. The human blood is a gift to be savored. You are still young, but you'll change too. You'll come to recognize how glorious we truly are, how superior. It's liberating.

At first, when I wasn't hunting and screwing with Elizabeth and the others, I worked hard on researching a blood substitute that vampires could drink. Elizabeth wanted it as a safety net, a backstop. No matter what I tried, it tasted like shit at best. At worst, it made us very ill. Eventually we abandoned that project. There is no pleasurable substitute for human blood. Elizabeth still was concerned about our hunting food chain, and we began to formulate a more agricultural model. At first, I was skeptical. Stalking prey, the hunt, it's so enjoyable. But it's not scalable. To create a large, sustainable, vampire society, we need to farm the humans.

That takes us to the present night.