Interview with a Vampire Part one

Nobody bothered about the young blonde and her tall boyfriend as they walked the streets of Gotham. For Dracula it was the first time he had seen the city in daylight. He had the feeling that he had never seen so many people at once. While Vicky navigated through the crowds with complete confidence, the Prince of Darkness was not really sure if he liked such crowds. He constantly had to dodge somebody. Very few of the people around him seemed to even perceive the existence of other people in their environment. It was as if they were swimming through a river of obstacles and were not even interested in the stones in that river. Almost instinctively, they simply avoided what was in their way. Dracula had only seen such amounts in larger wars. Besides, he didn't like how weak he was at the moment. Although he was still superior to any ordinary mortal in strength and speed, he could not prevent him from feeling uncomfortable. Here and there either the beautiful blonde or the flawless man attracted attention but they were largely ignored.

Luckily it didn't take long for them to reach Vicky's apartment. However, he clearly felt that the mind of this mortal was strong.

While they were walking through the city, Vicky couldn't stop thinking about the Count's words. While she couldn't wait to finally start the interview in her apartment, the man's words were still in her mind. Why couldn't she remember what happened at the party? She hadn't drunk so much. Or did she? While she elegantly avoided the stream of people without even thinking about it, she went through the evening again in her mind. She remembered how she had talked to Gordon and then how she had followed the count.

And from then on her memories faded. As she stood in the elevator with the count and heard the soothing music, Dracula could see her eyes scurrying back and forth and her forehead wrinkled. A clear sign that she was thinking about something strained, but what was that supposed to be? Right now her only thought should be to take him to her apartment. He didn't intend to turn her, but he had used up a lot of blood in the last few days and had resolved to feed on this woman. And yet something in her seemed to rebel against that order. If he was above, he would renew his spell over her and taste her blood.

"Eyes." She remembered eyes. A little walk in Wayne Manor. The Count! Slowly the memories came back. But just as the blockade began to break in her mind, the elevator beeped and the doors opened. At the end of this corridor was her apartment and a small but ever louder voice did not stop warning her. It was almost as if she had experienced it all before.

With a soft voice she suddenly said. "Eyes." But her steps did not slow down. Dracula had heard her words and pulled up a brow. Was the mortal supposed to remember her last meeting? In his long life he had rarely experienced mortals who could resist his mental power. Or was it because it was day and his Mental Power was not perfect?

While Vicky dizzied the key out of her pocket she experienced more flashbacks. She saw herself in a maze of hedges. Everything was like a fog and in this fog she could see thousands of pairs of eyes. It was clearly the Count's eyes. What had happened there. She felt like a doll. Steered by threads and a guest in her own body.

When the two had passed through the door and Vicky had closed it behind him, the strongest flashback yet followed. She remembered following the count into the park of Wayne Manor like a doll. She remembered how he had asked her dozens of questions and she had answered every question like a stupid idiot. But even though that was disturbing enough, she suddenly remembered how he had drunk her blood.

Meanwhile Dracula looked around her estate. It was the most comfortable room he had ever seen in the world. It was a pattern of order, style and elegance. While the Penguin estate was very luxurious, the Prince of the Night found it a little too extravagant. The estate at Wayne Manor, on the other hand, was too bleak and too big. But here he saw that this reporter had a very good style. The living room was dominated by a large and comfortable looking couch standing in front of a marble carved fireplace. But then something happened that surprised him a little. As he turned around, Vicky stood with his back to the door and held a recording device under his nose.

"You are a vampire! YOU really are the real Count Vlad Tepes! That's why this alibi name! How was the fight against Van Helsing? Did your beloved wife really turn into a vampire? Is she still alive too?" she asked him full of commitment.

Completely perplexed, Dracula stood in front of the young reporter who had not only just broken his spell, but had also asked him completely fearless questions. But the nature of the questions amused him and so he folded his arms in front of his chest and looked at the recorder that suddenly burst into flames. Shocked, she threw the device into the fireplace and looked at him angrily, albeit still fearlessly.

"Do you know how expensive they are? But don't worry! I always carry some as replacements."

"Shouldn't you worry about other things if I were the one you're talking about?" he smiled amusedly. "Just in case I really was who you think I am?"

But Vicky Vale didn't let herself be intimidated. She also defiantly crossed her arms and looked at the beautiful man in front of her in a frightening way. He was exactly as he was described in Bram Stoker's book. A flawless face framed by the dark hair as in an antique painting. She could understand why it was said that he always had three wives.

"You show a certain kind of courage that I respect, my lady. So be it. But before we continue this conversation, I want to know how you know what I am".

"I remembered what happened at the party. That you led me into the garden and asked me many questions. And also that you drank my blood."

Dracula nodded thoughtfully and then took a seat on the spacious couch and crossed his legs as he pointed to the seat. This woman was perhaps more than just a simple meal. She had proved extremely interesting qualities. She had a strong will in any case, otherwise she would not have been able to break the spell. She also proved a sharp mind and a certain fearlessness. The questions she had asked him had been worthy. He watched as she sat in front of him and took out a writing pad under the table and waved the pad in front of him. When Dracula nodded and allowed her to take notes, Vicky smiled at him radiantly.

"I can't believe I'm sitting here with Count Vlad Tepes" she laughed and scribbled on her note and Dracula raised her hand defensively.

"Let me make something clear Miss Vale. This is just one of many hundreds of names that have been given to me over the years. In this century it may be the most famous and I think we should keep it, but this is not my real name."

Vicky pulled up a brow. She had to confess that she didn't know much about vampires. She was a fan of Twilight but that was all she knew about vampires. And as far as she had read in the blogs the vampires in the movies weren't very well hit. Like every educated woman she had read Bram Stoker's Dracula during her studies.

"May I ask what your true, real name is?" she asked him politely. She had long since switched to reporter mode and she realized that everything she thought she knew about vampires was probably wrong.

"The answer to that question I'll give another time if I have to. For now, I'd like to stick with you calling me Vlad. This name seems to have a good sound in this epoch. Though falsified, the story of Helsing and me is no less epic" he nodded. He nodded.

"Well then another question allows me Lord Tepes. It is something personal. There are countless myths about you and your kind. Are there really hundreds of you who secretly rule the world?"

Dracula had to laugh out loud as he heard these words and looked up at the chimney. Although his powers were weakened by the sunlight, they were still enough to ignite the fireplace. The fire blazed before it developed into a normal flame. This little trick wasn't enough to impress a woman like Vicky Vale, but that wasn't the point of this action. It was more about a pleasant atmosphere and no matter what century it was... Nothing was more relaxing than a crackling fire.

"How do you mortals come up with such nonsense? There were never many of us. And the few that I have blessed with the gift of the night are either lost or long gone to dust. I would advise you not to listen to the stories of this century. I had the dubious pleasure on my first night in this city of finding a shop where objects with my name were sold. Very childish I would like to note."

"So there was a fight between you and Van Helsing?" Vicky asked curiously and scribbled eagerly on her notebook not to miss a single detail of this conversation.

"I've been reading this book for the last few weeks. I don't remember all these things, but on the whole it happened that way, more or less. So yes. There was once a man named Van Helsing who stood up to me to protect Miss Harker."

Immediately Vicky became keen-hearing. The legendary Wilhelmina Harker, called Mina by everyone only, had actually existed. The woman who chose Vlad Tepes Dracul had become his only true wife. Not like his three other wives he had brought back from his empire, but really as his life companion. However, she was also experienced enough not to strike an anvil like a hammer, especially if the anvil had such power as Dracula.

"Is it allowed me to ask you about Miss Harker or would it be healthier for me not to mention this name" she asked as carefully as possible. Even though she seemed calm and relaxed on the outside, she knew pretty well who she was dealing with here. Even if only half of all legends about vampires were true, this man right in front of her was a being of mighty power. As she continued this thought, a new thought suddenly came to her.

"You mean Mina?" asked Dracula and his eyes looked into the fire for a few seconds. Unfortunately he had lost her then. After the fight with Helsing he had been too weak to save her and so she had been killed by the assistant of the vampire hunter. Unfortunately he hadn't managed to punish this miserable little worm for his deed anymore but at least she had found a better end in the novel than in reality. When he turned back to Vicky and looked at her for a long time, his face for the young reporter was not that of an all-powerful undead, but that of a broken man. However, this facial expression disappeared relatively fast again.

"No harm will come to you from me just because you ask a question. And yes. There was a woman named Mina Harker, however, but sadly I have lost this woman. She found a different ending than in the novel."

"So she's still at your side" she asked and just imagined it to be romantic in a strange way.

"No. The servant of Helsing decapitated her. After the fight between me and his mentor was over and he was dead at my feet, this worm decided that there was only one way to save Mina's soul. So he decapitated her with a halberd... right in front of my eyes. Then this great hero ran away." While he was pronouncing these words it became noticeably colder in the room. The flames in the fireplace blazed threateningly and an almost tangible rage filled the room.

Vicky clearly sensed that Dracula's anger was taking shape in a strange, supernatural way. She felt like this anger and this hatred also wanted to take possession of her. As the dark feelings he had experienced through the loss tried to seize her mind. She looked at him and put a hand carefully on his.

Dracula looked surprised at his hand. His mind, his will, all that, suddenly returned to the here and now. He blinked a few times confused before finding himself again. Slowly he pulled his own hand back and nodded.

"Thank you very much but I am well again Miss Vale. Don't be afraid. Such a thing will not happen again. The memory of this crime is very stirring." He waved back at it and leaned back. "It took me 100 years to recover from my wounds from this fight. And when I woke up... the world had changed. The people have built great cities against which the then London seems tiny. You have conquered the heavens and the universe, even if I still try to understand these sciences".

"We've come a long way, yes." Vicky smiled proudly as she noticed his amused face and realized that it wasn't a compliment from him.

"Yes. Nero thought so too. Or Xerxes. They all thought they had a huge empire. And yet the only thing that still exists from this epoch is..... Me" he smiled. He smiled amusedly. "Also your culture will perish. It is only a question of time. You are mortal. Your buildings fall to dust in one of my nights. You think you leave great monuments but all these are only illusions. Please don't misunderstand me Miss Vale. I am very fascinated by your new achievements, but similarly I stood before the first Aqueduct of the Romans, or when the Pyramids of Giza were completed."

"The pyramids... from... Giza... but they are over 4000 years old" she asked shocked and with an open mouth.

"4500 to be exact yes. Plus minus a century. At some point I lost sight of the overview". He smiled shrugging his shoulders. It was somehow pleasant for him to just talk about his story like that. Even his current brides hadn't asked him such things. Zatanna was mostly interested in the magical secrets he had to offer her and Talia practiced her new powers like a possessed one. But here, with this mortal, he could just talk about such things. Besides, she had resisted his darkness and taken him out of the very darkness.

"But... that means you... that everything is wrong." She stammered all of a sudden and thought about what he had just told her. So he had to be over 4500 years old when he saw the construction. Then he would have been many thousand years old before Bram Stoker had even been born.

"Like I said Miss Vale. I am amazed at what mankind has achieved. But I'm afraid it won't last this time either. May I ask where the drinks are? You look like you could use something." He laughed amused and then started waving at her. After finding a well-stocked minibar, he came back to her and put a glass there. She gratefully accepted the glass and put it on her lips with trembling fingers. Only when the cool liquid flowed down her throat could she slowly calm down.

" You have experienced so much. So much seen. I could talk to you all my life and I think even then I would still have hundreds of questions. I can't even imagine what it would be like to live so long. And that you are limited to the night is also only a myth. Unbelievable". She laughed and scribbled again on her block only to ask then. "What is the most memorable event of her whole life?

Dracula had to think for a moment. He had really seen many things in his life, important and insignificant. Many things had slipped his mind and he didn't even remember some centuries they had been so boring anymore. However, there were always things that had stood out. Slowly he leaned forward and put his chin on his fingers. Thoughtfully he closed his eyes. There had been the fight against the werewolf king. A truly titanic fight. Or how the pyramids had shone for the first time in the light of the rising sun. No. There were just too many things.

"Could you be a little more specific on this question, Miss Vale? What kind of memorable do you mean?

Now it was up to Vicky to think. What more could she ask him? He would certainly have experienced hundreds of things. Thousands of impressive events. What would she ask him? Then it occurred to her.

"Count Tepes. Were they ever scared to death?

Dracula raised the brow astonished at this question. To ask an undead whether he was afraid of death. An extremely interesting question indeed. He really hadn't expected anything like that. This woman had impressive qualities and was certainly an extraordinary reporter. So he decided to answer her truthfully. But that wasn't as easy as I thought. Fear of death. He had already died countless deaths. Pierced with arrows, burned, torn to pieces or beheaded. But real fear of death? Suddenly the ghosts invaded Wayne Manor.

"Fear of death. Yes. Twice I was afraid. The one time about my body... the other time really about my existence. The where and the when are not important but it was not physical enemies that made me shudder about my existence. But to explain this question to them they would have to believe in the existence of spirits."

Hearty laughter filled the room as Vicky rose and a new glass of Scotch poured in. Waving with the bottle, she suddenly had an idea. She took a second glass and filled it with Scotch and cut a small wound in her finger. Then she let a few drops of blood drip into the second glass and put it down to Dracula. Toasting to him she then said.

"I am sitting here in a room the most famous vampire of mankind. I think the existence of ghosts in this context is quite banal don't you think?

Taking the glass and nodding at her he smiled. "How do you say in this time? Point for you? But to explain this question to them they would have to believe in the existence of spirits."

Hearty laughter filled the room as Vicky rose and a new glass of Scotch poured in. Waving with the bottle, she suddenly had an idea. She took a second glass and filled it with Scotch and cut a small wound in her finger. Then she let a few drops of blood drip into the second glass and put it down to Dracula. Toasting to him she then said.

"I am sitting here in a room the most famous vampire of mankind. I think the existence of ghosts in this context is quite banal they don't find?

Taking the glass and nodding at her he smiled. "How do you say in this time? Point for you? I have not yet understood this expression fully until now but maybe you can explain it to me later. Now back to the quesiton. I recently had a fight with 2 protecting spirits. Unfortunately I completely underestimated their power and also their home advantage they had in that place. These two spirits attacked me with the violence of many ancestors and tried not to destroy my body, but inflicted great damage on my mind. I think this was the first time I experienced real fear of death in my life. I could just get back to my body in time."

Vicky sighed now quietly and smiled at him. " You say that so simply. And although I have already seen many crazy things... I can hardly imagine it. Count. What do you think of us humans?

"A good question Miss Vale. I must confess you raise my opinion of humans just pretty much. But in general I think that people are quite childish. They chase after things they desire only to want something new when they have attained it. You play with powers far beyond your imagination and wonder when you have to pay the price. You bring the world up against you with your petty wars and don't even think that behind the veil of life there is a world where the spirits are vengefully waiting for you. This city here is particularly rotten as far as that goes. Built on the graves of countless corpses. You rely on a dark ghost that roams the streets chasing your criminals and what's the point? Only more chaos. Only more suffering."

End of Part one! Stay tuned for Part 2.

Hope you like the interview. If you have suggestions how it should end, just write something in the comments :) we would be grateful for your opinion :)