Vanish

I was starting to regret my decision to take on a bunch of night classes.

I am not a morning person. Classes at 8 AM would be a disaster, but there is something to be said about the possibility of your school day being over before lunch. My entire first college semester was full of night classes, some ending as late as 9 or 10 PM. Was the few hours of sleep really worth it?

I regularly stayed up far later than the classes, and I thought I wouldn't mind the walk back to the dorm at night, but when I left the class building after my first day I immediately felt a chill down my spine. I felt like I was being watched. And whoever was watching me had no intent of stopping at that.

Another thing I noticed when I went outside was a tall guy in a hoodie. He was sitting alone on a bench, just staring at the ground. I could have sworn I saw him glance up at me for the briefest moment, but maybe I was imagining things.

I was on edge the whole walk back. I kept hearing rustling, even footsteps, but every time I turned around there was no one there.

Eventually I made it back to my dorm, trying to tell myself it was just nerves because I was starting college and living away from home for the first time. I must not have done a good job at calming myself down, though, because my roommate Luke noticed immediately.

"What's up, Milo? You look like you've seen a ghost."

I tried to laugh it off.

"It's nothing."

He shrugged. "Okay. Wanna play some games?"

I nodded. That sounded like just what I needed at the moment.

*****

I was in the fifth class to attend my college. It was a newer school focused on STEM that caught my interest right away. I had always been interested in science and technology and there were plenty of things that made it a good fit.

I'm a bit of a country boy. I was born and raised in a small town in Arkansas that I seldom left for almost 19 years, so when picking a college I really wanted to do something adventurous. I had been sheltered my whole life and wanted to get out of my comfort zone a little.

There was also the fact that I was one of the few openly gay guys I knew and really wanted to broaden my horizons a little. I wasn't shunned or bullied much, but in a small town the dating pool dries up pretty quickly. A college campus sounded like a great change of pace.

I knew what I was in for, what kind of guys I would attract. I am a twink, through and through. I'm 5'9", have a baby face, soft brown hair, and a body that ticks off all the boxes. I have a long torso that flares out into a heart-shaped bubble butt. I'm skinny in most places, save for a few curves. I have small hands and feet that look dainty and feminine. I'm also half-white and half Latino, so my skin has a golden tint to it. I'm not confident in most things, but my appearance is something I allow myself to be proud of.

But I was starting to wonder if it was really all that good a thing. The majority of students were male. In fact, of the two dorm buildings, only two floors on one had women living there. I was in the other dormitory, which the students had dubbed "Boy's Club," but we weren't exactly boys anymore. We were men. Well, most of the others were, anyway. I definitely still felt like a boy.

I'm not that strong. If I was in a fight with a man, I'd lose 95% of the time. I didn't think I would be paranoid at all, but that feeling I got walking back to the dorm made me wonder.

The following day I did my best to not think about it, but something I saw in the afternoon brought it back up right away.

I was walking to class when I saw that hooded guy from the night before again. Just like last time, he was covered up from head to toe, even though it was still pretty hot outside. He was doing the same thing: sitting with his head down, hands in his pockets.

I tried to approach him, but the moment he noticed me he got up and walked away. I just tried to shake it off. I didn't need to worry about it. After all, I was about to start my first class with my psychology professor, Mr. Murray. He was so nice when I met him during orientation. Also, he was also exceptionally handsome. He had the silver-fox archetype down pat, with his salt-and-pepper hair, glasses, and kind voice. I knew I was too shy to ever make a move, even if it was ethical, but a boy can always dream.

The rest of the day went on, business as usual, until my final class ended at 9 PM. I definitely paused at the door for a moment, mentally preparing myself for the walk back to the dorm.

I got the sensation of being watched again. I don't know how to describe how eerie it was, knowing that someone was watching me, but seeing nobody no matter where I looked. Once again, I told myself I was being paranoid. What, did I need to call my mom to pick me up? I couldn't walk a quarter mile on my own?

But then halfway through the walk things changed. Suddenly, all at once, the chill went away. It was like a switch had been flipped. A few seconds later I heard a ruckus behind me. When I turned around I saw Mr. Hoodie running away, and holy shit that man could run. He could have gotten a scholarship as a track star or something, what was he doing at a STEM school? In no time at all, he was out of sight.

I just stood there for a minute or two, trying to process what happened. I definitely didn't feel like I was in danger anymore, but now I had even more questions. Who was this guy? Was he following me? And even scarier, he was pretty damn close to me for a moment, but I never heard anything. If he could sneak up on me so easily, what would have happened if I didn't turn around?

Wait...he wasn't running away because I caught him. He was already booking it before I even knew he was there. So what set him off?

I definitely had more questions than answers by the time I got back to my dorm. Luke greeted me again, and I asked him about it.

"Hey, have you seen a guy around here that always wears a big hoodie?"

He thought for a moment.

"Yeah, I think so. What, is he tall and always looking down?"

"Yes."

"There's a guy in my C++ class like that. Why?"

Luke was two years older than me and as straight as an arrow. He had a long distance girlfriend I saw him face-time every night. But he didn't care that I was gay at all. He slipped into a sort of big-brother role right away. We'd only known each other for a week or so and we were already friends. But despite that I didn't want to tell him the details yet.

"Just curious. I've seen him a few times, and he doesn't exactly blend in, you know?"

He chuckled.

"You know what his name is?"

"No, he doesn't talk much. And I'm not really eager to get to know him. He has a weird vibe."

Considering how my past two nights were, "weird vibe" was putting it mildly.

When I got back to my room, I thought some more about what had happened. If nothing else, it had demonstrated that I was an easy target for someone with bad intentions. Even if the hooded man didn't want to hurt me at all, it was chilling to think about how close he got to me.

Feeling a little silly, I looked up where I could buy some Mace.

Better safe than sorry.

*****

Thankfully, the next few weeks were completely uneventful. I saw the hooded man a few more times, but it was only ever during the day. He was always alone, looking like he didn't want anybody to talk to him. I was starting to feel kind of bad for how I thought of him. He didn't seem harmful at all, just standoffish. It wasn't fair of me to write him off as a creep right away.

My freshman year continued and I made some more friends besides Luke. I had a few classes with a guy named Collin. He was gay like me, but we weren't each other's type. He'd kiss me on the cheek sometimes, but that was as far as it went. He had some night classes as well, so we would usually walk back to the dorm together.

I also had a sort of friendship with Mr. Murray. He was so nice, always willing to answer my questions and lend a hand if I needed help. I don't know if he could tell how attracted I was to him, lack of experience meant I had no gaydar to speak of, but he liked me as a friend, at least.

Things changed one night in late September. Collin didn't have class that day and when I opened the door to walk back to my dorm the creepy feeling smacked into me like a cold wind. It was so intense had to turn around and walk back inside. I needed a minute to calm down.

I had my Mace in my backpack, but I was still terrified. What was going to happen to me?

"Mr. Norton?"

I almost jumped out of my skin. I hadn't noticed that Mr. Murray was there.

"Whoa, are you okay? What's going on?"

I felt embarrassed to have to actually say it, but seeing the genuine worry on his face made me want to be honest.

"I, uh...I'm a little nervous about walking back to my dorm by myself. I'm usually with friends."

He raised his eyebrows, but then smiled warmly.

"There's nothing wrong with that at all. If it's company you want, I can walk with you. I'm heading home myself."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. It's no trouble."

I still felt on edge the entire walk back. The creepy feeling hung in the air like a fog.

Then I saw him. For the briefest moment I saw the hooded man, but when I did a double-take, he was gone. That's when I started to freak out. He was fast, but nobody could be that fast. Was I seeing things that weren't there?

Mr. Murray noticed my change in breathing.

"Mr. Norton?"

I heard him, but couldn't speak. I could hardly move.

"Milo?"

Hearing him say my first name with so much concern snapped me out of my trance. I turned to him.

"I...I thought I saw someone."

He looked around.

"I don't see anybody."

"Yeah, I know, I'm sure it was nothing."

Luckily we were almost at my dorm, so the rest of the walk took about thirty more seconds. I thanked Mr. Murray profusely before going inside.

The dorm was empty when I returned. Feeling like a scared little boy running from monsters, I dashed to my room and hid under the covers. I said every prayer they taught me in Catholic school over and over until I stopped shaking.

At that point I was either in serious danger or losing my mind.

I couldn't tell which prospect scared me more.

*****

The next day I decided to take matters into my own hands. I was terrified of confronting the hooded man, but I felt the need to learn some more about him. I asked Luke to find out his name. I think he could tell that I was kind of desperate, because he did so without question. He told me about it when we were eating dinner that night.

"He told me his name is Pierce."

"What was he like?"

"I don't know, we talked for like five seconds. He kept telling me he had to leave."

"Okay, thanks anyway."

Luke leaned forward slightly.

"What's wrong, Milo? Is he bothering you?"

I drummed my fingers on the table.

"I honestly don't know for sure. I just...see him around campus sometimes and it feels a little strange."

"If he ever does anything, let me know. Or tell a teacher. Something. You've been freaking out lately."

I nodded. "I'm sorry, I don't want to make you worried."

"Don't worry about me, worry about being safe."

"Yeah, I bought Mace already. I think I'm just paranoid."

"You got someone to walk home with tonight?"

I nodded. "Collin is going to be with me."

"Good. And if he can't walk with you, call me."

I felt myself smile a little. "I promise I will."

It was nice to have people that wanted to help me.

*****

That night the same evil aura met me when the door opened. I froze in my tracks. Naturally Collin noticed immediately.

"What's wrong, babe?"

I felt myself shiver. I was scared out of my mind, but remembered what Luke said. I needed to take this seriously, and that meant being honest with the people who cared about me.

"I'm really scared. I'm getting a bad feeling outside."

Collin came back inside. He was about two inches taller than me, not as skinny, with chocolatey skin. His upper body was sort of average, but his legs were strong as steel. He was a power bottom and worked hard to make his ass and thighs as good as they were.

"What makes you say that?"

"I don't know. Can't you feel it?"

His brow furrowed.

"I'm sorry, no. But that doesn't mean you don't."

He held out his hand.

"I promise that nothing is going to happen to you. I'll be right here, okay?"

I felt my eyes mist up when I nodded and took his hand.

The walk felt like it took an hour. I was a wreck the entire time. It felt like a demon or a monster was right behind me, breathing down my neck and waiting for me to lower my guard. I felt an anxiety attack form. When I get an anxiety attack I get really cold and my heart pounds so hard I can almost hear it. The only thing keeping me grounded was Collin's hand wrapped around mine.

I was in tears when we got back inside. Before I could say anything, Collin walked in the direction of his dorm, still holding my hand.

"Wanna sleep over?" He asked it in a way that sounded like a question, but both of us knew what I would answer.

"Yes, please."

I texted Luke so he wouldn't worry about me as my friend led me to his dorm. Once we were in his room I broke down crying and he hugged me so tight.

It took me a while to calm down, but eventually I felt better.

"Collin, I don't know what's wrong with me."

"There's nothing wrong with you. Never let me catch you saying that again."

I spent that night cuddling with my friend. I was still scared, but I wasn't alone.

*****

The next day my worst suspicions were confirmed. That morning a male student was found passed out in the lounge of Boy's Club. His clothes were ripped and his hair was messed up, but otherwise he was unharmed. The weird part was that when asked about it he said he couldn't remember anything. He was mostly embarrassed about the whole thing and didn't want people to know about it. The staff kept him anonymous, but took it very seriously. A 10:30 PM curfew was set and everyone was instructed to walk in groups at night.

Now my friends knew that my vibe was not off, something weird was going on. I had somebody walk with me every time I went outside, whether it was Luke, Collin, Mr. Murray, or anyone else I could find at the time.

Things calmed down for about a week. I stopped getting that horrible feeling at night. But then something happened I wasn't prepared for.

One night, I woke up, and I was outside. It was the dead of night, nobody was around, and the evil feeling was so thick I felt like I was choking.

I was wearing nothing but the briefs I fell asleep in. Did I sleepwalk?

I started running as fast as I could back to the dorm. I was far away from my bed, far away from my friends.

The feeling got worse and worse. I was scared for my life.

Then he pounced.

In an instant, Pierce, the man in the hood, came out of nowhere and clamped me tightly in his arms. I started screaming, but he put his hand over my mouth and hissed in my ear.

"Be quiet or you're dead!"

I complied.

Strangely, now that he'd caught me, he wasn't doing anything, he just held me still. As the minutes ticked by and my adrenaline faded, I noticed a few things. The first is the fact that he wasn't holding me in a way that hurt me at all. It was more...protective. And the evil energy wasn't intensifying, it was actually getting weaker. Eventually it was gone. He whispered in my ear.

"I'm sorry for scaring you like that, I had to act fast."

He held my hand and started walking me back to the dorm. He didn't say a single word the entire time. He was about to let go when we got to the main door, but I stopped him.

"You're not running away again. Tell me what's going on."

Pierce took a deep breath and sighed.

"I suppose you deserve to know. But it's not safe outside right now. Can we talk about it in my dorm?"

If he had asked me that yesterday I would have either run away or sprayed my Mace until the can was empty. But now I knew he wasn't the one responsible for what had been scaring me. He was trying to protect me.

"Okay."

We got to his dorm, which was a single room normally reserved for RAs. But it didn't seem like the right time to ask about that.

Pierce didn't turn on the lights when we got in his dorm, all he did was open the curtains a little bit, just enough so I could barely see.

He took off his jacket, revealing short hair and strong arms.

"This is going to be a little scary, but it's something I need to do to show you what I am. Don't panic."

He flipped the light switch.

Then he disappeared.

Well, maybe "disappear" wasn't the right word for it. His clothes were still there, but Pierce's body was almost completely gone. I say almost because I could still see the barest, faintest shape of him. It was like he was almost faded away completely, but not quite.

He turned the light off again and suddenly he was just as solid as he had been. Except...he wasn't completely solid. He was just a tiny bit translucent. The edges were a little fuzzy and I could barely see the light of the window through his head.

"Milo, do you want the lights on or off? It doesn't matter to me."

I thought for a moment.

"Keep them off."

I saw his shadowy form nod.

"Pierce, who are you?"

"If I had to give what I am a name you'd know, I would say I'm a vampire."

I looked at him, wishing I could see his face.

"I'm sure you're skeptical. But I can prove it further."

He took off his shirt and turned around. What I saw made me gasp.

Pierce had a gigantic bite mark on his back. It looked like something ripped off a chunk of his flesh. I couldn't see it very well in the dark, but it looked so painful, and shiny, like it was fresh.

"This is the bite that changed me. The vampire that did this is after you, and I'm trying to save you from the same fate."

He put his shirt back on and I felt myself begin to cry. I rushed in to hug him.

"I'm so sorry!"

Pierce seemed shocked by what I was doing.

"Sorry? What are you talking about?"

"I blamed you for what was happening! I was so scared, and I hated you so much! But you were helping me!"

I sobbed into his shirt and he gingerly laid his hands on my back.

"It's okay, Milo. It's natural for you to fear me. I'm used to it."

"It's not okay, but thank you for not being mad at me."

Once I got my bearings, there was a few moments where I just held the hug. Then I remembered the situation. I had completely forgotten that I was almost naked. I let go and took a few steps back.

"Sorry if I...uh...made you uncomfortable."

"No, not at all. In fact, I can't remember the last time anyone was so kind to me."

I felt my heart break a little.

"Tell me about yourself. Tell me what's going on. I want to help you as best I can, Pierce."

He chuckled. He had a nice laugh.

"You and I have a lot to talk about, then."

*****

We got to Pierce's dorm at about 3 AM, and the sun was just starting to rise when he was done telling me his story.

Apparently, vampires did exist, and the folklore about them wasn't far off, but there were a few things humanity got wrong.

Vampires are extremely rare, he was unconvinced there were more than a couple dozen on the entire planet. They were extremely dangerous, they did drink human blood and were immortal, but there was another part of the story nobody knew about.

When a vampire drinks human blood, sucking out their life force and stealing it for eternal youth, which was called devouring, the human didn't die, nor did they turn into a vampire themselves. They would be transformed into a creature in between human and vampire. Pierce was one of them.

"I met another of my kind who called us nosferatu, or fera for short. I always liked that name, it's like a vampire, but not really."