Midnight And Midday

• Josey Pintaudi, Grade 8, Berwick Secondary College
• Short Story
• 2011

Excellence Award in the 'Step Write Up 2011' competition

I watched as the moon disappeared behind the dark clouds covering most of the sky. I lived for night and it existed for me. It is the only time I am able to walk the earth and feed upon the blood of other beings. I am not a human but a night vampire.
Night vampires sleep during the day in the darkness and only come out at night to feed. There is another type of vampire though, one that I am envious of. The day vampire, day vampires are more like humans, they sleep at night and feed during the day. Although they are allowed in the sun, they have to be more cautious.
If I were to walk out into the sun, I would turn to black ash. If a day vampire walked under the moonlight, they would fall dead and disappear. Both types have their limits and advantages. Night vampires dislike day vampires because they don’t have to worry about sunlight. I am envious of only one though, I pity the others doomed to a sunlit existence.
Daffodil, the day vampire, is the one I wish to kill. She chose the name Daffodil, because of its meaning. In Greek mythology, it is described as the deathly pale yellow flower that grew in the plains of Hades. Once we become a vampire, we choose a different name to our human one, one that means something to us.
I chose Valdis, meaning ‘goddess of death’. With each victim I feed upon, I bring upon their death. I chose Valdis as my name because of this reason. I had already had my meal for tonight, but thinking of Daffodil has disturbed my thoughts and reasons. I decided to find a second victim.
“I thought I would run into you here!” Daffodil smiled. I won’t put up with this any longer; it is time for Daffodil to die! And I have the advantage of night approaching swiftly.
“Ah, Daffodil, just the person I wanted to see! I was going to have to pay you a visit sometime soon if you didn’t come and see me for yourself,” I smiled wickedly in reply. “How do you feel about my ending your pathetic existence?”
“Oh, I see, you aren’t being nice to me!” She quickly stopped smiling. “I understand I have the only thing you could possibly wish for, but why kill me when I could give it to you? Have you thought of that Valdis?”
“As much as I want that, I want you dead even more,” I said defiantly. “Now, are you going to cooperate, or not?”
“Hmm...Let me think. No, I won’t cooperate!” She said venomously. “I’ll make a deal with you. How does that sound?”
“Bad,” I grimaced.
“We both give ourselves up to the sun and the moon. We both end our existence and stop this bickering and threats. There is a time when that is possible, sunrise, “She exclaimed.
“Do you promise?”
“Yes, I do, tomorrows sunrise then!”