The Abigail Hunter Files
Copyright 2011 Jessica Carter
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright - 2011 by Jessica Carter
Table of Contents
Introduction
Interview with a Vampire
Interview with a Ghost
Interview with a Werewolf
Interview with a Witch
End
About Jessica Carter
Other Titles by Jessica Carter
My name is Abigail Hunter, investigative journalist extraordinaire. What do I investigate you ask, that’s simple, myths and legends. Oh don’t give me that look; I’ll have you know it’s a legitimate field of journalism…I think.
Anyway, this book is a compilation of all the interview notes I took on my quest to show the world these beings truly do exist. I was going to try and sell them to a magazine, but decided to publish them myself. Who knows, maybe I’ll even get a Pulitzer for them…okay, not likely, but I can dream.
What you are about to read here is all true, despite how it may sound, so all you non-believers…take that!
And now, onto the main event!
Interview with a Vampire
Alright, first up is my famous vampire interview. Now before you start laughing you should know that some Hollywood directors once offered me a movie deal for it, but they backed out at the last minute over some writer issues or something. Actually, they never did tell me the real reason…bastards.
o o o o o
A. Hunter:
The time is 9:15pm on Saturday, October 31st 1998. I’m here with Vincent DeLay who has graciously volunteered to give an interview on what it’s like to be a vampire. Mr. DeLay, thank you so much for giving me some of your time.
Mr. DeLay:
You’re very welcome.
A. Hunter:
If you don’t mind I think we’ll get this started. Let’s begin by getting your basic information. When and where were you born?
Mr. DeLay:
I was born in 1670 in a small town just outside of London. My parents were farmers and I grew up on their small farm with my two older sisters and a younger brother. My life was nothing spectacular, I worked all day taking care of the animals and then hung out with the other kids that lived nearby. It was a typical childhood I suppose.
A. Hunter:
I see, and what can you tell me about your family. Did you get along well with them?
Mr. DeLay:
About as well as anyone. My father spent his days out in the field and then went to the pub in town to drink the night away. My mum spent all her time caring for us so she didn’t get out much, she died from pneumonia when I was twelve. My sisters were quite a bit older than me and were both married and gone before I had even turned ten, so it was mainly just my younger brother and I. I guess we were close all things considered, he looked up to me and I made sure he kept out of trouble, but I was a free spirit and didn’t much care for spending time with my family. I much preferred running off to the woods where the other kids gathered.
A. Hunter:
Do you miss them?
Mr. DeLay:
I did at first, but they’ve been gone for so long now. I can’t even remember what they looked like anymore.
A. Hunter:
Isn’t that a little bit sad?
Mr. DeLay:
Perhaps, but as I said it’s been quite some time since they died so I’ve accepted it and moved on. I will admit that I watched over them all for a few years after I was turned, not that they knew mind you, but I stayed in the shadows and kept an eye on them.
A. Hunter:
Speaking of being turned, when did it happen?
Mr. DeLay:
The night of my twentieth birthday to be exact. I had gone out partying with my friends, they took me to the local pub, and there was this beautiful woman there and…well…one thing led to another and the next morning I woke up dead.
A. Hunter:
That must have been quite a shock for you, waking up a vampire and all.
Mr. DeLay:
It was, but Alena…that’s the one who changed me…sat me down and explained everything to me. I didn’t take it very well and wound up breaking most everything in the room I was staying in, but eventually I settled down and came to accept what had happened.
A. Hunter:
You accepted it just like that? That seems a bit odd to me. If I was turned into a vampire it would take me a very long time to come to terms with my new…condition. Having to watch as my family and friends aged and died would be hard.
Mr. DeLay:
Well, times are quite different nowadays. Back then the life of a vampire was very appealing. People didn’t live very long, sicknesses were ravaging the lands, and frankly being immortal and having cool new abilities was wonderful. Honestly, my family didn’t cross my mind for several weeks. That probably sounds callous of me, but I was young, and felt invincible, so the first few weeks were spent out on the town.
A. Hunter:
And after that what did you do?
Mr. DeLay:
Alena kicked me out a couple of months after she changed me, moved on to a younger conquest or something, so I moved around a lot. Since I was able to fly now I decided I’d go traveling, you know, see the world and all. I had quite a lot of fun that year. About three years after I was turned I finally went back home again, just to check in on things and see what my family was up to. Turned out my father was dead, a drunken bar fight gone bad, and my younger brother had married his childhood sweetheart. They’d all moved on while I’d been away and I was happy for them, really I was, but since I no longer had a place there, I moved on. I went back every few years just to see what they were up to, but eventually time passed and they turned to dust like all humans do.
A. Hunter:
I’m sorry, I know that must be painful for you to talk about.
Mr. DeLay:
Not really, as I said it’s been many years.
A. Hunter:
Alright, so now that we know your past why don’t you tell us a little about your present life. Where do you live and what do you do?
Mr. DeLay:
Right now I have a nice little apartment in downtown New York City. It’s modest, but suits me just fine…and before you ask, no I do not have a coffin there I sleep in.
A. Hunter:
I wasn’t going to ask that…yet. So now we know where you live, how about what you do?
Mr. DeLay:
You mean other than being a vampire?
A. Hunter:
Yes, other than being a vampire.
Mr. DeLay:
Oh, well nothing really. I dabble in lots of different things, but nothing specific.
A. Hunter:
Okay, so what kinds of things do you dabble in?
Mr. DeLay:
I love to paint, several of my pieces sold for over seven figures each. I’ve also written several novels, nothing well known, but the royalties pay for my place. Then there was that short time I spent as a musician, I played the drums. I learned to cook in Italy with some of the best chefs around and opened a restaurant downtown. Oh, and I also knit.
A. Hunter:
…you knit?
Mr. DeLay:
Well not very well, but I’ve made a scarf or two.
A. Hunter:
I see.
Mr. DeLay:
You seem surprised. Is it that odd?
A. Hunter:
Considering how many
years you’ve been alive, I guess not. I just wasn’t expecting it, that’s all.
Mr. DeLay:
What can I say, I’m a vampire with many talents.
A. Hunter:
Alright, let’s move on shall we. What can you tell me about all those vampire myths out there? How many are true? False?
Mr. DeLay:
Well to be honest, most of them are complete crap. That whole wooden stake to the heart thing, while dramatic and all, is total bull. Wood doesn’t hurt us and getting stabbed in the heart just serves to annoy a vampire.
A. Hunter:
Really? And I thought for sure that one was true.
Mr. DeLay:
Nope, neither is the stuff about holy water or garlic. We’re not afraid of anything holy, water or otherwise, and garlic, though smelly, doesn’t do a thing. Sunlight does bother us, but before you ask, no we don’t burst into flames or anything. It’s more like an allergy or something and we get really bad burns if we stay out in it too long.
A. Hunter:
Okay, so what about silver?
Mr. DeLay:
That’s a tricky one. Yes silver hurts us, but it depends on how much there actually is. It has to be pure silver or nothing happens, but if it is pure silver, it’s quite dangerous to a vampire. Depending on how much is used we can be killed by it.
A. Hunter:
Now the drinking blood thing I know is true, and you mentioned earlier that coffins weren’t your thing, so how about beheading?
Mr. DeLay:
Oh most definitely. Nothing can survive being beheaded, that’s just crazy.
A. Hunter:
Well excuuuse me.
Mr. DeLay:
You sound annoyed, have I upset you?
A. Hunter:
...no. Moving on. What about all those super abilities the movies always portray you as having, how many of those are accurate?
Mr. DeLay:
Oh, all of them. That’s the one thing those silly movies you humans are obsessed with making actually got right. Along with flying, and of course the immortality which is very nice, we’ve got excellent sight and hearing, amazing speed and we’re crazy strong.
A. Hunter:
Wow, conceited much?
Mr. DeLay:
What can I say, with great age comes great bragging rights.
A. Hunter:
I can see the years have done wonders for your self image. I’ve never met anyone who thinks so highly of themselves before.
Mr. DeLay:
And I’ve never met anyone so at ease insulting a vampire before, most people tend to be frightened by my kind. Aren’t you even the least bit afraid I’ll bite you or something?
A. Hunter:
No. According to my research you’ve gotten docile in your old age.
Mr. DeLay:
O-old age?! I’ll have you know I’m not even 350 years old. That makes me practically a child in vampire years.
A. Hunter:
…if you say so.
Mr. DeLay:
Hmph. The nerve of young humans these days, insulting their elders like this. Why when I was younger I wouldn’t have dreamed of being this rude, it simply wasn’t done.
A. Hunter:
And you wonder why I called you old.
Mr. DeLay:
Did you say something?
A. Hunter:
No, nothing at all. Let’s continue shall we?
Mr. DeLay:
As you wish, but one more crack about my age and I’ll eat you out of spite.
A. Hunter:
Yes sir. Okay, now we know about your life both before and after becoming a vampire, so these next questions are going to be more for fun than anything else. Are you still up for answering them?
Mr. DeLay:
Absolutely.
A. Hunter:
Okay, you’ve been alive for several centuries now, what’s your favorite fashion style?
Mr. DeLay:
That’s a tough one. To be honest I really liked the fashion style of the eighteen hundreds. It just seemed so elegant and upper class and I couldn’t get enough of those clothes. Even now my closet has several outfits that I kept.
A. Hunter:
Now I would’ve thought the whole goth scene would be more your style.
Mr. DeLay:
Common misconception. Everyone always assumes that vampires like black and dark red because we drink blood and are creatures of the night, but in reality every vampire has their own unique taste in clothes just like humans do.
A. Hunter:
Interesting. Now vampires have become a big deal these last few years and I was wondering what you thought of the portrayal of your kind? Any favorites? Ones you hate?
Mr. DeLay:
I was wondering when you’d ask me that. As a general rule I can’t stand most of the crap that comes out nowadays, but one of my least favorites is that new teen story that has those sparkly vampires. I mean really, who the hell would come up with something that…creepy. I think I’d have to kill myself if I turned all shiny in the sun…or if I was that full of teen angst. Stories like that give vampires a bad name, how anyone can stand that bullsh-
A. Hunter:
I think that’s enough on that particular series, what about some of the others? Any opinion?
Mr. DeLay: Well that one movie that had that guy interviewing a vampire was really good. They did a great job studying up on my kind. Phenomenal movie.
A. Hunter:
…move on please.
Mr. DeLay:
Alright then, well I don’t know much about all those books they have out now that are based on us, if I want to read I usually stick with the classics. You know Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Mark Twain …anything written before the twentieth century. These new writers lack class.
A. Hunter:
You do know I’m a writer too, right?
Mr. DeLay:
Of course, but you’re a journalist and that’s not the same thing as the novelists I was referring to.
A. Hunter:
I don’t know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult.
Mr. DeLay:
It was meant as a little of both I suppose, but you can take it however you wish. The earlier written works of your kind were superb works of art. Nowadays anyone with a piece of paper and pencil can call themselves a writer, regardless of whether or not they have any actual talent…and let me tell you most of them don’t.
A. Hunter:
Okay, I think that about wraps up this interview. I know I’ve taken up quite a lot of your time already, and with it being Halloween and all I’m sure you’ve got a busy night ahead of you, so I won’t keep you any longer.
Mr. DeLay:
Really? Is that all? I was certain you’d have more questions for me.
A. Hunter:
Well, to be honest, you’re not really all that impressive. I guess I was expecting more of a dangerous fiend who spent his time hunting humans in dark alleys, but you’re very laid back, nothing like what I thought a vampire would be. In fact you almost seem human.
Mr. DeLay:
What did you just say?! How dare you imply that I’m…well…normal! I’m a vampire dammit, not some brainless human! First you insult me, then you call me old, and now you’re complaining that I’m not good enough! I’ll kill you for that!
A. Hunter:
It’s been great talking to you, but I’ve gotta go now. See ya!
o o o o o
Despite how the interview ended, he chased me out of his place yelling death threats until the police became involved, I got some pretty good information. Not at all what I was hoping for, I wanted more on the darker side of being a vampire, but all things considered I can’t complain. Besides, just being in the presence of an actual vampire was a feat in and of itself, so I’m proud of my accomplishment.