Myth-conception

‘I was working in my lab late one night…..’

Dang! I can’t get that song out of my head. Since it is Halloween the radio station I listen to is playing “Monster Mash” non-stop. It’s just a silly little song that was one of my favorites when I was growing up. Everyone knows there’s no such thing as monsters, vampires, and werewolves, but still people like the supernatural. Just look at the current crop of shows on television. True to the song stuck in my head, I am working late but not in a lab. I am taking inventory at the store I own. The clock in the town square strikes midnight - I’m so out of here.

The full moon is shrouded by thin clouds, casting an eerie glow across the buildings and creating shadows in the corners and alleys. The night air is still warm, especially for October, yet a cold shiver is running down my spine as I make my way home. Everything is quiet, too quiet. Normally the walk home is pleasant but tonight I’m sure getting freaked out walking along the deserted streets. I nearly jump a mile when I hear a noise in the alley ahead. Stupid, it is only a cat foraging in the garbage cans. Almost home. Suddenly I hear footsteps behind me. I freeze dead in my tracks. I must just be imagining things. I start to walk again, although a bit faster now when I hear footsteps again. I pause, listening to the trees along the sidewalk rustle softly with a gentle breeze I haven’t noticed before, creating an animated show as the shadows on the moonlit streets dance to an unheard tune. More footsteps bring me out of my reverie. Home seems a long ways off as I try to keep a cool head. Snap out if, David. You’re letting your imagination get the better of you. My heart is beating fast as I slowly turn around; not really wanting to see what might be lurking in the shadows. I can make out something in the darkness just outside the halo of the streetlight, the form accentuated by the cold blue light of the moon. I want to run but I feel frozen in place, my legs refusing to move. The figure emerges into the light. There, under the soft glow of the street lamp, stands a young man. I almost laugh out loud as this is no monster waiting to get me. I have scared myself over nothing.

“Hey man, I’m Eddie.” He says as he extends his hand to me. He is appropriately dressed to hide in the shadows with a black leather jacket over a dark turtle-neck sweater, black jeans and dress boots. The light casts an unnatural whiteness to his face, accentuating his dark eyes that are hauntingly beautiful while having a slight touch of menace to them. I hesitatingly take his hand but he holds on tight as I start to pull my hand away. “Don’t be afraid. I’m not going to hurt you Dave.”

Not going to hurt me? He already is as his grip is like a vise. There is definitely something very different about this guy and how did he know my name? “Okay Eddie. Just let my hand go. You’re kind of squeezing it to death.”

“Good one dude. Squeezing it to death.” And then he laughs as though I have made some funny joke. What is so funny? He steps closer to me and still my feet refuse to budge, not that I can get away while he is clenching my hand tightly. “Really Dave relax. I’m here to offer you a choice.” Sounds like something out of an Anne Rice novel I once read. Next I suppose he is going to tell me he is a vampire too.

“You see I am what you would call a vampire – a shape shifting vampire.” He really is telling me he’s a vampire. Now that is just too much. He must be one crazy young man. Who ever heard of a shape shifting vampire, even if such things existed? He continues on. “Contrary to popular belief, I don’t go around killing people to get blood. I have no use for blood. I only require energy from a human once a month and even then I do not harm anyone, unless of course they get me pissed off, and I can change my appearance at will.” He does exactly that – he morphs into my identical twin, down to the clothes I am wearing. Just as quickly he reverts back to his old self. Okay, so he really is a shape shifting vampire.

Now I’m nervous and freaking. “So Eddie, what do you want with me? A midnight snack?” Good one Dave old boy. Get him mad at you and you really will be a snack.

“Nope, I’m good. I had my quota for the month down at the burger joint earlier.” That is nice to hear. “Anyway dude, here is my proposal. I want a mate like me to hang with; do guy things with and scope out a few chicks. I’ve been watching you for a while and I think we could have some fun together. I can turn you so you can be like me bro.”

Be like him? Isn’t he just a dead reanimated body? I’m far past being young, handsome, and sexy like him so unless he has some magic youth potion hidden away I would instead be old, wrinkled, and definitely not sexy for eternity. Don’t vampires have to sleep by day? Where are his fangs? Maybe he’s rich? I have a lot of questions in my head.

“Oh by the way Dave, I can read your thoughts.” Oops. I have to watch what I think. “It’s cool dude. You can be young and handsome for eternity. No, vampires don’t have to sleep by day any more than we have to drink blood. That’s all just a myth. I function perfectly well day or night and as I told you before, I only require human energy once a month. You worry too much Dave. Yes, I’m actually quite wealthy. No, I’m not a dead corpse walking around. That is also a myth. Think of me as a step up in the evolutionary chain. My fangs only come out when I need them to transform someone. And I’m flattered you think I’m sexy.”

Eddie comes closer. Maybe he knows my decision before I do because the next thing I know he has his fangs in my neck. The sensation is unlike anything I have experienced before. I mean the women are always swooning in those vampire movies like they are having a great orgasm when Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise is doing his thing but that doesn’t even come close to the rush of emotion I feel with Eddie at my neck. It sure seems like he is holding me for a long time until he withdraws, still gently supporting my weakened body.

“Watch in the window Dave. You’ll be able to see your transformation.” When I look in the nearby store window I can see him reflected back holding me. That must be another myth – vampires do have a reflection. The first change that becomes evident is the fangs. They seem to appear out of nowhere then retract back. Next my body morphs but thankfully the process isn’t painful as I grow in height, becoming leaner and muscular. I can feel my abs tighten into solid brickwork. My thinning hair grows out becoming thicker and slightly darker. My clothes change to closely match Eddie’s look with a black leather jacket, dark jeans, and boots but I have no shirt on. Lastly I can see my face changing. It is hard to tell exactly what I look like in the darkened window but I do know I’m not quite as young looking as Eddie.

“Eddie,” I say, hearing a sexy English accented baritone voice emerge for the first time, “I don’t feel so good.”

“It’s okay. You’ll be right in a minute. It’s just your body getting readjusted to what you will look like when you aren’t shape shifting.” Once I regain my strength Eddie and I go back to my place. I feel better than I have ever felt before and I’m anxious to see my new appearance.

I rush to the mirror as soon as I walk in the door. I can hardly believe what I’m seeing is me. I’ve become my fantasy stud, complete with a sly little smirk and light stubble. The women are going to go wild over me. I don’t look like Dave anymore so I’ll need a new name for myself. In a flash my name comes to me: Geoff.

“Slow down tiger. Relax and give yourself a chance to adjust to Geoff. Nice name by the way. There are a few things I need to explain to you. One thing: be careful who you think about because you will morph into whomever you are thinking of and you will do so quite quickly until you learn to control yourself. Secondly your senses are all much more acute. You will be able to hear the slightest sound even in a crowded room. You’ll have to learn to block out peoples’ thoughts or you will drive yourself crazy fast. There are many other things that you are capable of in addition to shape shifting but I’ll let you have the fun of finding those out for yourself. And I’ll have to show you how to draw energy from people at the next full moon. We eat food like anybody else but the energy is what really sustains you.”

I glance over to the fireplace where I still have a picture of my last girlfriend. Before I know what has happened I can feel I have changed. Looking back at the mirror shows I’ve morphed into a copy of my ex, complete with the same clothes she has on in the picture. I totally freak when I see I have boobs and worse yet my manhood is missing. Bewildered I look at Eddie, only to see he has an amused look on his face. “I told you to be careful what you think about. Don’t panic – it isn’t permanent. Concentrate on becoming Geoff.”

It takes me a few minutes to get my concentration but once I’m back to Geoff I begin to understand what he meant about my senses being more acute. I can hear my next door neighbor Karl snoring as he sleeps. I can’t help myself. My mind pictures Karl as I saw him one day. In no more than a second I lose height and my reflection is that of Karl. This is getting too strange. As much as I like his body I want to be Geoff so I again concentrate on that. Just as quickly as I became Karl I am back to Geoff. I hope I can get control of this. I can’t go around changing into everybody I think about.

I’m much too excited to be tired yet so Eddie and I sit down to eat and talk about what our next move is. While we sit he has me practice changing into him so I can learn to control myself. At first I can’t control the morphing too well but after what seems like ten thousand times going back and forth I get pretty good at commanding the change so I don’t automatically become Eddie when I think of him. As cool as it is looking like Eddie, being Geoff is the most comfortable and natural to me.

“First we have to explain why we are in town. You, as Dave, can tell people you are selling the store and house to me so you can retire to Arizona. We’ll say you have invited me to stay with you until the deal closes. As long as nobody sees anybody besides me and Dave here for the next few weeks we should be alright. After the sale is done and Dave has moved, you can come back as my English cousin Geoff who is going to live with me and help run the store.”

“Sounds like a good plan.” The down side is I will have to morph back to my old self until the deal is complete. I hate the thought of being Dave again. After talking a while I begin to get sleepy and want to head to bed. Another myth busted – vampires don’t need to sleep in coffins. I put Eddie in the spare bedroom and I go to mine. When morning comes I wake up and head to the bathroom, fearing last night was all just a dream. I am quickly reassured when I see a naked Geoff looking back at me in the mirror. Man this body is hot - thank you Eddie. I downheartedly say good bye to Geoff as I change back to Dave and put my old clothes on. I look forward to getting everything settled quickly so I can be Geoff permanently.

I can barely wait until the next full moon so Eddie can teach me how to feed. The two of us are going to have some good times together. Somehow I don’t think life is going to be quite the same as before.

‘Heavenly shades of night are falling. It’s twilight time.’