Vampires have been a recurring theme in my life. It started with the old black and white horror movies with Boris and Bela bringing the monsters to life. Then there was the book, Dracula. That Irish fellow, Bram Stoker, really knew how to work out a terror tale. He was wise enough to follow along with existing European folklore, mixing real lore and legend with fiction.

I am a fan of horror fiction. Ive read most of the classic stuff and some of the newer stuff that sort of segues into science fiction and fantasy. In spite of Stephen King saying that the vampire had no more steam in his shorts, every now and then up pops another take on the vampire theme.

I think the vampire theme is based on a kind of psychological reality that is subliminally touched upon in vampire stories. Vampires are very, very needy creatures. They are perpetually unsatiated, unsatisfied. Demanding that we participate in their unending ritual of “I need. I need. I need.”

Now, in this sense we all have some of the vampire in us. We have our own neediness above and beyond the call of what we actually have use for. The object of desire is wanted but, in the true sense of the word, not really needed. The eye never tires of looking. We always need new stuff. We want new shoes, new clothes, new toys – It never ends. No matter how much we have, we always want some more..

I found myself thinking some years ago, “I need…I need a shelf stereo system.” Well, I don’t need it. I have three of them. Granted, the tape cassette deck doesn’t work on one of them and that another of them, an earlier model, is the size of a small airplane hanger. I don’t need another shelf stereo system. That’s the inner vampire in me, telling me I need things.

There’s another kind of vampire. I met one very recently. There’s a local group where, if you got stuff that you don’t need. There’s that word ‘need’ again, then you can give it away to someone who wants it and people on this forum post messages saying “I want this” or “i have this and it’s up for grabs” or “this has been taken , so don’t bug me.” I posted a book there that people could have for free. It was a lengthy tome on Fibromyalgia which I was once misdiagnosed with. I don’t have Fibromyalgia. (It was a reaction to a Statin drug.) This fellow showed up to take the book . He was a nice enough fellow but he sucked the soul right out of you with his neediness. He was a psychic vampire. I was very glad to give the book to him and get him out of my life. I have met his kind before.

I have met other psychic vampires that suck you into their world, an artificial world, not real. They make you part of their scenario to help fulfill their wants because they are so very, very needy. They are also control freaks. It’s part of their fantasy world that what they desire has to be contained, controlled in order to meet their needs. A peculiar feature is that, if the present need is met, they are only briefly satisfied. Like the vampire, they are perpetually hungry. Often they have the power of voice. Something in their voices is like a good radio voice . With it they just work their will on you. You can end up supporting their fantasy world, fulfilling their artificial needs because it’s such a strong demand such a compelling voice.

There are more than one kind of vampire, vampires in fiction, in film and in fact and, sometimes, I am the vampire.

© Sonia Brock 2005