Charlie Swan: Vampire Hunter

8

I sat on the exam table and Carlisle sat on the counter. We faced each other and he began his tale.

"As I'm sure you've guessed by now, I was the first of my family to be turned. I'm going to leave out the details of my change as they are not vital to the understanding. The year was 1663, but beyond that there is nothing you need know. Fast forward to 1918 and I met Edward. You know the circumstances of his changing yes?" 

I nodded to his question and he continued. 

"There are some things you should know about my family before we continue. We, unlike many vampires, are vegetarian. Or at least as vegetarian as any vampire can be. When we feed, we feed not on the blood of humans, but on animals. Deer or rabbits. Each of us has our favorites, but none of us drink human blood." 

I was taken aback by this. My research had hinted that fresh human blood may not be the only way for a vampire to live, but I had never expected this. Animal blood rather than human blood. it did make blending in a bit easier, or at least lent itself to fewer human deaths. 

"We made a deal with the werewolves, you do know about them also?" Again he liked to seem nod before continuing. "We made a deal with them to stay here in peace. We don't trespass on their land or bite humans and in return they don't out us and eave us alone. It's been lucrative for us both as far as I can tell. My coven, that's what we call a group of vampires, keep the wandering groups away from Forks. Keeping the humans safer than they were without us."

He paused here. "This is where things get a bit muddled. I could go deeper into the history of vampires, deeper into my own history and my covens, or I can go into greater detail about vampires as a species. It is up to you." 

I thought hard about it. As much as I wanted to know more about the Cullens, learning more about vampires in general seemed like a smarter move in terms of protecting myself against them. I was suddenly glad that Bella hadn't come to Forks to live amongst vampires and werewolves. I wondered to myself what kind of trouble she would have gotten in. 

"How about vampires, an overview of the history and what a normal vampire would be like." 

He nodded and resumed talking. "Vampires have been around as long as humankind. Throughout time we have evolved. As far as I have been able to tell the first vampires had no special abilities. Over time, this changed and now many vampires find they have some new trait hen they are turned. For example, Alice has visions of the future. 

"There have been wars between covens of vampires, some have even affected the human world. An example of that is the American Civil War. It is taught in schools that slavery and the tensions between groups of differing opinions caused it, and that certainly exasperated the situation, but the true cause were two covens of vampires. I believe it was a territory dispute, although I was out of the country at the time. 

"As for physiology, vampires are very similar to humans in many ways. We looks the same, as you can see with some slight differences in eye and skin color. In addition to those more subtle changes our skin is near impervious to human weapons. Guns do not work again us, and any knives or sword must be used with incredible strength, strength no human possesses, to have any effect. The only way to kill a vampire is to dismember and then burn them. As of now, no human has ever successfully killed a vampire. Beyond that, we are immortal, and also posses superhuman speed and strength. As I have mentioned, some of us gain special bailies when we are turned but not all." 

He stopped and looked at his wrist watch. "I'm sorry Mr. Swan, that's all I have time for. If you have anymore questions please feel free to stop by hour house at any time. If I am unavailable, my wife will let me know you stopped by." 

I stood and started waking towards the door, feeling a bit safer now that I knew he didn't drink human blood. "Thank you for talking with me Dr. I really do appreciate you telling me all this." I said stepping out in to the buzzing hospital waiting room. 

He merely shook my hand. "Any time my friend, although maybe next time you want to observe us, do so at our home rather than the school. I do believe you cared the living daylights out of my Edward the other day." 

I laughed and nodded. I knew that going to the school had been a bad idea ad here was proof. I'd managed to scare a vampire just by sitting in my car. I wondered absently how else I could scare them. Outside my car. With a burning sword. I also wondered if a burning sword would even work.