As far as James was concerned, he was willing to risk life and limb for this job. Whatever he must do, he does it without excuse. He had every reason to decline this offer, but his boss refused to let him turn down this chance-of-a-lifetime offer. All he wanted was a good night's rest, nothing more. Although he liked to walk the streets of Calmsville, he hated doing it at eleven at night. The city was rumored to be full of theives, rapists, murderers, and ghosts at this late night hour, so the streets themselves were momentarily deserted. Lamplights kept the streets illuminated, at least until sunrise where all activity is present. James had a feeling that he wasn't the only one in Nightshade Avenue, but he had no idea who was with him at this minute.
He saw a lonesome man sitting on a bench, seemingly harmless. The man's face was circular and moonlight pale, his cheeks flushed from any trace of color. His eyes were a luminious blue, but from where James was standing they look grey. He stared at James for at least three minutes, then stood up. He was a head taller than James. He held a calm expression for the moment, but left James without warning.
James chased the stranger until they were in a dark alley. James said loudly, "There's no use running away, mister. You're cornered and got nowhere to hide."
The stranger suddenly laughed satanically and said, "That's where you're wrong, kid. I got everywhere to hide. There's only one thing I can do to get out of this, and you can't stop me from making my getaway. So long, sucker! Dana the Lonely Heart is now splitting the scene!" The stranger jumped and - to James' surprise- flew off into the night, laughing his metallic and satanic laughter.
This made no sense to James, but nonetheless he attempted to follow this Dana person and get some answers out of him. He thought, Call me a kid?! Nobody has called me a kid since I was eighteen. I'm only twenty-three. How old does he think I am, eight? While, I'll show him. James gave up and went home, disgusted of his pain. It was three days later when James set out to chase this "Dana" person again. James checked Nightshade Avenue, but the bench was deserted. He yelled, "Come out and fight like a man! I don't know who or what you are, but you'll pay for calling me a kid! I'm only twenty-three years old and still young!" At first James had no answer, but then he heard someone singing. The song itself was like some kind of dark melody, but James wasn't sure. Regarless of this, he followed the singing to a small cottage on the outskirts of Calmsville. He knocked on the oak door and asked, "If anybody's home, can I come in?"
The door itself slowly swung open and a voice said happily, "Come on in, kid. You got some nerve to drop in on my neck of the woods. I hardly have any visitors these days, so don't be shy. I don't bite."
James asked as he walked in, "Are you Dana?"
The voice answered, "I am he. In case you're wondering where the hell am I, I'm by the hearth in the living room. I like to watch the flames dance on the wood at this time of night."
James noticed the place was like a Mexican-style house from the inside. Almost everything from the front door entrance to the living room was decorated with Ancient Mexican furnishings. However, the living room itself was like a study in the Middle Ages. Facing the fireplace were two chairs, one of which was occupied. James assumed the occupant of the left chair was Dana, so he stood close to the chair and said, "You have the right to-"
"Don't play Smokie with me, kid," Dana said annoyed. "I've been running from the law for a long time, but it's not your law I'm still running from. I obey the law of mortals just the way my equal taught me. The law I'm running from is the Law of Vampires, written by my grandsire."
James snapped, "I'm not a kid. I'm twenty-three years old, not eight. Just where are you from? Egypt?"
Dana chuckled darkly and said, "Not exactly, but I've been there. I got cousins there who love me, even if they know I'm older than I look. They know my real age, but they still love me regardless of what I really am." He sighed as he stood up from his chair. Turning around to face James, Dana's luminous eyes looked sky blue as they clashed with his black clothes. His hair was a dirty brown and messy like he just got out of bed when he sat on the chair. His lips were close to a lifeless faint pink and in a straight line as he kept eye contact with his guest. Dana's clothes made him look like he was in his late twenties, but James assumed Dana was older than that. "Not everything about me is true, amigo. I look like I'm in my late-twenties, but I'm actually 826 years old. My physical age is none of your concern, and neither is my life's story. I don't have the time for such matter. For now, I must leave for the hunt. You can house-sit for me if you like this place. I'll be back in two hours tops. If I'm back before then, I'll be home three hours after dawn. See ya." He went to the door, but stopped after his right hand grasped the doorknob. He turned his head to James. "Yes? You want something from me?"
James asked nervously, "If you're a vampire, then how can you be around during the day?"
Dana gave in to his satanic laughter. Grinning wickedly, he answered, "I'm the only one of my kind that can be out and about during the daylight hours as well as the night time." He turned the knob and stepped out the door. "Now I must make haste. I think I can beat my equal to a nest of rapists. She and I just love to race each other during the hunt. Loser has to feed off rats for the rest of the night. This time, I'm not going to take it easy on her. See ya later, amigo." It was after this when Dana closed the door and went about his private affair with his "equal," whoever she was.
James decided to wait for Dana to show up. He gave himself away by telling me his actual age, James thought. Then he tells me he can go out in the daylight?! What kind of a vampire is he? A psychopathic vampire or something? He sounds a little crazy.
That's because I am crazy, Smokie boy, Dana's voice said in James' brain. I haven't done a sane thing in eight centuries, but at least I don't look crazy. I can do anything crazy and walk away without a scratch.
Turning around, James saw Dana accompanied with a young woman. She looked like she was in her early-twenties with a perfectly round face and presumably molded bosom. Her eyes were dark emerald, almost like they were balls of moss packed in her moonlight pale skull. The clothes on her matched her eyes, making them look almost black as Dana's clothes. James asked, "Who's your friend, Dana?"
Dana smiled and rather shyly answered, "This is Diana, my companion and equal. She's my latest child and only surviving one. I'm proud enough to have her, but ashamed of the wroungs I've done to her in the past two decades."
