Dan's POV

I knew it. I knew it. I knew I felt them watching me. Those blue eyes again in the dark. At midnight or so, I checked one last time last night, and they were there, watching. I turned away quickly, filled with horror. What where those? They couldn't possibly be....

I decided that there must be some sort of explanation. I would check it out tonight, no big deal. There's nothing there that could hurt me, right? No animal has eyes as bright or blue as those, so what was it?

I waited until the next night, and at midnight, I went outside. I walked alone into the woods, which was scary enough on it's own. I scanned the area, sucking up all my fear.

"So," I announced. "Who is it? Who's out here? Come on, show yourself."

With no sign that anyone heard me, I kept walking deeper until I discovered a wide lake, beautifully lit by the moonlight.

"Wow," I sighed at it.

I walked around and noticed how beautiful and natural it was. I smiled, and lost my initial goal until something rustled behind me. I turned, but saw nothing. A shiver ran up my spine. I stepped back slowly, until tripping over a rock.

I let out a sharp yelp as I landed hard. "Ah," I sighed painfully.

Then, a shadow covered me. I looked up at it.

"A-are you... ok?" he asked skittishly.

It was a guy, around my age, it appeared. He was tall, with pale skin and dark hair, and two small fangs hanging outside his mouth. The most vivid part of him was is eyes - large, bright, and blue. He looked more afraid than I was. He had both his hands balled into loose fists pressed up against his chest, and a worrisome look on his face.

"Are you alright?" he asked again.

"I-I'm fine. Uh, who are you?"

He offered a hand to me and lifted me off the ground. "My name is Phil."

"Are you..." I said shakily, staring at the teeth. "Human?"

His eyes opened even wider in shock and he covered his mouth with his hands. "I'm sorry," he said quickly. "I'm sorry, I have to go!"

He began to run. "No, wait!" I chased after him. "Come back!"

He finally stopped and turned around, still covering his mouth, and looking like he was about to cry.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you," I told him. "It's ok, I'm not going to hurt you."

He looked more afraid of me than I was of him. "Please don't hurt me," he begged. "I'll leave the town. I'll leave you all alone. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare everyone."

"You don't scare me."

"...I don't?"

"No."

"I hate to alarm you but... no, I'm not exactly another human. I'm...."

My jaw dropped. I could tell. He wasn't human. The fangs were real. My bad karma.

"Ok!" I yelled. "Ok ok ok! I believe! Don't kill me! I believe in vampires!"

He covered his mouth in fear. He looked offended and scared of me.

I began to catch on. He meant no harm. He tried to help me, and I've already pointed out his inhumanity. "Oh," I said softer. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell. Are you ok?"

He nodded. "I'm fine," he said.

"What did you say your name was? Phil?"

"Yeah."

"I'm Dan. I'm sorry I yelled. I just never believed in vampires. All the stories... I thought they were made up."

"Stories?"

"Yeah. A bunch of people claim to have seen you and tell everyone else about you."

"What do they say?"

I laughed, gazing at him. "They are so inaccurate!"

He smiled, a bit more comfortable. "Why?"

"One guy said you had red eyes and huge fangs! No, your eyes are blue! And your fangs are tiny! And quite cute."

He smiled. "Yeah, I know. Thanks."

"So..." I said a bit nervous. "Are there more of you?"

"Not here. Just me."

"Oh." I stared at his face, ignited by the moonlight. "So, what are you doing here?"

"...Nowhere else to go, I guess."

"Go? What do you mean?"

Phil sat down on the ground comfortably with his back against a tree. "I don't know, I just have nowhere to go. Nothing to do but outlive life."

His words had me confused. "Outlive life?"

"I'm immortal."

"That's so cool! You get to live forever?"

"Yeah. And no, its not cool. I hate it."

"Why?" I asked, sitting down beside him.

Phil's POV

Why does this mortal ask so many questions? I thought.

"Why? Why is it not cool to live forever?" he asked again. "If I could, I would."

"Why? So you can watch your friends and family die without you?" Why did I say that? I don't have friends or family.

He lost his happy grin.

"Sorry," I said. "But really, its not fun. Having people run from you, or wanting to kill you isn't fun. Not being allowed in the sunlight isn't fun. Looking like this," I say, waving my hands in front of my face, "isn't fun at all." I covered my face, trying not to cry at the truth. "Why are you even here? What are you doing in the woods at midnight? Don't you mortals sleep at this hour?"

"Well, yes, normally."

I didn't look up at him. "So why are you here then?"

"I guess, to find you."

"Me?"

"I saw your eyes, I think, watching me, and I wanted to see them."

I blushed and met eyes with him. "You... saw me? Watching you?"

"Yeah."

"I'm so sorry! I'm not a stalker, I swear! I just saw you, and I thought... I got the feeling that... maybe you weren't going to hate me. I'm sorry! I haven't even met you, and I've already freaked you out. More ways than one...."

"No!" I smiled. "No! If you freaked me out, I wouldn't have come to find you."

I tried to smile at him. "I'm sorry, I'm not very good with people. I make an effort to avoid humans."

"Maybe if you opened up a bit, some people would like you."

"Aren't you scared of me? I mean, some people don't even believe my kind exists."

"No, I'm not afraid of you."

"Why?"

"Because you're so nice! People describe you as being something horrifyingly dreadful and ugly, but you aren't either of those."

I looked at him sarcastically. He was teasing me.

"What?"

"Do you wear glasses?"

"No."

"Well you need them."

"What do you mean?"

"I am ugly. Can't you see? I'm snow white, my hair looks weird, I have fangs, for crying out loud. Humans don't."

Dan looked down, then back up. "I think they're kinda cool."

"They're different."

"Exactly." He turned his body to face me. "Look, I came out here to find the blue eyes that were staring at me through my window. I didn't expect to find a vampire, ok? But I did, and you aren't what I expected at all. Still, though, you're better than what I came for intentionally. You're someone to talk to. My town is full of idiots. I've only got one actual friend, and she's in the hospital right now."

I tried to take in all he said. "What happened?"

"Hit by a car. She's my best friend. Her name's Cynthia. She's sweet, but can be a real pain," he laughed.

I suddenly felt a ping of jealously. "Is she...? Are you and her...?"

"Oh, no! God no. I don't like her that way."

And I felt better. He was attractive. I didn't like him, but I didn't want him with someone else either. Is that a human feeling too? I giggled. "You must be good friends then."

Dan let out a yawn.

"You must be tired," I said. "You should go back home."

"No," he said drowsily. "No, this is fun."

"You can come back tomorrow night," I figured. "I mean, if you want to. But you should sleep now."

"Oh, trying to get rid of me?" he said playfully.

I giggled. "Yes, definitely."

He pushed me nicely, not to hurt me. I got a different feeling besides fear. He stood up, and I pointed him in the direction of his home. "Will you come back?"

"Yeah, I think I will."

It made me hopeful. I smiled brightly to him. "I'll see you then. Bye, Dan."

"Bye Phil. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

He led himself back to his home, and I stayed sitting beneath the tree. I didn't look in the lake for my reflection. I was smiling. It felt great.