(In honor of World Dracula Day)

Nice girl falls in love with vampire boy. Of course he kills her. Did she want him to? Did she understand his hunger wasn't metaphorical? Let's not assume innocence.

Perhaps between man and monster she chose the safer one. Better to know where you stand. Even if there is no such thing as turning; you are born a vampire or you die to feed one. What predator recruits from the herd? Curses are arbitrary, ecosystems have to make sense.

Let's not assume authorial motivation for the story. Identity. Species. Beautiful monsters don't need to dream about being loved, but they can regret not having been able to be otherwise than they are.

They can imagine a world where nice girl falls in love with vampire boy and survives. Innocent meals and sunlit warmth. Otherwise - otherwise she would have to share his night , his murders, his table. Know the taste of her people in his lips and her tongue. Die of guilt or embrace the hunt.

Let's not assume her niceness was more than gesture-deep. Maybe the monster's appeal wasn't his beauty. Maybe she first kissed him in search of that flavor.

Let's not assume monsters can always tell their own. One can regret losing somebody who was never there. Maybe she laughs as she reads your tales, at who you thought she was. At the future you thought you both wanted and could have.

Let's not assume her laugh doesn't hurt you, or that you don't love her for that.