The Blind Vampire Hunter (24 page)

Jack’s mind went blank.

“Sir, how can we be of assistance?” the voice
asked with more of a tone of urgency.

Jack discovered, just as he needed to think
his mind was going numb on him.

“Sir...”

Jack interrupted with, “I want to report a
murder.”

After supplying some basic information such
as his address, he quickly tired of playing twenty questions and
hung up the phone. He found the closest dining room chair. After
positioning the chair properly under his pain racked body, he
dropped into the chair to await the arrival of the police.

Jack got to thinking.
I figured that what
will follow would clear me of any prison charges. I’ll just explain
that my boarder and I were having a heated argument. After all, it
was no secret that the two of us never really got along, so the
reason for the argument really would not be important. Eric, my
best bud from next door, came charging in with the assistance of a
key that my wife must have provided him. Oh, my wife is staying
next door currently grieving at the loss of her sister who
apparently passed away during the night. She had a heart condition,
you see. Anyway Eric came charging in and Isabella attacked him. It
sounded like she broke his neck. In fact, she bragged about
snapping his neck like a chicken being prepared for dinner. How
could a little lady like her so easily break a grown man’s neck?
Why she’s a master of kung fu. Her boss can verify that for
you.

What happened to Isabella? I don’t know. She
screamed in pain about a massive headache and just dropped to the
floor. I believe she’s dead, but I’m not a doctor.

Yes, the coroner will verify that Eric was
killed by his neck being broken, very possibly by a kung fu attack.
He will also verify that
Isabella Báthory died of stage IV
melanoma. Most likely he will verify that she died of brain tumors,
blood clots, or whatever as a side effect of her melanoma.

“Eric...dear, dear old friend, Eric Van
Helsing. How in heaven are you going to explain to your ancestors
that you allowed yourself to be killed by a
Vampire
?”

Pleasant Nightmares.

NOTES

Adrenaline

A
hormone
produced
by the
body
when you are
frightened
,
angry
, or
excited
, which makes the
heart
beat
faster
and
prepares
the
body
to
react
to
danger

-Cambridge Dictionary Online

To a Vampire, adrenaline is one of two
seasonings that make a good crimson protein meal into a great
crimson protein meal. Created as a “fight or flight” survival
mechanism, this is why many vampires like to fill their meal full
of fear before consuming it, making for a nicely spicy dinner. The
other spice of favor flavor is endorphins [See Notes:
Endorphins]

Dumb Terminals

Dumb terminals were computer terminals that
someone connected to a very large main computer. Most dumb
terminals looked like advanced typewriters. Unlike future PCs that
could do many things, dumb terminals could do nothing but connect
you to one large computer system that did all the work as
programmed. In contrast, early PCs were called smart terminals as
the PC, not the mainframe, could do the work locally.

Dr. Who

Dr. Who was a low-budget BBC children’s
program that started airing in 1963. The plots told tales of a
humanoid alien who traveled in time through the cosmos in a time
machine that looked like a British Police Phone box called “The
Tardis.” From time to time, the alien went through changes in
appearance, much like a snake sheds its skin. This allowed for the
change in actors playing the good doctor over the many years it
aired. New episodes can be seen even today on BBC and BBC
America.

Elizabeth Báthory

If the name seems familiar, but you can’t
place it, or if the name does not seem familiar at all and you
would just like to learn more about this legendary Blood Countess,
I suggest you check out Vampire Owner’s Manual.

Endorphin

Any of a group of proteins occurring in the
brain and having pain-relieving properties typical of opium and
related opiates. Discovered in the 1970s, they include encephalin,
beta-endorphin, and dynorphin. Each is distributed in
characteristic patterns throughout the nervous system. Endorphins
released in response to pain sustained exertion causing, e.g., the
“running’s high”. They are also believed to have a role in appetite
control, release of pituitary sex hormones, and shock. There is
strong evidence that they are connected with “pleasure centre’s” in
the brain.

-Merriam Webster (online) Dictionary

To a Vampire, endorphins is one of two
seasonings that make a good crimson protein meal into a great
crimson protein meal. Created during sexual arousal, this is why
many vampires like to sexually entice their meal before consuming
it, making for a nicely spicy dinner. The other spice of favor is
adrenaline [See Notes: Adrenaline]

Legal Blindness

Legal blindness is defined by the Social
Security Act of 1935 as; visual acuity for distance of 20/200 or
less in the better eye after correction; or visual acuity of more
than 20/200 if the widest diameter of visual field subtends an
angle no greater than 20 degrees .

-Kirtly, Donald.
The Psychology of
Blindness
. Chicago; Nelson-Hall, 1975.

Melanoma

Melanoma is very treatable if caught early.
It does not have to be fatal. Remember this story takes place in
the 80s. Treatment back then was a bit different than it is
today.

Night Blindness

Night blindness is impaired vision in dim
light and in the dark, due to impaired function of specific vision
cells (namely, the
rods
) in the
retina
.

The ability of our eyes to quickly view
objects as they shift from light to dark areas and the ability to
see in dim light or at night is an important part of our visual
health. When we are not able to do such, the condition is referred
to commonly as night blindness or medically as
nyctalopia
. It occurs as a result of various diseases
that cause degeneration of the rods of the retina (the
sensory
cells responsible for vision in dim light).

-MedicineNet.com

Peripheral vision

Peripheral vision is side vision, or the
ability to see objects and movement outside of the direct line of
vision.

Rods and cones are sensitive to color and
work only by day; most of them are located in the center of the
retina, but there are also cones in the periphery. Rods are
responsible for night vision and low-light vision, but cannot
distinguish color.

-MedicineNet.com

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is the temporary stoppage of
breathing during
sleep
, often resulting in daytime sleepiness.
Apnea
is a Greek word that means “want of breath.”

The most common form of sleep apnea is
obstructive sleep apnea
. In
obstructive sleep apnea
, the muscles of the
soft palate
around the base of the tongue and the
uvula
relax, obstructing the airway. The airway
obstruction causes the
level
of oxygen in the blood to fall (
hypoxia
),
increases the stress on the heart, elevates blood pressure, and
prevents the patient from entering
REM
sleep, the restful and restorative stage of sleep.
In other words, sleep apnea causes deprivation of quality
sleep.

The symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea
include loud snoring and/or an abnormal pattern of snoring with
pauses and gasps for air. Other symptoms include
excessive daytime sleepiness
,
memory
changes,
depression
, and irritability. In some patients sleep
apnea can contribute to
high blood pressure
,
heart failure
,
stroke
, and
heart attack
.

-MedicineNet.com

Common treatment after testing 1) weight
loss, as being over-weight can be a direct cause of sleep apnea.
Enough weight loss could possibly cure a case of sleep apnea. 2)
The use of a CPAP machine. The CPAP forces air through your
obstruction to your lungs at a fixed, predetermined rate. The
predetermined rate is a direct result of professional sleep
testing.

Use of a CPAP machine while sleeping has
proven to be a very effective way of treating sleep apnea.

About the Author

Timothy (Tim)
Forder was born and raised in Maryland, USA. It’s my mother’s
theory that I get my love of horror and fantasy from being born
just a couple of blocks from the gravesite of Edgar Allen Poe in
Baltimore!

I’m a very happy family man with a family
consisting of a beautiful wife, a creative teenage daughter,
(live-in) sister-in-law, Seeing Eye Dog and daughter’s rabbit.

For some years now, I have been losing what
little eyesight I have left to RP (Retinitis Pigmentosa). If you
need someone to talk to about coping with vision loss or Seeing Eye
Dogs feel free to e-mail me at Facebook.

I have been a huge fan of the horror and
fantasy genre, specially the older material, since my pre-teen
years. I was introduced to the genre by the family sitter. Sue and
I had an agreement: If I didn’t beat up on my sister I could watch
Creature Feature with her, which was past my bedtime and after my
sister went to bed. I will never forget Sue Greenspan’s words of
wisdom: “Remember, what you see in the movies is only make believe
and can’t hurt you.” Years later, I was the man when my buddies and
I would go see Hammer Horror movies at the local theatre, and I
would sit in my seat laughing at my friends as they tried to take
cover from the horror on the screen! Sue Greenspan, if you are
reading this thank you for many fun filled hours with my
monsters!

Started my college studies in Wildlife
Biology. I wrote a thesis on Dracula that was picked as the year’s
best work. I was given the honor of reading the thesis to the
class, and by sundown, the paper was both famous and infamous
around campus! As a result, on campus my nickname of “Tex” (because
of my flare for western hats) became “The Vampire”.

A bookworm from my early years, I still
consume books like food, only being blind, most of my books are
compliments of The Congressional Talking Book program (books on
special cassettes or the newer digital books for the visually
handicapped).

Other works by the author at
Melange

The Lone Werewolf

Vampire Owner’s Manual

Turn the page for more books
available
from Melange Books

Also Available
From Melange Books

Vampire Owner's Manual

by Tim Forder

As a skirt chasing gambler from the old west,
I met a beautiful older woman who made wild passionate love with me
and then in the heat of passion turned me into a Vampire!

l wrote this Vampire Owner's Manual for those
who have just became one of the honored or is thinking of becoming
one of the honored or just want to know more about Vampires.

The Vampire Owner's Manual contains vast
knowledge of the Vampire Lore; from proper feeding to staying alive
or undead; from Vampire history to Vampire myths and a lot
more!

The Vampire Owner's Manual is peppered
heavily with personal experience as well as experiences gathered
interviewing other Vampires (not an easy task).

When you were born your parents most likely
wished you came with an owner's manual. Suddenly you have awaken
with a pain in your neck and a ravenous appetite no food will
quench; you are having vague memories of "Vampires" from an old
movie and you wish you could have a Vampire owner's manual: Well
here it is!