May 12, 1893 - Chicago

   The World's Fair brings them here, like moths to a flame.  They come in droves, expecting to see new and interesting inventions. They hope to see things that will forever dazzle and expand their minds and long to witness the mesmerizing lights that illuminate the dead of night in hopes that it will brighten their bleak, little life. They want to feel more significant than the small towns they have traveled from. Far from their families and the safety net of familiarity, they seek out the exhilaration this city has to offer.

   But the excitement they will find is not the thrill they have sought after. It will be swarming with trepidation and fright. They have stepped off of the trains, full of wonder; however, they are not prepared for the predators that linger in these crowds. Not just me, but humans as well, are waiting, patient and calculating, in the shadows here. So many sheltered folks, ignorant to the ways of a boogeyman, pouring into the streets and directly into our paths. There is no reason to fight off the other monsters here. There are plenty enough victims to share. After all, there are so many naïve people here, and like the moths to a flame, they too will be consumed.

October 20, 1419 – Beijing

   The chill of the floor is comforting as I let the rigid stone soothe my aching muscles. I close my eyes and listen to him pace along the wall, allowing my brief reprieve. The physical assault my body as endured over the past six hours is more than a human could bare but it is imperative to training oneself to outlast and outsmart another vampire during combat.
   Marcella watches me sternly. Her displeasure with, in her eyes, my flagrant display of weakness and ineptitude radiates from her severely. Her anger with my inadequacy brushes against me in a most abrasive way, urging me to my feet. Pulling my protesting body from the cool floor, I stand; not because I believe I could do better but because I know that I must continue to improve. It is not possible for me to win today, only a fool would hold on to that false hope. No, I will fall again today, and I will fail tomorrow; however tomorrow I will be better than I am today. Tomorrow, I will not fall so easily.