Disclaimer: I do not own Hey Arnold!, its characters, and its settings.

A/N: This fic is written as an entry for the Save TJM! Facebook group challenge which is aboout writing a fic about an urban legend revolving around some sort of monster, or something. Instead of following the same pattern as with the urban legend episodes in the show, I decided to follow my own style and turn this into a gothic, horror fic.

Rejoice, for you are Damned

When darkness falls upon Hillwood, a diffferent city appears. Just like a lantern, it entices unuspecting swarms of moths with it glitteering lights, vibrant places, and an illusion of seaside paradise nestled within the metropolis.

But behind the lights lies a different world; a world where shadows are longer, nights are darker, and the winds breathes of sinister dread upon who who dare tread upon the darkness. Horrors that feed tales of creatures stalking unsuspecting victims. Creatures that can appear out of nowhere, pounce on their victims faster than a blink of an eye, and fade back into the darkness once they had their fill. Creatures that look like humans, but leap across streets in a single bound, move so fast that you will see nothing but s blur, bend the will of their unsuspecting prey to do their bidding, and turn into a wolf, bat, or mist right before the eyes of the few who who (un)lucky enough to seee them.

They say these are myths; tales to scare children into not lignering after hours. Fairy taallees. Tales spund by drunken bums who had too much to drink.

I say, they are real.

I know thiss becauseb I am one of them.

Nosferatu, wampyr, chupacabra, ghoul, we go by many names.

Vampires.

That's what most calls us.

We may fall into that nomenclature, as humans wish to put into.

We feed on blood, yes.

Our only bane if fire and sunlight.

But hen again, we are creatures like them, aren't we?

Depending on which perspective you look upon, there is a certain order that God created on this world.

Plants live off the soil.

The cows and other plant-eaters feed on the plants.

And men live off from the cows and plant-eaters.

And we live off from their life-source: their blood.

We are on the top of the natural order, so to speak..

But hunters we may be, we do not seek to dominate nor subjugate these mortals, nor we do not wish to hunt rampantly, lest we risk the secrecy of our existence.

God has a purpose on giving us this Curse, and putting us above humans.

We are monsters, yes, there's no denying that. But we are still one of God's creatures, are we not?

We strive to be God's perfect predators. We celebrate and uphold our Curse, instead of denying it. We are the Drinker of mankind, his Dark Angels, his Hounds of His Flock. We are to torment and punish the sinners and those who stray far away from him, so that they may see the horrors and darkness of sin and turn to back to His Light.

With this Curse, we shall be His loyal servants. We shall embrace this curse, instead of shunning it, and we shall forever celebrate His glory by fulfilling our Divine Purpose.

We are the Lancea Sanctum, the Sanctified vampires. We are Damned not to see the light of day, and forever linger and prowl in darkness, punishing the sinners, showing the horrors of their sinful ways, so the in the End of Days, He may welcome us in His Kingdom, and forever bask in His Light.

Do not be afraid, my young one.

Rejoice now, for you are Damned.

- Arnold Shortman

High Priest of the Lancea Sanctum