You know, when I found out the Interspecies Cultural Exchange Program chose me to be a host family, I thought I'd get maybe a harpy. Or a lamia. Hell, even a Centaur! But, I got a monster I wasn't super excited about.

"Damien, are you feeling alright? You're really pale."

That's the ICEP coordinator, Ms. Smith. She's nice, I guess. But she can be really scary sometimes. And she's a bit of an airhead when it comes to her work. How she keeps this job is beyond me. She dresses the part with her pantsuit and shades, but her long, black hair and rather careless demeanor make her a bit harder to take seriously. Sometimes.

"M-Ms. Smith, she can't stay here….She's a….you know…"

"A vampire? I know that. But she has nowhere else to go, and she likes your file. Besides, I'm off in an hour, so just take her in and have her fill out these forms."

She hands me a stack of papers taller than my head and smiles.

"She'll be here by nightfall. And try not to stare, alright?"

"Wait, stare?! Wha-"

And she leaves. Great. I grumble and go back inside. My house is still full of boxes and my furniture is still wrapped in plastic from my recent move. I came to Japan looking for a quiet life to write my biography. But, the Japanese government offered me quite a lot of money to take in one of the Interspecies applicants. How could I say no? All of my expenses are paid for. I don't even need a job! But…

"How the hell am I going to do this with a….vampire in the house? Uugh, just try to forget it. I'll just get through whatever papers I need to before she gets here."

I spent the next 5 painfully long hours reading and signing every document I had to. I had to get up and stretch.

"My back is gonna be killing me tomorrow….God, I'm 20 and I already sound old…"

I yawn and crack my aching joints for a moment before I notice a beige file under all the papers scattered on my dining room table. I was about to grab it when there was a knock on the door. They were pretty heavy knocks, too.

"Oh, crap. She's here. Um….Damn it!"

I quickly gather any of my grandma's silver (sorry Gran gran) and any garlic and I quickly put it in the pantry. I'd put it somewhere higher up, but being, well...short has its drawbacks. I'm not that short, I'm 5'4, but still. Step Stools for my kitchen's a bit ridiculous. I quickly fix up my messy grey hair and flatten my slightly wrinkled clothes.

"I really hope I don't offend her…"

I clear my throat and go to open the door, but my hand won't stop shaking. All of my instincts are telling me something evil is behind this door, but I have to open it. I grit my teeth, grab the door and swing it open.

"Welcome to my h-"

There was...nobody there?

"Um...hello? Are you there?"

I step outside and look around. I don't hear anyone...or see anyone. I shrug and start to turn before I run into something behind me. I can feel that whatever it is, it's soft. And rather cold. And a bit squishy near the top. And I can feel it moving, like it's breath….ing. My blood runs ice cold, and I can't help but start to shake. I glance behind me with my peripherals. All I see is two deep, red eyes staring into my green ones from an angle. She is taller than me. Maybe 5'9" or so. And my gaze won't break from hers. I'm too scared to move, or even blink.

"You must be Master Wolfe. Funny. I thought you'd be taller."

Her very words shake me to the bone. And I just saw a glimpse of her fangs. They were at least an inch long and pearlescent white.

"I….I….Y…..Wh….B…."

I couldn't even form words. What am I supposed to do?! My body won't listen to me! As she watches me shake and struggle, her serious and scary demeanor changes to a more friendly one. She starts to laugh.

"I'm surprised you kept eye contact this long! Most humans would be running and screaming by now."

She spins me to face her, and I nervously chuckle.

"Th-thank you, I think?"

She bows slightly, her long, glistening white hair reflecting the moonlight in such a way that it almost seemed they were one.

"My name is Amelia Alucard. But you may call me Amelia."

I quickly bow back.

"I-I'm Damien Peter Wolfe, but you can call me Damien."

I ended up blurting that out like I was out of breath. But she giggled pleasantly.

"It's very nice to meet you, Master Damien. I hope that this experience benefits the both of us."

Oh, wow. She is really polite. And she seems really nice. But why am I still shaking? Oh yeah. Almost forgot the fangs. That explains a lot.

"I, uh...I only have 3 house rules. 1: If you need to drink b-blood, use bags and don't let me see. 2: My bedroom is my private space, so please don't barge in without knocking. And 3: Please clean up after yourself if you make a mess. I...Uh...Hope those are okay."

When I look up to meet her gaze, she meets mine with a calm expression.

"Of course. I understand. And I hope you don't mind too terribly, but I'm going to have to go to the blood bank to pick up my order. Could you bring my things to my room?"

I nod and grab her bags, which I didn't even see until she pointed them out, and I took them inside. I hear a heavy flap of wings, and just barely see her fly off as I shut the door. As soon as it's closed, I drop the bags, run to the sink, and unload that evenings dinner down the drain.

"I...Thought I was gonna die….This is gonna be a lot harder than I thought…"

You see, this is going to be very difficult for one reason:

I have a phobia of vampires.

(Alright, that was chapter one. I'm finally back with new stuff. I know it's been a while, but we'll see where this goes. I may end up rewriting Of Monsters and Man at some point, but it's just a wall right now. Anywho, hope you liked this and leave a comment with your opinions and possible ideas below!)