Danny had a rude awakening, to say the least. He felt a sharp pain crescendoing from his toes to his head as he gradually drifted into consciousness. Once there, Danny immediately cringed into a fetal position and shrieked in agony.

He stayed that way for a while, gasping for breath. Thinking. Evaluating.

Oh god, ow, ow, ow. What the hell was that?

There was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that there was something to worry about.

Come on, Danny, what happened yesterday?

He couldn't even remember crawling into bed.

Wait, this bed can't be mine…

Eventually, Danny slowly opened his eyes - as if he was seeing the world for the first time.

It was an unfamiliar place. A small, average bedroom, with white walls and a wooden dresser in the corner, of which some clothes were draped over the open drawers. There was a white-doored closet to the left, and sunlight splashing through the window on the right. It felt warm.

A woman came bursting through the bedroom door. She looked concerned, and - unlike the room - familiar.

Then it hit him.

"It's… It's y - you!"

She sighed. "Yes, it is me." She sounded both sarcastic and guilty.

"You… I thought that you killed me! YOU TRIED TO KILL ME!" Danny was hollering now.

"Sshhh! Would you keep it down?! These walls are thin, you know," the girl interjected. "And yes, I know what it LOOKS LIKE I did, but trust me. I'm only here to help. Please, just trust me."

Danny's suspicions only got the best of him.

"Oh yeah, because I should totally trust someone who left me lying in a pool of my own blood."

"Trust me!" she demanded.

"Why should I?" he debated.

"Because I'm also the one who left you lying in that bed."

Danny sighed in slight defeat. "Alright then… I'll listen. How about we start with why you brutally attacked me?"

"It wasn't me." the girl reputed.

Danny raised a questionable eyebrow. "Really now? Sure looked like you." he replied.

"I was possessed. It overtook my body as some sort of… vessel."

Danny was raising both eyebrows now. "By what?"

"I don't know for sure, but…"

She hesitated.

"But…?"

"But… I'm thinking it was some kind of demon."

Danny's racing thoughts and judgements all came to a hault.

"A demon?"

"I know, don't call me crazy or anything, but it's a possibility,"

She must have not recalled the "Ghost Boy" spiel given by whatever possessed her. Danny had encountered ghosts all the time, but had only heard of demons. All he knew was they were the most dangerous, horrible, and mischievous ghosts to exist. They led morally awful after-lives, and if you were ever to be pursued by one, then you'll more than likely lose the battle. Yet here he was.

The girl continued, "Besides, I did go all vampire-y on you apparently, so I don't think demon possession is that far of a stretch, do you?"

"Yeah, you have got a point, there," Danny played along. "So then… Did it actually turn you into a vampire? Why did you - or, it - give you those… red, glowy eyes and fangs?"

"Actually, yes. I think that those are just a couple distinct qualities the demon possesses, therefore it also passes on to whatever person it's possessing,"

The girl gently sat in a wooden chair to the left of Danny's bed.

"As to why its choice of beverage is blood, I think it's some sort of energy source for it, like food is for humans. Blood gives us life, and it's all the same for this 'Demon Dracula' thing. He will stop at nothing to get every last drop for himself."

Danny nodded understandingly, carefully hanging onto every word.

"...Then what made him stop for me?"

The girl paused and bit her lip. She stared blankly at him for a minute.

"Same reason he stopped for me."

It was Danny's turn to pause. He hadn't really thought of the possibility that this girl was a totally normal, young adult, with a family and close friends, maybe working some mediocre job. She must have suffered a lot of pain, not being able to tell them that she had been consumed by this cursed spirit. Paralyzed within her body for who knows how long she may have been. He hoped those family and friends were still living.

"And… what reason would that be?"

"I... think he chooses to spare specific lives. Lives that he sees something special and deep-rooted in. Like there's some valuable spark he finds within you. And instead of killing them, he… transfers."

"…Pardon?"

The girl sighed. "Okay, so, a lot of times when people picture a soul possessing another soul, they think of something like an invisible little spirit diving into their chosen body - like a little game of soul tag. Or something along those lines. Well, this demon does things differently," she explained. "Instead of invading the soul, its chosen way of transfer is to simply invade your bloodstream. Once he bites your neck, he doesn't necessarily aim to drain you. He wants to infect your stream with his own blood. And then, bam - a week or two later, and you are literally demonized."

Danny's heart began to race in a panic. He knew exactly what was coming.

"So, Danny… I'm really, very, very sorry… but… now, he's chosen you."

He tensed up at the words he was thinking of, finally said aloud.

He hated when he was right.