These characters aren't mine.

Bella's Bloodsucking Blog

Inaugural edition

Some of you already know me from various conventions and internet forums. I've been circulating the interesting but slightly crazy world full of people who are passionate about vampires, and often consider themselves experts, for a long time. My theories and information about vampires are revolutionary, and it's taken years to get people to listen. Now I've been told to put up or shut up, so here I am. This is my first attempt at going fully public with my observations.

In a nutshell, here are a few of my core arguments:

Vampires and werewolves are real. (I'm on the fence about fairies and other mythological creatures, but I tend to believe that if there is evidence of one, the others are likely just as possible.)

These creatures walk among us still today. We are still prey. Many unexplained disappearances can be attributed to vampires. They drink from and kill humans. Not all vampires are evil, but I'll get into that more later.

Most popular culture lore surrounding vampires and werewolves is false. While that's probably not a surprise, what might be is that I can dispel the mythology.

Werewolves pose relatively little threat to humans and exist primarily to protect us.

This blog will cover issues of both werewolves and vampires, and you can find links to more information within these pages. I'll start with vampires because that's where I started, and honestly, that's where more of the interest is. For those of you who don't know me, let me give you a bit of my story.

I met my first vampire when I was 17. He lived in a coven with six others who all passed as humans. I spent several years with a pack of werewolves as my best friends. Werewolves are the sworn mortal enemy of vampires. They exist only because vampires do. Werewolves would be merely human if vampires were extinct.

The coven left when I became suspicious about what they were. They never came out and said that's why they left, but they were very protective of their identity, and I assume it was all connected. The werewolf pack was also fiercely protective of their secret, and I know that when they pushed me out, they had serious reservations about letting me walk away with that information. It is not my intention to tell you who they are, and I am in many ways destroying trust by posting this here, but I firmly believe that humans deserve to know what's going on around them.

Whether it was luck, benevolence, or ignorance, I did learn the truth, and I feel obligated to share it with you.

The obsession began at first sight, and was intensified at first touch. If you've ever met a vampire, you know what I am talking about. They are extraordinary creatures on every level. It is hard not to be fascinated by them. Their abilities and talents are beyond comprehension to mere humans. And their beauty is immobilizing and inspiring at the same time.

All of this. Every second of research. Every crazy criticism I receive. Every friend I've ever lost. I do because of how I felt with him. He sparked some kind of deep curiosity, a need that I've never been able to sate. I keep trying though.

Those first seven are not the only vampires I've met. I am currently in contact with one, and I still search for more. It certainly is not without threat to my personal well being. One never knows how a vampire will react. I've never really feared for my life with the ones I've met, but I suppose anything is possible. I have no power over whether I live or die. But then I've been out of control for almost eight years, ever since he left. Sometimes I feel like a toy; wind her up, and watch her go. Whatever he did to me keeps me going anyway. As a result, I've given up on any semblance of control; I spun out long ago.

I jumped into this research, this project, whatever you want to call it, with both feet. I've never looked back. Well except to analyze what I've learned. If this kills me, so be it.

I'd be dead anyway if I thought I couldn't prove his existence. Life would be pointless; I wondered for too long whether I was crazy, and now this is my way giving myself some direction.

From the moment I met him, I've been living in some kind of limbo I guess. I don't really feel part of this world anymore. How could anyone brush up with mythological creatures and go back to the mundane? It hasn't always been easy to negotiate the boundaries of these worlds, and at times I'm overwhelmed by it all, but I have come to see this as a calling of sorts. Like maybe the reason I find myself so easily enmeshed in their world is because I was meant to be the liaison between them.

So, that's a little bit about me and my history. Since most of you who are picking this up now probably already know me, I won't go into more detail now, but I'm sure snippets will come out as I go.

I plan to have updates regularly. Sometimes, it will be "Debunk a myth" day. Sometimes, I will simply present observations/findings. My research is too valuable not to be available to the public.

I invite you to join me. I welcome you on my path to bridge these worlds, to share the truth. I can't promise there won't be potholes along the way, but I believe what comes at the end will be worth the bumpy journey.

I'll be back soon to begin debunking myths and to share more of my story. In the meantime, Happy Hunting!

E/N: Thank you all for continuing to read my little story. It's getting very close to the end now. Unless the characters start coming at me in the middle of the night with more information, there are only two chapters left, but they are very full. If life cooperates, I'll update twice next week. Don't hate me if I fail though.

I know the blogs aren't for everyone, but they show Bella's devolution, and line up with various emotional issues in the other chapters. So here's my final question to ponder with this last blog. Was Bella wrong to go public? Given what you know about how she was left, how little she knew, did she have a right to tell other humans about vampires? Would you want to know whether they existed? Review and discuss.

Thanks to Hmonster4 for beta'ing. She's now a VIP at adifferentforest (dot) net and a TLYDF blog administrator. Busy woman who still finds time to write with me and edit my work.

The lovely daisy3853 expanded her one shot from the For the Love of Jasper contest, and she's got a great start. Check out Underexposed.

My oneshot Just This Once was featured on the So You Think You Can Write www (dot) sytycw (dot) com blog. Thanks to Sue/Roselover24 for her kindness.