Interview with a Vampire - Matthew

Matthew sits across from me at the table, sipping a glass of boubon. He agreed to an interview immediately as long as I had some hard liquor to spare.

Does living as a vampire have the same appeal as prior to being turned (if you’re that type of vampire)? If you had to do it over, would you?

Yes, being a vampire still has the same appeal. I would do it over in a heartbeat.

Who made you, and why? Was it by choice, or was the choice made for you?

Samuel was the vampire who turned me. We were already connected by the ka-tet when we met. Destiny bound us together so being turned was the logical choice. I embraced the idea of becoming a vampire, which I think freaked Samuel out a bit at the time.

What’s it like to be a vampire?

(Matthew grinned) It is freaking awesome! There is so much more that you can see and hear. I enjoy the abilities I have as a vampire.

From what you’ve witnessed yourself, do the history books have it right?

(He shrugged) Right according to whom? Many argue there are at least two sides to every story. Besides that, there were times in history where disease had driven mortals to near extinction. How would they know what was happening places where there weren’t very many humans? (He shook his head) That was some rough hunting times. There was so much humans didn’t know, so how could they get it completely correct?

Do you have an example of how much they didn’t know?

I’ll just say that mortals had more interaction with my kind than they know about. If you think about it, important mortals need protection at all hours of the day and night, right? (Wink, wink)

(I smiled slightly, completely at ease) Matthew, are you trying to tell me vampires have been bodyguards to some of the world’s most known historical figures?

(Matthew laughed) Is the idea really so far-fetched? There’s no worry about a vampire falling asleep in the middle of the night. It makes a great job for one of us. No one would question our sleeping habits if we are a night guard.

If you had the choice to no longer be a vampire – to just be a human again – would you go for it?

Nah. There are a few things I miss, but it is not enough to give up all I have.

Do vampires possess a soul? What difference does having or not having a soul make? What happens when you die? (Assuming you can actually die… Can you?)

I firmly believe all vampires have souls. I really don’t know what difference having a soul would make since we retain our souls. Now, the question whether that soul is good or bad, that’s another story. We can die. I have learned things over time that makes me believe the soul survives after death. Where it goes, well, I guess that goes back to that good or bad question.

Do you believe in ‘true love’ and ‘soul mates’?

Yes, I do. (He smiles wistfully) I had a soulmate. She was a wonderful, beautiful person. We had great times together. (He looks at me and sighed) Love is complicated, you know? I also believe it is possible to love someone who isn’t a soulmate. The love is not less, it is just different.

Should humans tolerate the existence of vampires?

(Matthew leaned back and looked deep in thought) That is a hard question. I am not sure if humans can really tolerate us openly. I think there might be some vampires who have made that impossible. However, I think we can co-exist peacefully as long as my kind isn’t cutting down humans left and right. (He paused) It would be cool if we can be friends, but that’s not always possible.

What do you think of the recent fashion for vampire books and films? Has it made your life harder or easier?

(Matthew howled with laughter) Can I look like a pale God like those vampires? I might not be ugly but I ain’t no movie star either. I wouldn’t want to be sparkly either. Seriously, it is really rare for humans to fall in love with vampires knowing what they are. Usually they have no idea and when they find out, the human is a little freaked out. It takes a lot of trust and patience to convince a human you love to be turned. I would say it has made my life easier. Did I mention how much I love mortals? (More laughing)

(I wait patiently for him to calm down. Finally, he is down to just a chuckle and asked the next question) If you live forever, or for thousands of years, and are difficult to kill, and are very strong and powerful… how do you not become a sociopath? And go off and start doing anything you want and acting on any impulse?

Some vampires get drunk on power and do exactly that. Personally, I love mortals and enjoy interacting with them. They are fun to be around. I caution my kind to not let power get to their heads, or else the mortals will organize and we will have hunters on us again. We might be hard to kill, but hunters train to do just that.

Thank you so much for your willingness to answer my questions! You are so open compared to Samuel. (I smiled happily) He was a little scary to talk to, to tell you the truth.

(Matthew sighed) Samuel had a much different life than me or Julia. Don’t condemn him for his rudeness. I embraced this life with full knowledge, he didn’t have that luxury. Aw, crap, I gotta go. Sunrise is in about an hour. See ya! (He stands and walks out)