Near Dark Adapted to 2023: Vampires in NYC?-Maggie Sheridan

     By Maggie Sheridan

    Caleb Colton stands on the corner of Broadway in NYC's financial district after a long day at the stock market. He loosens his tie and releases a sigh of deep frustration as he looks around to realize he has been inside all day. What Caleb deeply needs is a beer. He turns to the nearest bar filled with other men dressed just like him in search of something similar. Caleb sits at the bar with the weight of his day on his back; however, when he looks up, he makes eye contact with the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. She looks back down as he stares at her blonde hair radiating in the bar's dark light. She sits there playing with her drink before her; Caleb questions if she is alone as he gets up to introduce himself.

    “Now, what is a pretty lady like you doing alone at a bar like this?” Caleb is sitting right next to the blonde woman looking at her, yet she hasn’t looked up yet. When she does, however, Caleb is met with her fierce blue eyes piercing into his.

    “I’m guessing the same as you,” She responds; for the first time, Caleb notices that she is dressed professionally.

“    I’m guessing you're not from around here; I’ve never seen you before.” The woman sadly smiles at him since he assumes he's never seen her in a city of 8.4 million people.

    “No, I’m from Connecticut,” she smiles.

    Caleb and the woman, who later introduced herself as Mae, leave the bar and walk toward the water surrounding the city. Mae is wholly entranced with night, which is not quiet in the bustling city of New York. As they get to the edge of the city looking out onto the Hudson, Mae stops and closes her eyes with the breeze through her hair. Caleb looks confused at her as she does this.

    “Listen to the sound of the night,” Mae says with closed eyes. Caleb is perplexed as all he hears are the honks of cabs and the yelling of pedestrians getting honked at by the cabs. Caleb turns to look at Mae, questioning her motives. However, a glimpse of the sun begins to peak over the horizon.

    Mae opens her eyes in terror and turns to Caleb. “I have to go home!”

    She begins to run, and Caleb chases, “Wait, where are you going?”

    He grabs her arm as she turns with a crazed glance into his eyes. He pulls her aside and says, “Don’t worry. I’ll get you home, but first, kiss me.” Caleb is wrong to ask this; Mae kisses his lips and moves to his neck, where suddenly Caleb feels a sharp pain in his neck as Mae pulls back, covered in blood, and runs away. ‘Did she bite me?’ Caleb thinks.

    Caleb staggers back onto the road in confusion as all the morning commuters head to work. Caleb, aware of the time, realizes he has work to do and turns to walk towards the NY stock exchange. The sun rises beautifully over the streets of Manhattan, except for Caleb, who begins to feel as if he is burning, with smoke coming from his body. In the bustling mess of NYC, no one pays attention as he staggers along the street.

    Then, out of nowhere, Caleb is pulled down an alley into a dark abandoned building surrounded by a group of people, including Mae! As they argue around him, Caleb, who is delirious, hears bits and pieces. But he knew he heard them wrong. There was no way there were vampires in New York City.