Alec, The Judged Vampire

Once upon a time, there was a so-called “vampire” named Alec. He was just a normal boy who loved ketchup and ate it daily with everything.

The others around him seeing his love for ketchup called him a “vampire”, something to be scared of. They thought it was blood. 

But Alec didn’t seem to care, he just enjoyed ketchup.

The others who heard of the so-called local “vampire” would call him rude names and wonder why he does the things he does. But Alec did not care for the hurtful words for he just enjoyed his ketchup.

However, one day when Alec was enjoying a nice meal of potatoes and ketchup, the other people in his village outcasted him.

He had to live in an abandoned castle. He was lonely and cold… every single day. And with very little ketchup.

Then one day, a traveler appeared and noticed that someone was in the castle. He knocked, and Alec opened the door. “Hello!” The traveler greeted warmly.

“Who are you? And what are you doing here?” asked Alec.

The traveler having heard of a so-called “vampire” and took it upon himself to figure out what he wanted, but the more he talked to the people the more he grew curious. Until one day he went to the castle where the people said the vampire lived. For surely, this “vampire” was not as it seemed.

The traveler replied, “I am Marc, And I noticed that you are alone in this castle. What are you doing in a cold and lonely castle? Shouldn’t you be at the village with the other villagers?”

Alec hesitantly asked “Why do you want to know? Did one of them send you?”

Marc as surprised and shocked as he was, said “The villagers seem to be scared of you. However, the more I ask the more it seems they do not know you. I ask and ask. But they only say the same thing. That is until I then ask them this one thing. ‘Have you ever talked to this so-called vampire?’ They would pause and say no.”

Alec was surprised at Marc’s kindness but still skeptical. He then asked, “Then are you here to ask me questions or what?”

Marc said “Not quite. I am here to get to know you.”

Alec hesitantly told Marc “I only like to eat ketchup with everything. I am not a vampire. Yet they cast me away from my own village. They believed it was blood.”

Marc shocked at Alec’s response, asked “Then, would you like to come with me? I can tell you’ve been through a lot. We will get as much ketchup as you want.”

Alec, still hesitant, asked “Why would you do this for me? I haven’t done anything for you. You aren’t even forced to do this. So, why? No one in the village would do this for me.”

Marc simply replied with a warm smile on his face “Because despite what others may say, you are just as human as the villagers who say such things. For if they knew the true you, then maybe we could all understand each other more.”

Marc then continued “So would you like to hop on my wagon and explore the world? And of course get you some ketchup.”

Alec replied, with tears of joy on his face “Yes… I would love to.”