Behind the Shadows: Exploring the Vampires of "He Stares into Her Grave"

Behind the Shadows: Exploring the Vampires of "He Stares into Her Grave" In this blog post, I will talk about the portrayal of the vampire in my short story, "He Stares into Her Grave". Join me as I uncover the thought process behind what I hope is an interesting take and twist on the traditional vampire myth. The contradictions and inconsistencies are among the most intriguing aspects of portraying vampires in literature and cinema. Some vampires walk in the daylight. Some are destroyed. Garlic, crosses, and holy water all have varying degrees of effect. Some vampires are supernatural agents of evil, others are people with a rare disease. From classic literature to modern cinema, you will find hints of Bram Stoker, Sheridan Le Fanu, Richard Matheson, and even George Romero. But the inspiration is just the beginning. I had the idea, what if I wrote a vampire that embraced all of those contradictions and inconsistencies? Why not have a vampire that, so to speak, can have its blood and drink it too? Enter Luella in "He Stares into Her Grave". She's ghostlike. She casts no shadow and doesn't affect the ground as she walks. When he first sees her, she is standing in the tree line. Then, she's standing outside his truck. It's night, yet she looks like she's standing in the daylight. She is solid. Her boyfriend holds her in his arms and they even kiss. Her teeth scrape the back of his neck at one point. Luella is my attempt to take all of those contradictions and inconsistencies and combine them to make a vampire that's mysterious, intriguing, and, ultimately, terrifying. It's a 4,000-word short story, but there's a lot shown, if not told about Luella and her rebirth as one of the undead. So, whether you're a die-hard vampire fan or a curious horror reader, I invite you to read "He Stares into Her Grave" and meet Luella.

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J McDonnal