“So pretty cool right? I can’t believe you’ve never played Vams. It is kind of like Sims but like a thousand times cooler. You were made for this game, Zar?” Austin said. “It’s all vampires."

Rocking in his gamer chair, Austin adjusted his headset. A few weeks back, he’d met the coolest kid at the Midnight Madness Murder Moviefest. Confident and deadpan funny, Balthazaar “Zar” for short was a total goth but not in a weird way. Austin slurped his Bahama Blizzard loudly.

“‘Swounds, Aussie, you are guzzling straight into my ear!” Zar shouted.

“Freakshow, don’t blame me for your super hearing. Adjust your headseat. Now use the controller to move your avatar left and right. No now you’re in a corner. Not that’s another corner. Don’t fall into the sarcoragus. There you go.”

Austin learned Zar had weird folks who worried about him all the time. Luckily they were getting old, so Zar snuck out at night to get some freedom. Zar took Austin to the all night skate park. It changed location every week but Zar was in the know. In pitch darkness, they rode their bikes down Dead Man’s Curve. And Zar showed him the coolest bat cave in the old railroad tunnels. This had been the best summer of Austin’s life. Now Austin wanted to show Zar his world, the world of gaming.”

“There’s that better. So this button for the arms and this one controls the legs. So where are we?” Zar asked as his avatar did somersaults.

“This is my lair. I so upgraded it. I have my coffin in the basement. On the main level boohoo candles and velvet, very Bela Lugosi. Let me show your the grand piano.”

Austin bounced in his chair and as a toothy vampire on the screen as his showed his new best friend his lair. Most people had a hard time spending time with him. He either talked too much out of nerves or stared stonefaced and made strangers uncomfortable. He could be himself.

“Austin, time for dinner!” Austin’s mother yelled from the kitchen.

“Geez, Mom, I’m not hungry! For God’s sake! Now Zar this floor is my Iron Maiden and Catherine Wheel. Pretty freaky right?”

“I guess. So what do you besides decorate and walk around.”

Austin stopped mid slurp. “What do you mean walk around? You create rooms and buy stuff and dress your avatar.”

"Do you hunt virtual humans, drap them howling in fear to your torture tower, and extract their blood for the lunal blood moon harvest?” Zar asked.

“No, dude. The game doesn’t let you actually torture people. But you can visit humans in the game and drink their blood with consent of course,” Austin said.

“When does your flock gather to celebrate and pay tribute to the Originals?” Zar asked confusedly.

“Hmmm, never. Sometimes there are vampire party like events. We getogether and dance and order big cocktails. The last one was called a called a clot of bloodsuckers, pretty funny right?”

Zar sniffed. His voice sounded pissed.

“That’s not very nice. A group of vampires is called a flock not a clot. It’s kind of I don’t know prejudice to call vampires bloodsuckers. They are just different a kind of old magic not leaches, per se.”

“Austin, dinner!” Austin’s Mom said, knocking on his bedroom door.

“Mom, give me a minute. Damn. Dude what are we talking about here? Are you okay?"

“Austin Peter Forrest, if you don’t come down stairs this instant and eat your mother’s dinner I am turning off the the wifi!” Austin’s Dad bellowed from the foot of the staircase. “Don’t push me young man.”

“All right for freak’s sake. I’m coming. Zar are you mad? I just thought you would like this.”

“Hey watch your drink, Aussie. You spill and your mom will have ye tarred and feathered.”

Austin grabbed his milkshake before it toppled off his computer desk. He slurped but it tasted bitter.

"No we are good, friend. Go eat and I’m hungry I guess. Show me more of the game later,” Zar said. “You know I’m a night person.”

“Sweet, grab a bite Mr. Hangry”

Scratching his head, Austin headed for his door. Something niggled at his brain as he looked around his room and out his window to his dark neighborhood. Up and down, bats swoped over the trees. Austin shrugged and headed downstairs.