Vampyres?...not really

Arcantus Quindecim, Esq.

3421 Esplanade Ave, New Orleans, LA 70119-2902

An open letter to Anne Rice:

Sunday, September 6, 2026

Dear Ms. Rice,

                  I have so enjoyed your novels. The vicarious thrill of safely experiencing the activities of ancient monsters lusting after the blood of modern-day people is such a seductive fantasy. Of course, in reality, all beings are subject to the forces of evolution. Vampires are no exception.

A flash of sunlight causing one of us to burst into flames is long past. A few generations after these ancestors, sunlight merely caused one to rapidly shrink and shrivel like a dried prune. Dead nevertheless, but no longer any flames and far less spectacular. Today, sunlight will cause a fit of sneezing, little more.

Of course, we still prefer the darkness, bright lights and loud noise will cause a migraine and the sneezing is a tell.

That awful hunger for fresh blood abated long ago. Now, when we reach a certain age, we search for a man or woman fresh with the blood of youth. Our eye teeth are far less obvious today but still serve the same purpose. That one feast of young blood brings youth to our bodies for fifty or more years. If carefully selected, the death, like so many others, rarely gets much scrutiny. We think of it as ethical hunting. Far from the yesteryear ravaging of the populations of Romania’s villages.

We die of course. But most of us fully remember our past lives. Such an advantage once the fog of rebirth fades. Our names reflect the number of our reincarnations...and more.

I sat not far from you some time back. We were both having breakfast at Brennan’s. I sat in the shade on the patio while you enjoyed a table in the weak autumn sun. I would have wagered more than a penny for your thoughts had you but known me for what I am.

Sincerely,

Arcantus Quindecim, Esq.