Another look over the monitors, and, well, nothing has changed, surprisingly enough. One would think that after several months of watching over security cameras, in the middle of the night, in a crappy little town, in a mall that is so dead it sees dozens of visitors at the best of times, and in fact where about three quarters of the shops are dead and gone, I'd be clued in that fuck all happens here. But no, apparently I'm still not quite sure! Maybe this time something's actually going to move, and I'll be ready, by god. Not that I actually know what I'm going to do if something does move on these monitors. For one, I'm not getting paid to do anything, in fact, I am specifically being paid to not do something. If someone were to actually break in here and steal the last fifty bucks of value left in this dump, I am specifically not to interfere, just make sure it's on tape so my bosses can claim the insurance.
Honestly, I'd be lying if I wasn't just the slightest bit nervous at times, because every once in a while, I do get that niggling thought that if someone wanted to start a serial killing in this town, taking out the incredibly bored security guard that's all alone in an empty, dead mall would be a perfect opportunity to get it going. So sometimes, I can't help but get a little paranoid, seeing things where there aren't any, jumping at shadows. Imagine my surprise, then, when something actually moves. For a moment, I want to just dismiss it as the usual delusions, but no, shit, there's actually something moving. Something vaguely human-shaped is moving around the halls... slowly, unnaturally. In a panic, I rewind the security footage, trying to source the origin of this shape, and manage to track it all the way back to... the old Hot Topic? What the hell?
Upon closer inspection, whatever this form is—it's hard to tell from the darkness—it came out of the Hot Topic that's been closed down for about a month now, albeit not actually cleaned up yet. All the inventory is just sitting there, ripe for the taking, perhaps for the aforementioned insurance purposes. But also, rewinding back to the day's footage, there is a coffin now laying on the ground of the store rather conspicuously. Who the hell put that there, and how long has it been there? The mall is pretty dark at night, with only the most basic lighting still on to save costs, even if that makes watching the security cameras rather tough, so I guess it could've been there for a while and I wouldn't have noticed. Instinct is telling me to just stay put, to not get involved, and lock down the security booth. But another part of me wants to know, and somehow, that part wins out.
You know, I never would have thought I'd actually be walking through the mall, holding my flashlight and on the lookout for some sort of vague presence like I'm in a horror movie, wondering if I'm going to get an opportunity to regret it. There's a sound around a corner. Is that it? Steeling myself, I step around that corner and shine the light down the hall. And what I see is certainly not what I expected. It's clearly human, so at least my fears of some sort of gruesome monster out to kill are assuaged, and it looks a bit like a young man. Deathly pale skin and matching hair with piercing red eyes showing signs of panic, but also clear exhaustion. "Ah! P-Please... don't hurt me..." he mutters, really catching me off guard. Only now do I notice his strange attire—kinda like he's dressed up like a vampire. Some weird goth guy breaking in and trying to live out his vampire dreams by sneaking a coffin into the Hot Topic? "I... I need a... a drink, please... blood..." he then adds.
OK, this is getting quite strange now, but what's really strange is that as he speaks, I can see fangs. And if they're fake, they're some damn convincing fakes. "Who are you?" is all I can ask, still trying to process this situation.
The man's expression turns just a bit less panicked, seemingly recognizing he's not in immediate danger, and he attempts to take on some sort of dignified appearance, which is difficult when one's facial features are as haggard as his—he looks downright famished. "I am... Valamir Petrusko de Veneci Dracul IV. Or... simply Val. And I am a... a vampire. But I... do not wish to simply take what I need by force..." he trails off before being interrupted by a coughing fit. It takes him a few moments to regain the ability to speak. "Not... n-not that I am in much of a position to take. For a while, I sustained myself... by stealing from hospitals," he continues. Now that he mentions it, I did read something in the paper about blood bags going missing from the local hospital, replaced with apologetic notes pledging to repay them, and thought it quite odd. "But n-no more... no more s-stealing. Or that w-was my plan, but I... I am at the end of my r-rope. Please, I beg of you..." again, he trails off, interrupted by a cough. But the implication is clear. He wants to drink my blood. And the hell of it is, out of all the emotions I could be feeling... all I feel is pity.