text: I miss the night. It belongs to them now. I miss looking at the stars with Dad and him pointing out different constellations. I miss the way the night air kisses the skin in that sweet, delicious way daylight just can’t. The world has changed so much since the vampires took over. They rule the night, and we, the remnants of humanity, are forced to huddle in bunkers when the sun goes down. Today, though, I’ve decided to defy the curfew. The longing for the stars, the memories of those nights with Dad, have become too overwhelming. I sneak out, my heart pounding with anxiety and excitement, and I move through the desolate streets, clinging to the shadows as not to be seen. The streets look different now. As I make my way downtown, I remember how the streets were once vibrant with nightlife. Now they are hauntingly quiet. I reach my destination and look up. My old apartment building. I climb the fire escape like I used to with my best friends Jenny and Kyle. As I climb, I remember a time before the vampire uprising, when the three of us would climb to the roof and sit there talking for hours. I reach the roof now, panting from exertion, and lay on my back, breathing in the cool night air. The stars are vibrant tonight against the purple-black sky. They twinkle, mocking the dystopia we live in. My eyes well up as memories flood back. My friends. My Dad. I try to remember what Ursa Major looks like. I wish, not for the first time, that Dad was here. I whisper to the stars, hoping somehow he hears me, “I miss you, Dad. I wish you were here.” I hear something to my right. Panic fills my chest and my breath catches in my throat. I turn my head towards the sound and everything goes black. When I wake, I am no longer on the roof. I am lying on a concrete floor inside a building, a warehouse perhaps? It is dusty and several of the windows are broken. There is an overhead light, far too bright, shining in my eyes. I blink and try to focus on the figure standing before me. I sit up slowly and hold a hand up to my forehead, trying to shield the light. The figure moves towards me. “Why were you out there?” the voice demands. It is deep and raspy and belongs, I can now see, to a man in a dark trench coat. His hair is dark and falls around his shoulders. His eyes are almost black. A vampire. “I...I just wanted to see the stars,” I manage to stutter, my voice barely audible. I feel my face flush. Suddenly realizing how ridiculous my idea was. “Stars,” he mutters to himself. He pauses, a flicker of something crossing his face. Regret? Longing? It’s hard to tell. “It’s been so long since I’ve looked at them.” Confusion replaces some of my fear. “You miss the stars, too?” He doesn’t respond immediately. Instead, he seems lost in thought. Finally he speaks. “Have you ever heard of ‘Dry January?” he asks. I cock my head to the side, even more confused. “Dry January?” I ask, “as in abstaining from drinking alcohol?” He nods slowly, “more like abstaining from feeding on human blood. A group of us are participating in it. The human supply is dwindling and we are looking into alternative blood sources. If humans disappear...” I get where he is going with this. “Then you disappear, too.” I say He nods. “We are following a program similar to human 12 step programs. Right now I am on Step Eight: making a list of those whom I’ve wronged and making amends for the harm I’ve caused.” I raise an eyebrow. Vampires with a moral compass? It sounds absurd, but as I look at him, I sense a genuine struggle within him. “Why did you bring me here?” I ask, warily. He hesitates. “I needed someone I could tell my sins to. A human. When I saw you tonight, I figured it was my chance.” A thought occurred to me. “Are you the vampire who killed my father?” He shook his head slowly, “Honestly, I don’t know. It’s possible. I am ashamed to say that the faces of my victims have blurred together. I am not proud of what I have done.” I stare at him, the revelation sinking in. A mix of anger and grief swirls inside me, but there is also something else- a glimmer of hope. Dad always believed there was good in everyone - no matter how bad they seemed. I wonder if Dad would extend that grace to a vampire. “So, what now?” I ask, my voice more steady than I expected. “Now you decide,” he says, his gaze sincere. “I can take you back to your bunker, or you can stay, listen to my story, and see if vampires are capable of change.” I weigh my options, torn between the world I’ve known and the possibility of something different - possibly better. The stars twinkle above, indifferent to the choice I have to make. I consider his words, my mind racing with conflicting emotions. The night air blows in through the broken windows and hangs heavy with the weight of my decision. “How do I know I can trust you?” I ask. He nods understandingly. “I don’t expect you to trust me right away. But, if you stay, you ight see that not all of us are monsters. Some of us are trying to resist our addiction - trying to find a way to co-exist.” Reluctantly, I agree to stay - for now. As the days pass, I find myself caught in a strange alliance with my vampire captor. He introduces me to a group of vampires participating in ‘Dry January’, each with their own tales of regret and redemption. The abandoned building becomes a makeshift haven for this unconventional support group. Vampires from different backgrounds and eras, united by the common goal of breaking free from the endless cycle of feeding on humans. They share stories of lost loved ones, of the pain they’ve inflicted, and the remorse that haunts them. As I listen, I begin to see the humanity buried beneath their supernatural exterior. It’s a revelation that challenges the very core of my beliefs. In the midst of our uneasy coexistence, the vampire who brought me here - whom I’ve come to know as Marcus, tries to make amends in his own way. He teaches me about the constellations, pointing out stars and sharing stories from a time when he was still human.The night, once a source of fear, becomes a canvas for shared memories and whispered confessions. As the days turn into weeks, I navigate this new world with cautious optimism. The vampire support group, against all odds, becomes a fragile beacon of hope in the darkness. However, the outside world is relentless, and rumors spread of a rebellion among the vampires who reject ‘Dry January’ and continue to hunt humans. Caught between two conflicting worlds, i realize that the choices I make will not only shape my destiny, but also influence the fragile balance between humans and vampires. The night, once lost to creatures of the dark, now becomes a battleground where alliances are forged and tested. In this unlikely alliance, I discover that redemption is a complex journey, one that requires courage, understanding, and a willingness to defy the established order. The stars above bear witness to a changing world - one where the night may no longer solely belong to vampires, but to those who dare to challenge the shadows and seek a path toward coexistence.