Stefani Mindrebo, Period 2, 5/5/23

 Stefani Mindrebo Blog Post #4 - Creativity and Fiction 

Based on “Interview With The Vampire” by Anne Rice, told from the perspective of Claudia 

BANG, BANG, BANG

The door to our hotel room burst open with the force of 100 men. Suddenly a crowd of Armand’s vampires come flooding in, each with their eyes set on me, Louis, and Madeleine as their targets. We try running away, but are only met with more vampires in our path. I am stuck in the clutches of two vampires that are probably triple my size and I am utterly defenseless. Curse my five year old body. 

I struggle to look around and figure out where they are taking me, until I recognize the blocks leading up to the Theatre des Vampires. The whole way there, I heard Louis calling for me and Armand. How could he waste his breath on Armand when I, the true love of his life, is being carried to my death? The large group of vampires shove the door open and start carrying all of us to the dungeon of the theatre. Whatever they have in store for us, I think with Louis and Madeleine by my side we will come up with a plan.

I finally got a glance of the floor when I saw 3 coffins lined up next to one another, and I had the sinking feeling that I would soon lay there. As I predicted, the vampires shoved us into the coffins. I felt myself being lifted, tossed, and turned. Then the motion stopped. I wonder if they threw me somewhere. How can I escape if I am alone and only with the strength of a five year old. I start to hear bricks being placed around me. They can’t seriously be burying me alive right now. I wonder if Louis is meeting the same fate. And Madeleine. Poor Madeleine. She is too young to be facing the consequences of mine and Louis’ actions from so many years ago. The overwhelming vacuum of silence around me started to scream louder than my thoughts, and my vision faded to darkness. 

Am I really alive right now? Well, dead and alive I suppose. If I truly am stuck in this coffin for eternity, how will I even know if I’m alive. I remember reading somewhere recently a new philosophical thought experiment called “Schrodinger’s Cat”. I honestly feel like I am the embodiment of this cat. To the rest of the vampires and world that I leave behind, I will be eternally both dead and alive. Not that they would care anyway. 

I wonder if they ever truly realized my eternal struggle being stuck in the body of a child. They really should understand my situation since they themselves are vampires, but not a single one has had to deal with being forever perceived as a porcelain doll despite the intellectual, sometimes manipulative, but complex woman that I am on the inside. 

I am trying so hard to detach my feelings from the world, but how can that be so painful? My emotions should be minimal compared to humans, so why do I think I’m experiencing more pain in this instant than most will ever know? I wish I could be emotionally dead, but instead I am tormented and taunted by the pain. 

I can’t stay like this forever. Wanting to die as a vampire really sucks. I wish I had a companion to put me out of this eternal misery of pain, but no mortal in their right minds would raise a hand to a little girl, and of course Louis would never. 

Out of the corner of my eye I start to see a little black speck moving about the coffin. An ant. This ant definitely doesn’t want to starve to death and waste away in this coffin as my fate permits. I squash the creature. I am doing it a favor honestly. For the first time, I have killed to provide help. 

Oh my god. That’s how I can live. I can live as death to provide it for others in need. I will be giving myself a purpose that people will need for eternity, and it’s a win-win situation. Who should I go to first? I can’t believe nobody has thought of this yet.

As I lay in the pitch black coffin, I pondered who would be my first patient. Only one came to mind, no matter how hard I tried to stop it. Louis. Louis has been and will be in pain for the entirety of his existence as a vampire. Maybe he doesn’t know it yet, but this is the best thing I could possibly do for him. It isn’t morally wrong if I am killing to help, is it? I remember Lestat telling me when I was younger that we kill as God does, so why shouldn’t I put Louis out of his misery. 

I suddenly hear the bricks around me being moved. Then my coffin gets flung open and I see Louis standing in front of me with his arms outstretched. “Louis! I haven’t stopped thinking about you since they locked me away.”