I Was A Brooding Teenage Vampire - Ronnell D. Porter
You don't have to suffer to be a poet. Adolescence is enough suffering for anyone. - John Ciardi, Simmons Review, Fall 1962


author Ronnell D. Porter's short tale of teenage vampire Demitri Mitchell initially reminded me of a certain (in?)famous sparkly vampire. both have been attending different high schools for years. the similarity though ends there.
Demitri is truer to his nature as a bloodsucking fiend. when his lust for blood consumes him, no one is safe. just a whiff or the sight of one drop of life's vital fluid is more than enough to set him off and go on a killing rampage. the consequences are gruesome to contemplate. this leads Demitri to flee immediately and move to a different place.
i would have thought that a new city or town would provide a way for him to begin anew and control himself better. it never happens. how Demitri managed to elude the authorities confounds me. Demitri would have been a likely suspect but he remains scot-free. it seemed like everyone suddenly became blind or had amnesia despite the carnage he left behind.
the story is not that dark however. there is a bit of humor and a little twist concerning a teenage vampire hunter. i think the latter lightened things up and was the book's saving grace.
overall, reading the confessions of this brooding teenage vampire kept me company for less than an hour or so. it was enough to keep my eyes busy and to while the time away.