I paused to evaluate her expression before I continued. “We are being threatened by hunters for what we are, and I want to stop it. Legally.” I added. She stared, “This is incredible,” she said, “but how would you want to proceed?” “Well,” I said, mulling it over, “I guess a worldwide TV assembly would be the first and better choice.” “I’ll make some arrangements.” She said.
It was settled, the meeting place was in the white house and it would be aired Saturday at 4:00pm. Of course my children didn’t want me to go alone, but I had to insist. The lights were a bit too bright, but that was tolerable. “My fellow Americans,” Megan began, “today we add a new species to the table. Not alien, but something old and familiar: Vampires.” There was murmuring as people wondered if their new president was already crazy. She gestured for me to come to the stand and I did I showed every camera my teeth, then my fangs. There were gasps and a scream. “My countrymen,” I said calmly, “we are few, but we are tired of hiding. We are hunted by people who do not wish to understand us. We are treated as animals when we have feelings, we can learn, give us a chance.” I surveyed the dead-silent crowd. “I will now take questions.” I said.
One hand rose shakily. “Yes?” I asked. “Do you sparkle in sunlight?” she asked. I held my anger in “No.” “Do you live alone or in groups?” “We prefer to live in a big group called a Coven, but there are the occasional stragglers.” Another person raised their hand. “Do you have your own religion?” “We are many religions, I myself am Christian.” More hands rose up. “Yes?” “Is Dracula real?” “Yes.” Soon there were so many hands it took me forever to keep up with them.
It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Of course I had to be strict on the “What kills you?” questions and deny answers. It took a few months for people to get used to us, and we still had the hunters. However they actually wanted to put a vampire in the White House, so my mistress became ‘Head of Vampire Affairs’. Why not me? Because it’s boring. We are now equals, and we even have our own place in the blood banks. This was a good decision.