Interestingly, this brief article is found under the category of "Subcultures." Written around Valentine’s Day, it notes that within the so-called Gothic Death Rock scene a fringe group of "practicing vampires" share "love" by drinking one another’s blood. It recognizes that several hundreds of these vampires communicate through underground magazines like "Blue Blood" published in Atlanta—as well as on the web. Many of them, however, are not really into blood-drinking; for them it is all more a lifestyle. This article interviewed one who might be described as a "blood vampire." Danielle Willis, age 30, is a pale and attractive resident of San Francisco.

• Overwhelmed at the age of 10 by a fear of death, she began wishing she were a vampire.
• Through adolescence, she longed for a fanged creature who might bring her transformation.
• In her 20s she "turned" and was "embraced."
• She and her boyfriend had their incisor teeth capped with permanent fangs.
• Danielle sleeps days and writes gothic novels by night.
• She drinks a cup of blood at a time.
• Believing the mouth to be a filthy vessel, she prefers to draw blood from her donor with a syringe. " ‘Needles provide the minimum mess and the maximum outtake.’ "
• Drinking someone’s blood and risking disease (she insists her donor friends have regular tests for HIV), Danielle finds drinking the coppery-tasting fluid to be the ultimate expression of intimacy. " ‘It’s saying that you trust a person enough to take a body fluid that’s potentially lethal into your system.’ " There is an apparent rush to this experience.
• " ‘I extract the blood and drink it on the spot. Or I’ll wrap it up in red velvet. Sometimes I’ll create little keepsakes from the blood. Or use it later in magic rituals.’ "
• Danielle’s apartment is decorated with symbols vaguely Satanic.
• About it all, Danielle finally concludes: " ‘It’s really not that exciting.’ "

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

1. Have you ever heard or ever known of someone like this?
2. How does this make you feel? How would you react to Danielle if she were telling you this?
3. Can you understand why—and just how—many young people are fascinated by some aspects of this kind of lifestyle? Do you understand their preoccupation with death and darkness?
4. Who do you know who might have inclinations in this direction and how can you respond to them?

IMPLICATIONS

1. The complexities of our age, and its darkness, should not drive us to anger and frustration, fear and hopelessness, or phariseeism and judgmentalism. We ought rather want to know more about people who feel isolated and empty inside—who find no meaning in life.
2. To be of help and positive encouragement to someone who is drifting in whatever unhealthy directions, we must know something about their subculture and their personal stories.
3. To be of help does not mean that we need to enter or embrace subcultures that violate our values and beliefs.

Dean Borgman cCYS