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Crystal1501 t1_itz8nms wrote

"Here" I say, passing around plates of food to refugees. When the zombie attack started, I retreated to my factory and opened my doors to survivors. My factory is made of multiple buildings on good soil, and well-guarded, making it an ideal place for people to shelter. That's not to say we're perfectly safe, but with the resources available, we're decently prepared.

After passing out the food, I take a look through my periscope to see how the situation is. Sometimes the zombies just roam around aimlessly outside, other times they can be close to climbing over and getting in. There have been times when a few zombies managed to breach security, which are always scary.

It seems like right now, a few try to grip the wall, climb a tiny bit, then give up. I frown; this could be a bad sign... before I can consider my options, I see something moving through the horde. All the zombies seem to notice as they begin making their way to it. Must be a human... but then why doesn't it seem to be affected?

As the zombies fall, I see there is indeed a human... being protected by a group of vampires! I open the door, ready to let the refugee in. "Humans only" I state. Understanding what I mean, the vampires step aside and allow the terrified girl to enter. I step outside and shut the door.

"That was very kind of you all to do... but why didn't you just, I dunno, bite her or something?"

"We had to restrain" one of the vampires speaks up. "We thought she was the only human left, and we were going to feed, but she begged for us to let her go so she could get to 'safety'."

I nod. "Right. So you're using her and wish to feed on everyone in here? Not happening."

"We're not barbaric" the female in the group says. "We did want to help her, genuinely, but our desire to bite her was because our colony is starving! Once we heard there was still a stronghold, we realised we could help everyone."

I raise an eyebrow sceptically. "Explain."

"You see" the first vampire responds, "as undead creatures zombies are nothing to us, but zombies are deadly to humans. However, as humans you can eat anything, while us vampires need..." he seems to sniff the air. "...we need to feed. It's so hard... I..."

"Easy, son" an older vampire says. He turns to me. "As you can see, we also suffer from this nightmare. Our needs are just different. If you can allow us entry so we have blood to feed on, we can assist in protecting you all from the zombies. I'm sure you could use the assistance. We could even be the ones to go out and look for resources and supplies. There's a lot of medical stuff still available. We could search for materials and stuff."

I look behind me. We've not exactly had full bellies ourselves... and several of us have fallen ill, it... it's painful to watch... even if the zombies don't get us, how long will we last?

I turn back. "No trickery. You aren't to turn anyone. I'll agree to let your whole colony in and feed on blood, in return you will grant us protection and go out to look for supplies." I have a think. I produce a picture of a house, another picture of a teddy. "Prove to me that you will fulfil your end. There's a scared little girl in here. She keeps saying how Peach must be scared."

The vampires have a quick discussion, then look back at me. "Two of us will go and inform our colony. The other two will recover the toy. We won't be more than half an hour." With that, the vampires are off, and I slip back into the compound to share the news with everyone.

Responses are mixed, but it's ultimately agreed by everyone that this may be our best chance. I keep an eye on things outside the compound. I notice a zombie has almost breached defences. I begin to prepare an attack, when suddenly the zombie falls. "WE'RE BACK!" I rush to open the door. Suddenly, there's about 50 vampires. The female from before passes me Peach. Every other vampire has some sort of offering - food, tools, materials. I can't help but smile.

"Guys... this is incredible... thank you..." I step aside to let them all in.

The next day, everyone - human and vampire - are in good spirits. The supplies have helped to heal and to provide entertainment, and we now have plenty of food for the upcoming winter. The vampires seem to be less drained than yesterday, a sign they've been feeding, but a head count confirms that no-one has turned. It seems like things are looking up.

One of the younger vampires runs up to me. "Thank you so much mister!" He decides to give me a hug. In my shock, all I can do is hug back.

"No... thank you..." I begin to cry with joy. Humanity will survive after all.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for reading! More stories here!

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Ingavar_Oakheart t1_itzecpi wrote

"The tribe is whatever we believe it is. If we say the tribe is all the Little Ones in the forest, and all the trees, then that is what the tribe is. Even though some of the oldest trees here came from warriors of two different tribes, fallen in battle. We become one tribe because we say we’re one tribe." ~ Andrew Wiggin, Speaker for the Dead.

I really like the story. I think it's great that you were able to understate how badly the vampires had to have been hurting, that they were willing to take the offered job on first blush for a chance to earn cooperation with the human camp.

It's important, in my mind at least, in any fantasy or sci-fi to remember that human can be an adjective as well as a noun. The vampires here really showcased their humanity in a moment of weakness.

Excellent words!

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Crystal1501 t1_itzxnmv wrote

[Due to the popularity of this story - thanks for the silver btw - I'm expanding it]

It's been several months since the vampires arrived. Of course it's not been a smooth transition, especially when a vampire begins to get out of hand, but everyone has done their best to make it work.

Over the months, there had been a lot of development. Every day there would be more supplies; every day treasures and trinkets would be recovered. Some of the vampires decided that we needed more space and began constructing a wall outside the wall. The hope for everyone is that is we keep building and building, we can reclaim the whole planet.

It's not just the zombies that are now the norm - the vampires being here has had HUGE cultural impacts. Night jobs have been taken over by the vampires, allowing humans to be awake during the day and asleep at night. It's also become a daily routine for the vampires to feed, often taking from us at night to try to avoid causing pain.

But even bigger, is the fact that at some point, humans and vampires started sleeping together. At first both sides considered it taboo, but when the lovers refused to stick to social norms, it was decided that it's better to allow it to happen; in fact, vampire-human marriages are officially allowed!

We've also managed to build a small prison area. Not for actual criminals - anyone causing trouble just gets chucked back out if they don't behave - but for the safety of the vampires. I mean, when a vampire hunter seeks sanctuary in a place filled with vampires, what are we gonna do? That really did catch us off-guard. It happened about two months after the vampires arrived...

​

"HELP! HELP! I'VE BEEN FOUND!" I rushed outside; one of the vampires, Fester, had already opened the gate. I pulled the man in, and the door was shut just before the zombies made it.

"Are you ok, sir?"

"Yeah, thanks you tw- WHAT THE HELL?" I looked at Fester, and realised that the man likely didn't know that the vampires were friendly.

"Oh, yeah, humans and vampires live together here. It's an agreement we have - they deal with the zombies and gather useful things, and they can feed on us."

"YOU EXPECT ME TO TRUST THEM???" The man pulled out what looked like a specialised weapon, which caused Fester to cower behind me.

"Sir, permission to turn him? He's a hunter!" he whispered to me.

"I got this" I whispered back. I cleared my throat. "Sir, drop your weapons, all of them! I won't allow ANYONE here to come to harm!"

"THEN WHY ARE THOSE MONSTERS HERE?" At that moment, a zombie made it over the wall. Fester automatically began running at it, but I grabbed his arm.

"Leave it. We'll retreat inside. Let this brave, strong man with a specialised weapon handle it." Fester grinned and nodded, and we began to run away.

"WAIT!" The hunter called. "I... I can't stop these things! Please help!"

I turned around. "Fester can help... but you just threatened to kill him!"

"Alright, I'm sorry, I won't harm anyone, including vampires!" I gave fester a nod, and he quickly took care of the zombie. Once he was done, he stared the hunter down, causing him to freeze. "Li- listen, please, I-"

"That energy to save you made me hungry." Fester approached him, putting an arm around his shoulders, and whispered "This will be over quickly." With that, Fester bit the hunter's neck. The hunter flinched, but he couldn't move. When fester was done, he patted his shoulder. "See? Was that so bad?"

After the ordeal, a meeting was held, and a unanimous vote decided that, from now on, any human or vampire seeking safety must be locked up for a period of time, to prevent any more trouble like that.

​

And it's proven really useful. I take a visit to the 'prison', which is currently holding three beings: a teenage boy who definitely would have tried to kill the vampires - this whole thing is a game to him; a barely adult girl who seems ok with the vampires, but precautions; and a vampire, who was so hungry and desperate that the moment we granted safety to him, he tried to forcefully bite a young boy. It took three of his own to stop him. I'm here now to talk to each of them, starting with the vampire.

"Hello, sir." He looks up.

"Please... I'm sorry, I was rash... I'm so hungry..."

"I'm not ready to let you out yet... but, I suppose if you promise to stay put, I can let you feed on me." He nods. I open the door and step in. I feel his cold arm wrap around me. I close my eyes, then the sensation of being bit and drained takes place. He finishes, and looking so much better already, he wipes his mouth. He begins to leave, but appears to suddenly remember the promise he made and sits back down where he was.

"Thank you." He smiles at me and I smile back.

"No problem. I'll look into your release." I shut the cell door behind me and look at the boy, who seems baffled.

"Why did you let him bite you? He's a bad guy!"

"...Yep, you're staying put." Lastly, I turn to the girl. As usual, she greets me with a smile and a wave.

"You can use me next time, I don't mind" she says. I grin as I shake my head.

"I really wish I didn't have to put you in here, even temporarily." I unlock the door and allow her to leave. It's obvious she's relieved and ecstatic, but damn if she isn't trying to hide it! "Come on, let your feelings out!"

She looks at me, then instantly starts crying, a huge smile on her face, as she hugs me saying "THANK YOU! THANK YOU SO MUCH!" That gets a chuckle out of both me and the vampire.

"Geez, don't tempt me into breaking out!" he says.

"Sorry" the girl says, walking to his cell. "But I meant it earlier: if you get hungry again, I'll help."

"Appreciated. Maybe tonight? It's still early morning and I get hungry quickly..."

"I'll be here" she responds, before we both exit the building. As we do, I notice a woman, who seems VERY angry. Behind her is a very chill lad.

"Are you the manager? Tell this idiot employee to let me go!"

I roll my eyes. "Chuck her back out. She won't change. You! Come over." The woman is dragged kicking and screaming, while the boy just stares with indifference.

"I won't miss her as a mum. It was explained to us two that it's protocol, but she didn't care. Just don't hold me too long please, I go stir crazy quickly..."

I smile as I put a hand on his shoulder. "With your attitude regarding everything, you'll be fine." He gets taken in, and I appreciate one of the few times I can enjoy the sounds of zombies feasting.

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Crystal1501 t1_iu5019n wrote

"SECURITY BREACH! SECURITY BREACH!" The call rings through the compound. It's night-time, so every human is already inside, but as the main person in charge, it's my duty to keep my stronghold safe. I exit, joining the vampires, taking a high position. We have an army of 50 vampires, so we should be fine, right? As I survey the area, I spot a small group of zombies climbing the other side.

"BREACH ON THE OTHER SIDE!" The zombies are closing in. The vampires won't be fast enough. "I'LL STALL! JUST GET OVER!" I leave the post and charge towards the zombies. I get to them just before they start trying to get inside the building. Of course, I'm an easy target, so they shuffle in my direction. I begin to run the other way, towards the vampires, but I feel a hand grab my ankle. As I pull myself free, the vampires arrive and dispatch of the creatures.

I look down. To my horror, I've been scratched. "Fester..." one of the vampires turns to me. "I... I'm infected." Fester looks at my ankle. "I'm going to... to..." I cannot finish the sentence. "Throw me over the wall. I'm one of them now." Tears well up in my eyes.

"No" Fester states coldly. "I won't toss you away."

"THERE ISN'T ANOTHER OPTION!" I cry. My ankle stings. It's starting.

"There is. But I have to break a rule... I'm not getting permission, I'm saving you!" He drags me up and bears his fangs. I realise what he's about to do.

I hold my objections... I mean, it's either this, or become a green, mindless monster. I shut my eyes tight as he bites into my neck. His fangs are in deep, I feel his saliva seep inside the wound. I hope this works...

I wake up a while later. I'm in the prison building. I wipe my forehead as I recall what happened. I look at my ankle; there's no mark. Does this mean... I open my mouth and lick my teeth. Fangs. Fester's plan worked. I... I'm not a zombie! I burst into tears of joy. That lasts for only a few seconds as a sensation takes over. I sniff the air.

Blood.

I have a sudden urge and desire. I walk to the door of my cell. There's two others in here - a young vampire who tried to feed on everyone, taking too much, and a man, who got here a couple days ago and was nervous. He's what I smell. I try to ignore my need to feed. "I... I guess I'm a vampire now."

"Guy saved your life. I saw your ankle. If Fester hadn't done that, you were good as gone." The man gives me a sympathetic smile. "Guess they're not bad, are they?"

"They're amazing" I respond. "This place has lasted thanks to them."

"Yeah, yeah, so when do I get out?" the boy moans. At that moment, Fester walks in.

"When you learn to control yourself, young one. Now... as for our new member..." my cell door is unlocked. My eyes are wild and frenzied. I practically lock onto the man. I shut the door.

"I can't control it" I explain. "If I had stepped forward..."

Fester nods. "I figured. Turning is always stressful. It never fails to make the new vampire go crazy. I wanted to see if you understood... seems like you do. You'll need to stay in there for a while. I'll be able to tell when you've 'recovered'." I nod. Fester turns to the man. "I know you're nervous about us... I can let you out, but on one condition..." he opens the door, grabs the man by the arm and directs him to me. My eyes widen as instinct begins to kick in. "You need to trust us, and he needs to feed. Let him feed."

The man looks at Fester. "But... what if he turns me? Even accidentally?"

"Newbies never fail to get it right" Fester states. "I think it's in our biology or something. We just know." The man looks at me. I try to hang back, but the smell... it's so damn tempting... I walk forward, bearing my fangs.

"Please" I beg, "I... I need..."

The man sighs. "Ok, just... be careful." My cell door opens once more, and I stop holding back. I dash forwards, wrapping an arm around him. I sink my fangs in, and drink. I feel so much better now! I pull away and sigh in satisfaction.

"That felt SO GOOD!" I exclaim. I turn to Fester. "Is there more?" Fester laughs.

"According to your own rules, no more than two feeds a day. Do you want to use your second feed RIGHT AFTER the first?"

I just blink. "But..."

"I'm forgiving you because you're new. But this lust, this lack of restraint... that's exactly why you're being contained for now. Understood?" Fester locks eyes with me.

I hang my head. I realise I've become uncontrollable... I'm not even in charge anymore, at least not for now... "Yes, sir." I walk back into my cell, and watch as it's closed behind me. The man gets a pat on the back and is guided out, presumably to join everyone else. I just lie down on my bed - a proper bed, not a 'bed' REAL prisons provide - and rest. Despite being satisfied, it's not enough. As I try to relax, one thing goes through my mind: I was absolutely right to put all those rules in place.

7

cesly1987 OP t1_iu4c130 wrote

Hey let me throw another writing prompt at you.(of course you don't have to do it). What would happen of a human is bitten by a zombie and right after a vamp turns him to save him from his zombie fate?

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cesly1987 OP t1_itzd7s5 wrote

Awesome. There has to be a novel or movie that has all ready done this idea but I haven't seen it yet. Its been on my back burner of "things to write eventually". So I decided to share it with everyons..

18

cylonfrakbbq t1_itzqzd0 wrote

There was a web comic from years back that used this idea. Basically the last humans are stuck in a school and the vampires protect them against the zombies so the vampires have food

If I recall, the artist sort of lost interest or couldn’t come up with a decent continuation of the comic after the initial arc reached its conclusion

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SoberSith_Sanguinity t1_iu2uvbu wrote

Man, I've been trying to remember that one. Wasnt the reason for the zombie apocalypse that a vampire had been sealed away, starved...and changed? A starving vampire develops a new virus that changes humans into zombies.

I wish I knew what was called. They were saying they had offers for a movie at some point.

2

Reizal_Brood t1_itzx09r wrote

Used to be a Webcomic called Last Blood with this premise. Dunno if it's still up or not.

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Pinkbeans1 t1_itzphnh wrote

Nice story. I could read more of it.

4