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The Old Vampire
Hailey spent her life dreaming of a dark prince falling in love with her. He never showed up, until now.
A short tale set on the spookiest day of the year, Halloween.
Be careful what you wish for!
(A Short Story - approx 4,700 words)
A short tale set on the spookiest day of the year, Halloween.
Be careful what you wish for!
(A Short Story - approx 4,700 words)
15 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
11 people want to read
About the author
Emma Meade
12 books73 followersEmma Meade writes paranormal fiction.
She lives in rainy Ireland and loves all things supernatural. Stephen King's The Stand is one of her most loved books and she's lost count of the number of times she's read L.J. Smith's trilogy, The Forbidden Game.
Books, DVDS & TV show boxsets take up lots of space in her home and she collects all the Point Horror books she can get her hands on.
She is not ashamed to admit that Dirty Dancing and Twilight make her top ten movie list but wishes to point out that The Last of the Mohicans, Reality Bites, Dead Poets Society, Stand by Me and The Goonies are in there too.
Writing supernatural stories & watching marathon re-runs of Buffy are some of her favourite ways of escaping reality.
She lives in rainy Ireland and loves all things supernatural. Stephen King's The Stand is one of her most loved books and she's lost count of the number of times she's read L.J. Smith's trilogy, The Forbidden Game.
Books, DVDS & TV show boxsets take up lots of space in her home and she collects all the Point Horror books she can get her hands on.
She is not ashamed to admit that Dirty Dancing and Twilight make her top ten movie list but wishes to point out that The Last of the Mohicans, Reality Bites, Dead Poets Society, Stand by Me and The Goonies are in there too.
Writing supernatural stories & watching marathon re-runs of Buffy are some of her favourite ways of escaping reality.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 2, 2013
I’m going to start with the bits I didn’t like on this one, because it is so small and trivial that I want to get it out of the way. Really it was just the inconsistency in the number formatting. It didn’t detract from the story at all, and didn’t affect the rating, but it was something I wanted to mention.
And now onto the rest of the story. The realism in this struck me as fantastic. A life filled with fantasy, dreams and desires. And the absolute true to nature fact that fantasy and reality rarely meet up with each other. Most of the stories I have read where someone is obsessed with the live of the undead and they get it, they get everything they ever hoped for. So it is a refreshing change to see the opposite of this.
Another point I liked was the ending. It was mean and evil to leave the character like the author did, but if there is one thing I love it is being mean and evil to characters. Everything can’t always go the way the character wants. People have to die. Things have to go wrong. Plans have to fall through. Torment has to happen in order to balance everything out. And this story did that perfectly.
From the young life of the character, being obsessed and infatuated, to the gaining of her dreams and the realisation that it might not have been such a good idea after all. Sometimes it really is better to have the fantasy life as just a fantasy, because bringing certain things into reality is destined to end badly. This story nailed that on the head, and for that, I love it.
And now onto the rest of the story. The realism in this struck me as fantastic. A life filled with fantasy, dreams and desires. And the absolute true to nature fact that fantasy and reality rarely meet up with each other. Most of the stories I have read where someone is obsessed with the live of the undead and they get it, they get everything they ever hoped for. So it is a refreshing change to see the opposite of this.
Another point I liked was the ending. It was mean and evil to leave the character like the author did, but if there is one thing I love it is being mean and evil to characters. Everything can’t always go the way the character wants. People have to die. Things have to go wrong. Plans have to fall through. Torment has to happen in order to balance everything out. And this story did that perfectly.
From the young life of the character, being obsessed and infatuated, to the gaining of her dreams and the realisation that it might not have been such a good idea after all. Sometimes it really is better to have the fantasy life as just a fantasy, because bringing certain things into reality is destined to end badly. This story nailed that on the head, and for that, I love it.
February 25, 2013
Ultimately, this short story is about waiting and the things you give up in the pursuit of a dream that may or may not be worth it. For Hailey, it's a life full of children and a man beside you that she's given up in the dream of meeting the vampire of her dreams that's taken many years to come to fruition. As Hailey's life passes her by it takes a lonely Halloween night for her dream to finally come true with an unexpected reaction to getting what she waited so long for.
This story starts sad and ends a bit sad too. Hailey was always a dreamer who never made permanent connections. One day is the same as the next as she ages into an elderly woman all alone. Once she meets her dream vampire though the ending is still reminiscent of the beginning where she's still waiting.
This short story is surprisingly well fleshed-out and thoughtprovoking. The emotions it engenders stay with you long after the final page is turned and have you rethinking what you'd give up for a dream.
This story starts sad and ends a bit sad too. Hailey was always a dreamer who never made permanent connections. One day is the same as the next as she ages into an elderly woman all alone. Once she meets her dream vampire though the ending is still reminiscent of the beginning where she's still waiting.
This short story is surprisingly well fleshed-out and thoughtprovoking. The emotions it engenders stay with you long after the final page is turned and have you rethinking what you'd give up for a dream.
February 18, 2013
~Was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review~
4.5 hearts, plus giveaway here- http://www.paranormalsisters.blogspot...
Wow….this is both, heart breaking yet a thriller and one where you just hope for a happy ending.
At first I was a little bit surprised by how fast time was going for the main character. And I mean fast! Like….years fast! And it stops until she begins in her 70’s. I was also taken back a little that this is technically an adult read as the main character is in her 70’s (yes, I know the title says old, but it could have meant anything, haha). But nonetheless, I fell for the story and had major sympathy for our heroine.
Yes, she may technically be an adult but she still has her teenage dreams with her and constantly on her mind. Like most teenagers and/or young adults, she fantasizes of being whisked away by a handsome dark stranger that also happens to have something in common with Dracula (^,..,^). But since she is now older, she tries to bury these fantasies. However it’s Halloween day and the creature of her fantasies seems to always just be around the corner every few seconds, asking for candy from strangers.
Overall, this was a page turner and one that pulled at your heart strings. It always amazes me that even something so short can be absolutely breath taking, hypnotizing, and where it can really hold a reader as if it was a full length novel. And when they are still with you in your mind and heart days/weeks later, then obviously this was an extraordinary short story.
There’s only one thing I wished I got from the ending was whether the heroine’s appearance changed after everything. But other than that it was a magnificent read and one that I think any vampire lover out there would like.
4.5 hearts, plus giveaway here- http://www.paranormalsisters.blogspot...
Wow….this is both, heart breaking yet a thriller and one where you just hope for a happy ending.
At first I was a little bit surprised by how fast time was going for the main character. And I mean fast! Like….years fast! And it stops until she begins in her 70’s. I was also taken back a little that this is technically an adult read as the main character is in her 70’s (yes, I know the title says old, but it could have meant anything, haha). But nonetheless, I fell for the story and had major sympathy for our heroine.
Yes, she may technically be an adult but she still has her teenage dreams with her and constantly on her mind. Like most teenagers and/or young adults, she fantasizes of being whisked away by a handsome dark stranger that also happens to have something in common with Dracula (^,..,^). But since she is now older, she tries to bury these fantasies. However it’s Halloween day and the creature of her fantasies seems to always just be around the corner every few seconds, asking for candy from strangers.
Overall, this was a page turner and one that pulled at your heart strings. It always amazes me that even something so short can be absolutely breath taking, hypnotizing, and where it can really hold a reader as if it was a full length novel. And when they are still with you in your mind and heart days/weeks later, then obviously this was an extraordinary short story.
There’s only one thing I wished I got from the ending was whether the heroine’s appearance changed after everything. But other than that it was a magnificent read and one that I think any vampire lover out there would like.
February 7, 2013
(An electronic copy of this short story was provided by the author)
I gave this story 4 1/2 stars.
I liked the twist of the "be careful what you wish for..." idea in this short story. It was both a surprise and a little sad. My heart went out to the heroine when she was faced with having her "dream" fulfilled. It really wasn't what she had expected! It wasn't what I expected either. Great job!
This is the very first short story "The Vixen" has reviewed and I have to say I enjoyed it. It's not easy writing a short story and not have someone make a comment that it was too short. Emma Meade moved the story along well with the back story to bring us up to what this snippet in time was going to detail.
In her youth, it seemed like Hailey would be typical of a teen today...infatuated with vampires and wishing one day her dark prince would come by to take her away from her mortal life. Through the years she keeps wishing, hoping and waiting for her Knight in a Black Cape to arrive. Hailey would even settle for any other dark ghoul, ghost or sorcerer to cross her path in the real world. Unfortunately, as the years go by, she's continually disappointed and resigned to the fact she was probably going to die an old divorcee, never having children and now living alone at the ripe old age of seventy-two. But for Hailey, this Halloween would turn into one she would never forget when a pale, mysterious stranger shows up at her door long after the last of the trick or treaters have come and gone. Will he finally fulfill her heart's desire or will he bring on her worst nightmare?
This short was is also part of a collection by Ms. Meade called The Awakening and Other Stories. Based on The Old Vampire alone, I think it's worth looking into in order to add to my collection.
I gave this story 4 1/2 stars.
I liked the twist of the "be careful what you wish for..." idea in this short story. It was both a surprise and a little sad. My heart went out to the heroine when she was faced with having her "dream" fulfilled. It really wasn't what she had expected! It wasn't what I expected either. Great job!
This is the very first short story "The Vixen" has reviewed and I have to say I enjoyed it. It's not easy writing a short story and not have someone make a comment that it was too short. Emma Meade moved the story along well with the back story to bring us up to what this snippet in time was going to detail.
In her youth, it seemed like Hailey would be typical of a teen today...infatuated with vampires and wishing one day her dark prince would come by to take her away from her mortal life. Through the years she keeps wishing, hoping and waiting for her Knight in a Black Cape to arrive. Hailey would even settle for any other dark ghoul, ghost or sorcerer to cross her path in the real world. Unfortunately, as the years go by, she's continually disappointed and resigned to the fact she was probably going to die an old divorcee, never having children and now living alone at the ripe old age of seventy-two. But for Hailey, this Halloween would turn into one she would never forget when a pale, mysterious stranger shows up at her door long after the last of the trick or treaters have come and gone. Will he finally fulfill her heart's desire or will he bring on her worst nightmare?
This short was is also part of a collection by Ms. Meade called The Awakening and Other Stories. Based on The Old Vampire alone, I think it's worth looking into in order to add to my collection.
January 29, 2013
Hailey’s dreams aren’t about a knight in shining armor riding up on his white steed to rescue her. Her knight is a vampire, or maybe a demon or ghost. Any of these would do.
She’s longed for the supernatural world her whole life. Is she really destined to a hum-drum existence or is there something more for her.
She dreams and she waits. And she waits. And waits. Will she ever meet her knight?
It’s Halloween night. All of the candy has been handed out and the trick-or-treaters have all gone home. Hailey settles in with some wine and a movie.
There’s a knock on her door. Must be a straggler.
“The lantern led me to you.”
What a great story. Melancholic and tragic. Quite scary too. When do you stop dreaming? Why should you? You’ll find the answers to these questions in An Old Vampire.
This one gave me shivers. A true horror story.
She’s longed for the supernatural world her whole life. Is she really destined to a hum-drum existence or is there something more for her.
She dreams and she waits. And she waits. And waits. Will she ever meet her knight?
It’s Halloween night. All of the candy has been handed out and the trick-or-treaters have all gone home. Hailey settles in with some wine and a movie.
There’s a knock on her door. Must be a straggler.
“The lantern led me to you.”
What a great story. Melancholic and tragic. Quite scary too. When do you stop dreaming? Why should you? You’ll find the answers to these questions in An Old Vampire.
This one gave me shivers. A true horror story.
February 11, 2013
This is a great short story about an elderly lady who spends her whole life living in a dream world where her prince charming/soul mate/bad boy sweeps her off her feet and they live happily ever after. Only that isn't real life and so she reaches her golden years alone and lonely. Will she ever meet that certain someone? This is a quick and fun read that explores how lost in fairytales and fanatasy we can become and how it can take over our lives. It also asks the question, if our dreams come true would we really want what we fantasized about? A great story!
February 6, 2013
Very good short story. I'm partial to all things vampire so I might be biased. This could probably be further developed into a longer story.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews