Emily's heart was racing as she walked alongside Joe, the darkness seeming to press in around them like a living thing. She had always thought of vampires as creatures of myth and legend, but now she wasn't so sure.
As they walked, the shadows seemed to grow longer and darker, twisting into grotesque shapes that seemed to reach out and snatch at their ankles. Emily shuddered, her skin crawling with fear.
Joe seemed to sense her unease, and he put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "We're almost there, kid," he said. "Just a little farther."
But as they turned a corner, Emily caught sight of something that made her blood run cold. A figure was standing in the shadows, its eyes glowing with an otherworldly light.
"Joe," Emily whispered, her voice trembling with fear. "What is that?"
Joe's expression was grim. "That," he said, "is a vampire."