The Blind Vampire Hunter
Page 18
“Eric...dear, dear old friend, Eric Van Helsing. How in heaven are you going to explain to your ancestors that you allowed yourself to be killed by a Vampire?”
Pleasant Nightmares.
NOTES
Adrenaline
A hormone produced by the body when you are frightened, angry, or excited, which makes the heart beat faster and prepares the body to react to danger
-Cambridge Dictionary Online
To a Vampire, adrenaline is one of two seasonings that make a good crimson protein meal into a great crimson protein meal. Created as a “fight or flight” survival mechanism, this is why many vampires like to fill their meal full of fear before consuming it, making for a nicely spicy dinner. The other spice of favor flavor is endorphins [See Notes: Endorphins]
Dumb Terminals
Dumb terminals were computer terminals that someone connected to a very large main computer. Most dumb terminals looked like advanced typewriters. Unlike future PCs that could do many things, dumb terminals could do nothing but connect you to one large computer system that did all the work as programmed. In contrast, early PCs were called smart terminals as the PC, not the mainframe, could do the work locally.
Dr. Who
Dr. Who was a low-budget BBC children’s program that started airing in 1963. The plots told tales of a humanoid alien who traveled in time through the cosmos in a time machine that looked like a British Police Phone box called “The Tardis.” From time to time, the alien went through changes in appearance, much like a snake sheds its skin. This allowed for the change in actors playing the good doctor over the many years it aired. New episodes can be seen even today on BBC and BBC America.
Elizabeth Báthory
If the name seems familiar, but you can’t place it, or if the name does not seem familiar at all and you would just like to learn more about this legendary Blood Countess, I suggest you check out Vampire Owner’s Manual.
Endorphin
Any of a group of proteins occurring in the brain and having pain-relieving properties typical of opium and related opiates. Discovered in the 1970s, they include encephalin, beta-endorphin, and dynorphin. Each is distributed in characteristic patterns throughout the nervous system. Endorphins released in response to pain sustained exertion causing, e.g., the “running’s high”. They are also believed to have a role in appetite control, release of pituitary sex hormones, and shock. There is strong evidence that they are connected with “pleasure centre’s” in the brain.
-Merriam Webster (online) Dictionary
To a Vampire, endorphins is one of two seasonings that make a good crimson protein meal into a great crimson protein meal. Created during sexual arousal, this is why many vampires like to sexually entice their meal before consuming it, making for a nicely spicy dinner. The other spice of favor is adrenaline [See Notes: Adrenaline]
Legal Blindness
Legal blindness is defined by the Social Security Act of 1935 as; visual acuity for distance of 20/200 or less in the better eye after correction; or visual acuity of more than 20/200 if the widest diameter of visual field subtends an angle no greater than 20 degrees .
-Kirtly, Donald. The Psychology of Blindness. Chicago; Nelson-Hall, 1975.
Melanoma
Melanoma is very treatable if caught early. It does not have to be fatal. Remember this story takes place in the 80s. Treatment back then was a bit different than it is today.
Night Blindness
Night blindness is impaired vision in dim light and in the dark, due to impaired function of specific vision cells (namely, the rods) in the retina.
The ability of our eyes to quickly view objects as they shift from light to dark areas and the ability to see in dim light or at night is an important part of our visual health. When we are not able to do such, the condition is referred to commonly as night blindness or medically as nyctalopia. It occurs as a result of various diseases that cause degeneration of the rods of the retina (the sensory cells responsible for vision in dim light).
-MedicineNet.com
Peripheral vision
Peripheral vision is side vision, or the ability to see objects and movement outside of the direct line of vision.
Rods and cones are sensitive to color and work only by day; most of them are located in the center of the retina, but there are also cones in the periphery. Rods are responsible for night vision and low-light vision, but cannot distinguish color.
-MedicineNet.com
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is the temporary stoppage of breathing during sleep, often resulting in daytime sleepiness. Apnea is a Greek word that means “want of breath.”
The most common form of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea. In obstructive sleep apnea, the muscles of the soft palate around the base of the tongue and the uvula relax, obstructing the airway. The airway obstruction causes the level of oxygen in the blood to fall (hypoxia), increases the stress on the heart, elevates blood pressure, and prevents the patient from entering REM sleep, the restful and restorative stage of sleep. In other words, sleep apnea causes deprivation of quality sleep.
The symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea include loud snoring and/or an abnormal pattern of snoring with pauses and gasps for air. Other symptoms include excessive daytime sleepiness, memory changes, depression, and irritability. In some patients sleep apnea can contribute to high blood pressure, heart failure, stroke, and heart attack.
-MedicineNet.com
Common treatment after testing 1) weight loss, as being over-weight can be a direct cause of sleep apnea. Enough weight loss could possibly cure a case of sleep apnea. 2) The use of a CPAP machine. The CPAP forces air through your obstruction to your lungs at a fixed, predetermined rate. The predetermined rate is a direct result of professional sleep testing.
Use of a CPAP machine while sleeping has proven to be a very effective way of treating sleep apnea.
About the Author
Timothy (Tim) Forder was born and raised in Maryland, USA. It’s my mother’s theory that I get my love of horror and fantasy from being born just a couple of blocks from the gravesite of Edgar Allen Poe in Baltimore!
I’m a very happy family man with a family consisting of a beautiful wife, a creative teenage daughter, (live-in) sister-in-law, Seeing Eye Dog and daughter’s rabbit.
For some years now, I have been losing what little eyesight I have left to RP (Retinitis Pigmentosa). If you need someone to talk to about coping with vision loss or Seeing Eye Dogs feel free to e-mail me at Facebook.
I have been a huge fan of the horror and fantasy genre, specially the older material, since my pre-teen years. I was introduced to the genre by the family sitter. Sue and I had an agreement: If I didn’t beat up on my sister I could watch Creature Feature with her, which was past my bedtime and after my sister went to bed. I will never forget Sue Greenspan’s words of wisdom: “Remember, what you see in the movies is only make believe and can’t hurt you.” Years later, I was the man when my buddies and I would go see Hammer Horror movies at the local theatre, and I would sit in my seat laughing at my friends as they tried to take cover from the horror on the screen! Sue Greenspan, if you are reading this thank you for many fun filled hours with my monsters!
Started my college studies in Wildlife Biology. I wrote a thesis on Dracula that was picked as the year’s best work. I was given the honor of reading the thesis to the class, and by sundown, the paper was both famous and infamous around campus! As a result, on campus my nickname of “Tex” (because of my flare for western hats) became “The Vampire”.
A bookworm from my early years, I still consume books like food, only being blind, most of my books are compliments of The Congressional Talking Book program (books on special cassettes or the newer digital books for the visually handicapped).
Other works by the author at Melange
The Lone Werewolf
Vampire Owner’s Manual
Turn the page for more books available
from Melange Books
Also Available
From Melange Books
Vampire Owner's Manual
by Tim Forder
As a skirt chasing gambler from the old west, I met a beautiful older woman who made wild passionate love with me and then in the heat of passion turned me into a Vampire!
l wrote this Vampire Owner's Manual for those who have just became one of the honored or is thinking of becoming one of the honored or just want to know more about Vampires.
The Vampire Owner's Manual contains vast knowledge of the Vampire Lore; from proper feeding to staying alive or undead; from Vampire history to Vampire myths and a lot more!
The Vampire Owner's Manual is peppered heavily with personal experience as well as experiences gathered interviewing other Vampires (not an easy task).
When you were born your parents most likely wished you came with an owner's manual. Suddenly you have awaken with a pain in your neck and a ravenous appetite no food will quench; you are having vague memories of "Vampires" from an old movie and you wish you could have a Vampire owner's manual: Well here it is!
Also Available
From Melange Books
The Lone Werewolf
by Tim Forder
Captain Cody O'Conner, U.S. Cavalry, retired, comes to the aid of two Indians under attack by Confederate rags that refuse to acknowledge the end of the war. Brought to near death as a result of his bravery, our hero is rewarded by an old medicine man with the gift of Skin-walker (Native American Shape-shifter) ointment! A gift that the old medicine man had passed up on personally using for fear the attractions of the power of nature would damn his soul. A gift he has gone so far as to refuse to pass on to his warrior-minded heir apparent for fear of corrupting his son's soul. With the power comes the tremendous temptations to use the power to serve the Great Evil One (Native American's Satan). Will Captain O'Conner have the character to withstand the lure to use his powerful new gift for evil instead of good?!
Dawn, a young squaw educated in the mystical ways of her people by her now deceased medicine man and grandfather, trains our new Skin-walker in his new mystical, magical abilities to transform into the many, mighty forms of nature!
Cody learns of the joys, strengths, and weaknesses in his capabilities to transform into a mighty Wolf with his prowess, the great Grizzly Bear with gigantic powers, the Coyote with his cunning, and the Golden Eagle with his predatory flight skills! While in training, our new hero learns how his new capabilities can come to the rescue of those who can't rescue themselves! Later, in the angst of battle, he discovers his ability to transform into the mighty Wolf while maintaining his human form, a half-man half-wolf — an all-powerful, all-terrifying werewolf — The Lone Werewolf!
When called upon, our one-man force of nature penetrates an impenetrable fortress and takes on a whole Confederate troop for the purpose of freeing a kidnapped Mrs. Custer. Is our Lone Werewolf up to the challenge of attacking a specially-trained unit of soldiers single handedly?! Can he do so without his attack causing the death of Mrs. Custer at the hands of her hostage takers?
Just as things quiet, the area and our hero is under siege by Jumlin and his bloodthirsty Children (Native American first vampire and his children); a tribe of vampires who infest the area while out to take down our might for good, the Skin-walker! Has our Lone Werewolf learned and trained enough to fend off a whole army of vampires single-handedly?! How will he handle the great demonic vampiric Jumlin himself?!
Is there a future for our valiant force of mystic, mighty nature? Is there a future for The Lone Werewolf?!
Also Available
From Melange Books
Salvation
by Alyssa Cooper
When Alec first met Maya, an unassuming girl in sunglasses and sandals, he had no way of knowing that she was a vampire. It's only as he falls in love with her that he realizes she might be something more than human. Maya was born on a small farm in the nineteenth century. It was there she met the man who would someday take away her humanity – and, as she reveals to Alec, the man who has chased her for a century, an ancient enemy seeking revenge. Together they fight for her survival, each desperately seeking their own salvation.