I'm one of those scientific types who don't believe in the supernatural so my first reaction was skepticism. However, because of my romantic streak, I really wanted to believe in the existence of vampires in all their supernatural glory. So I discussed this with a friend who has a degree in psychology. The question was: is it possible that there can be real, supernatural, blood drinking, classical vampires?

She sits in solitude
Upon the velvet chair
Locked inside the tower
Her mind beyond despair
Her hair is the color of fire
Her breath as sweet as rose
She sees the world beyond the glass
This is what she knows
The fates aren't always kind
The gods aren't able to cry
And when your heart is broken
It's not enough to die
Life goes on for everyone
No matter the circumstance
When given the opportunity
Be brave and take a chance
The woman in the tower
Is as silent as a stone

sometimes i lay back and stare up at the stars
sometimes i sit alone in my room and cry till no more tears can come
sometimes i am so lonely i could die
sometimes i try my best to cry
sometimes i cant hold it in anymore
sometimes i cant get up outta bed
sometimes i cant sleep at all
sometimes i cant wait to see the sun shine
sometimes i cant wait for the dark to envelope all
sometimes i just want to be alone
sometimes i cant wait to be surrounded by people
sometimes i look back on my life

June 28, 2007 (Yahoo! News / Marlowe Hood / Paris) -- A person bitten, clawed or licked by a bat infected with rabies could die as a result, but the guilty party -- shades of Transylvania -- will likely live on with impunity, according to a study published Wednesday.

Just occasionally, when one has wandered into a certain section of Waterstone's, one wonders what it must be like to be the sort of author who writes about hellish demons, throat-gouging werewolves, maggots emerging from corpses' nostrils and vampire bloodbaths. Darren O'Shaughnessy could tell you all about it.