Penumbra

Under the Blood Moon

I traveled through Russia and crossed all of Central Europe until I returned to Germany. I was back, just a few kilometers away from Himmelsburg. Mr. Klein mentioned that this man, Wolfgang Meyer, was sentenced to life imprisonment, and no visitors came to see him. I hacked into a bank teller and obtained money. I purchased sunglasses and fresh new clothes. I paid for a day at a local gym, where I used the shower. When I was human, people paid attention to me, usually to lend a hand or see if I needed help. But now, I noticed that people, especially women, looked at me differently. It wasn't overt, but I could sense the change.

I remembered Anastasia mentioning that when a human turns into a vampire, their physical appearance improves, and all imperfections vanish, revealing the best version of themselves. No scars or marks remained, and any excess fat was somehow burned away, leaving behind a body resembling that of an athlete or a model from a magazine. Then the thought struck me, "I have abs!" Anastasia remarked, "Now I've made you look hotter than ever." When I inquired about the reason behind this transformation, she explained that it was a way for vampires to attract their prey-humans. The more attractive vampires appeared as humans, the more enticing they were as vampires. That's why most of the vampires I would encounter would be exceptionally good-looking, some even breathtakingly so, just like Anastasia herself. As for me, due to my initially unappealing appearance and medical condition, I only became slightly above average in terms of attractiveness. "Even the venom can't work miracles, I suppose!" I chuckled. Od mentioned that my case was extremely rare because vampires never choose someone unattractive, let alone someone with a disability. It was the circumstances and Anastasia's interest in me that led to my transformation. The only aspect of my physical appearance that didn't improve was my height; vampires don't grow taller when turned.

I remained close to the jail where Wolfgang Meyer was imprisoned and accessed his data, gathering information. My plan is to gather enough intel and then hack into the system to make a reservation to see him. I brought some scanned photos from that time to see if I can identify anyone. I realized that he doesn't have anyone, and his only family member, his son, abandoned him after he squandered all his money on gambling. Meyer had a gambling addiction. I hacked into the data and created a fake alias for myself, posing as a social worker.

I showed up with my glasses, a fake ID I made myself, with the name of "Marcos Cortes". I did it with a special printer, I coded the bar code and added myself between the very empty visitor's list from Mr. Meyer.

"Guten Tag?" Asked the receptionist."Guten Tag!" I answered. "My name is Marcos Cortes. I am a social worker, I came to visit Mr. Wolfgang Meyer, I am here just to check him out and testify that everything is ok with him."

She looked at me with a serious and confused expression. I was nervous, I used to be a total newbie for this things, but since Mr. Klein made me enter partially into this world, I have gained some practice.

She started to check on the computer the database and the visitor hours, she even scanned the barcode I had prepared. "Awesome!" Everything works, I exclaimed to myself. I pass through the security door and they check everything from me.

"Ok" Says the guard, "Come with me". He takes me deep into a labyrinth of passages. I knew around how and where some of the main areas I have been tampering with the cameras, I needed to be sure how to know myself around the area. We get into a special room where a guard is watching and Mr. Meyer is looking confused and lost. The old man looked as done as like Mr. Bauer, dark circles under the eyes, tired, white hair, not shaved at all, and he had a sad expression. I sensed a glimpse of excitement to have an unexpected visitor.

"Hello Mr. Meyer, My name is Mr. Cortes, I am a social worker and I am here to check on you and ask you some questions" He just nodded with his head, I got Mr. Bauer vibes. I begged the guard to leave for a moment, because our conversation is extremely private. I begin to talk.