In sixth grade my friend, Eugenia, introduced me to Dark Shadows, a soap opera that was on television from 3:00 – 3:30 in our hometown. We’d rush out of school and run to her house which was a few blocks closer to school than mine was. She’d switch on the TV and we’d be immersed in the lives of the Collins family of Collinwood in Collinsport, Maine. This wasn’t any normal soap opera. Not only was it very Gothic, it also featured vampires, ghosts, werewolves, and a slew of other preternatural creatures. Time travel was also involved.

I loved this series and thanks to it, developed an obsession for vampires. Barnabas Collins, the main vampire of the series, was such a likable character, it made vampires seem like simply misunderstood entities. I’d always had a fear of things that went bump in the night, but after getting to know Barnabas I felt that my affinity towards him would protect me from any nighttime creatures that were out to harm me. Continue reading Vampires I have loved →