The vampire
A psychological horror Drabble
Tom’s neighbour never came out of the house during the day. At night, he brought home guests who were never seen again. Tom watched obsessed,
One evening, he broke in, expecting a monster, perhaps a serial killer. Instead, he found himself.
Photos of him and a black cover journal cataloguing his routines were carefully displayed on an altar. “Subject, ready,” it read in red. Behind him, the neighbour spoke gently:
“You think I’m a vampire. But you’ve followed, watched, hunted me.” Tom turned, shaking, his fangs gleamed.
“But I didn’t cross the line,” the neighbour said. Tom smiled, then lunged.
~~~
©️Susan Fourtané, 2025 - All rights reserved
Authors’ Notes:
The psychological horror sub-genre features psychological tension, fear, and suspense to evoke feelings of dread and unease in the audience.
Psychological horror focuses on the psychological and emotional experiences of characters, often exploring their inner fears, anxieties, and perceptions.
Works of fiction in this sub-genre include The Silence of the Lambs, Psycho, The Shining, The Exorcist, Rosemary’s Baby, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.
About the Creator
Susan Fourtané
Susan Fourtané is a Science and Technology Journalist, a professional writer with over 18 years experience writing for global media and industry publications. She's a member of the ABSW, WFSJ, Society of Authors, and London Press Club.
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Comments (10)
Oh damn. That was a twist!!!! BRILL!!
Wait so Tom is the vampire? Now that was unexpected!
This builds suspense, flips expectations, and delivers a clever reveal. Well done!
Was the neighbor Van Helsing?
⚡💙⚡
Oh boy, I hope that neighbor was ready for the leap. There will be only one, right? Oh wait, that's from another series :). Excellently written, Susan.
Seen 'The Exorcist'. Even 'To Kill a Mockingbird', with the mysterious neighbor.
Ohhh this one bit me good! I was all in for vampire-hunting antics, and then BAM — fangs on the wrong guy! The real monsters are always closer than we think…✨
My favourite genre, actually. Love all the movies you listed, Susan. Though I can't help cheering Tom here. ;-)
This story put the eek in creepy. I can’t imagine breaking into some place and then finding what he found. Well done, this was fantastic!