VAMPIRES

Ghosts are one thing, but there are the 'undead' entities known for suckling blood from  unfortunate victims in lieu of food to stay alive and forever doomed to stay out of the sun and roam only at night or they would burst to flames and have the power of transforming into bats.

I think the myth of  vampires evolved from vampire bats' habit of sucking the blood of their prey(mostly mammals but sometimes humans too), their devilish, ugly appearances and the fact that they hunt only when it is fully dark. Like cats, vampire bats are viewed with superstition and some how or the other, vampires found their way into myths and folklore. One early mythical theory was that vampires were corpses possessed or resurrected by an evil spirit. The main myth these days is that a person becomes a vampire after being bitten by one and as they do no not really belong to the earth or the afterlife; they have no souls, they cannot die yet they have eternal life (which disables them from aging any further) and the only that could sustain them is human blood; hence the state of being 'undead'. The only way one is shielded from a vampire, the saying goes, is if a vampire is exposed to garlic, fire or a crucifix.
African and European countries were full of such myths and superstitions and then in 1897, Irish author Bram Stoker began the modern vampire fiction with his most notable work, Dracula; about a Transylvania noble who turned out to be a vampire seeking world domination and over the years many movie adaptations of this story followed and new vampire characters created.
 My first sight of a vampire on television was Count Dracula  portrayed by British actor Christopher Lee (below; at the time I hadn't heard of Bela Lugosi). I was about 7 years old and more squeamish about horror movies than I am now. What I saw at first was CL in a formal suit and cape and slicked back hair, next thing I knew I was screaming at the sight of  his red eyes

and fangs as he sucked blood from his victim's neck. Several years passed before I summoned up courage to watch it in full and buy the actual book!

 Thanks to vampire shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, The Vampire Diaries,True Blood; films like Twilight and Fright Night, vampires are pretty much popular in the media today. But is the old superstition there- are they real and hiding in the shadows and do the people who watch such believe they do exist or they are just merely being entertained?
No body wants to die but death is inevitable to all. But would a person terrified of death prefer to have eternal life by taking blood of others  as its soul energy sources  if actually being offered the option- hypothetically speaking ? I sincerely doubt it; for a person to roam the earth for hundreds of years lurking in the shadows and preying on the innocent for blood to live, that sort of eternal life can be nothing but described as a curse and living in damnation.

CARBO FAN FICTION: Return Journey Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Bo and Carly hoped to get married as soon as possible but the dark cloud came in form of a devastating phone call from Abe. Lexie’s mysterious illness, an inoperable brain tumour, had taken a turn for the worse and she wanted to say goodbye to her friends.

CARBO FAN FICTION: Return Journey Chapter 20

 

Chapter 20

‘How are we doing over here, honey?’ Bo asked.

‘I’m almost done, Daddy.’ Ciara replied, setting her books neatly in a box. ‘I hope my room won’t be too crowded with all my stuff.’

2 Superman Tales...

Since I was a child; Jerry Seigel & Joe Shuster's creation Superman has been my favorite superhero; not only because of his abilities but also his origins and this comic hero's tale has gone on for years via comics, graphic novels, movies- the most popular one being the one starring the late and wonderful Christopher Reeve- and T.V series, animated and live action.

Personally I didn't find 2006 Superman Returns  a good version so I was pleased to hear about another one being made MAN OF STEEL starring British actor Henry Cavill as Superman/Clark Kent, Russel Crowe as his biological father and Kevin Costner & Diane Lane as his 'earth parents' Jonathan  and Martha Kent. This film explores how Clark, on hearing the truth about himself after discovering his strange powers, struggles to find his place in the world and come to terms with his three identities- Clark Kent, Kar-lel and Superman. It's a movie I can't wait to watch.

Last year, I watched Superman/Batman: Apocalypse; about how Superman met his cousin Kara Zor-el after her pod crash landed in Gotham. Apparently, she had been sent immediately after him by her parents but her pod drifted through space the whole time Superman was growing up in Smallville so after landing on earth, she was still looking about 16, while her cousin was a fully grown man yet technically younger than she! What I liked about it was the interaction as Supergirl is not always seen in the Superman stories so it was really refreshing seeing the way Clark (obviously overjoyed at finally having a blood relative with him) being so protective and loving towards Kara as he showed and coached her about Earth and going into Apocalypse with Batman  to rescue her after she was kidnapped by Darkseide  and in the end, Kara embraced her

new identity of Supergirl.

Recently, I found out another tale of the two cousins was released last month; Superman:Unbound  where they battle against  the android Brainiac who shrank  and stole the capital of their original planet Krypton and and has now done the same thing to Metropolis. Making Superman and Supergirl  interact and join forces

as  well as Supergirl emotionally bonding with Lois Lane is beyond wonderful; also Superman finally got to meet his uncle Zor-el and his aunt Alura. Another must watch.

After MAN OF STEEL, I hope Superman fans will be treated to a live action film featuring Superman and Supergirl; the only Supergirl live-action back in  1984 starring Helen Slater was a HUGE disappointment- mostly because of the poor storyline and the absence of Superman. I applaud Supergirl's creation because, while it removes Superman's title of 'The last Kryptonian' - at least he no longer has the deep down unhappy thought that he is alone. With Supergirl, he has a link to his past and can relate to her, even though they have differences of opinions- almost the same way he has with Batman- but he and Supergirl have a closer relationship than he has with the Dark Knight.
So, these are my current recommendations and please let me know your opinions afterwards! See trailers below:



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CARBO FAN FICTION: Return Journey Chapter 19

 Chapter 19

After dressing Byron, Carly packed her overnight case, reliving the events of the previous night. Aside from the emotional speech she’d given before they succumbed to blinding passion, there had been no talking at all.