Великая война [Velikaya Voyna (The Great War)]

The Battle of Stalingrad tested my loyalties to Comrade Stalin. We were being starved and people were eating one another, and I was one of the cannibals. I have an excuse, before you go and report me to the Comrade General. This secret must be kept very classified, do not tell anyone, for this will surely send hunters out to kill me with the only weapons that will affect me. I am a vampire, and the Slavic people do not take too kindly to vampires, especially right now.

It is somewhat easier to, as they say, “blend in” when cannibalism is rampant. I just have to kill a person, take their blood, and blame it on starvation later or even suicide, if I think of it. I just slit their wrists, and say later “oh poor thing couldn’t take it anymore, just killed himself”. See? Easy.

Before blood-lust sidetracked me, this so-called

“Battle of Stalingrad” really tested my loyalties. This very thought could get me sent off to gulags if this got off. This may be more damning than the vampirism. No one goes against Comrade Stalin, Our Great and Powerful Leader.

The gulags are rumored to be worse than these camps Adolf Hitler has created. I hope to experience neither. The blood is already awful in this emaciated city. What it would be like in one of those camps?

When our capital of Stalingrad was invaded by the Nazis, with whom we were once-almost allies in a non-aggression pact (look how well that turned out), we were sent little aid by our Gracious Leader Comrade Stalin. We, the innocent bystanders of Stalingrad, were barricaded into our city with little food and supplies. Dying began soon after. With no resources and food, mothers began eating their children, just for food. I had to sit by and watch my once-friends and comrades eat each other.

Stolen story; please report.

Then, in a miraculous turn of events, a man whom I had never seen approached me and told me of this magic that would sate hunger, thirst, and want, forever. This, in my starving mind, sounded promising. I was turned. I awoke from the unconsciousness I was in, and quickly began my plan of murdering the humans who were already close to death. Their deaths blended into the rest.

When food would scarcely come upon our barricaded city, I would give my small amount to a child who needed it. What would I need food for? This of course raised suspicion, and my fellow comrades became convinced that I was hoarding food. To keep my secret safe, they had to be killed.

Keeping my secret caused more bloodshed than I ever wanted. I was a monster.

I often wonder about whether or not making Comrade Stalin (who never really was our comrade, instead he was a paranoid ruler that we never saw) into a vampire. I wonder the same about Mr. Adolf Hitler. If I had turned them, would they have made different choices? Would they have fled like I did after Stalingrad was won? Or would they have killed more people to sate that hunger that constantly aches within?

I wonder this, and then have deep philosophical thoughts about the definition of vampires. Most consider vampires to suck the life force out of the victim. Life force does not always mean blood...

Maybe I never had to turn Comrade Stalin and the Great Fuhrer. Maybe I never had to. Maybe they already were.