Auntie M and I were walking up to the main school hall where the Halloween party was being held. A little bit of my Aunt's magic before hand had dressed us up to look like Wayne and Garth from Wayne's World; I was Garth and Auntie M was Wayne. Quite appropriate as the theme of the party was eighties and nineties and thankfully nobody else had the same idea either. We had chatted for a little bit before deciding to finally go in.

'I really thought vampires would be y'know just... awful and scary. I mean this is my first time meeting real vampires.' I said to my Aunt.

'Oh please they're all kittens really.' Auntie M snorted. 'They're nothing like how they're portrayed in films and stuff.'

'Yeah I kinda figured. What is actually true about them though there's not much in the handbook?'

'Well they're not as bloodthirsty as you'd think.' Auntie M started. 'Maybe when they're young, like less than a hundred years or so and if they don't have a responsible maker or a supportive clan they can get out of hand. It's ground in to them not to be messy and needlessly kill all the time it just draws too much attention.'

That seemed to make sense to me. I nodded as my Aunt carried on talking.

'Um what else. Oh they can go out during the day time but they're kinda shit, like a human with a really bad hangover.' She snorted again. 'So they do tend to sleep during the day instead the sun properly weakens them. Silver doesn't bother them either though they do get a bit tetchy around sharp pointy wooden things.'

'So there's a lot that Hollywood portrays about them that isn't true.'

'Exactly. They don't care about garlic, they don't sleep in coffins exclusively, decapitation will obviously kill a lot of things not just vampires, going in churches of any kind doesn't bother them but holy water and strongly blessed items do.'

'Do they really become evil when they're turned? I mean do they loose their humanity?' I asked.

'Not really, unless they're the type that really does enjoy the power they have and ends up turning in to a mass murderer. But all creatures can turn out that way too. Sure they can end up in some weird moral dilemmas when it comes to feeding, but other than that they're kinda normal.'

'And blood.' I said, thinking how to word my question. 'I've seen some interpretations of vampires eating food or being able to live off animal blood. What's true there?'

'No human food or drink at all, but they can drink animal blood. They're not keen on it though.'

'Does it taste bad or something or have no nutritional value to them?'

'Something like that. Let me put it this way. When you go to restaurants you've never eaten at before, do you have a go to dish that you choose every time because you know you like it and you can gauge it against other places you've been to?' Auntie M asked me, I think I knew where she was coming from.

'Yeah, it's usually a cheese burger or lasagne or something, depending where I go though.' I answered.

'Okay so you know how a cheese burger or lasagne tastes and it will differ from restaurant. And you'll know where to get your favourite.'

'Yes.'

'Well it's like that for vampires, but replace the cheeseburger with blood. Human blood is always the best, some vampires have a preference to a certain blood type or a specific race of people, gender even. Drinking animal blood to them is like us getting a cheeseburger from a van off the M Sixty Two with a one star food hygiene rating. You know it's a cheeseburger it's just a bloody awful one.'

I felt a lot better after chatting with Auntie M about vampires. It was a bit of a bolt out of the blue that our coven was aligned with a vampire clan and that was something I was only privy to till after I properly joined.

'So vampires have been massively romanticised by the media then without them knowing they really exist.' I stated. Auntie M nodded.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

'Massively indeed. Yes they have super speed, super strength, enhanced senses, near perfect immortality and some do have special abilities that are specific to that individual but they're not these overly moody beings wrought with conflicting emotions or none at all or whatever. They're not all crazed, torturous serial killers either.'

'Whew that's actually quite nice to know.' I breathed.

'And sex with vampires is pretty fucking awesome too.' Auntie M threw that out there.

'Auntie M!' I exclaimed in some kind of shocked voice. I don't know why it came out the way it did, it reminded me being super embarrassed whenever my mum tried speaking to me about things like sex, or periods or anything like that. Besides I never went to my mum asking her about those kinds of issues, I always went to my Aunt as she never beat around the bush and told me exactly what I wanted to know; no sugar coating or anything.

'Don't you sound so surprised at that girlie, remember you asked me what spit-roasting and glory holes were when you were thirteen because you heard them on some tv show and I told you exactly what they were.'

'Yeah sometimes I wish I didn't ask you those things.'

'I'm just putting it out there okay?' Auntie M held up her hands. 'I mean I know you're... a sensible girl. But if I were in your shoes, I would not have my first time be with some fumbling spotty teenager.'

I squinted my eyes at her when she said I was sensible but I had a bit of a grin on my face.

'Nice save.' I snorted. I knew she was going to be an embarrassing Aunt and say virgin but she's not that mean, she just liked winding me up sometimes. 'Why was your first time really bad or something?

Auntie M cackled and lolled her head back.

'Bryce Higginshaw.' Auntie M gagged slightly when she said his name. 'We were the same age as you are now and we were at some house party. Bryce was quite popular and it was odd he had even taken an interest in me I was really weird at school.'

'You're still weird now Auntie M.' I sassed her, payback for nearly saying I was a virgin out loud. Granted there was nobody around just yet to hear, but still.

'Touche. Anyway he had apparently liked me for quite some time, I was pretty buzzed, he was more drunk than he looked and then we were like "go on then." Worst idea ever it was tragic.'

'Wow was it really that bad?'

'Limp, boring, sticky and unfulfilling if you get my drift. That's all I'm saying.

'Ew.'

'Big ew. Seriously Maddie people say your first time should be special and meaningful and all that sappy shite. Nope, it just has to be good enough so you're not lying there planning what you're having for tea the night after or trying to remember if you set the tivo box to record Coronation Street.'

I had to laugh at that. Auntie M had a way with words and she didn't particularity care how they came out. This is why she was my most favourite family member and why I spoke to her about everything and not my mother. The idea and thought of being a witch really didn't feel as daunting n ow. I was mentally preparing myself for more shocks and revelations but I'd handled everything thrown at me so far, a few more wouldn't hurt.

Our leisurely walk from the edge of the forest up to the school was nice. I loved these chats with my Aunt and I was glad she was with me at school and during my transition in to becoming a proper witch. Eventually we got to the entrance to the school hall and casually fist bumped each other before we walked through the doors.

We ogled the decorations and the lights that had been expertly situated around the huge hall, plus we had to applaud the proper DJ the school had hired as he didn't speak over every single tune he played in a muffled voice. I've been to way too many events whether it be a party, a wedding reception or whatever and the DJ was doing nothing but talking over the music in to a mic that was probably on its way out. There was a proper buffet. Not the usual "mums gone to Iceland" and bought fish fingers, mini sausage rolls and a few king prawn rings that you'd find at standard parties; but this was full on upper class faire where sausage rolls and shop bought dips were food for "poor people." No, there were fancy canapes, finger food that looked like works of art and bite sized deserts that were too pretty to even think about eating. Every single thing in the buffet had been carefully handcrafted by the school chef and his team and they had done a brilliant job. There was even a huge tower filled with Halloween themed cupcakes, all with intricate decorations on them.

'Maddie! Auntie M!'

Victoria and Katie had spotted us and ran over. Their costumes of Cher and Dionne from Clueless were absolutely wicked and to be honest, they were some of the best costumes at the entire party. Of course Francesca and her cronies were dressed up; unironically as the girls from Heathers to which I did a bit of an eye roll at as it was so fitting. Victoria and Katie were telling us about what had been happening that night which turned out to be not very much.

'Tell you who had the best costume of the night.' Victoria shouted over the music. 'Duane Mekonnen, he's dressed as Prince he looks amazing.'

We spent a little while trying to spot costumes we recognised and who was wearing them. Katie had informed us that the headmaster Mr Banks was dressed up as Jack Nicholson's character; Jack Torrance from The Shining, he even had a fake axe with him as well and genuinely looked a bit psychotic. We spotted some of the other male school teachers, a group of which had dressed up as Spinal Tap which I had to applaud. There were the obligatory Ghostbusters, the odd Jason or Freddie Kreuger kicking about but the cherry on top of the cake were Liam and Daniel Evans dressed as Bill and Ted respectively. And they were heading right for us.