Bloodthirsty: Somaliland

Ninkarrak

My name is Ninkarrak, and I am a vampire. I live in Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, a self-declared state in the Horn of Africa. I have been living here for the past decade, blending in with the locals and feeding on the blood of unsuspecting victims. I have seen many changes in this city, from the civil war that ravaged it in the 1980s and 1990s, to the reconstruction and development that followed. But nothing compares to the change that happened to me four thousand years ago, when I was turned into a creature of the night.

I was born in Mesopotamia, the land between the rivers Tigris and Euphrates, in the 4th millennium BC. . . I was respected and revered by the people, who came to me for cures and blessings. . I wrote hymns and prayers to Gula, as well as records of her miracles and teachings.

One night, as I was performing a ritual in the temple, a stranger entered. He was tall and handsome, with dark hair and piercing eyes. He wore a cloak that covered his body, and a mask that hid his face. He said he was a traveler from a faraway land, and he asked for my hospitality. I welcomed him, as it was our custom to be kind to strangers. I offered him food and drink, and showed him to a guest room. He thanked me, and said he would rest until dawn.

I did not suspect anything at first, but as the night went on, I felt a strange attraction to him. I could not stop thinking about him, and I wondered what he looked like under his mask. I decided to visit him in his room, hoping to get a glimpse of his face. I knocked on his door, but there was no answer. I opened it slowly, and saw him lying on his bed. He seemed to be asleep, but his breathing was faint. I approached him cautiously, and lifted his mask.

I gasped when I saw his face. He was pale as death, with sharp fangs protruding from his mouth. His eyes were closed, but they moved rapidly under his eyelids. He was having a nightmare, and he was muttering something in a language I did not understand. He looked like a demon, but he also looked like an angel. I felt a mix of fear and fascination, and I could not look away.

He suddenly opened his eyes, and stared at me with a hungry gaze. He grabbed me by the neck, and pulled me closer to him. He bit my throat, and drank my blood. I screamed in pain and pleasure, as he drained me of my life force. He then kissed me on the mouth, and whispered in my ear: "You are mine now."

, and he was a vampire. He said he had been wandering the world for centuries, looking for someone like me. Someone who could share his immortality and loneliness. Someone who could be his companion and lover. He said he had chosen me because I was beautiful and wise, and because I had the blood of Gula in my veins.

He said he had given me a gift: the gift of eternal life. He said I would never grow old or sick, and I would have powers beyond imagination. He said we would travel together to see the wonders of the world, and we would feast on the blood of mortals. He said we would be gods among men.

He also told me the price: the price of eternal death. He said I would never see the sun again, or feel its warmth on my skin. He said I would have to avoid fire and silver, which could harm me. He said I would have to kill to survive, and drink blood to sustain myself. He said we would be hated and feared by men.

He asked me if I accepted his gift or not. He said he would respect my choice: if I wanted to live as a vampire with him, he would embrace me; if I wanted to die as a human without him, he would release me.

I did not know what to choose. I loved him, but I also loved my life as a priestess of Gula. I wanted to see the world with him, but I also wanted to serve my goddess in her temple. I wanted to be immortal with him, but I also wanted to be mortal without him.

I looked into his eyes, and saw his love for me. But I also saw his pain and sorrow. He had suffered a lot in his long existence, and he needed me to ease his burden. He had given me a gift, but he had also given me a curse. He had made me a vampire, but he had also made me his salvation.

I made my choice. I kissed him, and said: "I am yours now."

He smiled, and hugged me. He said: "You are my Ninkarrak, my beloved one."

He then took me away from the temple, and from Mesopotamia. We left behind everything I had ever known, and embarked on a new life together. A life of adventure and danger, of love and blood.

We have been together ever since, traveling across the continents and the ages. We have seen the rise and fall of empires, the birth and death of civilizations, the creation and destruction of wonders. We have met many people, some friends and some foes, some human and some not. We have experienced many joys and sorrows, many pleasures and pains.

We are still together, here in Hargeisa. We have found a home in this city, among its people and its culture. We have adapted to its changes, and we have contributed to its development. We have also found a way to balance our hunger and our humanity. We do not kill indiscriminately, but we feed on those who deserve it. We do not harm the innocent, but we help those who need it.

We are still vampires, but we are also still human.

We are still alive, but we are also still dead.

We are still Ninkarrak and Enkidu.

We are still in love.