Versions of the Truth....

Italy.

One of my most favorite haunts on Earth. I've spent several hundred years exploring the cities and learning the ways around the rules. This time I wasn't so lucky.

I'd been there about two weeks when the boredom set in and I decided to visit an old friend in the local vampire bar. I dressed to blend in, which means I donned my best designer dress and stilettos and headed out to find a little trouble.

What I didn't realize was, trouble was waiting for me to arrive. I'd been sitting at the bar for a mere few minutes when she walked in the door. I could smell her blood from across the crowd. She was something special, though to this day I'm not sure exactly what it was that attracted me to the young woman.

I watched her closely for awhile before making my move. I cornered her in the hallway just outside the lavatory and struck up a conversation. I could tell she was young but knowing how strict the laws are for humans amidst vampires in Italy, I figured she must be at least at the age of consent.

That age is higher for a human to consent to being a vampire donor than it would be for a human to human relationship. Apparently we're dangerous.

So while we chatted I managed to steer her towards the door, my hand resting on her back, guiding her. We'd just made it into the limo when things heated up and she consented to my feeding upon her.

The next few hours rushed by in a blur and to be honest I'm not exactly sure of what happened. The next memory I have is of waking up next to her naked body. I could tell she wasn't alive because I couldn't hear her heartbeat any longer. I felt as if I'd lost several hours and couldn't figure out exactly what had gone on inside my villa.

I was reaching for the phone to call in my clean up crew when the Italian authorities burst into my room. I could sense the vampires among them and knew things were about to get bad. For me anyway.

The body lying in my bed didn't help things any. Someone had seen the girl leave the bar with me and when she didn't return at the time she'd stated they'd contacted the local vampire authorities. They in turn notified the human police and both came knocking.

As they approached the house they found large amounts of blood and my companion's clothing strewn about the yard. This gave them cause for alarm and they entered my residence. Unfortunately for me, I was found with the body, with her dried blood on my lips.

They questioned me for days. I had been chained in silver in a human prison cell until the vampire's in charge there could arrange an appropriate place for me to be detained.

I continued to explain that I had no recollection of what had occurred and that the last memory I had of her was her laughing. She'd been alive and breathing.

I was informed that forensic evidence showed she'd been drained by a vampire and that the only vampire in residence in my villa was myself.

I sat in their holding cell, the silver burning into my flesh for two months. I could feel the poisoning setting in, I was growing weaker. I'd begun to give up hope that I'd manage to escape before being transferred to the vampires.

The end of the second month of being detained, I was in downtime to avoid the hunger I felt so strongly, when SHE walked in. Imagine my surprise to find an old friend standing just outside of my cell.

She didn't bother to explain how she'd come to know I was there and I sure didn't ask. She explained that just before dawn a vampire would arrive to take me out of the cell. He'd be carrying papers that would inform the breathers that he was with the IVL and he'd be taking possession of the prisoner, that being me.

The exchange went off without a hitch until we'd reached the outside. It was then that we crossed paths with a real IVL agent on his way into the building. I just knew we were caught, but that wasn't the case. An Enforcer appeared from the shadows and removed the threat.

I was ushered into the waiting vehicle and we sped out of town towards a secluded villa in the hills of Tuscany. We holed up there for days, until we were sure the commotion had died down some. During this time we didn't feed. There was no choice but to stay below ground. Hunting would draw attention and having bottled blood in the home would lead to an investigation. Every vampire must show ID to purchase Tru:Blood there and they are tracked by the area they are in. Luckily for us, there are breathers willing to help us out by owning property that we can hide in if necessary. The laws there are much different from here. As I'd learned the hard way.

Within the week we moved, under the cover of night, always managing to make it to our next destination before dawn and without detection. We'd gone from one safe house to another until finally I was ushered onto a private plane and given new documentation to return to the United States.

It was then that I'd been informed that the US had refused Italy's request to deport me home. They claimed I was not legal in the States since I'd failed to register. My anger grew when I heard this. I've lived in NOLA since the early 1800s and with the exception of a few hunting trips, I'd never left for more than a month at a time.

As we crossed the ocean I was informed that once we landed I'd be considered a fugitive and if any vampire in charge wished they could hand me over to the Italian Vampire League or the humans.

I was told to lay low and not draw attention to myself. But as you all know, that is not a possibility for me. The nature of my being is to hunt and kill. That alone draws attention.

I know I should mainstream and not be seen often, but frankly I don't give a fuck. It's the humans' influence that led to the laws in Italy that sent me on the run. I don't conform to the humans' laws or expectations. I'm Sunshine. I do as I please and if the humans don't like it, well, I can easily rid the world of them.

I'll continue to be who I am and if I'm caught, I'll find another way out. I haven't made it 847 years without learning a few tricks.