In the Time of Tenebrae

Content Warning (click to expand)

chronic illness, societal rejection

 

by Catherine Tavares

Jeremy stood at the base of the stairs leading into Holy Trinity church. The service had already started. The windows glowed with candlelight, and he could hear the faint static of someone speaking into a microphone.

After just seven steps, Jeremy would be able to join them. He willed himself forward, body shaking with the effort, but he didn’t move.

Please, G— Jeremy’s thoughts snapped back on themselves, severing cohesion before that one word could form. He pushed forward anyway, silently, shaking turning to pain like fire that traveled up his legs, his spine, his jaw, snapping his fangs out to stab his lower lip.

“Jes—argh!” Jeremy stumbled back, away from the steps. If he still breathed, he’d be gasping; if he had a beating heart, it’d be pounding. But that was the problem: he could not breathe and his heart did not beat.

No vampire’s did.

Jeremy kicked the stair rail in frustration. He shouldn’t have come here.

“Hey! You!”

Startled, Jeremy followed the sudden voice to his right where the church lawn spread out to the street. On the bus bench sat a woman wearing a cheerful yellow dress. She waved at him.

“Yeah, you! Come here.”

Jeremy hastily concentrated to send his fangs back and stepped closer, keeping a healthy distance.

“Can I help you?” he asked tentatively.

“What are you doing out here?” she asked.

Jeremy shrugged. “Thought I’d try a service, but you know…not really my thing.” Anymore.

“Interesting choice of service for a first timer. Tenebrae,” she added when Jeremy said nothing. “Not many people know about it.”

Jeremy gave another shrug.

“But then again,” the woman continued, seemingly unconcerned with Jeremy’s silence. “This is one of the few services specifically hosted at night.” She regarded him thoughtfully.

Jeremy started backing up. “Look lady, I don’t—”

The woman laughed, and as she laughed, she smiled wide, revealing a set of long, sharp fangs of her own. Jeremy stopped.

“Oh,” he said dumbly.

“Yeah, oh.” The woman patted the bench next to her. “Have a seat.” Jeremy did so, cautiously choosing the opposite end. The woman didn’t seem offended.

“I’m Celeste,” she said.

“Jeremy.” He paused. “So, you’re a vamp—er, you have vampirism?”

Celeste laughed again. “Appreciate the effort, but vampire or vamp is fine. And yeah, forty years now.”

She didn’t look a day over thirty. Jeremy’s shoulders slumped. “So, it’s true? Immortality is a side effect?” he asked. Celeste raised an eyebrow.

“Were you diagnosed recently?” she asked.

“Around New Year.”

Celeste hummed sympathetically. “The first year’s hard,” she said. “As for immortality, who knows? Vampirism research is still new; lots of things aren’t known. You got a place to stay?” she asked abruptly.

“Wha—yeah,” Jeremy said warily. “Why?”

Celeste nodded at the church. “Thought you might’ve been looking to stay there. You certainly wouldn’t be the first vampire left homeless. Hard to work when you can’t go out during the day.”

“I’m not homeless,” Jeremy said quickly. He didn’t mention that he had, in fact, lost his job and was forced to move back in with his parents, suddenly as dependent on them at twenty-eight as he was at eight.

“Cool,” Celeste said simply. “But, as you just found, you can’t enter consecrated grounds of religious faiths. If you’re still interested in a Christian service specifically, Faith Rising hosts vamps at Kerry library. They don’t do Tenebrae, though, sorry.”

“I wasn’t—I just wanted to see if…if it was true that…” Jeremy trailed off, feeling suddenly like he was going to cry. He couldn’t shed tears, but his words choked in his throat anyway.

“Sorry,” he croaked, embarrassed.

“Church is pretty important to you, huh?” Celeste guessed quietly. Jeremy nodded mutely and she sighed. “You’re not damned.”

Jeremy laughed bitterly. “You sure? Because not only can I not enter churches, but I haven’t been able to pray because I—I can’t even think the name of G—” Again the word was ripped from his mouth, and Jeremy waved a hand, case in point.

“You have a disease,” Celeste insisted.  “It’s biological, not spiritual. Misfiring neurons and genetic mutations. Your soul or whatever, it’s fine.”

Jeremy shook his head. “I hate this,” he muttered. “I just want my life back.”

“Ah.” Celeste held up one finger and handed him a business card from her pocket. It read ‘Thicker Than Water’ in shiny black letters.

“What’s this?” Jeremy asked.

“You think I hang around churches I can’t attend for fun?” Celeste asked wryly. “Lots of new vamps get spiritual after diagnosis. I find them, and we help them.”

“With what?” Jeremy flipped the card over to reveal a phone number, website, even social media handles. “How come I’ve never heard of you?”

“How come you’ve never noticed the vamp churches in your own neighborhood?” Celeste shot back. Jeremy winced. “It’s fine. Not many people think about what doesn’t affect them. We help vampires find their new normal. Healthcare applications, proper blood donors, night jobs…spiritual counseling.” Celeste looked pointedly at Jeremy. He shook his head.

“I don’t—”

Celeste interrupted him by standing. “Look, call, email, DM, whatever, but reach out, okay? Life’s gonna be different for you now, but it doesn’t have to…suck.” She bared her fangs dramatically, and Jeremy snorted.

“There’s more where that came from if you call!” Celeste grinned, turning to leave.

“Oh,” she said, swinging back around. “I’m no expert, but the dude upstairs, I think he knows a thing or two about the struggles of dying and rising again, so I’m pretty sure he won’t mind if you don’t pray to him by name.”

Celeste didn’t wait for a reply but walked away into the night.

Jeremy stayed on the bench, fingers tracing the letters on the business card. From the church, he heard a short clang of a symbol and looked to see the last candle in the window go out.

Jeremy put the business card in his pocket and leaned forward, head bowed, hands clasped.

Dear heavenly…person…

About the author and the piece (click to expand)

Vampire stories are particularly hard sells at most magazines. Catherine Tavares tells us this one was rejected 25 times elsewhere. Catherine Tavares is a speculative fiction author and member of both SFWA and Codex. Her work has appeared on the Nebula Recommended Reading List and been featured in magazines such as Apex, Nature Futures, Flash Point SF, Haven Spec, and more. An avid reader, she spends most of her time haunting the shelves of her local library, but she can on occasion be persuaded to try a new recipe or work on a knitting project. Read her work and learn more about her at catherinetavares.com.

 

©2026 by Catherine Tavares. All rights reserved. May not be used for A.I. training.