Post by Joanna on Oct 30, 2014 17:56:42 GMT -5
Vampires Thrive in Houston
HOUSTON, Tex. – Blood sucking, dark and evil – the images have become part of modern pop culture, but Local 2 is learning Houston has its own self-proclaimed vampire community that isn't quite as dark. The community has lawyers, teachers and maybe even your next-door neighbor. "There's no telling how many of us there are," said Houston vampire Tarik Rever, a council member with ANKH, the Allied Night Kindred Houston vampire group, and also a cashier for the Whole Foods on Waugh. Rever wears his hair in dreadlocks nearly to the floor and regularly dresses in black leather along with fake fangs and colored contacts. But, he says, there’s much more to being a vampire than that.
Rever has long black hair, shining eyes. "Natural light affects me," he claims. "I'm not really fond of garlic."
But he's more than meets the eye. By day, Rever works as a cashier at Whole Foods on Waugh Drive. "Just ringing up people, cashiering, selling stuff, you know, promotions, event planning," he explains.
By night, Rever is not sucking blood or preying on the dead at graveyards. He's an artist. On weekends he devotes time to re-habbing a house for the art community. "We basically do stuff like restoration projects that restore older houses and bring culture in," he says.
Rever suspects there are a surprisingly large number of vampires in Houston. "It's definitely over 1,000, easy," he claims, adding that many are afraid to acknowledge their true being: "Sometimes people will go against their natural instincts because the pull of gravity of this world. You know, whether they go to a 9-to-5 corporate job or they're a teacher or have certain expectations thrust upon by their families.”
Watching vampires on TV or in the movies, you’d think being a vampire was all about having super powers or shimmering in the sunlight. Oh, and sucking people’s blood, of course. But, according to Rever, it’s different. “We don’t sparkle,” he insists. “We’re not this cliche that Hollywood has portrayed us to be.” For one thing, not all vampires drink blood, they just need “something” from another person in order to sustain their energy. “It can be as simple as hugging somebody,” he adds, “and that exchange of energy is also vampiric.”
So how can you tell if you might be vampire? "In most cases people have an inert, dormant part of them that can be vampiric. I'm starting to feel sick when I'm not around people. That's a big thing," Rever says. "You know, if you're feeling healthier around people you might be subconsciously pulling in their energy. Someone has a sense of perception like their mental acuity is very sharp, their sense of smell, their hearing. I (won't) say superhuman, but acute."
Rever is proud to be a vampire: "I'm just like right here, drinking in the energy of this room. I think it's a natural thing for me so I don't fight it at all," he says.
He also emphasizes that people have no reason to fear vampires because they’re they're genuinely nice and jovial.
If you think you might be a vampire or just want to learn more, you can connect with Rever's vampire group ANKH through Facebook.
Sources: Houstonia, October 2014, and Click2Houston, October 29, 2014.