“It’s just another, day’s journey, and I’m glad,” a woman with a graying bob cut sings.

“I’m glad about it,” the choir responds.

“I’m so glad,”

“I’m glad about it,” the choir continues the call and response.

“I’m so glad.”

“I’m so glad about it”

“You know I got my health and strength y’all and I’m glad,”

“I’m glad about it.”

“You know that I’m so glad to be here.”

“I’m glad about it.”

“I’m so glad.”

“I’m glad about it.”

“I’m so glad to be here,”

“To be here,” the choir holds the note and finishes the song abruptly.

We applaud the song along with everyone else. I can’t remember the last time I went to church. Mom would always make me go, but as soon as I moved out, I stopped. Elias and dad just wouldn’t go. I was always so upset they got away with it and I didn’t. Why did she make me go but not them, probably because I wouldn’t be as difficult, I’d just ball my fist up and do it. That all seems so long ago. Yet here I am back in church again. Sitting next to a vampire, who brought me here. I thought vampires were supposed to be allergic to religious things but apparently, she comes here every Sunday night. I thought I had the wrong address when I had Elias drop me off, didn’t even realize it was a church until I walked inside. I still wasn’t sure; it was set up more like an auditorium for a large high school.

“Good morning church,” a man I assume to be the pastor makes his way to the dark wooden podium with the golden cross etched into it.

“Good morning pastor,” everyone repeats including Destiny.

“I won’t be long this morning,” he opens a bible and a notebook.

“Amen,” a deacon shouts to some laughter.

“Y’all know I preach, but sometimes I must teach,” he continues.

“Go ahead Rev,” the same deacon calls out.

“This morning we’re going to look at a few verses. The first will be Genesis 1:16. It reads as follows. And God made the two great lights, the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night, and the stars. Amen”

“Amen,” everyone repeats. Destiny nudges me when I don’t speak fast enough.

“Now, it should be clear, the sun is the greater light, and the moon is the lesser light. But I want to talk about the stars. Now there are stars we can all see this. But what if we were the stars? Do we not move through the night? Are we not blessed with gifts that ordinary people can’t comprehend? We are the stars, and we should allow ourselves to shine. Amen?”

“Amen,” from the congregation again.

This isn’t a regular church. This is a vampire church. Suddenly it all makes sense. The clothing is varied but the suits and dresses worn by the older members seem to be out of style by a few hundred years. There aren’t any people younger than Destiny and I. Suddenly this a lot to take in. I knew there had to be more vampires in the city after our movie date, but there has to be close to a thousand here tonight. These are just the religious ones; how many are out there?

“In that lesser light, at night. We are the stars, we don’t have to rule the world, but it is our time to shine. Embrace who we are. Psalm chapter 148 verse 3 says it all. There is no difference between his children in the Lord’s eyes. Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars!”

The pastor takes a seat as the congregation shout and claps. He must have had a rousing sermon but I was trying to count the fangs and guess what decade or century some of this clothing came from. They do an invitation to join the church, or be born again. I supposed they’d be born a third maybe fourth time at this point. Destiny leads me outside as soon as service is over. I watch as she speaks with a few church members and hugs others.

“Why did you take me to a vampire church,” I ask Destiny as soon as we’re in the car.

“I wanted you to learn more about me,” she shrugs.

“I didn’t learn anything other than vampires aren’t actually hurt by religion or blessed items.”

“Some are, but not all of us.”

“I don’t get why vampires would want to go to church.”

“Everyone has their own reason. Same as normal people. For me, my parents, real parents were preachers. It brings me comfort.”

“That’s nice.”

“I get the feeling you don’t like church,” she smugly grins.

“Nope. Never felt good about it. The music was always great, but I always felt judged.”

“Did you feel judged tonight?”

“I felt like a snack tonight,” I joke.

She bursts into laughter “Nobody in the church drinks blood directly from people or blood taken without consent. We’re a humane bunch of vampires. Some of us buy blood from our favorite humans, some buy it a blood banks, some are even trying to make synthetic blood.”

“That’s a relief. I’m sorry, this whole thing is catching me off guard.”

“Relax, I keep forgetting you’re a coward. Have to warn you about everything. Now, let’s go get dinner.”

“Blood?”

“Pizza you dork.”

“Fine, but I’m planning date three. My turn to traumatize you.”

“Date three? Was this a date? Boy, you really think I might love you,” she laughs as we pull out the parking lot.

“Remember, you used to word love, not me.”