I Am Legend

Later in the evening Neville sits at home reading Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The book is full of silly superstitions and legends about vampires, but its basic premise is sound, Neville decides: throughout history, vampires have been deadly because almost nobody believed in them. But vampires are all-too real. Neville thinks about “the twelve children that afternoon” and shudders.

It’s nighttime. Neville drinks alcohol and hears the voice of Ben Cortman calling out to him. A little drunk, he contemplates going out to join the vampires, so that he can “be one of them,” but then reminds himself why he doesn’t give in: somewhere out there, there must be other human beings like him.

Suddenly, Neville has a profound feeling that he’ll never see another human being again. Frustrated, he breaks his glass, cutting his hand. He stares down at the blood dripping from his hand, and thinks, “Wouldn’t they like to get some of it?” As he bandages his hand, Neville finds himself thinking about Kathy again.

Neville continues drinking. As he becomes slowly drunker, he begins to give a mock-lecture about how the vampire is a persecuted minority—hated throughout history. He wonders aloud if a deadly vampire is any worse than a politician, a manufacturer, a shady businessman, or a terrorist. He concludes that the vampire can’t be blamed for its evil acts—it has no voting rights or means for education. He concludes his lecture by asking, “Sure, but would you let your sister marry one?”

Neville staggers around his house, trying not to think about the beautiful bodies waiting for him outside. He walks to his door and starts to remove the heavy bar that keeps the door locked. As he lifts the bar, he can hear the vampires outside howling with excitement. Then, suddenly, Neville lets the bar fall again, and walks back to his bedroom. He thinks, “how long, how long?”