My existence has continued for longer than I care to remember.  Yet no matter how long it lasts or how Hell-ish of a life it becomes, I can't bring myself to end it.

You've most likely heard of vampires that thrive upon the blood of humans and animals, zombies that hunger for human flesh and spread their disease, and even werewolves that attack on instinct to maim and create more of their kind.  But have you ever heard of a soul stealer?

I see now that I have your attention, good!

Soul stealers live in the darkness yet we may walk in the light with humans and creatures of the day, hiding what we are.  We seem like no more than normal "human" beings, but in the darkness we have many forms.  We can be as fleeting and horrifying as the shadows, forms changing in the blink of an eyes.  We can have solid forms of bone and flesh.  Or we may have an appearance befitting of what we are, demons, Hell spawns, soul suckers, devourers of life, destroyers of light, shadows in the night...

We have many names.

Another thing that separates us from the other monsters and creatures that go bump in the night is that what we are, we can't spread.  We cannot choose a human and turn them into one of us.

We were born into this life, created...

Yet we were also once human.  We died and our souls were filled with darkness, anger, hatred, betrayal, sorrow, and they couldn't be fixed.  They were too far broken, shattered...

How we turned into these soul stealers, I have no clue.  Perhaps one of the older shadows can tell you.  Maybe they have more answers than I...

Though from what I do know and what I am, I suggedt you stay away from us.  We are not kind unless we are toying with you, gaining your trust only to break it.  Quite a few of us enjoy seeing humans in pain.  It reminds us that we aren't the only ones suffering.  All we want from human kind is their souls.

Just so you know what you're dealing with, I'll let you see what happens when a soul stealer hunts.

Stepping back into the shadows, my form disappears and it's time to find new targets to satisfy my hunger.  Looking up to the star lit night sky I smile as I see that it is the night of the new moon.  Many soul stealers will be out hunting tonight as the darkness has free rein over the world, even if just for a few nights.  Resuming my hunt, travelling through the shadows I find a cute little group of humans.  They look so young, so happy, and I can't help but want to change that.  They all seem to stand so tall, their skin pale white like the light of the moon, now missing from the sky.  Their bodies illuminated by the lamplights and to me, though I was once one of them, they seem so strange.  I really have changed since becoming a soul stealer.  You're people have every right to call me a monster...

Slipping out of the shadows and into the edge of the lamplight I reveal my true form.  There is a girl who stands furthest from the crowd and in truth she looks just like I do in my human form.

A twinge of guilt stabs at me but I've been through this so many times before and push it aside brusquely.  The girl was smiling when she first turned around but when she saw me, saw what I am, she screamed and ran to the rest of the group.  They are at first confused by her antics as she tries to warn them before they look to where she is frantically pointing.  They now see me too.

Baring my sharp teeth as they realize that what they see, what I am, is not a dream but the terrifying reality.  Now they are all huddled together, trembling in fear.  Their eyes are wide, filled to the brim with tears mouths agape as their piercing wails and keening escape their lips into the night air.

There goes that guilt again, but it's too late as I step further into the lamplight, closer to the humans shivering in fear.  I open my mouth and inhale deep, their souls being pulled from their bodies in glowing wisp like strands, and they seem like they are falling into a deep sleep.  As the last of their souls is taken and leaves their bodies, slipping down my throat, one by one they collapse, strewn across the ground like the leaves during the frigid fall months.  Closing my mouth before I swallow, I let out a sigh.

This is my life, for me to live, they all must die...

This is the true nature of what I am.  Though other soul stealers can feel differently about it.  They can be far more ruthless, defiling the bodies before and after the kill, enjoying watching their prey as they run and playing a twisted game of cat and mouse.  They can try to deny what they are and starve themselves, refusing to take a human's soul and end their life.  While others simply don't care anymore, too far gone and apathetic to care for the lives they steal.

This is the existence we were brought to and this is how I live through it.