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Is it possible for a vampire to fall in love with a human? How about the other way around? Fans of the "Twilight" series know the answer.
The book series turned big-screen blockbuster was penned by author Stephenie Meyer and tells the tale of Bella Swan, a teenage girl who moves to a rainy town in Washington state and begins a dramatic relationship with Edward Cullen, a vampire — and fellow high school student — who has sworn not to drink human blood.
"I don't want a prince on a white horse — I want a vampire with a Volvo," read one fan's black T-shirt, alluding to Cullen's car. One "Twilight" enthusiast showed up covered in glitter — mimicking the way Meyer's vampires shimmer in the sun.
The movie, released late last year, is a silver-screen version of Meyer's first book, "Twilight." "New Moon," "Eclipse," and "Breaking Dawn" are books that followed "Twilight," spawning fervor of anticipation and midnight bookstore release parties hearkening back to the days of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series.
What's the appeal? Fans say it's a love story with a twist. "You root for her, and you root for him," said Bethesda resident Tara Blanchard, a fan of the book series along with her daughter Olivia, 11. "They are two lost souls who find each other."
Meyer's technique of placing vampires in a familiar setting is part of the appeal, Blanchard said. "It makes vampires more realistic and less of a fairy tale," said Olivia Blanchard, removing her vampire teeth to speak.
In Meyer's books, vampires can survive on drinking the blood of animals, and aren't hurt by sunlight like traditional vampires. Because of this, Cullen and his family are able to live in the everyday world. "Stephenie Meyer broke all the rules about vampires," said Potomac resident Elizabeth Campbell, 12, who confessed to seeing the movie three times.
Friday's event was one of 20 at Blockbusters around the country celebrating the DVD release, and the party at Cabin John drew "Twilight" fans from all over the Washington metropolitan region.
"‘Twilight' is a great movie, and it appeals to a broad sector of people," said Blockbuster district manager Tim Conway, surveying the scene at the store. "We figured this is one of the biggest releases of the year, so we said, ‘Let's have a party.' "
And a party it was — fans enjoyed pop music, played "Twilight" trivia and competed in a vampire look-alike contest. The winner was Elvish Scheible, 16, of Springfield, Va., who dyed her skin gray using food dye and Clorox wipes.
"I think it's caught on because people are looking for that human connection," said attendee Kitty Hughes, who described herself as "50-something." "Teenagers struggle with that, and as we become adults we figure out we don't know how to do it any better."
Hughes was decked out in "Twilight" lapel pins, which she said she ordered online. One of them read "Bite Me, Edward."
The bottom line, fans say, is that "Twilight" is a love story — and one that's made all the better because of it's unexpected context. "Everyone can do with a little more romance in their lives," Hughes said.
