If only I'd known

So I came across an interesting writing challenge today. To write a story where the first line is 20 words, the second line is 19 words, the third line is 18 words and so on, all the way to a one word ending. It sparked an idea so I thought I'd give it a try. The result is below. Enjoy!

The other day I realized for the first time that living with a vampire is not all fun and games. You’d think I would’ve concluded this long before now but for some reason I failed to see the signs. Obvious signs like the nocturnal shenanigans, the constant threat of impending violence and the overall feeling of wrongness. Despite waking in the middle of the night while an evil presence lurked nearby, I remained unaware. Friends tried to convince me I needed a new roommate but I waved away their concerns. They pleaded with me, begged me to open my eyes before he opened a vein. I laughed at their macabre exclamations and shook my head at their silly fears. Because of course they were wrong – my roommate simply preferred night over day. Though the more I considered it, the more I began to doubt. What if I’d been wrong and had deluded myself into complacency? What if I went to sleep and never woke up? I didn’t have the answers, only a bone-jarring terror. With no other options, I grabbed a stake. To do what, I had no idea. But I felt better with it. As if it offered protection. Which it did not. So I waited. To sleep. Forever.