Authentic Vampire Encounters: The Chilling 1995 Tampa Nightclub Incident | Paranormal Documentation
Vampire encounters remain among the most enigmatic phenomena in modern paranormal reports. Despite skepticism, numerous accounts describe beings that closely resemble the vampiric entities portrayed in popular culture. These reports often share striking similarities, creating a pattern that has attracted attention from paranormal researchers and authors who document such unusual experiences.
One particularly compelling case occurred in September 1995 at a Gothic nightclub called The Castle in Tampa's historic Ybor City district. A couple, while enjoying their evening at this former cigar factory turned nightclub, reportedly encountered a mysterious figure who demonstrated supernatural abilities—appearing and disappearing across crowded spaces and communicating through psychic means. The encounter culminated in a strange warning and physical effects that left lasting impressions on those involved.
Key Takeaways
Modern vampire encounter reports often feature beings with similar characteristics to fictional vampires, including supernatural movement and psychic communication.
The historic Ybor City district in Tampa houses venues like The Castle nightclub where paranormal encounters have been documented.
Witnesses in these cases frequently report experiencing physical symptoms or health revelations following their unusual encounters.
Vampire Lore and Reports
Accounts of vampire encounters exist globally, with individuals reporting run-ins with entities resembling cinematic vampires. Alva Rosales has documented numerous such cases throughout his published guides, cataloging people's descriptions of these mysterious beings.
A particularly notable incident occurred on September 7, 1995, in Ybor City, Tampa's Latin quarter. A couple—Asrin and Annie—were enjoying nightlife at a Gothic club called "The Castle," a renovated cigar factory from the 1800s. Asrin, despite his intimidating appearance with his black trench coat and metal claw accessory, was known as gentle-natured.
While inside the crowded venue, Asrin experienced an overwhelming sense of dread. He noticed a medium-built man who seemed to move impossibly through the packed club, disappearing and reappearing across the room in seconds. This mysterious figure maintained eye contact with Asrin multiple times, displaying an annoyed expression when followed.
The encounter escalated when Asrin pursued the figure outside. Moving among trees along a walkway, the entity communicated telepathically, saying: "Isn't it wonderful how the hunter becomes the hunted?" The being warned Asrin not to look directly at its face, despite previous eye contact, and cautioned him that his "blood was tainted."
Following this warning, Asrin experienced intense head pain and collapsed. Interestingly, eight months later, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, which he believed explained the entity's reference to his "tainted blood."
Annie corroborated the encounter, noting the figure's unsettling ability to relocate throughout the venue without detection. She observed the entity watching them long before Asrin noticed its presence.
This telepathic communication aspect appears frequently in vampire reports. Similar mental communication has been documented in other cryptid encounters, including:
Bigfoot sightings
Extraterrestrial contacts
Men in Black encounters
Local newspapers later reported two murders in Ybor City around this time, which Asrin believed might have been connected to the entity they encountered that night.
Real Vampires, Night Stalkers, and Creatures from the Dark Side
Reports of encounters with vampire-like entities persist in modern times, despite the skepticism such accounts naturally provoke. The Gothic nightclub scene sometimes becomes the backdrop for these unusual incidents, as demonstrated by a 1995 encounter in Tampa, Florida.
On September 7, 1995, a couple identified only as Asrin and Annie visited the Castle nightclub in Ybor City. The Castle, a renovated cigar factory from the 1800s, catered to Gothic clientele in what was then a somewhat run-down area of Tampa's Latin Quarter.
Asrin, a tall man dressed in Gothic attire including a black leather trench coat and eyeliner, began experiencing an overwhelming sense of dread shortly after entering the club. He spotted a medium-built man who seemed to be watching him from across the room.
The Encounter
What happened next defied explanation:
The mysterious figure locked eyes with Asrin and grinned
The man seemed to vanish and reappear instantly across the crowded dance floor
Despite the packed venue, the entity moved with impossible speed between locations
Asrin became obsessed with following this figure, experiencing intense heat and anger as he approached him. The figure kept disappearing and reappearing until eventually leading Asrin outside the club.
On the tree-lined walkway, Asrin experienced something truly unsettling. A voice seemed to emanate from within his own mind, stating: "Isn't it wonderful how the hunter becomes the hunted out here in the streets?" The voice warned him not to look at its face.
The Warning
The entity delivered a chilling message telepathically:
"You should be grateful that your blood is tainted, friend."
"Do not pursue this further. This will be your only warning."
"Perhaps we will meet again. I will always be able to find what has found me."
After this communication, Asrin collapsed from what he described as intense pain in his head. A nearby preacher and Annie helped him to a bench. Eight months later, Asrin was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, which he believed explained the entity's reference to his "tainted blood."
Annie confirmed the strange nature of the encounter, noting that she had observed the figure before Asrin pointed him out. "He was always there one minute - on the dance floor, then at a window, then on a couch," she reported. Local papers allegedly reported two murders in Ybor City around this time, which Asrin believed may have been connected to the entity.
This type of telepathic communication appears in multiple vampire encounter reports, as well as in accounts of other paranormal entities including Bigfoot, extraterrestrials, Men in Black, and Dogman sightings.
The Encounter of Asrin and Annie
On September 7, 1995, a nighttime adventure in Tampa's Latin quarter took an unexpected turn for two clubgoers named Asrin and Annie. The pair had spent their evening at the Castle, a Gothic nightclub housed in a renovated cigar factory in Ybor City's historic district.
Asrin, a gentle giant despite his intimidating appearance, stood six feet tall with long straggly hair and was dressed in a black leather trench coat with black eyeliner. He also wore a metal claw on his left arm as part of his outfit. Before entering the club, he had been playfully frightening street preachers outside.
Shortly after entering the Castle and getting settled with drinks, Asrin experienced an unsettling sensation. He felt compelled to scan the room, eventually spotting a medium-built man who triggered an overwhelming sense of dread. When their eyes met, the stranger gave Asrin an imposing grin before seemingly vanishing.
What followed defied explanation. The mysterious figure reappeared on the opposite side of the dance floor—an impossible feat given the crowded conditions. Asrin, increasingly obsessed with tracking this individual, continued to spot him moving supernaturally through the packed club.
Annie had also noticed the stranger earlier. "I saw him sitting by the window in the corner of the small room with the bar," she later explained. The figure's ability to appear in different locations without being seen moving between them disturbed both of them.
Outside the club, Asrin continued his pursuit along a tree-lined walkway. Suddenly, he heard a voice that seemed to originate from within his own mind: "Isn't it wonderful how the hunter becomes The Hunted out here in the streets?"
The encounter turned even more chilling when the voice warned Asrin not to look at his face, despite having made eye contact previously. Most disturbing was the final warning: "You should be grateful that your blood is Tainted friend. Do not pursue this further."
Following this psychic communication, Asrin collapsed with an intense headache. A street preacher named Shane helped him to a nearby bench. Strangely, eight months after this incident, Asrin was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma—giving eerie meaning to the stranger's comment about his "tainted blood."
According to Asrin, local papers reported two girls were murdered in Ybor City around that time. He firmly believed the entity he encountered that night was responsible for these deaths.
Asrin's Perspective and Experience
Asrin, standing six feet tall with long straggly hair and dressed in a black leather trench coat, initially spent his September 1995 evening playfully unsettling street preachers outside The Castle, a Gothic nightclub in Tampa's Ybor City. Despite his intimidating appearance with black eyeliner and a metal claw on his left arm, he considered himself a gentle person who simply enjoyed the irony of frightening preachers who advocated against judgment.
After entering the nightclub with his friend Annie and others, Asrin experienced an overwhelming sense of dread. He noticed a medium-built man in the crowd who immediately disturbed him. The stranger locked eyes with Asrin, offered an unsettling grin, and then seemingly vanished.
What followed defied explanation. The figure reappeared across the crowded dance floor—an impossible movement given the packed conditions. Asrin pursued him throughout the venue, becoming increasingly obsessed with the stranger's sinister presence and inexplicable movements.
"I felt an inner heat that I never felt before and an intense anger came over me," Asrin recalled about approaching the man. When the figure left the club, Asrin followed him outside where their encounter took an even more disturbing turn.
The stranger seemed to move through the trees along the walkway outside. Asrin then experienced what felt like internal communication—a voice that didn't come from outside but from within, saying: "Isn't it wonderful how the hunter becomes the hunted out here in the streets?"
The mysterious figure warned Asrin not to look directly at his face and delivered a chilling message: "You should be grateful that your blood is tainted, friend. Do not pursue this further." Immediately following this warning, Asrin experienced excruciating head pain that felt like his brain was being compressed, causing him to collapse.
Remarkably, about eight months after this encounter, Asrin was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. He believed this explained the stranger's cryptic reference to his "tainted blood." Asrin also connected the figure to newspaper reports of two murders in Ybor City around that time.
Annie confirmed the strange events, noting that she had seen the man watching them even before Asrin noticed him. "To say I was shook up by him was an understatement," she explained, describing how the figure would impossibly appear in different locations throughout the venue—at the window, dance floor, couch, and corners—with no explanation for his movements.
The Mysterious Figure
In September 1995, a chilling encounter took place in Ybor City, Tampa's Latin quarter. A couple, Asrin and Annie, experienced something they couldn't explain while visiting a Gothic nightclub called The Castle.
Asrin, a tall man dressed in a black leather trench coat with long straggly hair and black eyeliner, had been entertaining himself by startling street preachers before entering the club with Annie and their friends. Shortly after entering, he felt an inexplicable sense of dread wash over him.
He noticed a medium-built man moving through the crowd in ways that defied explanation. The stranger would lock eyes with Asrin, then seemingly vanish and reappear across the crowded room instantaneously. This impossible movement pattern continued multiple times, creating a growing sense of unease.
The mysterious figure appeared to move with supernatural speed, traversing packed spaces with ease that normal patrons couldn't match. Both Asrin and Annie became aware of his presence, with Annie later recalling that the man could be seen in different locations around the club in impossibly quick succession.
When Asrin eventually pursued the figure outside, their encounter took an even more disturbing turn. The stranger seemed to communicate directly into Asrin's mind, warning: "You should be grateful that your blood is Tainted friend. Do not pursue this further."
Following this mental communication, Asrin experienced excruciating head pain and collapsed. A preacher named Shane helped him to a nearby bench where Annie found him.
Strange Aftermath:
Asrin later learned of two murders in Ybor City around that time
He believed the mysterious figure might have been responsible
Eight months after the encounter, Asrin was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma
He connected this diagnosis to the figure's warning about his "tainted blood"
This type of encounter shares common elements with other paranormal reports. People often describe experiencing telepathic communication during encounters with unexplained entities, hearing voices directly in their minds rather than through normal auditory channels.
Annie's Observations
Annie first noticed the mysterious figure at The Castle, a Gothic nightclub in Ybor City. While standing at the bar ordering amaretto with her friend Darcy, she spotted a man sitting by the window in the corner of the small room. What struck her was the peculiar way he observed them.
After getting their drinks, Annie glanced up to find the man had vanished. This puzzled her since he would have needed to pass by the bar to exit, yet she hadn't noticed him leave. Only later did Asrin approach her to point out the same individual in another room.
The man's movements throughout the nightclub defied explanation. Annie observed, "It seemed like he was always there—one minute on the dance floor, the next minute at a window, the next minute on a couch, a corner and so on." His ability to appear in different locations without being seen moving between them was particularly unsettling.
Unlike typical Gothic patrons who frequented The Castle, this individual triggered genuine fear in Annie. As she candidly admitted, "To say I was shook up by him was an understatement." Despite being familiar with the various goth and vampire enthusiasts who regularly visited the venue, this person seemed fundamentally different in ways she couldn't fully articulate.
The Confrontation and Mysterious Figure
On September 7, 1995, a couple named Asrin and Annie had an unsettling encounter while clubbing at the Castle, a Gothic nightclub in Tampa's historic Ybor City district. Asrin, a tall man with long hair wearing a black trench coat and metal claw accessory, had been playfully intimidating street preachers before entering the venue with Annie and friends.
Shortly after entering the club, Asrin experienced an overwhelming sense of dread. He noticed a medium-built man moving through the crowd in a way that deeply disturbed him. The stranger locked eyes with Asrin, gave an unsettling grin, then seemingly vanished.
What made this encounter particularly bizarre was the man's apparent ability to teleport across the crowded dance floor. Asrin would spot him on one side of the room, only to find him seconds later on the opposite side—a physically impossible feat given the packed conditions.
Driven by curiosity despite growing fear, Asrin pursued the figure through the club. Each time they made eye contact, Asrin felt increasingly disturbed. Annie also noticed the stranger and was terrified by his presence.
The pursuit continued outside when Asrin sensed the man had left the club. On a tree-lined walkway, Asrin heard a voice that seemed to resonate from within his own head:
"Isn't it wonderful how the hunter becomes the hunted out here in the streets?"
The voice warned Asrin not to look at his face, adding: "You should be grateful that your blood is tainted, friend. Do not pursue this further." The strange encounter culminated with Asrin experiencing excruciating head pain and collapsing to the ground.
Most disturbingly, approximately eight months after this incident, Asrin was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. He believed this explained the stranger's cryptic reference to his "tainted blood."
Annie corroborated the story, noting she had seen the man watching them earlier. She described his movements as impossible—appearing at the window one moment, on the dance floor the next, then at a couch in the corner.
Two young women were reportedly murdered in Ybor City around this time. Asrin firmly believed the mysterious figure he encountered that night was responsible for these deaths.
Theories and Similar Reports
Numerous accounts exist of individuals claiming to encounter beings resembling vampires from popular culture. These encounters often share distinctive patterns and characteristics that transcend isolated incidents.
Vampire researcher Alva Rosales has compiled an extensive collection of such reports throughout his published guides. These documented cases feature individuals describing encounters with entities that bear striking similarities to the vampiric creatures portrayed in cinema.
In Tampa, Florida on September 7, 1995, a particularly notable incident occurred involving two clubgoers at a Gothic nightclub called "The Castle." The male witness, a tall man dressed in Gothic attire with a leather trench coat and black eyeliner, experienced an overwhelming sense of dread while inside the venue.
The witness spotted a medium-built man whose presence disturbed him deeply. This mysterious figure exhibited impossible movements, appearing to instantly transport from one side of the crowded dance floor to another. When their eyes met, the mysterious individual would offer unsettling grins before seemingly vanishing.
Key Characteristics of the Encounter:
The entity moved impossibly through crowded spaces
Created feelings of dread and unease
Could apparently vanish and reappear
Communicated telepathically
The witness followed the figure outside, where the encounter intensified. The entity appeared to move unnaturally between trees and spoke in a way described as "deep within" rather than normally audible. The telepathic message included a warning: "You should be grateful that your blood is Tainted friend. Do not pursue this further."
Following this encounter, the witness experienced an intense headache and collapsed. Eight months later, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, which he connected to the entity's comment about his "tainted" blood.
A second witness confirmed unusual aspects of the encounter, noting the figure's ability to move impossibly through the crowded club. She described him appearing in different locations without visibly moving between them.
This type of telepathic communication appears frequently in various cryptid encounters. Similar reports of mind-speak exist in documented Bigfoot sightings, extraterrestrial encounters, Men in Black incidents, and even Dogman reports. The sensation of having thoughts placed directly into one's mind represents a consistent pattern across these diverse phenomena.
Two murders reportedly occurred in the Ybor City area during this timeframe, which one witness connected to the entity they encountered.
Health Revelations Post-Encounter
Following the strange encounter at Tampa's Gothic nightclub, astonishing health implications surfaced for Asrin. Approximately eight months after his confrontation with the mysterious figure in Ybor City, doctors diagnosed him with Hodgkin's lymphoma. This medical development gave disturbing context to the entity's cryptic warning.
The creature's telepathic message to Asrin had included a peculiar statement: "You should be grateful that your blood is Tainted friend." This appeared to be a direct reference to the cancer that would later manifest in Asrin's body. Many have questioned whether the entity somehow detected the early, undiagnosed disease months before medical professionals identified it.
The encounter had immediate physical effects as well. After receiving the mental warning, Asrin experienced excruciating head pain that felt like "his brain being squeezed like a sponge," causing him to collapse on the street. A nearby preacher named Shane attempted to assist him, initially trying to take him to water before simply helping him to a bench.
This case connects to a disturbing pattern seen in similar encounters. Those who report close contact with vampire-like entities often describe:
Mental communication or telepathic warnings
Sudden physical symptoms
Unusual physical reactions
Subsequent health issues
The timing between the encounter and Asrin's cancer diagnosis raises troubling questions about the nature of these entities and their apparent ability to detect or influence human health conditions. Whether coincidental or causative, the connection between the encounter and subsequent illness remains one of the most disturbing aspects of this case.
The Gothic Nightclub: The Castle
Located in Tampa's historic Ybor City district, The Castle stands as an iconic gothic nightclub with a mysterious past. Originally functioning as a cigar manufacturing plant in the 1800s during Vincent Martinez Ybor's economic boom, the building later fell into disrepair during the 1930s Depression. After extensive renovation, it reopened in 1992, quickly becoming a popular destination for gothic subculture enthusiasts.
In September 1995, an unsettling incident occurred at The Castle involving two clubgoers, Asrin and Annie. Asrin, a tall man with long hair who wore gothic attire including a black leather trench coat and eyeliner, had been out with Annie and friends when they decided to enter the nightclub.
Shortly after getting drinks, Asrin experienced an overwhelming sense of dread. He noticed a medium-built man moving through the crowd in impossible ways—seemingly teleporting from one side of the crowded dance floor to another. The stranger maintained eye contact with Asrin several times, offering disturbing grins before vanishing repeatedly.
The mysterious encounters continued outside the club. When Asrin followed the figure onto a tree-lined walkway, he experienced something truly unsettling: a voice that seemed to speak directly into his mind. The message contained an ominous warning about "tainted blood" and suggested they might meet again.
Following this encounter, Asrin collapsed with intense head pain. A nearby street preacher helped him to a bench while Annie rushed to his aid. Approximately eight months later, Asrin was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma—a development he connected to the stranger's cryptic comment about his blood.
Annie confirmed the bizarre nature of their encounter. She recalled first noticing the mysterious man sitting by a window near the bar, watching them intently. His movements throughout the club seemed impossible—appearing in different locations without visible transit between them.
The Castle's environment—with its gothic clientele and historic atmosphere—created the perfect backdrop for this unsettling encounter. The surrounding area, described as "run down" with some streets blocked off, added to the ominous nature of the experience.
Historical Context of Ybor City
Ybor City, located in Tampa, Florida, originated as a thriving manufacturing hub in the 19th century. Founded by Vincent Martinez Ybor, the area experienced significant economic prosperity through its cigar production facilities. However, this prosperity diminished substantially during the Great Depression of the 1930s, leading to a period of economic decline.
The district underwent a transformation in the early 1990s. In 1992, renovation work on a former cigar factory was completed, creating what would become known as "The Castle." This establishment opened its doors as a Gothic nightclub, attracting patrons interested in alternative subcultures.
By the mid-1990s, Ybor City presented a complex urban landscape. While experiencing revitalization through venues like The Castle, parts of the district remained underdeveloped. Some streets surrounding the popular nightclub were described as run-down, with certain areas blocked off entirely due to their condition.
The historic Latin Quarter of Tampa thus evolved from an industrial center into an entertainment district with a distinctive character. This transformation preserved historical buildings while repurposing them for modern usage, creating a unique blend of past and present in Tampa's urban landscape.
Psychic Communication in Paranormal Encounters
Paranormal encounters often include reports of telepathic communication between witnesses and supernatural entities. This phenomenon appears frequently in cases involving vampiric beings, where victims describe hearing voices directly in their minds rather than through normal auditory channels.
In September 1995, a notable incident occurred in Tampa's Ybor City district. While at a gothic nightclub called The Castle, a man named Asrin experienced an unusual telepathic exchange with a mysterious figure. The encounter began when Asrin felt an inexplicable sense of dread wash over him inside the crowded venue.
The stranger exhibited impossible movements throughout the club, appearing to teleport instantaneously across crowded spaces. When Asrin pursued the figure outside, he experienced a telepathic warning delivered directly into his consciousness. The message came as a vibration rather than a sound, warning him that his "blood was tainted" and advising him not to pursue further.
This form of mind-to-mind communication isn't isolated to this case. Similar psychic exchanges have been documented across various paranormal categories:
Cryptid encounters - Bigfoot and Dogman witnesses report mental warnings
Extraterrestrial cases - Mental communication rather than verbal exchange
Men in Black experiences - Telepathic threats or instructions
The physical effects of these psychic communications can be severe. In Asrin's case, he experienced excruciating head pain described as his brain being "squeezed like a sponge" before collapsing. His companion Annie corroborated the strange nature of the encounter, noting the figure's unnatural movements throughout the venue.
Interestingly, Asrin later developed Hodgkin's lymphoma, which he connected to the entity's cryptic message about his "tainted blood." This connection between paranormal encounters and subsequent health issues appears in multiple accounts, suggesting either predictive abilities or causative effects from these entities.
The psychic communication aspect distinguishes these encounters from ordinary human interactions. Witnesses consistently report the sensation of information being placed directly into their minds—bypassing normal sensory channels in a way that feels invasive and undeniable.
Unsolved Mysteries and Speculations
The paranormal landscape contains numerous accounts of encounters with vampire-like entities that defy conventional explanation. These reports, while often met with skepticism, persist across various collections and publications.
One particularly chilling incident occurred on September 7, 1995, in Tampa's Ybor City. A couple—a tall man with gothic attire and his girlfriend—experienced a disturbing encounter while visiting a nightclub called the Castle, a renovated cigar factory catering to gothic clientele.
The man experienced an overwhelming sense of dread inside the club when he noticed a medium-built stranger. This mysterious individual exhibited impossible movements, appearing to teleport across the crowded venue instantaneously. When their eyes met, the stranger would offer unsettling grins before vanishing.
The pursuit eventually led outside, where the encounter took a more sinister turn. The mysterious figure seemed to communicate telepathically, delivering an ominous warning: "You should be grateful that your blood is tainted, friend." This psychic communication—described as more of a vibration than an audible voice—concluded with a promise that the entity could "always find what has found me."
Following this encounter, the man collapsed with intense head pain. Eight months later, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, which he believed explained the stranger's cryptic reference to his "tainted blood."
Telepathic communication appears as a common element in these vampire encounters. Similar phenomena have been reported in other paranormal encounters, including those with cryptids like Bigfoot and encounters with alleged extraterrestrials.
The girlfriend corroborated the account, noting she had spotted the figure earlier. She described his movements as impossibly quick, appearing in different locations throughout the venue with no logical explanation for his transitions.
Two murders were later reported in Ybor City newspapers, with the witness expressing conviction that the entity he encountered was responsible for these deaths.
