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Ellga never remembered much about her life before she became a vampire. It was more than 300 years ago, and she was somewhere around ten when she became a vampire.
Now, everything was being thrown into question. Her name, her past, her family, and even (possibly) her age. Ellga was sure she counted her years with only a twenty year margin of error. She counted off days with one of her neighbors, who had each of the calendars from every region of Grotethe, and marked tallies in a journal as the first leaves sprouted each year. Maybe she missed a few years or miscounted, but it couldn’t be that off. Right?
Or was it Barney (her…father…) who was wrong? He still doesn’t admit to being a ghost, despite insistence. Memory loss is certain, since even he’d notice if he’d been alive for longer than any normal human. Or that he never really aged. What did he do for the centuries he was alive? How many times did he circle through Grotethe? Did he ever waver? Ever think about ending his mission?
“Alright, I have to go,” Ellga remembers him saying to the party often. “I have a mission to complete.”
“You can’t go!” She’d repeat. Shorter than he was, she stared up and put her fists on her hips. “We also have a mission!” And through more words from the other two, he’d stay. Always grumbling that he had other things to do.
So he never forgot them. But he must’ve forgotten the years. He clearly had. Did anyone ever ask how old he was? Would he even tell? Mathilde always shrugged and chuckled slightly if anyone asked how long they’ve been dead, and with recent evidence, it has to be around the same time as Barney.
But then, why couldn’t Ellga remember? Some sort of ‘re-birth’ had happened to her, as that horrid monologue told her. Was that the ritual they’d seen others waiting for or a euphemism for her becoming a vampire? Or…Oh, she didn’t know. She didn’t know.
She didn’t know.
It’s a scary thing. Being ‘younger’, people liked to neglect to tell her things. Accidental or not, when those bells shook the whole building for something seemingly out of the blue, it scared her. Has someone died? Has someone broken the rules? Is there an emergency meeting?
“No, no,” her—nothing. He was nothing but a…kidnapper? Whatever. The Count would always laugh gently at her. “It’s just a regular meeting.”
“But according to the calendar in Countess—”
“It’s not the same date every month, dear.” Then he’d pat her head and take her hand, leading her to the main room. Evena would be all prim and proper as she took her father’s hand and they’d leave.
Memories like those soured in Ellga’s heart. It was all real, the memories were her own. But it was built on lies. She had siblings, but one of them was not Evena. She was half-elf, but not from the woman she thought.
“Hello, si-ster!” Evena always greeted her. She smiled every time. Was that because she knew? Was it a mockery? How long had she known?
Ellga would miss having a sister. They argued often, but also played together. They created stories and ran around the halls, recruiting other kids for hide-and-sink. They braided each other’s hair, putting silly bows in at the ends. They comforted each other if bad dreams ever came, which came often for Ellga. She can’t remember them, but were they about what happened?
“Where is Calliope?” Barney had looked at his wife and kids. Most of them. The room had started to fill back in, but gave space to the group. Marney put herself in front of the boys and excused herself the fastest she could. She couldn’t remember him. And her gaze passed over the rest of them with the same blank stare.
Ellga had a different accent, different clothes, different name, and probably a different personality. She had a different life. She was no farm girl in a sunny countryside. She was a fancy vampire girl who had walked outside her tower only a week or so ago. She had a mother who had left to go on an adventure, a father who built important features to her home, and a sister interested in old magic and games with other kids. That’s what she remembered .
“Memory is so faulty,” Mathilde often said.
Chip always countered him, “Carol and I always remember our happiest memories the same.” Though, recently, he’s piped down and muttered the phrase.
Barney never said anything and Ellga didn’t care.
Chip was down. The tower shook. Chaos was everywhere. Ellga just sees her locket fall as dust rains down on her. The picture is different. She recognizes Marney and the boys from their encounter. Barney too, though he’s definitely younger. Ellga’s (is that really her name? Now or ever?) smile is all the same.
She’s so distraught she doesn’t notice Eddie running at her. The impending danger notified her at the last second and she side-steps. But the ground is rumbling so much she falls either way, just barely catching herself on the edge.
A pale hand comes over the side. “Here! Take hold of my hand! I shall pull you to safety!” Ellga looks past the hand to see her fa— Hugo sneering at her. “Whoo,” he sighs, “I just got some deja vu…”
What did that mean? She’d fallen before when she was much younger, tripping over her shoelaces. But nothing like this. Was it from before…before? She can’t remember, but the sinking feeling of dread and deja vu does wash over Ellga. Her body remembers being in this situation.
The walls rumble even more, the entire spire filling with pressure. Ellga holds on, trying to keep purchase on the sharp edge. She doesn’t cry or shout. What would she even say? Begging for help would do nothing, Hugo wanted her dead anyway. But, she does scream as the tower starts to fall over. All of her family, real and fake, inside the very walls.