Chapter Text
It was early morning on a Saturday as a hearse cruised through the streets of Stokely, a small town in south Wales, swerving every now and then. Inside sat a young boy aged 12 in bright clothing looking out the window. Next to him sat his older sister, a goth, and next to her their strange butler and designated driver. They all sat cramped in the front seats, tensions high after a multiple day long journey. As the butler swerved right around the next corner the boy, Vlad, spoke up.
“I pretty sure we should have taken a left there”
Ingrid, Vlad’s sister who was sitting in the middle started to gag while exclaiming “Can you stop breathing in my face! You can’t have brushed your teeth for weeks. Am I the only one gagging here? Ugh, Why did we have to move anyway?”
As Ingrid complained, Renfield the butler was attempting to read the map with little success and Vlad discreetly tried to smell his own breath. When Ingrid finished talking, Renfield said “Please be quiet mistress Ingrid, I’m trying to read the map” to which Ingrid replied with anger “Don’t tell me to be quiet, insect biter.” An argument broke loose with both parties insulting each other escalating into a physical fight. This made the hearse swerve back and forth even more on the narrow hilly street as Renfield lost control.
Suddenly a loud bang sounded from the back of the hearse and two bony white hands reached through the red curtains separating the front from the back. The curtain was dramatically pulled aside revealing a lanky, pale figure with dead looking eyes. “What exactly is going on?” asked the figure, startling everyone into silence, especially scaring Renfield causing him to slam on the breaks, lurching everyone forward. Renfield turned to speak directly to the figure behind him “Sorry for waking you, Master.”
Vlad turned as well to answer the question. “Ingrid wants Renfield to turn the hearse around and go back to Transylvania, dad”
The figure was indeed Vlad and Ingrid’s Father, the legendary Count Dracula, the vampire.
The Count scowled at his daughter. “You want to return to the angry, torch-wielding peasant mob do you?” said the Count recalling the huge crowd storming his old castle, shivering.
“Well anything would be better than living in this dump.” replied Ingrid. She continued “I mean just look at it, it’s so normal.”
Vlad smiled at the comment and looked out the window. “Normal.” He repeated the word in his head. That was just what he was hoping for.
The Count sighed with exhaustion and returned to lay down in his coffin, not being able to argue with his daughter about the fact of the move that he was also not happy about. A few moments passed and the three in the front looked to one another before Renfield decided it was finally safe to continue driving. The rest of the drive, which was only about 15 minutes, went by in silence.
Renfield pulled the hearse up in the front courtyard of a large dilapidated castle which loomed at the top of the highest hill in town. All three front passengers jumped out as quickly as possible, relieved to finally be able to stretch their legs properly. After having a quick stretch Renfield wasted no time unloading his Masters coffin from the back of the hearse. Meanwhile Vlad got out the huge Keys for the front doors from his travel bag and went to unlock the castle doors. He hoped the building would be in an alright condition for his father. He had been tasked with finding a castle on short notice when his father had suddenly insisted on moving. He could hardly believe someone on the internet had actually sold a 12 year old boy a castle but he wasn’t going to question it now.
Vlad, Ingrid and Renfield with the coffin stepped into the entryway and looked around. It was cold and dark inside. The walls and floors were made of stone. There were placeholders for torches on the walls which would definitely need to be lit as there was no electricity. The group walked further in and found what seemed to be the great hall. They came to a stop and the lid of the Counts coffin creaked as it opened. He stepped out causing a haunting wind to blow as he surveyed the area. The wind died down and the Count let his gaze rest on his son. “Well I suppose this will do” he said disappointedly. Vlad looked down guiltily at his remark, hating the tone of his father’s voice, knowing he hadn’t fulfilled his fathers expectations. The Count continued to survey the room seemingly trying to figure out where to place all his furniture that would be arriving over the next few days. The previous owner had decorated the place with a medieval feel and had left most of the furnishings as he wouldn’t have much use for them elsewhere. But Count Dracula certainly had a vision of his own and was eager to make himself at home as quickly as possible to distract himself from the current situation.
Vlad decided to go check out the room he had seen in the online pictures he wanted to use and started for the stairs. Ingrid stopped him by grabbing his arm asking “Where do you think you’re going?” Vlad replied truthfully “To the tower room.”
Ingrid breathed in looking annoyed. “That’s not fair, I want the tower room.”
“Well I’m the one who organized the castle, so I’m gonna choose the room I want.” said Vlad, not willing to back down. He thought it was only fair after all his trouble.
The Count stepped in before they could start a bigger argument. “Vladimir will get the tower room.” he proclaimed and started to turn when Ingrid exclaimed “It’s only because he’s your favourite!” to which the count replied “I do not play favourites, it’s as Vlad said. He found the castle, he will choose the room he wants and that’s the end of that.” He turned dramatically letting his cape flow behind him and glided off to continue his inspection of the castle. Ingrid gave Vlad a death stare and stormed off in the opposite direction, presumably going to find another room to her liking. Vlad started towards the stairs again when he was rammed in the back of his legs making him fall forwards. He turned back to find his pet Hellhound on wheels Zoltan looking annoyed at him.
“I can’t believe you left me in the hearse! I had to get Renfield to unload me.” said Zoltan. Vlad looked guiltily at him and apologized for forgetting him. He lifted him up to carry Zoltan up the stairs to the tower room.
After a bit of a struggle Vlad made it to the top of the stairs with Zoltan. He rested for a moment and then ran back downstairs to get his suitcase, then went straight back up. He’d have to get used to the extra exercise he thought. Vlad walked up to the bed already in the room, dumping the contents of his suitcase onto it while speaking his thoughts out loud. “I was kinda hoping to ask dad for a TV but he gave me that disappointed look again. It’s not like he’d allow me to have one anyway he’s so old fashioned” Vlad looked down at all the colourful, dirty laundry on his bed and grabbed a handful. “I hate being a vampire, it really … sucks.” He said in frustration throwing the laundry under his new bed.
“Isn’t that rather the point?” said Zoltan with a cheeky smile.
Vlad didn’t appreciate the joke, giving Zoltan an annoyed look. “I just thought that this move would be a new start for us. You know, a chance to be a bit less…”
“Vampiric?” Zoltan finished.
“Yeah” said Vlad with a defeated look.
He turned to the floor length mirror placed adjacent to his bed and focused on his appearance in the reflection. He saw his dark brown, almost black hair and brown-green eyes. He saw the clothes he was wearing - uncharacteristically bright for a vampire who was expected to be dressed in black. Vlad saw himself and thought he looked perfectly normal. And for the moment he was. He still had a bit over three years before the change would happen and he would face his inescapable fate of becoming a blood-sucking monster.
He sat down on the floor holding his head with his hands when there was a strange noise. And then an even stranger tool flew through his open window and grabbed the windowsill with a clunk. Vlad hesitated for a moment before getting up from the floor and peering out the window. As he looked down he saw a boy throwing his arm up to grab the windowsill where his tool was. Vlad yelled in surprise which made the boy look up and startle and yell as well. The boy nearly slipped but Vlad grabbed his arm quickly reacting before the boy could fall. “Got you” said Vlad “ Thanks” replied the boy looking up at Vlad expectantly. “Who are you?” asked Vlad not being able to read the atmosphere and the boy sarcastically answered “What a good time to have a discussion.” Vlad understood then that the boy was quite uncomfortable and pulled him up and over the windowsill into his room.
Both boys now stood across from each other. Vlad stared intently at the intruder while the boy glanced around nervously. Zoltan spoke up first. “Should I bite him Master?” he asked, to which the boy reacted stunned. Vlad quickly told Zoltan “Not yet.” not wanting to scare the boy away straight away. He was just about to ask his own question when he heard footsteps coming up the stairs and his sister’s voice echoing through the tower. “Right, Vlad you little worm.” Vlad panicked and pushed the boy under his bed whispering to him to hide. He desperately hoped the boy would stay quiet and hidden. Ingrid burst into the room as Vlad attempted to appear nonchalant to the best of his ability. “Ah, Ingrid, what’s up?” Vlad said leaning against his bedpost. Ingrid stepped around the room and surveyed everything slowly squinting her blue eyes. “Nothing much, just checking in on the room you so desperately wanted.Who would want to go up all those stairs willingly anyway?” Vlad thought about how Ingrid had wanted the room just as much as he did about 20 minutes ago but decided not to comment and instead asked: “So I guess you found a better one then?”
Ingrid smiled and sniggered. “Of course I did.” She said proudly, flipping her long black hair over her shoulder. “And don’t even think about asking where it is because I’m not going to tell you.”
Vlad guessed she had found a room somewhere more isolated where she could be alone and have her peace. He was a bit relieved the room situation had resolved itself. Unfortunately his relief didn’t last long because Ingrid started observing his room a little too closely for his liking. At this point she would find the boy under his bed. Then she said something that really made him panic. “What’s that smell?”
A little too fast Vlad said “What smell? Can you smell a smell, Zoltan?”
“No, young Master.” replied Zoltan calmly
Ingrid insisted “No I definitely smell something,” she swooped over to the bed and looked under it. “Ah-ha!” she exclaimed.
“I can explain.” Vlad said not wanting to get in trouble if Ingrid told his father. “Climbed in through the window, nothing to do with me.”
Ingrid stood up and gave him a confused look. “A massive pile of dirty laundry climbed in through the window?” she asked. “I mean your style sucks, so I get why you wouldn’t want to admit the clothes are yours but…” Vlad pushed Ingrid to the side to look under the bed himself interrupting her train of thought. “Where’s he gone?” said Vlad not realizing he had spoken aloud letting his sister hear. “Who, the dirty sock fairy?” she mocked. Vlad hoped Ingrid hadn’t caught on that he was hiding something when she left the room shaking her head, letting her cape flow behind her, but knew she was smart enough to have realised something was up. As soon as he heard her footsteps were gone Vlad left his room to find the boy, deciding to leave Zoltan there to save time.
When he got downstairs he decided to go straight to where his father was so that he wouldn’t find the boy first. He made a beeline for the great hall but stopped before entering, instead spying from around the corner. Being a vampire at least had the perk of being sneaky and silent when he wanted to be. Vlad saw that his father was lounging at the head of the room on his throne reading the ‘Vampirism Today’ daily newspaper. It seemed some of the furniture had already arrived from Transylvania. He also saw Renfield standing a few metres away from his dad squirming uncomfortably. “Please take it out, Master” pleaded Renfield, “No, Renfield it’s important you know why you’re being punished.” The Count said nonchalantly, ignoring him.
“Is it because I smell?” tried Renfield.
“No. You do, but that’s not why.” said the Count “It’s because I’m hungry! In fact I’m starving and you’ve prepared nothing for me to eat for our arrival. In fact you let the peasant man that came ringing at my door escape!” The Count was getting madder and madder.
“That’s why you put your pet tarantula down my pants.” concluded Renfield continuing to squirm.
“Correct. And also I like watching you squirm” said the Count, finally looking up from his newspaper.
Renfield let out a whimper when the Count ordered him to be silent, snapping to attention. “I sense an intruder, a human.” he said. Renfield spoke despite being shushed. “I’m human.” he said. “Not you, you imbecile, I smell young blood!” replied the Count.
Vlad, still watching from around the corner, scanned the room frantically trying to spot the boy before his dad could. However he had no luck. He saw his father get more and more excited and decided a distraction would be best. So he quickly stepped out from behind the corner and slightly louder than his usual voice called out to his father, who turned around a little surprised to look at his son. “What?” asked the Count annoyance showing on his pale, gaunt face. Vlad struggled to find an excuse as to why he interrupted his father. “Um…” Vlad tried to stall for time. “I think I’m getting my first fang.” he blurted out not being able to think of anything better. His father’s face softened and he stepped in to take a look at his son’s mouth. Vlad was still trying to find the boy, still with no luck.
As his dad finished inspecting his mouth he spoke. “Well, I don’t see any fang development, but no matter. Make sure to inform me if you notice any changes.” he pat Vlad on the shoulder as encouragement.
Just then Ingrid turned around the corner that Vlad had been hiding behind and spoke startling everyone. “As if you’d have a fang at your age. You’re nowhere near 16.”
“You will of course also tell me of any changes Ingrid. Vlad is my son and heir but you still represent the Dracula household and I will not tolerate below par vampires as offspring.” said the Count to Ingrid. He had turned away from Vlad which gave Vlad a bit more freedom to scan the room again and finally spot the boy who had intruded into their new home behind some scattered boxes. He gave a desperate and wide eyed look to Ingrid who somehow knew what Vlad was getting at.
Ingrid took a few steps towards Renfield and looked straight at her dad saying “I’m going to become the Princess of darkness so there’s no need to worry about me daddy.” while smiling and pushing Renfield over making him fall on his butt. Renfield’s eyes went wide with fear as he very quietly admitted “Oh Master, I think I’ve sat on your tarantula.”
“Imelda!” the Count exclaimed “No!” he fell to the ground in shock.
Vlad took the chance Ingrid had given him with the distraction to go to the boy and drag him up the stairs back to his room. He heard Renfield trying to comfort the Count saying “If it’s any consolation, she wouldn’t have felt a thing.”
Ingrid laughed and added “Except for your huge bottom squishing her.” and then followed Vlad up the tower stairs knowing it would be Renfield who got all the blame for killing the tarantula.
Vlad stormed up the stairs dragging the stranger boy up behind him being a little rough. He flung the door open and slammed it shut immediately starting to angrily speak to the boy. “Hello, we haven’t been properly introduced. My name’s Vlad and, oh, you must be the kid who just climbed in through my window and started wandering around.”
“I’m Robin.” said the boy sheepishly, giving Vlad a bit of a dumb look pressing his lips together. He started to talk again trying to explain what he was doing there. “I usually come exploring here since the castle is abandoned… at least it was. I didn’t know someone had moved in, I swear.”
Vlad stared at him intently. Now that he was getting a proper look he noticed that this boy, Robin, was wearing a cape and dressed all in black. Probably a goth kid which explained why he spent his free time exploring old castles at least. After a moment of silence Vlad spoke up. “You’re lucky my dad didn’t find you. You’ve got no idea what he’s capable of.”
“I know exactly what he’s capable of.” replied Robin. “You’re vampires, aren’t you?”
Vlad started to panic again. “Vampires, don’t be ridiculous, there’s no such thing.” said Vlad trying to cover up his nervousness with a laugh. Robin gave him a look that said ‘really?’ as he started listing all the things he’d just seen: “Talking wolf thing, bloodthirsty dad, first fang…”
“Oh bats! Please don’t storm the castle with a mob and drive us out of town!” Vlad pleaded. Robin laughed wondering what the boy standing across from him had lived through to jump to that conclusion. “I think you're underestimating suburban apathy.” he joked “Anyway I think vampires are awesome! I know all about them.” Robin said proudly. But as he looked across the room he saw a mirror reflecting two boys. Him and Vlad. “At least I thought I did.” admitted Robin. “How come you’ve got a reflection?”
Vlad explained to Robin how vampires don’t get their full vampire powers until the age of 16 when they transform fully. Which is why he still had a reflection, wouldn’t be burned by sunlight and could eat garlic without worry. He left out a few details but explained the gist of it. After Vlad’s explanation Robin began “Y’know, for my first vampire, you’re not very…”
“Vampiric?” Vlad finished. “And can I say for my first normal kid, you’re not coming across very…”
“Normal?” Finished Robin.
Both boys broke out into laughter. After a few seconds Vlad touched Robin on the shoulder to get his attention again and spoke to him slowly. “I’m being serious right now, you have to promise never to tell anybody about me and my family alright?”
“I promise.” swore Robin.
“Yeah and you better mean it or your death will be long, painful and gruesome.” echoed a girl's voice from the stairwell behind the door. Both boys whirled around as Ingrid walked into the room with a smug expression on her face. Robin gulped audibly, obviously intimidated by Ingrid.
Ingrid grabbed Robin by the collar and started her way down the stairs dragging the boy and Vlad followed at their heels. At the same time Ingrid started talking quietly. “Let’s get this bloodbag out of here before dad decides to have him for dinner and us for dessert.” Vlad thanked his sister for helping him now and earlier. She scoffed “I am not doing this to be nice. I’m doing this because I do NOT feel like moving again after just arriving and I also don’t feel like getting grounded because some random weirdo came through your window.” Vlad nodded. Robin mumbled something about Ingrid being pretty but was ignored. The three of them made their way to the front door in silence after. Ingrid went to open the heavy wooden double doors only to find there were already other people on the other side arguing about who should knock. Two boys who looked to be twins and the same age as Ingrid - about 14- and a girl, who was even younger than Vlad and Robin. Ingrid, still holding Robin by the scruff of his collar, shoved him outside. “Here, this must be yours.” she said. The twins stared at Ingrid, unable to speak looking starstruck. The little girl said, “You’re quite rude aren’t you?” Ingrid replied, “Yeah, it’s kinda my thing, now get lost.” wanting to make sure they left as quickly as possible so they wouldn’t be caught. The girl turned to leave, taking both twins by the hands to get them to move. Before Robin turned to go Vlad asked him for a favour. “Could you get the things on this list please?” He handed Robin a small piece of paper and some money. Robin took a look at the list. “Yeah, it should be doable” he said, smiling at Vlad. Vlad smiled back and said goodbye promising to visit sometime.
Ingrid and Vlad shut the heavy doors and sighed in relief, glad to have not been found out saving the human boy.
Just then a cold wind blew through the hallway and their father Count Dracula appeared with a furious expression. “With me, Now!” he bellowed, as he grabbed his two children by the ears and dragged them to a small sitting area pushing each of them onto a chair to sit. “I’m very disappointed in you, both of you.” he said. Both Vlad and Ingrid tried to avoid making eye contact.
“Mixing with zombies I could forgive, but breathers? Socialising with possible dinner ingredients! What were you thinking?” spoke the Count.
Vlad decided to answer. “I just don’t want to be driven out again. We need to be blending in more. What if we became friends with our neighbours?”
“Friends? With our neighbours?” The Count repeated with a blank stare.
“Well I don’t want to be friends and socialize. But I do agree that we should be keeping a low profile. I am not going to move AGAIN.” said Ingrid.
The Count, too upset and hungry to listen and argue, decided to end the conversation. “Alright, that does it, to your rooms.”
Vlad and Ingrid gave each other one last glance and then got up to leave. The Count skulked off to his throne.
Several hours passed and the Count was still seated on his throne looking at portraits of his children thinking about how quickly they had grown up when there was a knock at the door. The Count looked over to Renfield who was standing near the fireplace half asleep. It took longer than he would have liked for Renfield to react but he finally did. “I’ll go see who it is.” said Renfield as he hurried off. He returned just a few moments later with a large box in his arms. “No one there, but I found this on the doorstep. It’s for Master Vlad.”
“Well, then open it.” said the Count impatiently.
Renfield opened the box to find a blender and two raw steaks which he presented to his master straight away.
The Count jumped eagerly at the food. He was starving. He couldn't figure out the strange contraption that had come with the steaks so he simply devoured them as they were. Not the best meal but certainly better than anything he had eaten since the long journey from Transylvania. He had been thinking about how he should act in this new place and had come to the conclusion that his children may be right. He had made the decision to move from Transylvania to have a bit more peace. Back there he was known to be the legendary vampire Count Dracula. But here in this small town in Wales he was simply a foreign father starting a new life with his children. If he wanted to keep that peace he would need to work for it and restrain himself. At least until both children were 16. Underage vampires were the most vulnerable in the community and would make sure Vlad and Ingrid made it. Of course he would never actually admit to caring about them that much. He resolved to only hunt animals in the village and to go on further away expeditions if he wanted to drink human blood to avoid suspicion in town.
The Count dismissed Renfield who retreated into his designated quarters. With the butler gone Count Dracula glided through his new castle up the tower to his son's room to thank him for the meat. He knocked on the door and stepped in after a few seconds. “Look, Vladimir I…” he started but stopped right away when he scanned the room to see that his son was in fact not there. Instead a skeleton sat in a desk chair wrapped in a cloak. He could imagine where his son was. Probably visiting the breather he had saved earlier today. The Count sighed in exasperation “Vladimir” holding his hand to his head. He decided he would go and collect him in half an hour. “Well at least he’s out at night.” he mumbled.
Vlad was indeed around at Robin’s place. He had snuck in through his window just as Robin had done to him earlier. They spoke about the events of the day. It had turned out Robin was trying to avoid going on a family camping trip which was why he had gone up to the castle to explore. Vlad was a bit jealous that he couldn’t go on a camping trip with his family and couldn’t understand why Robin wouldn’t want to go. Robin also told Vlad about how he and his siblings had found their dad halfway down the hill in a seemingly drunken state while returning home. Vlad explained he had probably been hypnotised. “ Now that you mention it I overheard your dad saying ‘some peasant man’ had escaped.” said Robin.
“Yeah sorry about that. But the effects will wear off after a while.” Vlad reassured his new friend. He couldn’t believe it that he finally did have a real friend. Robin offered to get drinks so Vlad decided to joke around a bit. “Cup of blood, little bit of milk.” Robin stared in disbelief at Vlad’s remark. “Joke.” said Vlad and Robin laughed while heading for the kitchen to get something.
Vlad surveyed his surroundings. “So this is what my room should look like.” he said to himself looking at all the gothic decorations in Robin’s room. As long as he could remember Vlad had always wanted to be normal and found the whole evil vampire thing wasn’t really for him. He knew he would change some day though so he was resolved to living his life to the fullest until he was 16. He wondered why Robin was taking so long when he heard a tap at the window. Vlad stood up to investigate and stood next to the open frame only to be yanked out and whisked away back up to the castle by his father.
Robin saw what had happened but still couldn’t believe his eyes so he was left standing gobsmacked in the doorframe until his mother asked him why he was holding two glasses for his bottle of cola. Robin went to bed that night excited for the next day where he could see his new cool friend the vampire again.
Vlad on the other hand was forcefully tucked into bed by his father up in the tower. “Sorry dad.” he said. He really did mean it. He knew he wasn’t the son his father wanted but he just couldn’t help who he was. He was fully expecting another lecture about being a proper vampire from his father but he simply told him. “Sleep well.” and left. Vlad did in fact fall asleep fairly quickly.