If someone had told you a year ago, that you would be doing, what you're doing today, would you have believed them? I know I wouldn't have. But then again, my situation is a little different from normal girls my age. Most of them are shopping, babysitting ect. My job is a little more… extreme, dangerous, cool. If someone had told me a year ago that I would be a huntress, I would have laughed in their face. But here I am, riding my own motorcycle, chasing the things that infest my home town of Chicago. It all started nine months ago….
"Mom! I'm going to be late! Come on! It's the last day of school!" I yelled from the hallway of my family's cute house in a little suburb just on the outskurts of Chicago. "One second linn!" she yelled back. She came out of their kitchen shaking her head. "Have you seen the papers today?" my mother asked. "uh, no. Why?" I answered, she shook her head gravely again, looking at my puzzled expression. "It says that they found the bodies of those three missing people today." She said. I nodded. 'here we go again!' I thought. It was normal for people to go missing these days. But they normally don't turn up. "Good! Let's go! Come on!" I said, running to the car. "Oh, Linn, we're going to your grandparents for Christmas." She said, to my horror. "Why? They are UBER creepy. I mean, like, could you get any creepier? Even you and dad edmit that they aren't exactly normal!" I said. "Oh, don't say that. They're you grandparents! I know they can act a little odd, and have some strange traditions. But they're nice people sweetie! I swear! I mean they raised me." She said in defense. I was about to snicker, but caught myself before I could. 'the LAST thing I need right now is mom mad at me.' I thought. I was an okay kid. But sometimes I got in big trouble. I knew my place and wasn't one to push boundaries. I jumped out of the car "See you at three!" My mom hollered out the window.
One week later.
"Fiica!" My grandfather said as He opened the door, seeing us there. "I thought you vere going to be here tomorrow!" He exclaimed in his normal manner. "Oh, we thought we'd surprize you!" my mother said hugging him. "Oh! And Greg! How nice to see you! No grey hair yet I see!" he said. My dad looked a little peeved by the comment, but he didn't say anything. "Ah! And leettle Aislinn! Vell, you're not so leetle anymore!" He said pulling me into a hug. "Hi Grandpa." I said simply. After our introductions were over, he pulled us all into the Kitchen where we did the same thing with my grandma. "Are you at all hungry from your travels? I have just made your favorite Christina! Papanasi!" My grandmother exclaimed with a flourish. 'oh brother.' I thought My grandparent were very extravagant people. Well, that's what you get from growing up in Romania I guess. "Well, just a couple couldn't hurt." My mom said. She never could resist Grandma's papanasi. –cheese dumplings covered in sugar.- But hey, no one could! I grabbed one, biting into it. "Ah, the taste of my childhood." Said my mother, relaxing into one of the armchairs. "So has ze big city life gone for you?" My grandfather asked my parents. "Oh, good. Not so nice lately though. There have been a bunch of brutal murders." My father said. This –oddly- seemed to peak my grandfather's interest. "Really?" He asked. "Brutal how?" he asked. "Well, all the bodies where those of people who had gone missing in the last week or so. And they were all found drained of blood. Completely." He said. My mom laughed. "Oh, Greg! My father doesn't want to hear about this!" But by the look my Grandfather was giving my grandmother, I'd say other wise. It was a knowing, 'ah yes. That' sort of look. The one your parents give each other when you say something stupid. "Um, Grandma, where's the bathroom? I forgot." I said, just to get out of there. "Ah yes dear. zis vay follow me!" she said, walking into the hallway. When we reached the bathroom, she turned to me. "Oh, and me and your grandfather have a..er…present for you. So just come up to heeze study afther supper. yes." She said to me, "Oh, and come alone." then left me there. 'okay then. Vacation already off to a strange start.' I thought.
AFTER DINNER
I went to my grandfather's study after dinner just like Grandma had told me. I knocked. "Ah, Come Een!" My grandfather said from inside. It was just him and grandma. "Okay, you said you had a present for me?" I asked. "Well, not so much as a present. More like, something that neither of your parents know." My grandfather said. –his English was better- "Okay, so shoot." I said. They looked at each other. "Vell, you know that ve are from ze old country yes?" I nodded. "Good. And you know ze rumors and ze stories from there too. I trust your mother told them to you as a child no?" I nodded. "Okay, then we have already saved ze time. If I told you that all of those stories vere true. Then vat vould you think did all zese killings?" he asked me. "Well, people, grabbed randomly off the street, then drained of Blood… I would think Vampire. But vampires aren't real. Right?" I said. My grandparents looked at each other. "Right grandpa?" I said, getting agitated. "We never told your mother zis. It vas not a problem back then. But yes. Ze are real. Very real. Zat is vy ve moved to America. To help your mother. It vas too dangerous in ze old country. Aspecially in our small town." I stared at them. "So your saying that vampires are real? Next your going to tell me I'm a vampire princess!" I said. "Oh no. Didn't I tell you that we moved because of ze creatures? No. there is no vay you are vampire. But, you are from a long line of vampire hunters!" He said. "So now your telling me I'm a vampire hunter!" I said. 'good gosh. They get weirder every time I see them!' I thought. "No actually. First off, you have to choose to be a vampire hunter or not. Plus, you vould be a huntress. Since you're a girl." My grandmother said. "But why me? Why can't mom or dad do it?" I asked. "Zey are too old. Your sixteen! In the prime of youth!" My grandmother said. "It vas an honour to be one of the chosen few to hunt vat ve all hated!" she said passionately. My grandfather stopped her before she could say anymore. "But like I said, you get to choose. But you vill have till you go home to say yes. Other vise it's no." He said finally. "Okay. See you guys in the morning!" I said as I walked out of the door.
"Crezi ca va face ea?" (do you think she will do it?) Grandmother said. "Nu ştiu. Sunt sigur de asta. va trebui să aşteptăm şi să vedem." Grandfather replied. "va trebui să aşteptăm şi să vedem" (I don't know. I am unsure of this one. we shall have to wait and see. We shall have to wait and see.)