Heyy everyone! *tacklehugs* So apparently Im pulling out of my little holiday because, guess what, some time off worked it's magic, and the urge to update has mostly returned!
As you know, I withdrew from the 20 Words challenge, because it wasnt going well, my updates were slacking, etc and really my head hurt at the thought of continuing. But my holiday had exactly the effect I wanted, now my head is mostly back in the game, and Im ready to rock this fandom over the summer! Sure i might not have time to update every other day, but now I wnna focus more on the quality of my writing rather than quantity, and be less repetitive, and work harder on non-TVF stuff. I also wanna write a Criminal Minds fic, and continue a Flashpoint one i started and abandoned last year... anyway enough of my dribbling.
So, this story is gonna start as what used to be my entry for 20words. BUT im renovating and changing around all the chapters like I did with the Arrow fic (update in the works btw) so yeah. Idk how long its gonna be... ill probably diddle around and have fun with it over the summer.
Anyway heres chapter 1, used to be DAWN. I added a good 900 words at least, hope you are appreciative :)
Morning had broken. A deep orange summer sun rose over the majestic Vampire Mountain. Inside was 6 crabby Vampires, a Little Person, and an uneasy looking boy, all of whom toted a selection of luggage.
"Darren, I have said this several times now. I guess you haven't heard me, so I will repeat myself: I do not understand why you insist on celebrating this summer camping trip BS. We are perfectly happy where we are, and I am suprised you still wish to do this after the other vacation disasters you forced upon us."
"Mika, come on." Darren whined. "This is exactly the point of summer. Lack of fun and monotonous days are making you cranky and unreasonable!"
"K, so I totally agree with Mika." said Kurda. "Like, I know tents and sleeping bags come in really stylish colours these days, but I think I remember you saying something about bathing in the lake? Noooo freakin thanks. Summer is about shopping and tanning and cute sunglasses and flipflops and pedicures and swimming in CHLORENATED pools, not wallowing in muddy puddles of fish poo, wiping ourselves with leaves and eating live animals."
"Nnnnooo Kurda! Summer is about adventures and outdoors and freedom and fun and-"
"How do you know the Vampaneze aren't planning on ambushing us? We won't exactly be protected in those little fabric huts, you know." Arrow continued the against-camping argument.
"This situation is an abomunation." Seba grumbled. "When I was your age, we didn't need tents and marshmallows and sleeping bags and the rest of your ensemble of junk, we simply lay on the ground. We had no defined seasons, and we most certainly do not need one devoted to vacationing. Life was simply life whether cold or hot or raining frogs or what have you."
"Come now, Darren. I'm over 800 years old, sleeping with only an inch of fabric between my back and the ground could require a very costly visit to the chiropractor. And of course when he asks about my age, it could become very awkward." Paris added.
"What if...there are...bears?" Harkat worried.
As Darren tried to come up with a coherent reply to all that, he noticed the abscence of one of his usual complainers. He scanned the room in search of... what the hell was Mr Crepsley doing talking on his cell phone in the corner? He debated running over and requesting him to join the group, but it appeared to be a very important call (But who he could possibly be talking to was beyond Darren.) so Darren decided to deal with the group at hand, and drag Larten outside later. He turned back to the pissed/confused/worried faces of Mika, Arrow, Kurda, Seba, Paris and Harkat. And he immediately knew how to get them camping without a hitch:
"Are any of you familliar with the concept of S'mores?"
"No?"
Darren described S'mores. The Escalade was packed in 5 minutes. Dragging out suitcases, however, was Darren`s job.
Whislt dragging the 6th of 14 suitcases out to the Essie, Darren paused to lean on the side of his beloved SUV and absorb the tiny amounts of dawn light filtering down through the dark grey and pink morning clouds that were barely beginning to appear, due to the fact that it was 4:30 am. The chilly fresh air that reminded him of camping trips in his human life. But his reverie was interrupted by his beloved mentor creeping up on him and grabbing his shoulder.
"Jeez, Mr Crepsley." Darren groaned, massaging his head where it he'd smacked against the vehicle's back window in suprise, causing Seba inside to yell shrilly.
"My apologies, Darren. I hope you were not hurt. I suppose I could have just said hello."
Right away, Darren knew something was up. Larten was never this nice, unless...
"Darren, I must ask a favour of you."
"Uh huh?"
"Judging by your GPS, we will be heading east to our destination?"
"Yeah..."
"I would greatly like to take a detour to the west, it should only be a half-hour's drive, I need to pick up supplies in that lovely gas station we always visit."
"Umm, there'll be tons of gas stations between here and camping, Mr Crepsley."
"Yes, Darren. But I require that gas station."
"Should I ask why?"
"I would not reccomend it." said the mentor with an evilly polite smile.
"Do I have a choice?"
"No." Larten said in a very final way, still smiling evilly.
"Change the GPS, Harkat. We're making a little detour." Darren announced, jumping into his shotgun seat while Larten made himself comfy between Paris and Seba in the middle row.
"But we still get S'mores tonight, RIGHT?" Mika bellowed from the back seat.
"Yes, just an hour late." Darren informed him, hoping that would be the end of the argument. Fortunately it was, only because Kurda distracted Mika by cranking up his iPod to full blast.
Summer had begun.
However, as the Escalade full of beasts drove onwards through the morning light, Darren came to a conclusion. Due to Kurda's music, Seba's hollering, Mika and Arrow's violent threats, Paris' lectures, and Larten's advice on how to be a better person, Darren could not possibly survive an extra hour of this. Larten's supply stop be damned, he could get whatever the hell he needed at some other gas station. Quietly, he re-programmed the GPS and mouthed the new instructions to Harkat, who nodded. Larten appeared to be asleep finally, so Darren figured he could get away with it. Until the pulled up to the intersection and Harkat turned left instead of right...
Larten lunged over the driver's seat demonically, restrained Harkat with one arm, and grabbing the wheel with the other. Despite the screams of terror from the rest of the passengers, he swung the Escalade around in a perfectly illegal U-turn, finding himself in oncoming traffic. Harkat hit the gas and Larten cranked the wheel simultaneously, the tires squealed, and they shot into the next lane of traffic moving west. Larten settled back into his seat and gave Darren a look of pure hatred.
"I told you. I need supplies. At OUR gas station." he snapped with poison in his voice.
Darren took a anti-headache pill, which didn't take effect until verse 63 of "100 Bottles Of Beer On The Wall".
After 2 hours, as opposed to the 30 minutes Larten perdicted, the gang pulled into "THEIR" gas station. But there was a problem. There were 8 of them, and only one bathroom. Darren decided to be the mature one, and wait. He sat by the gas tanks, leaning against the wheel and wondering why the hell he'd gotten up this early. Harkat volunteered to use the ladies room. That left 6. The door proved to be incredibly strong, because it barely creaked when 6 beasts slammed against it.
"I swear to the gods of the Vampires, if you don't back off right now, I'm gonna wipe your face with the floor!" Mika snarled. "I NEED TO PEE!"
"I said I need to pee first!" Arrow protested.
"I got here first!" Kurda whined.
"I drank 3 coffees and a Red Bull!" Paris grumbled.
"HEY LOOK THERE'S A VAMPANEZE LICKING THE ESSIE!" Mika yelled and pointed wildly. Everyone looked. Mika shot into the bathroom and locked the door. He stayed in a couple minutes longer after he was done, just to piss everyone off. When he finally came out, everyone was outside, frantically searching for the Vampanze that dared lick the Escalade. Mika decided the sight was much too entertaining to inform them he'd been joking. Eventually, Darren reminded them they had to pee, and the battle for the bathroom began again. At this point, Darren had to remind the, there were S'mores at stake to avoid injuries. Once everyone had peed, about 10 minutes total was taken to buy munchies for the road. Seba did not appreciate the concept of paying for food, so Darren took him outside for a break.
Now, there was a massive RV parked behind the Essie. It was about 50 feet long, with a pop-out bedroom on the side. It was so high off the ground, whatever weirdo was driving it could not be seen. Darren went to his own vehicle and popped Seba in the side door, then climbed into shotgun to wait for his group. Slowly they trickled back in. First came Harkat, who leaned sleepily on the wheel and sipped Gatorade out of a straw. Mika and Arrow each had a 5-foot strip of beek jerky, which kept them occupied and non-violent towards Kurda, who had a variety of gummy worms in every colour known to man. Paris had taken an entire pot of coffee, which he poured into his mug as needed. Seba had thankfully gone to sleep.
Darren did a head count, now he was just waiting on Larten. He hadn't seen him in the store, what the hell kinda supplies had he been talking about? Darren decided to give him 5 minutes, if he wasn't in the Essie by then, he would choose 1 of 3 options: Phone him. Look for him. Leave without him. In that order.
And then, there was a terrifyingly loud HAAWWNNKK, a KRRUNCH, and the Essie jerked forwards as though pushed from behind.
"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL!" Paris screamed.
"Oh, Imma get out right now and kill those bastards. It is ON." Mika snarled, unbuckling his seat belt.
"VAMPANEZE!" Arrow hollered.
Kurda tried to hide under the seat.
Seba shrieked incoherently about abominative vehicles being posessed by demons.
Harkat rubbed his head painfully where it had smacked againat the steering wheel.
"No one panic." Darren sighed. He rolled down his window and looked behind them to see...
Mr Crepsley? In the passenger seat of the huge-ass RV?
Darren climbed over Harkat to see who was on the passenger side.
Holy Freakin Mother of All Things Abominative.
Behind the wheel was Arra Sails.
Darren looked back at Larten, who grinned evilly and motioned for him to drive on.
"I need to pick up supplies at OUR gas station!"
More like, I need to meet up with my date and her honkin big monster machine.
Well played, Crepsley, well played. If you're gonna be like that...
Darren hopped out of the Essie and ran over to the RV which he circled several times before finding the little ladder that led up to the passenger door. He climbed it, and pressed his nose against the window. Larten it down and grinned.
"Why hello, my young friend."
"No wonder you're in such a good mood." Darren grumbled.
"YOU GOT NOSEPRINTS ON MY WINDOW! DON'T THINK I WONT MAKE YOU REPLACE IT!" Arra snarled suddenly, throwing her coffee at Darren, who couldn't duck without falling 8 feet onto pavement.
"Hi Arra. I didn't know you two were a thing." Darren noted, wiping coffee from his eyes.
"Oh Darren. What you do not know would fill a multitude of blank documents." Larten informed him, still looking extrordinarily pleased wit himself.
"Yeah great. SO anyway, since you've added 2 hours onto our trip rather than having Arra meet us somewhere closer, I need you to do me a favour." Darren said in his best negotiation voice.
"Proceed." said Larten.
"But proceed fast." Arra added. "My rig pulls out in three, whether your insignificant little Sports Utility Vehicle is in the way or not."
"In my insignificant little Sports Utility Vehicle, you will find 6 delightful and enthusiastic members of our family who are finding themselves slightly confined-"
"No. Goodbye." the window began to roll up. Darren attempted to hold it down.
"Just take a few of them! Pleeeease! You have room, come on!"
"Darren, we'll drive off with you still hanging there, I swear."
"PLEASE PLEASE PLEEEASE I CANT DRIVE WITH ALL OF THEM WITHOUT YOUR HELP MR CREPSLEY! THEYLL KILL ME! OR AT LEAST MAKE US GO OFF THE ROAD! THINK OF POOR HARKAT, HES DRIVING AND HES ONLY A FEW FEET TALL!"
The engine revved.
"Sorry Darren! Remember the 3 C's!" Larten concluded, rolling up the window completely, almost severing Darren's fingers.
"FINE, JUST TAKE ME!"
The RV scooched forward. Darren figured at this point he could sustain serious bodily harm and watch the Essie get run over, or suck it up and drive with his dear manical friends. He climb-jumped down to the pavement, and shot back to his passenger seat, unfortunately Kurda was already there, and got shmucked into the console from the force of Darren's landing. At this point, the Essie began to move on it's own accord, because Arra had taken it upon herself to drive ahead so the RV was pushing them from behind. Harkat floored the accelerator and the Essie indeed accelerated, almost mowing over several tourists and taking out the roadside sign that displayed the current gas prices as they swung back on to the highway.
"WHAT...HAVE...I...DONE?" Harkat wailed.
"Don't worry, dude. No one liked those gas prices anyway." Arrow comforted, patting Harkat on the shoulder.
"Was that seriously Arra Freakin Sails?" Mika inquired of Darren.
"Yup." Darren declared, massaging his elbow where he'd smashed it on the pavement.
"What the hell is she driving?"
"It's called an RV and it's a house on wheels."
"So. Crepsley gets a date and a house while we get mosquitoes and tents?"
"Basically yeah."
Mika glared, opened the sunroof and, and stood on the seat so his entire upper torso was above the roof. What he did while up there, Darren couln't care less because there was now half a body less taking up space in the Essie. Kurda wanted to see what it was like up there, so he also stood up and peeked out. However he withdrew momentarily, screaming about windburn. Seba found a stray iPod under the seat and was suddenly singing in another language. Darren glanced in the rearview mirror but could not see the occupants of the massive RV tailing them. He wondered what was going on in there, and if he even wanted to know.
To take his mind off it, he checked the time. 6:30 am. Morning had barely begun. Summer had barely been around for a quarter of a day. Nor had his extra-large double-caffeinated moccachino kicked in. Darren pulled out his new Blackberry (a summer gift to himself) and tried to find out if purchasing his own personal RV was in the budget.
Nyeah i dont really like Arra and I suck at writing her. But i left her in, to make this one a bit different from the other TVFs, to challenge myself, and because it would be a lot of work to write her out of the chaps I have so far. Aaannyway.
Know what I realised? TVF goes on vacaction a lot. Weird. I should try keeping them at home sometime and see if thats interesting...
PS, the Lord Of The Flies-TVF parody thing, i havent forgotten it, the adventure will end!
PPS, Im deleting the 20words document soon. whatever was there will soon be here, just slightly altered.
PPPS thank you for all your support, those of you who show your love via facebook :) we're up to 18 fans and i love you all! xo
*Roxxy,