Title: Lithium

Summary: After the staking out, Numbuh 5 claims to have glimpsed Count Spankulot's ghost. What does he want before he can finally rest in peace? Numbuh 5's about to find out. A sequel to 'Black Tears'

Genre: Spiritual/Horror

Rated: T for blood, spiritual happenings and gore

A/N: The song 'Lithium' is sung by Evanescence

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I gazed at the tombstone, not daring to breathe. I allowed my tears to flow again as I remembered what had happened. I had driven the stake through the vampire's heart. For committing a crime, he paid his price. And he wanted it. He wanted to block all tainted memories which could burn the devil himself. After my 'performance', the priest instructed us to saw off the stake, leaving the burrowed part stuck in his heart. We cut of his head and placed garlic buds in his mouth before sealing him in a coffin made of tasteful old-fashioned maple. We buried him in the Cleveland cemetery; I always visited it to simply think over what I've done. I had kissed him. I had kissed his delicate and frozen lips. I wanted to show him love. After all, hatred had been boiling deep inside that black hole of his.

Lithium, don't want to lock me up inside,

Lithium, don't want to forget how it feels without,

Lithium, I want to stay in love with my sorrow,

Oh, but God, I want to let it go,

I knelt and fingered the scarlet rose I had planted on his grave. Really strange, the rose. Dewy and delicate petals contrasted perfectly with pointed and curved thorns. It resembled my heart. Soft on one half, pointed on the other. The rose provided as a sense of protection. To prevent the Count from returning. If he did return. Frowning in disapproval, I ripped the rose out of the soil and touched its feathery petals that were encased in dewdrops. I slowly tore off the petals one by one. As the petals dropped to the ground, they dissolved into a puff of black smoke. I hardly noticed. When the last petal dropped, I swore the ground shuddered. Swallowing hard, I turned my heel and strutted off. I would have to explain this to Numbuh 1 later.

Come to bed; don't make me sleep alone,

Couldn't hide the emptiness, you let it show,

Never wanted it to be so cold,

Just didn't drink enough to say you love me,

I can't hold onto me,

Wonder what's wrong with me,

I flopped on canopied bed, feeling waxed. I usually fall asleep when my head touches my pillow but today I felt a huge disturbance nagging at the back of my head. I undid my ponytail and removed my red cap. I lay in bed and my eyes strayed to the ceiling. I felt strangely tired after pressing garlic into the windowpanes and hanging a crucifix by my bed. After destroying the 'protection', I knew I had to take extra precautions. As much as I tossed and turned, I couldn't rid myself of that anxiety near my brain cavity. Was it my subconscious speaking? I hope not. I had enough of spiritual happenings for one night. That's when I heard the rustling of the trees. A dog howled in the distance, mourning for what happened. I woke up and inspected the surroundings. A shadowy figure was standing on one of the tree branches. My brain ordered me to shriek my lungs out but for a phenomenal reason, didn't. The Count neared my window, looking horrendous and grimy. His eyes were still stained black and he was encrusted with filth. He pressed his body against the windowpanes; I noted the garlic changed his skin from a placid grey to splotchy pink. I snatched my crucifix from the wall and waved it at him. "Go." I whispered. His eyes emitted black tears before he flew off. That's when I fainted.

Lithium, don't want to lock me up inside,

Lithium, don't want to forget what it feels without,

Lithium, I want to stay in love with my sorrow,

I remembered waking up in my bed. Was yesterday night just a dream? Or was it more? I wanted it to be just my subconscious mind toying with the crippling guilt in my heart. I flung open my windows and examined them. My heart nearly stopped pulsating when I noticed a hand print one of them. I instantly felt sick. That rose couldn't be the only thing that stopped him from entering the mortal world, could it? My intestines knotted together at that theory. I had to dismiss this as a stupid nightmare. It should be. The others would never believe me anyway. Who would? I inhaled and calmed myself down. I had to keep my head together.

Don't want to let it lay me down this time,

Drown my will to fly,

Here in darkness I know myself,

Can't break free until I let it go,

Let me go,

I couldn't concentrate on anything. School, eating, sports, games, anything. I had this blank, emaciated look all day long. Numbuh 1 arched an eyebrow at me. I tried to assure myself it was a simple nightmare. But, the inevitable always arose. He was back. And it was my entire fault. I had to inform someone I could trust. I had to inform…Numbuh 1. At first he was skeptical, but I sounded so convincing, he actually listened attentively. I filled him on the Count's unexpected visit. But my explanation was interrupted when Numbuh 1 shakily pointed behind me. I shot him a weird look but I whirled around. My insides twisted when I saw a message written on the wall in a red liquid. It read: 'Help me, S'. I touched the red muck. It was too sticky and smelled tangy. It was blood.

Darling, I forgive you after all,

Anything is better than to be alone,

And in the end, I guess I had to fall,

Always find my place among the ashes,

I can't hold on to me,

Wonder what's wrong with me,

My knees trembled; what did he want me to help him with? That question stayed with me even when I rested in bed. My thoughts were ruined when I heard a chilling scream. Gasping, I sprung out of bed and headed for Numbuh 4's room. My heart dropped down to my stomach when I saw Count Spankulot grabbing Numbuh 4 by the neck. With his fangs. Blood was leaking out of the bite marks on Numbuh 4's neck. He was weeping in terror at the vampire's fangs burrowing into his neck. Slicing his arteries and drawing the warm blood out of Numbuh 4's neck. I gulped in terror at the Count's intimidating figure. His height always scared me. His eyes had grown to two plunging wells of raging fire. His fangs were covered with blood and he gently dropped Numbuh 4 to the ground. Luckily he didn't tear his throat out. I didn't want to clean up any organs on the floor. The Count was seething with sadness. I whispered "Why?" "I want a soul mate." And with that he vanished. I picked Numbuh 4 off the floor and bathed his bite holes. He was still traumatized by the incident. My mind was more focused on the Count's strange demand.

A soul mate? I needed help in this issue. I visited the pastor who was surprised by my demand. He advised me to burn a paper figurine that resembled a woman and place the ashes directly on top of the grave. I nodded in understanding. I hurriedly folded a feminine paper figurine and journeyed to the grave. Tears springing from my eyes, I set the paper doll on fire and dropped it on to the grave. The wind whizzed past me and I shivered in my shirtdress. The clouds parted and the moon appeared. I turned around and saw a translucent figure with a female vampire next to him. I waved at them as they waved back to me before they vanished. I swallowed and immediately planted a rose on the grave. No more spiritual happenings for me. Or would there be?

Lithium, don't want to lock me up inside,

Lithium, don't want to forget how it feels without,

Lithium, stay in love with me,

I'm going to let it go,

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: Hope you like that. I know I rushed through it.