Chapter 4:

I had finished my escape plan for tonight. I hadn't noticed before but there was a vine infested wall on the left side of my balcony. I would be able to climb up and down there when I snuck over to the graveyard. The feeling in my stomach was stronger now. I could feel the old cemetery calling me.

I had just finished throwing my sketchbook in my bag when I heard the front door open. My dad must have just gotten home from golfing with Tony. I walked out of my room and into my brother's. He was sitting on his toy chest with the most depressed look on his face.

"Aren't you going to let Rudolf out?" I asked taking a seat on the floor in front of him.

"Rudolf's gone" he whispered as a small tear traveled down his cheek. I wiped it away with my thumb.

"You do know he has a family right? They were probably worried about him. Imagine how mom, dad, and I would feel if you suddenly went missing overnight? I'm sure he'll be back." Tony smiled and hugged me.

"Why don't you get to bed early? You've had a long day." Tony just nodded and climbed into bed. I tucked him in and kissed his cheeks before going downstairs. Mom and dad were seated at the table doing nothing really. "I put Tony to bed. He looked kind of tired" I said grabbing an apple from the basket in the center of the table.

"Are you sure? I mean he was in such a rush to get home. He kept asking me how long it would be till the sun went down." My dad tended to question things. I got my physical attributes from my dad and my looks from my mom. Tony looked just like our father but had the same blonde hair and blue eyes as our mother. I on the other hand could have passed as my mother's twin if it weren't for having my dad's hypnotizing red brown eyes and sandy brown hair. Mine however had a few blonde streaks in it that were only a few shades lighter than my natural, although it was very thin like my dad's.

"Who knows" I answered with a shrug of my shoulders. "Anyway I have a huge history paper due tomorrow so don't bother me for a while ok?" I asked. My parents just nodded telling me to work hard and left me to myself, perfect time to go forth with my plan.

I walked upstairs and audibly closed my door signaling to my parents I was in my room working. I quietly snuck through my window closing it but not locking it. I swung my bag over my shoulder before carefully descending the vine covered wall. Once on the ground I grabbed my bike and silently pedaled off down the road. After about ten minutes I reached the graveyard. I hid my bike amongst the old bushed near the entrance so no one would steal it if they passed by. I walked as quietly as I could through the cemetery until I was near an old mausoleum. Sinking to the ground in front of a tombstone I grabbed my sketchbook and began to draw. After a few moments I finished my drawing. It was of the girl I had seen in my dream. She was one of the most beautiful people I had ever seen. Her hair was light and fell around her in elegant waves. Her eyes were sharp but held much love and compassion in them. She was wearing a 17th century style dress. However, she looked sad.

A sound nearby caused me to avert my attention from my drawing. I soundlessly put the sketchbook back in my bag and stood up. "Hello?" I called into the darkness. "Who's there?"

"Sadie!" I heard someone yell my name before I was tackled to the ground. I stood up brushing the dirt from my clothes. I noticed Tony standing in front of me a smile on his face.

"What the heck are you doing here!" I screeched noticing Rudolf standing a few meters behind him. "You should be in bed."

"What about you? You snuck out didn't you?" A sly grin spread across Tony's face. "I won't tell if you won't."

"Fine" I huffed sitting down on a rock. Tony and Rudolf seated themselves down across from me. "So why are you here?" I asked.

"Rudolf wanted me to tell him about a picture I drew but I made him take me flying first" he said with a grin.

"Of course" I muttered under my breath.

"I could get used to flying" Tony said.

Rudolf sighed in disappointment "so you didn't see the real thing then."

"What thing?" I asked curious.

"The stone of Ataman, It looks like this" he said holding up Tony's drawing.

I looked closely at the drawing. Id dreamt it before! "I've dreamt and drawn that" I said flipping through my sketchbook until I came to the sketch of a beautiful amulet with a red stone in the center. It looked a lot like Tony's but was much more detailed and accurately drawn.

"Me to Sadie, I've dreamt it all: the comet, the amulet. Does it mean something?" Tony asked turning to Rudolf for an answer.

"I can't say. It's a secret."

"Who are we going to tell? Who's going to believe us" I exchanged a sad look with Tony knowing he felt the same way. No one would believe us. We were just freaks in everyone's eyes. Our parents would just think we were making it up.

"Alright" Rudolf said in defeat. "It is the Comet Ataman." Rudolf looked up and we followed his gaze. A red-orange comet could be seen in the night sky heading towards the moon. I remembered it from my dream. "It's the comet of lost souls. It could mean an end to this curse."

"What curse?" asked Tony.

"The curse of being a vampire" was Rudolf's reply. "It is the piece of comet that fell to earth. A great magician made it into an amulet of great power. We lost it 300 years ago to the sea."

"Yes, yes I saw it!' Tony gasped. I hadn't seen that part of the dream. I had been too focused on the dying girl. I flipped through my sketchbook for a second my eyes landing on my latest sketch. Looking at the girl I realized she had been the one to die.

Rudolf's voice caused me to snap out of my thoughts. "My uncle Von tried to catch it. We haven't seen him since. From that night to this our wandering has never ended."

"I'll help you find it. That must be what my dream really means" of course Tony.

"Yes, you're to join our quest. We'll truly be brothers now."

I cleared my throat noisily. I looked at the two boys. "Excuse me but I'm not letting two nine-year old boys run around looking for a magic stone" the boys' faces fell. "Not without me. Count me in" I said with a grin. The boys laughed and ran over hugging me. A screeching sound filled my ears. Rudolf pulled away to look towards the sky.

"Hide, my parents are coming" Rudolf panicked.

"But we're brothers!" Tony protested.

"They don't know that. Go!" I grabbed Tony and ran behind a large crumbling Tombstone. I put my hand over his mouth to keep him from making a noise. Goosebumps raised on my arms as two bats approached. I watched in astonishment as they transformed into people and glided gently to the ground with their arms outstretched. "Mama, Papa!" Rudolf chided running over to his parents. His parents were dressed as if they were from the 1700's. The mother had poofy strawberry blonde buns that looked like she got struck by lightning. The father looked like a typical vampire with slicked back black hair with a few gray strands here and there.

"Rudolf, thank the stars your safe" the mother chanted embracing her young son.

"My son, you must not stray so far again" his father scolded reminding me of our dad with Tony.

"We were afraid that…" his mother started but Rudolf cut her off. "I was only taking the road less traveled."

"Yohoo" a young girl's voice sang. A smaller blonde girl who looked only a year younger than Rudolf sat on a nearby tombstone. He hair was longer than mine reaching far past her waist and was a very light blonde color.

"Anna" Rudolf exclaimed going over and hugging his sister.

"Brother, darling" she said embracing him back. "You're the nervy one" she said pulling back "walking around like some day walker."

"I wish" said Rudolf. He turned back to his father. "So father did you find the stone" he asked.

"No, but I'm sure were on the right path."

"Because you see…" started Rudolf.

"We still have 48 hours" his father interrupted.

"But you see that's…" he tried again.

"I will not fail you" his father announced. I heard a noise behind me but I was too entranced in the family argument to notice it.

"Gregory" Rudolf's mother screamed causing my eyes to widen. I spun around still clutching Tony to me. A teenage vampire stood before us. He hissed intimidated at me. Tony yelped and ran from behind the tombstone leaving me.

"No Gregory, they're my friends" Rudolf yelled pushing him away from me. By this time I had made my way over to Tony and was glaring at him. I looked back at the two boys and nearly choked on my shock. The vampire that attacked us was the same boy from my sketch and dream. He still looked the same from the sketch. His hair was still spiked with random colors in it and he had on the same yellow bee striped shirt, black pants and boots and silvery trench coat.

He glared in our direction but mainly at me. He let a hiss out at the sight of me as if I was a disgrace to him. I growled defensively back at him but this just pissed him off more.

"Mortals" Rudolf's father cried. Tony cringed into mine and Rudolf's sides. I kept my hands steadily on his shoulders in a protective way.

Tony stuttered "I'm Rudolf's friend and he gave me a bite proof guarantee." The father stared at him and then focused on me. I glared at him in return.

"And what about you? Who are you to associate yourself with my son?"

"If you so care to know I am the boy's sister."

The father turned back to Tony and lifted him up by his chin. I yelped and attempted to grab him back but two strong arms encircled my waist restraining me. I kicked and screamed trying to get to Tony but with no such luck. I looked up and saw it was Gregory. I screeched in anger and kicked him in the leg. He didn't even flinch. He just tightened his grip on me nearly cutting off my air. "Don't make me crush you. It would be as easy as snapping a twig." I gave up struggling and just turned to watch the father and Tony.

"You will never be anything to my son. Victim either slave, dinner perhaps. But you can never be his friend."

"Him and his sister like vampires. And they dream about us." I inwardly thanked Rudolf for defending us but I didn't think it would help. His father looked pretty sure of his desire to chop our heads off and I'm pretty sure his brother would go along with it.

"Am I in your dreams mortal?" the girl Anna asked while seductively waving a fan in front of her face. I as well as the boy holding me hostage both groaned.

"And they know about the amulet" Rudolf continued.

"Then they're spies Rookery's knaves." I heard a growl in my ear and tensed. Gregory sensed this and positioned his teeth at my throat as if to bite me. I gulped and tried to get away but he just held onto me tighter cutting off my air. I gasped and struggled harder.

"Gregory ,release her. The girl cannot breathe." I fell to ground gasping for air. I looked up glaring at Gregory. He just punched his fists together. I looked back to the mother.

"Darling, they do not look like spies" she chanted kissing her husband's fingers. "They are if only children. Surely they mean no harm. Right dear." She looked at me for an answer. "Yes ma'am" I nodded my head slowly standing up. My hair had since fallen out of its ponytail and now draped over my shoulders shielding my face.

"And besides, even Rudolf couldn't make up such a story could you sweetheart?" Rudolf put on the most innocent face I had ever seen and shook his head.

"Mortal or not they're just children, but if you insist on eating them go ahead." I gaped at the mother. Tony slowly walked over to me and into my arms.

"I never said I would. It's impossible. Leave I say!" he growled at us.

"But Rudolf…" Tony argued.

"…Should never have befriended you. Leave I say" he yelled baring his fangs in a way that would only scare small children. Tony of course screamed running away from the group of vampires.

"Now look what you did!" I screamed at the vampire more pissed off than ever. The vampire just gaped at me in shock that a mortal girl would actually yell back at him. "Are you happy with yourself huh? You just made a 9 year-old boy pee his pants!"

"Don't think that I won't take my vengeance out on you small mortal child."

"Bring it on" I growled. I was in angry big sister mode now and there was only one thing that could snap me out of my trance now: a fricken vampire hunter barging into everything.

Hey guys sorry but I felt the need to add a cliffhanger! :P Sorry for taking so long to update I have been so busy you would not believe how much work I've had to do between my job and school. Ill try to update as often as I can and by that I mean every 2, 2 and a half weeks maybe. We'll see on how busy I get. Thanks! I promise I will finish and update this story if it's the last thing I do! :O ~yourvioleteyes~