Transylvania, 1898

Drac was already waiting for me when I disembarked.

"Drac! Hi! How are you?" I greeted him with a pat on the back.

"Good, good, thanks." He replied with a little smile. "How was the trip?"

"You know what it's like to go with trolls…But fine. And Mavis? Didn't you bring her?"

"No."

I realized with those few sentences that Drac had suffered a terrible change since the last time I saw him. He seemed to be trying to avoid conversations and talk about himself. Actually, even if that shocked me, it wasn't surprising: his wife had been murdered four years ago and had to take care of his daughter alone. One can't forget about it easily.

So I tried to change the subject far, far away from his family.

"Well, what did you want to…?"

"All in good time." He interrupted me. "First, get into the car. You're the only one left."

He took me to a car driven by a headless man. He hadn't closed the door when he spurred on the horses and we started moving.

"The others are here already?" I asked.

"Yes, they arrived this afternoon. I supposed you'd be here before eight."

"Yes, I'm sorry, we had a little problem at the port. One lady ate the captain."

"She was a gremlin, wasn't she?"

"Of course. Those could eat their own mother."

We laughed but Drac did it unenthusiastically.

The trip was long, even though the coachman drove as fast as he could. Drac tried to amuse it by asking me about all details of my life in New York, but I had already told him everything by mail and I barely knew what to tell him that he didn't know. On the other hand, he didn't speak about himself in any moment, even if I didn't know how his life was for a long time. His letters almost exclusively told me about Mavis's growth. I wasn't upset about it, I loved Mavis. I melted when I read in my room about her first fang, that she had just learned to walk or that she could fly alone. Last time she sent me a drawing of her with her father, who protected her from some doodles that I supposed were humans which had red rays in their hands which I interpreted as torches. That was quite illuminating about what Drac told her about humans. Who knew what stuff he told to that little girl.

Hours passed while Drac and I looked through the window, silent for long whiles. Finally, we got to a forest. The coachman made the horses stop, hopped off his seat and opened our door. Drac got out first, with that elegance he always displays when he's with a subordinate, and then I. When I did, our friends greeted us. They were all there: Wayne, Wanda, Frank, Eunice and Murray. Seeing the bottles and cards lying on the grass, they had been waiting for a long time.

"Look who showed up! The yankee!" Murray exclaimed.

He immediately ran to hug me.

"Hi." Wayne greeted me.

"We were starting to think you wouldn't come." Frank chuckled, hugging me and patting my back.

"Hi, guys. Sorry about the delay, we had problems at the port." I apologized.

"It doesn't matter. Day hasn't come yet." Dracula excused me.

"Hello."

A little shadow showed up behind Frank. It was little Mavis. God, she was gorgeous. She had grown up a lot since the last time I saw her, when she was a baby, and now she could talk and had a black mane, but still had that look which captivated me.

"Hi, sweetie." I told her, giving her a hug.

"Did you like my drawing?" she asked me with a sweet voice.

"A lot." I replied. "I have it hanging over my bed."

That was true, I didn't say so to please her.

"How did my little one behave?" Drac asked, looking at Mavis with sweet eyes as he pinched her cheek.

"Marvelously. We taught her how to play poker." Murray said, caressing her head.

"It was funny." Mavis giggled.

"No humans?" Drac asked in a lower voice. I noted that his face became a bit darker.

"I didn't even smell one." Wayne assured him.

"Good." Drac smiled, relieved. "Follow me, please."

He carried Mavis on his shoulders and started walking through the forest while we followed him.

"It was great. We should be getting used to children…" Wanda smiled. "Do you know why, Griffin?"

"Why?"

"We're getting married in April." Wayne announced.

"Really? Congrats!" I exclaimed.

"Thank you." Wanda smiled.

"And I'm going to be the best man." Frnak added.

"You'll have to get yourself a new suit." Eunice pointed.

"What's so bad about mine?"

"I am so happy about you," Drac interrupted, "but I also have a surprise for all of you."

He suddenly stopped and got Mavis off his shoulders. He headed then towards a bush, put his hand inside it and seemed to pull a lever. Maybe he did it, because the ground trembled and opened before our very eyes, showing a hidden passage.

"Go." Drac told us.

He grabbed Mavis' hand and both of them deepened inside the dark. The rest of us followed him.

After almost a minute of disorientation and voices, we saw the moonlight again. We hadn't noticed we had arrived to a stone bridge at whose other end was an enormous building.

It was a big castle from which you could see forest and mountains. There were not many windows, but there were tall towers. It was built in stone and black tiles, in such a way it would have gone unnoticed in the dark of the night if it wasn't for the weak lights coming from the windows.

"Wow." Murray muttered.

"This is my house." Mavis said to me, pulling my trousers.

"Your house?" I turned to Dracula.

"Yes, this is my home and Mavis'." He explained. "But it is also yours…Boys, I gathered you here to invite you to the inauguration of Hotel Transylvania."

We looked at him stunned.

"What?" Eunice exclaimed.

"Hotel Transylvania." Dracula repeated. "I designed him from an idea…Martha and I had a long time ago. A safe place where all monsters could rest away from the menace of humans. They can't get here. They would have to cross a cursed forest, face the living dead and swim a lake full of piranhas. Also, the staff is trained to eliminate any menace which could irrupt into the hotel. We have a sauna, ballroom, bar, swimming pool with buffet and library. All you can wish.

He turned to us with a smile.

"And I wanted you to be the first ones to enjoy it."

"You must have spent all your fortune, right?" Murray commented.

"It cost a lot, yes, but I hope I can get good bookings for Easter." Drac admitted.

"I will spread the news in the pyramid."

"Me too."

"Me too."

"Of course, Drac."

"Sure." I joined.

"I am so thankful. Please, come in. Make yourselves at home." Drac said.

We got inside the hotel. A bunch of zombies picked up our luggage and gave us brochures and drinks on the house. I gave give dollars to the one who attended me, but I'm not sure whether he thanked me or if he refused to accept it because I still didn't understand his snarls and expressions.

I sat on an armchair in the hall, which was large and decorated with such an elegant touch that I felt embarrassed for having shown up with my oldest pants (the only ones I had clean), and I drank my cocktail serenely. Yes, sir, I liked what I saw. Drac was a finances genius and a great monster. A place where we could be safe and act naturally for a reasonable prize? Really tempting.

Mavis approached me holding Murray's hand.

"Come see my room." She said.

"Well, okay." I smiled, although she couldn't see it.

I took my drink and followed her. She had dragged the rest of us and we were happy to obey.

"She's so cute." Wanda sighed.

'Yes, she is', I thought.

But I couldn't help asking myself if she wouldn't feel too alone in such a big hotel. In such circumstances, she wouldn't have the chance to meet many monsters of his age.