Sorry that this has been a while. School and soccer is getting kind of tight now, but in approximately 2 weeks I'll have more free time on my hands. Although I need to get a job. Oh well, I will try to keep this story cranking.

Just a reminder: Reviews make me happy. If I'm not happy, then there is no story. No story means everyone is unhappy. So please review for your own sake!!

Trevor's home had always reminded me of a castle, ever since I was a little kid. It was probably the biggest home in all of Dullsville, although the Mansion would give it a run for its money. The Mitchells owned half of the town, and their home reflected it. The first time I saw it was when I was five, and more recently I went there to 1) get info about Luna from him and 2) try to save him from Luna. Now I may be going there to save him from another vampire, and I don't even like the kid. The irony of it all sucked.

The lights were turned off, except for the automated garage floodlights that spilled over the driveway when I pulled my bike in. I wasn't sure how I was going to plan my grand break-in. With the Mitchells' wealth, they probably have a security system with built in booby traps, or, worse, policemen stationed inside. That would be paranoia in its most extreme form.

Now, how would a vampire get into a locked, secure home? I wished I could think like a vampire now. A vampire would have difficulty getting in, but a bat was different. All it would need is a crack in the ceiling, an open window. If it could crack the security system, it could probably get anything inside without anyone noticing.

Now, where to begin?

I walked the perimeter of the mansion, looking for any unusual signs along the house of intrusion. All the first story windows were sealed shut, and the back door was locked, too. I pressed my head against the main entrance and heard the beeping of an alarm. So it was on. If there was a vampire living in the Mitchell home, it would be smart enough to know that there are people here who would want him gone.

After searching the rest of the outside, I found no sign on invasion. This was really frustrating; I wanted to give up and go home. Tough it out, Madison, I mentally encouraged. Do this for Alexander.

I rechecked the perimeter one more time. The lack of light was making it difficult, but I was used to darkness. My night vision was better than most people… that is, humans.

There had to be something here that would help me out. I thought of the way I'd snuck into the Mansion a couple of times, through a broken window in the basement. I hadn't seen any windows near the ground, so that idea was out. Besides, the Mitchells would never leave any part of their home imperfect. Think, Raven, think. I had to get more creative.

When I came to the Mitchells' home a few months ago, I had only managed to get in because Mr. Ferguson was painting their home. That time I snuck in through the garage. The second time Trevor had let me in. I could try the garage again… I skittered back to where my bike rested against the side of the house. The sliding door didn't have a handle, so I dug my fingers under it and shoved, and shoved, and shoved some more until it felt like by arms would pop out of its sockets.

It didn't budge.

Crap.

I was exhausted, and my arms hurt. I fell backwards and sat on the hard cement, feeling utterly defeated. Maybe I was wasting my time. Why would a vampire want to stay in an ultra swank home like the Mitchells', besides the fact that no one was staying there for the summer.

I looked up toward the sky, about ready to give up. Then I noticed something I hadn't before. On the second story, ever so slightly, a window was cracked open. And to my surprise, a giant tree was right by that window. What a break!

Feeling rejuvenated, I practically skipped to the tree. Some branches hung low enough to act as steps for me to scale up. I was an expert climber, almost as good as a squirrel or a cat. I launched myself from one branch to another, slowly working toward the open window. I was on my stomach, perpendicular to the opening, and inched forward. The sturdy wood held my wait, even as I edged toward the end of it. When I stretched out my hand, I could touch the glass. With a push I opened it to a space large enough for me to fit through. I repositioned myself so that I was sitting on the tree's extremity. Now, how to get through?

There was about a foot space between the branch and the window, just enough room that if I fell I would go splat – or at least be in a body cast for a while. I leaned forward, griping the frame of the window, and slowly leaned in. As I tilted into the window, I switched from sitting to squatting on the branch. I pushed off my back legs and felt myself lower into the house. My arms broke my fall, and I grunted as the rest of me hit the hardwood floor. I paused for a second to make sure no alarm went off, and then the coast was clear.

I had been in Trevor's house enough times to have a rough idea of its layout. It took me a couple tries, after turning down endless amounts of hallways filled with doors that led to unoccupied rooms, before I found the main staircase. Even with all the lights turned off it was too bright and open inside, not like people hadn't been residing in their for a couple weeks. I ran my hand along the marble railing to find no dust at all. The cleaning crew looked like it still made an appearance even though the family was away.

There was one place that was logical, even in a home like the Mitchells', for a vampire to be. The basement. I had no clue how to get there. I walked through a series of rooms – dining rooms, a recreation room, a kitchen made entirely of marble, and even a home theater – and I couldn't find a set of downward stairs. Most of the doors I opened led to other really big rooms that obviously had no purpose for a family of three. This wasn't working out as I planned, and for all I knew there could be surveillance cameras taping my intrusion. I sighed after opening the door to a pantry the size of my bedroom. I wasn't making much progress. There was a door across from it, one of the few I hadn't opened. The knob twisted and I pulled it open… to reveal a descending staircase. Finally!

You'd think that in a place as big as the Mitchells' there would be at least one room of the mansion that wouldn't be furnished, but you'd be wrong. The floor was carpeted and an array of leather couches encircled yet another plasma screen TV hanging on the wall. This place had to be in the record books for most plasma screens in a home. To my dismay, there was no coffin in site. However, I could here weird noises coming from a door underneath the staircase. There was only one way to know what it was, and it would be against my nature to not find out by myself. I opened the door and peered in.

The room was utterly dark, impossible to see in. As soon as the door opened, a wave of heat came crashing on me. The strange noises that sounded like rattling metal became louder. I took a step in and my head tapped something dangling from the low ceiling. When I reached up, I realized what it was. A silver chain. It was attached to a bulb. I hoped for the best and yanked it downward. The room lit up instantly, and I gasped.

In the center of the room was a ring of dirt, and inside it was a single red coffin.

The lid was open, and the inside only had ruffled black sheets. The noise, which came from a furnace, grated against my eardrums, and I wondered how anyone could deal with the noise. Then again coffins did do a good job at blocking out sounds. I searched around for any other clues, only to find nothing. There wasn't a suitcase or duffle bag.

This was a good time to give up my inspection. I had found what I was looking for, and I would be excited to tell Alexander when he returned tomorrow night. He'd be thrilled that we knew where the vampire was staying – and possibly pissed that I would risk being alone with a maybe-dangerous vampire.

As I made my way back through the home, I made sure that any sign of my presence was removed. It was easier to find my way through the house this time. I came back to the main hallway and paused. The security box was by the front door, and instead of beeping to signal it was on, the monitor glowed like it had just been used. My heartbeat accelerated as I approached. The screen read Security Mode: Off. I think my heart stopped for a second.

Footsteps from upstairs echoed through the big living room, and I knew I had to get out fast. There was no way I could risk going back through the window. Should I use the front door? Would they hear me? The steps came closer, and I knew I had to act. I reached for the front door and pulled, thankful as heck that it opened silently. I scrambled out the door and closed it slowly, hearing the barely audible click of the lock.

I had no idea who was in Trevor's home at two in the morning, but I knew I couldn't stick around to see who it was.

I launched onto the seat of my bike and pedaled out of there like a mad man. I had made the greatest escape I could imagine, and my heart was still beating wildly with raw fear and excitement. Vampire should come to Dullsville more often.