Slices of a New Life pt. 3: Double Date
The Saturday of the double date came and everybody was ready for a day in town.
Due to Dracula's and Mavis' Vampiric nature, Johnny and Elona were sure to bring along a few essential necessities to protect them from the harshness of the Sun if needed such as bottles of sunblock, wide brim hats, and even extra wide umbrellas.
"So what're we doing in town today?" Elona asked with curiosity and excitement.
"Johnny and Dad said we're going to a 'double feature' at the movies," Mavis said with some confusion and excitement of her own, "I don't know what that's supposed to mean, but I look forward to it."
"We're going to see two movies at the theatre," Elona said, "I wonder what we're going to see."
They soon met the men by a hotel hearse, Dracula's cape cocooned his figure while his face was stark white with sunblock and he wore a wide rainbow umbrella hat, which Elona tried not to laugh at.
With Johnny at the wheel, he drove them into town and to the movie theatre to see a double feature of Goosebumps, which Elona never even read the original books it's supposed to be based on; and the returning blockbuster hit Avatar as its sequel was rumored to be coming out later next year.
They bought two large popcorns to share and sodas, except Dracula would only let Elona get an ice tea to drink with no exceptions.
Some hours later they came out smiling as they talked about what they thought about the movies.
"If that Goosebumps movie was supposed to be scary, I don't see it," Mavis said, "It was too hilarious, I still can't stop laughing."
"It was never my thing, either, Mavis," Elona said, "But you're right, it was pretty funny and still fun. Actually my brother, Sean, always read the book, so I think he'd enjoy the movie."
"Oh yeah, the books were awesome," said Johnny, "I think I collected them all when I was a kid, I think they're still at home at my parents in Santa Cruz."
"Eh, it was okay," Dracula shrugged, "But I got some laughs out of it, even with how some humans still see monsters sometimes. I actually see a bit of us in that Avatar movie; now that was amazing."
"Oh yeah," Mavis breathed, "That alien world was so beautiful, and it was so angering how the bad humans wanted to destroy it for some gray rock, but I couldn't help but smile when Jake saved the day, and when the princess came to save him and accepted him in his human form. It does remind me a little of us, Johnny."
They embraced and smiled to each other as Elona said, "I always like the movie, too, even though it's 'save the rainforest' message is a little over in the face, but it still rings true today and I think is even more important than ever."
Dracula put an arm around her and smiled as he said, "Yes, it is, but I think it's also about tolerance and accepting differences. That one human soldier almost reminded me of the humans from 135 years ago, but I was glad to see there were ones who sided with the uh…, what were the giant blue cat people called again?"
"Na'vi."
"Yeah, that, it reminds me of how good we have it now, humans liking monsters and stuff. So, I liked it, even if it was pretty weird sometimes. But enough babbling about movies, Johnny said we're going someplace he said reminded him of a cheesy chucking mouse or something, but for grown-ups."
Johnny just rolled his eyes as he said, "Something like that, it's a place called Bats 'n' Wolves, and it's got pizza, ales, and all kinds of arcade games, and some are supposed to be really kinky. Oh! And even a stage for their own talent night or karaoke."
Dracula just gave a bit of a raised eyebrow, while Elona wasn't sure if she should smile or blush with amusement or embarrassment.
The place wasn't too far so they could walk their way to it, and made it as twilight fell.
Inside it was loud with game noises and people talking loudly or shouting with excitement as they played games or watched a ball game on a big screen flat TV; game lights flashed and blinked as far as the eye could see; off to the side was an eating area with booths and a bar with 13 backed stools and behind it was a kitchen where the wonderful smell of food permeated the air; and set in a diagonal corner from the seating area was a small stage with a stool and its own karaoke machine.
It looked so big Dracula thought it had to be as big as his hotel lobby.
"So, what should we do first?" Johnny asked with an enthusiastic smile.
"Let's get some pizza," Elona said, "I'm starving."
At the bar they readied to place their orders as the rather attractive young cashier gave a flirtatious smile to Elona as he offered,
"Would you care to try the best home brewed ale in town, sweetheart? It's on the house."
Although uncomfortable, Elona gave her best polite smile as she prepared to say no thank you, but Dracula jumped in as he scowled with seething jealousy and over protectiveness as he said with a hard edge,
"Absolutely not, no alcohol for her in any way, shape, or form; no, no, and a final no."
The cashier eyed Dracula but tried to remain professional as he said, "I believe it's the lady's choice, sir, and I don't think one pint would hurt."
Dracula glared at him with an icy cold gaze that made the air chill around them several degrees and sent a chilling tingle down the cashier's spine as he said in a cold tone, "Yes, it will, and I want her pizza to be gluten-free, whatever the heaven that's supposed to be."
The cashier was about to timidly argue back, but Elona interjected as she said calmly and politely as possible, "It's okay, he's just a little over protective of me, and he's right as I can't have alcohol because I have a, uh, condition and I can't drink."
"Oh, I see," the cashier sighed with sympathy, the air steadily warming up again, "So, what can I get you, folks?"
"How about just plain root beers all around, and individual pizzas?" Johnny suggested.
"I want to share a big one with you guys," Mavis said, "I don't mind if its half Vampire stuff and half humany stuff, I want to try it."
"I want a salad to go with it, too," Elona said.
So it was agreed, they all got a family combo of a salad, breadsticks (no garlic of course) with ranch dressing to dip in, a jumbo pizza half pepperoni and sausage and half scorpion and mosquito, while for individual slices Elona got her favorite of Hawai'ian, which Dracula found intriguing, Johnny got a meat lovers, Mavis a worm and mushroom, and finally Dracula got a centipede and snake skin with Blood Beater red sauce.
A few games they played while waiting for their orders were mostly classic types, such as pinball, which Johnny loved to play and was almost a professional at as he spent a lot of time after school procrastinating at the nearest neighborhood arcade; Mavis loved the flamboyant and various games with spinning wheels which she unleashed her Vampire strength upon making the wheels spin so rapidly they almost came off their hinges; Elona's favorite game was the Skee-ball where a small ball was thrown up a lane and it landed in holes to gain points, like a smaller version of bowling; and Dracula surprisingly got into video games where he shot at invading aliens, almost seeing the reason humans used to hunt monsters, though these were still bad memories for him.
One rather kinky game they all played was measuring about how much sexual stamina they had; Johnny showed he was above average, which made Mavis shake her head as she knew he was far better but Johnny blushed in embarrassment in front of his father-in-law nonetheless; Elona was reluctant to play as she doubted it would be good anyway, but they just pestered her to try it and she did reluctantly. When she did it, it said she was at a hot high level like a Vivacious Vixen, which just made her blush a bright red and made Dracula smile at the thought and try to keep his libido in control. For him, it said he was On Red Hot Fire! which made Elona blush brighter and Mavis and Johnny just look on wide eyed, but Dracula was just proud of himself.
From almost all of them, they won a large number of tickets for prizes, which as first confused the Vampires until they went to the vending counter and could pick out a variety of prizes.
They decided to pick them out later as their food was finally ready and they sat down at a private booth just to chat for a time.
"This place is so much fun," Mavis said with a big excited beaming smile showing her white fangs, "It's giving me ideas to improve on the gaming room at the hotel."
"Mavy, not your hotel improvement ideas again," Dracula groaned with a bit of a smile, "I thought you out grew that after I was away a few years ago."
"Why, what happened a few years ago?" Elona asked curiously.
"It was before I met Johnny," Mavis said, "Dad got nominated to be the Grand Vamp on the Vampire World Council for a short term, so while he was away I saw my chance to try and make the hotel 'more fun' with a bunch of ideas I had, but mostly they just got me and my friends into a lot of trouble."
"Like what?"
Mavis smiled at memories of her 'teenage' years as she said, "Like this one time I wanted to get a five skull review from a famous gremlin reviewer for Screamcation Magazine, and I accidently let some werepups loose and being as wild as they are I spent a good while looking for them, but not without having to deal with uh, another unexpected complication."
Dracula gave a bit of a suspicious raised eyebrow as Elona just asked, "What kind of complication?"
Mavis was momentarily shifty eyed as she said, "Uh, well, let's just say an unexpected and rather trouble making guest made her way into the hotel."
Elona laughed low, then asked, "What else happened, and what happened to your friends?"
"Well, we still keep in touch, but they have their own afterlives now," Mavis said fondly, "But years ago we got into all sorts of trouble, like trying to scare humans for Bad Friday, but I freaked out instead over a diaper being changed."
Elona, Johnny, and Dracula just burst out laughing.
"Hey," Mavis yelled with indignity, "I was only 114 then, wouldn't you freak out, too?"
"Mavy," Dracula laughed, "I changed your nappy all the time when you were a baby, and you were just so cute; and you changed Denisovich before he potty trained."
"Yeah, well…it was freaky…and so disgusting…uggh," Mavis shuttered at the memory, "She had to touch it."
"Well, we humans aren't as lucky to have telekinetic powers like Vampires," Johnny shrugged with his ever easy going way, "So what new parent wouldn't want an awesome power like that?"
"So true," Dracula smiled a bit with self pride.
Elona was about to ask what Bad Friday was when she realized something strange.
"Wait, did I hear right? Drac left a 114 year old in charge of an entire ginormous hotel? 114 is a teenager for a Vampire, right?"
"Yeah," Mavis sighed, "But as much as I wanted to be in charge while Dad was away, he left Aunt Lydia in charge."
Dracula just gave a groan at the mention of Lydia's name as Elona asked, "Who's Lydia, the wife or lady friend of another friend I haven't met yet?"
"No, she's my Dad's older sister."
Elona gave Dracula a surprised look as she gasped, "You have a sister?!"
Dracula just rolled his eyes as he sighed with a growing discomfort as Elona gasped more, "I've told you about my siblings a lot, and you never mentioned you had a sister. Is she ever coming to visit like Vlad, when do I get to meet her?"
"I don't think so," Dracula sighed with a bit of sadness, "Lydia and I hardly talk, even while she ran the hotel for me, and we haven't spoken much since."
Elona gave a look of sympathy as she said, "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Why?"
"She's really old school, almost as bad as my dad was," Dracula said.
"She was always about maintaining order and perfection," Mavis said as she imitated Lydia's thick Transylvania accent, "a big stake in the mud. She would have werepups if she saw how things at the hotel are now."
They all laughed bit, the Elona said, "Well, who knows, I still hope to meet her someday. I'm also curious about you being the Grand Vamp, Drac, somehow that fits you."
"Trust me, it wasn't as glamorous as it sounds," Dracula groaned, "There were days I wished I was dead, and stayed dead because it was sooo damn boring, and the worst part of that was I couldn't leave for the entirety of my term under any circumstances." He gave a smug smile as he said, "But I did make one exception to play hooky when Mavy and her trouble prone friends disobeyed the one rule about never going out on Halloween." He then gave a bored tone again. "But the truth is I didn't even want the job, my place was at the hotel with my precious Mavy. But there was no way out of it, and it was 'tradition'…" He did a quote gesture. "…for a Dracula to be the Grand Vamp for a term, so I only did it reluctantly."
"What happened that you had to leave, and why couldn't Mavis and her friends go out on Halloween?" Elona asked with almost a laugh, "I'm sure it would've been fine if they went to a party in town or something."
"Oh, no, no, no," Dracula argued, "Trust me, bad things happen when a curious monster goes out on Halloween, I should know because it happened to me...twice."
"Why, what happened?" Elona asked with some doubt and curiosity.
"Pumpkin Guts, uugh," Dracula quivered at the memories.
"Pumpkin Guts?" Elona and Johnny asked simultaneously, confused and curious.
"It's a story for another time, but trust me it was scary, and not in a good way. Besides, we're getting off topic. The short story is I hated being at Vampire Council, even though being the Grand Vamp had it perks, but it was a job I was forced to do. There were even some old fogeys still on the Council that questioned my qualification of being Grand Vamp, but I didn't care. At least I stuck it to them."
"If it was tradition for a Dracula to serve for a time, why would these old members question your qualification?" Elona asked.
"Was it because you got in trouble that one time, something about involving humans or something before you met Mom?" Mavis said.
"I told you never to bring that up, especially after I told you about it," Dracula snarled low with some embarrassment.
Mavis just smiled smugly.
"What happened that you got in trouble with the Council?" Elona asked, then teased, "Were you a really baaad boy?"
She wiggled her eyebrows at him as he broke out in a light sweat and stammered, "Uh, well, eh, uh, that's one way to put it."
His face dropped a bit to a frown, making the others go quiet and lose any teasing smiles.
"It's…a very long story," he said low with sadness, "And it was a time when I was…less than discreet in my passions, especially with uh, the fairer sex and affairs of the heart."
"Dad, you don't have to sure coat it," Mavis said, "And it's okay if you were a hormonal young guy, like I was a hormonal young girl. You know how I had a huge crush on Jett Black."
"Who's Jett Black?" Johnny asked, suddenly feeling a growing sense of jealousy.
Mavis suddenly blushed a bit as she smile awkwardly and stammered, "Oh, uh, he was uh, just some cute guy I liked, y'know, a famous Vampire musician, sorta like a teen rock god."
"A teen rock god!?" Johnny nearly yelled loudly in a growing jealousy, but Mavis tried to shush him.
"Will you relax, it was just a crush and I got over it," she tried to reason with him, "Besides, he wasn't all that great anyway as he was rude and mean to me, and that's in the past You're my Zing, Johnny, which is totally different and way better, and that's all that matters. You're the only one for me."
Johnny looked uncertain for a long moment as he scowled a bit, but his face softened to an easy going smile again as he and Mavis kissed and embraced.
Dracula couldn't help but feel his fatherly protectiveness, happy for them, squeamish, but also a little ashamed but also relieved they didn't have to talk about his dark checkered past anymore.
"When I was thirteen," Elona said, "I had a huge crush on this one cute boy named Craig Davidson, and I thought he was the dreamiest boy in the world. Sandy blond hair, dreamy robin's egg blue eyes, and so tall for his age he was on the school basketball team. But he only had eyes for a girl named Tammy who blossom big and early, if you know what I mean, and she was so shallow and loved the attention so much I called her Trampy Tammy. But like all school yard crushes it past."
"I used to have a crush on this one hot girl in high school named Joanne Jones, so she was called Jojo for short. She may not have had the hottest name, but being captain of the cheerleading squad the things she could do with pom poms, let me tell ya," Johnny said as he got a goofy faraway dreamy look in his eyes, now making Mavis give him a jealous look.
But Johnny quickly snapped out it as he stammered out, "So, uh, were there any hot Vampire chicks you had a crush on, Drac?"
Dracula was taken aback at this, just freezing in his seat and looking around at everybody as they waited for him to answer.
"I don't want to talk about it," he said with finality.
"Ah, c'mon, Drac," Johnny groaned, "You must have some stories about girls you liked. I know you had to have been a real chick magnet when you were our age."
"I said I don't want to talk about it, Johnny," Dracula nearly growled.
"Why, Drac?" Elona asked, "Does it have to do with what happened with those girls in the book?"
"What book?" Mavis asked.
"The one about me," Dracula mumbled a bit.
"Oh, the one by Bram Stoker," Johnny said with a smile, "I had to read it in school, it was so spooky, and so awesome, there's even this part where…"
Dracula gave Johnny and icy cold stone face scowl, making the moppy red head go silent.
"Dad, why don't you want to talk about it?" Mavis asked, "What is it you won't tell us?"
"Uh," Dracula stammered a bit with awkwardness, "Elona and I have been reading the book together for a few days now, and uh, I uh, don't want to y'know, ruin anything we haven't gotten to yet, so spoilers, y'know."
Elona gently put a hand on his shoulder as she said with a smile, "Drac, I doubt you'll spoil the rest of the story for me right now, and I already know you told me about those girls from the book. What else happened with them?"
Dracula momentarily tightened his lips as he looked at the other three as they watched him in expectation.
Finally, he caved as she slowly said, "It's too depressing, and I don't want to ruin what a good time we're having now. And I don't want you to be disappointed in me, Elona, because of what you went through."
Her eyes just radiated sympathy for him as she gently caressed his sharp cheek and lightly kissed it. Smiling at this reassurance which warmed his heart, he decided to try and keep this story of his past short as he began to say,
"Those human girls, Mina and Lucy, were the reason I was in trouble with the Vampire Council in my younger days. Being so full of myself and thinking I could have whatever I wanted I went after them instead of courting the three Vampire girls my dad arranged me with, but I hadn't Zinged with any of them and even he encouraged me to find my Zing someday. But not with any of those shrews.
"I had growing feelings for Mina, and I thought she was my Zing, even though she was engaged to another human, but I wouldn't let that stop me. To keep it short, things didn't go so well and Mina married the Harker guy so I thought maybe Lucy would be the one. It was nice and we had some fun and laughs for a while, but…"
He was silent for a long minute, but he gathered his courage and continued, "Let's just say because of my arrogance and over eagerness for a lady in my life, in the end it costs hers, and I never wanted that. I still feel guilty about it to this day, but I've tried to find ways to make up for it.
"While wallowing in my guilt I went to Mina and confessed everything; who I really was, what I had done, my real reasons for being in London, and my feelings for her. Not surprisingly she wasn't happy about a lot of it, but something happened between us that night."
He momentarily got a far off dreamy look as he remembered that fleeting encounter that fatal night, but got snapped out of it as Mavis asked,
"What happened, Dad? Give us the juicy details."
"Mavis," Dracula gasped, "You're too young to know."
"I'm 126, married and have my own kid," she complained, "I think I can handle some stuff from your dirty past, Dad."
"We kissed, the end," Dracula said with a snark.
Everyone just gave him frowns, so he just groaned as he said, "Fine, we got all hot and steamy in bed, and I let her uh, taste me so we could be together…"
"Dad, Ew!" Mavis cringed at the very thought.
Dracula chuckled for a moment, but his face dropped again in sadness as he said, "But it wasn't meant to be as we were caught. I fled back to Transylvania, more crazy bat shit happened, my dad and the Council found out and faked my death in front of those idiotic bigoted humans so I could escape.
"Dad and the Council accused me of fraternizing with humans and setting Monsters back centuries, which they were right. I didn't want to face whatever punishment they planned for me so I ran away to hide until I wound up in a castle where I first met Frankie, but that's a story for another time."
Everyone was silent for a little while, looking at Dracula in sadness and pity. Dracula looked at Elona deep in the eyes, and while he saw she must understand how he felt and what he went through, he could also tell she knew there was more to the story.
Through a bond of a telepathic link known only between them, he told her he will tell her more later.
"Wow, Dad," Mavis breathed low, "I can see why you didn't want to talk about it. That all must've been painful for you, especially what happened to that girl."
"It was," he said low, his eyes glassed over with small tears.
"Hey, I'm sorry, Drac," Johnny said, "I of all people should know better that the book was way off about you, and I know the real you, and that's not you, not anymore."
"Thank you, Johnny."
Johnny then looked around the game room and he spotted a familiar vibrantly colored game console, which gave him an idea to make his lips curl into a big goofy smile again.
"Hey, I know what'll cheer everyone up," he said excitedly, "That's a Dance, Dance Revolution game over there, so let's go try it, guys, come on. It'll be fun, and a great to burn off some calories."
Dracula was reluctant at first, but they all coerced him to join up and they went to play the game.
The two Vampires were at first confused but curious to know how the game worked, so Johnny got onto the floor console and showed them as he danced to Gangum Style by Psy, his feet hitting the arrows of the four directions as they appeared and went up at a fast pace on the screen and played a viral dancer to match him.
Somehow he looked silly with his baggy clothes flopping about and an expert at the game at once as he easily hit the arrows with a fluid skill, and just having the time of his life. As the song ended, he was really out of breath but took a bow as Mavis and Elona clapped for him.
Mavis got excited as she got upon the console herself to take her turn, dancing to the song Dragostea din tei by Ozone, what was better known as the Numa, Numa song. She took to it like a pro, her dance moves far more graceful and fluid than Johnny, but it just made him more proud of her.
Elona needed some encouragement to try out the dance game, but she admitted she hadn't done it in a long time since she was a teenager. So she and Mavis had a 'dance off' to the song called Sandstorm by Darude, which was mostly an electro pop tune from the late 1990s. At first she felt hesitant, but there was no stopping once the music started, and although the game was at beginner's level she at first struggled with keeping up with the moving arrows, but not a minute in her natural dancing talent and skills kicked in and she kept up with Mavis easily enough to make Dracula's heart sour and give a big smile of his own, but also something more.
Something about the way her body moved with such tantalizing grace and sultry made his body warm up from the inside, and it made him fidget as he crossed his legs together to keep a bump from showing in his pants and he needed to loosen his collar a bit as steam seemed to wisp from him and he broke out in a light sweat again.
Finally, it was his turn to give the game a try, and he quickly wiped away the sweat upon his brow he just held up his hands to say,
"Oh, no, no, no, I couldn't, it's all so flashy and stompy."
Elona gave him a look that truly surprised him as her eyes went big and adorable, and she pouted her lips as she begged with a cute tone, "Aw, c'mon, Dracy, pweeease?"
He just froze in shock, at her attempt of the pouty-bat face, and it was heart wrenching and adorable all at once.
But then she gave a sly look as she teased him, "Unless, you're too chicken and we'd beat you."
He just scoffed as he tried to hide his insulted male pride and just ordered, "Stand back, I'll show you how to really dance."
There was no hesitation as he stepped up onto the dance console and picked a rather popular song to dance to, Stamp on the Ground by Italo Brothers.
As the music began, lights flashed and blinked to the beginning rhythm of the song, Dracula easily moved with it as though made of air. As the arrows steadily moved up on the screen and the rhythmic beat built up, Dracula simply began with proudly crossing he arms across his chest and pressing the arrows with his sharp shoes lightly without even looking at them; and as the song finally began its upbeat pop rhythm and the lyrics began, Dracula's cape came to life to dance with him and near perfectly matched his movements.
Stamp on the Ground by the Italo Brothers:
Stamp on the ground/
Jump, jump, jump, jump/
Move it all around/
Tep tep ta dow/
Stamp on the ground/
Jump, jump, jump, jump/
Move it all around/
We're jumpin' all around/
DROP THE BEAT!
Dracula's cape reattached back to him as he spun like an onyx colored whirlwind, his ethereal and animated moves attracted the attention of a small growing crowd of the other patrons of the funcade, many instinctively getting out their phones to record the vivacious Vampire as he continued to dance upon the platform.
Dup, dup, dup, dup, dup,
Dup, dup, dup,
Dup, dup, dup, dup,
Dup, dup, dup,
Dup, dup, dup, dup
Jumpin' all around/
Drop the beat!/
With his preternatural swiftness Dracula was able to easily dance on both sides of the platform made for two, not including his 'living' cape.
Dup, dup, dup, dup, dup,
Dup, dup, dup,
Dup, dup, dup, dup,
Dup, dup, dup,
Dup, dup, dup, dup
We're sending out and invitation/
To everyone in every nation/
But don't sleep, get on the run/
Stop thinkin' and just have some fun/
(2x)Stamp on the ground/
Jump, jump, jump, jump/
Movin' all around/
Tep te te dow/
Stamp on the ground/
Jump, jump, jump, jump/
Movin' all around/
Jumin' all around!/
Dracula's dance moves included spins, a hand stand on one arm, even a couple of back flips before another dizzying whirling spin, and all without literally missing a beat, making the crowd cheer and whoop with excitement.
With a gesture of his arm and vigorously smiling, he made Elona fly up onto the platform to be with him, making her give a small yelp at the sudden movement of invisible power, but she just smiled as she found herself dancing in sync with Dracula.
Most of the women in the crowd cheered and gave loud 'Whooo!'
Dup, dup, dup, dup, dup,
Dup, dup, dup,
Dup, dup, dup, dup,
Dup, dup, dup,
Dup, dup, dup, dup, dup
Drop the beat!
So come and join our love foundation/
Go feel the heat, the sweet vibration/
'Cause we care about to ignite/
And we wanna to go out tonight!/
Dracula actually lip synced to this last verse.
The music got a little bit quieter with a light popping rhythm as though far off background noise to Dracula and Elona as they levitated in a small circle, staring deeply into each others' eyes, a growing fire between them.
Then the more energetic drumming pop beat resumed, instinctually knowing each others' dance steps as though of one mind, but certainly of one heartbeat and soul.
In a spontaneous moment, Dracula took Elona in a brief dip and kissed her, making her blush and give a smile to then resume their dancing.
(3x)Dup, dup, dup, dup, dup,
Dup, dup,
Dup, dup, dup, dup,
Dup, dup, dup,
Dup, dup, dup, dup, dup,
Jumpin' all around/
Drop the beat!
(Upbeat pop music)
(Final)Jumpin' all around!
The crowd cheered and yelled in excitement as the music finally ended, Dracula and Elona giving bows as they held hands and not even paying attention to the record high score they now had on the game.
Johnny and Mavis cheered the loudest for them, hugging Dracula and Elona as Mavis said,
"That was amazing, you guys, I'm so pumped now!"
"Totally awesome moves, Drac, you must've beat the highest score on the game."
"Thanks, guys," Dracula panted heavily as he smiled, "That was the funnest I've had since Mavy's 118th birthday."
"Yeah," Elona said between her own heavy breathes, "I wouldn't mind going for another round, but I'm getting tired."
"How about one go of karaoke before we leave?" Mavis suggested, "Just a song or two, just to say we tried it here."
"Okay," Elona said, "it'll give us a chance to rest a little bit before we have to leave."
Mavis and Johnny went first, singing as a duet Can You Feel the Love Tonight from the classic Disney movie The Lion King.
Elona went next, picking out an appropriate song she had thought about doing at the next Karaoke Night at the hotel as a kind of surprise for Dracula, but some how seemed right to do it now. It was Love Song for a Vampire by Annie Lennox:
Come into these arms again/
And lay your body down/
The rhythm of this trembling heart/
Is beating like a drum/
It beats for you, it bleeds for you/
It knows not how it sounds/
For it is the drums of drums/
It is the song of songs/
Once I had the rarest rose/
That ever deigned to bloom/
Cruel winter chilled the bud/
And stole my flower too soon/
Oh, loneliness, Oh, hopelessness/
To search the end of time/
For there is in all the world/
No greater love than mine/
(5X) Love, O Love
still falls the rain/
(5X) Love, O Love
still falls the night/
(5X) Love, O Love
be mine forever (be mine forever)/
(11X) Love, O Love
Let me be the only one/
To keep you from the cold/
Now the floor of heav'n is laid/
With stars of brightest gold/
They shine for you, they shine for you/
They burn for all to see/
Come into these arms again/
And set this spirit free.
As the song ended, Dracula couldn't help but give a smile as his eyes glassed over with tears and he held his hands over his heart, so deeply touched by this song Elona sang just for him. Even Johnny and Mavis were touched by the song as they smiled and touched cheek to cheek.
She came down from the stage as Dracula hugged and kissed her with gratitude and passion as she asked him with a smile, "Are you going to try it, Drac?"
"I'd like to," he said, "But maybe another time, as I'm getting worn out already."
"And it's getting late," Johnny observed as he looked at his phone, "The place closes at 1am, so we should get some prizes and head home."
Some of the prizes they picked out were some stuffed animals like a smiling black bat for Mavis, a white tiger for Elona from Dracula, a Kakie the Cake Monster plushie for Dennis, a replica vintage Slipknot band poster for Johnny, and finally Elona got Dracula a smiling plushie of him as a gag gift, which he frowned at Elona about. She just laughed, which was still like music to his ears and also got him an adorable statue of an iconic couple dancing together, the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast.
As Elona, Johnny and Mavis headed for the door, Dracula said he'd meet them at the car but he needed to do something first.
The last prize he asked for was another surprise just for Elona and him, but something special for a later time when she was ready.
For a long moment his thoughts lingered on how things were changing, and yet how some things were so like from times in his past. Some times he was proud of and wouldn't trade a thousand years for; other times he had often wished he could go back in time and change.
He put those thoughts aside as he suddenly gave a big yawn, making him realize how tired he was getting.
"I need a nap," he mumbled to himself as he glided out the door and got into the back of the hearse with Elona.
Things were mostly quiet as Johnny drove the four of them back to the hotel, Dracula mostly dozed quietly as Elona silently watched him.
She couldn't help but subconsciously smile as she saw how sweet and beautiful he seemed, even adorably tired as he dozed in and out of exhaustion.
So much had changed in her life within the last year, even the last several months and the best changes were because of him.
Once she never thought she'd have a place to belong again, find people who would accept her and care about her; certain she would be forever alone as a social outcast, a shell of her former self.
But all that changed the day she found Hotel Transylvania, and it was because of him, a man who showed her it was okay to feel pain, but even more important to let it go and love again.
And yet she had questioned why she loved him, or if she even should love him that way as the pain of her last romance lingered with her to this day. Yet, somehow it seemed so far away and nearly forgotten by now.
As she continued to watch him on the way home, she thought about everything about him that meant so much to her. How he was so kind and listened to her when she needed to talk, even being so supportive when she needed him and was there for her as a friend when she was lonely, or just needed to talk or have a shoulder to cry on, even despite their intense arguments; a true gentleman that treated her like a person as well as a lady, allowing or even encouraging her to find self worth and a life of her own; how funny he was and just made her laugh just with a snark or his ever endearing sarcasm; the adorable way he acted with his family, doting on his daughter or his grandson; the many friends he shared and showed that same kindness to and how it went to all monsters across the world. Yet most surprising of all, how she felt a kindred spirit in him in their shared loneliness; him losing his wife to prejudice and violence, as well as being estranged from a cold and arrogant father and her being alienated from her own family due to a doomed relationship with an abusive man and a religious victim complex.
While much of their relationship and friendship was built upon this, it had grown into so much more and she could see how they have bettered each other because of it; him helping her to come out of her shell and make friends again, and her helping him to let go of some of the past and move forward with his own heart. Those things alone were worth more than the arguing and fighting they enduring, proving how stronger they were together.
He didn't define everything about her, but he does mean everything to her and she knew she meant everything to him.
How she wanted to show him that in some spiritual way, not just physical.
Perhaps a special gift just for him; something to show how well she knew him and how much she loved him.
Just wanting to be with him, and feeling how tired she was getting she came closer to the dozing Dracula and snuggled up beside him as she laid her head upon his chest and hugged to him close.
Feeling a warm presence upon his figure, Dracula momentarily opened his eyes to see Elona snuggling upon him, making him give a small smile as he gently embraced her to bring her closer to him and rest his head upon hers.
Seeing this from the rearview mirror, Johnny and Mavis couldn't help but smile at how adorable and peaceful they looked together.