Chapter 4

Sunday, July 13th, 1986

Hill Valley

12: 01 P. M.

Doc felt a gentle shake. "Huh?" he muttered thickly. "What's going on?"

"Wake up a sec, Doc. You too, Mystie."

Grumbling a little, the two vampires opened their eyes blearily. Marty was standing over them in his bathing suit and flip-flops. "The whole family's down at the lake. Wanna come?"

"Marty, we were up all last night," Doc complained. "And most of the day too. I want to rest."

"Come on guys, the water's great. Feels just like a warm bath. You'll really like it."

"Haven't you ever heard of the injunction against crossing running water?" Mystie sleepily joked.

"Nice try, but this water is perfectly still. Anyways, you guys can catch some z's on the beach too. That's what Linda is doing. Please, it'll be more fun with you guys around."

Doc and Mystie looked at each other. I doubt he'll leave us in peace if we don't come, Mystie thought, making sure Doc was reading her mind. "All right, George Jr., we'll be down shortly."

"Hey!"

"Well, it's true," Doc pointed out, forcing himself to his feet.

"Just don't say it out loud, okay? I'll see ya down there." Marty headed back to the path. The vampires stretched, got their bathing suits on, and followed, leaning on each other for support.

George was building a sand castle when they arrived. "Hiya," he greeted them, sculpting a tower. "I didn't think you were coming down to join us."

"Your son is a very persuasive speaker," Mysteria yawned sarcastically. She dumped her towel on the sand and got comfortable. "Ahh, just right. Snuggle in, Emmett, the sand is perfect for a nap."

"So's the water," Doc said, dipping a foot in. "It is just like a bath." He waded in. "I think I'll take a dip."

"Suit yourself." Mystie built herself a sand pillow and went back to sleep. Doc waded in a bit further, then dove in. The water felt absolutely fantastic. He came back to the surface and prepared for a comfortable doze.

Only to suddenly find someone sitting on him. "I'm not a flotation device," he told Marty, swimming out from under him.

"Yes you are." Marty climbed back onto him, obviously in a playful mood. Doc picked him up and threw him into the water. The teen sank like a stone.

When he didn't emerge after a few minutes, Doc started to get worried. "Marty?" He paddled closer to the spot where Marty had splashed down. "Marty, are you down there?"

He heard someone coming up behind him. Quickly, he turned to deal with the threat. "Who's there?"

Marty burst from the water and jumped on him. "Tickle tickle!"

"Oh, no! No Marty!" Doc begged, laughing hysterically as Marty stuck his hands under his armpits. "Stop it!" He twisted out of the teen's grip and swam away. Marty followed, obviously ready for more. "No, Marty, I mean it. I'm tired. I don't want to play." He enforced his point by sending Marty his feelings over the link.

Marty sulked. "Whenever I feel like acting like a little kid again, nobody else wants to play."

"Blame my nocturnal nature." Doc couldn't help but feel a little bad as he looked at Marty's depressed face. He ruffled the teen's damp hair. "If you must, use me as a flotation device."

"Thanks." Marty lay down on him, head on his chest. Doc was very pleasantly reminded of 1955, and how once Marty had fallen asleep against him. He draped an arm over Marty's shoulders and pulled him close. The effects of the sunshine caught up to him, and he slept.

Sunday, July 13th

1: 19 P. M.

Doc awoke almost an hour later. Marty had swam back to the beach, and was now feeding Jennifer animal crackers. And floating in the water a few feet from him was Mysteria, sleeping soundly.

Doc smiled wickedly. He was feeling more awake now, and, like Marty, he was in mischievous mood. He took a deep breath and ducked under the water. As noiselessly as possible, he swam up to her. She didn't seem to notice a thing. Doc very carefully slid his hands underneath her armpits.

He had planned to tickle her, then throw her into the water, like he had done with Marty. But she abruptly came to -- and completely flipped out! "EEEK! What the hell are you doing?!" she screamed, hitting him in the face.

"OW! I'm sorry, honey, I--" Doc attempted to apologize. Why was Mystie so upset?

"Honey?! Get away from me, you pervert! Sheez, a woman isn't safe anymore! I'm getting a ranger!"

"What?? Honey, I'm sorry. Why are you acting like this?"

"I'm not your honey! Don't come near me!" She threw water in his face and swam out, racing away.

Doc wiped the water out of his eyes, baffled. What had possessed his fiancee to act like that? He had expected she might be startled, yes, but attack him? And something had bothered him about her smell, too. He knew her special combination of roses and lilies very well. Something had been off.

But it had to be Mystie, Doc thought, swimming to shore. Nobody could look exactly like her. And maybe the pond water was playing tricks with my sense of smell. I should talk to Matt about this once we get home, all my senses seem to be misfiring lately.

Marty and Jennifer were looking stunned when Doc approached them. "Jesus, Doc, what the heck did you do?" Jennifer asked.

"I scared her, that's all," Doc said, baffled. "She's used to me doing that. It's a game we play with each other. She's never acted like this."

Jennifer looked thoughtful. "You know, something about her seemed a little off to me. Like she wasn't really Mystie."

"Good, then it's not just me," Doc replied in relief. "For a moment, I thought my senses were going haywire."

"Trust me, Doc, if they weren't working, we'd probably still be lost," Marty assured him.

George came over, looking like a hurt puppy. "What was wrong with Mystie? She ran right over my castle!" He gestured towards the wreck of sand that had once been a proud castle.

"I scared her, and she attacked me!" Doc shook his head. "She ran off into the woods, I have to find her."

"We'll start the campfire," Marty said, tickling Jennifer with a cracker. Doc gave him a look and walked into the woods. He took advantage of his surroundings to give all five of his senses a check-up. Everything checked out fine. So what was wrong?

Just then, "Mystie" -- or at least her evil twin -- came storming up, followed by a park ranger. "There he is! Had his hands all over me!" She slapped him hard. "Pervert!"

Doc took a hard sniff of her personal scent. It was roses -- and lilacs. So it wasn't Mystie after all! My God, they look exactly alike, right down to the bathing suit! Well, there are those small differences here and there -- but God. No wonder I thought she was Mystie.

The park ranger glared at him. "Listen, Dr. Brown, in the town people may tolerate your weird ways, but here in the campgrounds, we care about the people you have to interact with!"

"I'm extremely sorry," Doc said, blushing. "It's just that this woman bears an incredible resemblance to my fiancee. I didn't know, and I'm very, very sorry. Please forgive me."

"No way! Sorry doesn't cut it, buster. I don't believe that dumb fiancee story. Anyone who messes with Jessica Van Helsing–"

She stopped as Doc fainted dead away. "What the -- what's with him?"

"I don't know. Might just be something he does. He's crazy, you know."

Just then, the real Mysteria appeared. "Emmett!" She ran to Doc's side, frightened. "Emmett! Emmett, I -- holy cow."

Jessica's eyes grew round. "Oh my God," she mumbled. "Who are you?"

Marty and Jennifer came onto the scene. "Hey, Mystie, I felt -- Mystie?" His head swivelled between the "twins." "Er, who's who?"

"I'm Mysteria. Mysteria Jones," Mystie said for Jessica's benefit. She blinked a few times, not believing her eyes. We've even got the same bathing suit! And almost the exact same smell! Oh, poor Emmett, I wonder what happened. "What's your name?"

"Jessica Van Helsing." Mysteria immediately moved in front of Doc protectively. "I don't believe this. We could be twins."

"Maybe we're related," Mystie hypothesized. It wasn't too far-fetched -- back when she had still been mortal she had had a sister. Maybe this "Jessica" was a descendant of her. "What are you doing around my fiancee?"

"Fiancee?" Jessica gasped, horrified. "He really did mistake me for you! I just chewed him out for surprising me in the pond. God, I'm so sorry! I feel awful now."

"That's what I get for going to the bathroom," Mystie sighed. "I'll tell him once he comes to."

Marty looked at Jennifer. "Van Helsing. That's an interesting name. I didn't think there was a real one."

Jessica smiled, looking even more like Mystie. "I know. I've heard every comment under the sun about my relation to Dracula. I guess it doesn't help I have a grandfather who really is a Dr. Van Helsing." She shook her head. "You know what makes it really ironic? I'm a big fan of Anne Rice's books. I know The Vampire Lestat cover to cover. If she writes any more, I think I'll start my own fan club about him." She giggled, then returned to her former remorseful look. "This is so embarrassing. I think I'll leave before he wakes up. Once again, I'm so sorry." She and the park ranger left, shaking their heads.

"That was so creepy," Jennifer said once they were out of earshot.

"I know. I can't believe that our scents would be so alike. Poor Emmett." She scraped her wrist and gave Doc a little blood to revive him.

Doc came to. "I don't feel a stake," he muttered, feeling his chest.

"Turns out 'Van Helsing' is a fan of our kind," Mystie said, patting his head. "Maybe that will teach you to be more careful about scaring me," she added playfully, tapping his nose.

Doc grabbed her hand and sniffed it. "Oh, Mystie, am I glad it's you!" He threw his arms around her. "I was completely bewildered when that Van Helsing woman attacked me. . . . A vampire fan, did you say?" Mystie nodded. "So I fainted for nothing."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," the vampire purred. "You're cute when you're unconscious."

Doc rolled his eyes and got to his feet. "I'm going back to the beach and forget this ever happened."

"I'll join you."