I was about ready to give up on this story. The writer's block was killing me. But I decided to push on.
Now, brace yourselves against your chairs for the beginning of this next chapter! Skinner and Sawyer are about to perform their interpretive dance. Will it be funny? Or will it be the exact opposite?
*
"Our first act for the evening," announced Tom Sawyer, when the members of the League were seated and ready for the entertainment to begin, "will be an interpretive dance done by Skinner and myself. We will be dancing to a romantic poem."
The members of the League burst out laughing. Skinner and Sawyer doing an interpretive dance, and to a love poem, of all possible things. This ought to be good.
"The poem was chosen by Skinner, and Andre McCane has agreed to read it while we dance. McCane?"
Andre McCane walked up to the podium. When Skinner and Sawyer were in their places on the stage, he started to read. "The World's Best Lover. By Mina Harker."
Immediately, Mina rose from her chair and charged straight up to the stage, storming with rage. Her eyes glowed blood red, and the fangs began to form in her mouth. She lunged for Skinner.
Skinner screamed and tried to escape, but Mina was too quick for him. She grabbed him and attempted to bite into his neck. In a flash, Sawyer was over to them, trying to force her off of him.
McCane, however, reached into his pocket and produced a vial of something. He went over to Mina, and when Sawyer had her twisted in the right position, McCane poured whatever was in the vial into Mina's mouth and forced her to swallow. Immediately, Mina cowered and whimpered. She weakly fluttered around on the stage, gasping for air and choking.
"What was that you fed to her?" asked Jekyll, slack-jawed.
"Nothing too harmful," Tom Sawyer asked, grinning sickeningly as if he knew exactly what it was. He helped McCane pick Mina up and carry her down to a chair in the audience.
Mina's face was turning a horrible shade of green. She struggled to cover her mouth with a hand.
"She's going to be sick!!" Jekyll exclaimed.
"Maybe so, but at least it won't kill her," Sawyer shrugged.
"Mina isn't a natural born vampire. Only natural born vampires can die from garlic juice," McCane added.
"GARLIC JUICE?!??!??!" Nemo and Jekyll leapt to their feet and stared, alarmed, at McCane.
"Are you two MAD? That stuff'll kill her!!!" Jekyll shouted.
"No, it won't. It'll just make her a tiny bit tired and nauseous," said Sawyer. "Enough to stun the vampire and let the actors get on with their show."
* * *
Sawyer and Skinner proceeded with their interpretive dance, but it wasn't as funny as it should have been, not with Mina half sickened, half knocked out.
However, as soon as the dance was over, McCane reached into his pocket again and pulled out another vial, which turned out to be blood taken from his very own veins. He fed it to Mina, and Mina revived almost instantly.
"That poem was my personal property!" she said angrily to McCane. "You shouldn't have used it!" Suddenly, she stopped her angry rage for a moment and went totally calm. "Hey, this blood tastes pretty good. Whose is it, anyway?"
"Mine," McCane admitted. "Better, Mina?"
Mina nodded, though still quite hurt. Andre McCane leaned over and kissed her forehead. He dug in his pocket and produced another vial of his own blood. "We're sorry, Mina. But for being such a good sport, here's more blood. Knock yourself out, kiddo."
Mina smiled and accepted the vial from him. McCane had sure done his homework; bribery didn't often work with Mina, but bribery with blood involved was a whole different story. "Apology accepted from McCane, but not from Sawyer and Skinner."
"Typical," Skinner told McCane. "Don't worry yourself over it, old chap."
"I wasn't planning to," McCane laughed. "So, what's next on the entertainment agenda?"
"Next is a comedy routine by Skinner," Sawyer reported.
The rest of the League groaned.
"I refuse to attend," Mina scoffed, the vial of McCane's blood still clutched tightly in her hand.
"That's fine by me, Mina. But understand, now, that with your absence, you will be setting yourself up to be the butt of the some of the jokes," Skinner said, grinning at her.
"Come, Mina," McCane smiled at her. "I'll go with you. Let's have a cup of tea in the dining room."
Neither Nemo nor Jekyll wanted to sit through a comedy routine by Skinner either. Out of politeness, however, they both decided to stay, joining Sawyer in the audience.
"Now, if anyone gets offended, just tell me, because I'll stop," Skinner smiled. "You know me. I have a tendency to be quite indecent at times. Actually, by being naked constantly, I believe I am quite indecent all the time!"
Skinner paused and waited for someone to laugh.
No one did.
* * *
"I hate Skinner!" Mina said angrily, pounding her fist on the dining room table. "I've hated him ever since I met him!"
"He is quite an interesting fellow," McCane admitted, sipping his tea.
"He is the most REVOLTING man on this planet!!" Mina screeched.
"True. But you know, Mina, you don't help the situation. Your anger encourages him to remain the way he is. He gets his kicks from pestering you."
"I know," Mina sighed. "For the year 1900, I resolve to develop more patience, especially with Skinner. What is your New Year's resolution?"
McCane thought. "My resolution for the year 1900 is to be nicer to people."
Mina almost choked on her tea she was laughing so hard. "But you're nice enough already!"
"Sure. To you, maybe. I'm quite nasty to most other people. I think it's because I enjoy being alone, and I get angry when disturbed."
Mina cocked her head and looked at him. "You know, everything about you intrigues me. Have you ever been married?"
"Once."
"Did she die?"
"No. We divorced."
"What was she like?"
McCane laughed. "Why the sudden interest in my personal life?"
"I'm just curious!" Mina admitted. "What was your wife like?"
McCane sighed. "Her name was Batsie. Batsie Elizabeth Gerrard. We were married from 1876 to 1889."
"Does she still live in London today?"
"No. She went back home."
"Where was she from?"
McCane cringed and put his teacup down. "Mina, you wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"If it's true, I'll believe anything," Mina admitted.
McCane sighed a second time and picked his teacup back up, a trace of a smile on his face. "Let's just say she was from far, far away, okay, Mina?"
*
I hope to have the next chapter up before long. I think my writer's block is almost cured.
Remember to read and review!
~ Alisonia
Now, brace yourselves against your chairs for the beginning of this next chapter! Skinner and Sawyer are about to perform their interpretive dance. Will it be funny? Or will it be the exact opposite?
*
"Our first act for the evening," announced Tom Sawyer, when the members of the League were seated and ready for the entertainment to begin, "will be an interpretive dance done by Skinner and myself. We will be dancing to a romantic poem."
The members of the League burst out laughing. Skinner and Sawyer doing an interpretive dance, and to a love poem, of all possible things. This ought to be good.
"The poem was chosen by Skinner, and Andre McCane has agreed to read it while we dance. McCane?"
Andre McCane walked up to the podium. When Skinner and Sawyer were in their places on the stage, he started to read. "The World's Best Lover. By Mina Harker."
Immediately, Mina rose from her chair and charged straight up to the stage, storming with rage. Her eyes glowed blood red, and the fangs began to form in her mouth. She lunged for Skinner.
Skinner screamed and tried to escape, but Mina was too quick for him. She grabbed him and attempted to bite into his neck. In a flash, Sawyer was over to them, trying to force her off of him.
McCane, however, reached into his pocket and produced a vial of something. He went over to Mina, and when Sawyer had her twisted in the right position, McCane poured whatever was in the vial into Mina's mouth and forced her to swallow. Immediately, Mina cowered and whimpered. She weakly fluttered around on the stage, gasping for air and choking.
"What was that you fed to her?" asked Jekyll, slack-jawed.
"Nothing too harmful," Tom Sawyer asked, grinning sickeningly as if he knew exactly what it was. He helped McCane pick Mina up and carry her down to a chair in the audience.
Mina's face was turning a horrible shade of green. She struggled to cover her mouth with a hand.
"She's going to be sick!!" Jekyll exclaimed.
"Maybe so, but at least it won't kill her," Sawyer shrugged.
"Mina isn't a natural born vampire. Only natural born vampires can die from garlic juice," McCane added.
"GARLIC JUICE?!??!??!" Nemo and Jekyll leapt to their feet and stared, alarmed, at McCane.
"Are you two MAD? That stuff'll kill her!!!" Jekyll shouted.
"No, it won't. It'll just make her a tiny bit tired and nauseous," said Sawyer. "Enough to stun the vampire and let the actors get on with their show."
* * *
Sawyer and Skinner proceeded with their interpretive dance, but it wasn't as funny as it should have been, not with Mina half sickened, half knocked out.
However, as soon as the dance was over, McCane reached into his pocket again and pulled out another vial, which turned out to be blood taken from his very own veins. He fed it to Mina, and Mina revived almost instantly.
"That poem was my personal property!" she said angrily to McCane. "You shouldn't have used it!" Suddenly, she stopped her angry rage for a moment and went totally calm. "Hey, this blood tastes pretty good. Whose is it, anyway?"
"Mine," McCane admitted. "Better, Mina?"
Mina nodded, though still quite hurt. Andre McCane leaned over and kissed her forehead. He dug in his pocket and produced another vial of his own blood. "We're sorry, Mina. But for being such a good sport, here's more blood. Knock yourself out, kiddo."
Mina smiled and accepted the vial from him. McCane had sure done his homework; bribery didn't often work with Mina, but bribery with blood involved was a whole different story. "Apology accepted from McCane, but not from Sawyer and Skinner."
"Typical," Skinner told McCane. "Don't worry yourself over it, old chap."
"I wasn't planning to," McCane laughed. "So, what's next on the entertainment agenda?"
"Next is a comedy routine by Skinner," Sawyer reported.
The rest of the League groaned.
"I refuse to attend," Mina scoffed, the vial of McCane's blood still clutched tightly in her hand.
"That's fine by me, Mina. But understand, now, that with your absence, you will be setting yourself up to be the butt of the some of the jokes," Skinner said, grinning at her.
"Come, Mina," McCane smiled at her. "I'll go with you. Let's have a cup of tea in the dining room."
Neither Nemo nor Jekyll wanted to sit through a comedy routine by Skinner either. Out of politeness, however, they both decided to stay, joining Sawyer in the audience.
"Now, if anyone gets offended, just tell me, because I'll stop," Skinner smiled. "You know me. I have a tendency to be quite indecent at times. Actually, by being naked constantly, I believe I am quite indecent all the time!"
Skinner paused and waited for someone to laugh.
No one did.
* * *
"I hate Skinner!" Mina said angrily, pounding her fist on the dining room table. "I've hated him ever since I met him!"
"He is quite an interesting fellow," McCane admitted, sipping his tea.
"He is the most REVOLTING man on this planet!!" Mina screeched.
"True. But you know, Mina, you don't help the situation. Your anger encourages him to remain the way he is. He gets his kicks from pestering you."
"I know," Mina sighed. "For the year 1900, I resolve to develop more patience, especially with Skinner. What is your New Year's resolution?"
McCane thought. "My resolution for the year 1900 is to be nicer to people."
Mina almost choked on her tea she was laughing so hard. "But you're nice enough already!"
"Sure. To you, maybe. I'm quite nasty to most other people. I think it's because I enjoy being alone, and I get angry when disturbed."
Mina cocked her head and looked at him. "You know, everything about you intrigues me. Have you ever been married?"
"Once."
"Did she die?"
"No. We divorced."
"What was she like?"
McCane laughed. "Why the sudden interest in my personal life?"
"I'm just curious!" Mina admitted. "What was your wife like?"
McCane sighed. "Her name was Batsie. Batsie Elizabeth Gerrard. We were married from 1876 to 1889."
"Does she still live in London today?"
"No. She went back home."
"Where was she from?"
McCane cringed and put his teacup down. "Mina, you wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"If it's true, I'll believe anything," Mina admitted.
McCane sighed a second time and picked his teacup back up, a trace of a smile on his face. "Let's just say she was from far, far away, okay, Mina?"
*
I hope to have the next chapter up before long. I think my writer's block is almost cured.
Remember to read and review!
~ Alisonia