"The Darkness crawled over the forests," my little brother, Tony, narrated in an ominous voice, "Not another soul to be seen."
He then began ecstatically nudging my arm to get my attention. I could tell by his growing enthusiasm that his horror story was getting to a good part. My lips curled upward in a smile at my younger brother. His love for monsters and horror always made his eyes light up with glee and I loved seeing my little brother happy like this.
Unlike most kids with their sibling rivalries, I absolutely adored Tony. The kid had me wrapped around his little pinky since he first called me 'Lulu' when he was two years old. Obviously, he's grown up and can now pronounce my full name, Lucretia or Lucy for short. Even though Tony is now thirteen years old, he still calls me 'Lulu'. Usually it's accompanied with big, pleading puppy dog eyes because he is in trouble with our parents and needs my help. But no matter what he's done, my heart melts each time and I end up coming to his aid.
Might as well write 'sucker' on my forehead.
I noticed that Tony was starting to incorporate small hand gestures to enunciate the theatrics of his dark tale. My smile became wider as I watched my little brother really start to get into the meat and bones of the story.
"A growing feeling of fear gnawing at their souls, a terrible intuition that vampires…" Tony was cut off by my parents groaning.
Guess they were tired of Tony's vampire phase.
It can be a little frustrating when Tony only wants to talk about vampires. Such as, the original lore and myths of vampires, the past and current media portrayal of vampires, the existing theories about modern day vampires…
On second thought, it can be a lot of frustrating when Tony only wants to talk about vampires. His fascination of horror and monsters skyrocketed over the borderline of passion and into obsession when Tony first stumbled onto the subject of vampires.
Why did he like vampires out of all the cryptids so much? I haven't the faintest idea. But, it makes my baby brother happy and I'll be damned if anybody steals that smile off his face. And right now, it looks like my next opponents will be my mom and dad.
"Tony, I couldn't ask for a better son," my dad began telling Tony.
"I couldn't ask for a better dad," Tony cheekily replied making me snort into the back of my hand, hoping my parents would think that I was coughing.
The look that my mom gave me told me she wasn't buying my fake cough for a second.
"But right now, you sooooo need to zip it," dad firmly stated in a stern manner while shifting his gaze back to the road.
"So, no more V-word in this car," mom added on in an equally firm tone.
When she saw Tony's look of dejection and my disapproval, she quickly added on in a light-hearted manner, "You don't want mom's head to explode, do you?"
"I don't think so," Tony jokingly replied back.
"Can you imagine someone's head exploding just by uttering a single word?" I asked Tony in amusement.
He smiled back at me before saying, "That… would be awesome! Do you think it'd be like a onetime thing or that maybe it was somebody's superpower?"
I laughed at his quickly returning cheery mood. He barely noticed my amusement as he outlined a comic book idea that we were 'so going to make' once we got to the hotel.
While Tony was distracted with his outlining, my eyes shifted back to my parent's concerned gazes. I get where their concern was stemming from. Tony had no friends in San Diego because of his hobbies and peculiar interests, which also made him a constant target for bullying. It got so bad that we had to pull Tony out of school this past year and begin homeschooling him.
Tony needed a clean slate and a second chance to get friends with the same interests. So, I may have schemed a little bit and created a plot to move away from San Diego…
Okay…I schemed a lot a bit.
There was a prestigious school in Germany, not too far from Transylvania, and I just so happened to apply and get into this school. When you are considered a child genius and a prodigy, it's not too difficult to get into an esteemed boarding school.
Cost wasn't an issue either. My parents don't look nor act like it, but they are extremely wealthy and influential business owners. They built their multi-million-dollar business from the ground up after they graduated college and have a large amount of power in other companies that have stemmed from their corporation. This type of dominance in the business world has made them a national force to be reckoned with. However, they both started their company to change the world and not just one country.
This desire to branch their business into a global scale worked in my favor. I was able to convince my parents that this location is ideal for future profits and growth. So not only would I get a respectable education to help further along my future career goal as a corporate lawyer, but my parents get a chance to expand the business into a global conglomerate.
There were a lot of steps taken into consideration for my plan to work. But it will be all worth it if it means that Tony has a chance to find a friend. I mean, statistically speaking, the chances of finding a vampire loving child close to Tony's age have to be high in an area near Transylvania; the birthplace of Bram Stoker's Dracula. When I was looking up histories and local events, the area we were staying at had a ton of monster festivals, scary ghost tours, and creepy castle resorts.
We were actually on our way to a creepy castle that was turned into a hotel. Tony was so excited when I told him that he tried to get everybody in the spirit of things and read some of his horror comic books out loud.
Which brings us back to my parents' current worry. They don't think that Tony should come on as strong with the whole vampire fascination when he's trying to socialize with kids his age.
I disagree.
Eventually, Tony's enthusiasm is going to come out on the subject and the likelihood of his friends turning into bullies again was a risk I was not willing to take.
In my view, if Tony's eagerness for horror and monsters is first shown and the group doesn't reciprocate, then Tony can leave the group without having formed any adhering attachments. Whereas, if Tony tries to mold himself into the group and one day 'breaks the mold' then the group will lash out like before and break his heart because he has those former memories of bonding and friendship.
To me, it's crueler to know what could have been then have it ripped away from you.
I will not let my little brother experience such pain and heartache again.
Tony must have noticed my spacing out and tapped my arm. I smiled back reassuringly to him before popping my headphones back in my ear. Tony didn't look it, but he was one of the smartest kids I know. Not in the sense of standard intelligence, mind you, but Tony's empathetic intelligence was outstanding. He was quick to pick up on the smallest gestures and glances and easily deduce the situation at hand.
He was the only one in my life who completely understood me.
Being a genius sounded fun in writing, but it was a nightmare in real life. I tend to only see things from a logical standpoint and can barely register basic emotions. It's hard for me to understand what I feel half the time when it doesn't originate from the feelings of familial love or my protective nature.
For instance, when I was six years old, I was forced to skip two grades and was thrust in a new and unknown environment. I assumed that I was sick because of my lack of interest of going to school one morning. For three days I refused to go to school because of my 'sickness' and it took Tony coming into my bedroom one evening and telling me that it was okay to be scared and sad of change. He then gifted me his swamp monster figurine and reassured me that he would play with me every day after school so I wouldn't feel lonely and scared anymore.
My sweet baby brother kept his promise. And I made a promise to protect that selfless, compassionate bean until the day I died.
He can still read me like an open book to this day. Which is why he was so quick to pick up my nonverbal communication in this moment.
'I'll tell you later.'
He nodded his head at me in return with a small smile and continued reading his comic book. This time he made sure to read it silently to himself. I waited a couple of minutes, to make sure he was completely enamored with his story, before pulling out my tablet from my backpack.
My research on current housing locations was coming to a dead end. Dad had told me that the only way he would agree to me going to this school in Germany was if we bought a home nearby. He was not about to let his little girl fly halfway across the world to live in a dorm room in an unknown territory.
All of which I might have planned on when I initially chose the school…
However, it was getting harder to find a good area to live in where Tony could find friends, Mom could have her nature trails, and dad could have enough isolation to focus on his work. Oh, and a house that was close by the school too…that would also be a good factor to key into my search.
I could feel a migraine start to throb in my temples. I was so focused on everybody else's needs that I forgot to add that key component to the list. Rookie move on my part, but one that can be easily remedied.
The hotel was close enough to the school grounds and the 30 days we would be spending there would give me ample time to scout the area for nearby living accommodations. I wonder how long it would take to build a house. Maybe if the location is ideal enough, mom and dad would agree to sleeping in the camper for a bit longer…
Tony suddenly leaned over me from his seat in the middle. Side note, I hate when he sits in the middle seat since, statistically speaking, he's more likely to get injured from impaling debris or flying shards from the windshield. He, however, bats his eyes and says, 'please Lulu,' and I cave because I know he enjoys looking outside all the car's windows. Tony is extremely curious about the outside world and loves learning about things first- hand. I just wish he acted in a more cautious manner when it comes to learning.
Anyway, I scooted over a little so that he could get a better look at whatever had caught his attention. He muttered something under his breath before quickly scooting to the other window seat in the back. My eyes were glued to the screen as I had found a decent looking cottage that needed a lot of repairs, but it seemed somewhat close to the village. I had just added the listing to my favorites bar when Tony hollered out in excitement.
"Mom, Dad, Lulu look! VAMPIRES!"
He was earnestly pointing out in excitement, causing my dad to lose track of the road and me to shift my focus on pulling my brother back to a safe, seated position.
Dad was furious with Tony and didn't hide it in his voice, "That's it, Tony! I've had it!"
"Dad calm down," I began placating while quickly putting my tablet back in my bag so that I could focus on Tony.
Tony ignored my mediation between the two and cried out indignantly, "Look up there! See for yourself!"
All three of us looked up towards the night sky but only saw a few stars twinkling in the distance and the spooky fog encircling the nearby woods.
"Tony," my dad calmly began this time, "You know this vampire stuff is make-believe, right?"
I could hear the concern seeping out of my dad's voice. Dad was honestly scared that Tony may not know the difference between real and fake. Whenever he brought up this concern in my presence I always held the argument that we shouldn't deem what's real on the basis that we haven't personally seen it ourselves. For instance, we know the earth is round and revolves around the sun, and yet we personally have never been in space and seen it without our own eyes. But we know it's real because others have seen it's real and have shown us proof that it's real.
However, whenever somebody from the cryptozoology department says something is real and shows us proof; we automatically say it's a hoax and chalk up the eye- witness accounts as crazy talk.
Sure, there are those trying to trick the masses with their altered photos and phony props, but out of all the scam artists, there has to be at least one honest voice in the crowd. Tony genuinely believed in that one honest voice that spoke about vampires. I genuinely believed in my brother and was going to support his beliefs no matter what.
"Tony, they are just myths and stories. That is all," my dad finished trying to put his foot down on the conversation.
"Sure," Tony muttered in annoyance, "If you say so."
"We both say so," my mom countered, slightly cooing at my brothers pouting face.
I was about to reassure Tony that I was on his side; adults versus the kids per usual. But a yellow and black sign caught my eye.
"DAD! Look out!" I screeched in alarm at the sudden curve up ahead.
Dad jerked the car but wasn't able to turn the steering wheel in time. We ended up careening over the edge and onto a dangerously steep hill. My arm quickly found its way across Tony's chest, trying to pull him back to the safety of his seat and prevent him from flying through the windshield. Why did I let him sit in the middle seat?
I silently cursed myself as I watched my father expertly avoid the oncoming trees as we rocketed through the dense forest paths. We were all screaming in fear until dad was able to get some traction on the car's tires and bring the perilous vehicle to a full stop.
The navigation device made some sort of command, but I was too pumped with adrenaline to comprehend its exact verbiage. I let out a shaky breath before turning to my little brother who was clutching my arm in terror.
"Tony, are you alright?" I shakily asked him, trying to take a quick survey of his outward appearance.
"Uh-huh," He mumbled back, still not letting go of his death grip on my arm.
I sighed with relief before bringing him into a reassuring hug. Thank God we all survived that somehow.
"Come on, let's get out of this death trap and stretch our legs for a bit," I told him while undoing our seatbelts before helping him out of the door.
My mind was so focused on my family that I didn't even notice that we landed in front of a cemetery before Tony whispered in awe, "Wow…"
It was at that moment that the front passenger tire decided to explode and add the cherry on top of our near-death experience.
"Oh, great," Dad muttered in annoyance.
"Mom, why don't you and Tony go explore a bit, and I'll stay back to help Dad with the tire," I quickly suggested to my mom, hoping that she would get Tony far away from Dad's ever growing temper. She quickly picked up the hint and escorted Tony away while I pointed the flashlight at the busted tire for dad.
"You know," Dad began grunting out, trying to get the first bolt loose, "You spoil Tony way too much."
"I don't know what you mean," I quickly lied, really not wanting to have this conversation again.
"Lucy, it's our job as parents to worry about, Tony," Dad informed me, clearly not letting the conversation go, "You are 15 years old. You shouldn't be the one worrying about Tony's lack of friends, his education, his eating habits, …or…or his vitamin D intake—"
"I knew it, you have noticed it too, right? He's not going outside as often as he used to. I'm trying to trick him into picnics with his favorite comics, but he—"
"Lucy, this is what I'm talking about," Dad cut me off in frustration.
"I don't see what the big deal is," I curtly replied back, "Shouldn't parents be ecstatic that their children get along so well?"
"Lucy, we love the fact that you and Tony get along so well, BUT," Dad raised his hand to silence my next protest, "We also worry that you aren't being a kid yourself and enjoying your teenaged years."
"Of course, I'm enjoying myself," I indignantly informed my father, "I acted like a teenager and selfishly and impetuously applied to a school that forced you and mom to move to a whole new country!"
"First, your mother and I are proud of you for getting into such a prestigious school and want to be there with you to help you succeed in your academics," Dad began pointing out. "Second, you never do things impulsively so don't act like this wasn't planned. Because, third, you applied to a school near Transylvania, the one place Tony has always wanted to live in or near since he was three years old."
Should have known my parents knew what I was up to when I thought of this elaborate plot. I couldn't even look my father in the eyes as he stared me down. My eyes remained fixated on my pink sneakers as I kicked at a clump of dirt near the tire.
"Lucy, just promise me that no matter what happens with Tony's social life that you will focus on finding your own friends, joining a club, and continuing to apply yourself fully to your academics," Dad pleaded with me, lifting my chin to force my gaze to meet his own.
A bitter stinging sensation came to my eyes.
"I…I can't…Dad…please, I can't see Tony hurt like that again," I secretly confided, trying to brush my tears away with the back of my hand.
"Oh, honey," Dad sighed out before pulling me into a warm hug. "We'll figure something out. Just… focus on your grades, okay? I won't force you to make friends or join any clubs but keep up with your academics and I promise you, we'll make it work out."
I nodded my head in agreement to this new promise. Still trying to get the treacherous tears to stop running down my face.
"But mark my words, as soon as Tony finds a good friend, you are joining a club and getting some friends of your own, understood?" Dad held out his pinky waiting for me to agree to our little pact.
I laughed at his childish behavior before hooking my pinky around his.
"And you won't date until you're at least 35," my dad quickly added on before letting go of my pinky.
"DAD!" I exclaimed in mock horror.
"Don't 'dad' me! You pinky promised! You know the rules! It's legally binding!" He quickly scurried away from my wrath as I tried to playfully hit him in retaliation. My tears completely dried up and forgotten.
I loved my dad…but man he's such a dork.
I could feel a permanent scowl begin to etch itself onto my face.
The two innkeepers from the hotel came out to the graveyard to investigate the noise, and mom insisted that they ride back with us to the hotel.
They were a nice enough elderly couple, a little odd with garlic tied around their necks and extremely jumpy, but they seemed nice.
I wasn't necessarily angry at them riding back with us. I was angrier at the fact that we had a five-seater car and six people riding in it. It was completely unsafe and what made it even worst was that my little brother was once again placed in the middle seat and on my lap. The probability of danger and bodily harm nearly doubled with him perched on my lap. What if we hit a bump and his head gets slammed towards the roof? He could end up with a concussion or become a paraplegic. Neither of these scenarios have a hospital nearby to handle such a crisis.
Dad seemed to read my thoughts and kept trying to reassure me that everything was going to be okay. I glared harder back at his reflection and tightened my hold on my little brother.
No way in hell am I going to let anything happen to his precious, creative, quirky, little head.
Tony, understanding my overprotective feelings, patted my arm reassuringly and allowed me to maintain my vice like grip on his frame.
I completely ignored the conversation in the car, showing dad that I can act like a sulky teenager when I wanted to, and remained impassive until we reached the castle.
The anger melted away from my body as my eyes widened in awe at the gorgeous sight.
It was like a fairytale story come to life.
Tony must have shared my sentiments because he again whispered in amazement, "Wow…"
We were quickly escorted through the main hall and up a staircase to Tony's room.
"The boy will sleep here, da," the elderly woman told us, "And as requested, the girl will sleep in the next room that is connected by the, how you say—oh, 'Jack and Jill' bathroom."
"We didn't make any reques—Lucy…" My father groaned out, giving me a look of exasperation. I ignored him and quickly made my way to my room through the connecting bathrooms.
"Sweet!" Tony eagerly exclaimed, "We can have a sleep over and work on that comic book we were talking about in the car!"
I agreed with him from my room and half-heartedly listened to my parents getting shuffled out the doors towards their room on the next floor.
"Hey…Lulu?" Tony hesitantly called out.
I paused my unpacking to look at his hesitant form in the doorway.
"You…you didn't go through all of this trouble for me, did you?" Tony asked me, evident guilt in his eyes.
He and I both knew the answer to that question.
"Tony, first, you are my little brother and you will always be trouble in my eyes," I started off joking with him, trying to lighten the mood. He managed a small laugh before waiting for me to continue.
"Second, yes," He seemed to deflate at my answer a bit, "The majority of my plans revolved around you, but it also revolved around the growth of the company, my future career plans, and our family experiencing this new adventure together."
"I don't think it will be smooth sailing, there are going to be challenges and feelings will be hurt from time to time, but I…I truly believe that this change is what our family needs. Man, that sounds selfish…and… and extremely arrogant when I say it out loud, you know? It's almost like I think I know everyth—"
Tony tackled me in a hug, effectively shutting up my ramblings full of self-loathing.
"It's not selfish—it's a second chance and I love you for it, Lulu," Tony whispered into my shoulder.
I fiercely returned his hug before muttering, "I love you too, kid."
"I'm not a kid… you're just an old lady stuck in a teenager's body."
"You really want me to kick your arse, don't ya, kid."
"You wouldn't do that to me, you loooove me too much," Tony cheekily replied, showing off his bratty smile.
I pinched his cheeks while he laughed at my petty behavior.
"Come on," I finally said, "Let's go write that comic book."