Once my alarm woke me from my lovely nap at 7pm, I made my way back to the castle with my supplies. My parents told me that Tony had already settled in bed, saying that he wanted to get up extra early tomorrow to play with his new friend Rudolph.

I smiled at the thought of my brother already having a second playdate with his new friend. My smile slowly disappeared as a new plan came to my mind.

"No, Lucy, no more scheming," my mom immediately cut into my thoughts.

"I—I wasn't scheming…" I began trying to stutter out an excuse. My mom gave me a look that told me she wasn't buying it.

"Abrhams already told us how you've been contacting him about properties in the area, Lucy," my dad divulged to me.

Crap.

Abrhams…you jerk.

He was supposed to keep quiet about it until I had a good argument in place that my parents would agree to.

I just wanted the documents in order so they wouldn't have a chance to change their mind.

"Lucy, we talked about this," my mom began reprimanding me, "Your father and I will take care of the housing situation, while you—"

"Enjoy what's left of my summer vacation before school starts in the fall," I finished my mother's sentence. It wasn't the first time I've heard this lecture and I assure you that it would not be the last time.

"Please, Lucy, just trust us," my dad begged, already seeing that the wheels were turning in my head.

"I do trust you guys and I promise that I won't bug Abrhams about anymore listings in the area," I vowed.

"Good," my mother stated with a sigh of relief before they both kissed my forehead goodnight and walked away towards their own room.

I smirked as they hadn't caught onto my loophole.

I swore to not buy any listings in the area…but I never promised that I wouldn't buy a castle.

With this final mischievous thought in mind, I hurriedly ran to my room to get the paperwork started for buying this castle.

I had a lot of research to do about the upkeep of castles and guidelines about legally owning one. The only way my parents would even agree to purchasing this kind responsibility is if I could convince them that we could do it on our own.

I got this.

My fingers were still flying over the keys on my laptop, trying to quickly finish up the last email to Abrhams. I so desperately yearned for sleep and wanted to get some rest, but everything had to be perfect in order for my plan to work. I couldn't let Tony down when he had finally made progress in acquiring a decent friend.

I had just finished editing the email and sending it off when I heard loud banging coming from Tony's bedroom.

What on earth is he still doing up at this hour?

He must be excited for his planned playdate with his new pal, but, regardless, he's a growing boy and needs sleep to maintain a healthy body. This would be the worst possible time for Tony to get sick since we haven't set up a permanent residence yet and have not acquired a primary physician for such an incident.

I quickly stood up from the desk and made my way to his room to scold him on such childish behavior. However, when I entered his room, I saw a dirty, portly man standing next to a tall, scrawny red head while the two caretakers stood in the doorway.

"Who the Hell are you? What are you doing in my little brother's room?" I furiously interrogated the intruders before turning my ire on the enabling innkeepers. "Is it your policy to let random strangers into your guests' suites without their permission!?"

"I am a great vampire hunter, madame, and you should—"

"I should call the police," I cut off older man with irritation, "You are absolutely right! I should call the police! You have no business in this room and if all of you, that includes you silly, superstitious caretakers, do not leave right now, then I will have all of you locked up for endangering a minor. Do I make myself clear!?"

My looming form must have intimidated the lot because I advanced upon them with each threat and soon had forced them into the hallways.

The reprehensible 'vampire hunter' clicked his tongue and told the younger man to follow him since 'there was no time to lose.'

I wanted to follow them and make a citizen's arrest, but I had more pressing matters at hand.

"Where is my little brother," I growled at the two trembling innkeepers.

My lips parted to scream and shout at the pathetic creatures and shake the very foundation of the castle until Tony was presented to me unharmed. But my parents' sudden appearance repressed my growing rage.

For the time being of course…

"What on earth is going on here," my dad demanded as he looked back at the retreating figures of the two men. "Who are those people?"

"They are vampire hunters," the old man responded like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"And they come after your son," the old woman added on.

"Da, because he is the vampire," the man finished with a dramatic flourish.

I immediately stepped up to shout at the two imbeciles and defend Tony, but my mama bear beat me to it.

"Okay, let's get a few things straight," my mom aggressively ordered, "Your music gives me a migraine, your bratwurst suck, and my son is no vampire!"

My smile widened at my mother's hostile temperament. Dad always said that I got my strong will and rage from my mother. This just goes to show that he knew what he was talking about.

"Oh no, then why isn't he in the bed at night," the old woman countered.

My parents looked at each other in shock before racing to his bedroom. I quickly followed their hurried steps, hoping to find a clue as to where Tony ran off to.

We looked around the room, my parents stopped to stare at the open wardrobe on the floor in confusion while I continued to check the windows and Tony's sketchbooks.

Come on, Tony, give me a hint as to where you loped off to.

The two innkeepers annoyingly decided to make their appearance known spouting nonsense about how the family is always the last to know.

I snapped.

"Leave," I snarled, "Do not show your faces to my parents or me again until my baby brother returns to us safe and sound. If for some idiotically stupid reason you decide to not heed my warning then I promise you that my family and I will be pressing charges in regard to Tony's disappearance and those two strange men you allowed into our suites without our permission. I will personally make sure that you are prosecuted to the fullest degree and make your lives a never-ending Hell. Do I make myself clear?"

Harsh?

Yes.

Effective?

Oh, most definitely.

Those two hightailed it away from my oppressive wrath as fast as their stubby legs would let them.

My parents were too heartbroken at Tony's disappearance to reprimand me for my rude and unsightly behavior.

God, they looked so lost.

I can't stand my family in pain.

I need to fix this.

I will fix this.

With my newly acquired energy, I quickly sped toward my bedroom where I put on my denim jeans, my green fleece jacket, and my pink sneakers. Next, I grabbed my charged phone from the nightstand and a flashlight from my bag. I then quickly made my way back to my brother's room.

"Mom, dad, I'm going to start searching the nearby woods," I commented while taking my phone off silent mode before putting it in my back pocket.

"I have my cell phone on me, so if either one of us find him before the other then just call—" I immediately cut myself off as I realized that they had a goofy look on their face and a small girl standing in front of them.

"Uh…hi?" I greeted her in confusion.

"Hello, you must be Tony's sister," she told me in an extremely soothing voice.

"Wait—you know Tony?" I excitedly questioned her, "Do you know where he is?"

"Yes, I am a friend of Tony's and he's going to Transylvania with my brother, Rudolph," She replied in a calm voice that made my head feel foggy.

Focus, Lucy.

"Transylv—What on earth are they going there for?" I loudly questioned in disbelief.

How were two small children going to get all the way to Transylvania without a car? I covered my eyes with my hand to try to ease the dizziness swirling in my mind.

"To save my family," the little girl simply responded while trying to get back into my line of eyesight.

Wait a minute…

I finally slowed down to take a really good look at this little girl and widened my eyes in shock. The blank, goofy looks on my parents' faces, the strange outdated clothing, the pale ashy skin…and, the most important part, she was floating!

"You…you aren't human…are you?" I managed to whisper out in astonishment.

"That is correct."

"Are you…are you a…vampire?"

"That is also correct," she smiled at my innocent wonder before asking her own question, "Are you afraid of me?"

I blinked once then twice at her before honestly responding.

"Seeing as how you put my two fully grown adult parents in a weird trance that has turned their brains to mush…I'm a little…uh—I guess concerned with the power you have, but I wouldn't classify it as fear."

She stared at me for a while with a calculating look on her face before giving me a small smile and a nod of her head.

"Good. Then I shall not use my power on you since I can tell that you like to be in control of your own body."

"I, uh, really appreciate that…uhm…what's your name?" I politely asked the little vampire girl.

"Oh, I do apologize, my name is Anna," she warmly informed me before giving me a little curtsy.

Oh, my goodness, she was absolutely adorable.

"It's nice to meet you, Anna, my name is Lucy," I responded while introducing myself in turn. I held out my hand to her in greeting and she responded it with a delicate handshake.

"Now, that we have that out of the way," Anna concluded while turning to usher my parents out the door, "We really must hurry and start our way to Transylvania."

"Okay, but I still have a lot of questions to ask you," I told her, quickly catching up to her elegant strides and helped her usher my parents to the parking lot.

"First, I need to grab my parents from the bell tower," Anna informed me as we stopped in front of our car and the small mobile home, "Then I'll answer your questions and fill you in on the plan that Tony and Rudolph came up with."

I let out a sigh before reluctantly agreeing to her terms.

"Okay, fine, go grab your parents really quick and I'll get my parents in the car."

Anna nodded her head before zooming off into the night sky.

My mind was still racing about the existence of vampires when I noticed three figures land near our car. I saw Anna standing next to an adult man and woman. The man had a stern aristocratic air about him, and the woman appeared gracefully elegant. Both complimented the other extremely well.

Here goes nothing.

I opened the backseat of the car door and cautiously stepped out to greet the trio. The man turned sharply, watching my movements like a hawk. I slowed my steps and raised my hands to show that I meant no harm.

"Uh…Hi! You must be Rudolph and Anna's parents," I greeted with great hesitation. I was never taught the proper etiquette of how to greet a vampire.

The dad just looked at me with disdain while the mother gave me a small encouraging smile. I decided to keep trying.

"My name is Lucretia Thompson, but you can call me Lucy for short," I informed them while sticking my hand out, "I'm Tony's older sister."

"It's nice to meet you dear, my name is Freda Sackville-Bagg," The brown-haired woman greeted me, shaking my offered hand despite her husband's glare and distrust.

"And this is my husband, Frederick Sackville-Bagg," Freda informed me while giving said husband a pointed look.

My eyes turned towards the foreboding man before I extended my hand once more, "It's nice to meet you, sir."

The man barely glanced at my hand before turning his attention to his daughter, "Anna, what is this?"

I took the hint and lowered my hand trying not to feel too hurt from his rude dismissal.

Anna gave her dad a hard look before stating in an obvious manner, "This is Tony's family and I'll be going with them to Transylvania."

Frederick did not like the sound of that and hissed at his daughter's proclamation.

"You wanted to disown your son," Anna began in a calming voice, "Do you want to lose your daughter as well?"

My eyebrows shot up at this ultimatum. I may not know what happened earlier in the evening, but it must have been intense.

Tony…what did you get yourself into now?

"Frederick, please," Freda begged her husband, clearly distressed at the prospect of their family breaking apart.

Frederick coldly crossed his arms, obviously not wanting to give into the situation.

The stupid hardhead.

I shook my head in disbelief.

"This is absolutely nuts," I began, "Look, I get that you don't trust me nor my family right now, but we honestly don't have time for this."

Frederick opened his mouth to say something, but I held up my hand and continued my rant.

"Just, forget the species for a minute and look at the bigger picture! They are just children traveling all the way to Transylvania by themselves! Do you realize how dangerous it is out there?!" I ended up shouting at him in frustration.

"You don't have to like me, or my kind, but right now your son and my little brother need us. And I know that whatever we are going to be facing in the future will be a lot easier if you and your wife accompany us. So…please, I'm begging you, step inside the camper so that we can save our families," I pleaded with the stoic man holding my hand out once more in hopeful camaraderie.

Frederick looked at my hand then back at me, calculating his next move shrewdly.

His hand finally clasped mine in a temporary truce.

"Frederick Sackville-Bagg at your service," he told me before motioning towards the camper behind me, "Now, are you sure that this 'crypt-on-wheels' will be sufficient enough in blocking the sun?"

I wanted to question his statement 'crypt-on-wheels' so badly but decided to just shrug it off and move on.

"Yes, those curtains are called 'black-out curtains' and will keep the sun out and your family safe while my father drives us to Transylvania," I responded showing him a small portion of the camper.

Frederick nodded his head in approval before switching his attention towards a figure approaching him. I turned to see my dad stumble out of the car with my mom.

Oh, no.

"D-dad, I told you to wait in the car with mom!" I exclaimed trying to get him back into the driver's seat.

"I am with your mother," Dad began telling me in confusion while pointing to mom who was standing beside him.

"No, dad, in the car," I told him exasperated.

Honestly, it was like trying to take care of a couple of five-year-olds.

I can't wait until Anna's hypnotism wears off.

Speaking of which…

"Anna, are you sure it's safe for my dad to be driving while he's hypnotized like this?" I asked the small, red-haired vampire child.

"Perfectly safe," she responded, "I've already implanted in his mind the exact location of our catacombs so that way he won't get lost or run into any delays."

"Wait, catacombs, why are the boys going to a catacomb?" I asked once I got my two goofballs back into the car.

"That is where our entire clan have been trapped," Freda sadly informed me, "Including my poor eldest son, Gregory."

"Trapped?" I began questioning before the dots finally connected in my brain, "Wait, does this involve a fat, smelly man who calls himself a vampire hunter?"

"Rookery," Frederick snarled out in disgust.

"Yes, he's been hunting our family for years now," Freda told me while trying to soothe her husband's anger.

"That no good, son of a—Alright we have to go now," I told them while getting them settled into the camper, "That sleazeball just left here and I bet you we can beat him there if we leave right away."

"Thank you for all your help," Freda expressed with sincere gratitude in her voice.

"Mrs. Sackville-Bagg, please don't thank me yet," I told her, "Not until we have everybody safe and sound, and far away from that maniac."

On this final note, I securely latched the camper's door before getting buckled in the backseat of the car.

"Alright, dad, let's go save Tony and our new friends," I told my father who sped away from the castle.

Normally I would reprimand him for speeding, but in this case…every second counted, and I wasn't willing to risk one of them.