Happy Halloween, everyone! Let us bat-gin!


[It all started at the cemetery, where Lucy is writing a poem, while sitting on a gravestone. Vlad was behind a tree, looking at her from a distance. He smiles at the sight of her.]

Vlad: [sighs] Lucy, how I love her. She makes me smile every time I lay eyes on her. Her hair like the night sky and her eyes mysterious as mysteries. I wish I could do something to win her heart. In the end, we would be-

[Lucy suddenly appears behind Vlad.]

Lucy: You were saying?

[Vlad was shocked by Lucy and turns to her.]

Vlad: L-Lucy, hey! How are you?

Lucy: Gloomy as ever. What is it you were saying?

Vlad: [sweating] Uh-uh, I-I uh…um…

Lucy: You…

Vlad: [points behind Lucy] Saw something scary behind you!

[Lucy turns around, but there is nothing but air and the sound of the breeze.]

Lucy: [turns to Vlad] Vlad, I don't see any- [She realizes that Vlad is gone. A leaf blows by.] sigh.


[Somewhere in the cemetery. Vlad pops out from behind a gravestone and sipping from a juice box while trying to call someone on his phone. Moments later, Raymon appears on the screen.]

Raymon: Ihola, Vlad!

Girl's voice: This better be quick, our food's getting cold!

Raymon: It will, senorita!

Vlad: Sorry to disrupt your restaurant date. I need help, I-

Raymon: Let me guess, you ran away…again?

Vlad: [Taking another sip] You guessed it. I just don't know how to confess my feelings. It's just really…complicated, you know.

Raymon: That's a shame. I'll think of something. Hmmm…I got it! You should get a gift for her!

Vlad: R-really?

Raymon: Si, mi amigo! Getting a gift for your loved one is a good way to win her heart!

Vlad: Let me guess, a rose?

Raymon: I don't think it works all the time. If you try to give her one, you'll understand why I was fired from that Burpin' Burger internship.

Vlad: Okay, so what can it be?

Raymon: It can be anything besides roses: jewelry, fashion, anything she fancies!

Vlad: O-okay, I'll just sneak out of the cemetery, unnoticed. When I do, I'll go to stores to look for a gift.

Raymon: That's the spirit! Good luck, mi amigo. But do be careful, I heard that those eighth graders have been hanging around those parts, lately. They've been at their meanest ever since their bus privileges got taken away.

Vlad: You mean those bullies? One of which you are in love with? I know, they're big, mean…

Raymon: Yeah! Don't forget ugly too! [Suddenly shocked] Well except for Taylor.

Vlad: Not to mention they are creepy and-

Raymon: Right behind you! Run! Rapido! [He hangs up]

Vlad: Wait! What do you-

[Anderson, Taylor, and Pablo are revealed to be standing behind Vlad, glaring at him.]

Anderson: You were saying? [Vlad turns around, shocked at the sight of the bullies. He spits out his juice which got over Anderson's shirt.] Ugh! Not again!

Vlad: Well, sorry for that. It was an accident. I'm just-

Pablo: You think we're just going to let you be after what we just heard?

Taylor: Yeah, and that kid is still flirting with me!

[Anderson grabs Vlad by the shirt.]

Anderson: As for this, we're going to give you the beating of a lifetime! A human pretzel to be precise!

[Anderson balls his hand into a fist, preparing to punch Vlad. Vlad looks at his juice box.]

Vlad: [sighs] Forgive me, juice box.

[Vlad splatters his juice box on Anderson's face. Anderson drops Vlad as the latter picks himself up and makes a run for it while holding onto his beret. Anderson wipes the juice off his face.]

Anderson: Oh, he's so going to get it! After him!

[The bullies chase Vlad through the cemetery. Vlad notices an old, abandoned cathedral and runs towards it with the bullies on his trail. He opens the doors to get in before shutting them behind. He has his back against the doors as he catches his breath. The cathedral has a large interior with an altar and loads of seats. There are also bats hanging from the ceiling. He quickly looks around for somewhere to hide. He panicked as he heard the bullies' voices.]

Taylor: [off-screen] We know you're in there, twerp!

Pablo: [off-screen] We're coming for you! [Vlad ran off as the doors burst open. The bullies stormed inside but Vlad is nowhere to be found.] Dang it! He must be hiding in the dark, [mimics crying] crying like a baby!

Anderson: Well, you can run from us, but you can't hide from us! [to Taylor and Pablo] Find him.

[The bullies search the cathedral for Vlad. They checked every corner and hall, looked under every chair, and looked up every ceiling and pillar, but no sign of Vlad. The only thing they didn't check is an old coffin at the altar. The bullies walked toward it.]

Anderson: Who wants to check the old coffin?

[The two bullies looked at the coffin. They form an X with their arms.]

Taylor and Pablo: Not it!

Anderson: Okay then, I'll do it. [Anderson cracks his knuckle. He wore a devious smirk as he approaches the coffin. However, his expression changes to a look of disgust. He stumbles backwards while the other two bullies catch him by the arms.] Aw man, I can't do this. I don't want to know what's inside it. It could be someone's dead body!

Pablo: [scared] Or worse, s-someone's skeleton or someone's gh-ghost!

Taylor: [scoffs] You're all scaredy cats! There is no way he would hide in here with some decomposing corpse. Let's get out of here!

[The bullies left the cathedral and slam the doors behind, upset that they lost their target. Once the bullies are gone, the coffin lid shuffled a bit. It opened and Vlad pops out, gasping for air. He sighs in relief.]

Vlad: Phew, playing dead really paid off. Thankfully, no one's in the coffin, but it's so old and dusty in here. I better get out of here. [Vlad gets out of the coffin and runs towards the doors. On his way, he trips over a loose tile. He looks at the loose tile.] Ow! Man, that tile is loose. [He notices something hidden under the tile.] Wait… [He crawls over and lifts the tile to reveal what appears to be a wooden surface covered by some dirt. He brushes off the dirt and it turns out to be the lid of a wooden box.] A box? [Notices some writing etched on it.] Wait. There's something written on it. [Reads the writing] Do not open! I don't get it, is there something dangerous? Might as well open the- [Vlad notices the box is still buried. He looks at his hands.] Well, I better start digging.


[Meanwhile, the bullies were walking further away from the church, sulking over losing Vlad.]

Anderson: I can't believe that twerp got away!

Pablo: We were so close! We were so gonna-

[Lucy appears behind them.]

Lucy: Excuse me?

[The bullies were surprised as they look behind and spot Lucy.]

Anderson: Woah! Quit scaring us like that!

Pablo: Hey, do we know you?

Lucy: I apologize for this surprise. I am looking for a friend, his name is Vlad. Have any of you seen him?

[The bullies were shocked. Anderson then comes up with an idea as he wore a smirk.]

Anderson: Oh yes, we last saw him [Points to the direction of the abandoned cathedral.] at that abandoned cathedral over there.

Lucy: Thanks.

Anderson: You're welcome!

[As Lucy goes to the cathedral, the bullies huddle and discuss a plan as she is out of earshot.]

Anderson: Guys, I just got an idea. We're going to sneak behind her. When she gets to that cathedral, we're going to shut the doors and beat the black tar out of her!

Taylor: Yeah, don't forget a ton of wedgies!

Pablo: And robbing her stuff!

[The bullies laugh at their plan.]


[Meanwhile, Vlad has just finished digging that the latch of the box is now visible.]

Vlad: Okay, [takes a deep breath] now before I open. I better make sure it's safe. [Vlad listens carefully for any sound the box makes in case there is an animal or something inside. But Vlad hears nothing.] Well, I guess it's safe to open. Here goes nothing. [Vlad opens the box expecting something dangerous or scary. But instead, it was a black jewelry box with silver borders. He picks up the jewelry box and sets it on the floor in front of him.] Wow, it's just some old, vintage, jewelry box. Wonder what's inside? [He opens the jewelry box. Inside it is nothing but a silver tiara decorated with sharp edges, grey diamond patterns, a red ruby at its center and a small bat figurine on top. Vlad takes the tiara and looks at it in all angles] Wow, it's some sort of bat tiara. Spooky and scary, pretty fitting for a- [Vlad gets an idea] Wait. [He puts the tiara back into the box and picks up the box as he stood up. He looks at the tiara with a smile.] I think I can give this to Lucy as her present. She would be so happy with this spooky gift I give to her. Well, I better get out of here before she-

Lucy's Voice: Vlad?

[Vlad was so startled that the box fell out of his hand but Vlad quickly catches it before closing it. However, as the lid was still open, the tiara fell out of the box and into the wooden box where the jewelry box once came from. Vlad didn't notice as he scurries out of a broken window as Lucy opens the doors and enters the cathedral.]

Lucy: Vlad? Where are you? [Lucy walks across the hall and notices the hole with the loose tile still removed. She approaches it and notices the wooden box still opened with the tiara inside it.] A tiara?

End of Chapter 1