Opening Scene:
Its dark, the sun has gone down and a full moon shines and, in the moonlight, Vlad is sifting through rubble and ash, and finds a portrait with a damaged Gothic styled golden and wooden frame. As he lightly brushes the ash away from it, a image of a much younger Vladimir, Ingrid and the count becomes clear. Vlad stares at it with intensity while he notices a small, slightly burnt photograph underneath it. It's a photo of himself and the boy who quickly become Vlads first and only real best friend, he was a breather, he was. Robin Branagh. The photo showed the two, arms around each other smiling. It was when Vlad was able to go camping with the Branagh Family a few weeks before they left Stokely. Vlad pulls a slight smile. But he suddenly hears rocks shifting behind him and turns around, dropping everything and looking alert.
"Who's there?!" Vlad says with a slight nervous tone.
A dark figure appears out from behind a wall of rubble, it's too dark to make out his face, but the stranger continues to approach. Vlad could tell they were a breather, he could hear their racing heart beat. Vlad was on guard, it could be a slayer.
"Vlad?" The stranger asks curiously, Vlad's face is stunned by this stranger knowing his name. But the voice seems familiar to him, but isn't sure where from.
The stranger approaches even closer, Vlad starts to take a step back, crouching low.
"Who are you?!" Vlad says with authority.
The stranger takes another step, out of the shadows and into the moonlight. The face that greets him is none other than a grown up, freshly shaven Robin Branagh still wearing gothic like clothing like he had done all those years ago, hair still styling the same shagy mess Robin had called cool. Vlad freezes, shocked and finds it hard to gasp for words.
"r – Robin..?" Vlad says curiously but also anxiously. Standing upright he slowly starts to walk towards Robin.
"Vlad! Where have you been! (Robin goes into hug Vlad and then pulls him back out to continue) It's like you were here one day and left all of a sudden, the next." Robin says excitedly
Vlad looks at him happily but knows he can't give anything away as Robins mind wipe was probably still in place.
"Yeah... It's been a while; dad had gotten a job at a school called Garside Grange so we moved away." Vlad lies.
Robin begins to laugh. "Come on Vlad, as if Count Dracula would work at a school."
Vlad looks at robin shocked, mouth open with a nervous look on his face. Before Vlad could utter a word, Robin cuts him off.
"You really think after all the destruction Ingrid caused; I wouldn't remember a thing..." robin replies in a harsh but saddening voice.
"Robin, look im sorry I left without saying a word, and im sorry you had to endure my sister. Once she took over, we had to leave or she would have probably dusted us... How bad was it?" Vlad looked up into Robins' eyes fearing what he'd hear from Robin of how Ingrid had made the streets of Stokely 'run red with blood'.
Flashback:
Well when it all started, people went missing. No one knew where they had gone, the police were searching day and night for these people. But then police officers soon went missing and a police hi-vis coat was found with blood stained all of over it near the castle. That's when things went from bad to worse. The police had locked down Stokely and then one night I had snuck out to see the castle after a rumor started to go around the town of a vampire living in the castle which everyone had thought to be abandoned. Me being... well me, thought it was a good idea to go up and look. But that's when I saw Ingrid, she walked towards me. "Well, well, well I had always hoped to find you Branagh," she grabbed my collar preparing to bite me and then someone shouted in the distance. Which caught her attention and she chased after him. "who was it" (Vlad asked) I don't know, some brown-haired guy with a Adidas coat. "Ryan..." (Vlad murmured) and that's when I got up and ran back home. And then when I thought over what just had happened all my memories started to come rushing back.
"Does anyone else remember?" Vlad asks cautiously.
"Im the only one as far as I... wait... No, I'm pretty sure Johnno and his mum know, saw them leaving town about two years ago with a van packed with what looks like stakes and garlic." Robin replied.
"They tried to slay us when we were at Garside. But now, they're my closest allies." Vlad replies confidently.
"You, allies with the same slayer who's been trying to dust you and your family since we were kids." Robin replies confused.
"They helped me install and maintain a cease fire between vampires and slayers, well, Johnno at least that is. Mina wasn't as convinced."
"Right... Well are you staying long?" Robin asked curiously.
"Yeah, I'm trying to find a family heirloom that was left behind when we fled. From what Dad tells me, there should be a hidden passage somewhere under all of this rubble. Need to find it for my Coronation to be Grand High Vampire apparently."
"Well you can stay at mine if you like, although you'd have to hide the fact, you're now a full-blown vampire from them."
Seeing the uncertainty in Vlad's face Robin quickly speaks out again. "Please Vlad, it's been so long since I've seen you and I-" Vlad cuts in pulling his hands up in a surrendering fashion "Okay, okay... I'll come stay with you. But no one must know what I am." "Agreed." Robin says sharply.
Vlad walks back over and picks up the photo from before. He stuffs it into one of his two large black bags on the floor next to the rubble. And him and robin begin to walk off. They arrive at Robins front door. Vlad gazed at the house as he approached it and pulled a grinning smile as he walked through the front door. The house hadn't changed. The walls were bright with yellow wallpaper, the air was fresh and everything was tidy and organised. He'd been living in the damp and decay called Garside for so long he forgot what a normal home looked like. The door shut behind them and then footsteps from the living room could be heard approaching them.
"Robin Branagh! what time do you...- Vlad?... (Mrs Branagh puts her hand on Vlad's shoulder and looks into his eyes.) Oh, look at you, your all grown up. Graham, Chloe come look who's just arrived with Robin!"
Chloe and Mr Branagh now enter the already crowded door way.
"Vlad?" Chloe stands still, she stares at Vlad curiously. She cant help but feel as if hes trying to hide something and a odd feeling in her head like she has forgotten something. Meanwhile Mr Branagh reaches into shake his hand.
"Good to see you again Vlad" Mr Branagh says with a firm shake of the hand.
"Ooo your hands are freezing." Mr Branagh says with a slight grin. Vlad looks at him awkwardly and grins. "Yeah its rather cold tonight..."
"You alright love? You look rather pale?" Mrs Branagh questions.
Vlad looks at robin for a slight moment looking rather worried. "Err, yeah I just... haven't had much sleep lately." Vlad answers hesitantly.
"I'll get you a bed, you should sleep, you too robin" Mr Branagh said while staring at robin and Vlad then raising a eyebrow to robin before leaving.
"If you'll just leave your things here ill put them upstairs." Mrs Branagh says.
Vlad notices Mrs Branagh's hand heading towards one of his bags and stops her. "Oh no! It's okay...(he says rather loudly and awkwardly) I can handle it" Vlad looks at Robin to signal him to start going up the stairs. Vlad follows Robin to his room to find Mr Branagh setting up a makeshift camping bed. Robins room looked almost the same, black wall paper, art works of creatures of the night scattered across his wall, the only difference was the big computer at his desk with a black case and red LED lights all around it.
"Goodnight boys, not too late Robin, I don't want you moody again tomorrow." Mr Branagh says raising another eyebrow to Robin.
"Dad..." Robin cringes embarrassed, as his dad walks out the room.
"I see not much has changed." Vlad smirks sitting down on his camp bed, eyes looking all around the room.
"They treat me like a child..." Robin complains, collapsing onto his bed.
"Mmm..." Vlad smirks to himself.
Robin shoots back up as he hears his dads foot sets go further away. "Can I see your fangs?!" he asks rather excitedly.
"Really, that's the first thing your gonna ask me.." Vlad answers jokingly
"Aw cmon, I've been waiting for this for such a long time." Robin pleads desperately.
"Alright..." Vlad says getting up onto his feat. Then stares at Robin in the eyes, slowly opening his mouth to reveal a set of huge, white fangs and his green eyes disappear, replaced by darkness. The bedroom light flickering and a crack of lightning can be heard outside.
"Wicked! Those look so cool!" Vlad closes his mouth and his eyes return to normal. "Thanks..." Vlad replies while awkwardly sinking back onto his bed.
"You ever bitten anyone?" Robin asks still excited, now on his bed leaning on his side facing Vlad with a rather happy expression.
The room goes silent for a few odd seconds as Robin notices Vlad's face change from content to sadness.
"Vlad you okay?" Robin asks worryingly.
"Yes And.. Yes... once.. was the biggest mistake of my unlife..."Vlad answers slowly and also shamefully.
"Surly It can't have been that bad, its just one person." Robin replies attempting to reassure his friend.
"Its not like that, I only bit her because she was dying... I loved her.. And i refused to let her go... When she turned, she was someone else, made it her goal to torment me for as long as she could."
"I'm sorry Vlad I-" Vlad cuts Robin off.
"No its okay, I've moved on now.." Vlad answers still rather saddened at his own stupidity of the past.
Robin looks at Vlad solemnly and then changes the subject seeing how much it was affecting Vlad. "Soo.. Er.. Whats are in those bags you were so desperate to keep away from mam?" Robin curiously asks, sitting upright on his bed now staring at the bags to Vlad's side.
Vlad opens one of the bags to reveal bottles full of a red substance and other items. "Is that Blood!" Robin screams out excitedly. "Shhh... be quiet. Their Soy Blood, although I did have to bring a bottle of blood since dad insisted i'd need it."
"What's Soy Blood?" Robin asks in a confused tone.
"It's basically a vegetarian alternative to drinking blood. I try to keep myself away from blood, it makes me feel dead inside... (Vlad holds up the Bottle of Blood, Marked French Aristocrat 1798) Last time I drunk this stuff, it was all I could think about. Tormenting my mind." Vlad answers.
"What about the other bag?"
"Just more clothing and some VHC documents, now that I'm of age the Vampire High Council has been giving more paper work, more reasons to take a nice sunny walk" Vlad jokes.
"You'd best hide those away, don't want Mam and Dad finding them. Best stash em under my bed, its like the only place in my room they don't touch."
Vlad crouches down seeing the mess under his bed then stashes his bags under it. His face frowns at the sight and smell of it all "I can tell" followed by a few fake coughs.
"Right well, i'm-a hit the hay." Robin starts to get comfortable in his bed.
Vlad tries awkwardly to get comfortable to be met by Robins glaring stare. "Your fidgeting has gotten so much worse." Robin comments with a smirk as he watches Vlad struggle from a bed much lower down to the floor then Robins.
"I haven't slept in a bed since I turned 16. Feels weird not being enclosed in a coffin."
"Right well, could you turn off the lights then?" Robin asks rather selfishly, refusing to get out of bed to do so.
"No need." *Vlad snaps his fingers and the lights turn off*
"Wicked..." Robin answers in the pitch black of his room before quickly falling asleep.
/MORNING\\
A birds chirps can be heard outside as the sun rises and a small but weak strand of sunlight creeps in around the edges of Robins curtains.
"Vlad..." Robin whispers trying to quietly wake Vlad up. No response as Vlad lies there lifeless, arms folded across his chest, laying face up, his chest doesn't move as he no longer breathes. Robin throws a pillow at Vlad in another attempt to wake him up. It works. Vlad wakes up in a instant baring his fangs at Robin, hissing in a threatening manner. Robin is startled by this and nudges backwards closer to the wall, still on his bed, face full of surprise and worry.
Vlad looks up realizing its only Robin and retracts his fangs and lets out a sigh. "Ugh" and collapses back into his bed, still very clearly tired.
"Sleep well?" Robin tries to ask, in a attempt to break the awkwardness of what just happened.
"Sleeping in a bed for what feels like 2 hours, at night to only wake up in the day isn't exactly what I'd call first class." Vlad answers, with a tired and annoyed tone.
"Heh, well maybe I could come stay at yours one day and you wouldn't need to sleep in a bed or wake up in the day." Robin says jokingly with a glimmer of hope that Vlad would consider it.
"Perhaps, but it's too dangerous. Ingrid owns Garside now, and it's been too quiet lately, it always means something big is coming..." Vlad answers worryingly.
"Vlad, I can look after myself (Vlad looks at Robin and lifts a eyebrow in a rather sarcastic way) and why doesn't the count own Garside?"
"Because he moved to Australia with Renfie-" Robin cuts off Vlad.
"Australia... out of all places. The Count chose to go to the place renowned for its never-ending Sunshine." Robin asks rather confused.
"Well, last thing I heard is that they might be coming back, too many close calls with the early sunrise apparently. Haven't seen Dad for over a year now." Vlad says rather happily, for once hes actually looking forward to see his farther.
*Knock, Knock, Knock* at Robins bedroom door. It opens with a slight creek.
"Boys, breakfast is ready." Mrs Branagh says with her head popping in from behind the door.
"Alright mam, we'll be down in a sec." Robin answers with a rather annoyed tone.
"Open your blinds Robin, it's a lovely day."
Door shuts and Mrs Branagh's foot sets can be heard as she goes down the stairs.
"Cmon, last thing we want is my dad coming up here opening the curtains and dragging us out." Robin climbs out of bed, followed by Vlad and they head downstairs.
As they head downstairs Chloe comes out of her room and looks at Vlad curiously as he disappears down stairs and then creeps into Robins room. She looks around and notices that the 2 big bags Vlad had dragged in the other night had vanished, Chloe thought it was rather odd and suspicious that Vlad was determined to keep away from her mam. She looked around Robins room curiously, before looking under his bed and finding the bags. As she dragged one out, she could hear the unmistakable sound of a glass chiming with another glass. She unzipped the bag and saw 6 bottles of a weird red liquid. But one of them was a darker and richer red, she picked it up and saw the label. 'French Aristocrat 1798' she looked at it confusingly, but then in a single moment her face dropped. All the memories from her finding out Vlad was a Vampire in the school canteen to their families near death experience at the Hunt Ball came rushing back in a instant. At that moment Mrs Branagh shouted from the bottom of the stair case.
"Chloe, your eggs are getting cold!"
At first Chloe finds it hard to grasp her words, but then yells. "I- er –im.. I'm coming mam!" Chloe put the bottle back and stuffed the bag back under Robins bed. And quickly makes for the door and heads down stairs for breakfast.
/WHILE THAT WAS GOING ON, THE SCENE DOWN STAIRS\\
"Who's this then, (Ian) got a friend again 'ave we Robin? (Paul)" Ian and Paul say trying to mock Robin.
"Ha, ha, very funny. Its Vlad actually. Remember? If not maybe you'll remember his hot sister" Robin replies in a sin a sarcastic tone followed by a playful nudge from Vlad for his comment on Ingrid. Robin walks over to the table, wasting no time and digs into his Egg on Toast breakfast.
"Vlad my man, is Ingrid around?" Ian says as both twins try to look behind Vlad from their seats.
"No shes at home...With her Boyfriend." Vlad answers with a smirk as both Ian and Paul look disappointed. Just as Vlad is about to make a step into the kitchen hes notices the kitchen windows blinds are open and the sunlight is covering the kitchen floor in front of him. Vlad stares at Robin trying to get his attention as he stuffs his face with his breakfast.
"Vlad you not gonna sit down?" Mr Branagh asks curiously with newspaper in hand at the sight of Vlad awkwardly standing by the door.
"Yeah I.. I'm just going to nip to the toilet quickly." Vlad starts to head off but manages to get Robins attention to realize the windows blinds are up letting in sunlight.
Mrs Branagh looks at the clock attached to the Kitchen wall. "Graham, its 8o clock, you'd best be off." and then walks over to the stair case "Chloe, your eggs are getting cold!".
As Chloe rushes down the stairs, she's made to wait as Mr Branagh walks out the door going to work. "Cya later sweetie" "Bye dad" she answers before Ian and Paul also block her path and head out the door.
"Mam, we'll probably be late again tonight, we got a match after work!" Ian yells from outside.
"Okay, but not too late boys." Mrs Branagh says while shutting the door behind them and then moving into the living room.
At that time Chloe enters the kitchen to see Robin closing all the Kitchen Window blinds. She walks up to him in a stroppy and angry manner. "Why have you brought that monster into our house?!" Chloe angrily whispers.
"I don't know what you mean..." Robin worryingly whispers with a look of confusion.
"She means me..." Vlad answers as the both turn around to see him standing right behind them. Chloe backs up almost knocking a chair over, breathing rather shallow and worried breathes, fearful of what he might do.
"I thought you said you were the only one who's mind wipe was removed." Vlad answers rather nervously and quietly to Robin.
"I didn't know she-" Robin was cut off by Chloe.
"I remember everything, especially how we almost become your dinner at that Hunt Ball!" she exclaims and her body straightens up more confident.
"I'm not like that, I don't bite people... I don't even drink blood. I-"
"Then why is it that I found a bottle of 'French Aristocrat 1700 or something in your bag then?" Chloe says confidently raising her voice at the end.
"Vlad doesn't drink that stuff he's got some weird veggie option that looks vile. ("Thanks..." Vlad mutters) Hey.. maybe you need it to find the tunn-" Robin is cut off as Vlad slaps his hand against Robins mouth to stop him from talking. Robin removes Vlad's hand from his mouth and mutters. "Sorry..."
Chloe looks at Vlad curious about what he stopped Robin from saying. Then slowly sits down into her chair at the kitchen table and Vlad sits opposite her with Robin to his side. An awkward silence settles for a few seconds but then Vlad breaks the silence. "I know this is hard for you, but please... Don't tell anyone, you know who i am Chloe, all those times I've kept my dad's fangs out of your mums' neck. You know I'd never do anything to hurt any of you" Vlad pleads.
"Alright... But how are you going to keep it secret all day, mams sooner or later going to open the curtains without knowing anything about it and watch you turn to dust." Chloe asks, to the surprise to Robin and Vlad as they had not thought of this properly.
"Didn't think of that..." Robin asks solemnly looking down at his fidgeting hands intensely.
"Why does that not surprise me." Chloe sighs.
"There's no other way... I'm gonna have to remove their mind wipes..." Vlad nervously says, looking to Robin and then to Chloe for support.
"Vlad are you mad?... they'll chuck you out." Robin says reluctantly.
"Vlad's right Robin, (Chloe looks into Vlad's eyes) besides there is a chance we can convince them to see you for who you are and not what you are." Chloe reassures Vlad seeing how nervous he has become.
"Thanks Chloe..."
"You gonna finish that?" Robin asks jokingly while looking at Vlad's Toast and Egg he hasn't touched.
"Go ahead, I've lost my appetite." Vlad answers pushing the plate towards Robin. Chloe looks at Robin and rolls her eyes before eating her own.
"I'm just going to.. get something" Vlad says, standing up from his chair and heads back upstairs.
Vlad enters Robins room and closes the door behind him. He kneels down and takes out one of his bags, he unzips it and takes out a bottle of soy blood. Once in his hands he slides down against the Bedroom wall and sits on the floor before uncorking the bottle and drinking from it. After taking one gulp his head hits back against the wall and lets out a rather loud sigh of relief. As weird as it was, Robins bedroom was the only place he could relax, knowing that no one like Mrs Branagh would walk in and overhear them talking or worse, open the curtains. Vlad takes another gulp from the bottle and his eyes close in bliss and continues to down the bottle. But then Robins bedroom door opens, and Chloe enters startling Vlad as he stops downing the Soy. "Chloe!" Vlad says tone showing a hint of embarrassment as Soy blood starts dripping out of his mouth.
"You got abit of..." Chloe points to Vlads chin, which is smudged and dripping with Soy.
"Oh... Thanks..." Vlad mutters still rather embarrassed as he wipes it away.
"You not a fan of Eggs on Toast then?" Chloe jokes while sitting down on a Vlad's makeshift bed which is positioned next to him.
"Oh no, it's just that... After what you said i realized how vulnerable i am here, as hard as it may seem. Not to mention how all of that yellow wallpaper was starting to give me a headache." Vlad jokes. Chloe letting out a giggle in response.
Robin enters the room. "Vlad want me to put the blinds down in the upstairs bathroom so you can brush your teeth or whatever it is you do."
"Yeah, thanks Robin." Vlad takes one last quick snip from his Soy Blood and puts it back into his bag and pulls out: Fang floss, a vintage fang brush and a specialized toothpaste. And then stands ups up preparing to make his way out the door before Chloe comments.
"That's an odd-looking toothbrush." Chloe asks curiously.
"It's a fang brush, normal tooth brushes don't really work that well. It's the only thing my dad got me for my 16th. Well that and a bottle of blood." Vlad jokes
"Which you didn't touch... Right?" Chloe asks staring at Vlad accusingly.
"Well.. I-" Vlad is cut off by Robin coming into the room.
"Vlad bathrooms ready." Robin walks out of the room again and Vlad quickly follows suit trying to avoid Chloe's gaze.
Once in the bathroom Robin starts brushing his teeth immediately, looking into the mirror as he brushes away mouth open wide. He starts turning around and yells: "Vlad you coming or-" he turns around to see Vlad is right behind him, confused he looks back to the mirror and notices hes not there. "Oh, yeah, no reflection. Forgot, Sorry."
Vlad puts his specialized toothpaste onto his fang brush and then lowers his fangs and begins to brush em. Standing awkwardly facing into the hall way. Chloe walks in and notices Vlad's fangs, she freaks out for a split second before Robin laughs and then speaks with a toothpaste foamed mouth. "Chill out, he's only brushing em."
Chloe begins to brush her own teeth back as she does, Vlad spits out his toothpaste and gargles water to be spat out again. He then starts to floss his fangs. "Pretty high maintenance ay?" Robin asks after spitting out his own toothpaste.
"Yeah, really does my head in. But if I don't, then they'll begin to go yellow and look clumsy, and that is not the impression I want the Vampire World to have of me." Vlad answers, while struggling with his floss.
"Im going to see if theres some movies we can watch while we wait for sun-down." Robin says while leaving the bathroom.
Chloe spits out her toothpaste and wipes her mouth before looking at a Vlad. "You didn't finish..."
Vlad looks confused and simply says "Errr?"
"The Blood, your dad got you on your 16th?" Chloe answers expecting a answer.
"Okay, okay... I just don't like talking about these things. But seeing as your keeping my secrete..." Vlad stops flossing and puts the used floss in the bin next to the sink. He puts his hands over his eyes and lets out a deep sigh as he brings his arms back down to his side.
"Whenever a pure blood Vampire turns 16 they enter the 'blood mirror'. Its what transforms our pre-16th selves into Vampires. When Ingrid came out, she was a 'chip off the old fang' as dad would have put it. Which terrified me, I didn't want to change I liked being normal. But when I came out of that mirror room, part of me had died the first few days were the hardest. I was getting intense cravings, and it didn't help that we lived in a school full of breathers, (Chloe looked at Vlad not approving the word) sorry. People. So as soon as dad uncorked the bottle and poured it in front of me, I couldn't resist it at first. The smell was intoxicating and I just lunged for it, the sweet bliss of the blood swishing in my mouth as i downed it made me feel better then i had ever done before. But after the first two gulps. I realized but i was going, and I threw it back on the table refusing to allow myself to give in. As I tried to walk out my dad grabbed me and gloated. 'This is who you are Vladdy, don't ever... forget it.' I left the room as soon as I can and rushed to my bedroom to escape his gaze, to only see my bed replaced by a coffin..."
"Vlad... Im sorry I-" Vlad cuts Chloe off.
"Dont be, I should have had more control." Vlad sighs then walks off back into Robins room.
Chloe just watches feeling bad for Vlad but is also filled with worry thinking of what may happen if he loses control again...
To be continued...
Hey guys just wanted to ask for what you'd like to see more of as i continue to write this and also where i can improve. This is my first ever fanfic, hope you like it. Also apologies for any spelling errors, i'm a renowned miss-typer.