Chapter 17
Dracula sat on the rooftop of the castle with his arms wrapped around his knees, and was watching the nighttime sky. His heart had been broken, rejected by the very girl he longed to protect and care for, all because of his selfish decisions to force her to fall in love with him. How he wished he could erase his own mind to forget everything that had happened in the last three days. Yet no, he couldn't. He could never forget those moments he shared with her. Especially the first time he kissed her and... Oh, how he wished he'd never enthrall her to his physical lust. He only abused her trust, made things worse by manipulating her about the village set up in the haunted forest. Instead of wishing to have his memories erased, he wished he could drive a stake through his own heart. But he didn't have the heart to do it.
Through the roof window, Sirena and Bianca exchanged looks at one another, they knew he must know the truth, and something else. The two girls climbed on to the roof and carefully approached heartbroken tear stricken vampire, sitting next to him. The Count felt their presence, but he said nothing.
After sitting in complete silence for a while, Bianca broke that silence, "Count, we have to talk to you."
"No, I want to be left alone," Dracula said bitterly, as he put his head on his knees. "My dad was right," he sniffled, "Humans are our enemy."
"That's not true!" Bianca objected. " Ericka is our friend, but you're only sitting here feeling for yourself!"
"Shut it, Bianca!" Sirena hushed her friend. "That's not the reason why we're here." To Dracula, Sirena continued, "Listen Count, we got a confession to make." Hesitating, she prepared herself when she spilled the beans. "We're the ones who brought Ericka to the hotel in the first place."
"WHAT?!" Dracula shot up, staring down at the two monsters in disbelief and anger. "How could you?!" he questioned in rage, "YOU two are the ones responsible for this mess!"
"We know, and we're sorry." Bianca's body trembled in fear as the Prince of Darkness towered over her.
"We thought she was a half human half witch hybrid because of her magic hair," explained Sirena.
Dracula lifted a suspicious eyebrow. "You know about her hair?"
"It was the time she healed my leg while trying to push the hearse out of a ditch."
The two female monsters told the whole story to Dracula, from their encounter in the haunted forest all the way up to the events at the birthday party. After a while, Dracula's body posture relaxed.
"But, we have something else for you." Bianca reached over to her side and picked up a book. She handed the book to Dracula, who took it and read it.
"True Love, by Martha Lubov Dracula.
Two lonely bats crashed in the night.
They felt a Zing. Love at first sight.
They knew right then they would be husband and wife.
For a Zing only happens once in your life.
You will always be my first Zing, My Love.
I will always cherish it.
Love, Martha."
Dracula stared at those words, shocked by what he just read.
"I think you Zinged, Count," said Bianca, breaking the vampire away from his thoughts.
"You mean, Ericka and I?" he gasped in surprise as he held the book close to his chest, realizing too late he zinged again with Ericka.
"But you blew it, Count," added Sirena. "You destroyed her... emotionally. I guess she's become like you now."
Standing up, Sirena took Bianca by the hand and lead her back through the open roof window.
Alone on the roof, Dracula felt his own sadness affect him, the shame weighing heavily on his shoulders. He knew they were right. The memories of those past three days haunted him, remembering the pain he had caused for Ericka. He only wanted to keep her to himself because he believed he would always protect her. But his guilty conscience for deceiving her brought distrust and misery to her when she found out. Now, he will never see her again. Especially his closest monster friends. After all this time swearing to keep monsterkind safe, he felt like he betrayed their trust by falling in love with a human. Even his own father said he was a disappointment to vampires everywhere. He couldn't decide which was worse. A tear escaped the Count's eye as it rolled down his cheek before he sang.
How can I just let you walk away
Just let you leave without a trace
When I stand here taking every breath with you, ooh ooh
You're the only one who really knew me at all
How can you just walk away from me
When all I can do is watch you leave
Cause we've shared the laughter and the pain
And even shared the tears
You're the only one who really knew me at all
So take a look at me now
Well there's just an empty space
And there's nothing left here to remind me
Just the memory of your face
Ooh, take a look at me now
Well there's just an empty space
And you coming back to me is against the odds
And that's what I've got to face
I wish I could just make you turn around
Turn around and see me cry
There's so much I need to say to you
So many reasons why
You're the only one who really knew me at all
So take a look at me now
Well there's just an empty space
And there's nothing left here to remind me
Just the memory of your face
Now take a look at me now
Cause that's just an empty space
But to wait for you is all I can do
And that's what I've got to face
Take a good look at me now
Cause I'll still be standing here
And you coming back to me is against all odds
It's the chance I've got to take
Take a look at me now
Holding the book closer to his heart, Dracula stared up into the sky for a moment before sighing, "Martha, what have I done?"
The sun began to rise over the mountainous horizon as a thought came to him and determination grew inside him. Whatever it took, he will bring Rapunzel back.
That same morning, the lobby was all a bustle with enraged monster guests and staff trying to be the first to check out, all of them shouting in anger over last night.
"Bill! Bill!" shouted a pink Gillman, his eyes going wide as a zombie bellhop showed it to him, then shouted, "That's not MY bill!"
"Take my key! Take my key!" shouted a gargoyle, while Marty the palest Gillman blubbered loudly and all the other monsters continued shouting.
"What's this mini-bar charge?" Wayne asked in confusion as he looked at the hotel charge.
"Honey, the kids threw the mini-bar out the window," Wanda told him calmly.
"And that's our fault?"
"Well..."
"Excuse me! Pardon me!" called out Murray as he pushed his way through the crowd to the reception desk with two large postal boxes, "Yeah, I've got a couple of people to express mail!"
"Friends! Please, stop!" a black bat then called out as he flew over the reception desk.
"It's too late, Rat Bat!" Murray shouted negatively to Dracula.
"Please!" the vampire said as he resumed his real form, "I'm begging you! I need you to help me find Ericka!"
"The HUMAN?!" Wayne yelled, "She could've killed us!"
"She touched my guitar!" Murray exclaimed, outraged.
"I kissed her hand!" shouted Griffin in disgust.
"She let me eat her bicycle!" yelled the old gremlin lady, and the crowd gasped in shock.
Overcome with guilt, Dracula slumped as his broad shoulders dropped and he announced shamefully, "I know I lied. I was wrong. But you have to believe this; Ericka wasn't a bad guy. The truth is I don't even know if humans are bad anymore."
"It wasn't his fault entirely," Sirena announced, as both she and Bianca stood up on the reception desk beside the Count, "Bianca and I brought Ericka here because we thought she was a half human half witch hybrid because she has a magical ability with her hair to heal injuries, although Salem was the one who gave her the idea to find the hotel in the first place because of her hair."
"We know it's impossible to believe, but we have seen the magic of her hair with our own eyes," added Bianca. "And Ericka turned out to be a sweetheart with big dreams. She didn't try to hurt us when she helped to create a fantastic wedding for the Steins, right?"
The crowd went silent. Everyone thought deeply about what they were told. Some of the monsters, Murray and Griffin, looked at each other in confusion and a few, Wayne and Wanda, had sympathy for Dracula.
"Frank, c'mon, buddy," he pleaded, placing his hand on one of the large boxes, "You understand."
"He's not talking to you," Eunice said irritated, muffled in her box, "First you tell us humans are bad, now they're good, what else? Up is down, cold is hot, gremlins don't smell."
"Hey!" yelled an insulted male gremlin as he held up his arms, oblivious to his own pit stains.
Frank then popped his head, held by one of his hands, out of his box and said, "I really liked Ericka. Monster or no, she told fun stories and she did plan our wedding."
"I think we zinged," Dracula said guiltily, referring to himself and Ericka.
"You ZINGED?" Wayne and Wanda gasped together in surprise.
"But I got in the way of her dreams," Dracula further confessed.
"You only zing once in your life," Frank said tearfully as he began to spark.
"Oye, now you're short circuiting," Eunice said brashly as she popped her head out of her own box.
"I don't care," Frank cried.
"I don't think so, Frank," Dracula said a bit tearfully, making a silence fall again, "It's possible to zing more than once in your life. I love Ericka with all my heart. But I pushed her away because I, I…"
He didn't need to say anything, the looks on everyone's faces showed they understood.
"Ericka was so nice, I really liked her," Wanda said.
"I liked her, too," Eunice said a little more supportive and sadly, "She's not just nice, she had moxie, and she helps us plan our wedding ."
"Has everyone of you monsters gone crazy?!" an outraged Vlad flew out of nowhere in his bat form, before resuming his original form. "Have you forgotten what humans have done to us, especially Martha?!"
"No!" Dracula yelled in defense as he tried to reason with his father, "but it doesn't matter to me anymore if it was a human who killed Martha, because Ericka is nothing like Gothel. I love Ericka."
"I don't believe this!" Vlad shouted as the monsters step aside to give Vlad and Dracula some space to talk face-to-face. "Humans are still humans, who hate us all!"
"That's what you're a wrong, dad!" Dracula declared as he marched towards his father. "What if humans have changed? What if they forgot the past?!"
"I don't want you to ruin this family, son!"
"But, you did in the first place! Once you had possessed my raccoon to make my fangs grow and you only think about bloodlines and traditions, so I was out of your life! I don't want to be part of your stupid tradition! I want to live my own life! Because of what have done to me, you never got a chance to change or to have time with me, or a chance to get to know Martha! YOU'RE the one who ruined our family."
"Rapunzel is just a lowly human who hates and fears us!" Vlad huffed. "And what about the shame she brought to you?"
"There is no shame!" Dracula defended passionately. "No matter what happened at the party I love her, and I know she loves me, and I'm not going to mess that up again."
"You're a fool!" Vlad shook his head as he yelled accusingly at his son.
But Dracula remained calm as he announced with that same passionate sentiment, "Ericka is the sweetest, kindest, most special girl I have ever met, and you can't give the woman I love the blessing she deserves because she's human, then YOUR the fool!"
Everyone was only in silence, including Vlad. He didn't know what to say to his son, his face fell into a regretful frown as he his son's words echoed in his mind, and it made his old heart ache with sadness and regret.
"Uh, I hate to interrupt this father-son argument, but look what the guards have for you." Salem gently tugged at Dracula's cape to get his attention.
There came a hard clanking sound as the suit of armor guide stood at attention to Dracula and saluted as he reported, "Sir, here are the prisoners as you requested."
Several more armor guards rolled a rather large barred cage into the lobby, and tightly packed in were the ogres and a still frozen Quasimodo with his finger still up his long nose and still muffling out inaudible protests.
Something hot and dangerous rose up within Dracula at the very sight of them, and he flew at them like a blue comet as he grabbed Quasimodo by his chef's coat through the cage bars and his eyes began to glow a deadly red as he shouted out in raging anger, "How did you know about HER?! Tell me NOW!"
Quasimodo only answered with a frozen muffle, but Dracula could see fear within his yellow eyes. He frowned in resentment at the hunchback and released him from the immobilizing spell and hissed at him, "What did you say?"
"I-I said it wasn't me, it was the old lady," Quasimodo stammered as his face squished against the bars, "She promised me a chance at payback if I helped her."
"Old lady? What old lady?"
"Lady Gothel," one of the ogres spoke up, surprisingly in a timid voice.
One of his friends tried to shush him up, but it was too late as he now piqued Dracula's interest.
"Gothel?" he repeated in recognition of the name.
"Yeah, she was our boss, for eighteen years we worked for her," the same ogre continued, "She had us guard the tower where she kept the girl, the baby she had stolen from the royal family for her magic hair she got from the magic flower Gothel lost a long time ago."
Dracula released his grip on Quasimodo, causing him to slip down the bars and crash on his rump as Dracula's anger then changed to deep worry and concern. "Oh no! She's in trouble!"
"So, what are we doing?" Griffin yelled in excitement, "Let's go get Ericka! C'mon!"
The rest of the crowd gave their cheers to help Dracula bring his human lover back. The vampire gave the, a big adorable smile that lit up his pale face and further brightened his piercing blue eyes.
The Count flew in a trail of blue mist as his friends followed quickly close behind him, Frank's upper torso mistakenly bounced on the two honeymooning flees, flattening them. They popped back up and one of them chittered in irritation, "We should have honeymooned at your parents'!"
Out in the window, the only other monster to be even more outraged by this revelation was Bela as he yelled in a fury, "A HUMAN! RAAHH!" He left deep claw marks on the window. But he remembered watching the human girl and her 'mother' leave. With an evil smirk, Bela determined to hunt down that insult to monsterkind and gladly destroy her as he flew off to the haunted forest to track her down before the Drac Pack and Eunice could find her.
Standing at the hotel's entrance, Vlad followed close behind to watch the Drac Pack squeeze into a hearse and drove like crazy down the bridge. Wayne looked out a side window and let his tongue flap in the wind, like a happy dog going for a ride.
Vlad wanted to follow them, but then stopped as though hesitant. But with a swish of his cape he transformed into an old bat in a fog of red tinted black cloud, and followed the hearse at a slow pace.
Back at the tower, Ericka sat upon her bed while Gothel carefully unbraided her hair. With a stroke of evil genius, Gothel was convinced that her sly comments and tricks would finally turn Ericka against Dracula and everything they had done together. She made sure Ericka was too affected by the ordeal to try leaving again. She wanted to keep her magic flower close, never letting her out of her sight ever again.
Picking the flowers out of her hair, Gothel scolded Ericka for leaving the tower, "I did warn you,Ericka. The world is a cruel and selfish place. And if it ever finds a single drop of sunshine, it destroys it."
Ericka never said a word.
"Now, I'm going to make hazel nut soup for dinner," Gothel added, "That will cheer you up." Then she left the room and closed the curtains.
Ericka lay down on her bed as Pascal patted her foot comfortingly. She sighed and glanced at the flag Dracula had given her at the festival in the kingdom, wishing that it had never happened. Then she stroked her stomach down to her crotch, remembering the night he made love to her, the night she lost her virginity. She wished that had never happened either.
With a heartbroken frown, Ericka lifted up the sun flag before eyes and compared its symbol to the flowers painted above her. They were uncanny similar - the exact shape and size. Why, even the number of petals on the flower matched the number of rays of the sunburst. And then she noticed that other parts of the ceiling and wall had sunbursts hidden in them. They were everywhere! All around her she could see the crest of the kingdom beaming down at her. Ericka darted to the center of her bedroom, gazing upward at this phenomenon.
Suddenly, a memory came to her. It was a strong memory - one of seeing the sun symbol above her. And then she noticed two fuzzy outlines of a man and a woman that resembled the mosaic of the king and queen she had seen in the village marketplace. And their baby - the baby princess who had green eyes and long blond hair, just like her. And then she noticed a fuzzy outline of a man dressed in black fighting off Gothel, the man turned out to be Count Dracula. He had fought with Gothel trying to rescue the baby girl.
And then, Ericka fell back against her dresser, realizing with absolute conviction that SHE was the lost princess. She was the one who those lanterns had been sent out for every time on her birthday. She was the one - the one that was stolen away from her crib. She was the lost princess!
Downstairs, Gothel had heard the noise of Ericka falling against her dresser. She called up to her room, "Ericka, what's going on up there? Are you alright?"
Ericka parted the curtain as she stepped out, her eyes wide as she mumbled, "I'm the lost princess."
Gothel rolled her eyes and scolded, "Speak up,Ericka. You know how I hate the mumbling."
"I'm the lost princess!" Ericka repeated out loud and turned to her, retorting, "Aren't I?"
The dark haired woman gaped at her, not believing what she just heard. How did her flower find out?
"Did I mumble, Mother?" Ericka retorted. "Or should I even call you that?"
Gothel quickly shook her head, trying to play it off as some silly fantasy Ericka cooked up. "Oh really,Ericka. Why would you ask such a ridiculous question?"
But Ericka knew better. She pushed Gothel away, snapping, "It was you! It was all you!"
Gothel looked down at her seriously, muttering, "Everything I did was to protect you."
Ericka shook her head and stormed down the staircase to the floor. "I've spent my entire life hiding from people or monsters would use me for my hair - when I should have been hiding from you!" She turned around, staring defiantly at the woman who deceived her for eighteen years.
"Where will you go?" Gothel questioned. "He won't be there for you."
"What did you do to him?" Ericka demanded, eyes narrowed at the mention of Dracula.
"Nothing, except knowing his powerful father he will order his minions to destroy his hotel... and everyone in it," Gothel answered dismissively.
Ericka gasped, immediately concerned for her friends' safety. "No!"
Gothel smiled and tried to speak calmly, "Now, now, it's all right. Listen to me. Everything," she raised her hand to set it on the girl's head, "is as it should be."
"NO!" Ericka seized Gothel by the wrist, preventing her from touching her hair. "You killed Martha, and you hurt Dracula! You were wrong about the monsters! You were wrong about the world! And you were wrong about me!" Gothel tried to break free of Ericka's grasp, stunned that the girl had become stronger and was fighting back. "And I will never," Ericka vowed boldly, "let you use my hair again!"
At last, Gothel managed to pull her hand away but she accidently knocked over a standing mirror. It crashed to the floor, shards of broken glass scattered everywhere. That was when Gothel realized that her power over Ericka was gone - broken just like the mirror.
But just as Ericka turned and headed toward the window to make her exit, Gothel's expression changed into an evil glare. If she wanted to keep her flower, she would have to do it by force.
"You want me to be the bad guy? Fine. Now I'm the bad guy."