Chapter 6: Honeymoon p3

The two lovebirds had arrived at their next destination, and Dracula's eyes widened at what he saw before him. There were lots of giant, rainbow colored, moving machines, and even over the rush of the traffic and the faint rumbling of the cab engine, he could hear faint screaming as the large moving machines spun and whirled, and one with a metal snake on a track twisted and rose and fell quite fast.

"What is this place? I can hear humans screaming. Are they torturing themselves? What are all those things, giant torture devices?" he spewed out one ridiculous question after another.

"You really have been hiding in that hotel too long, Honey," Ericka put a hand on her bottom lip to giggle at those silly questions. "This is Terra Park, not Terror Park. It's a human amusement park. Those are rides people go on for a thrill. Like that roller coaster, or tiltawhirl, and even the merry-go-round with fake horses and other animals to ride on. C'mon, we'll go on all of them! I want you to try them all!"

She grabbed his hand while she quickly paid the cab driver, and rushed to the entrance like an excited little girl in the biggest candy store she had ever seen. For a moment, the cab driver noticed his male passenger didn't seem to have a reflection, but he shrugged it off as it didn't matter.

The couple made their way through the front gate where Ericka paid for their tickets and the employee allowed them entrance. Still having that large sunhat tied to his head, Dracula had to stop for a minute or two to take in his new surroundings, not quite believing what he was seeing. All around him were rides of different kind while humans walked around him, a lot with children carrying stuffed animals, balloons, and eating strange food that actually smelled pretty strange but some of the meat got his mouth watering.

Ericka tugged on his arm as she said excitedly, "C'mon, we're going on the spinning tea cups first!"

"Tea cups?" Dracula repeated in confusion. He didn't know of tea cups being big enough to hold full grown humans, or vampires, or any other kind of monster.

They got in line for the first ride Ericka meant, which Dracula saw a couple of large bowls that did look like 'tea cups' spinning around and around, though not very fast to his relief. When it was over, people got off to allow more people to have their turns. Dracula and Ericka got into one of the cups and closed the small gate. He saw a wheel in the middle, as it looked too small to be a lounge table. When Ericka saw his confused expression, she explained to him while the ride spun around, this was used to spin their cup by themselves. This further confused Dracula when the ride started and she showed him how it worked as she pulled on it with a steady spin. Dracula smiled at this and he gave it a try, but he went a bit overboard with his superior vampire strength, spinning them and their cup faster and faster until it made them both very dizzy.

When the ride was over, they sat on a bench to wait for the effects of the dizziness to pass for several minutes before Ericka randomly chose another ride for them to go on, something called a tilt-a-whirl that was sort of like the spinning tea cups, but shifted in a circle while the wagons spun around in the momentum and it caused them to slide into each other side by side, much to Dracula's pleasure. He knew his own natural vampire speed was faster than this ride, but he still had fun and he got pretty dizzy from this ride too, but what he enjoyed the most was having Ericka sliding closer to him.

Next, the couple went on a calming ride to enjoy themselves, such as the balloon ride where the balloons were fake and made of some kind of metal Dracula couldn't identify, but they were raised on a tall tower by a strange magic and it spun at a tamer speed. Once up high, Dracula could see more of the amusement park and how big it really was. He looked over at Ericka , who was gazing at the view in astonishment. He was glad she was having fun, and if she was happy then he was happy since he was sharing the fun with her.

Afterward, they went on the roller coaster, the mental snake on the winding tracks that were like the train they had taken into Bucharest, only this one went around in spiraling circles, up and down and twisted at a high speed. Dracula thought he was going at his own speed while sitting down, but he felt slightly nauseous whenever he went up or down rapidly.

The next ride the newlyweds went on was the drop tower ride which rose over an amazing hundred feet or so. Even over her own screaming, Ericka heard Dracula's girlish screams at the sudden drop, which happened at least two more times. On the swinging pendulum ride, Ericka got butterflies in her stomach whenever they swung at a high level. Dracula was on the verge of throwing up but he never even barfed, much to his relief.

After all the rides, Dracula was actually feeling a little wore and tired if from the adrenaline rush and Ericka felt a little tired too, but still felt pumped up from all the excitement and fun they were having today. They got a quick bite to eat at one of the food concessions and found an unoccupied picnic table in a shaded area to eat their food. Ericka snacked on some cotton candy while she bought her husband a candy apple. This candied apple tasted strange to Dracula, as he wasn't quite sure what to make of it, but it was okay and it tasted sweet. Ericka allowed him to put some of his blood substitute on his apple, thinking it might help to taste better for him since he looked uncomfortable with it at first, sort of like how she and Johnny had been with the scream cheese bagel.

When they finished eating, the two Draculas went on a relaxing rides like the merry-go-round. Dracula understood why it was called that, though he said he did see it 'go anywhere but around' or 'how is that merry' which only made Ericka laugh amusingly. They rode on two fake horses next to each other, that Dracula at first thought had been real and were placed under a paralyzing spell by humans for all eternity, until Ericka told him they had never been real and were designed this way.

Their last ride for the day was a Ferris wheel. Dracula and Ericka snuggled lovingly together for a while as it slowly went around and around. Ericka took another selfie and emailed it to their friends and family. Once the wheel stopped to allow people to get off and on, Dracula pulled Ericka in for another embrace and passionate kiss. They remained like this for a while, until the wheel started up again their lips parted.

Though the Vampire Count really enjoyed spending time with his wife, in a warm if cloudy broad daylight of all times, he found himself saying this, "Humans seem to like going in circles, don't they?"

Ericka looked up at him, confused at his words, then gave it a thought at all the rides they had been on that day alone. "Yeah, I guess we do."

"Why? Do they not know any other shapes or directions to go?" he asked.

"I honestly don't know, Drac. I guess it's how the rides are designed," Ericka tried her best to explain. "But we better get going soon. I'm exhausted."

He nodded before he held her in another embrace, still wanting to be in each other's company for a few more rotations on the Ferris wheel. When the ride ended, the couple started for the exit. As they made their way to the exit, Ericka told Dracula she needed to use the ladies public bathroom for a moment. While he didn't want to leave her side, she told him to wait outside for her as people would think he was a pervert for going into the women's bathroom. He frowned, but he knew she had a point and so waited in a shaded area near the bathrooms.

What no one knew was that a real pervert had really made his way into the park and was looking for his next target. On the outside he may be good-looking, but on the inside he was, what Dracula called evil humans, a real monster. He spotted a few potential 'clients' when he saw them. Now he eyed a woman with a tall, good looking man wearing a ridiculous sunhat, not caring who the man was, as the woman made her way to the bathrooms and he honed in on her.

Jaxon, or Jax the Rapist to those who knew him best, had recently escaped from jail and had been evading the police for weeks now, and had laid low for as long as he could. But he needed a thrill and he needed some fun. Barely two minutes went by and the good looking brunette lady finally came out of the women's bathroom and Jax took his chance to ambush her. He clapped his hand around her mouth and held a sharp knife to her throat.

"Hello babe, the name's Jax. Keep quiet, sweetheart. We're gonna have some fun," he hissed in sick pleasure.

Ericka's eyes bulged with fear at this unfamiliar and disgusting hand around her face; she breathed heavily through her nose and froze, not knowing what to do.

"We're gonna have us a private little party," Jax said with sadistic pleasure before he dragged Ericka away to a nearby maintenance storage room he had scouted out earlier. All Ericka could do was go with him as she wanted to struggle and escape her abductor and get back to her husband.

Still waiting outside the park bathrooms for his wife, Dracula had to retreat deeper into a shadowed area when some sunlight broke through the cloud cover. He wondered what was taking Ericka so long and she should've been back by now.

"Get off me, you bastard!" Ericka yelled when Jax had her pinned beneath him between his legs.

But Jax immediately slapped her backhanded, yelling, "Shut up, bitch! You don't get to say nothing!"

He hit her again, harder this time that Ericka had earned a left black eye. Jax held the knife to her throat again as he reached down to pull up her skirt and unzipped his jeans. Ericka tried to struggle out from the rapist as she bravely grabbed his wrist to get the knife away from her throat, but he was stronger than her and held it near her face as the tip came dangerously close to her face.

"I do like feisty ones, but I'm not in the mood today," he snarled violently.

Ericka made strained grunting noises while she tried to free herself of her captor, and then instantly kicked him in the groin before she cried as loudly as she could while struggling to keep the knife away, "DRAAAC, HEEELP!"

Outside, Dracula froze; certain he heard Ericka cry his name. "Ericka ?" He used his x-ray vision powers to first scan the women's bathroom, which he wouldn't normally do as a gentleman, but he saw it was completely empty. He searched further around the bathrooms for where his wife might be by using his enhanced smelling to find her scent, until he spotted her in a maintenance closet in a back alley nearby. He was shocked and disgusted by the scene he was witnessing. The vampire's eyes changed completely red and snarled before he disappeared, zig-zagging in and out of the crowd to rescue his wife.

"Who the hell's Drac?" Jax sneered, although he didn't care while he pushed the knife closer to Ericka's throat, as though to slit it open when he suddenly heard a furious animalistic snarl, followed by someone grabbing him from behind by his neck and pinned him to the wall with brute force.

"I'M DRAC!" Dracula snarled as he held Jax by his neck choking him. "How dare you try to hurt my wife! I should suck every last ounce of blood from your body until there's nothing left and you look like a dried up prune!"

Jax didn't know what to think when he saw the guy choking him had red slit eyes and sharp teeth that seemed to grow longer the madder he got, and he felt long sharp nails cutting into his neck. "Oh, shit!" he choked. "What the hell are you?!"

And when he tried to stab Dracula in the chest, the vampire didn't even notice he had been stabbed. Instead it went right through him like he was smoke, and when Jax withdrew his knife and saw there was no blood on it, he became more afraid than ever.

Dracula looked at the knife and smiled wickedly. "Ah, a human who doesn't know who I am, how refreshing."

Jax's eyes went wide as he choked in realization, "Oh, shit! You're a vampire!"

The Count smiled more wickedly than ever. "Oh, so you have heard of my kind. Well, too late, cause I'm really pissed. Now it's feeding time."

Dracula made some kind of hissing sound, which almost sounded like a snake, and Jax whimpered in fear as the vampire opened his mouth and leaned forward to sink his fangs in his throat.

Luckily, Ericka got her wits back together and interrupted her husband's murderous attempt. "Dracula, stop! If you do this, you'll set monsters back again! Leave him for the police!"

Dracula looked back at Ericka , who hoped he wouldn't cross the line. Although part of him was extremely tempted to do it and go against his vow of never drinking human blood again because of what this piece of filth tried to do to his beloved wife. But instead he decided on something else.

"Do you wear contacts?" he asked casually.

"Huh?" Jax stuttered.

Dracula groaned at the answer and instead punched the psychotic rapist in the face, knocking him out cold. Dracula found something to tie him up with and gagged him. He turned to Ericka and picked her up into his arms, seeing how she was trembling and he gasped when he caught sight of her black eye. That brute. How he would love to make that monster pay for assaulting his wife, but decided against it.

"We're going back to the hotel," he stated firmly.

"But, Drac…" Ericka objected, but she was immediately cut off.

"No, 'buts!' We're leaving!"

And they were gone from the maintenance closet and were outside the amusement park by flying them through the crowd, where he waved for a cab to pick them up, and told the driver to take them back to the hotel. The ride back to RDH was silent and sullen. Dracula's expression remained serious and furious at the same time. Ericka wanted to start a conversation but had nothing to say.

It was afternoon by the time the couple made it back to the Radisson Blu hotel. Returning to their room, Dracula gently ushered Ericka on the bed and began smothering her with hugs and kisses attempting to comfort her. While Elisa appreciated it, it felt like the longer he did it the more he was becoming overprotective.

"I should never have let you out of sight, and I should never have left you alone," Dracula sighed in deep regret. "That retched human beat you, almost assaulted you, my darling. I won't fail you again, Ericka . I promised I would always protect you, and I will."

"Uh, Drac... I'm okay..." Ericka tried to reassure him again, even though she was shaken by that dreadful experience herself. "You didn't fail me. I knew you'd be there when I needed you. Besides, I'm pretty sure that psycho is going to jail now, and we've seen the last of him."

But Dracula was less than convinced before he announced definitely, "From now on I'm not letting you out of my sight. I want us to always be together."

"Always?" she questioned uncertainly.

"It's settled then." He squeezed her in his arms, while they lay back on the bed in the hopes of mending her spirit.

But Ericka got this sinking feeling of witnessing the beginning of Dracula's overprotective nature. Feeling her stomach growl in hunger, she said, "I'm hungry. Let's get something to eat in the dining room."

She managed to get out of his arms and set to leave the room. But in a flash, her husband stood in front of the door blocking her way out, waving a finger at her. "No, no, no, you mustn't go alone. Who knows what other sex crazed humans are out there. If another man so much as looks at you, I will hypnotize him to make him jump off a cliff."

"Draaaac..." Ericka groaned.

"No, if we leave, we will head back to the hotel," he stated stubbornly. "In fact, we are leaving for my hotel tomorrow."

"What? No! I don't want to go home yet," Ericka argued, raising her voice. "I still have plans for the next few days."

"No! It's not safe for you here in Bucharest anymore! I knew this was a bad idea to come here. We're leaving first thing in the morning, and that is final!" Dracula retorted harshly, frightening Ericka to back off. Thinking the matter was resolved, he ordered an early dinner for them by phoning room service.

While waiting for their dinner, Ericka stormed off to the bathroom and broke down in tears. Her honeymoon was ruined, all because a maniac tried to rape her. Why couldn't Dracula just let them enjoy the rest of the week without any problems. She heard him knock on the door to check on her, but she coldly responded by telling him to leave her alone. Their room service had arrived and she finally came out of the bathroom. The couple ate in complete silence, neither one of them spoke to each other.

After finishing their meal, Ericka wanted to go for a nighttime swim, thinking it might help her get over her almost traumatizing rape, and decided to go check out the hotel's swimming pool. She coyly distracted Dracula with how the bed vibrated, which freaked him out at first thinking the bed was alive and going to eat him or something, but then he seemed to sink into it as it felt so good and he made relaxing groans and pleasured moans.

Arriving at the pool, Ericka had changed in the restroom in her swim suit. She passed through the gate and placed her towel on a lounge chair. Just as she was about to get in the pool, when Dracula suddenly appeared out of nowhere right in front of her. His scowl disapproving and irked at her tricking him.

"Ericka , what do you think you're doing?!" he hissed.

"Sheesh, Drac, I'm only going swimming," she retorted as though it wasn't a big deal.

"No, Ericka !" he scolded her. "Come back to the room this minute! I don't want you to get hurt again. It's my fault you were almost raped today. I promised I wouldn't let anything happen to you."

Dracula gathered up her things from the lounge chair and wrapped her body up in his cape, covering her entire figure in her pink bikini, and glared warningly at any human who stared at them. Ericka was vexed when he forcefully escorted her back to the honeymoon suite. If she couldn't go swimming, she decided to take a hot relaxing bath when she felt herself getting tense at her husband ruining her nighttime swim. This got Dracula's motor running and he smiled wickedly by insisting on joining her.

"Forget it, Drac! I want to be alone for a while," she told him firmly, but he didn't listen as he got into the warm bath tub with her.

A couple of times he tried to get close to her, but knowing what he wanted she either backed up or forcibly pushed him away. He frowned in disappointment by the way she gazed coldly at him, not understanding why she was refusing him. After the bath, the couple changed in their nighttime pajamas.

It was getting pretty late and the couple got into bed together, but Ericka made sure to be far away on the other side of the bed as possible from Dracula. She wanted to watch some TV and didn't even bother to look at him. He tried to scooch closer to her and kiss her, but she either drew away from his very touch or slapped his hand.

Finally, Dracula realized why she was doing this. She was ignoring him because of their leaving for home tomorrow. He tried to explain reasonably in affection, "Ericka , my love, I'm only trying to protect you. I do it out of love. I lost Martha because I failed to protect her from my enemy. I don't want to make the same mistake and lose you too."

But she didn't listen, since Ericka was familiar with such overprotective natures in the name of love, as it was what her father had claimed right after her mother had died. What she knew is that it drove him to be strict and overbearing with her. Now she may have married a man who was the nearly the same way. During a break in the show she was watching (Call of the Wildman), she saw a commercial for the Bucharest Mall. This sparked her an idea for tomorrow.

"Ericka , please, say something," Dracula pleaded desperately.

But Ericka only switched off the TV and went to sleep with her back turned to him; still giving him the cold shoulder. With an aching heart, Dracula sadly got under the sheets before falling asleep, wondering what he had done wrong.