Here is Chapter 11.

I updated Chapter 10 by finally completing it and uploading it (28/08/2023).

If you have not read it, please do before reading this chapter.

I am trying to battle against Writer's Block and complete this story once-and-for-all!

Chapter 11: Happy 18th Birthday

The day had finally arrived! It was Natasha's eighteenth birthday and to celebrate, her father had arranged for her to combine her birthday celebration with his usual masquerade ball as a unique celebration. So she would have a chance of a party with masquerade decorations like one of her many wishes.

She had woken up in the early morning and was greeted by quite a few presents from her father, her father's Bride and new friend Chloe as well as gifts from Erik, who had been so pleased to see her after her deadly escape from Castle Dracula and surviving an illness. The presents were placed on a chair near her bed and it must have been done whilst she was asleep, though there were not many, she was glad that presents were part of the celebration of her big day. Something from the most important people in her life.

Except for some who weren't there.

Her mother.

Her beloved foster uncle.

Her sisters, Clare and Sophanne.

Two people are dead and the other two are still looking for her.

"Happy Birthday to me," Natasha said as someone knocked on her bedroom door.

"Come in." she commanded.

The door opened to reveal her father, Count Dracula who should be asleep in his coffin in his own bedroom and yet he was awake. It seemed someone else was excited to celebrate her big day as well. As he stepped in and closed the door behind him with a small click sound, Dracula smiled towards his daughter and spoke, "Good morning and… Happy Birthday, my darling daughter."

"Hi… dad." the words felt foreign to her and they would definitely take some use to.

The Count came over to her and sat on the very end of her bed, leaning his back against the bottom headboard.

The now eighteen-year-old girl used the palms of her hands to wipe her eyes slightly as she was still waking herself up before reaching forward to grab some presents that were laid on the chair. The first gift was from Chloe and it was a brand new headbag. It was stripey with three distinct colours; blue, green and purple. The Polish Bride seemed to understand that Natasha had a repeated habit of wearing a headband to keep her hair back from her face hence why she brought it for the human girl. Like father, like daughter. The second gift was from Erik and it was a beaded bracelet to be worn on either wrist, having been made from sturdy plastic beads and strong string tied together. The third gift was from her father. He had a custom made masquerade ball mask just for her! It was so fancy that if she held it in her hands too long, it could break, which would not happen. The feathers on the sides of the mask were black with golden sparkles. It was mostly gold but had tints of blue and red under the holes of where the eyes were located and curving towards her ears, having some kind of Egyptian style to it.

She felt her sapphire eyes widen at this gift that she leaned on her knees from her spot and leaned towards her father which she hugged him with both arms whilst giving him a peck on the cheek. "Thank you, dad! I love it… and love the other presents too!"

"You are most welcome, my child, I am glad that you love it but there is one present that you still need to open." with that he produced it, the gift, from nowhere, like a magician. Natasha was confused for a minute until she received it in her hands, with her other presents laid on her covers near her crossed legs underneath.

She thought it was another gift from the vampire until she looked at the birthday label attached by cellotape which said, "Happy 18th Birthday, have a great day - best wishes; your loving mother." She seemed to have frozen in her place upon reading the label and could not believe it. Her mother had left her a parting gift for her eighteenth birthday, which was sad as it had been quite a few years after her passing. She could not believe that her mother had done this. Always thinking ahead like a good mother she was in life. She could not help but cry a little before blinking the tears away that had formed.

"It's… from mom." Tasha said as it came across as an unintentional whisper which Dracula caught. His facial expression seemed to slowly sadden as she mentioned this before he decided to speak, "Well, let's see what she got you for your birthday, kiddo."

Natasha gently turned the gift over in her hands, the wrapping paper was very pale purple in colour with silver stars all over. The ribbon was also silver and tied into a lovely bow, keeping the present together without falling apart. She untied the bow and pulled the paper apart slowly with her fingers. She could not help but feel sick to her stomach as she went along.

Wonder what she got me?

As the paper fell away, the gift that the late Caitlyn Madison had brought for her beloved daughter prior to her death was revealed. It was a chiffon scar that had been sown by hand over many hours, quite long in length and with the chosen colours selected by the paying buyer. It became an important beautiful gift. A gift for a daughter by a good, loving mother.

Under the chiffon scarf was a small note that had been written by someone's hand that had the most delicate handwriting.

She picked up the small note in her left hand and began to read it, even without her glasses.

"Hello, Natasha. Mummy's here. I am so sorry that I won't be there to see you turn 18th of your coming-of-age but I don't have to hope, just know that you will have a fantastic day, even if I am not there to see it. Please do enjoy the present that I got for you as a memento from me. Cherish it and happy birthday, my love. Best wishes, your loving mother Caitlyn."

The eighteen-year-old woman finished reading the note before she covered her head from sight and began to cry, her body slightly shaking from the crying. Her left hand, which held the note, was balled up and mostly covered her face except for her right eye which the tears seemed to gather from her eyes to her fists and downwards into her sleeves, with some dropping onto her bed cover in the process. Her brown hair fell forward like a curtain, covering most of her face except her right side. The Count moved from his seat at the end of the bed and quickly sat in front of his daughter, putting his arms around her and comforting her in the form of a hug. His right hand came to rest on her hair-covered head, stroking it and his chin hovering above her head to the side with his lips not far from her right ear. He whispered to her, "Natasha, I know it's hard and trust me; it's hard for me as I still miss her as well but she would want you to have a great day. Don't let that sadness you still feel for your mother ruin your big day."

"Yes, dad." she replied back as she forced herself to stop crying and calm down at the same time.

She spent the next few hours with her father, and then with Chloe before needing to get ready for the ball that would take place in a few hours.

: 1 :

Night before…

Clare could not believe what she was hearing with her own human ears. Her sister who had been taken many weeks ago had not only been taken by a vampire, but by the founder of all vampires - Count Dracula!

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" she shouted towards all three men in the same room as herself and her young sister, Sophanne. She was not only angry, but extremely outraged that her skin turned red and her veins on her face became so thickly hard that they may pop at any second. "DRACULA?! Dracula, the founder of all vampires?!"

"Yep," said the third mystery hunter.

"OH MY GOD!" she shouted again as she turned towards the wall and gently bashed her head against it a couple of times before stepping away and storming into the living room. God, give her strength!

Sophanne moved out of the way as her sister stormed past her and moved to seat herself in the chair that sat in front of Gabriel Van Helsing and sitting opposite her across the table from Nigel, who continued to hold a glass in one hand that contained whisky inside. On the table in front of Sophanne was a teapot with several cups gathered in one group and a tall bottle of alcoholic whisky that came from Nigel's own stash. A true drinker or maybe a lost alcoholic.

The third hunter spoke up, "I've been helping Nigel and Van Helsing with finding the vampire who took your sister, and it's true. It's all true." he moved to sit opposite Sophanne. "There were rumours for many years, decades even that Dracula had come back from the dead in the following years of 1888 but we all genuinely thought that it was bullshit! However, it seemed we were wrong and that grave mistake led to your sister… Natasha, that's her name right?… Being taken. I am so sorry for this. We should have been vigilante-"

Nigel cut into that conversation, "But we did not think that it was true! I mean, it has been decades and Van Helsing, you said that you watched him die before your very eyes! You saw him turn to ash after giving him the killing blow!"

"I did but his skeleton remained which would easily explain his resurrection, of course. I should have burned it. I am so sorry, Sophanne." answered the monster hunter. He had already felt guilty for killing Princess Anna, the woman who was the mission for him to complete and instead, he fell in love. His hopes in settling down with her and starting a family were dashed at that moment when the wolf inside him broke loose and finished what Dracula had carried on for centuries. Now his guilt has grown bigger since his inactions in preventing the Count from coming back from the dead again has caused another woman's life to be in danger. Just like how her mother's life was in danger though it seems that she was lucky to have escaped or even survived.

"So…. Dracula is the vampire that we now know is the one who her mother and those she was allied with were fighting against years ago, and now he has gone after her child, my big sister, as a means of revenge? Just like that?" she asked in a gathering-the-pieces-together tone.

"When you put it like that, yeah." responded the third mysterious hunter.

Sophanne just had a couple of thoughts, since it was revealed that Dracula had taken Natasha, where exactly would he be in Budapest? And that the Bride who attacked them must have been his Bride!

"Mr. Van Helsing? That Bride who attacked us and whom you killed weeks ago, she was his Bride! However, more importantly, what's the location of his Summer Palace?! If he is in Budapest, then we can quickly find him and my big sister!" she spoke urgently towards the monster hunter after having quickly turned her attention to him. Van Helsing listened to her words and did not have to think too long before responding.

"I know where his Summer Palace is, of course I do. It may have been decades but I will never forget that place." he turned towards Nigel and quickly gave a list of instructions he needed for their plan to work and then he turned towards the third hunter whose name was now revealed to be "Jonathan".

"Jonathan, we are gonna need some wheels. Do you still have that carriage?"

"I do, still in storage, still running and still in great condition." Jonathan responded with a smile where his perfectly formed teeth were shown. No food was stuck there from what was noticed.

"Why a carriage?"

"Because Budapest along with most of the world celebrates All Hallows Eve and besides, the Hungarian locals still use carriages and horses despite cars and other vehicles being a more modern choice in speed and style. It's their way of maintaining the tradition of their culture that has been carried by their ancestors for the future generations." he then coughed slightly before continuing on, "Also, it will help keep us incognito when we escape the city to head back to Romania with your sister. Make it harder for the Count to stop us."

Whilst all three men and one female teenager were talking about their plan to rescue Natasha, Clare had appeared from the living room. She had finally calmed down whilst listening into their conversation. Her red skin had mostly disappeared with her natural skin tone returning except for a light redness around her cheeks. Her bulging veins were also gone. As she stood again in the doorway with her arms across over her chest, pushing her breasts up in the process. The nineteen-year-old girl only spoke to make sure that they had not forgotten what today was. Her tone was dull and almost robot-like.

"In case you forget… tomorrow is not only All Hallows Eve, Mr. Van Helsing. It's also Natasha's 18th birthday, we have only twenty-four hours to save her from a fate worse-than-death. From becoming Dracula's Bride."

:2:

After returning to her room following that she had visited Erik, Natasha began to get ready for her up-coming masquerade ball mixed birthday celebration. She could not believe how fast the hours had gone by.

She had a shower before fastly drying herself with multiple towels and then moving to get into her dress, which had been picked by herself whilst shopping with Chloe in the outer city. The dress was dark navy blue with a shiny texture but sleeveless with only straps. The dress was fitted with a fixed bodice which nicely hugged her upper body which showed off her natural skin tone for her neck, collar, shoulders, arms, wrists and hands but as the dress's structure passes her stomach and hips, the gown pooled into a descent skirt structure with the material reaching past her ankles but not touching the ground in the process unless she was not wearing heel shoes. It was held up on her body with two straps over both her shoulders and zip up at the back. It has no special designs on it, just a simple dress with finest detail. The shoes that she chose to go with her birthday dress looked almost exactly like the shoes that Dorothy in the "Wizard of Oz" movie wears, except for the colour being the same shade as her dress with small silver sparkles all over.

The only final touches she had to add before declaring herself done in getting ready was just styling her hair by grabbing small portions of her brunette-coloured-hair with both hands, from the front by using thin silver clips to pin at the back of the selected hair portions whilst still maintaining her mid-parting and keeping it very neat. Once she was sure that it looked perfectly, she then added two final touches which was her silver cross necklace that had personally belonged to her late mother. She carefully wrapped each piece around and towards the back before clipping it together into place, securing it. Hopefully, no vampire will take offence to this piece of sentimental treasure. And finally, Tasha grabbed her chiffon scarf that instead of wrapping around her neck, she wrapped around her back whilst folding it inwards around her arms so it hangs as some kind of scrawl that other women wear as part of their fashion sense.

She gave one last look in the large mirror in her room of how she truly looked before heading towards the door. She did not forget to grab her masquerade ball mask on the way out.

I feel sick to my stomach!

That's just nerves, you will be fine. Besides, you look beautiful, Tasha!

It did not take long for Natasha to reach the stairs that would lead down to the doors that would reveal the outstanding masquerade ball in progress, being hosted by Count Dracula.

He had been standing at the entrance along with his Bride, Chloe as they both waited for Tasha to arrive and she did without fail.

As both turned their sights towards her, Dracula could not help but momentarily have the image of Caitlyn in his mind as the resemblance between both mother and daughter were so apparently similar in physical appearance except for minor differences, that uncanniness would be the end word to describe them totally. However, he knew not to do that in respect to both of them.

Of course, Natasha would look like her mother, it was genetic. It's in their DNA when one becomes a parent after having a child, it's like their physical, Earth-bound legacy. However, it does not mean that there is nothing of himself in Tasha either. Her eyes are exactly like his in terms of colour shade and there is a small trace of vampirism within her that she inherited from him at conception. Nothing majorly big, but still partially present in her.

Once Tasha had joined them at the entrance, Chloe hugged the girl into her arms over her incredible transformation from a tomboy into a dress-wearing girl. She looked so pretty with the choice of blue that her dress's colour represented.

Chloe's gown was very similar to her everyday gown except this gown had more of a Victorian bodice feature around her chest including her breasts, stomach, back and hips whilst still retaining separated sleeves that reached the floor in length, matching the length of her skirt equally. Its colour was emerald green that started in faint light shade progressing onto medium and then darker shades whilst the material was much thicker, more sturdy and less fragile. Could a Bride ever stop being so stunning in appearance? Guess it goes with being immortal.

Dracula could not help but smirk before facing his daughter and wrapping his arms around her after everything that they have endured over the last months, if not heartbreaking years. He hugged her like a proud father before separating so all three could attend the masquerade ball. Each holding their own personalised masquerade ball mask whilst both women hooked their arms around each arm of the vampire king as they walked graciously into the massively-opened space room where hundreds of vampire guests, staff members and performers saw them enter before bowing in respect and clapping. The scenery before them, or rather Natasha was breath-taking. So many performers, wonderfully-dressed-guests who travelled close and far to reach here for a night of fun along with the staff prepared for their roles in respect to their lord and his personal guests.

So many vampires.

Meanwhile,

Van Helsing with the two full-sibling Maddison sisters had arrived at the masquerade ball in their fancy disguises, looking like any other vampire guest. Both women had the same exact unintentional dress style as their missing sister, except in colours of red-like blood and pink-like candy floss. Both of their hair were styled into a head-bun with any loose hair being pin behind their ears with a distinct colour-blending hairpin. They wore fake earrings, clip-ons and both had the exact same masquerade ball masks though these were definitely fake and cheap to buy. They acted as if they were like any other vampire couple which was a male vampire having two vampire mistresses to avoid suspicion.

The monster hunter wore the exact same masquerade ball clothes as he did when in 1888, he and Carl rescued Anna Valerious from Dracula's clutches but lost the Frankenstein Monster in the process. It is something that is so driven in memory that he would never forget in later centuries, like now.

Jonathan was stationed outside, around the corner of the Palace, sitting on the carriage awaiting for them to act immediately. He was dressed like any carriage driver.

Although they did not want to separate, they had to if they were to find Tasha as well as stop Dracula if they were able to, and it was agreed so they went. The sisters stuck together whilst Van Helsing was on his own, but he did tell the young women that if they were in danger, just scream as loud as their lungs could give and just leg it if they are able to. At first they wandered around, between guests and staff members whilst darting their eyes around. It seemed endless confusion until they saw Natasha.

They almost dropped dead where they stood, both sisters could not believe it. She had been found! She was far away, on the other side of the ballroom, talking to some of the guests that were mostly women but fewly men. She was smiling, laughing and even drinking, and yet did not display any abnormal behaviour that she was under a vampire's control.

"There she is!" exclaimed Sophanne, who almost had a heart attack on the spot despite her youth. She pointed with her bare right hand. "I can't believe it, we found her sis!"

Clare had tears in her eyes, tears of happiness, behind her mask and did not say anything and instead she just hugged her sister closer to her as if she let go, she would wake up to discover it was a dream.

"She looks so pretty."

"She does, doesn't she?"

"Come on,"

In the centre of the ballroom, Van Helsing spotted Dracula dancing with a fellow guest, from where he stood which was by a pillar and to make himself like any other guest; he held a goblet in his glove hand that looked like blood, and watched closely with each action that the vampire made until the dance finished and he made his way over to the young woman in a dark blue dress whom he lead into the empty space of the ballroom and upon taking their dancing stances', began to dance immediately.

As this happened, the monster hunter was found by the Maddison sisters who looked very pale that they may have seen a ghost. "We found our sister!" There she is!" point Sophanne towards the young woman dancing with the vampire in the centre that he himself had just witnessed.

"What are we going to do?" asked Clare.

"Wait until the dance is over and once Natasha is far away from him; we grab her and then leg it." he answered. Hoping that this plan may work. If not, he will have an even bigger amount of guilt to take to his grave that more innocent blood ends up on his hands.

Just pray that we don't become food.

Just pray, that is all that is hopeful at this moment in time.

The dance lasted quite a long time as father and daughter danced before it finished entirely and clapped like the rest of their gracious guests. Whilst Dracula approached his Bride to share a dance with, Natasha made her way to one of the side doors where it offered silence and a chance to be alone. She just needed to breathe whilst fighting the urge to throw up, knowing it was her nerves that did this. "Please do not now." she whispered to herself and as she turned, someone tackled her to the ground in seconds whilst sounds of heavy and light footsteps could be heard.

"TASHA!" shouted Sophanne, who had been the one to tackle her to the ground as means of finally reuniting with her. She leaned off the eighteen-year-old as she began to cry, which also caused Natasha to cry as well in extreme happiness. She thought that this moment would never happen but it did. She thought she would never see them again, but she would and here it is.

Both sisters hugged each other after getting off the dirty floor and made a stand in their heeled shoes, as they cried in each other's arms for what seemed like very long minutes to which they were joined by a joyous Clare who was also happy to be reunited with her younger non-blood-related-sister. All their efforts in rescuing her paid off, despite minor bumps here and there.

"The Maddison sisters reunited at last, but we have to go now!" spoke Sophanne who quickly got to her feet and grabbed Natasha's free hand with both hands as she tugged on her to go with them immediately. Her other hand was holding her mask that her father gave to her for her birthday as well as the fabric of her blue dress.

"But-"

"No buts, we need to get you out of here, silly before they find out what's happened and do worse like turn you into them whilst making us their food. Come on!" again Sophanne said as she continued to tug on Tasha's wrist whilst Clare hooked her arm around her other arm and gently helped her to make the right decision. Tasha's face instantly looked back at the door she had come through, displaying great sadness in what position she was put in before facing her sisters and agreeing with them, forcing herself to make a fake smile.

The girls quickly walked as far as they could in their heels as they met up with Van Helsing near the exit, although in the process Tasha dropped her mask onto the floor in a hurry and did not have a chance to go back and grab it as her sisters feared that she would be recaptured immediately if she went back.

They reached outside via the exit and were picked up by Jonathan, who quickly drove the horses at a fast speed in an attempt to flee the area without drawing too much suspicion as the Palace was not the only place that was celebrating All Hallows Eve in style.

However their so-called escape plan had not gone unnoticed by Dracula nor his Bride as he had heard the commotion despite having his attention elsewhere and felt great sadness within himself, despite being a vampire as Tasha left with her sisters and the monster hunter, whom he swore at in his native language. He did not blame her, it was a mess. All of it and she was stuck in the middle, ready to be torn apart. Those girls were her sisters so why would she not go with them?

He walked through the door with his Bride behind him and using his heightened sense of smell, followed their scent until he saw the mask that Tasha wore, on the floor. He leaned down and picked it up with one hand before turning to Chloe, "It's not her fault, she had to do this for all of us, but more importantly for herself."

I am sorry, father. I had to…

Please forgive me!

The carriage made a quick stop twice; one by the house to grab their belongings and the second, is them having arrived by the Budapest train station where they all quickly paid for their tickets and then hopped onto the temporarily braked train before the conductor whistled for it's departure which warned anyone to get onto the train if they are leaving by that particular train.

The train ride was awkward for Tasha, but a chance to relax for the others including Clare, Sophanne and the monster hunter. All three girls sat together at last as a family again whilst the monster hunter sat alone opposite them. She was quiet throughout the journey, watching the scenery slowly pass-by as they left the city and progressed through the deep forest as they headed back towards Romania, more specifically Transylvania.

Home.

Their home.

But all she could think about was her father, Chloe and others, the whole situation was a mess for everyone involved but more for her really. She was stuck in the middle, having to choose a side whilst dealing with the consequences of whatever decision she made. Right or wrong. Happiness or Hate. The saying that "Life's not fair" rang true for her, in her ears, her head and her heart. She could only hope that her father forgave her for the decision she had to make in a hurry, mostly to make her sisters very happy whilst enjoying the reunion she could only hope at last.

However, Tasha's attention was elsewhere and both Clare and Van Helsing were deep asleep in their seats opposite each other, whilst not noticing that Sophanne was still wake even through half-lids and could not help but give into a feel inside her that there was something upsetting Tasha based on what happened when they were reunited with her. It's like she was sad to go, sad to leave and did so to make others happy at the cost of her emotions.

Why are you so sad, Tasha?

What would make you so sad that you felt that no-one would not notice your unhappiness?

And with that thought, Sophanne allowed sleep to claim her at last as it did for Natasha whose head rested against the cold glass along with the calm breathing that she expressed in silence.

. . .

. . .

So Chapter 11 is completed and uploaded. PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!

I am currently writing Chapter 12 but sadly, I am having internet problems at the moment so uploading this chapter and possibly the next may be delayed. Apparently a lot of people in my area have no internet at the moment so I've had to improvise.

Do enjoy but be warned, we are near at the end of this long story for the journey to be over.