Prologue
On the other side of the barbed wire fence kids are playing, nice, little kids, except one. She sits in the corner away from the sun. I like her. She’s perfect. I smile and the sun glints off my white teeth.
Chpt 1 (Sarah) The old new mom
“So today another idiot comes to take me out of this hell-hole orphanage,” I think as my bobble gum pops, “and tomorrow they’ll send me back.”
“Sara! She’s here.”
“Yeah, whatever!” I grab my backpack and walk into the adoption room; my bag falls to the floor. This woman was the worst case yet, she is wearing a bright yellow dress that looked like it was from the Step-ford wives. She turns to me and smiles with her perfect teeth. Her long dark-dark, brown hair’s tied back with a blue ribbon. She looked so-so- ugh, I can’t even describe it!
“Hi, Sarah is it? I’m Bella, I’m gonna’ be your new foster mother! I’ve already signed all the papers, so if you have all your things lets go!” She smiles at me again, for some reason it’s creepy…
This… Bella leads me outside and to her car, a black hybrid, which I have to admit, is pretty cool. Bella smiles at me as if she knows what I’m thinking.
Hey, wait here for a sec, I’d like to change clothes, you know, good impressions for the adoption center.” She smiles and walks the nearby public bathroom.
“What is up with her, she’s dressed up like some perfect wife and then has a black hybrid car and wants to change outfits, and what’s all this about good impressions? I’m still gonna be so bad tomorrow that she sends me back right away. I mean, how could she...” “AAAAHHH!” I jump around immediately, something had touched my shoulder…It was Bella…. Was it? She was… different... She was wearing black blue jeans, black boots; they looked comfortable, not like the tight leather ones… She also had a light trench coat on, black too. Her tee under it had a smiley face with fangs, and said “I bite back.” in silver letters.
“Maybe I’ll rethink the running away thing…”
“C’mon, what’re you waiting for, or do you just like my outfit? You can have one too if you want… But let’s get on the road first, kay?” I nod, sort of dumbstruck. After a minute on the road something snaps me back to reality again. “It’s music! Phantom of the Opera! I’ve wanted to hear this for so long!”
“You can watch the video when we get home.”
“Whoa, it’s like she read my mind! No, can’t happen, impossible…” Bella smiles at me.
“Let’s do some shopping before we go home.”
Never mind about not doing the plan!” Bella smiles at me.
“You’re just like me when I was your age!” I jump, for a moment I thought she had fangs! I push the thought away.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After parking at the mall I realize we were going clothes shopping.
“Great, I hate shopping for clothes, so tedious, and they never have what I want, and if they do it’s so uncomfortable, or my “mom” won’t let me buy it! Ugh, I really hate clothes shopping, I…wait…”
We were passing all the normal clothes shops, the ones my other foster parents always took me too… and stopped at a store called “Black Metal Luster.” Inside my hopes were shattered. It was a clothes store! Just, with blue jeans and slightly cooler stuff, but it was still clothes! “And I thought it actually might be something cool! Riiight… groan…”
“Sarah, follow me, were not using this part of the store!”
“Like that’ll make a diff-“ “Whoa...” Behind the two rows of clothes the store was filled with… well… really cool stuff! There were real swords, and vials of who knows what, incenses, staffs and so much other cool stuff! “Awesome.” I whisper.
“You like it; it’s my favorite store too!” I jumped when I realized Bella was right beside me, where had she come from?
“Hey Bella, who’s the kid, Lunch!?! HaahahahaHaahahahaHaaaha!” The voice came from behind a counter, I couldn’t see who though.
“Ha-ha-ha, Marv, very funny. And no, she’s not ‘Lunch,’ she’s my adopted daughter.”
“I feel sorry for her!” the voice yells. Bella snorts and smiles at the same time.
“Sarah, go look around, touch anything you want, unless you feel like you shouldn’t. I need to buy some stuff, okay.”
“Well that was different from the usual ‘Don’t touch anything’ speech”.
I watch what Bella’s buying but I can feel my eyes starting to wander, and I start to look around. First I walk over to a crystal globe and look into it, I nearly fall over! A huge hand had come out and grasped at me! It was in the globe, but it wasn’t at the same time! “Calm down Sara, it was just a 3-d illusion. It’s fake.” Still I can’t shake a feeling that it wasn’t… I turned and walked down a nearby isle, “Whoa! Fighting staffs! Score!” I rush over to them to take a closer look. A red sparkle catches my eye; it’s a red gem in a staff. The red crystal is at the top is held in place by vines that have grown out of the bottom of the wooden staff and wrapped around it, they’ve melded together at the top so the gem is sealed inside, tightly too. The whole thing practically seems to glow! I take a closer look. On each vine odd symbols are carved, seem to shine silver. I look at the crystal again, and blanch.
“HOLY---! It looks like a dragon is in the middle! Wait… that’s a bubble, hollow, like it could be filled with something. But it looks just like a dragon! I have no clue how that could happen. This must be worth a lot of money… dang…” I tare myself away from the staff only to come fact to face with a beautiful blackish opal on a silver chain. I wanted it as much as I did the staff! “It’s so beautiful, it’s like it’s looking at me, and is part of me…wait… that doesn’t sound right…” I shake my head and look at the necklace again… only to find it gone! “Hey! I was loo-…” Bella had both the staff and the necklace in her hands, and a lot of other stuff on the counter…
“Thirty percent off Marv, right?” Bella said.
“As long as you keep the potions and massages coming!”
“For his stiff joints, they aren’t really massages though, I just crack his joints in the right place and it’ll relieve the pressure for a while.” Bella whispers to me taking the merchandise off the counter.
“Good luck kid, hope you live to see the next full moon!”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I look at Bella only to see that she had stopped rigid some ways back.
“Sarah go wait outside and wait for me okay.”
“Ooookay.” “What’s with her? She’s all jittery, I mean, she said the same thing twice in the same sentence.” I walk outside to wait but hear Bella yelling. She’s obviously mad about something… I sneak to the glass window and peak through… “Holy @%#$!” A couple people walking by stare at me. “Uh, the really great prices! The obsidian necklace I want is only $20.00!” People seem content with this and continue walking. A glance back through the window, Bella was now glaring at Marv with her arms crossed; she rolled her eyes at him and walked behind the counter. “Holy cow!”
Bella had just lifted Marv in the air and slammed him on the table! I look around, people stare again… “Uhm, I just realized that with my member’s card the necklace only costs $10.00!” “Whew…” I look back into the window; Marv was shaking Bella’s hand and rubbing his back slightly. She’s coming out! I stand up quickly and lean against the wall as if nothing had happened. Bella came out smiling.
“Just fixed Marv’s back!” She said happily.
“Uhhmmmyyeaahh…”
h“I can understand that part, but where’d she get that strong, and why did I see claws on her hands for second… … … She’s probably a body builder, or does a sport; I probably just imagined those claws… yeah.” I looked up and we were at the car.
“Here’s your necklace and staff, in the back seat for now. We can shop for your clothes later, if you need some. I hate shopping for clothes; my husband does that for me.”
I jolt back to reality. “Your husband?” I think as we get into the car.
“Yes, husband.” She said as I was officially creeped out, I realize that she’s still talking.
“Anyway, I just stopped here for some herbs I use to make lotions and stuff. Deadly nightshade, not so deadly when mixed with other plants, monks hood, a special type of wolves’ bane, same thing as monks hood but this specific plant has a slightly different make-up and is only called wolves’ bane, no clue why really…. Oh and I got some myrrh and lavender, thyme, rosemary, and…” By the time she had finished we were in a sub-urban town that had trees and was really beautiful. Then we turned onto a side street, and pulled up to the curb, next to a really old mansion.
“Ah, home sweet home!”
“You live here?!?” I squeak.
“Do you not like it? We could move or something…” Bella said with a frown.
“You’d do that!?! Uh, I mean… No this house is cool.”
Bella smiles. “Great. Let’s go inside and meet everyone!”
“Uhm, how many people live here?”
“No, not people… necessarily…animals.”
“Oh…”Half way up the creaky blue steps the door nearly blows off its’ hinges!
“Bella!”
“Hi, Lou!” A well built man with bushy eyebrows and brown hair ran out and kissed Bella.
“It happened so fast my brain is thinking in past tense!”
“Sarah, this is Lou, my husband.”
“Nice to have you join the family!” Lou says and smiles. His teeth are REALLY white.
“Hi…” is all I manage to say.
“She’s just like you Bella, when we first met!”
“I know! Let’s go inside and out of the autumn air.” As soon as I step inside two huge huskies jump on me and start licking my face.
“Down boy, and uh, girl… Down!” As soon as Lou says this the huskies jump off me and pad over to him.
“Wow, they’re trained really well!”
“You could say that…” says Lou as he scratches the dogs’ heads.
I dust myself off and get a good look at the house for the first time. All I managed was “Wow.”
From this point I will use different fonts for each person, as there is going to be quite a few people. The fonts will become obvious as the characters are revealed. Bella, Lou, Sarah and one other character will always be in the same font. You’ll be able to tell them apart by what they say and when they say it. The fourth character will be distinguished by his unusual accent, as will some of the others. Sorry to interrupt your thoughts but this will make it easier for you, and hopefully me, when there are more than eight or so people. Don’t worry, it is not a test. Also, the name at the beginning of the chapter is the person whose view of the events you are reading. But then, you probably already know that… Being smart enough to choose this series of the millions of others, you’d have to be! ^vv^
Sincerely
Sanatra, aka Bella.
You can find more of Bella’s (aka Sanatra) adventures at gamewyrd.com in the forums of Drunken Fool’s Tavern.
Updated randomly but commonly…
Chpt 2 (Sarah) Sunsets
“This house had a living room, with a fire and couch in one corner with an old rug and glass table, as well as every wall being lined with books. Nice! There are five bedrooms upstairs from what I can see… there has to be at least three bathrooms for a house this big. It probably has a basement and attic as well, not to mention two other floors. From the door way to the kitchen I can see, well basically all the normal stuff, microwave, fridge, stove, oven, all that. Wait there’s another door going from the family room, whoa! A music room! I can see at least 20 instruments from here; I don’t recognize half of them! Hey, I guess the room on the other side of the wall from the living room must be the family room. Hey a TV, and video games, is that a computer? Hey, I guess that’s the dining room, wow, look at the statues and suits of armor lining the walls in there! Wait, there’s something old in every room. There’s a crystal ball, a, wow, tapestry, hey, swords!”
“Like it?” I nearly jumped out of my skin when Bella talked.
“Yeah.”
“Great!” Said Bella and Lou at the same time.
“Uhhh…” I look at my backpack, and I realize I don’t know where to put it.
“Your room is directly across from ours.” says Lou.
“Uhhh…”
“Second door on the left.” Said Bella as Lou smacked himself on the head with his hand.
“Thanks. I say as I run upstairs to my new room. I open the door, and drop my bag. This is the room I’ve always wanted, it’s perfect! I look around to see if everything is where it should be, making a mental check list in my mind. “There’s the electric guitar and amp, the bathroom, the mini-fridge, the closet, desk and computer, red sheets, comfy bed, window seat, and, yes! Even the paint is right! A sunset setting above many different places goes around the whole room, turning into a black night sky, until on the ceiling stars are visible.
“Like it?” I jump as Bella’s hand rests on my shoulder.
“A-lot!” I say. “Grugulerrrg!” My stomach grumbles loudly.
“OH! I forgot to buy food on the way home… Oh-well. LOU! ORDER SOME PIZZA’S!” Yell’s Bella.
“ON IT! MA CAPITAN!”
“AT EASE SOLDIER!” she calls back. “Come to the window with me…”
“I don’t think I’m gonna make any plans to leave soon…”
Bella smiles, we sit and watch the real sun set on the real horizon.
Chpt 3 (Sarah) “Everyone”
“So who sleeps in the other rooms?” I ask through a mouthful of pepperoni pizza.
“Friends stay here… often.” says Lou.
“And speaking of friends, here comes on of my oldest!” I turn around to see who it is and see... no one... I turn around to ask Bella where her friend was, and squeak loudly. Right beside me is a very tall man with black hair pale skin, red lips, and commanding eyes. He was wearing an old bachelor’s suit, with a cape, to finish the look.
“Hello, your name is Sarah, I belief? Vhat a pleasure to meet you, my name is Sam-” I’ve started to choke on a piece of pizza from being startled. I can hardly breathe, let alone say hi. Sam picks me up and squeezes me around the middle so hard that the piece of pizza flies across the room.
“Sarah, are you okay?” cry Bella and Lou at the same time, while jumping to their feet.
“I’m *cough* okay now.” I take a huge gulp of water. “Yeah, I’m fine, thanks Sam…” I blush from the embarrassment.
“Aw, she is blushing. ‘Ow cute!”
“WHACK!” I slap Sam across the face, hard. “Do not call me cute!”
Sam turns to Bella slowly and says “She is just like you!”
“Why does everyone say that?!?”
“I slapped a lot of people when I was younger, and half the time it was because someone called me cute.” says Bella. I sink into my seat.
“Um, thanks for saving me Sam.” I say bashfully.
“Please, I havfe not fully introduced myself yet. I am Count Sam Vla-”
“Count, I haven’t told her yet!” Yells Bella as I stare.
“It is better sooner than it is later.” says the Count.
“Sigh, you're right…continue.”
“If I am interrupted again someone is going to be in severe pain!” I gulp deeply. “Let us skip forward before we are interrupted again. Ahem. Count Sam Vlad Dracula, at your service.” He bows a kisses my hand, which I immediately snatch back while I start to run away screaming at the top of my lungs.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!” Somewhere in the middle of all those A’s, my brain kicks in. “It’s Dracula, THE Dracula! Get his #@%$&* autograph already!” I feel myself falling and hitting the floor hard… “I KNEW he was alive…” Then everything was black.
My hand goes immediately to my neck to see if I had been bitten. Nope. I sit up and take a cup of purple liquid from Bella and down it totally unaware of the taste.
“You feel better?” asks Lou.
“Yeah, my head stopped throbbing… Was that really THE Dracula?” I ask still a little woozy.
“Yes, I am. And please, call me Sam, maybe Alucard, but not Dracula. It is, so, formal, plus it startles people.” says the Count.
“Oh, um, hey! Uh… I’m a huge fan; can I have your autograph?” The words come out of my mouth before I can stop them.
“Certainly, but I don’t see the point as I will be staying here for a long time while my castle is being redone.”
I gape.
“Sarah, no one in this house is normal. Lou’s an eternal werewolf; I’m a vampiric werewolf,”
“How?” I say before I think.
“Mom vampire, dad werewolf. Didn’t really know what would happen with me, till the full moon at least…”
“Where are they now?”
“Dead, mob killed them, I nearly killed the whole family of the person who was in charge of the mob, for revenge…” she says miserably.
“What stopped you?” I ask.
“Yes, tell um, them, what stopped you. I’ve killed millions!”
“The little girl, she…” Bella stammers.
“Ah, yes. It is nearly impossible to kill someone you know has a young child, its innocence, just pulls you out of whatever motives you had.” the Count says as he smiles. “God bless the children.”
“You believe in God?” I screech.
“Of course! Vampires are one of the last recourses God has to keep the human population in checks!” States Sam as if it were obvious.
“Is the young girl awake yet?” a beautiful woman in her fifties comes into the room through the wall.
“Y-Y-You’re a ghost!” I stammer.
“Yes I am.’ And I also have a name, it’s Martha.”
“Cool!”
“Well that’s different from the usual screams, reminds me oif you Bella.” says Martha in a semi nice tone.
“Sarah, I’ll call the last… person down that’s available tonight. Be brave.” says Bella.
“Okay, but this is still awesome.” I say. Bella smiles and rings a silver bell, it rings quite beautifully…
“Riinnnnngg. Riinnggggg. Riiiinngg!”
“Stomp. Stomp! STOMP! STOMP!” Something was coming toward us, from some part of the house unknown to me…What was coming… Um, I’d find out soon enough…
“Dinner!” A big purple, thing… with wings, scales and claws came flying towards me with its mouth wide open revealing many pointy teeth and a long red tounge… blood red tounge… sharp teeth… eep!
Just as I was turning to run hopelessly for my life in a direction away from that thing-“XARON! This-Is-My-DAUGHTER! Not Dinner!” screamed Bella. (zair-ron)
Xaron skidded to a halt inches in front of my face.
Remember!
