Memoir

Chapter 1

"Boo!"

"Gah!"

Danny's laughter echoed across the halls, and the old man just stared blankly at the boy floating in front of him. Vlad sighed and reached out to ruffle Danny's white hair and let out a chuckle. "I swear, boy, you're going to be the death of me."

"You're already dead," Danny replied lowering himself and transforming back to Daniel Masters. "And I don't want a half-paying job."

*

These walls still echoed the sound of Daniel's laughter. They were empty, but Vlad could still hear it. Danny had imprinted himself on the walls, and even if there were meaningless halls and passageways, it was filled with memories.

Vlad stopped in his tracks and stood there, waiting. But nothing happened. No one came through the walls. The silver boot he often would trip on didn't appear. The radiant eyes hadn't shone. And beside him was only empty space.

*

"Why bother studying physics when I can just do this?" Danny jumped out of his seat and sprung high into the air. He stood on the ceiling, smiling down at Vlad. "See?" he said, and as if to prove a point, Danny extended his arms for Vlad to watch.

Vlad chuckled and rolled his eyes, amused by his son's antics. "Come down, Little Badger, or I'll have you clean every ceiling in the mansion."

Danny pouted but obediently obliged. He floated down slowly and sat back at the large velvet chair in Vlad's office. "Seriously, why?"

*

There were only his papers scattered across the desk. His papers, his pens, his laptop. There weren't the oversized Math books or the messily-written notebooks put atop his desk. It was just Vlad's belongings.

In front of him was the giant chair Danny would sit on during their tutor sessions. He would goof off and sit in improper positions and play with the pencil as he complains that there shouldn't be this much schoolwork for a kid his age.

"I don't deserve this cruelty," he would often say. Vlad would laugh at and order him to sit up straight. And the silly arguments he and Danny would get into would put a smile on Vlad's face. But that smile quickly dissipated when he realized there was no one sitting on the chair. There were no brilliant eyes that try to focus on the papers he was writing on. There was no proud smile when he gets an equation right.

There was no Daniel.

*

"Ugh! That movie sucked!" Danny whined as he shifted from his position on the couch. He pouted when he saw Vlad put another disc into the player, probably the sequel.

"Next time, I'm choosing the best movie ever and you will hate it," Danny said teasingly as he shoved the last bit of popcorn into his mouth.

Vlad chuckled and shooked his head. "Of course you will," he replied, casually brushing off the childish threat Danny made up. "I should get more popcorn."

Danny smiled as he saw his father turn to leave. And Vlad's heart skipped a beat when he heard Danny say, "thanks, dad!" It was still an odd feeling to Vlad, but he liked it, having someone finally call him their dad. He loved it. It was a reminder that Danny was his now. Danny was his.

*

Vlad didn't dare touch the movies that were safely tucked in the large shelf under the T.V. He didn't dare watch anything, do anything, with them without Daniel. His Daniel.

But what right does he have to call him his?

*

"You brainwashed me into thinking that I was your son!" Danny yelled and despite his fierce anger, tears came running down his eyes. "You couldn't have mom, you couldn't kill dad, so you just went ahead and took me!"

"Danny, that is not what-"

"Hands off!" Jack's mighty fist with the metal ghost gloves he made connected with Vlad's jaw, sending him flying towards the other side of the room.

Vlad's pupils glowed the familiar villainous red that the famed Wisconsin Ghost was known for. Vlad wanted nothing more than to snap Jack's neck and toss him in the side, but Danny was here. He couldn't let Danny see that he truly was the monster he fought for so damn long.

"Little Badger-"

"Don't call me that!" Danny yelled in anger and Vlad's heart ached when he spoke to him in such venom.

"Daniel... I... Please let me explain." But what could Vlad explain? I have used an ancient artifact and brainwashed you because I wanted you as my son? Yes, I could never have your mother but you were easier to have? Your father was incompetent in both being a friend and being a father? He didn't know what he could say to put the good light on him. But he guessed he wouldn't have to say anything anyway.

"You couldn't explain anything! Nothing could make up for what you did, Vlad! Nothing! If you could have approached me normally, as any normal person or family friend would, you could have been part of our family! You could have been a part of my life! But instead, you wasted 20 years wallowing in self-pity and hatred that you couldn't even predict what you could have missed! For someone who was trying to teach me about long-term plans, you exactly don't have one yourself!"

Every spiteful word that came out of Danny's mouth, every second that had passed, Vlad felt every stab of it. Every dagger perfectly hitting his heart. He could hear his world shatter as Danny's words stung and hit.

"Daniel... I'm so-"

"Save it, Vlad." Vlad had never seen Jack looked at him in such hate. It mirrored the hate Vlad had for the man for over 20 years. And it made Vlad tremble of what the man could actually do to him if that hatred was channeled into his large fists. "I'll give you this one warning, Vlad. Stay away from my family." The way Jack had to spit his name like rotten raisins sent chills down Vlad's spine.

Vlad glanced at Danny one more time before he turned to leave, and the spiteful glare he had received made Vlad knew that he threw whatever chance he had left to reconcile with the young man.

Vlad lost him.

*

Vlad lost him.

He stared into the empty room painted in soft colors. The unmade bed stayed untouched and the books scattered across the floor near the bookshelf where Vlad gave Danny books. His closet was still full of the clothes he had bought and made for Danny. He remembered that smile the young boy would show when he received new things, new items to collect and hoard in his room. He would never see that smile again.

These halls of his mansion were always empty. It was always Vlad that brought life into his home. But his presence only made the sound, made movement. It never really brought the spacious place the warm feeling of home.

When Daniel arrived, even when it was a short time, he made this feel more like home. He made messes, he made noises, he broke and damaged things, but he always apologized for it. He would tease Vlad into catching and playing with him through the halls that would end in tickle wars and a lot of giggling.

Danny filled this place with life. He filled it with love, with compassion, with purpose, with memories. He filled it with everything Vlad had missed.

Now, Danny was gone. Vlad had ruined his chance, and there was no possible way for him to ever mend it.

Danny left him in this cold damned place. Danny left with the life too. And the love, and compassion, and purpose. The only thing Danny left behind were memories. Memories imprinted on the walls, along with his echoing laughter and joyous eyes.

Vlad will never have those eyes look at him again.

He had lost Daniel, and he's never coming back.