Facing Reality

"Wha - ?"

It was obvious that Count Dracula was confused. She pictured his face now, furrowed brows staring up at the strange stone object that her great-grandfather held in his aged hands. Then, she heard as he became aware of just what it was.

"Oh, that's just Ericka's family heirloom!"

Van Helsing sputtered a laugh, and she stifled a snicker under her breath as well at the vampire's stupidity. "Good one, Ericka!"

"It was pretty good, wasn't it?" she agreed, coming up to stand next to him. She saw Dracula's face turn from recognition to confusion. "Ericka?" he asked.

"You fool," Van Helsing said. "Not only is she the ship's captain. But she also happens to be - " he laughed, interrupting himself and turning to her. "Wait, you tell him!"

"Don't mind if I do, great-grandfather," she sneered, stepping up the shell's edge. "I'm his great-granddaughter.... I'm Ericka Van Helsing!"

Dracula's face fell in dismay and shock. "Wh-what? But... but... we, I-I mean... us..."

Ericka scoffed dismissively. "Oh please, did you really think I'd ever love a monster? Your so-called 'Zing' means nothing to me!" She stepped closer to the edge of the DJ's clam shell and took the object from Van Helsing's hands, holding it out so everyone could see.

"Now, behold, the key to the destruction of ALL monsters! And your beloved 'Lord of Darkness' helped me retrieve it!"

She heard gasps and saw dozens of monster eyes zero in on Drac with looks of confusion and hurt. The vampire seemed to shrink on the spot.

Ericka paid no mind.

Reaching forward, she pulled out the yellowed scrap of paper tucked safely inside the gray stone and laid it so it stood upright on the electric keyboard. Van Helsing wheeled over, cracking his knuckles as he observed the musical notes on the sheet and then assessed the keys.

Everyone stood very still as he began to play a techno-sounding beat from the piano, Ericka turning the knob on the keyboard's dial to add a backing beat. And then, out of the ocean behind them, the Kraken arose menacingly, hypnotized by the melodic sound, and with his large eyes glowing a strange orange. It gave a terrifying screech as he proceeded to attack all monsters on the dance floor, making quick work to eliminate the escape bridge and trapping everyone at its mercy.

Or rather, she and her great-grandfather's mercy.

For the Kraken would never take it upon himself to cause this trouble under normal circumstances - he was also a monster after all - and it was the work of the instrument of destruction that aided in bringing the wretched titan under control.

Now, Ericka and Van Helsing witnessed with much glee at the fleeing beasts on the dance floor below, soaking in the screams and relishing in the sight of their panicked expressions.

"Listen to the melody of your destruction!" Van Helsing called out, just as the Kraken's tentacles swiped out once more and wreaked havoc.

Just then, Ericka caught sight of a dark figure swooping up above the chaos and toward the sea monster. It was Dracula!

"Great-grandfather!" she called, in a tone not much unlike that of a tattle-taling child.

"No, you don't!" Van Helsing growled, furiously continuing to play the melody as he made the Kraken envelope Dracula in a crushing grip.

"I say it's time for the immortal Dracula to die!" Van Helsing declared.

"I couldn't agree more," Ericka concurred with a maniacal grin. The tentacle gripped more tightly, the Kraken wrapping the other seven arms in a cocoon-type hold. Dracula's breath hitched, blue eyes wide with terror as he realized what exactly was happening as his lungs were squeezed tighter and tighter. He was suffocating and, slowly but surely, being killed.

Yes!

Her grandfather cackled in delight alongside her. "Just like we always planned, ey Ericka?" he shouted out.

But her focus wasn't on him. It was on the Kraken's tentacles, wrapping ever more tightly around the dreaded vampire that she loathed. She couldn't see him trying to struggle anymore, and his hideous monstrous companions were of no help to him, trapped at the mighty destruction of the Kraken.

"Ericka?" Van Helsing called out again.

This is it! The vampire will die, and our legacy will live on! I am a true Van Helsing through and -

"ERICKA!"

She was suddenly snapped out of her thoughts, looking down as her great-grandfather nudged her in the ribs with his elbow. They were still at the bottom of the DJ booth. The mayhem with the Kraken hadn't occurred yet.

"Get your head out of the clouds! We're about to go on!" Van Helsing scolded, holding up the tentacle-shaped stone 'heirloom' with pride. "Now you recall what we are supposed to do now, right?"

Ericka nodded glumly. "Up the stairs. Kick out the DJ. Begin playing the melody of destruction."

He nodded gleefully, oblivious to her downcast mood. "That's my girl! A natural monster-killer!" He began rolling his wheels up the steps with much difficulty. "Now, hurry along!" he said. "I don't want to wait a minute more to exact my revenge on those ghoulish fiends!"

She followed him up with a heavy sigh, the DJ distracted by the loud rave of the music that he was playing. This was the moment she'd been waiting for, the time when everything she'd worked for her whole life would pay off. And yet, it didn't feel as fulfilling or exciting as she had once hoped. It was obvious to her now that she wasn't going to be the person she had just envisioned - the vengeance-driven monster hunter that her great-grandfather wanted her to be. Her heart simply wasn't into it anymore... not after everything that had happened between her and the Count. But, she also knew that her alliance didn't fully lie with the monsters - or even Dracula - quite yet.

Ericka didn't know just how the night's events would turn out, but somehow, in some way, she hoped it would all work out for the better.