I'll Be Back (Great Uncle Dracula Fanfic)

Moving

The truck's radio blared as warm air blew in through the window, the scent of the trees and nearby river flooding the cabin, but for a teen with an acute sense of smell, the natural aromas were enticing.

A rather scrawny figure leaned out the passenger window of the truck as it passed by the scenery flashing by, arms crossed, gray eyes taking in the way the sun traversed the bright blue sky as the white clouds floated through the air, slowly becoming denser as they drew closer to their destination. The sun is rarely shown at this destination, the days more often cloudy than not in the deep Pennsylvanian forest.

There came a quick tug at the back of the worn-out red and black plaid dress shirt that he wore over the white tank while a rather stern voice came from the driver's side. "Sit down, and buckle up. You're not some damn mutt, Asmodeus Wolfgang Johnson, so don't go sticking your nose out the window like that. Or have you forgotten that I'm responsible for you now, Maddie?"

A sigh escaped as fingers reached for the belt buckle, pulling it across his chest. "How many times do I have to tell you it's Wolfie? I like..."

"How many times," the young man in the driver seat said, "...do I have to tell you it draws attention to what we are and that we can't be doing that?"

Wolfie let out a humming sound, the buckle clicking shut, his fingers springing back as he examined the device. He then glanced up at the other person. "Not there, Adolphus. Not, now that we're home. And stop calling me by a girl's name already. Please and thank you."

Wolfie glanced out the window, letting the wind ruffle his scraggly brown hair while Adolphus looked over, his green-gray eyes glaring at his passenger. "Do you remember why we left?"

"Hmm?" Wolfie wasn't paying much attention instead of watching the scenery pass him on by.

"Do you remember why we left, Maddie? Back when you were in the third grade?"

"Because Aunt Larentia got sick, so legal custody got shifted," Wolfie tilted his head. "But we're going home because you're an adult now, and I'm old enough to choose who I want my legal guardian to be, and I chose you, my older brother."

"Then you don't remember?" Adolphus asked.

"Remember what?" Wolfie tilted his head, looking at his older brother.

"Never mind," his brother took a deep breath.

"Don't never mind me."

"As if I'd come back here if this weren't where the work was," Adolphus muttered, continuing to keep his eyes on the road. "And you certainly wouldn't have picked me as your legal guardian if you knew, if you remembered while knowing I have no choice but to come back here."

Wolfie smiled as if it were a silly question. "But, you're my older brother. I want to stay with you." His eyes blinked, his mouth twisting into a frown. "Wait. You don't want me living with you? I can find a job, and..."

"It's not the money. I've plenty of money to take care of both of us, given that we're staying at Aunt Larentia's place. Our place." His brother looked at him. "And it's not that I don't want you living with me. I'm just worried that you won't be happy."

Wolfie tilted his head. "What do you mean? The happiest place we ever lived was with Aunt Larentia."

The look on his brother's face—it remained emotionless. Instead, his brother asked. "So, what extracurricular activities are you planning on taking on for high school?"

A slight laugh was the response, at first. Wolfie leaned against the window. "You know we got my paperwork in late, so I'm stuck with whatever classes they'll give me."

"But if you could..."

"Not football!" Wolfie rolled his eyes. "No bashing my skull in like an idiot killing off my brain cells. For me, if I do a sport or something like that, soccer or basketball. Not..." He trailed off, his mouth pushing together. "It's..."

"Maddie?" His brother called out. Eventually, Adolphus sighed. "What's the matter?"

"I don't like football," Wolfie muttered.

"I know that, dork."

"It's important," Wolfie muttered, growing quieter.

"Why?"

"I don't know." Wolfie sighed. "Just—it's going to be nice not having to stay home during the full moon, right?"

"Precisely why this was the only place for me to get a job," his brother said. Wolfie stared, having turned, so he grinned ear to ear. His brother turned, the corners of his mouth finally twisting up. "Fine. It is nice that we don't have to hole up during the full moon, and it is nice getting to move back here." The answer satisfied Wolfie, and he turned away. After a bit, the music still blaring, Adolphus said. "Hey, Maddie?"

"Hmm?"

"If anybody at school, well, you know."

"Know what?"

"Bullies you, you know that..."

"Don't call me Maddie," Wolfie said.

"What?"

"Start by not calling me Maddie. It's a sure way for me to end up bullied, though I suspect you'll forget," Wolfie said, taking a deep breath of the crisp air. "And yeah, I know to come to you if something's not okay."

"Good. Good to hear."

Then, a laugh escaped from Wolfie, his eyes glued up to the sky. "Tut, tut. It looks like rain."

"Not funny," Adolphus shook his head.

"It always looks like rain here," Wolfie said, pulling back from the window, rolling it up. "Seriously though, don't you smell the rain in the air? You're..."

Adolphus let out a sharp bark as the rain did, in fact, poor down, and with one hand, he attempted to roll up the window while his younger brother laughed. He pointed his finger at Wolfie. "Not funny, or do you remember everything we own is either in the back of this truck or in the trailer I bought since there are no rental places to drop a rental off at here."

"Isn't it great fun?" Wolfie grinned at him.

"Hell no, it's not! What is wrong with you!" Adolphus shook his head. "Our stuff is getting soaked!"

"It's tarped or in the trailer," Wolfie said. "And look!" He tapped the window, pointing at the sign that welcomed them to Transylvania, Pennsylvania. "We're home."

"Home," his older brother muttered, shaking his head. "I guess you could say that."