Zing! (Complete)

Chapter 4: Meet Dracula

The two of them followed the zombie looking guys all the way to a huge castle. Lis was nervous so Johnny went in first with Lis directly behind him.

"Wow... this is awesome!" Johnny stopped so Lis walked around him. The room was filled with monsters of every shape and size.

A tall man suddenly pinned Lis and Jonathan in a crease of the revolving doors. "Who are you? And how did you find this place?"

"Oh, I'm Jonathan and this is Lizzy." The tall man looked at Lis who was pinned against Johnny and looking at her feet. "And I was just mountain climbing with some dudes and I heard this story about a spooky forest. And who's not going to go into a spooky forest, right? So, then we see these goofy-looking dudes on fire. And we just kind of followed them to this, like, amazing castle."

"How many of you are there?"

"Just us. You meet so many awesome people in the youth hostels. Hey, speaking of awesome," he grabbed the hem of the cape, "that cape thing is killing it. Is there, like, a costume party here?"

Idiot! These are real monsters!

"What have I done? This is all my fault." The man stopped the door and squished me and Johnny into his chest. "You have to leave. Oh, no!"

A woman's rough voice said, "Excuse me. One of your piranhas in the lake is very rude. He ate my sister-in-law."

"Be right with you." He dragged them back inside the castle, which Lis assumed was a hotel full of monsters. Lis was was squished against the man's muscular chest as he sandwiched her between himself and Johnny in order to move quickly.

"Mr. Dracula, we asked for a room with a view of the pool. The room's fine. We want to book a massage. Yes, Swedish. Shiatsu. Aromatherapy. Lower back. Do you have hot-stone? We want a massage." It was one voice but it seemed like many brains.

This is a Dracula! This must be that girl's father!

"I'll get back to you, Mr. Hydraberg."

"I hope so. I doubt it. See that you do. That's Ms. Hydraberg. Thanks."

"Yes, nice to see you." The man, Dracula, ran into a small space before letting them go.

Lis took quick account of her surroundings. They were in a small closet full of dust pans shaped like skulls and other cleaning supplies. It was surprisingly light for a closet. Jonathan spoke, amazement in his voice, "Wow. This room's kind of small for a big castle. No bed, but check out these awesome dustpans they give you."

Dracula had started digging through Johnny's bag, yelling, "Quiet, you fool. What weapons are you keeping in this container? Your pitchforks?" He pulled out an old shirt that Lis could smell from the other side of the closet and stuck his nose right in it and took a big whiff. "Oh! I can't breathe. It's killing me."

At that close range, probably.

"Yeah, definitely due for a fluff and fold." Johnny's cell phone started vibrating as he put the shirt in his bag.

"What is this?" Dracula said loudly taking the phone. "A torture device? A secret mind controller? You won't read my thoughts. I won't let you!"

Man, this guy it old fashioned! Doesn't even know what a cell phone is! Wait can he read my mind or was that a myth?

"Dude, its just music. Here, try it." Johnny stuck earphones in Dracula's ears as a techno sounding song started.

Definitely a myth.

"Ohh! It's taking my soul!" Dracula yanked them out.

"What? It's a good jam. Don't be a grandpa."

"His daughter is too young to be a mother yet." Lis moved to go out the door but Dracula backed against it his hands against the door.

"You need to go." Dracula was freaking out. "No human has ever entered this castle. And if someone should see you, the safety of the hotel, the sanctuary, no one would ever come again."

"Yeah, go for it." Johnny imitated Dracula, "'Ever come again!' I love your Dracula voice. It's so over the top."

"And Mavis, if she saw you, she would know that I lied. No!"

"Who's Mavis? Is this her room? I'm good with a roommate. I had six brothers growing up, so I could totally share."

Why did I come with him again?

"I can't kill him. It would set monsters back hundreds of years."

"No Duh!" Lis spoke up. "You would send us back not just hundreds but thousands of years! I'd never get to go home!"

Dracula looked at Lis, raising an eyebrow. "Us?"

"One time, in Hamburg, I roomed with this dude who I caught stealing my shampoo. I said, 'Whoa, man,' and he threw a flower pot at me, but he was cool."

"What are you babbling about?" Dracula and Lis asked in unison.

"What? Whoa." Johnny bumped a rack. "Check out these awesome costumes."

"Costumes." Dracula smiled. Dracula took off Johnny's bag.

"What's this? Sorry, man. I just can't be without my backpack. You know, everything I own is in there."

"It'll be right here."

"Okay, I just... I love my backpack."

"You need one too." Dracula moved towards Lis.