Zing 2! : Family Problems

Chapter 14: Jack's P.O.V and a Horrid Plan

Jack snuck into Dracula's and Elisabeth's bedroom. He was surprised at just what was there. One wall was mostly window, one had the door, another was black except for the hangings, and the wall accost from the door hung a portrait. The room was dark and lit only by a few candles. There was two coffins, a large picture of a woman that looked like a much older Mavis (Jack guessed this was Mavis's mom), and very little else. The portrait was very large but most of it was covered as though in tribute to the lady in the portrait. Black drapes hung around the room.

Dracula stood teary eyed by the painting of his first wife. "I'm so sorry, my darling. What have I done? I've ruined my second chance..." Dracula sat on his coffin. "Why couldn't I just let things-" Dracula felt someone watching him and jumped up. "Jack?"

Quietly, Jack asked, "Is Mom around?"

"No. What are you doing?"

Jack immediately hugged his dad desperately. "Please get me out of this!"

Dracula gasped for air. "What? What, what?"

"I don't wanna leave the hotel! And neither does Lis! Help us, Dad! Mom will want us to get jobs!" Jack started crying.

"Your mom won't make you get jobs..." Dracula could feel Jacks tears on his shirt. "Okay, okay. I'm trying to think." Dracula thought for a moment. "This cannot happen. For any of us. But there's one last way I can fix this before Martha turns 5."

Jack sat in the back seat as Dracula grimly drove the hearse with Frankenstein in the front seat. They drove down a dark, windy path, lower and lower, until they reached the end of the road and got out of the hearse. They walked down a dark hill until they hit bottom of the valley. Then they walked down a steep staircase made of stone until they hit the very bottom. Then they walked into a large, narrowing, tunnel. The tunnel finally led to the end, only to step onto a steep cliff.

"Oh, gimme a break already!" Dracula cried.

They slid down the steep cliff, catching branches in various spots to slow their fall, finally landing on their butts. They started to walk.

Dracula sounded almost unsure as he said, "Pretty sure it's straight ahea-" He was cut off as they all fell through a trap door and landed on their butts.

Jack notices that they landed right in front of a dark cave.

Suddenly an evil-looking sentry jumped out from the cave causing Jack to jump.

"Who goest there?" yelled the sentry.

"It's Count Dracula."

"Oh....Well, it's about time."

Dracula rolled his eyes. "Just tell him I'm here."

Moments later, Dracula, Jack, and Frankenstein had navigated their way through the cave's corridors, filled with spiders and finally saw two glowing eyes in the darkness. They stood in the lair of an ancient vampire, who emerges from the darkness.

"Well, look what the bat dragged in."

Dracula stepped forward. "Yes, hi, Dad."

"Fellas, you won't believe it! It's my son, Dracula!" The old vampire's walls were lined with horrifying demonic cronies, ancient monsters hovering in shadows that howled and screamed, still holding a grudge for 23 years ago. "This is certainly unexpected, boy. It's only been 30 years or so."

"Twenty three. That's like one day to you."

"Who's this?" asked Dracula's dad. "He looks like you when you were younger!" Dracula's dad lazily levitated Frankenstein high off the ground. Frankenstein screams and Dracula's dad laughed.

"Nice to meet you, sir," said Jack. "I'm Jack. You must be my grandfather, correct?"

He dropped Frankenstein, making a crack on the cave floor. "Son! When did you have more kids? Come here Jack and give your Grandpa Vlad a hug!"

Jack awkwardly hugged Vlad.

"So you got re-married? Never got an invitation. I assume she is a vampire."

"Yeah well, you know. She wanted a small wedding, and, uh, I can't stand being around you. But this is not about that. It's about my youngest, Martha."

"So what about this Martha?"

"She...hasn't got her fangs yet." Jack stood beside his father and messed with his shirt, a nervous habit he had.

"So?" Vlad asked. "Late fanger, just like you, why are you worried? She's a full vampire, isn't she?"

"What? Uh, yes, of course." Dracula's voice was guarded and although Jack caught it, Vlad didn't.

"So she's got till she's five. Which is..?"

"Uh...two days. Give or take an hour."

"Two days! Well, there have been a few late fangers that never bloomed. But they survive."

"They survive what?"

"Just your basic public humiliation. Paraded through villages, forced to recite the Devil's doctrine. A lot of wedgies. One family, the Kaddys, were run out of town because their half vampire daughter didn't fang."

Dracula and Jack realized he was talking about Elisabeth. "I heard she did end up fanging eventually..." Dracula said. "...but maybe we should help this along."

"Okay, we can do that...we'll need to conduct a ceremony. A sacrifice. We will sacrifice the thing the kid cherishes the most. Are you sure you want to try this again?"

Jack didn't like the sound of that. "Wow. That's necessary? She's just a nice little kid..."

"That's the problem! We have to remove what's holding her back from her dark destiny. It's like a wussy exorcism. Of course, I'll need her whole family present; you, all siblings, the kid's mother."

"Great!" mumbled Dracula sarcastically under his breath.

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Thank you, loyal reader's for sticking with me this long! Trust me this has been trying for me just as much as you. Please remember I'm only human and don't have home internet at this moment. Expect the next up date to be next weekend (probably) and to inculed a few chapters. I can't believe we're nearing the end of this book!