A New Zing

Lubov

"The story goes that she met a lonely Count by chance, and they say no two souls were ever more meant for each other. Eventually, they settled down at Castle Lubov and had a child. But then, a horrible tragedy happened. A fire started mysteriously one night, and it killed both of them. When I was at the castle, I could still feel their powerful love. They say it's as if a soul is still trapped in the ruins themselves."

Arwen held her hands on where her heart rests and gave Johnny a watery look "That sound so...heart wrenching" From the corner of her eye, she saw Thomas wince at her words as Johnny held the candelabra to the portrait of the woman.

"The legend is wrong," Dracula spoke quietly, his figure silhouetted in pitch black near the giant picture confusing the two humans and making the vampire witch look at him sympathetically. "It was only... the wife that died." The Count suddenly pulled the curtain down hard, revealing the rest of the portrait.

Arwen gasped in shock as the smiling face of Dracula came into her view. Her gaze went to the engravings down below the painting and saw the name of Dracula and the woman.

Martha...

Johnny gasped in surprise. Count Dracula, in the portrait, was smiling and lovingly holding hands with the Lady Lubov. He was the lonely count in the story.

"And it was no mystery who killed her" Dracula grit his teeth and his eyes glowed a menacing blue as he snarled "She was killed by your kind!" Johnny took a step back in surprise and Arwen instinctively moved in front of him.

"And it wasn't him the only one who knew what had happened"

Thomas said gravely "This was before I met you Arwen as a babe"

Flashback

Thomas flew directly in a fire lit window and gasped to see Dracula and Martha staring down below the ground floor of the castle.

"We have to get out of here!"

Thomas yelled from the burning flames and the screams of anger from the humans below.

"Honey?"

Martha looked at Dracula unsurely with baby Mavis in her arms. Dracula cupped her cheek lovingly.

"Go hide with Thomas, I'll take care of this"

Thomas grabbed her hand and the couple let go of each other as Thomas and Martha took the opposite route where there was less flames than where Dracula was heading.

Thomas and Martha made sure that no one was looking before slipping into the night. Just then, baby Mavis wailed before the could make it out at the back.

Martha shushed her and coed lovingly while Thomas tensed and looked around wildly to see if there were any humans nearby.

A sharp whiz was caught from his hearing and before he could react, an arrow filled with poison had dug itself near his heart.

Martha let out a cry as Thomas fell, clutching the arrow in pain "Run Martha!" Thomas cried out as Martha turned around only to see an obese looking man in white.

"You think you can try to get away from me vampire?"

Martha took a step back, too stunned and scared to move "Leave her alone. Martha, take Mavis and run!" Thomas cried out only to be stopped as another arrow hit him in the shoulder.

"No please don't hurt him!"

Martha cried out and Mavis began to wail at her mother's distress. The man in white shrugged as if the sight in front of him didn't evoke any feelings at all.