Two Bats in the Night

Emma

"If I have said it once, I have said it a thousand times," the little vampire nearly shouted as she stomped around the front desk, "I refuse to leave Hotel Transylvania until I see Ericka! I will not leave! I will not!"

However, Phil was ill-equipped to handle such a request or such a stubborn person. Despite his lack of help, she stood there with a red face, teeth gritted and tears welling up. Mavis used the right word in describing her. Dracula had never seen a white-haired, blue-eyed vampire before. And, despite her big attitude, she stood at a generous five foot.

"And, how may we help you?" Dracula put forth his most hospitable voice as he walked towards the vampirina with open arms. Yet, as she turned around, he was amazed to see Ericka. "What are you doing down here? Didn't you just go to sleep?"

"What?" Despite a discrepancy of about ten-inches and for having fangs, this little vampire looked exactly like Ericka. Even the mention of her name lit this one's eyes, "do you know Ericka? Are you Dracula?"

She quickly grabbed Dracula by the arm with a face full of excitement. She practically bounced up and down with joy, but how could a vampire have a favorable relationship with a former monster hunter?

"Uhm, yes." Dracula freed his arm as he peered at the vampire. "Before answering your questions, may I ask your name and who you are?"

"Of course!" Her mood completely changed and she straightened her clothes with a bright smile as she replied, "please forgive me for my previous behavior. I'm Emma VanHesig! I'm Ericka's twin-sister. We were separated as toddlers, and I've been searching everywhere for her. Just a month ago, I heard the news that she would be marrying Count Dracula... So, here I am at your hotel! Please, my motives are pure. I really just want to see my sister."

A twin sister? Ericka had never mentioned that. Further, this 'Emma' was a vampire; whereas, Emma was a human. What could the motivation behind this Emma be? There's no way she actually believes that Dracula will allow her to see Ericka, right?

"How about we sit down and have a nice chat?" Dracula proposed while gesturing to a nearby seating area.

"No." Emma's smile fled as quickly as it had bloomed, "I am here for my sister. Please, it's been over twenty years since we were separated. I know she'll want to see me."

"Now, now let's be reasonable," Dracula pressed his hands together. "Ericka is fast asleep right now and won't be awake until the morning. How about we get you a room and I will personally arrange for you two to meet at dawn."

"Asleep? What is a vampire doing asleep at this hour?" Emma laughed with curiosity in her eyes. She could see Dracula was being sincere but couldn't understand what he was saying, "it's already one in the evening. She should be wide awake! "

"Ericka isn't a vampire," Dracula replied. "I believe you must be confused with someone else."

There was a slight pause as Emma allowed this information to absorb. Now, to be technical, Emma herself wasn't a full vampire either. Her mom was a full vampire and her father was a half-vampire. Perhaps Ericka hadn't ever fanged? This wasn't too uncommon for mixed-bloods.

"Well, does this Ericka look like me?" Emma pressed her lips together, anxious about what the answer would be. Given that she and Ericka were identical twins, they would have to look very similar.

Relief filled Emma's body when Dracula nodded in response to her question. This was proof enough for her. With confirmation that her sister was here in the hotel and that she could meet her in the morning, Emma suddenly felt inclined to accept Drac's previous offer of a chat.

"Well, you are my future brother-in-law, yes?" she friendly teased, "how about we get to know one another! You can tell me a little bit about yourself and Ericka, and I will answer any of your questions about myself to the best of my ability!"

Dracula reluctantly agreed, wanting to find out as much from this Emma as he could before dawn arrived. He was afraid that this could be some kind of trick and questioned Emma's true motives. Yet, as the night went on, he found Emma to be a seemingly sweet, honest, and loving vampire.

"Ericka is really lucky to have such a great zing." Emma smiled, "I heard that you saved her from the Kraken while aboard a cruise, isn't that right?"

"Well," Dracula shifted in his seat, "she saved me and I saved her. It was a joint effort. I suppose that's how all zings work."

"You said my sister isn't a vampire, right?" As Dracula nodded, she continued "then why was she on a monsters-only cruise? That is where you two met, right?"

Given that Emma was so interested, Dracula didn't see any reason to not divulge the truth. He told her that Ericka was the captain, how she'd been raised by her Great-Grandfather Abraham Van Helsing, how initially she wanted to kill him under her Great-Grandfather's instruction, but because they were each others' zings they fell in love. Ericka decided that love was more important than hate and saw the monsters have more similarities than differences with humans. Lost in reminiscing, Dracula failed to notice Emma's growing agitation.

"Abraham Van Helsing is alive?" She snarled out, "and he raised my sister aboard a cruise ship to hate monsters? That low-life..."

"Wow, now!" Dracula quickly cut in, "he may have made some mistakes in the past, but Ericka and I am willing to forgive him. Whatever he's done, I hope you can forgive him too."

Dracula's earnest efforts were unable to penetrate Emma's cold heart. Her eyes filled with rage and her body tensed. It seemed as if she was ready to go commit murder from that moment.

"I will never be able to forgive him," she snarled, "neither will Ericka when she knows the truth. The truth that he killed our parents. He killed our grandparents. And, he killed our great-grandmother. He'd kill her too if he knew that what she truly was would harm his precious legacy."

--------

Hi! It's the author, Ericka Martha Dracula!

If you have like what I've written, please leave a nice comment and give a vote! Please feel free to ask questions and make suggestions for future chapters.

Read on, friends!