A Monster's Heart

Part 5: An Unwelcome Encounter

"Rainy! Where are you? We're going to be late!"

"I'm coming!" I yelled as I checked my makeup one more time. I still had to put my shoes on and almost tripped over Max in the process. "Go downstairs, ya nasty!" I said shoving him to the side. "Danny will have filled up your bowl by now." Instead of heaving up his scaly body to go downstairs he just looked at me with those big red eyes and flopped over on his back begging me for a belly rub. "He's giving you two manhole covers before we leave."

Max was quick to flip over and scurry out of my room downstairs. Finally without a dragon obstructing my path, I was able to get to my white boots and lace them up. I checked my overall appearance. Absolutely adorable and hopefully wouldn't upstage my sister. Then again, my family tells me I have a terrible sense of fashion. Well, we can't be late. I have no idea how we're even getting TO Transylvania to watch my sister go through this 'rite of passage' but I assumed Boppa had some sort of magic potion to help us get there. Boppa is a certified warlock after all and (for them most part) his magic is fairly effective.

I slid down the banister to find the men waiting for me. Boppa's white hair is all over the place as usual but at least his lab coat is clean for once. Dad is all green and gray in what I think is supposed to be a clean suit but the effect is totally lost given how worn out and thin the thing is. I don't even know how long he's had that thing. He's like what, 103? And then there's my werewolf brother. Hairy as usual, but I could tell he actually gelled tonight! And that deep red shirt certainly brought out those golden werewolf eyes.

"You women are all so vain!" He teased me as I slid down the banister.

"We just like to look nice is all, unlike some people," I shrugged giving him a look.

"Well, at least you try your best, dear," Boppa cackled giving me a pat on the shoulder.

"Boppa, behave!" My dad said putting his arm around me. "Not every man can boast of having three such lovely women in their lives." He rushed us out the back door. I was not entirely sure what was happening but after living with the Landes for two and half months, I had learned that it was best not to ask questions and just go with whatever this crazy family has up their sleeves. We got on the path that took us straight to the cemetery we own and the black lake just beyond that. To my surprise, we didn't stop walking towards it! In fact everyone sped up as if they were going to jump right in.

"Dad, are you insane?!" I screamed trying to slow him down.

"I have a perfectly level head, Rainy, and you know that! Now in you go!"

With that, Dad picked me up and threw me into the lake despite my protesting and squirming. The lake was very dark and oily and I no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't seem to be able to the surface at all! I was being pushed farther and farther down. Suddenly, I came out of it and found myself scrambling out of an oily pond in a desolate woods. I was still just as adorable as before and there was blonde woman in a black dress waiting for us. She seemed fairly young and her face was white as snow.  She wore a pouch around her waist: the tell-tale sign of a witch.

"Papa!" She cried when she saw my grandpa.

"Selina!" Boppa embraced her. I assumed that this was the sister Mom said would be meeting us in Transylvania. "Aren't you just as pretty as a goblin?"

"Aww! You know Casper tells me the same thing. Danny-boy you are going to have to have all the girls swarming around you, you little devil. Is this Rainy?! Why she has Emmie's eyes!"

That was the first time I had heard a compliment like that and it made me happier than I had been in a while. "Nice to meet you, Aunt Selina," I said extending my hand for handshake and receiving a hug instead. I liked her immediately. She was the youngest of Mom's siblings and had married a vampire shortly before I came home. I would also be meeting Mom's werewolf sister, werewolf brother and genie sister. (Yeah apparently my Mom is a werewolf triplet.) I was most excited to interact with the genies of the family because they were the ones that commonly became dance teachers, choreographers, and even internet dancing stars. I was sure that was where I got my dancing streak from. All I knew for sure from the ceremony was that Chaney would now be officially recognized as part of the Transylvanian vampire community. The after party was quite fun. I met most of my cousins after the ceremony and made great friends with the genie twins. As we were chatting, an older woman came up to us. She looked like she was from India, and had her long gray hair pulled back in a tight ponytail on top of her head. She came and kissed my cousins affectionately and then looked at me curiously. "How did you get in here and what is your interest in us?"

I couldn't help thinking that this was an odd question but before I had a chance to answer, Dad approached with an elderly Frankenstein-couple and a classy vampire. "Chuck, Mum and Pop, meet my long-lost daughter, Rainy."

The vampire shook my hand. "Velcome home, my dear. I've been your fahder's best friend since boyhood and I must say I have not seen him dis happy in very long time."

I curtsied politely. This guy was Charles Dracula the third, the great grandson of Count Ivan Dracula. My grandmother must have been a babe as a younger Frankenstein. I could see right away why Grand-Pop as I had heard him called would have fallen in love with her. He was just as cheerful as Dad but a little quieter. They both hugged me as if they had watched me from babyhood and were eager to know every little thing about me. As I opened my mouth to answer their questions, I heard the Indian woman behind me say, "I thought I had gotten rid of that thing! Thomas, you know what a shame she is to our family!"

I swung around when I heard that. This was the fallen genie who had put me in the foster system and separated me from the family that I might have known. Instinctively, I grabbed my Dad's arm. My dad looked stern, almost angry. He grunted.

"You know you brought shame only to yourself, Llewellyn. It's a crime to kill any one, human or monster, and kidnapping, as you know, will get you stripped of your unique powers. I'm surprised to see you here at all."

"I still have one worthy granddaughter. She is a beauty with so much potential compared to this...this...piece of trash."

I thought of the boysin eighth grade teasing me for my ponytails, glasses, and braces again and feltlike crying from hearing those words like knives stabbing at my inmost heart. Almost at once, two giant wolves jumped infront of me growling mightily. Thebigger wolf actually jumped on Llewellyn and all she could do was try to keepfrom being bitten. Dad stepped forwardand started wrestling the thing off and I could tell from his pet names thatthe wolf attacking Llewellyn was my mother and wolf who was stillpuppy-guarding me was Danny. Therewasn't any way I could keep watching this junk though. Grand-pop and Grandma rushed me away from thescene. I didn't really feel likesocializing much anymore. My appetitewas gone and I didn't speak to anyone. Underthe circumstances, we ended up staying the night in the Lande family castle andMom stayed in her wolf form guarding my room that whole night. I couldn't sleep either and eventually workedup the courage to sit there with Mom, breathing in the scent of her musky furlike it was a promise of safety for the days to come.