After school, Charlotte takes me for ice cream and we go to my house, laughing and crying. We pull into the driveway and get out. We walk up to the door and I peek through the window. I knock and ring the doorbell. The door opens and mom looks at me.390Please respect copyright.PENANA5tnQB5nkXl
"Charlotte, it's so nice to see you." She gasps. "My baby!" She pulls me into a hug and kisses my head. She lets go and gently pushes me inside. She does the same with Charlotte and shuts the door. "Oh. Um. There's someone in the living room who wants to meet you girls. You mostly Nikki."390Please respect copyright.PENANAqBE8xY2YUB
"Alright. I'm going to go put my things up first."390Please respect copyright.PENANA5bFRr02usc
"Okay. That's fine."390Please respect copyright.PENANAn7ANtWHbBf
I put my things in my bedroom and head downstairs. I head into the living room and find mom talking to someone.390Please respect copyright.PENANAPr1Y9L6MLT
"Hey, mom?"390Please respect copyright.PENANAvJZNsShA4r
She turns around. "What, sweetie?"390Please respect copyright.PENANAJUl6TgfB1T
"Do we have any snacks?"390Please respect copyright.PENANAt80QtpdjMN
"I think we do." She smiles at the stranger and walks to the kitchen. I look at her and follow mom. "Here. I bought this bag of mini donuts today. For you."390Please respect copyright.PENANALwOzQJP031
"Thanks, mom."390Please respect copyright.PENANAQ7G1wvX82a
"Anytime, dear."390Please respect copyright.PENANAxtYZ56xrl0
I follow her back in the living room and find Charlotte talking to the stranger. I lie down on the loveseat and open the bag of donuts. I take one out and set the bag on the coffee table.390Please respect copyright.PENANAAZdgFXb0t3
"Oh, yes. Um, Nikki?"390Please respect copyright.PENANAi6lrUqmCpo
I look up. "Hm?"390Please respect copyright.PENANApewIYIhYWl
"I'd like to introduce you to someone who you wouldn't believe is even alive. Real, for that matter. I myself reacted in shock and didn’t believe her at first, but Nikki, this is, um … This is Sister Agatha Van Helsing."390Please respect copyright.PENANAF0xlnTmaVO
I jump up. "Uh-uh. That's not possible."
She smiles. "Well, dear, as you get to know me, I'm sure you'll believe that it's possible."390Please respect copyright.PENANAgmnTC65u3w
Suddenly, I remember. "Oh. Mom?"390Please respect copyright.PENANA22AKrma1M5
"What, dear?"390Please respect copyright.PENANAVmsBoQx8Yi
"C-can I talk to you? Please?" I sigh. "I-it's very important."390Please respect copyright.PENANAuBtJdxKPlp
"Of course. You can talk to me anytime. Where do you want to go?"390Please respect copyright.PENANArA3hp6AdDz
"Is my bedroom okay? And can Charlotte come with?"390Please respect copyright.PENANA1Hdte6dJoF
"Um, yes."390Please respect copyright.PENANAFBT1hKuTck
"Okay."390Please respect copyright.PENANA2BYqwKPeNe
Charlotte joins us and we head upstairs. We get to my bedroom and mom shuts the door behind us. She leans against it and crosses her arms.390Please respect copyright.PENANAJv9BdZ4xpA
"Okay, first of all, young lady, I have a question for you. Where were you when the funeral director and I got back? And why was Dracula gone, also?"390Please respect copyright.PENANANhOMSeUpGA
"I'm about to tell you that. Um, you might not believe this or not, but he, um, woke up and drank my blood at the funeral home and I went unconscious. Then, when I woke up, I was in Castle Dracula with him. He took me upstairs and, um, he f-f-f—" I burst into tears.390Please respect copyright.PENANACJuMZyc8UQ
Mom looks sympathetically at Charlotte. 390Please respect copyright.PENANAcARGvCvJGm
Charlotte sighs. "She told me about the whole weekend at school during lunch and she said that Dracula had 'you know what' with her. Then we went into the bathroom and, um, she … She's pregnant."390Please respect copyright.PENANAvZSQhPz52k
"With Dracula's child?"390Please respect copyright.PENANAKug4eq55xW
"Apparently."390Please respect copyright.PENANAL1xqgmUohp
"I'll be right back." Mom opens the door and goes downstairs, shutting the door behind her.390Please respect copyright.PENANAi7Vcg53BiW
Fifteen minutes pass and mom comes back up with Agatha right behind her. Mom shuts the door and I look up.390Please respect copyright.PENANAb8Yt5cjzNj
"W-wait? Y-you believe me?"390Please respect copyright.PENANAygRYQWb35d
"Yes." She smiles half-heartedly and looks away.390Please respect copyright.PENANAc7QHbEoxZ7
Agatha walks over to me and I fall to the floor.390Please respect copyright.PENANAItPsg4OWNV
"I-I didn't w-want to," I sob. "I s-swear. I couldn't st-stop him. Please!"390Please respect copyright.PENANApLFjDTJOQJ
Agatha kneels down and gently squeezes my arm. "Shh. It's alright. I can help you. Really, I can."390Please respect copyright.PENANALHRzkleKyY
I look up at her and sniff. "Can you really?"390Please respect copyright.PENANAX7h0pc7oQ0
"Yes, I can. And I will." She smiles reassuringly. "And Mr. someone will pay for what he did. I'll make sure he does." She pats my arm. "I've got to pay him a visit anyway. And you, your mom, and miss Charlotte are going to come with."390Please respect copyright.PENANA6C8MIGKmCE
"Oh, yeah." I turn my head sideways and pull my hair back. Agatha must see it because she gasps.390Please respect copyright.PENANAS05PqnXvD2
"He did not."390Please respect copyright.PENANA1PAAphl2xA
I pull my hand away and nod. "Yes, he did."390Please respect copyright.PENANA80kDXxMIFu
"How many times?"390Please respect copyright.PENANAEdzuYWmuVn
"Twice that I know of."390Please respect copyright.PENANAC4KRz4q7Ua
Mom comes over. "What's going on?"390Please respect copyright.PENANAcOM03OnpF2
Agatha stands up. "Dracula drank her—"390Please respect copyright.PENANApkzLR4xt9x
"Blood."390Please respect copyright.PENANAmT6Bp70mCl
"Yes. She has a scar on her neck."390Please respect copyright.PENANAZDt5VOghwc
Mom sighs slowly. "That mother-effing—"390Please respect copyright.PENANA8zj5EzAvof
"Mom!"390Please respect copyright.PENANAcAz53rgKtT
She looks down at me. "What, sweetie?"390Please respect copyright.PENANAk2NjjjdHUJ
"Please don't curse. I don't like it when you do that."390Please respect copyright.PENANADNVeiDCAnN
"Okay. I'll try my best." She smiles. "For you."390Please respect copyright.PENANAvQqhHEqMPg
I smile back. "I love you, mom."390Please respect copyright.PENANAX7GbAVPB4B
"I love you too, dear."390Please respect copyright.PENANAfwCvfuVdYJ
I stand up and hug her. She hugs me back. I smile. Best mom ever.390Please respect copyright.PENANApuxwYOxiZn