Families

by Katrina Kahler

  Adra really did get the best of me. She totally outsmarted me. She knew I would use my super vamp hearing and she set me up. She played me like a two-string fiddle. (Yeah, that's a saying.) Yes, I am harping on this. I guess I kind of really liked being unique…being the only vampire in school. Well, I figured I could take some pride in still being the only half-vampire, half-weretiger around. Probably the only one in the world. But really, my DNA wasn't what made me...me. I was me because of my brain, my personality, and my feelings. Plus, my experiences. Those all made me. I needed to remember that we were all unique. We all had our own skills that we could use to make our marks on the world.

  Chapter 6: Welcome Home

  The moment we arrived home, Mumford opened the door.

  “I have prepared brownies, fruit, and drinks for you all. They are waiting in the dining room,” Mumford told us.

  “Mumford, you’re a good man,” I told him.

  “Actually, I am a woman,” Mumford said.

  “Wait! What?” I stuttered.

  “Just kidding,” he teased.

  “Wait, how did you know Ruby and Jimmy would be joining us?” I asked.

  “A good butler mummy knows stuff,” Mumford said.

  Gomer popped up. “My gnome scout told me, and I passed the information on.”

  “You have gnome scouts?” I asked Gomer.

  He nodded readily. “Of course. The gnomes you see in people’s front yards all work for me. We replaced all the fake statues with the real thing. The neighborhood is truly safer now.”

  Walking into the formal dining room, I noticed the smell of freshly baked brownies, freshly picked fruits, and sweet juice.

  “Yum!” Jimmy said, rubbing his stomach. “You weren’t kidding about Mumford. The mummy can really cook.”

  “Well, it is a special occasion,” Mumford said. We could see him smiling through the bandages.

  “How is it special?” Jimmy asked.

  “Because we are home!” Mom announced, walking into the room with Dad. They still had parkas on, but I assumed that was just for show.

  Running up, I hugged both of them. “I’m so glad you guys are home.”

  “I missed you guys, too!” Frank said, lifting all three of us off the ground with a giant bear hug.

  “Yeppers, the neighborhood wasn’t the same without you!” Ruby clapped cheerfully.

  Looking over my shoulder at Jimmy, I saw him gulp. He slowly took a step back.

  “Freeze, boy!” Mom ordered. “You are not going anywhere.”

  “Yes, sir…ma’am,” Jimmy stammered.

  Mom smiled. “I’m starting to see what you like about this boy; he takes orders well. That’s a good sign in a human.”

  “Thank you, ma’am,” Jimmy said.

  Dad laughed. “Liza honey, ease up on the poor boy, he’s scared of you.”

  “As well he should be,” Mom said. “I can be a very scary lady. And he does come from a line of vampire hunters.”

  Jimmy nodded. “Yes ma’am, I am very scared of you. In fact, I suddenly, very urgently need to go to the bathroom….”

  “There is no reason to be THAT afraid,” Dad assured Jimmy. He kissed my mom. “Liza’s bark is usually worse than her bite. And we have learned to accept you as part of our kids’ lives.” He looked my mom in the eyes. “Right, honey?”

  Mom stared at Jimmy.

  “Honey, please answer. We don't want this poor boy to wet himself in our house. Remember, we’re trying to encourage vampires and vampire hunters to cooperate, so we have a better brighter world…in case the glitters come back!”

  Mom forced a smile. Or at least pretended to force a smile. “You are always welcome in our house, Jimmy boy,” Mom said.

  Jimmy stood there, arms and legs crossed. "Th... thank you, ma'am."

  “Now, Mumford, show this boy to the downstairs guest bathroom before he explodes,” Mom ordered.

  “Yes, ma’am,” Mumford said. He tapped Jimmy on the shoulder. “This way, sir.”

  Jimmy hurriedly followed Mumford. Well…moving as fast as he could while keeping his legs close together.

  “Could he actually explode from holding pee in?” Frank asked.

  “No!” Dad, Ruby and I all answered.

  “Phew,” Frank said.

  “Not unless I wanted him too,” Mom said.

  Dad looked at Mom with raised eyebrows.

  “I tease! I tease!” Mom insisted. “Now let’s sit, eat, and be merry because we are back in a nice warm house.”

  “How was the North Pole?” Ruby asked Dad, barely able to contain herself.

  “The research facilities there were top notch!” Dad said. “Such a wonderful experience, especially when the northern lights were out.”

  “Did you see Santa while you were there?” Frank asked eagerly.

  Ruby smiled politely.

  “Yes, of course, but only a little bit. Your dad gets jealous of my friendship with him,” Mom said with a grin.

  “Say what now?” Ruby gulped. “Santa exists and is a vampire?”

  Mom laughed. “Actually, he’s a druid. A very old but wise and giving druid.”

  “And I am not jealous!” Dad said, crossing his arms. “Mr. Claus sends out positive giving vibes to the world. Vibes the world really needs. I could never be jealous of that.”

  Jimmy walked back into the room. “What did I miss?” he asked.

  “Santa is really real,” Ruby gushed.

  Jimmy grabbed a big brownie and sat down. "Yeah, of course he is. He consults with my mom and Ms. Elena via their agency from time to time. The guy is way old and knows a LOT of stuff. Of course, different cultures call him different things. He's a force of good in the world."

  Mom smiled at Jimmy. For the first time, this was a smile of approval...not of mocking. “Very good, Jimmy,” she said. “I'm glad you are aware of such things.”

  “Thank you, ma’am,” he said.

  “Please call me Mrs. Thorn or Doctor Thorn,” Mom told him.

  “Is it okay if I stick with ma’am, ma’am?” Jimmy still sounded extremely nervous.

  Mom smiled, again with a warm smile. “Of course!” Mom turned her attention to me. Her smile straightened. “I hear through the gnome vine that the Anagal family is in town.”

  “Oh, they are brilliant doctors!” Dad said.

  “Then you’ve heard of them?” I asked.

  Mom nodded. “Yes, their family line rivals us in age and therefore power. We’ve met at conventions, both medical and supernatural. We’ve chatted a few times. We are always polite with each other.”

  “You trust them?” I asked.

  Mom thought for the moment. “They are working for the hospital and for Elena's organization.”

  “Say what?” Jimmy asked. “I didn’t know about that!”

  “Probably above your clearance level kid,” Dad commented. “We’ve heard they want to do what they can to improve relationships between supernatural beings and regular people. Just in case the glitters, ninjas, or something else reappears.”

  “That is actually wise,” Mom said.

  “Why weren’t we asked to help with that?” I queried.

  “Oh, we were,” Dad said. “But your mom said no.”

  “Honey, I don’t work well with others,” Mom explained. “If I showed up at their headquarters and Elena tried to give me an order...well, things would get ugly. I said we might be willing to consult, but that was it. I guess they went with a different option.”

  “Do you trust the Anagal family?” I asked her.

  Mom took a sip of tomato juice. “Honey, I trust them as much as I do anybody else who I don’t know very well. I give them the benefit of the doubt. They have given me no reason not to trust them. Sure, they aren’t relatives or blood, but some of our relatives can be real twits!” Mom concluded. “What’s their daughter like, anyway?” she added as an afterthought.

  “Smart and very athletic!” I said.

  “And r
eally pretty!” Frank added.

  “Well, you should trust her…unless she gives you a reason not to trust her,” Dad said.

  “Just don’t turn your back on her,” Mom frowned.

  “I’m curious, who do you think is attacking the mummies and upsetting the vultures?” Mumford asked.

  Mom shrugged. “Not sure, it could be any number of supernatural beings. It could even be the humans trying to get us to fight. But I see no reason why the Anagals would be responsible.”

  Nina Note: It felt great to have Mom and Dad back from the pole. The house never seemed quite right if they weren’t home. I also felt glad that mom had slowly begun to accept Jimmy as a part of my life. At least she could tolerate him as one of my friends. I figured that's where things would have to stay for now.

  As for the bigger picture, why the Anagals were here and who was responsible for attacking mummies...Mom and Dad didn’t seem to have any special insight. It could very well be that Adra and her family were just here to help. It would certainly be beneficial to all if humans and supernatural beings got along well. The only ones who wouldn’t like that would be the older vampire hunters….

  Chapter 7: Granny Advice

  I sat in my room thinking. I truly wanted to believe that there was room in this town for two supernatural families. It didn’t make any sense to me that Adra or her family would be causing trouble for me. It had to be something or somebody else. Right?

  I got a text from Ruby.

  RUBY: Don’t worry

  NINA: What?

  RUBY: I know u! Ur worried

  NINA: Just a little

  RUBY: We’ll figure this out

  NINA: What do u think of Adra?

  RUBY: She’s smart, pretty, good at sports. I should h8 her!

  NINA: But…

  RUBY: She’s likable

  NINA: My gut tells me she's innocent in all this

  RUBY: Trust the gut

  RUBY: CU in the AM!

  “You silly kids and your texting this and that, just making up words. Like you are too busy to type two more letters,” Grandma Jasmine said from above.

  Glancing up, I saw her hovering over my bed. Grandma J. was the last thing I needed at that moment. I felt certain she had a strong opinion on the Anagal family.

  Then, my other grandma, Grandma T. popped in. “Jasmine, can’t you just leave the girl alone with her thoughts for a while. Can’t you see she needs some quiet time?”

  I liked Grandma T. Even though she was a ghost, she understood me better than many living people. She certainly understood me better than Grandma Jasmine.

  “We are her grandmas; she needs our guidance. Especially now!” Grandma Jasmine insisted.

  “We shouldn’t butt in unless she asks!” Grandma Thorn insisted back.

  “She’s a kid! What is she? Like...10?” Grandma J. countered.

  “I’m almost 14,” I told her.

  “Or 2 in dog years!” Grandma T. said. Sometimes I think the ghost part of her brain took over.

  “She’s still very, very young and naïve,” Grandma J. said with her arms crossed. “She needs my wisdom, my guidance, my brain.”

  “What about me?” Grandma Thorn asked.

  “You can tell her stuff, and she can do the opposite. After all, you did end up dead,” Grandma Jasmine said coolly.

  “I’m a mortal; we die.” Grandma Thorn replied.

  Grandma Jasmine rolled her eyes. “Sounds like loser talk to me.”

  “Grandmas, stop fighting!” I shouted. I moved to pound on my desk, but I stopped myself. I needed restraint. I knew they both meant well in their own weird ways.

  “Sorry, dear,” Grandma Thorn said.

  “Why so testy?” Grandma Jasmine asked me. “Oh, right. You’re dealing with a new vampire girl.”

  “And an annoying grandma,” Grandma Thorn said.

  “True, you are pretty annoying,” Grandma Jasmine countered.

  I took a deep calming breath. If history has taught me anything, it's that they won't leave until I let them talk and give me their advice. “What do you two think of the Anagals?” I asked.

  “See now, that wasn’t so hard. Was it?” Grandma Jasmine said.

  Grandma Thorn tried to answer my question. “Honey, I’ve heard of the Anagals. But being dead and all, I have never met them personally. Speaking from past experiences though, a lot of vampires can be…well,” she looked at Grandma Jasmine, “egotistical fools who think they are superior to everybody and everything else.”

  “That's because we are!” Grandma Jasmine said, proving Grandma Thorn's point.

  “Not helpful, Grandma Jasmine,” I scolded.

  Grandma Jasmine lowered herself to the ground. She smiled. “I like it when you show some teeth. I have dealt with the Anagals on various occasions. Their bloodline is far different from ours. We have had many a spirited argument over which family is better and has more power. But, Nina dear, there is a rivalry between us. Mostly friendly, but still a rivalry. I have no idea what Adra is like. Although I’ve heard that she is quite lovely.”

  “Do you think she would try to make life hard for me here? Attack mummies and vultures and blame those attacks on me?”

  “Well, I would,” Grandma Jasmine admitted. “But I am old school.”

  “And somewhat evil,” Grandma Thorn said.

  “Driven,” Grandma Jasmine corrected.

  “I say trust her, but with caution,” Grandma Thorn told me. “Even if both of you weren’t supernatural, I believe there would still be a rivalry between you two alpha females.”

  “Not terrible advice," Grandma Jasmine added. “Just never turn your back on her.”

  “Until I know I can trust her,” I said.

  “Nope, never. She’s a full-fledged vampire. Never turn your back on one of them unless they are blood. And even then, make sure you know them well before you even half turn!” Grandma Jasmine told me as seriously as she has ever said anything.

  “So does that include you, too?” Grandma Thorn asked sarcastically.

  “Well, yes, I guess,” Grandma Jasmine said slowly. She smiled. “But now Nina knows me well enough to at least consider turning her back on me.”

  “Plus, I have tiger senses,” I said. “I sense things even better than a normal vampire.”

  “See, you have nothing to worry about!” Grandma Jasmine said.

  “I actually agree with that!” Grandma Thorn nodded.

  Wow, now that might have been a first. My two very different grandmas sort of agreed on something. Of course, what they agreed on was very vague. But still, it was a start.

  Pointing to my door (even though I knew neither of them would use the door), I coaxed. “Now, out…please. I need to get some sleep.”

  Nina Note: I actually decided to take my grandmas’ advice and give Adra the benefit of the doubt. It certainly would be nice to have another supernatural ally. After all, in the last year alone we’d already come up against glitters, gremlins, and phantom ninjas. The more friends I had, the better. I certainly didn’t need or want another enemy.

  Like Ruby always said… ‘hope for the best but plan for the worst!’

  Chapter 8: Going Batty

  “What’s happening now?” I asked. I stood alone in a thick dark forest. Dressed in my pajamas, I walked barefoot down a bumpy path. “Okay, I’m fairly certain this is a dream,” I said to myself. “A weird, dark, twisted dream,” I concluded.

  The sky above me grew even darker. Turning my head upwards, I saw the sky filled with bats...big, fanged bats.

  “Oh, that can’t be good,” I moaned.

  “It is not. It is bad, Bad, BAD! We are going to drive you bat batty!” the bats all bellowed at once.

  They swooped down at me. Instead of cowering though, I let my fangs and claws out. I started channeling energy through my body. Not sure how I did that, but it felt good. Without even knowing how...I shot out a blast of raw energy fire from my hands into the charging and swa
rming bats. The energy spilled through the middle of the pack, pretty much disintegrating half of them.

  The remaining bats screamed at me in fury and agony. They swooped down at me. Swinging at the bats with my claws, I hit them, sending them flying away. The force from my blow created a sort of gale-force wind, knocking many of the other bats over.

  The few remaining bats grabbed my hair. They started pulling themselves up. “You cannot defeat us that easily!” the bats screamed with their wings, flapping frantically.

  “Yeah, we’ll see about that!” I said, slashing away at each of the bats, one after the other.

  They tried to get in my face and in my hair. I reacted too fast, swatting most of them to the ground. They hit the ground, squirmed and then bounced back up. Some flew off; others leaped back at me only to be thrown on the ground again.

  “Are you guys batty?” I asked. “Can’t you see you’re outmatched?”

  “For now, yes,” one of the bats screamed. “But look up, look up to the sky. There are hundreds, no, thousands of us, and we will keep coming. Knock one of us down, and three more will appear! Sooner or later you will….”

  Reaching out, I grabbed the screaming bat with my hand. “I will what?”

  Surprisingly, the bat replied, “You will awaken!”

  I shot up in my bed, covered with a cold sweat. There, standing on the end of my bed was a lone small, red-eyed bat. “Yo!” the bat said to me. “Having a nightmare?”

  Wiping some sweat from my forehead, I replied, “Not really sure. It seemed real.”

  “Your mind is strong!” the bat said. “That’s a good sign.”

  “Ah, thanks.”

  The bat appeared to sniff my feet. “Your feet smell good. Another good sign.”

  “Ah, weird, but thanks,” I told the bat.

  “Am I still dreaming?” I asked.

  The bat bent down and bit me on the toe!

  “Yikes!” I yelled, pulling my leg into my body. “What’s the big idea?”

  “I wanted to show you that you weren’t dreaming. Unless of course, you believe life is but a dream? Which some do. I’m sort of from the school of… I think; therefore, I am!”