Chapter 16: The Big Clash
“Okay,” Mom said as we flew over town. “I’ve called your dad, he and Frank are going to meet us at the antique shop to help us stop these Glitters once and for all.”
“Are you sure that’s such a good idea?” I asked.
“Of course, it never hurts to have backup,” Mom said as we flew.
“I mean attacking the antique shop now,” I hesitated. “Maybe we should think about and plan our attack…” I offered.
Mom shook her head. “No thought needed, honey. We swoop in and we deal with them.”
My heart started pounding. I felt so scared and the fact that I was flying didn’t make me feel any better. What if Jimmy’s mom was there? What if Jimmy was there? Luckily (I guess) we were over the building before I could really worry too much.
Mom landed behind the antique shop and I followed her down. Mom looked at her phone. “Your dad and Frank will be here soon,” she said.
“Don’t worry! I’m here!” Grandma said. “I love a good stomping.”
“How can you help, Grandma?” I asked her.
Grandma shook her head. It spun around 350 degrees. She reached up and straightened her head. “I hate when that happens…” She looked at me. “No I can’t physically help but I can coach and cheerlead,” she said. She leaned in and whispered to me. “And I can keep your secret.”
NINA NOTE: When your grandma is a ghost it’s really hard to keep secrets from her!
Mom walked up to the back door and sniffed it. “Yeah, there are Glitters in here alright. Maybe a dozen of them. They could cause so much chaos.”
“Should we wait for Dad and Frank?” I asked, hoping she would say yes. Not really sure why.
Mom blew on the door. It popped open.
“I guess that’s a no…” I said.
Mom glided into the antique shop. I felt the electricity in the air, most of it due to mom’s anticipation. “I do love ripping Glitters apart!” mom said.
I followed mom in. Grandma glided in behind me.
The shop was filled with boxes and paintings and all sorts of assorted items: an old sword, a suit of armor and a shield were the three things that caught my attention. I saw a couple display cases up in the front of the store. These held rings and necklaces, some jade, and a few diamonds. They had to be fairly valuable I thought. The thing was...I didn’t see any Glitters.
“Are they here?” I asked.
Mom sniffed the air again. “Yes, of course, they are…”
A long glittering vine reached up from the floor and wrapped itself around my leg. Then another shot up. Then another and another and another.
Mom and I found ourselves totally wrapped up in glittering vines.
“Okay, never mind, found them…” I said, remaining surprisingly calm.
Nina Note: I really had no idea why I wasn’t scared out of my mind. I mean come on; I had vines from Glitters holding me down trying to squash me. Yet, either my vampire or tiger blood (or both) kicked in. I felt calm. Okay, not so much calm as confident. I knew there was no way these things could hold mom and me. Not like this. In fact, the only real fear I had right now was that Jimmy and his mom would arrive and see this.
“I’ve got to admit this is a new form of attack,” Mom said. “I’m almost impressed.”
“Are you two going to chat or fight?” Grandma asked.
“I believe we can do both!” mom replied.
Mom bent down, curling her back like a cat, a very angry cat. Grabbing at the vines she shredded and peeled them off her legs.
A blood-curdling scream ripped through the air. Mom had hurt the Glitters badly.
Taking a different approach, I bent my knees and started to drop to the floor, the vines wrapped around me loosened. I leapt up to the ceiling ripping myself out of their grasp.
I came down to the floor like a cat: claws and fangs out. “Let’s play!” I told the Glitters that were now hovering around us like angry glittering storm clouds.
Mom and I stood back to back as the Glitters swarmed around us. I’d never seen mom so happy. So filled with life and energy.
“We so have this!” Mom said.
I heard an electric zapping sound. Mom dropped to the floor, jerking her body like a fish out of water. I smelled electricity in the air. I saw mental prongs sticking out of mom’s back.
I turned around and saw Jimmy standing next to a short blonde woman holding the biggest stun rifle I had ever seen.
“How dare you break into my store!” the lady screamed at me.
“I’ve got to admit I’m disappointed too,” Jimmy told me.
“Oh my, this just got ugly real fast,” Grandma said.
Nina Note: Yeah, grandma summed up this situation really well. Mom and I could handle these Glitters...but the Glitters and Jimmy and his mom would be challenging. And this couldn’t have looked good to Jimmy. I didn’t even know how I could explain it to him with the Glitters now most likely clouding his judgment.
Sometimes being a vampire weretiger really isn’t as fun as it should be!
Chapter 17: No Words
“Jimmy I can explain,” I said.
“See James I told you, you can’t trust vampires!” Jimmy’s mom said. “The cute ones are always the ones who are the sneakiest.”
“That’s so sweet how she thinks you are cute,” Grandma told me.
“Grandma not now!” I said loudly.
Jimmy’s mom grinned. “So, the ghost of your grandmother is here. You truly are a powerful one.”
“She thinks you are pretty and powerful,” Grandma said. “See this isn’t so bad.”
“Now I have to make sure I imprison you and your mother for eternity!” Jimmy’s mom said.
“Okay, guess it is kind of bad,” Grandma said.
“Mom, there has to be a reasonable explanation for this,” Jimmy said glancing at me with hopeful eyes.
“There is! There is!” I said quickly. “There are creatures here! Bad creatures! They love causing chaos! The Glitters.”
“DO NOT HEED HER WORDS!” the Glitters all screamed at once.
Jimmy’s mom pointed her weapon at me. “It will be fun getting rid of you too!” she sneered now under the influence of the Glitters.
Jimmy put his hand on the weapon and tried to force it down. “Mom, I like this girl.”
Grandma put her hands under her chin. “Ah, it’s so sweet that he’s sweet on you.” A slight delay. “Too bad his mom wants to shock you. Well, truth be told, I didn’t think much of your mom at first either!”’
“Not helping, Grandma,” I told her.
Jimmy’s mom easily pulled the gun away from his grasp.
“Mom! Have you been working out?” Jimmy said as he struggled with the stun gun.
She pulled the trigger.
I saw the bolt firing from the weapon. I could see the energy crackling around it. I leapt across the room over the bolt. Crashing into Jimmy’s mom, I pulled the weapon from her hand. I stood up and snapped the weapon in two. I growled. “Believe me you don’t want to make me angrier!”
“See, she’s a monster!”
“YES, YES, SHE IS A HORRIBLE MONSTER!” the Glitters all moaned.
“Yes, she’s a HORRIBLE monster,” Jimmy’s mom insisted.
“Look, Jimmy, I’m not the monster!” I said pointing upwards. “It’s those Glitters! They are affecting her and you!”
Jimmy looked around squinting. “Sorry, Nixy I don’t see anything…” he said.
“Ah, he calls you Nixy!” Grandma said. “I like this boy. Too bad his mom wants you gone and he thinks you are a nutcase!”
“Yeah, that does complicate the relationship,” I told grandma.
“SEE SHE TALKS TO THE DEAD!” the Glitters moaned. “She is a complete wacko. She must be stopped.”
“She talks to the dead!” Jimmy’s mother told him. “We have to stop her!”
Jimmy pulled a stun rod out from under his jacket. He flipped the
switch. The tip crackled with electricity.
“THAT’S OUR BOY!” the Glitters said.
“That’s our boy!” Jimmy’s mom said.
“Our boy?” Jimmy questioned.
“Jimmy, that’s the Glitters talking through her!” I said.
Jimmy turned to me. “I want to believe you, Nixy. I really do!”
“Oh, that’s so sweet!” Grandma said.
Jimmy lunged at me with the stun stick. I dodged out of the way.
“Okay, maybe not so sweet!” Grandma told me.
Grabbing Jimmy’s arm with one hand. I reached for the stun stick with the other. Jimmy pushed the button. About a thousand volts of energy jolted through us both.
“Oh, Jimmy not a good move…” I said, ignoring the pain.
Jimmy fell to the ground shaking violently.
I dropped down to my knees to comfort him.
“Wow, impressive,” Grandma said. “Yep, you definitely have some of my and your father’s spunk in you.”
Putting my hand gently on Jimmy’s chest I held him down trying to stop his convulsions.
“Breathe Jimmy, breathe!” I said.
Jimmy stopped his twitching. He smiled up at me. “Man, Nixy, you really are a shocking girl!” he said.
I leaned over and kissed him on his forehead. Not sure why. It just seemed like the thing to do.
“Ya know honey, I’m as romantic as the next ghost, but I wouldn’t be smooching in a room filled with Glitters,” Grandma told me.
“I loved that kiss but she did make an excellent point,” Jimmy said with a silly grin on his face.
“Wait you heard that?” Grandma and I both said.
Jimmy pushed himself up. “Apparently so…” he pointed at the ceiling. “Oh, those glittery, yet blurry cloudy things are all around.” He grinned. “Those must be the Glitters.”
“OH NO!” all the Glitters said.
I smiled and turned towards the Glitters...my claws and fangs both came out. “Game over Glitters!”
“YOU ARE YOUNG AND STRONG BUT FAR OUTNUMBERED AND YOUR MOTHER IS DOWN!” they screamed.
A bolt of energy hit one of the Glitters. The Glitter exploded into nothingness.
Across the room, I saw Dad and Frank standing there, wearing helmets with eye shields. The both also held long metal rods connected to a backpack energy source.
“Took you long enough to get here!” I told them.
“Sorry, honey,” Dad said. “Had to make sure we were properly protected against the Glitters. We don’t have you or your mom’s vampire DNA! Wanted to make sure they didn’t make us do anything crazy.”
Dad and Frank opened up, fire-blasting Glitters with white energy beams from their metal rods.”
“Save some for me!” I yelled.
I leapt into the air swiping at the fleeing Glitters with both hands. I enjoyed the feeling of my claws cutting through them. They were a weird mix of gas and glitter.
A few of the Glitters raced towards the ceiling. Dad and Frank cut them each down with quick blasts.
I dropped to the floor claws still at the ready.
Dad took out his iPhone and scanned the area. “You can relax! They are all gone!” Dad told us.
I helped Jimmy up. “That was awesome!” he said.
Mom came too and offered Jimmy’s mom a hand. “I still don’t trust you monster!” Jimmy’s mom barked. “You’re all monsters!” she insisted.
“My head feels so much clearer now,” Jimmy said.
“That’s because that witch has some sort of control over you!” Jimmy’s mom insisted.
“Ah, she’s a vampire weretiger, not a witch,” Frank said. “Witches manipulate magical energy while vampires generate their own mental energy. It’s all quite cool.”
Nina Note: Only Frank can be both naïve and smart at the same time.
Jimmy’s mom and my mom both stood up at the same time. “Quite a jolt you hit me with Pam,” my mom complained.
“How do you know my name? Did you read my mind?” Pam barked at mom.
Mom shook her head. “No, I studied you before we came here. We came to help stop the Glitters. I knew there would be hunters here for them to mess with.”
Pam thrust a finger at my mom. “You!” she pointed at me. “And her! You are the ones messing with our minds.” Then she pointed at Jimmy. “Well, his mind.”
“Mom I actually see things clearly now!” Jimmy insisted. “These people are here to help us. Those Glitters creatures. I could feel that they are up to no good.”
“The Glitters feed on chaos,” Dad said. “If we didn’t stop them here they would keep multiplying and causing chaos all around the world. We gave them a serious setback today!”
Dad walked up to Jimmy’s mom slowly with open arms. “Look, Pam, we are all on the same side here.
Jimmy’s mom reached into her shirt and pulled out a long knife with a shimmering blade and a handle lined with jade ornaments.
“The Blade of Much Strength,” Dad said in awe.
“Yes,” she said. “There are advantages to running an antique store. You find some quite valuable items.” She waved the blade at dad. “This blade can destroy a vampire.”
Dad nodded. “True, but I am not a vampire…”
Pam laughed. “The blade is also lined with silver which means it can kill a werebeing too!”
Dad shook his head again. “Yes, I figured that out.”
Jimmy’s mom slashed at Dad. Dad backflipped away from her out of her reach.
“Wow, dad great move!” I said.
Jimmy’s mom turned quickly in one fluid motion she flicked the knife at me.
“No!” Jimmy shouted, leaping in front to shield me.
I grabbed Jimmy with one arm holding him over my head out of the knife’s path. Reaching across my body with my other arm I caught the knife by its handle, a good quarter of an inch before it made contact with my throat.
Dropping the knife on the ground I shattered it with my heel. “Stop this nonsense!” I shouted.
Mrs. Chaser dropped to her knees. “My boy, I attacked my boy.”
Lowering Jimmy to the ground I reassured her. “He’s fine.”
Jimmy looked at me and mouthed, “Thank you.” He went and kneeled down next to his mom.
“Mom, I’m fine,” Jimmy said. “Nina saved me.”
“You would have sacrificed yourself for her?” Mrs. Chaser said, her eyes wet with tears.
Jimmy nodded. “She’s innocent mom. They are all. They aren’t our enemies.”
“There are monsters and threats in this world, Pam,” Mom told her, “but we ARE on the same side.”
Pam pushed herself to her feet. “I believe that my son believes you mean well. I’m still not sure. But I am willing to give you a chance.”
“Thanks, Mrs. Chaser that’s all we ask,” I told her.
“I will let you all live. Under one condition, that Jimmy and Nina only see each other in school and nowhere else. They can be acquaintances nothing more.”
“Agreed,” Mom said.
“Mom!” I protested.
Mom put a finger in my face. “Nixy, it’s one thing cooperating and sharing intelligence with monster hunters but I will not have you dating one!”
Mrs. Chaser nodded. “I agree. Our family and kind have been enemies for centuries!”
“Yes,” Mom agreed.
“But maybe we can fix that now?” I said.
“Yeah!” Jimmy said looking into my eyes.
Dad put his arm around me. “Maybe, but centuries of mistrust won’t be undone in one night.”
Nina Note: After kissing Jimmy I wasn’t at all sure of that, but I wasn’t going to push it. Not now.
“Agreed,” Mrs. Chaser said. Pointing to the door. “Now please get out of my shop.”
Jimmy and I gave each other polite little waves.
Mom took my arm and dragged me out. “Kissing a monster hunter! If my mother had seen this she would be so angry!”
“Well your mother is like a thousand years old,” Grandma said.
“Nobody asked you!” Mom huffed.
Nina Note: Well, I guess it could have been worse. My family and Jimmy and his mom stopped the Glitters for now. We might not be on the best of terms as families but at least we don't completely hate each other now. I guess that’s a start. Can I be just buddies with Jimmy? I guess I don’t have much choice.
Chapter 18: Monday Morning
On Monday morning, I was told by Mom that from now on Frank and I would be driven to school. Aunt Mika was going to take us with her. I asked Mika if Ruby could join us and Mika was cool with that.
Riding to school, Frank sat in the front while Ruby and I sat in the backseat.
“Thanks for letting Ruby come with us, Aunt M,” I said,
I saw Aunt Mika grin in the rearview mirror. “Hey, Ruby’s a cool kid and she helped find the dark mummies. As far as Ms. Anna and I are concerned she is part of the team.”
“So there are more bad monsters to fight?” Ruby asked.
Mika nodded. “Yes, Ms. Anna senses many more coming and she is a powerful wizard...I wouldn’t doubt her at all.”
“Oh cool!” Ruby said.
“You’re a weird BFF, Ruby,” I told her with a nudge.
“Yeah I know,” Ruby chuckled. She looked at me. “Are you really going to avoid Jimmy?”
“You don’t mess with my mom,” I said.
Frank nodded. “His mom looked pretty serious too. Who knows what other weapons she has in her antique shop.”
Nina Note: I didn’t like this idea at all, but I also didn’t like the idea of my mom being angry with me. And I didn’t think Jimmy would want to go against his mom. After all, she was all he had. It had been just them for a while. I couldn’t blame him. Also, his mom did attack me. Sure she was probably recovering from the Glitter influence, but still… I think the Glitters’ influence might be like real hypnosis...like on the TV shows where you can’t make somebody do something they don’t really want to do.
My Crazy Life Page 8
