The Alternative Adventures of Vladimir Dracula

The Count landed in the castle and sped to Ingrid's room to lay her on her bed before racing back to where he had left Vlad. He looked at his son and moved his face into different angles. He let go of his son's face and stopped studying it.

"What happened there, Vladimir?" asked the Count. Vlad looked at his dad confused. The Count gestured at his crossbow and raised his eyebrow. Vlad looked down wondering what his father could be suggesting. Why was he angry at me for finally being on board with vampirism? He just wanted to get rid of their sworn enemy. "Vlad, what happened when you drank the concoction your grandparents gave you?" he asked. Vlad looked up at his dad and clenched his jaw.

"Nothing Dad. I am the same old Vlad you know and love," muttered Vlad. The Count turned his head to look outside the window and realised the night was coming to an end.

"If you say so. It has been a long night. I must rest," said the Count before turning away and leaving. Vlad watched his dad walk away before going to his room. As he walked up the stairs, he wondered whether he could be called the same Vlad. He looked in the mirror in his room and his reflection had not gone away yet. He lay on his bed closing his eyes knowing that in a few days, he needed to go to school.

Robin was scared. His only friend had been MIA for days now. He hadn't seen him nor was he allowed in the castle. He knew his friend was safe he could still see the Count or Renfield whenever he tried to go up to the castle before he was shooed away. Could Vlad have abandoned him? Robin was used to being avoided because of his quirks but he had thought that being a vampire was slightly weirder than liking knew something was wrong. He and Chloe were Vlad's only friends. Why would he forsake him to be alone. Even the Count has warmed up to them. He hasn't threatened to bite them in weeks. Robin looked at the castle and took out his dad's grappling hook and threw it to Vlad's window. He braced himself and took a moment to compose himself. He grabbed the rope and pulled himself upwards. He climbed to the top before climbing in. He walked up to the bed and tried to shake Vlad awake. All he could hear was a whimpering before taking the blanket off the body. Robin fell over himself in shock and audibly gasped.

"Zoltan?" Robin whispered. The whimpers grew louder and louder as if answering yes and begging to help him. Robin shushed him knowing that if they grew too loud then the Count might wake up. He went towards the bed and saw the stuffed hell hound and saw him tied up and muzzled. Robin carefully untied him and set him back on his dolly and brushed off all the dust that went on his clothes. He then took off the muzzle and waited for Zoltan to get his bearings and ask him questions but Zoltan beat him to it.

"Vlad is going after Van Helsing! He's going to kill him!" shouted the wolf. Robin looked at him in shock. Why would Vlad kill anyone. Vlad is the most harmless person he knew and yet he was planning to kill his woodwork teacher. Before he could ponder anymore, he heard a bloodcurdling scream come from downstairs and a familiar one at that. He ran towards the noise with his cape flowing behind him. He ran into the crypt where he knew the Count was and stopped himself at his coffin where he looked at it in shock. The coffin was closed shut with weird smelling metal chains on it. He tried to pull at the restraints but couldn't get it to budge.

"Count, are you okay?" asked Robin hurriedly.

"Of course I'm not okay. My own son locked me in!" screamed the Count. Robin jumped back at the loud scream. "How could he? THE TREACHOROUS FIEND! I'm so proud of him," exclaimed the Dracula patriarch. Robin looked at the coffin before deciding to leave and get Renfield to help the Count. Robin ran towards the stairs of the crypt before noticing another coffin with rope on it. This one had a complicated knot on it that wrapped around the coffin. Robin fiddled with the knot before finding a broken glass shard that seemed to come from a bottle. The shard had a metallic smell and a red tint. Robin realised that it must've been blood. The shard seemed sharp enough to get tear the rope and Robin got to work. Surprisingly the rope was incredibly more resistant that it took Robin minutes to cut it fully. He opened the coffin and Renfield was there and unconscious. Robin began to panic had to check if he was still breathing and luckily he still had breath left in his body. There was no wounds on him and yet he wouldn't wake. Then it hit Robin. He was hypnotised. Robin quickly started to snap his fingers and Renfield jumped awake somehow hitting his head on coffin lid that hadn't fully opened falling back to sleep

"You really are an idiot aren't ya?" cringed Robin. Robin left the castle knowing that that he couldn't waste any more time. He knew that Vlad was gonna do something that he might regret.

Mr Van Helsing was pissed. He sat there wondering why he failed. Why he had hesitated. Why he felt pangs of guilt all over his body when he thought of letting the girl die. She was a bloodsucker. He turned his head to his son and smiled. That was why. He wasn't going to leave his son to kill one measly fledgeling especially one that hadn't come into their powers. He still was annoyed but he smiled and asked his son if he wanted pizza for dinner today. Jonathan looked at his dad up and down but nodded carefully.

"So no slaying today, Dad?" Jonno asked tentatively. Eric Van Helsing nodded. Today they were Eric and Jonathan, father and son, woodwork teacher and secondary school student. Nothing more. Eric walked out of the caravan unaware of the eyes watching him, waiting for one slip-up to end his life.

Robin knocked on the door of the Van Helsing home. He waited for Mr Van Helsing but was greeted by his classmate Jonno. He looked at Jonathan and waited for him to close his mouth before he asked where his dad was.

"So where is your dad then?" said Robin. Jonathan answered with pizza. Robin knew in the town of Stokely there was only one pizza place to go to. He thanked Jonathan and ran off before Jonathan stopped him.

"Here take my bike," offered Jonathan. Robin smiled at him and said thanks. He rode off with haste knowing that he was Vlad's only chance unless Renfield woke up to free the Count which was as likely as Mr Van Helsing giving up slaying the Count. Hopefully he would make it there in time.