Location: Whitby, England Year: 2043481Please respect copyright.PENANAXyRjnB8tgl
Nightingale's point of view481Please respect copyright.PENANAVfQUydPDaB
"Nightingale, what are you doing up so early? It's 12:30 in the morning."481Please respect copyright.PENANAg3n6BGvkJj
I turn around. "Mom, I'm twelve years old. Can I not go out for a walk?"481Please respect copyright.PENANAkhK3dowlMl
"At this time of night?"481Please respect copyright.PENANAcDiYSbhl8o
"Mom, I'm undead. I'm a nightly person. Or, I should say monster."481Please respect copyright.PENANANGa6klCQRV
"Sweetie, you're not—"481Please respect copyright.PENANAzSu83idlGA
I slam the door shut and breathe in the night air. It's been so long since I've been outside. Since I was maybe two or three. So I haven't been outside for nine or ten years. I walk across the yard to the road. I turn on the road and walk for about 500 feet. Then, I break into a run. As I get closer and closer to my destination, I get faster. By the time I'm halfway there, I'm sprinting. Mom and I live in a brand-new house that's two miles from the Jonathan Harker Foundation. Then, it's another half mile to the beach. That's my destination. The beach. It takes me only five minutes to arrive. I stop right before I touch the sand. I slip off my shoes and poke the sand with my toe on my right foot. I put my entire foot on the sand. Then, I lay my other foot on the sand slowly and bury my feet in the sand.481Please respect copyright.PENANAAU7CdN05SI
"Oh, I love that feeling. The sand slowly running through my toes. And this is the first time I've ever done this." I smile slowly. I run to the shoreline and stop. I look down. I poke the water with my toe. I put both feet in the water slowly and sigh. I smile and let down my hair. I hold the ribbon in the air and let it go. I let my hair blow in the wind and let the waves splash on my feet.481Please respect copyright.PENANAd6WfNUdmtY
"Woohoo! This is amazing!" Suddenly, I see movement to my right. I look over and see a man step out of the water. My eyes widen. He's the first man I've seen in my life since I was at least two. He smooths back his hair and smiles. I tilt my head and look at him, confused. Who is he?481Please respect copyright.PENANADf2d3PgCKh
Samual's point of view481Please respect copyright.PENANAkhhrmekJBW
I step out of the water as I hear someone yelling. I smooth back my hair and smile. This. Just like Dracula. I look to my right and spot a girl looking at me with her head tilted and a curious look on her face. She's absolutely beautiful. I walk over to her and she turns and runs. She picks up her little night gown and grabs some shoes. I stop. She stops and looks back. She sets her shoes down and sits on the rock. I slowly approach her and sit on the rock beside her.481Please respect copyright.PENANAstpRp5Jeti
"What are you doing out so early?" I ask. "You look awfully young to be out here alone. And there doesn't seem to be any vehicles or adults around."481Please respect copyright.PENANApkelOm7YJo
She just gazes at me. She lifts her hand up and touches my nose.481Please respect copyright.PENANAdX1kYChPtz
"What was that for?"481Please respect copyright.PENANAGoa8E4BjKq
"You're the first man I've seen since I was at least two."481Please respect copyright.PENANAoZjoSWYOin
"You're kidding." I sigh. "That's insane."481Please respect copyright.PENANAbiFy1hd1oH
"Or, at least, as far back as I can remember."481Please respect copyright.PENANAmKL9lwudjG
"How old are you?"481Please respect copyright.PENANAYGIiOVIv55
"Twelve. I'm turning thirteen on November 14th of this year."
"My birthday's in November also."481Please respect copyright.PENANAzofIsImhqH
She tilts her head. "Is it really?"481Please respect copyright.PENANAHLau8FPIYg
"Yes. I'll be turning 421 this year."481Please respect copyright.PENANAc1UYZxJvfF
She gasps. "You are not."481Please respect copyright.PENANAkOKBihvB7F
"I am." I smile.481Please respect copyright.PENANAWwqNVelhHr
"You're a vampire aren't you?"481Please respect copyright.PENANAaf3ZXUtmO1
"Maybe."481Please respect copyright.PENANAW79CunEyRK
"Oh, shut up."481Please respect copyright.PENANAy1e4da74Pf
"Oh, fine. Yes, I'm a vampire. Or, basically, undead." I sigh and look at the beach. "What's your name? Your full name?"481Please respect copyright.PENANAwXrCHw6brB
"Oh. I, um … Mom told me not to tell that to people I don't know."481Please respect copyright.PENANAaDsZVJovpx
"Well, I'm Samual." I smile. "And plus, you already told me your age. What difference is it going to make?"481Please respect copyright.PENANANvBgbAIegJ
She sighs. "Alright. My name is Nightingale Starr Dracula." She gazes at the ocean. "I was born undead. Mom won't tell me who my father is. She said that as a baby, I cried for him and that my first word was dad." She sighs again. "Sometimes, of a night, I get visions of some man. I don't dare tell mom. I don't want her to get suspicious or something. I've asked her several times who my father is, but she just clams up and doesn't say anything when I do. I don't know what to do. She said that he lives in Romania. I've been thinking about trying to go there, but I'm only twelve. I also haven't been outside since I was at least two."481Please respect copyright.PENANAtQyc2YgffF
"Then how do you do school?"
"Mom homeschools me."481Please respect copyright.PENANA6kDq65kkPm
"You said your name was Nightingale Starr Dracula, correct?"481Please respect copyright.PENANAa0lYUATJGm
"Yes. I did."481Please respect copyright.PENANA9OYjvDS4mP
"Oh my God."481Please respect copyright.PENANA7eb7yDz8hw
Nightingale's point of view481Please respect copyright.PENANAc0Io497Uze
He looks at me. "How is this even possible?"481Please respect copyright.PENANAgmxCDuhI03
"How is what even possible?"481Please respect copyright.PENANAWMKb504T3x
"Are you sure that's who you are?"481Please respect copyright.PENANABdutE6Jw58
"Yes. What's wrong?"481Please respect copyright.PENANARIPDvFEiJ9
Suddenly he says words I thought I'd never hear come out of a man's mouth. Especially one I just met.481Please respect copyright.PENANAbdUnXZJzfb
"I know who your father is."481Please respect copyright.PENANA7zMVs5Xtrz
I jump up. "No, no. That's not possible. There's no way. That's not …" I turn and run back home. There's just no way. After 1,500 feet, I stop and turn around. He's just standing there. With my shoes in his hand. I gasp. My shoes! I start to take a step forward and change my mind. I turn around and keep running home. It's almost sunrise. I've got to get inside before the sun comes up. I see my house in the distance. I run through the yard and race to the back door. I open the door, dart inside and kick the door shut just as the sun streaks across the backyard. I get up off the floor and race into my bedroom. I shut the door and lean against it. I sigh. Suddenly, the doorbell rings. Oh, crap. He followed me here. I groan. And mom's off today. I open the door slowly and peek my head out. I open the door the rest of the way and quickly go into the kitchen just as mom opens the door.
"Hello?" She looks at the man.481Please respect copyright.PENANASbsRQZHGix
I go to take a step forward and stop. Sunlight. I back up and look at mom.481Please respect copyright.PENANAR0JKB9KJL4
She gasps. "Samual?"481Please respect copyright.PENANAYv0Mf6RxpA
He looks at her. "Nikki?"481Please respect copyright.PENANAvn57N90kvm
"What are you doing here?" She looks at his hand. "Why do you have her shoes?"481Please respect copyright.PENANAWuiPJwt90y
"She left them at the beach."481Please respect copyright.PENANAymwGAdFMHW
She looks at me. "The beach?! What have I told you about going there? Nightingale, the Harker foundation is out there. Do you realize what they'll do if they find you? They could do anything." She sighs. "Do you know what? No more going outside. I forbid you from going outside until you move out, young lady. I'm not having this. Not happening. Go to your room. Now. I'll bring you your shoes later."481Please respect copyright.PENANAQ7BjIPMRPl
"What? But mom—"481Please respect copyright.PENANA4ilxru0KIW
"No, I won't hear of it."481Please respect copyright.PENANARaJLmvYYjr
"Fine. I'll never come out then. Never. Not even to eat. If you won't let me enjoy myself, then fine. I'll isolate myself."481Please respect copyright.PENANAJz69c8AyCk
"Sweetie, you—"481Please respect copyright.PENANAydm0J0wEZF
"No! I'm twelve years old, mom! Twelve! I've stayed inside for ten fricken years! And God forbid, you wouldn't even tell me who my father is! What the heck?! Do you not want me to know anything?!"481Please respect copyright.PENANA15mw5RmxeL
"That's not what I—"
"I'm done! D-O-N-E! Done!" I turn away and storm off to my room. I slam the door as hard as I can and scream until my throat hurts. Then, I slide down my door and pull my knees close. I sob onto my knees. Ten minutes later, I hear a knock on my door. "Go away!"481Please respect copyright.PENANAX93YcL8TQY
I hear mom sigh and set something down. She walks away and I hear a door shut in the distance. I sigh.481Please respect copyright.PENANASPbtlJGlTf