Zing!

Chapter 3: The Little Village

"Alright, Johnny. I can take you as far as the old graveyard before we're in new territory." Elisabeth led the way along the old back path that very few people had ever walked along. Then a thought popped into her head. I have to tell him a bit about my background if I'm going to be exploring with him. "Johnny I need to tell you something important."

"Umm... okay... what is it?" Johnny didn't seem to be too happy about the serious note in her voice.

"I'm not actually 27."

"That doesn't really matter to me." Johnny relaxed.

"This might. I'm not 27... I'm 207." Lis put out her hands and caught Jonathan's shoulders as she quickly said, "Please-don't-freak-out!"

"I'm not freaking out." Johnny looked extremely spooked.

He's freaking out. "I'm sorry. I wouldn't have told you this if I wasn't forced to."

Johnny regained his senses. "So is there anything else I should know about you?" Johnny took a step back as Lis let her hands fall.

"You should probably know I'm the daughter of a witch and a vampire and I can see and speak with ghosts." I shouldn't have told him that. If the town finds out! I'll be burnt at the stake! I must trust this dude a lot. "Please don't judge me or call me crazy."

"Alright, man. Let's just keep going."

Johnny was taking pictures of simple things like giant spiders as he followed Lis who led the way in silence to the old graveyard. "So, does being the daughter of a vampire make you a vampire?" asked Johnny.

"Usually. But I never got fangs so there isn't any blood lust. Plus the witch is more prominent." Lis paused. "Wait, you're not freaked?"

"Nah. It's actually pretty cool. So can you turn into a bat? Or do you just do the witch thing?"

"I've never tried to change shape. We're here." Lis turned to the old man's hanging tree. "Hello, Mr. McCoy."

"Long time no see," called the old ghost man.

I guess it won't be long before he reincarnates. That child must have already, I don't see him.  Then she looked into the distance. That's funny, I don't remember another village. "Hey, Johnny! Do you see that?" Lis turned around to see him spacing off. "Jonathan!" Elisabeth yelled to get his attention and snapped her fingers. Johnny just looked at Lis. Lis rolled her eyes. "I'm going to go check out that village. I'll call you if I need you. For now just stay here and do something. Be productive if you can."

"Cool. I'll make some supper. They gave me some sandwich stuff before we left."

Lis set off down the hill to a village she had never seen before. When she arrived at what seemed to be the only street in this little town she found it empty except for one girl. The girl wore a black dress over red and black leggings and red converse shoes. She had black hair, blue eyes, and an ageless facial structure similar to Elisabeth's own.

At that moment the girl, oblivious to Lis standing there, called out, "Uh... Hello? Anybody out there?"

Lis was about to try to get the girl's attention when something smashed into her. Lis didn't see what, or who, it was that smashed into her. She just had a brief sensation of flying before falling to the ground inside a locked wooden shed. Her glasses fell off and she could see nothing for the dark was so thick that it was almost tangible, but she could hear everything that was happening.

"Vampire! Bite toes!" yelled someone

What's that? Humans don't say things like that!

"Oh! Hi, humans. Everything okay? My name is Mavis Dracula, and I..."

A Dracula? Her mind was screaming as she tried to find her glasses.

"Vampire! Burn clothes!"

Mavis yelled in fear, "Burn my clothes? Really? Um..."

"Vampire! We'll take your candy. Candy!"

This makes no sense! Aha! I found them!  Lis put her glasses on.

"I'm friendly. I really am. Calm down, now."

"Candy."

"I just wanted to say hi. Please. I've never hurt anyone. I'm home schooled. Is that garlic?" The young girl gasped. "Holy rabies, you're on fire. Can I do anything? Can I help you? Dad was right... Dad was right." Then there was a flutter of small leathery wings.

Then a deep voice with a thick Romanian accent spoke up. "It worked. Now my baby will be safe forever. All right, everybody, get back to work now."

Whatever he said next was drowned out by a ringing in Elisabeth's pocket. She took out the old cell phone. "Y'llo? Who is this?"

"It's Johnny. Where are you?"

"I got locked in a shed. Come down here."

"Where is 'here'?

"Hold on." Lis set her phone on the ground and planted her feet. Then she raised her arms out straight in front of her body and yelled, "Alohomora Portaberto Sesame!" The door caught fire and burnt to ash with a loud bang in mere seconds. She picked up the phone. "Follow the guys on fire."

"That was cool. I'll be there in a minute."

"Hurry." Lis snapped her phone shut. That may have been a bit too much to open a wooden door.

Johnny was there in no time. "Sweet! Let's follow them!"

"Let's go. But if we die, it's your head," Lis teased as they set off.