Bumping Back

      And how do I know for sure, you ask? Because I, being the totally ignorant fool that I am, -- was --, left my window open and my door unlocked one balmy summer evening. Boy, would I live to regret that decision. To make a long story short, I thought it was my Floud that was making the quiet, whimpering sounds at my window so I, of course, say "It's okay, Janice, c'mon in and let me cuddle you."

      After that, pretty much everything becomes a blur. Most likely because my mind doesn't want to remember, and the fact that I blacked out after viewing those pearly whites inhabiting the mouth of the devious Count von Roo.

      (Who, by the way, prefers to be called Bo around his confidants. Bo? What evil villain calls himself, Bo?)

      Anyway, back to that faithful night, I blacked out and next thing I know I'm surrounded by a bunch of strangers; strangers who thankfully did not wear way too much black eye liner and were not, pardon the pun, deathly pale.

      "Welcome back," a purple-eyed Acara named Aloha said with a red-lipsticked smile that seemed genuine. "Are you feeling okay? You want to tell us who you are?"

      "Yeah, who are you, Cybunny?" This came from a tough looking dark blue Gelert leaning against the kitchen counter. His name was Haley (and no, it's not his real name). He was wearing a black fedora on his head and a black leather jacket that had certainly seen better days. The wearer however, hadn't. "You know, you're not lookin' all that good. Your baby blues are seriously blood-shot." It took me a minute to figure out that he was talking about my eyes.

      "Where am I?" I moaned. I sat up carefully; my body hurt so much, I could feel at the tips of my red hair, from sleeping on the hard, carpeted floor.

      "You're at Luna House, on the outskirts of the Haunted Woods. It is where we ... nocturnal ones live," a pretty red Kacheek decided. Her name was Damita, and once upon a time she was a princess but she's been around so long that she's tired of telling people about her past. "Now, who are you, Sweetpea?"

      "My name is Kara. Why am I here? Did you guys find me? Because I don't remember ever leaving my house last night--" And that is when it finally hit me. "Something's happened to me! What happened?"

      "Yeah, something has happened, Sweetpea. You've been what we call, 'blessed.' It's going to take some getting used to but you'll come around sometime."

      "Come around to what?!" I was in total freak out mode. This was me; Kara, the Cybunny with a head full of long, wavy dark red locks which contrasted with my delicate white fur, and the baby green (not blue) eyes. I was supposed to be at the theatre this morning for an early rehearsal but I guess that I was never going to make it.

      "Sweetpea, you're dead. Well, undead." Just like that my life was changed forever. Or, more accurately, my sanity was changed forever. "And you're a special one, too. The count himself picked you out."

      "Picked me out?" Had they been watching me? Oh, boy, was that a terrible thought. "The count?" I squeaked, terrified of the answer.

      "Count von Roo, of course." At this point I was thinking that they were crazy stalkers of some kind, and that I really needed to get out of there. So, I bolted for the door and yanked it open. As sunlight spilled over me, my arm exploded into flames, causing me to run back inside to dunk it under some cold water.

      "What've you done to me?" I cried, from the sink. (Yes, I was crying but you would too if your arm spontaneously combusted.)

      "Again," Damita huffed, "you're a blood-sucking vampire. You are the living dead. THE Count von Roo blessed you! Consider yourself unique and out of the ordinary. I was the last one he chose to bless and that was a very long time ago, let me assure you."

      "V-v-vampire? I c-can't be a v-v-vampire!" Oh my Fyora, I was stuttering. Never a good sign because I always stutter when I'm afraid and not sure what to do. I never stutter when I'm on stage and singing. Singing is my passion, and the rehearsal I had this morning was going to be my big break. I slid to the floor and broke out into gut-retching sobs at the thought.

      At that point, Damita, Aloha and Haley rushed over and tried to comfort me. Well, Damita and Aloha did; Haley just stood off to the side and handed tissue boxes to us when needed. When I finally calmed down, they introduced themselves as the inner circle of Count von Roo's court.

      Damita, as I said before, was once a princess but that gig had ended a long, long time ago. She seemed to be the leader and she immediately took me under her wing; heck, I didn't even notice when she started calling me 'Sweetpea'. She explained quite firmly that, yes, I was a vampire and no, I couldn't deny it because no one sees normal pets walk about in the sunshine and instantly become a large campfire without the help of magic or a Death Ray. Aloha jabbed Haley in the ribs when he chuckled at Damita's words.

      Now Haley, he had changed his name after being turned, wanting to start a new life, and was going solo until meeting good old Bo. He says the leather jacket and fedora are his trademarks, leftovers from his first crime, but I have a sneaking suspicion that they are his fashion statements. Which he must have paid for.

      Then there's Aloha, a fun-loving Acara who was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. She won't tell anyone what her age is (when I say age I mean her immortal age) or when she was 'blessed'. She looks to be around my young age but I'm not going to dare ask her what her real age is. Supposedly she was the one who nicknamed von Roo, 'Bo'.

      Anyhow, after I stopped freaking out, I sort of accepted the fact that I was one of the living dead but not just ANY undead person, I was a vampire sired by Count von Roo. Goody. (To this day, I still don't get what's so good about it.) Nonetheless, I was gone from the life I knew to this "unlife" I had to get used to. Surprisingly, it actually grows on you in a good way.

      So, long story short, I am an evil vampire. Okay, a singing vampire who's only a little annoying when irritated but you better beware of my connections!

      And don't worry, if you leave your window open, I won't be the one to take you from it. But I warn you, I am part of what goes bump in the night; I suggest you don't bump back.

The End