A vampire in Hometown - Vlad pt 5

I didn't sleep well the first few nights after finally meeting Vlad. How did he get in my house? Didn't vampires need to be invited? I pondered the greater significance of monsters and bedrooms and nighttime over breakfast.

"How's the battle against Closet Monster, Ellybean?" Dad ruffled my hair, startling me from my thoughts.

"There's a vampire in my bedroom."

"Closet Monster is a vampire?" Dad looked puzzled.

"No. Closet Monster is a closet monster. There's also a vampire in my bedroom."

My brother snorted from across the table. He was 11. Nothing seemed to scare him. Dad just looked more confused.

"So, Ella, what are you saying? That your bedroom is infested with monsters?" Dad pulled his mustache and took a sip of coffee.

"No. Just Closet Monster and Vlad."

"Your vampire has a name?!" My brother thought that was hysterical.

"You have a name too, stupidhead."

"Ella!" Dad's voice was a warning. I pushed away my cereal bowl and left the table. I could head my brother asking Dad where I got my imagination from as I stomped down to my room to get dressed.

My bedroom was always colder than every other room in the house. Now that I'm an adult I know that's because I kept my door closed all the time and the air didn't circulate well. But it was creepy to go into my room and feel a noticeable drop in temperature. I tossed open the closet door bravely, and the fished around for a sweater in the entirely benign daytime closet.

I wondered if Vlad was just my imagination. If that was the case, I wouldn't be able to touch him. I resolved to do just that after dark.

When bedtime came, Mum tucked me in and kissed my forehead.

"Don't let the vampires bite." She was teasing. She wasn't taking me seriously. No sooner had she pulled my bedroom door shut than Vlad shimmied out from under my bed.

"I didn't know you were the Under The Bed Monster."

"I'm not, really. You don't have one of those. It's a handy place to spend the day though."

"Can I touch you?" I stared him down. He reached out and smoothed my hair. He felt very real. I touched his hand as he pulled it away, just to be sure.

"How did you get inside without an invitation?"

"The house was vacant before you moved in. I moved in during that time."

"What do you eat?"

"Ella, you do not want to know these things."

"But you won't eat me?"

"Nyet. Ella, children do not suit my taste."

"Why Hometown?"

"The weather suits me. It's dark for long parts of the year. It's cold, reminds me of home."

"Why didn't you stay in Russia?"

"The government is not kind to my type. Besides, there is a little girl who needs me here."

"How old are you?"

"Well, I have 2 ages. I have been a vampire for almost three hundred years. But I was made a vampire when I was just a young man. So I will look like a young man forever."

"You look like a movie star."

Vlad laughed, patted my head and snugged the blankets around me.