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Tony Thompson was having the weird vampire dream again.
It seemed so real, as though he was really there, floating in his bed, watching. And every time he had the dream the same thing happened.
It took place on a high cliff overlooking the ocean. A rising full moon seemed about to be hit by a comet. A tall, pale vampire with sad eyes stood on the cliff, staring out to sea, while over his head, on a long chain, he spun a humming circle of gold.
Summoned by the signal, other vampires flew in from all sides until thirty or forty or fifty were gathered on the cliff. They all wore strange old-fashioned clothes, like those in library books about Shakespeare's time. There were a few children, some about Tony's age, which was eight.
When everyone seemed to have arrived, the leader stopped spinning and caught the gold object in his hand. It was a fabulous golden amulet on a chain that flashed with starlight. A curved outer section was engraved with strange symbols. Set into its center was a brilliant red jewel that glowed with hidden power.
As the comet approached the moon, a woman standing next to the leader turned and smiled, her sharp vampire teeth sparkling, and said, "Frederick, the clan is gathered, and it is time."
"Yes, Freda," said Frederick. "It is time." And the same simple ceremony unfolded.
Frederick took a deep breath and held the amulet up in the air. The moon turned red. A sizzling bright beam danced from the joined comet and the moon to bathe all the waiting vampires with red light the color of blood.
"Ab ovo," Frederick intoned as the other vampires gazed blissfully toward the sky. "Nil desperandum."
In Tony's dreams, everytime Frederick got to that point, the same thing happened: the deep thumping of horses' hooves pounding the turf interrupted the ceremony.
All the vampires turned. The flaming torches of a fearsomely large wooden cart appeared out of the mist. Drawn by two huge horses whose hooves kicked up black clods of earth, the cart was heavily laden with antivampire weapons — bows and silver arrows, stakes and mallets and spades.
A massive bearded vampire hunter clothed in furs drove the frenzied horses on with terrible cries. A sinister necklace made from sharp fangs danced at his neck.
The hunter lifted a massive sword as he thundered closer.
"It's Rookery!" shouted Frederick. "Fly! Fly for the hills!"
Some of the other vampires scattered, rising into the air or transforming themselves into bats. Others, including one young boy, always stood their ground and bared their terrifying teeth in defiance.
"You must flee!" said Frederick as he stepped forward alone, toward the advancing threat.
Rookery bore down on Frederick, ignoring the boy and the others. He leaped from his cart, his eyes glinting with greed, his hands reaching out for the fabulous jewel.
Frederick held the amulet high as they fought, struggling backward and forward, forward and backward, and with one last great effort Rookery got a hand on his prize.
Spungg!!
The red stone burst out of its setting in the amulet and soared high in the air, twisting and glittering as it flew over the cliff edge. Frederick was left with just the golden outer section on its chain.
Usually at this point Tony woke up.
Tonight was different.
Suddenly he was floating just above the surface of the foaming, choppy sea as the jewel hit the water with a sizzling splash and disappeared toward the bottom, its red glow fading as it sank out of sight.
"Von!" came a shrieking cry from above. "Von, don't!"
Tony turned and looked up to the cliffs.
A dashing young vampire — Von — dived off the cliff, swooping after the stone, straight down toward Tony.
Eyes wide, cloak flapping, teeth bared, Von was going to crash right onto the bed!
Suddenly scared, Tony hid under the bedclothes just in time.
Bang!
Tony sat bolt upright in the darkness, shouting. He felt sweaty and uncomfortable, his hair sticking straight up. What a nightmare!
Lightning flashed, followed by another loud bang. Rain tapped at the windows like bony fingers.
Tony turned on his bedside light and put on his glasses.
He was glad to find he really was in his own bed in his own room, with his own teddy bear, and everything was as normal as it could be when you've just moved to a new house.
Suitcases and trunks were scattered around his room. Some of his stuff was already unpacked and spread about. Every day the place seemed a little more like home. Photos of his friends back in San Diego were mounted on the wall, next to a poster of Sammy Sosa. A signed football sat on the mantel alongside several robots that gleamed like protective guards.
Tony liked to remember the happy, sunny days in California, but they seemed far away now that he was living in a damp old castle in the middle of a storm in the cold wilds of Scotland.
The wind howled and rattled the window. Tony shivered. Maybe some ancient ghostie was trying to get in. Another flash of lightning cracked the sky, and the thunder seemed to burst right above his head.
That was it. He leaped out of bed and ran as fast as he could out the door and down the dark corridor to his parents' room, hoping that if he was quick enough no horrible thing would catch him with its cold hands and squeeze his neck.
"Waah!" he cried, pushing open his parents' door and rushing in. "Mom!" he shouted breathlessly.
Crash! He tripped over a huge bag of golf clubs and fell sprawling on the floor, sending the clubs clattering noisily.
Tony's mother, Dottie Thompson, sat straight up in bed. She shook her husband, Bob.
"Ryder Cup!" said Bob suddenly, woken from a dream.
Dottie shook him again. "I heard burglars!" she whispered loudly.
"Wuhh?" said Bob, his voice thick with sleep. Dottie turned on her bedside light. Their room, too, was full of boxes and half-unpacked suitcases.
"Only thunder," Bob mumbled.
A tousled little head appeared at the end of their bed, looking scared.
"Umm, hi, Mom," said Tony.
"Tony!" Dottie exclaimed. "What are you doing down there?"
"Mom, Dad, the vampires are back!"
"What?" said Bob.
"Was it another nightmare?" Dottie asked kindly, patting the bedcovers beside her. "Here, c'mon."
Tony gratefully trotted around to her side of the bed. "Mom, I think the house is haunted!"
"This is ridiculous. Do you know what time I have to get up?" Bob complained. "And I was just about to hit the winning putt, too."
Blearily he watched his son climb onto the bed. "Tony, you're too old to act like this."
Dottie put her arms around Tony encouragingly. "Don't worry, hon."
"Mom, do you like it here?" Tony asked her.
Bob sighed theatrically and turned his back on them, puffing up his pillow loudly. Dottie briefly glared at him, stroking Tony's hair affectionately.
"It's a big change for you, I know," she said, turning off the light. "It's a new house, in a strange country. But a lot of kids would love the chance to live here."
Tony nestled in his mother's arms. He was just beginning to feel a bit safer from evil monsters when the wind whistled again.
"Hear that?" he said.
"Hush, now," said Dottie.
"It's just the wind," said Bob.
"Or the undead! They're in trouble!" Tony cried.
"Tony!" said Bob. "If I don't get some sleep, I will be one of the undead!"
"Dad's right," said Dottie. "Try to sleep now, hon."
"Yeah. And no more dreaming!"
But Tony couldn't sleep. He stared into space, thinking.
Why was he always dreaming of vampires?
Copyright © 2000 by New Line Productions, Inc.
