Crimson Moon

“I don't want to choose sides, I'm moving away and you can't make me stay!” Liliana shouted as she snaps a suitcase shut. She have been busy packing her clothes and other necessities after her parents divorced. After attending the court hearing, it was decided that she lives with her mother but now, after all of the troubles, she never wants to see both of them. She never wants to pick sides so she's moving away. “Lily! Lily! Listen to me when I'm talking to you! You're still not 18! I decided where you'll stay, and you'll stay with me!” “No, Mom... I am sorry but I'm moving to Grandma in Transylvania.” “No you're not! I'll... I'll ground you!” “No, Mom... Let me stay with grandma. Maybe, I'll find some peace and quiet there unlike this... Seeing you always quarrel with dad makes my ears bleed.” She refused to listen to her mother and continued walking towards the taxi that she booked earlier. She was already planning the exit. Just as the court hearings commenced these past few weeks, she had already readied a plane ticket to Romania and sent an email to her grandmother Elizabeth, who responded quick. That was her trump card. Fleeing away from a tight situation, this would be the best thing to do. The car arrived at the airport. Liliana stepped inside the plane and sat. 12 hours long. The flight lasted long hours until she can't feel her butt. Browing through the internet, she searched all about Transylvania. But one thing that interests her the most was the blog that wrote about vampires and werewolf sightings. These creatures lifted her spirits the most. Her dad used to tell tales about them every night before she goes to sleep when she was just a kid. Even with an aching butt and sore body from the plane ride, she enjoyed reading the blog instead. Noontime, the air was hot and the sun was already at the highest position in the sky when a plane from Vancouver arrived in Sibiu International Airport. Liliana steps down from the plane breathing the air of her first step to freedom. The lounge of the airport was large but it was neat and decent enough to receive people. From the distance, Liliana saw a large signboard with her name capitalized being waved at by an elderly woman around her 70s. Her eyes glowed in happiness as she rushed up to meet the elder woman who was her grandmother, Elizabeth Van Helsing. “Oh, Liliana! It's been a while... How's my little pumpking doing?” “Stop calling me that grandma, I'm not a four year old anymore... It's embarrassing!” “I just missed you very much dear! You were still four years old since the last time I saw you and now, here you are... All grown up to be a fine, young, woman.” “I'm pretty sure you should've just left out the 'fine' word grandma. Just a young woman but nothing 'fine'." "I see... Is something wrong? Why have you came here to Transylvania all alone? Where's Benedict? Florence? Where are they?" "They're already divorced grandma." "Divorced... I see... I know why you came here... You must be upset, come... I'll cheer you up with some clam chowder at home." "You always know what I love to eat grandma." "Of course, you're my best granddaughter. " Sibiu city was a large city. It consists mainly of buildings and other infrastructures but even though with the modern buildings and designs, old fallen castles stood still by the mountain sides. There is no denying that Romania is very rich in history and there are lots of sightseeing to do. The car was driving at a moderate speed which enabled Liliana to see even more of the sceneries all the way home. As the appearance of the mountains and ruins dissipated and replaced by thick trees of the vast forestlands, Liliana was guessing that her grandmother lived remotely on a village beyond the forests. She rolled down the windshield and peeked at the window. The sign says "Welcome to Elmwood Village". She looked up her phone to search more about the village but her phone battery died. "Shit." she cussed as she tossed the phone back in her bag. "We're almost there child..." It took a fifteen minute ride in order for them to reach Elmwood Village. The car stopped at a shabby two-storey house with walls painted in lime and red roof. The house was well-mainted in terms of appearance but has visibly the old vibes emanating from it. "We're here. Make yourself at home." Grandma Elizabeth welcomed Liliana as she opened the door for her. The outside looks good but it's even more magnificent inside. Liliana stepped inside the house. The smell of books and dust filled her senses and she loved it. Their old house in Wisconsin when she was just four years old gave the same nostalgia to her. She missed those days when her parents were still happy with each other. No arguments, no shouting, no fighting... Just pure happy moments where they were running around the house, playing all day and most of all reading books and stories. She can't help but cry. She missed those days. Holding back her tears, she tries to get a book from a shelf but stopped as she smelled the aroma of the clam chowder coming from the kitchen. "I figured out you're hungry." grandma Elizabeth smiled preparing a bowl of clam chowder on the table. "I sure am grandma." Liliana sat adjacently with her mother on the table and started eating a bowl of clam chowder. The taste was impressive. She remembered the same taste when she was still young. This day brings back all of the nostalgia that she longs for. "This tastes good gradma. I guess you still use the same recipe long before?" "Yes. This was your grandfather's recipe. The true recipe of Van Helsings." "Wow. Would you mind teaching me how to cook like you and grandpa?" "Sure...But clean your hands first before touching anything... " "Yes, grandma." During the whole afternoon, Liliana took cooking lessons from her grandmother. The cooking process was complicated but Liliana was adept at memorizing things in accurate order. In the evening, Liliana was the one who prepared dinner and served her grandmother a honey-roast beefsteak. "I didn't know you can roast beef with honey... By the way, it's extremely tender." "I've learned to cook this from Dad. Mom was an awful cook." "I see so Benedict really takes on the Van Helsings. You cooked the steak perfectly dear. I think you'll surpass being a Van Helsing." "Stop it grandma, you're praising me too much, I'm blushing." "Just kidding. Alright now that dinner's done, I should tuck you to bed." "No bed tucking grandma! I told you, I'm not a four year old anymore!" "Haha! Alright, alright. Well, then... After you've washed the dishes, go to sleep okay?" "Okay." The elderly grandmother helped herself to bed early while Liliana took the initiative to wash the dishes and clean the kitchen herself. The chores didn't bother her in fact, she enjoyed her time with her grandmother. Maybe if she had stayed with her mother in Vancouver, she would've always quarreled with her. She nodded her head... It was the best decision to run away from the noisy and annoying place rather than staying. She turned off the lights, changed her clothes and went to bed. Before she slept, she stared into the nothingness of the ceiling and sometimes imagined of the moon in the sky being large and red at the same time. Outside the window, a bright yellow moon rose up the nightsky... Slowly from the bottom, it began to turn into crimson. Tourists from all over the region of Transylvania enjoyed watching the blood moon rise above the sky. Liliana couldn't believe her eyes. It was a crimson moon! 'I must've hit a jackpot! I'm glad I had decided to take vacation here!' She internally squealed. Her happiness was overflowing when she heard a loud bang coming from the front door on the first storey of the house. Burglary attacks often occur in remote areas where they are located according to a blog that Liliana read on her way to Transylvania so she grabbed the baseball bat from the closet and slowly opened the door of her room to take a peek. Outside, her grandma was holding a crossbow aiming at the large wolves with red furs covering their body. The wolves snarled ready to maul her grandmother when the floor creaked as she slowly stepped outside the door. "No... Way..." "Liliana! Come here!" The pack of wolves consisted of three members. Two of them come at Liliana while the other one kept her grandmother preoccupied. Acting on impulse and panic, Liliana rushed inside her room and tried to shut the door but the force of the wolves were abit strong making her shield her body on the door to shut it. One of the wolves' snout reached up to her arm and sank it's teeth on her. She screamed loudly as the pain jolted from her wound after successfully closing the door. The wound was deep. It almost bit her arm off. It takes a little bit more gnaw and her arm would come off. Blood was still spouting from her exposed flesh making her too weak to stand up. Meanwhile, outside the door... A bloodied crossbow was found on the floor with a mass of flesh being ripped by the wolves into tiny chunks. Elizabeth Van Helsing was no more but a food for the rebellious werewolves. Basking at the moonlight of the crimson moon, Vladimir Dracula soared from his castle and roamed the vast nightsky of Transylvania. It has been 200 years since he last left his castle to roam around unsupervised by the Council of Vampires. "Fate be changed under the blood moon huh? A banshee's cry from afar? What does the oracle even suppose to mean?" He flew across the forest trees and as he was across the hills passing by a human village, he heard a loud scream from inside a village house. "Wait... I hear... The banshee's cry. But I smell something disgusting along with it." Vladimir slowly descended to the house and found the rebellious werewolves devouring a human body. They had claimed another victim once again. This time, it was unlucky that they had to face someone like The Prince of Darkness. "Enjoying the food much? Not getting enough?" The werewolves looked furious. They snarled at Vladimir for disturbing their precious dinner. One wolf hurled to his direction. Vladimir smiled... "You're sure about that?" he waved is hand in the air. The ring from his right hand glowed in bright crimson. From his eyes, emitted a powerful aura. The wolf was then turned into a vat of blood with nothing left but it's bones. "Next." He did the same until the last wolf fell dead suffering the same consequences as the last one. "I smell something other than these wolves here... Someone human but dying..." "He-help me..." Vladimir opened the door from a bedroom with a thrust of his hand and saw a maiden covered in blood with a dying breath. "He-help..." "Young maiden... What do you wish the most right now?" " I wish.... I wish to live..." "If so, you'll give me what I want?" "I don't care... Take what you want... Let me... Live..." "Very well then..."