Vampire Lodge

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Kevin thought his heart would stop when he looked up fearfully at the figure. And beside him, Jimmy’s teeth were chattering.

Then, the figure stepped forward.

“What’s with you guys anyway? I’ve been looking all over for you.”

Kevin and Jimmy both sighed in relief when they recognized Wally’s voice.

“We were just walking around,” Kevin said.

“Walking around where?” Wally questioned.

“Just around back—”

“And we saw bats!” Jimmy added.

Wally frowned, his long hair blowing in the wind. “Bats can’t hurt you, but you kids shouldn’t be wandering around out here in the dark. Besides, it looks like it’s going to start raining again any minute. We get a lot of storms around here this time of year.” Wally paused to brush some of his hair out of his eyes. “Anyway, your aunt sent me out to look for you, says she wants you to come inside now.”

“Okay,” Kevin said.

They followed Wally back into the lodge through the big front door, back into the warmth of the foyer. Kevin hoped Wally didn’t notice that they were scared. He’d tell Becky and she’d laugh her head off! he felt certain. But he had to admit, it was kind of scary back there behind the dark building, with the bats squeaking above their heads.

Kevin took off his jacket and was about to hang it up in the foyer closet when he took notice of the painting hanging there, the first one he’d seen this morning.

The Count Arrives with his Servants and Treasure, he reread the title along the bottom. For some reason the painting looked even spookier now. The coffin and box of gold in the rowboat, and the glassy-eyed, blank-faced men working the oars and guiding the boat through foamy waves. Then Kevin saw something he hadn’t noticed when he’d first seen the painting. Way in the background was the same sailing ship, on fire.

The Scrimm, Kevin remembered from the other paintings. That’s the name of the ship that The Count came in on. The Scrimm…

“In here, kids,” Aunt Carolyn called out from the hearth room. “The popcorn’s almost ready.”

“Popcorn!” Jimmy exclaimed. “That sounds good to me.”

It sounded good to Kevin too, but he wondered what the occasion could be. Ah, I know, he realized then. Aunt Carolyn’s going to tell us about the local vampire legend!

This was just what Kevin had been waiting for. They went into the hearth room and sat down on the big, plush couches surrounding the fireplace. “Be careful,” Aunt Carolyn warned, placing several large bowls of popcorn in front of them. “It’s very hot.”

“This is great,” Jimmy said.

Yeah, Kevin thought, but let’s get on with the story.

“Where’s Wally?” Becky complained from the opposite couch. Naturally she chose to sit as far away from the boys as she could. “Isn’t he staying?”

“No, I’m afraid not, dear,” Aunt Carolyn informed her. “Wally’s still got a lot of work to do now.”

Kevin raised a brow. A lot of work? This late? It sounded funny. He saw on the mantle clock that it was almost ten p.m. now. What kind of work would Wally have to do this late at night? he wondered suspiciously.

Aunt Carolyn sat down in the big leather armchair to the side of the fireplace. The light behind her left her almost completely in shadow; Kevin could barely see her, just vague features.

The mantle-clock ticked steadily, and the rain started again, pelting the windows. The fire crackled, its moving lances of flame shifting like bright-yellow tails, turning the entire hearth room into a dark, creepy chamber of jumping shadows.

Jimmy and Becky munched popcorn as they waited, but Kevin completely forgot about it, and about everything else that had happened today—he was too excited about hearing the legend. I wonder if the legend has anything to do with all those weird paintings I found, he asked himself. The Count, The Scrimm, those blank-faced men…

“All right,” Aunt Carolyn announced from her shadowed chair. “I guess it’s time now—”

And at that very instant, the three kids jumped in their seats, as a loud belt of lightning cracked in the sky.

“It’s time,” Aunt Carolyn went on, “for me to tell you about The Count…”