Mina and the Count: Episode 3

Four years passed reasonably quietly where trouble is concerned. Mina grew quickly, her body changing very slightly with each passing year. She had calmed her bounciness but was still nonetheless one of the most excitable girls in school. The Count liked that very much but still was glad he didn't have to pin her to the floor every time she wouldn't listen.
With her years spent with the Count, Mina had developed a fond taste of his clothing and the general macabre. Her nails were painted glossy black and although she never wore makeup (except on special occasions) none of it would help disguise her preference to the night. Her skin was pale and her eyes were dark.
She was becoming more like the Count every day.
On this day however, she was sat with the Count at his gothic castle, watching an old movie of Frankenstein.  Even when they weren't playing together she enjoyed his company; the gentle touch that betrayed his century long hidden gentle nature, the softness that was hidden behind his perpetual dark and age-weary eyes. All this was for the love of a girl he had once mistakenly tried to feed from brought out the tenderness in him.
Whenever he could spare time away from feeding, he spent it with Mina always. He had let her in on his secret, now she understood what he was and how real a danger he could pose to any who would seek to harm her.
Igor was finding it hard to understand his master's attachment to the human. He missed all the obvious signs of affection as he only saw his master's true nature despite his unhealthy affection for Mina. However, instead of voicing his opinions, as he knew it would only earn him a torrent of physical pain, he silently tidied up after every game. The Count often seemed to forget what time it was, just as he sometimes forgot that Mina was indeed human and had a human life to lead.
"Master, it is almost dawn. Should Mina not be going home before her parents wake?" The Count looked over at Igor then over at the window. The sky was slowly beginning to lighten from the usual calm black into the fiery heat of dawn. He sighed before nodding. As he was about to speak to Mina he looked down to find her asleep on his lap. Her breath was slow and quiet, she looked so peaceful. A small loving smile crept onto his face as he stroked her dark red hair out of her eyes. A tiny smile slipped onto her lips as his cool gentle fingers brushed her skin.
He looked over at Igor with a fixed and determined expression. "Igor, drive her home in the hearse. The vindow is open in her bedroom. Use the ladder in the back." Igor rolled his eyes as his master picked Mina up and held her safely in his arms.

In the morning Mina was to find that she was back home. The thought of being brought back to reality was slightly depressing for her until she remembered it was a special school day.
Dissection day.
There were three groups and each had to dissect the animal they had been given. One group had been given a dead frog; one had been given a dead rat and Mina's group had been given a dead spider. From its size and hairy features Mina could tell it was a tarantula. Unlike most girls the sight did not make her skin crawl. But unfortunately Mina's group consisted of herself, Nick and Martha who feinted at the sight of its fat hairy body pinned to the tray. Mina bent to fan Martha back into consciousness whilst Nick entertained himself by mutilating the spider beyond recognition.
Nick retired to the 'bathroom' when he got bored, so Mina and Martha were left alone with the poor mutilated creature. When Mina returned her gaze to the tray she felt slightly sick at the sight. Instead of leaving it as Martha had to rush to the bathroom, hand over mouth and stomach all the way, Mina decided to try and bring it back to life, out of pity. As silly as she thought it might sound she copied as closely as she could what Dr. Frankenstein had done. She made sure no one was watching before beginning.

By the time class had ended the spider was back in one piece. All Mina had to do was use the electricity to resurrect the spider. She hid the spider in her bag before she left with everyone else and rushed as quickly as she could towards the generator room below ground level. She was as careful as possible when handling a large wire connecting to the generator. She cut the rubber off the wire and dropped the spider on top of the live wire. Electricity flew up in an explosion of sparks before the generator completely shorted out.
Mina looked timidly back at the spot where she had left the spider expecting to see it toasted on the ground. Instead in its place was a monstrous nightmare of a creature ten times its original size. All eight of its soulless eyes glowed vermillion and focussed them on her it's deadly pincers snapped and clicked. Mina shrieked and fled at top speed back up the stairs to the hallway as it scuttled after her into the corridor teaming with people wondering around blindly like sheep.
Soon the backup generator was on and the lights flashed back to life. The giant tarantula was on the ceiling in full view of the crowd, staring down at them all. Everyone scattered with shrieks of panic. Being small Mina was easily pushed here and there, unable to get far at all.

It did not take long for reporters to investigate the source of panic. Two hours had passed and the flow of children and staff began to slow to a trickle until it stopped. Igor sat lazily watching the panic on the small TV until a short sentence penetrated his tiny brain. "...a young girl by the name of Mina Harper was reported to have started this panic by letting loose a tarantula into the school's generator room..."
Igor leapt off the couch and took no time in waking up his master.  "Master come quick!" he yelled urgently, banging on the coffin lid. The lid flew off as though a hurricane wind had taken it and a fist shot out of the coffin, grabbing Igor's grubby shirt and pulled him towards an extremely irritated vampire.
His eyes burned with anger, "this had better be good" he warned before reluctantly flinging him across the room.
When he saw what Igor had seen he was grimly determined to risk burning in the sunlight in order to save Mina.
"We have to get to school. But I'd rather not travel in broad daylight."
"The hearse master, the hearse!"  Igor bounced as well as he could on his one properly functioning leg and surged towards their only safe transportation.

Being in a coffin inside a hearse as it rattled along the road was not one of the Count's favourite experiences. After weaving through traffic it spun round and soon crashed through the weak outside gym doors and flung him out anyway. Landing steadily on his feet the Count gracefully ran through the school, deftly avoiding windows to find Mina as not all students had gotten out. Some were still trapped inside where thick webs barred all exits. The webs were everywhere he looked; the hall's walls were invisible in places under the thick white rope. By the time the Count had found Mina the sky outside had grown dim.
A herd of stampeding students fled towards him at top speed, he only just managed to transform into a bat and fly out of range before he was trampled. Mina unfortunately was running in the opposite direction and was looking over her shoulder at her attacker and didn't notice the frightened herd of people headed towards her, so deep was her panic. The Count dropped behind the crowd and resumed his form in order to call out to her but it was too late.
Mina turned at the last minute and disappeared beneath dozens of feet as they mercilessly trampled over her small and helpless body. When the crowd passed she was lying on her front unconscious, her head was bruised and bleeding in places where she had been kicked repeatedly. The source of her panic caused the crowd to scatter into adjacent doors to the hall. The giant tarantula ignored them as it had found its target. It reared onto its four back legs and shot its web straight at her. The white mist hardened and engulfed Mina's entire body. As soon as it had her secure it dragged her into the library. "Mina!" the Count cried out desperately as he hurtled after it.
It became busy as it wrapped her up tightly in its cocoon of web. The Count launched his attack before the creature had time to think, his sharp nails cut through its web connecting it to Mina. It fell to the floor with a squeal and launched a counter attack. Webs flew at him and he only just managed to form into mist before it stuck. The Count snaked his way over to Mina and carried her out of its sight, freeing her head from the web so she could breathe properly, though she was still unconscious.
The spider sighted his reformation and leapt at him, its pincers aimed at his throat. The Count swiftly twisted and caught the creature's front legs halting its attack. Its pincers snapped angrily inches from his face and just as it was about to lunge the Count kicked the spider into a half broken bookcase. It landed on a sharp splinter, impaling itself and died squealing in agony.
Finally the Count's dark eyes turned towards Mina's still body. She couldn't be dead, he told himself. He leant over her and felt her pulse, she was still alive and her eyes opened at his touch. "Don't do that to me Mina" he sighed half laughing. He cut the rest of the web from her so she could stand, though he wouldn't let her until he was sure she hadn't received a concussion. Staring into her dark brown eyes he saw they were focussed. She was fine.
She held him tightly, so glad he's saved her as she always knew he would. He removed her hands from his neck and picked her up and settled her in his arms. "Did you reassemble that spider and resurrect him?" he asked her raising an eyebrow.
She nodded guiltily. "Yes."
He laughed and leant his head against hers. "I'm so proud of you" he said happily. The crowd had been let out and the school was empty, so the Count carried her back to his Hearse where Igor was waiting to take them home.