Giving Way to the Light

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen:

We all turned in our seats and I'm pretty sure everyone in the room lit up with joy.

"Dennisovitch!" Dracula said, and for the first time since I had met him, I saw a smile light up his face. I don't know how he could have resisted. I know very few people who could look at a kid this cute and not smile.

Standing in the doorway with the red haired young man, Johnny, and a young woman with Dracula's striking blue eyes, was a little boy no older than five years of age. He was sporting a bush of red curly hair, the cutest little fangs I had ever seen, and the same blue, blue eyes as all the other Dracula's in the room.

"Come, have a seat!" Dracula said enthusiastically, pulling out the chair beside him for what I assumed was his daughter and grandson. The young woman eyed the Guardians and myself curiously.

"Who are they?" she asked curiously, looking at us with none of the disdain that the Count had held in his eyes.

"Oh them?" Drac said less enthusiastically. "They are no-one, Mavie. They're probably just here to sell us something, and then they'll be on their way."

"Who's a no one?" The mortal asked looking around the room, only seeing Jack S. and the Monsters. "The skeleton dude? That's not very nice. Are we waiting on someone else? I promised Clifton I wouldn't take too long."

I noticed too late that Johnny was about to take a seat— in the chair I was already occupying.

Dennisovitch did notice however.

"No, daddy, wait!" It was too little too late though. An uncomfortable shiver passed through my very being as I leapt to my feet, and Johnny shivered as he, unknowingly, passed through my very being.

"Ooh, it's drafty in here. You should fix that Drac."

But Dracula wasn't paying attention to Johnny, he was staring at me. So was everyone else who could see me. Vlad was somber, the Monsters confused, Jack S. was uncharacteristically despondent, and all of the Guardians were trying to offer me pitying looks. I hate pity, and they were all drowning me in it— except Jack F. If anything, he looked the most understanding, and he offered me the spot on the other side of himself. I took the seat without a word.

"Alright, what is everyone staring at?" Johnny asked, thoroughly weirded out. "You're all staring at me as if my underwear sprouted wings. Wait, did they? It that why we're here? I promise it wasn't me. My bet is on Witchhazel. I get the feeling she really doesn't like me."

"You mean you really can't see them?" Dracula asked, dawning realization finally creeping onto his face.

Johnny, looked, if possible, even more bewildered, looking around the room. "Can't see who?"

"I already told you," Vlad said rather snappishly. "He can't see them because he doesn't believe in their existence anymore. He probably hasn't believed in them since he was about Dennis' age. That's what it means to be a Lunar spirit. You can't be seen unless you're believed in. And Vera, has never had a believer before."

Now the pity looks were piling up alarmingly fast. In addition to the Guardians, I now had those of the monsters as well; except Dennisovitch.

"Dude, and I thought I had it rough," the floating pair of glasses said.

"Well, now we can tell daddy about them and he will believe in them again, and then he won't sit on the feathery lady any more," Dennisovitch reasoned.

Johnny blinked. "Wait, what? There are invisible people here? Other than Griffin?" he looked around as if expecting us to suddenly come into view, before jumping to his feet. "And I sat on one?"