Edward Lee: Vampire Lodge

“Well, son, because the lake is a good ten-mile hike through the woods, and Mr. Bennell and I will have to camp out for several days.”

“But you kids will have a great time here at the lodge,” Mr. Bennell added. “With Aunt Carolyn.”

“Oh, yes!” Aunt Carolyn agreed. “The kids and I will have a wonderful time together. There’s plenty to do around the lodge. And I hope you boys brought your kites.”

“Yes, Aunt Carolyn,” Kevin told her. “We got brand-new ones last week.”

“Oh, wow, neat!” Jimmy interrupted when they stepped into the hearth room. The hearth room had lots of big soft couches arranged around the giant brick fireplace which was full of burning logs that crackled and popped. “Look at all the animal heads!” Jimmy said.

Mounted above the fireplace mantle were the heads of deer and bears and foxes, and even one moose head.

Aunt Carolyn explained, “When I bought the lodge years ago—twenty years ago, to be exact—it was mainly a hunting lodge that had sat vacant for a long time, but I don’t really like the idea of hunting. So I changed it to a fishing and camping lodge.” Then she pointed to the next wood-paneled wall, and hanging there in frames were lots of stuffed fish, and some of them were over three feet long.

“That’s really cool!” Jimmy said. “Man, this lodge is terrific. We’re going to have a blast!”

“We sure are,” Kevin said. “And wait till we get out onto the bluffs with our new kites.”

They all sat down around the crackling fireplace, and Aunt Carolyn brought out glasses of spiced, hot apple cider for everyone. “So when will you two want to be heading out on your fishing expedition?” she asked the fathers.

Mr. Grimaldi rubbed his hands together eagerly. “The sooner the better. Packed in an office five days a week and nine hours a day, there’s no better way to relax than to get right out into the great outdoors.”

Mr. Bennell nodded in agreement. “I’ve been looking forward to this since… well, since last year!”

The hot cider tasted sharp and tangy; it was just one more thing that Kevin loved about coming to his aunt’s. He never understood why his aunt never drank any herself, though; it was really good. Maybe she just doesn’t like apples, he considered. Then he asked, “Hey, Dad, how long will you and Mr. Grimaldi be camping and fishing?”

“We’ll be back Sunday morning,” Kevin’s father replied.

“Great,” Becky whispered to Kevin. “Two whole days I’ll be cooped up with you two nitwits. I’ll go absolutely nuts.”

“You’ve been absolutely nuts for your whole life,” Kevin couldn’t resist.

“But I want you kids to mind Aunt Carolyn,” Kevin’s father went on. “No monkeying around and no arguing. And no staying out after dark.”

“That goes for you too, sport,” Mr. Grimaldi added aside to Jimmy.

“Right, Dad,” Jimmy said. “I won’t get into any trouble.”

“Make sure you don’t.”

“Oh, I’m sure the kids will be just fine,” Aunt Carolyn said. “Don’t worry about a thing. Just go out and have a good time, and enjoy the fishing.”

They sat around and talked for a few minutes more, Mr. Grimaldi chatting about his job at some computer place, and Mr. Bennell telling Carolyn about the real estate convention, and other things like that. Then they all went back outside. Kevin and Jimmy helped their fathers strap on their big back-packs which were full of supplies, tents, and, of course, lots of coffee.

“Have fun, Dad,” Kevin said. “Bring back lots of fish.”

“Don’t worry,” Mr. Bennell said. “We will.” Then he leaned over and whispered, “And give your Aunt Carolyn a break, will ya? Try to get along with Becky.”

“I will, Dad,” Kevin said, but then he thought, At least I’ll try . Sometimes getting along with his sister was about as easy as building a snowman in July.

Then, Mr. Bennell and Mr. Grimaldi checked their pack straps one last time and walked off into the main trail in the woods, waving.

Kevin glanced after them. A strange notion occurred to him then, and he couldn’t imagine the reason. But as his father disappeared into the trail with Mr. Grimaldi, Kevin couldn’t escape the feeling that they were in danger…

CHAPTER SIX

“You think they’ll really catch a lot of fish?” Jimmy asked skeptically, as autumn leaves floated down from the trees.

“Sure,” Kevin said. “They’ll catch tons of fish.”

“If you ask me,” Becky said, “the only thing they’re going to catch are colds.”

“Yeah, well nobody asked you,” Kevin told her. But one thing he had to admit, it was getting chilly out, and the wind was stirring up.

Aunt Carolyn waited for them back at the huge front door. “Come on, kids,” she said. “It’s getting very cold. It’ll be winter in less than a month.”

They all came back across the court, passing the parked station wagon.

“Hey, what happened to our suitcases?” Becky asked.

The suitcases, which they’d left beside car, weren’t there any more.

“Wally and Bill must’ve taken them up to your rooms while we were talking by the fireplace,” Aunt Carolyn told them.

Bill and Wally, Kevin thought again. Just who were these guys?

They all filed back into the lodge and at once felt the shimmering warmth given off by the huge fire in the fireplace. Aunt Carolyn closed the big door behind her. “Why don’t you kids go on up now. The second floor. Bill and Wally will show you your rooms.”

“Okay,” Kevin said. “We’ll be back down in a little while, Aunt Carolyn.”

The wide, heavily banistered staircase curved upward from the dark foyer. The thick carpet swallowed the sound of their footsteps as Kevin, Jimmy, and Becky clattered up the stairs. But before they could even get to the top, Kevin noticed two tall shadows on the landing.

“You two must be Jimmy and Kevin, huh?” one shadow asked in kind of a rude, unfriendly voice.

“That’s us,” Kevin said when they got to the top. “Who are you?”

“I’m Bill Bitner,” the voice replied, and then the first shadow stepped forward. It was an older guy, in a faded flannel shirt and overalls. He had short, grayish hair, a thin, gangly body, and lots of wrinkles in his face. “You two just come with me,” he said, “so’s I can show you to your room.”

“Are you Becky?” asked the second figure.

“Yeah,” Becky said.

“I’m Wally. Wally Eberhart. Nice to meet you,” the second figure at the top of the stairs said. Kevin noticed a much younger guy, like someone in his late teens, with long brown hair and broad across the shoulders. Oh, no, Kevin thought. A young guy. Becky will go nuts!

“Follow me, Becky,” this Wally character said. “Your room’s right down at the end of the hall. You’ll like it.”

Becky didn’t say anything, which came as not much of a surprise to Kevin. All she did instead was gawp at the guy.

“You kids coming, or are you gonna dawdle all day?” Bill Bitner asked impatiently. “Kids these days, I’ll tell ya. They putz around like a bunch of old ladies.”

Kevin and Jimmy followed him down the dark, carpeted hall to the last room on the left. “That there’s your room,” he said, and pointed to a half-opened door. “I stuck your suitcases inside.”

“Thanks, Mr. Bitner,” Kevin said, trying to be courteous.

“Yeah, thanks,” Jimmy added.

Bill Bitner walked away grumbling, and he didn’t say another word.

“What a creep,” Jimmy said aside to Kevin.

“Tell me about it,” Kevin said. “He must’ve gotten up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.”