Don't Be A Fool

Chapter 19

Today was the first day, of Vlad's alchemy journey. Alice and Robin were down in Renfield's lab.

"Rule number one of alchemy," Renfield giggled as he walked around the room. "Pick good ingredients." He turned on a machine making the light in the room dim a bit. "First, carefully select your rats' tails." He held up a jar of them.

"Lovely," Alice commented as she tilted her head. Renfield put the jar down, he began to lick the tail.

Count suddenly appeared behind Renfield, sticking his fingers in his ear. "Stop showboating, Renfield. 

"Immediately, Master," Renfield agreed; he continued on with the lesson. "Having prepared your gut mixture, carefully lay out the tails. Then gently ease in the power." He put on a helmet; before pulling the handle. They watched electricity strike between two poles The two rat tails started to change color; by the end of it the rats were alive." They squeak, walking around the tray. 

"Wow," Robin lit up.

Renfield put a jar on the table, grabbing the rats. "Come here, my little beauties. "You turn, Master Vlad." He put a lid on the jar as the Count encouraged Vlad to go forward. Vlad opened the jar, he pulled out two rat tails; Renfield started to make groaning sounds. 

"No way," Vlad immediately denied. 

Count went to Vlad. "You know, my boy, when I was your age, I grew a whole troop of three-headed killer monkeys." Robin and Alice looked at each other. "Happy times." He tapped Vlad. "Make me proud." Vlad looked over at his friends, they nodded at him. Vlad then placed two rat tails on the tray. Vlad pulled on the lever; the tails fried instantly.

"Your kids, Dragan and Jana are not going to make it as vampires with Vlad as their father," Robin whispered to Alice; she grabbed his ear. "Ow, ow, ow, ow." Vlad looked at his father, Count was not very happy. 

The adults went upstairs, leaving the other three in the alchemy room, Alice and Robin were flipping through the book together.

"I mean, look at this," Vlad began. "Heads with necks heads without necks, lizard entrails." He sighed, walking away from the cabinet. "Alchemy's just the same as everything else to do with bein' a vampire. "He played with the lever. " Just another excuse to get up to your elbows in blood and guts."

Robin grabbed the book in excitement. "Vlad, check this out."

Vlad continued on with his rant. "And I hate it when Dad gives me one of those looks. Vladimir, I'm very disappointed in you." Robin put the book in Vlad's face. "Bride of Renfield."

"Oh, oh, oh not that," Robin said as he flipped the page. "That!"

"Potion 666, Transforming a Vampire into a Mortal," Vlad read. 

"Do you think it'll work?" Alice asked looking back.

"Only one way to find out," Vlad answered, looking back at her. He flipped the page; his face fell when he looked back at the book. "Where's the list of ingredients?"

Renfield walked in. "I found some bees bums; I thought you could start with growing something small, you know? Build up your confidence."

"Renfield, I think there's some pages missing from this book," Vlad pointed out.

Renfield's mood changed a bit. "Ah, that's my dad's book. He likes to keep all his secrets up here. He was a great alchemist. Rotten dad, but a great alchemist."

"So, he didn't pass any of his secrets on to you?" Alice asked as she joined the table. 

"He didn't get a chance, did he?" Renfield reconciled. "He disappeared suddenly, like a ghoul in the night, never to be seen again." Vlad closed the book in frustration. After a trying bee bum, they went upstairs. "He can't have just disappeared. "We need to find out what happened." They looked over to see Zoltan reading the paper.