The evening was cool and beautifully clear. Mina was only seven, her life was pretty normal though she had very few she could call friends at school. It changed all in one night. After playing her games of tea party and jump rope she went to sit and watch cartoons for a while until her dad called her to bed at eight. One last cup of hot chocolate as she lay beneath the covers took her right off to sleep as usual.

Meanwhile, the Count waited for his servant to wake him with his first glass of warmed blood. As he gulped it down he smiled at the thought of getting something far fresher from someone far less ugly and more appealing than Igor. The Count donned his cape and took his leave after reading Igor's schedule for the night. Some poor girl called Nina Parker, he grinned viciously, baring his sharp fangs.

He held the edges of his cape against his arms and spread them, feeling them strengthen as he shrunk. Fur grew along his back and face, his ears increased to a similar size to his head. He loved flight, especially when the night was free of rain.

He was especially excited that night with no idea why. His excitement drew dark storm clouds around him, lightning flashed and the following thunder blared as he soared towards his target's homestead.

The thunder and lightning scared Mina into consciousness. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep until it had stopped. She closed her eyes tight as each flash passed. When she opened them again it was to sight a tall, dark and ominous figure in the corner of the room. His eyes were the most captivating part of him. So much so she didn't know she's fallen into his trap. She was unable to scream or even move unless commanded to do so.

Her eyes were almost sucked into his as if his very gaze stole all the warmth from hers. She watched him as he suddenly frowned. He'd now seen her face properly and was confused. She was far too young. He ground his teeth and let out a low growl.

He would no longer let Igor pick his meals if it were possible for him to make such a bad mistake. In his anger he's turned his gaze from the girl inadvertently releasing her from his hypnotic power. It was so sudden she fell out of bed.

As she fell the Count's eyes rested of a child's drawing on the wall. Underneath it revealed her true name and age. Mina Harper aged seven. He turned his gaze back to the little girl hoping to hypnotise her back to sleep, to forget ever seeing him. To his utter surprised she was already at his side. She had the strangest look on her face. It was a strange mix of understanding, acceptance and warmth. For a seven year old to show all these adult-like emotions was astounding on its own, but to show them all to him?

He was unable to stop her as she pinned herself to him, her arms wrapping around his waist like a vice. He tried to step backwards but his cape caught beneath his foot and he fell helplessly backwards, the little Mina falling with him.

Mina felt so strange. This man felt like a big brother to her, yet he'd done nothing but look at her. Behind that gaze she'd felt incredible power and restraint. This man, this stranger would keep her safe; safer than her father would keep her. He would be her personal guardian, as well as play her favourite games with her.

The vampire couldn't help but chuckle. "Affectionate little monster aren't you?" Mina nodded in answer still holding tightly onto him. He tried to pry her arms off of him without hurting her with his incredible strength. "That's just vunderfull". At his authoritative touch she tightened her grip; he would have to risk hurting her in order to get her off.

He smiled inwardly at her persistence. "You're parents must be so proud to have such a beautiful, adorable, darling, sveet, precious..." he tugged with every compliment until he gave up with a slight groan. "...aggravating child" he finished.

He hadn't wanted to resort to frightening her but he tried it anyway. He snarled evilly, baring all his sharp terrible teeth. She just stared at him, giggled sweetly then kissed his nose. The tender touch of her lips frightened him out of his aggressive mode. She hadn't even flinched under his feint attack as so many other older girls had.

His one last try was to turn into a bat but she still didn't let go. He turned back and managed to stand. Agreeing to a seven year old's terms was embarrassing but he had no choice. He still had his honour and sense of morals, hurting children was out of the question. So he turned to her and made sure she met his gaze. "Alright, vhat do I have to do to get you to let me go?" he asked in his best gentlemanly manner.

Many hours later he was playing Go Fish, Tea Party and Jump Rope. He couldn't imagine anything more degrading to a vampire. As he was sipping from his third cup of imaginary tea he managed to glance out of her window over her shoulder.

The sign above a large house read 'Meyer's boarding house for young women'. He felt his throat ache with thirst. Then he glanced down at little Mina who was happily adding imaginary sugar to her own cup. "I've got a new game to play. How about hide and seek?" he said, gracefully putting down his cup and rising from the miniscule chair.

Mina nodded eagerly. He placed his hand on her head as an indication that she should be seeker whilst the Count's eyes turned back to the Boarding house across the street. As she bowed her head to count as far as seven year old's could count he moulded into mist and slipped silently out of the window and across the street to their open window.

Mina managed to count to thirty then got bored. She lifted her head to spy where the Count had gone. She couldn't find him anywhere in her room but a sudden and second long scream made her swing round to the window. A familiar shadow passed the house window. She frowned to herself; that was cheating. She ran downstairs as quickly and quietly as she could then slipped out the front door. The Boarding house always kept its front doors open for some weird reason.

The Count raised his head from the neck of his latest victim. Her scream had woken her roommates up. He had had to herd them all into a corner and hypnotise them all at once to calm them. It was no simple task. He gently and quietly encouraged them all back to their beds to sleep with his entrancing voice and added power.

Like sheep they obeyed and quickly were no longer a problem. He sighed relief and was about to turn round and change when a small but strong force ploughed into him from the side. He was suddenly glad to have put them all in a deep sleep or the loud thud his body had made when connecting sharply with the floor would have woken them.

He heard a commotion downstairs. Someone was coming up to check on the girls. He wiped the remaining blood off of his lips and sharply grabbed Mina, whose grip had loosened as he had landed on her fingers when they both had fallen. With the fresh blood flowing through his system his bat form had the strength to lift Mina into the air and unsteadily across the street and back to her room. As soon as he landed he sat on her bed, head in one hand breathing hard.

His eyes turned almost black when they focused on Mina. She could have been caught, or he may have dropped her. "Don't ever force me to do that again, Mina" he ordered her with little charismatic force.

She looked upset; she didn't mean to cause trouble. His expression softened until her dad's voice cut through the silence. "Mina, are you alright?" the Count jumped to his feet gave one last smile to Mina before almost evaporating into mist and slipping out the window.

Mina's dad opened the door to see Mina looking glumly out of the open window. "What's going on in here? Why are all these toys out? And why aren't you in bed young lady?" he asked all at once.

"I was playing with my best friend" Mina answered stubbornly. "Nobody else will" she mumbled. He smiled at his daughter's imagination.

"Alright pet, let's get you into bed" he said as he picked her up and carried her over to bed. Once she was on her bed he added, "be a good girl and close your eyes and go to sleep." Being young Mina's eyes closed and she was fast asleep almost instantly. The window was still open and the breeze blew off Mina's covers after her dad was gone.

A white mist shrouded the air around her and warmed her as the Count took form again and slid her covers up and tucked her in. Her little shivers stopped. The Count felt oddly protective of the little girl. He stroked her long red hair and wished her goodnight then left again to return to his coffin before dawn broke.

He promised himself to look out for the little Mina, but not to interfere in her life too often. Igor however was going to get a beating to remember.