content warning: vulgar language, suggestive themes, death, blood, mentions of self–harm, and violence (will notify any changes if necessary)
summary: What if the construction of Lord McAshton's new golf course wasn't the only reason Bob and Dottie moved with their nine year old son Tony all the way from San Diego? What if there was also a death in the family that brought the Thompson's to Scotland? The death of a 'grandma Maggie' Tony never knew about, who left to them her estate and all that she owned. What if Tony had an older sister too? Riley wasn't happy with the move either. It was something the siblings could both agree on. With her sixteenth birthday coming up in two weeks and Tony having to leave behind all of his friends neither one of the Thompson kid's were as open–minded about the change as their parents.
author's notes: So this fanfic is basically a "what if?" scenario for one of my favorite childhood movies, The Little Vampire. I really don't know where I'm starting at, or what direction I'm gonna go with the storyline, but it does follow the movie somewhat and hopefully it's not completely horrible lol 😅
Song for the chapter: Lost by Ollie
We're a Long Way from San Diego, Bud
She didn't know what she expected, honestly.
A brick two–story Victorian with paint peeling walls and a wrap–around porch, or even a ground level house made of sturdy oak with several acres of grassy landscape in the backyard.
Not this massive, sprawling, vine–covered stone castle looming in front of the slow rolling jeep her dad rented from the car lot by one of Scotland's "finest airports"— at least that's what their company slogan had read.
For a split second, Riley thought she'd fallen into a gothic fairy tale. She half expected the shadows on the walls to follow her at night when she got up to get a glass of water or to accidentally stumble across a hidden passageway that led into a secret room concealing a coffin.
The only thing missing was a pack of wolves sitting outside the ominous–looking wrought iron gate.
Sitting beside her Tony exclaimed, "Woah! It's a real castle, mom!" His eyes, which had previously been glued to the screen of his Ninetendo, were as big as teacup saucers. "Are we rich now?"
The round, wire–framed prescription glasses made his pupils and bright–blue eyes look glossy from the glare of the sun reflecting off the windows.
Dottie, mom, laughed softly. Happy that one of her children were finally showing some excitement over their cross–country move.
"No, honey, we're not rich. But your grandma Maggie did leave us with her property and a couple acres of land."
Bob glanced in the rear–view mirror at his two kids, trying to get a read on his oldest child's mood. As usual, these days, Riley's face was a mask of stoicism— blank and expressionless.
He sighed when her head turned back to staring out the window, and Tony's awe seeing their new home didn't last long either.
"Maybe we could get a horse?"
Dottie elbowed Bob with a sharpened stare, "Maybe we'll talk about getting a horse or any kind of pet later on?"
She sighed lowly, rolling her strikingly blue eyes, though the small smile on her wide–set mouth showed her love hidden beneath the exasperated expression on her face.
Tony darted upstairs passing Riley, both nearly knocking her over and the cardboard box out of her hands she stubbornly refused help carrying— screaming his little lungs out.
Her temper flared as fragile glass rattled inside the box, and she hollered as she caught her balance. There were precious valuables packed neatly inside and twice–wrapped with old newspaper for their protection.
She would absolutely flip out if anything was damaged before it could be safely placed in her new room. A hurricane sweeping throughout the long hallways and grand, high–beamed ceilings.
"Hey, watch it, twerp! What the hell has gotten into you?!" Riley huffed in irritation and began stomping her high–top converse sneakers towards the dark, spiral staircase again.
Her mother, having stepped out of the kitchen at the last moment, stopped abruptly after passinf through the swinging mahogany door.
She sucked in a breath of air, and then her eyes turned to slits, focused intently on Riley.
"Riley Jade! I can't wait to start unpacking all this stuff and finding my swear jar. That's already four dollars you've gotten up to since we boarded that first flight in San Diego."
In response, her daughter rolled her eyes, "Hell is not a curse word. It's in the Bible, remember?"
Then, almost like Dracula with her footsteps silent and deliberate, Riley disappeared at the top of the second–floor landing— swiftly avoiding any further attempts at conversation.
Dottie's shoulders rose as she heaved in a deep sigh, then slowly letting out air like a deflated balloon as Bob walked inside the foyer, shaking his head.
He had an irritated look on his face, much like the one her only daughter wore moments ago on her own face, "Tell me about it. Maybe we should have thought things through a little more before we moved our kid's all the way across the world?"
Dottie opened her mouth, looked at him closer, closed her mouth sharply, and then her pencil–thin eyebrows drew together in deep thought.
"What happened while you were out there with Tony? I just heard him yelling all the way to his new room, and I highly doubt it's because he's excited to unpack all of his things. Is that why you're in such a mood now?"
"Some weirdo in a beat–up, old firetruck showed up and started talking nonsense about vampires. How we should keep our children inside after sunset. I guess he spooked Tony, and you know how little kids are."
She frowned and crossed her arms over her chest, feeling as if they were being watched now. "Well, I won't be looking over my shoulder for any vampires, but I definitely will be on the lookout for weirdos in old firetrucks that talk about crazy stuff."
"You're absolutely right. I don't want anything ruining this move for our children. I mean, they already hate our guts for it."
Dottie huffed, "Tell me about it. Our daughter has turned into quite the ice queen and I'm starting to think I literally feel the cold coming off of her."
Just then, as if there were an unseen presence in the house eavesdropping on the adult conversation, a sudden breeze wafted in from seemingly nowhere. Both Dottie and Bob shared an ominous look as they shivered at the sudden chill.
The sound of a heavy door slamming as hard as it could rang.
She grunted as the lock on her door clicked shut and stood there for a moment, leaning against the heavy cherry–wood.
"Ugh, why does this place have to be so gorgeous? Makes it a lot harder to hate moving all the way to freaking nowhere."
Riley slapped her palms against the door in one angry move before she spun on her heel to face the entirety of her 'new room'— glaring at the huge suite and too wrapped up in her emotions to notice the faint sound of a knock somewhere in the castle–home.
She'd thought briefly of Tony as she looked at the scatter of boxes, bags, and the things she once had in her old room.
He was curled up inside of his fireplace shaking like a leaf in the wind when she passed by his bedroom, which was both just as full of cherished possessions and still empty at the same time as hers was.
His little, spiky blonde head had poked out for a second to catch a glimpse of her walking by— had called out to her even.
Just like she had been ignoring everybody lately. She retreated into her own little world and shut herself off from everyone. From showing emotion. It was safer that way, for her own good and other people's too.
As she turned to face her room there was a
