Isis: Escape From Transylvania Sample Chapter

I’ve been getting a lot requests on social media to present a sample chapter of  Isis: Escape From Transylvania. Isis: Escape from Transylvania is a follow up to Isis: Nightof the Vampires and Isis: Bride of Dracula, and it’s the event story that’ll celebrate the fifth year of the Isis series being in print.  

Remember, This is still a first draft so a LOT could change in between now and the publication date!

Chapter 1

I could break the Internet. But the only person stopping me from doing that is my father.

I look at the view count under last month’s stream of Vampire Hunters on the screen of my tablet. We had so many users streaming that episode it almost crashed our servers. I know a rematch between Isis, Dad, and John Haynes would have hundreds of millions of viewers all over the world tuning into their laptops, TVs and Smartphones. 

Unfortunately, Dad hasn’t been in shape for stalking any prey since their first encounter. He’s been so upset about the beating John gave him all he does now is sit in his study and watch old movies. I’ve got to get him back in the game. Maybe if he saw the numbers for last month’s show he’d feel like hunting again.

 I spring up out of my office chair and dart out of my office. As I rush down the hall of our gothic mansion I see a light on under the mahogany double doors of my father’s study. I push past the creaky door and where I find my father sitting in front of the big screen TV in front of the fireplace in his oxblood nailhead chair sipping on a Type O with lime. On seeing me, the chalk colored man dressed in a silk smoking jacket and pajamas meets my smile with a somber expression. “What’s going on Lucretia?” Dad inquires.

“I wanted to show you the ratings for last month’s livestream.” I say handing him my tablet.

Glancing at the numbers, my father smiles for the first time in a month. “Two hundred million views.” He says. “Looks like we went viral again.”

“Viral?” I say. “We came this close to crashing our servers! We could break the Internet if you hunted John again!”

It doesn’t seem like Dad shares my excitement. The smile on his face twists into a frown. “If I hunted John again, he may break me.”

“Since when have you been afraid of a mortal?”

Dad’s eyes grow wide on the question. “Since he threatened to kill me.” 

“So? Van Helsing threatened to kill you-”

“Not like this man.” Dad says shaking his head. “I know he would keep his word if I engaged him again.”

“I think you could take him-”

 “You do not know this man Lucretia. He is like a force far greater than anything I have ever faced in my lifetime.”

“He’s just a man-”

“Is he?” Father says. “Many greater than I have fallen at his feet.”

I just think he had a lot of lucky breaks against all those other creatures of the night. If Dad hunted him again I know he wouldn’t lose. “He can’t be that powerful-”

 “John Haynes has broken demons, bested gods, and crushed despots. I would be a fool to engage him again.”

“But you could make billions on the rematch-”

“And if I lost I would lose more than my face.”

“Are you that afraid for your life?”

“He left me with my dignity. I’ll be content with that.”

What kind of man is this that he could put the fear of God in my father? “So you’d be content with walking away from what could possibly be the biggest payday in Horror Show’s history?” 

“I can take the loss. But I won’t take John’s kindness for weakness.”

“That’s not the way you taught me to do business-”

“It’s the way we to do business now.”

“But this would be good for the network-”

“It would be good for the network, but it wouldn’t be good for our business-”

If I put on this show on everyone at work will stop seeing me as Daddy’s little ghoul and start taking me seriously. “But this is good for my business-”

 “Honey, there are some things worth more than money.” Dad says taking my hand. “And I don’t want to put them at risk.”

“I guess there are.” I spit.

I catch the resigned look on my father’s face and realize I’m not going to convince him. “If you want me to hunt anyone else for your next show, I’m game. But I will have no dealings with this man.”

 My eyes fall into the Persian rug on hearing him say no. “I guess I’ll book something else for next week’s show.”

“I’m sure you’ll find someone who will be a really strong draw.” Dad comforts patting my arm. “Maybe that Justin Bieber? Everyone would want to see me take a bite out of him.”

They’d rather see him choke the life out of John Haynes. I shuffle out of my father’s study. He may not be interested in participating in next month’s episode, but there has to be a way for me to get this show to go on. 

I would LOVE to have Bill Walko design the cover for this one! So if you could drop a donation to the Paypal link, to help me pay for the cover it’d be greatly appreciated. I really want to release this one in October to celebrate the fifth Anniversary of the Isis series in style!