"You've got to be kidding," Cate laughed. "Who wants to go to transylvania?I don't even know where it is."

"Don't be such a stick-in-the-mud," said Laini. "I thought you'd like the idea. After all, you've read every single word Stephen King ever wrote."She grinned. "Anyways, it's half the price of any of the other European holidays."

"I'm not surprised," muttered Cate. "They probably eat the tourists."

"Come on," Laini coaxed. "It'll be something different. You'll enjoy it."

"Oh, all right," grumbled Cate. "But if I get bitten by a vampire I'm going to get really pissed off. I don't think that sort of thing's covered by vacation insurance."

"Great! I'll get onto the travel agent right away," said Laini, leaping to her feet...

When the plane swooped in to land, they peered out of the windows. It certainly did look eerie. The Carpathian Mountains loomed menacingly over the ruined castles and isolated farmhouses that dotted the desolate countryside. A shiver ran down Cate's back and Laini grinned and hummed the theme from The Twilight Zone. The reality was slightly different.

"Spooky?" complained Laini.

"I've had scarier times at a Backstreet Boys concert." Their hotel was a newly-built concrete block, with all the antique charm of a computer, the streets lined with shops selling plastic vampires and the Dracula Disco played ABBA all the time.

"The only thing undead around here is the service," Laini laughed.

"You have to wait fifty years for a cup of coffee. Still, at least the weather's nice. I didn't expect it to be quite so sunny. It's a good job we brought the suntan lotion."

Next day her good spirits returned.

"Guess what!" she said excitedly. "I've booked us on this tour around Dracula's castle. It'll be fantastic!"

It was. And so was the tour guide. He was tall and lithe, with flowing locks of long dark hair, piercing brown eyes and cheek-bones you could cut yourself on. Laini's mouth watered just looking at him and his velvet voice and husky accent made her stomach churn.

"Mmmm, tasty. He can nibble on my neck any time," she whispered to Cate.

"I don't know," said Cate. "There's something creepy about him. He's like a vampire ..."

Laini laughed. "Well as long as he creeps in my direction, I don't care!"She tossed back her thick blonde hair and sent him her most flirtatious smile. He grinned back, revealing perfect white teeth, and her heartbeat went into overdrive as he sauntered towards them.

"My name is Alexander, and my country is honored by the presence of two such beautiful ladies," he purred, bending to kiss their hands. Cate jerked hers away as if she'd been burned. His lips were ice-cold. Laini didn't seem to notice. Before the tour had ended, she'd agreed to go out with him on a date.

After that, Cate hardly ever saw her friend, apart from when she rushed into get changed before going off with Alexander again.

"Sorry about this," she muttered, standing in front of the mirror putting on her makeup. "But he's seriously gorgeous. You don't mind, do you?"

Cate shook her head. It wouldn't have made any difference if she had. Luckily she had met a nice guy from Colorado, who, if he didn't exactly make her heart beat faster, didn't exactly make her skin crawl either.

"Where are you going anyways?" she asked.

"We're off for a picnic in the woods," grinned Laini.

Cate frowned. "Are you sure you should?" she said anxiously. "You don't really know much about him -- and there's a full moon tonight."

"Oh, come on, Cate. You're not still going on about him being a vampire,are you?" exclaimed Laini impatiently. "I told you before. There's no such thing. Anyway, if he was he wouldn't be going out in daylight. He'd be tucked safely away in his coffing till sunset. You really must stop reading those horror stories. It's affecting your brain." Laughing, she grabbed her bag and was gone, leaving Cate staring after her.

The picnic was wonderful. The autumn sun filtered through the leaves as they sipped their wine and gazed into each other's eyes. "I wish this holiday would never end," sighed Laini.

"It won't," smiled Alexander. "You will become my bride and stay with me forever."

Laini sat bolt upright. Come on! A holiday romance was one thing, but an eternity of tourists, plastic vampires, Dracula's Disco and ABBA? Forget it! He was off his tiny Transylvanian trolley! She leant toward him, to break it to him gently -- then her voice dried in her throat. Had his teeth always been that pointy? Was that a nasty reddish glow in those piercing brown eyes? And why did the words 'stay with me forever' have such a permanent ring to them?

"Cate was right," she gabbled. "You are a vampire! But you can't be! It's daylight. Why aren't you crumbling to dust?"

He grinned at her, his teeth sharp and white in the sunshine.

"It's really quite simple," he purred, bending his head to sink his fangs into his reluctant bride. "Factor 30 sunblock!"

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