Family Ties Read online

  “I’ve never done it! At least not under pressure of a crashing plane!” I said.

  Dad took me by the hand. “Well, my daughter, there’s a first time for everything.”

  Mom sat on the floor with her legs crossed. She looked at me. “I have some mental energy left. I will use it to steady the plane and slow its descent. It won’t stop it, but it should give you time.”

  “You can do this!” Jimmy said.

  “Yeah, sis!” Frank said.

  I gulped.

  Dad pulled me towards the front of the plane. “Come on, let’s do this!”

  With the plane spiraling downward, Dad and I had a lot of stumbles and near falls as we made our way to the cockpit. I couldn’t imagine how difficult this would have been if Mom hadn’t been helping to stabilize the plane. Reaching the cockpit, we saw a smiley face in the control panel; it was humming a tune which I think was Mary Had a Little Lamb. The computer control noticed us.

  “Oh, hello!” it said. “I hope you have a pleasant death. This is nothing against you. I am just doing what I am programmed to do. But in a way, aren’t we all doing what we are programmed to do?”

  “Okay,” Dad said. “I’m glad this plane has good internet.”

  “Me too! Makes it great for watching movies!” Frank said, appearing behind us with Jimmy and Sasha.

  “Yes, we can watch movies,” Dad said, “but as well, I was able to download and learn the schematics of this plane. I know where you can zap the control panel to short out the computer without destroying anything else.”

  “My, my, that is quite interesting!” the computer said. “I do wish you luck. You seem like nice people, and like I said, I’m just doing what I was programmed to do.”

  Sasha sat down in front of the steering column. “Do your thing, girl!” she told me.

  My first thought was to yell at her and say, you’re not the boss of me. But I realized she was right, and she was most likely just trying to be helpful.

  Dad looked at me then pointed to a spot to the right of the steering column. “If you hit this with the right amount of current, you will knock out the robot control.”

  “Then I’ll fly us to our destination!” Sasha said.

  “Wow, Sasha and Nina working together. The world truly is an amazing place!” Frank said.

  “Agreed!” Jimmy told Frank. Jimmy put a hand on my shoulder. “You can do this, Nina!”

  I took a deep breath and then another. I cleared my mind. I thought to myself…I can do this!

  I reached out and touched the spot that Dad had pointed to. I searched my inner self for the electrical energy we all generate with our bodies, especially our heart. I felt my heart beating within me. I needed to tap into that beat and magnify the energy, then pull it out. I pictured my heart beating in my mind. I envisioned it crackling and saw it sizzled with electrical energy. I guided that energy from my core to my left arm. My left arm started to tingle. I knew it was working. Either that or I was going batty. No, that was not it. I had done this. I had channeled the energy from my heart to my hand. Now I needed to guide the energy to my index finger.

  I leaned in close, now firmly placing my finger on the control panel. I felt a tingling sensation. My body wanted to shake; the energy wanted to rush out in all directions. I didn’t let it. I focused on collecting the energy and pushing it, guiding it through my index finger. I felt a spark! I smiled. The control panel on the plane started to smoke just a little.

  “Pull away!” Dad told me.

  I did.

  “Pull up!”

  Sasha pulled back on the plane’s steering column. I felt the plane pull up. “I have control!” Sasha said.

  The plane leveled off.

  The smiley face turned into a frowny face. “I have lost control of the plane,” it announced.

  “Yeah, sorry about that!” I replied.

  “Oh, woe is me,” the computer moaned. “I now have no purpose to exist. I might as well just delete myself.”

  “You do that!” Sasha said without thinking. “I’m the pilot now!”

  “Since I no longer have a reason to exist, I will delete myself and the plane,” the computer moaned.

  “Fine,” Sasha said. “Wait…what?”

  “I feel bad that I can no longer control the one thing I was meant to control. Therefore, I compute I should destroy that thing. I still have access to some circuits that allow me to make the plane go BOOM!” the computer said.

  “Oh, that’s not good!” Frank said.

  “I have no other purpose!” it said.

  “Sure you do!” Frank said. “You can entertain me!”

  “How?” the computer asked. “I am intrigued…”

  “I’m thinking of a number between 1 and 1 billion!” Frank told the computer.

  “Is it 42.1122334566777888?” the computer suggested.

  “Ah, no,” Frank said.

  My brother, Frank was brilliant. He had figured out a way to keep the computer busy, and also make it feel useful. Man, sometimes I had to give Frank credit for having quiet wisdom about him.

  “Is it 42?” the computer asked.

  “Yep, you got it!” Frank said with a grin.

  Okay, then again Frank could be a little dense at times.

  I nudged my bro. “Frank, what the heck are you doing?” I asked.

  Frank shrugged. “I thought he could use a win.”

  “Thank you. I will now proceed to blow up the plane!” the computer said.

  “Ah, I’m thinking of another number,” Frank said to the computer.

  “Wait…what?” the computer mumbled. “Is it 3.14?”

  Frank shook his head. “Nope.”

  “Was I high or low?” the computer asked Frank.

  “Low,” Frank told the computer in a low voice, to accent it a bit.

  “0ne billion!” the computer guessed.

  Frank paused for a second. “Nope…” he said. “Too high.”

  “500,000!” the computer guessed.

  “Computer, Frank never said it couldn’t be a fraction!” I said.

  “True,” Frank said. “And 500,000 is too high!”

  “Darn!” the computer replied. “But I must admit, I like the challenge!” It paused. “I find challenges challenging!”

  “See, plane flying computer, just because you don’t fly the plane any more doesn’t mean you still can’t have a purpose in life,” Frank said.

  “Yes, you’re growing and improving!” I added. “You have discovered a new purpose in life. Interacting with humans and having fun with them!”

  The computer didn’t answer for a minute or two. The frowny face in the control panel turned back into a smiley face. “Yes, you are correct. I now have a reason to continue to exist. I will not make the plane go BOOM!”

  “Thanks, computer!” I said.

  “Stop stalling and think of a number!” Frank taunted the computer.

  “250 000?” the computer guessed.

  “Ha!” Frank said.

  As Frank and the computer continued to play their game, Sasha flew the plane. I hated to admit that she seemed very good at this. Of course, she did. Sasha was good at everything.

  Sasha looked at a couple of gauges. “We’ll be landing in 15 minutes,” she told us.

  Jimmy patted me on the shoulder. “Come on, let’s go back and sit down for the rest of the flight. We’re in good hands with Sasha flying and with your dad as an assistant.”

  I nodded and headed back to the passenger area. Mom sat back in her seat as she no longer needed to keep the plane steady.

  “I guess Sasha is useful after all,” I admitted.

  “Yes, maybe a little too useful,” Mom said.

  “Excuse me?” I said to Mom.

  “It’s kind of funny that Sasha just happens to be an expert at flying the exact plane we have when the computer pilot decides it doesn’t want to fly anymore,” Mom said.

  “It could just be a coincidence,” I argued.r />
  “Or very good training,” Jimmy said. “Ms. Elena loves training us to know everything.”

  “I don’t believe in coincidences,” Mom said.

  “What about training?” Jimmy asked.

  Mom grinned. “That, I believe in! I just think this whole incident seems a convenient way to showcase Sasha’s abilities and knowledge, so she appears very valuable to us.”

  Nina Note: Yeah, I had to admit that Sasha was a bit useful here. Not that Mom and I couldn’t have flown everybody to safety, but Sasha taking charge and flying the plane really did come in handy and was a much better option. I’m a big enough person to admit and understand that sometimes I can’t handle everything myself. Sure, Sasha has an ego, but she has talent too.

  Was mom right though? Was this all just too convenient and simply a step up? Would Ms. Elena do this? Risk us all so Sasha could shine? I thought yeah, she probably would. But, man, a lot had to go right or wrong for Sasha to step in and save the day. Was Ms. Elena that clever?

  Even if she was, that didn’t mean Sasha knew about her plan. I can smell fear. I smelled it on Sasha. That made me believe Sasha didn’t know this was going to happen. Of course, maybe Sasha just doubted her abilities. Nah, that couldn’t have been it. There is no way that Ms. Elena could have seen any of that coming. Right? I mean, come on. You would need to be a clairvoyant to figure that out.

  Like Grandma Jasmine says, the future is fluid…filled with many possible paths. Even the best clairvoyants are right only fifty percent of the time. No way Ms. Elena would risk her daughter on a fifty-fifty chance. I had very mixed emotions about this entire matter. My mind didn’t know what to make of it. I decided to give Sasha and Elena the benefit of the doubt. But that didn’t mean I wouldn’t still keep track of Sasha’s every move. I wasn’t nearly as trusting as Frank.

  Speaking of Frank, he really came through. I forgot how nice and kind my brother Frank is. He’s not just all muscles and a handsome face. He’s a big guy with a big heart, plus at times he is really good at figuring out what people need, so they feel good about themselves. It truly is a gift. He managed to talk the computer out of blowing us up. No matter what, I know Frank’s intentions are pure. Heck, Frank has the purest heart and mind ever. Of course, maybe that pure heart of his saved the day.

  Okay, there is no way that Ms. Elena could know that Frank would talk the computer out of blowing up the plane. Right?

  Chapter 6: Meeting the Cousins

  Getting off of the plane, we saw a lone silver limo waiting for us near the runway. As we approached, a tall driver wearing a fancy coat and hat got out of the car. He looked at us and smiled ever so slightly.

  “You must be the Thorn family and Sasha Stein,” he said coolly yet politely. “I am Jeeves, the friendly butler, and driver for your cousins, Maria, and Marana Sangre. You will be staying at their house.”

  “Thank you, Jeeves,” Mom said.

  “My pleasure, Madam Sangre,” he told her.

  Mom’s eyes turned red, and she lifted the man up by his throat.

  “Yo, Mom what’s up with the Darth Vader move!” I asked, locking my glare on her.

  Mom shrugged off my glare, locking her glare on the now shaking Jeeves. “He called me that name just to disrespect your father!” Mom squeezed harder, and Jeeves turned even redder.

  “Mom, he’s a normal human, you’re going to hurt him or worse!” I said.

  “Honey,” Dad said, leaping towards Mom. He put his hand on the arm she held the big Jeeves up with. “I’m sure he just made a mistake.”

  “Did you?” Mom demanded as she shook the man.

  Jeeves tried to talk but failed, due to not being able to breathe.

  “Talk!” Mom demanded again.

  “Honey, you are squeezing him too tightly. He can’t talk!” Dad said.

  “Right,” Mom said. She opened her hand and let Jeeves drop to the ground. “Now talk!” she ordered.

  Jeeves dropped to his knees and took a breath or two. His natural pale color returned to his face. He stood up and straightened himself like nothing had happened.

  “Speak!” Mom ordered again. “And tell the truth!” she demanded.

  “Yes, I called you by your pre-married name because many of us who work for the Sangre’s, or who are Sangre’s, consider your husband to be inferior and beneath you…” He said the words coldly like it was a fact, not his opinion.

  Dad walked up to Jeeves. Dad stood on his toes to look Jeeves in the eyes. “I have only one response to that!” Dad punched Jeeves in the nose. Jeeves went flying back, bouncing off the limo. He fell to the ground.

  “Sorry, kids,” Dad said. “I wasn’t a good example there, but I wanted to make my feelings known. I am a man of science. I am a man of honor. I am a man who loves his family, but I am NOT a man to be messed with.” Dad walked over to Jeeves and offered him his hand.

  “I’m sorry, Doctor Thorn,” Jeeves said, ignoring the blood pouring from his nostrils. I should not have disrespected you.”

  Dad helped Jeeves straighten up. “I understand and accept your apology. But if you ever disrespect my family or me again, I won’t go so easy on you next time.” Dad’s face became hairy. He ears grew, and his claws came out. “Got it, Jeeves?” Dad asked.

  Jeeves nodded. “I’ve got it!”

  Mom gave Dad a hug and a kiss. “I love it when you let your inner animal out!”

  Dad grinned. “It does need some freedom now and then.”

  Sasha stood there, mouth open. “I had no idea your dad could be so tough!”

  “We didn’t either,” Frank and I both replied.

  We got in the car, and Jeeves drove us through the quaint looking streets of Transylvania.

  As he drove, Jeeves lectured. “As you can see, this is quite a beautiful city. We, of course, get many tourists thinking this used to be the home of vampires and monsters of legend. Tourists never realize that this is STILL the place for vampires. Of course, most of the vampires these days, love acting like normal boring humans because that brings in the tourists, plus, the money is quite good. When push comes to shove, most vampires like money.”

  “Most humans do too,” Frank said.

  Jeeves nodded. “Yes, money is useful, even for vampires with powerful hypnotic abilities. As the sisters say, it’s better to buy things than to bite people. Fewer questions that way. After all, here in Transylvania, maybe ten percent of the population are vampires or have vampire blood. That is still quite a low number of people. When outnumbered, it’s best to keep a low profile.”

  We pulled up to a very modern looking house. All the walls were gold-tinted glass. The place somehow reminded me of a giant iPhone screen.

  “This is low key?” I asked.

  “Sorry, I should have said, low magic profile. The sisters are simply the country’s best physical and occupational therapists. They use their knowledge and power to heal; all for a fairly reasonable price. People from all over the world come to their very exclusive spa. You should feel honored that they will see you.”

  We all got out of the limo. Two tall, dark-haired ladies walked out of the house or spa or whatever, onto the long porch that circled the building. They smiled at my mother and me.

  “Don't worry about your suitcases!” One of the pretty dark-haired ladies said.

  “Yes, Jeeves will take them to your rooms!” the other lady said.

  Jeeves nodded. “With pleasure!”

  Mom led our group onto the porch. The two ladies came to her, and each one took a hand. “Liza! We are so glad you have finally come to the homeland!” one of the women said.

  “Yes, we just wish it was more for pleasure than business!” the other woman said.

  Mom looked over the two ladies and turned to us. “Family, friends, Jimmy, these are my cousins, Maria and Marana. It pains me to say that I actually don’t know which is which.”

  “Silly, neither of us are witches! We’re royal vampires!” One of the two women joke
d. The other woman laughed.

  Frank also laughed. “Funny!” Frank said. “It’s funny cause it’s a play on words and also true.”

  “I am Maria, the physical therapist!” the woman with darker hair said.

  “I am Marana, the occupational therapist!” the other woman said. She opened the door. “Please come inside so we can talk in private.”

  We walked into a large, comfy looking sitting area. A fountain in the middle of the room filled the room with the soothing sound of running water. Just looking at it made me yawn.

  Maria pointed to one of the big fluffy couches. “Please sit. The aides will bring us water and cucumbers.”

  “Yum!” Frank said.

  “Thank you; we appreciate you opening up your home and place of work to us!” Dad said.

  “Mr. Thorn, it’s the least we could do. We understand that some of the old school vampires and humans don’t approve of the marriage of a vampire and werebeing and that you have had children. But, we see the results, and are very pleased.”

  We all sat down. Two women in maid uniforms brought us water and healthy snacks.

  “What do you know about my mom?” Jimmy said anxiously.

  “The human boy with vampire hunter blood gets right to the point,” Marana said. She smiled. “I appreciate that.”

  “James!” Mom said sternly. “Patience.”

  “Mom, his mother is missing, and you want him to be patient!” I said with more passion and anger in my voice than I would have liked.

  Mom’s left eyebrow rose, a sign that she was less than thrilled with my tone.

  Marana looked at me. “I understand your passion. We both also understand the urgency of the situation,” she said calmly.

  Maria turned to me as well. “Yes, but I also see your mother’s point, that manners and behaving politely and patiently are never a bad thing.”

  The two ladies exchanged glances.

  Sasha spoke up. “I believe we are all worried about Mrs. Chaser and we all want to find her as soon as possible.”

  Marana and Maria looked at Sasha and smiled. “We see you are as wise as your mother!” Marana said.