Louisa's POV
"Stay away from him!" I yelled, grabbing the vampire's cape with my hands as he flew past me.
As soon as he realized his cape was torn off, he turned back his head.
I saw a lifeless pale face with giant fangs and a pair of mad burning eyes.
My heart was about to jump out of my throat.
But I gathered all my courage and waved his cape in the air.
"I'm here! Look at me!" I shouted at him.
"What's your strategy now?" Mr. Salanmander asked me.
"To get his attention," I said in a trembling voice.
The vampire looked at me with a tilted head.
"Now you've got his attention. What now?" Mr. Salamander asked.
"Can you catch him with your tongue?" I asked.
"I can catch any flying things," Mr. Salamander said, "But what for?"
"I had to tell him that his son was still alive," I said.
"Do you think he will understand you?" he asked.
"We'll have to find out," I said.
"I hate to say this, but my sister is right. You're really going to get yourself killed." Mr. Salamander said.
At that moment, the vampire started to charge at me.
I held my breath and braced myself.
Just when his sharp nails were about to grab me, Mr. Salamander's giant slimy tongue stopped him by wrapping his waist and arms.
The vampire screamed and struggled violently, but he couldn't break away from Mr. Salamander's tongue.
"Hey, mister! Vincent! Look at me!" I waved the cape in my hand at him to catch his attention.
Covered in sticky fluid, he looked at me with his mad eyes.
"Your son is still alive! Look at him! He's right there!" I pointed in his son's direction.
Darren lifted the white sheet and Will the boy vampire appeared.
He looked terrified.
"Talk to your father, Will," Darren said.
"There's no use. He wouldn't understand," Will said.
"This is not a suggestion," Darren said and snapped his fingers. Some sparks appeared.
"OK, OK. Put out your fire. I'll talk to him," Will said reluctantly.
Then, he raised his voice and said, "Father, I'm here! Do you recognize me? I'm Will! Your son!"
Vincent looked at his son. For a brief moment, it seemed that he was confused.
Then, he started to struggle even more fiercely. It seemed that Mr. Salamander can only hold him for another short period of time.
Will turned to Darren and said, "See, I've told you. He didn't even recognize me."
Darren looked very calm. He thought for a brief moment and asked Will, "How did your father lose his mind?"
Will didn't say a word.
Darren grabbed and shook him, "Tell me!"
Will held his head with both of his hands and said, "I don't know what happened! He turned crazy and he left! That was it! He doesn't know what he wants! He's not my father anymore!"
"Wait. Say it again." Darren interrupted him.
Will looked confused and said, "He's not my father..."
"No, the one before that."
"He doesn't know what he wants..."
"What does he want? What does he want?" Darren repeated to himself.
At that moment, Vincent had already broken free from one of his arms.
He used his sharp nails to slice Mr. Salamander's tongue.
Blood started dripping down from his tongue.
His eyes rolled back and forth. I knew he was going through tremendous pain now.
But he still refused to let go of Vincent.
He was trying to buy some time for us.
Darren suddenly shouted, "Lisa! Concentrate! Ask him what he wants and listen to him very carefully! You're the only one that could understand his screaming!"
I used all my strength and shouted out at him, "Vincent! Tell me what you want! Tell me what you want! We can help you!"
Vincent's both hands had broken away from Mr. Salamander's tongue.
He ripped off his tongue around his waist and dropped to the ground.
Mr. Salamander flipped on the ground because of the pain of losing part of his tongue.
Just when Vincent started to get back on his feet again, Ms. Salamander swiped him down by using his giant tail.
"You stupid puny flying bug! Nobody can hurt my brother!" she screamed.
Then, she used his tongue to wrap him tightly and smashed him on the ground over and over again like a hammer.
Then, she pressed him hard against the ground and stepped on his neck.
"No! Don't kill him! He has to absolve my friend!" I screamed.
At the same time, Vincent suddenly stopped screaming and struggling.
He turned his head and looked at me. The angry fire in his eyes dimmed.
His pupils dilated and his dark eyes became glassy.
Then, I heard him saying something in a high-pitched voice -
"Absolve..."
I said to him, "Absolve. Yes, you have to absolve my friend! He shouldn't be cursed. It's not fair! He didn't mean to take the golden egg from your cave. It's not his fault. He's not one of those thieves who try to steal from you. He's just a weasel who was hungry and looking for food."
Vincent transformed into a mist and re-emerged right in front of my face.
"You..." He lowered his head and leaned forward, looking at me curiously.
"You understand me," he said, showing a mysterious grin on his face.
Darren and the salamanders wanted to jump at him, but I stopped them.
"Don't hurt him. I guess he wants to talk to me," I said.
"Don't trust him! He's crazy!" Ms, Salamander said.
"Let me talk to him," I said.
Then, I turned to Vincent and said, "Yes. I can communicate with almost any creature on earth. Please tell me what you want and I'll get it for you. Please lift the curse on my friend. He's dying."
I showed Mr. Weasel to him.
He shook his head and said, "You can't get me what I want. I want absolution from my son. But he's dead now. I see his illusion everywhere. He's haunting and chasing me everywhere I go..."
"He's standing right there!" I pointed at Will.
"No. That's his illusion. My son's dead. My son's dead." He covered his face with his hands and started to weep.
His slender fingers were shivering like withering sticks in the north wind.
At that time, I didn't see a crazy vampire.
I saw a heartbroken father weeping for his child.
"What happened to you and your son? Why do you need his forgiveness?" I asked in a soft voice.
"Don't listen to him! He's not my father! I don't want to forgive him! He's a selfish stupid bastard who doesn't think of anyone but himself!" Will screamed.
Vincent heard his son's accusation and started to wail.
I didn't know how to comfort him.
He seemed so sad and hopeless.
Something terrible must have happened to them.
But what exactly happened to make a father refuse to acknowledge his son's existence?
Whatever it was. It must have been ugly.
So, do I really want to know about it?
By the way, what kind of family advice could I possibly give to others?
I have never had a family.
I had never seen my mother in my life. My father had been ignoring and abusing me for years before selling me to a big bad wolf who wanted to kill me.
Talking about each unhappy family being unhappy in its own way.