As soon as we got home Harry wanted to put his vampire costume on. I frowned about it but decided he had to as if it didn’t fit I didn’t want him to be disappointed.
‘Let’s put the shopping away and then we can,’ I told him.
After that though, Grace needed changing and feeding. Harry bounced around, unable to settle before the cartoons I’d put on for him.
‘Now? Now!’ Harry said loudly.
‘In a minute. Let me put Grace down.’
She was dozing off, lulled by the warm milk. Settling her on the sofa next to me, I turned to Harry and nodded.
He grab the costume and I helped him into it. Luckily, it fitted him really well. He spun around then gathered the cape together. He started making swishing sounds to match the noise of cape.
I shook my head, trying not to laugh, ‘okay. It fits. Time to take it off now,’ I said.
‘No!’ Harry shouted.
‘Shh! Grace is sleeping,’ I whispered.
‘I’m a vampire now,’ Harry responded, quieter, ‘hiss hiss hiss.’
He flapped out the cape and walked around the room with his head held high. He looked like a snobby aristocrat. It reminded me Dracula actually. Where Harry had learn to act like that?
‘All right my little vampire, what would you like to do now?’ I asked.
Harry turned to me, cape raised and his mouth opening wide, ‘I want blood!’
‘Blood?’
‘That’s what vampires like! And I’m a vampire now, so that’s what I want!’
‘Okay,’ I said slowly and fell to thinking.
Harry crept over and appeared at me knee. He pressed his face to my leg and made a muffled nom nom sound. I didn’t feel anything, the jeans I had on were thick. I patted his head and recalled something for a new cartoon we had been watching recently.
‘I don’t think you’re the blood drinking kind of vampire, Harry,’ I said.
He looked up, his mouth wet and red. He wiped at it before I could.
‘I think your the colour red drinking kind of vampire. Let’s go see what red foods we can find for you to eat.’
Harry thought, ‘I guess we could try that. But Mummy, I am a blood drinking vampire. I’m sure of it!’
‘Well, let’s see.’
I scooped up Grace and carried her with me into the kitchen. Harry ran ahead and he was opening cupboards and looking inside as I arrived. Grace stirred on my shoulder, getting comfy before continuing sleeping.
There was no where to put her down, so I had to one hand everything. Spotting, a blush red apple in the fruit bowl I picked it up and offered it out to Harry.
‘How about this?’ I said.
He glanced over his shoulder then shook his head, ‘vampires don’t eat fruit.’
‘I bet some do. Let’s try and it and see.’
Harry came over, took the apple and bit into it. He chewed then pulled a face and give it back to me. Swallowing he said, ‘no.’
I sighed and took a bite myself. This wasn’t how I’d planned the rest of the afternoon to go. There was a load of chores to be done for starters. Surly, Harry would get bored of this soon and want to watch a movie or play with his Lego.
Coming over to join him, I watched him pull out a tin of tomato soup and look at it. Shaking his head, he put it back and selected a tin of spaghetti hoops.
‘Nothing take your fancy?’ I asked.
‘No. Only real blood will do!’ Harry moaned.
‘Let’s check the fridge!’ I cried, suddenly remembering something.
Moving Grace further up my shoulder, I opened the fridge and took out a bottle of strawberry milkshake. I give it to Harry, a large smile of my face, ‘chilled blood, just for you, vampire.’
‘Yes!’ Harry said, clapping his hands.
He took the milkshake and opened it. Drinking some, he seemed happy.
‘Let’s go watch cartoons now. I’ve got ironing and tidying to do.’
Even though Harry spent the rest of the afternoon dressed up a vampire, I found it easy to distract him with TV, toys, games and books. When his dad came home, Harry showed off his costume proudly but then it took us a little while to get him to eat his dinner.
‘Vampires don’t like fish fingers!’ Harry said, crossing his arms and swinging his legs.
‘Well, put ketchup on them,’ I suggested, handing my husband the bottle.
He pulled a face but he did eat after that.
I put Grace to bed early then after we’d watched some more cartoons, it was Harry’s turn. I let my husband put him to bed and I didn’t feel guilty as I listened to him trying to get Harry to take the vampire costume off.
‘But I want to wear the cape!’ Harry was saying, ‘Vampires sleep upside in it!’
‘It’s time not to be vampire now. It’s time to be a good little boy,’ my husband answered.
Harry made hissing noises and the conversation carried on. Finally though, he was in bed and my husband came back to join me on the sofa.
‘Why did you buy him that?’ my husband asked.
‘It’s Halloween next week and he wanted a vampire costume. I let him try it on to make sure he could fit in it but then he wouldn’t take it off. I’ve had to other things today and I decided it wasn’t worth arguing over it,’ I spilled to my husband.
‘He seems really attached to it!’
‘I know. I’ll put it away and get it next week only now,’ I spoke.
I wish it had been as easy as that!
To Be Continued…
The Story Files 