The King of the Vampire Island

Chapter 5: The Planning with Tulip

“I’m not sure,” Paul said, shaking his head. “But a man named Mr. Byrne lived north of here. He studied vampires. He died a few months ago, but he had a daughter. She could help us.”

“How far is Mr. Byrne’s house from here?”

“Not far—maybe ten miles.”

“Then let’s go,” Jack said. He looked at Max. “What do you think?”

Max shrugged. “It’s your call.”

“Paul, are you coming?”

“Yes, I’ll go,” Paul said without hesitation.

“Alright, let’s go,” Jack said.

“Yeah, let’s go,” Max agreed.

With Paul’s help, they rented a sedan from a nearby car service and drove toward Mr. Byrne’s house. Along the way, Paul explained that Mr. Byrne was of Italian descent, though he settled in the area.

Jack suddenly remembered that his grandfather’s house was also in Italy. Though Jack had never visited, he silently promised to go with his father one day.

Lost in thought, they eventually arrived at Mr. Byrne’s house. After ringing the doorbell three times, a girl opened the door. She looked to be about their age, with black hair and eyes as dark as her locks. She was strikingly beautiful.

She raised an eyebrow as she saw them. “Who are you looking for?” she asked.

Jack stepped forward, hesitating just a moment. “We’re here to meet Mr. Byrne’s daughter.”

The girl scrutinized them for a moment. “Who are you? Where are you from?”

“I’m Jack,” he introduced himself, pointing to Max. “This is my friend, Max. We’ve traveled a long way.” He gestured to Paul. “And this is Paul. He lives here.”

“Okay, I see,” she said, nodding slowly. “What do you need from me?”

“Are you Mr. Byrne’s daughter?” Jack asked.

“Yes,” she nodded. “I’m Tulip.” Then she seemed to realize she had left her guests standing outside. “Come in, I’ll listen to what you have to say.”

Relieved, the boys followed Tulip inside.

“Sit down,” she said as she led them to the living room. “I’ll be right back.”

“Thanks,” they said, settling on the sofa as Tulip left the room.

As they sat on the sofa, the boys glanced around the room, their eyes catching garlic cloves hanging from the walls and strange objects scattered haphazardly—things they'd never seen before.

A short while later, Tulip returned, balancing a tray of snacks.

“So, tell me, why have you come here?” she asked.

Jack exchanged a glance with his friends before answering. They were all sitting stiffly, clearly feeling out of place. 

Clearing his throat, as if trying to steady himself, he said, “Well... we came to learn about Vampire Island.”

“Vampire Island!” Tulip's eyebrows furrowed. “Why the sudden interest in that?”

“We heard there are vampires there,” Jack replied, a little awkwardly.

“We’re curious about vampires,” he added, his voice trailing off.

Tulip interrupted. “I see,” she said flatly. “But this isn’t a game. You should focus on something else.”

“We know it’s not a game,” Max spoke up, his tone firm. “We heard your dad used to study vampires, and that he was from Italy. We’re of Italian descent, too.”

The mention of their heritage seemed to soften Tulip slightly. “Oh, you’re Italian? My dad always talked about Italy, but I’ve never been.”

“Neither have we.”

“Mom said she’d take me there next year… But...” Her voice trailed off, and sadness flickered in her eyes.

The boys understood. Jack spoke gently, his voice full of sympathy. “How did Mr. Byrne pass away?”

Tulip sighed deeply, her gaze falling. “My father spent his entire life obsessed with that island and the vampires there. In the end, one of them killed him. He was determined to rid the island of every vampire, but he never succeeded.” Her face clouded again, the pain still raw.

The boys exchanged uncertain glances, unsure of what to say. Max and Paul nudged Jack to respond. 

Jack cleared his throat and, after a moment of hesitation, asked, “Please don't be upset... But as far as we know, Mr. Byrne was researching all of this, right? So how could a vampire kill him?”

Tulip's eyes darkened. “No ordinary vampire killed him.”

“Then... who did?”

“The Vampire King,” Tulip said, her voice cold.

“Oh.”

Silence fell over the group, thick and uncomfortable. After a beat, Jack broke it. “Actually, we came here to fulfill your father’s mission.”

Tulip's confusion was evident. “What do you mean?”

Jack hesitated, then forged ahead. “We want to go to the island and finish what your father started.”

Tulip, who was staring at the floor, looked up at him. She studied him for a long moment, and Jack shifted uncomfortably under her gaze.

“You’re just teenagers,” Tulip said firmly, her tone unyielding. “You think this is some game. You're here because you're curious, but don't go any further.”

“But we’re serious,” Jack insisted, a hint of authority creeping into his voice.

Tulip paused, considering him carefully. The boys watched her, holding their breath.

“So, you want to go there?” she said finally. “Do you even understand how dangerous that island is? There’s danger lurking at every turn. Even someone like my father failed. And you’re just kids. What do you think this is—some game? This is no child’s play. It’s a death game.” She paused, eyes narrowing. “What, are you hoping for death? If you want to die, go ahead and try the island. But if you want to live, go home like good boys.”

The boys fell silent, unsure how to respond. After a long moment, Jack spoke up. “We want to save people. If that means risking our lives, so be it. Your father was killed by those vampires, too. Don't you want revenge?”

Tulip's face softened, and she nodded. “Of course, I want revenge. But if we go there, we’ll be dead before we even get close. We can’t just charge in blindly. We need a plan.”

Jack’s face lit up with a surge of excitement. “Exactly. That’s why we came to you.” He glanced at his friends, who nodded in agreement.

Max broke in, changing the topic. “By the way, is anyone else home?” he asked, looking around. “I don’t see anyone here.”

“I live here alone,” Tulip replied matter-of-factly.

The boys were stunned. “You live in this huge house by yourself?” 

Jack asked, surprise written all over his face. “Aren’t you scared? Where’s your mom? Doesn’t she live here?”

Tulip's face hardened. “Nope. They killed my mom too.”

“They? Who are they?” Jack asked, his voice full of concern.

“The vampires,” Tulip answered flatly. “It’s been two years since she passed.”

“That’s so sad,” Jack said softly, sympathy flooding his words.

Tulip’s expression remained impassive. “It's already lunchtime. Go freshen up. I’m setting the table. The washroom’s over there.”

Jack stood. “Maybe we should head out. We can come back later for a meal.”

Tulip shot him a glare. “No way. You’re staying for lunch, then you can leave.”

Jack glanced at his friends, who, intimidated by Tulip’s firm stance, nodded reluctantly. Jack sighed, giving in.

They all sat down to lunch together. 

As they ate, Tulip mentioned, “To kill the Vampire King, we need exorcism holy water. That’s the only way to kill him. My father didn’t have any, which is why he failed. And that’s how she killed him.”

“Do you have any holy water?” Jack asked, his curiosity piqued.

“No,” Tulip shook her head. “I don’t have any.”

“Then where can we get it?”

“My cousin Luna might have some,” Tulip said. “Her father had some, and now it’s with her.”

“Where does Luna live?” Jack asked.

“In this city, about twenty miles away.”

“Then let’s go there.”

“Now?”

“Yes, right now.”

The boys rented a car and set off. Along the way, they learned that Luna’s father had also lost his life to the vampires.