anessa the Vampire

aron Von Lodge was the head of a small country known as Lilliland near Switzerland. The time was the early 1900s.

Lady Angela of Alpine Castle lived alone but was rarely by herself because she saw her fiancé, the Baron, nearly every day. She also had numerous friends and relatives who would visit her for a few days at a time. Her castle was situated close to the shore of the lake and had a magnificent view of both the lake and the snow-capped mountains.

Vanessa, a cousin who visited from Norway, began to get on Lady Angela's nerves after a few days. It seems Vanessa dressed in a dark robe and walked around the castle making strange ghostly noises and telling everyone scary stories. She referred to herself as a vampire. Vanessa stayed in her darkened room most of the day only going out after dark to roam the castle and make her strange noises. She really was not a vampire but took great enjoyment in making the servants think she really might be one.

Lady Angela's afternoon tea receptions were very popular with her friends until Vanessa dressed in her long dark robe and began to attend the teas. People began to stay away from the castle.

One afternoon Lady Angela took Vanessa out into the garden to try to cheer her up. Unfortunately, a storm came up very quickly and lightening struck the tree under which Vanessa was seated. The jolt knocked Vanessa to ground and rendered her unconscious. The lightening missed Lady Angela and she was not hurt. Vanessa was immediately taken to her room and a physician summoned. After a thorough examination the doctor said she should sleep for a while but when she awoke she would be fine. After Vanessa awakened she seemed fine except that she ordered that all her dark robes be removed from her closet and discarded. Instead, she requested white lace clothing.

Lady Angela asked Vanessa about the change of wardrobe to which Vanessa told her she was a fairy princess and had no recollection of ever being anything else but a fairy princess. She also asked that the drapes in her room be opened to let the bright sunshine in and asked for bouquets of fresh flowers.

Soon Lady Angela's friends began to return to the afternoon teas and they all liked and enjoyed Vanessa much better as a fairy princess.