Count Goru: The Lovening
November began the same as any other month. Firstly, the first happened, followed quickly by the second. Count Goru was happy. Halloween had been a bus ride to love.
It all started with the Count waiting to summon an unsuspecting mortal to the world of the undead. Unfortunately, she had decided to take a different bus ride, leaving him to wallow in his own self-pity at the stop while awaiting the number 43.
He had been asked many times why he rode the buses instead of transforming into a bat and flying everywhere like any other vampire. Quite simply, he liked the buses. Most people who rode buses just thought he was on his way to a party. If he was a bat, however, most people wanted to kill him. Many a time he had been swatted at with a broom wielded by a mother in an apron. This had never happened on a bus.
The self-pity ride aboard the number 43 hadn’t ended in a trip to the ice cream kiosk for several litres of cookies and cream. Thankfully, the undead didn’t suffer from cholesterol.
Then she arrived. The mystery beauty. She knew who he was, but he didn’t know her.
She introduced herself as Baroness Envelopé.
“I,” she said, “am the Baroness Envelopé.”
She offered him a hand. How would he take this? Did he shake it like she was delivering a trophy at the end of a successful school year, or did he take it up to his sweet red lips and kiss it passionately?
His instinct was to shake vigorously, so he took the Baroness’s hand to his mouth and kissed it.
“I,” he said, “love your cape.”
They sat together on the 43. Holding hands while looking at the night. They reached the terminus of the bus and exited out to the platform.
“You know, Count Goru,”
“Please, call me Goru.”
“You know, Goru,” said the Baroness, “I am not of the undead.”
“Oh,” he replied. This was some news. “Do you need me to…”
“Would you?”
“Would I?”
Halloween had been a bus ride to undead infinite love.