The weekend with grandpap Bill.

THE WEEKEND AT GRANDPAP BILL’S

“Noooo!” screamed Jacob.

“Not Grandpap Bill. Anyone but Grandpap Bill!”

Stacy came down the steps already annoyed.

“What are you screaming about?”

Jacob pointed like he’d just seen a ghost.

“Mom’s sending us to Grandpap Bill’s for the weekend.”

Right then the twins came in—Marlena and Mason.

“What’s going on?” Mason asked.

Jacob turned, dead serious.

“It’s bad. Really bad.”

“What?”

“We have to spend the whole weekend with Grandpap Bill.”

Mason froze.

“…WHAT?!”

From the kitchen:

“Don’t yell at me—it was your grandfather’s idea!”

Jacob threw his hands up.

“Grandpap Bill is so boring!”

“I know he’s a little… off,” their mom called back,

“but he wants to take you kids fishing at his cabin.”

The boys looked at each other.

“What the hell is fishing?”

Marlena rolled her eyes.

“It’s sitting by a lake with a stick, waiting for a fish to feel sorry for you.”

“That sounds awful,” Mason said.

“That sounds like prison,” Jacob added.

Stacy shook her head.

“Come on, guys. Grandpap Bill’s not that bad.”

They all looked at her.

She sighed.

“Okay. He’s weird. Quiet. And yeah… he disappears for long stretches and never explains anything.”

Jacob leaned in.

“Exactly.”

“But he’s trying now,” Stacy said. “He wasn’t around much when Mom was growing up.”

Mason frowned.

“What kind of job makes you disappear for years and then come back and take kids fishing?”

Jacob shrugged.

“Serial killer retirement?”

Marlena smacked him.

“Shut up.”

From the kitchen:

“I heard that!”

Jacob dropped onto the couch.

“This is gonna be the worst weekend of my life.”

Mason nodded.

“Easily.”

They arrived the next morning.

Grandpap Bill stood outside waiting.

Gray hair. Beard. Built like a truck.

Mason leaned toward Jacob.

“He’s way too jacked to be a grandpap.”

Bill didn’t smile.

“You’re late. Get in—we’re already late.”

Jacob muttered,

“We’re gonna die in the woods.”

“Relax,” Stacy said. “It’s fishing, not survival.”

Jacob glanced at Bill.

“Same thing.”

The gas station looked like it hadn’t been updated since the eighties.

Bill went inside.

That’s when they heard it.

“Get outta here, you fucking mutt!”

Jacob turned.

A tall, pale guy had just kicked a small dog.

Mason stiffened.

“That asshole just kicked a dog.”

The guy looked over.

“What the hell are you looking at?”

Silence.

He bumped Mason hard as he walked past.

“Move.”

The door shut.

Mason clenched his jaw.

“They need to be taught a lesson.”

Jacob looked at him.

“What are you gonna do?”

Mason looked toward the dog.

“…I have an idea.”

“This is how we die,” Jacob muttered, scooping.

“Not in the woods—at a gas station—with dog poop.”

The little mutt wagged his tail.

“He doesn’t even have a collar,” Mason said.

“I think he’s a stray.”

Jacob looked at him.

“Great. Now we got a dog.”

“…yeah,” Mason said. “We do.”

Jacob looked at the bags.

“What are you gonna do with all that?”

Mason smiled.

“Watch.”

They moved fast.

Under the hood.

In the seats.

Floor mats.

Tailpipe.

“This is evil,” Mason said.

“Yeah,” Jacob said. “It is.”

“What are you two doing?”

They froze.

Stacy.

Marlena.

“That guy kicked the dog,” Mason said.

Jacob picked up the mutt.

“This dog.”

The dog wagged happily.

Marlena smiled.

“He’s adorable.”

Jacob nodded.

“His name’s Bruce.”

“You named him already?”

“He looks like a Bruce.”

Later—

“…those little motherfuckers,” the pale guy said.

Blair burst out laughing.

“That is EVIL.”

The blonde crossed her arms.

“You kicked a dog. Actions, consequences.”

The pale man smiled slowly.

“…we’ll find them.”

The next day—

Fishing was torture.

Seven hours.

Bill told stories.

Weird ones.

“…and that’s when the guy turned into a wolf.”

Jacob blinked.

“…did he just—”

“Yep.”

Back at the cabin—

“We need butter,” Bill said.

He left.

Door shut.

Truck gone.

Jacob turned.

“Come on.”

He pulled out a bag.

Rope. Hooks. Wire.

Mason blinked.

“…what is all this?”

“Traps.”

“For what?”

Jacob looked toward the woods.

“They’re coming back.”

Mason smiled slowly.

“…okay.”

They set everything.

Then—

The black sedan rolled in.

“They’re here,” Marlena whispered.

SNAP.

Lee was yanked into a tree.

“HEY!”

Blair laughed hard.

“This is amazing.”

Then—

She whispered.

The ropes unraveled.

Lee dropped.

“…okay. that was weird.”

Inside—

“…new plan?” Mason said.

Paint bucket.

SPLASH.

Lee stood dripping.

“…that’s it.”

He changed.

Horns. Heat. Burning eyes.

“Everybody inside!” Stacy yelled.

Door slammed.

Lock clicked.

Sebastian reached for the handle—

Paused.

“…clever.”

Inside—

“Let him grab it,” Mason whispered.

Blair stepped forward.

Whisper.

The heat vanished.

CLICK.

The door unlocked.

“…that’s not good,” Mason said.

Door opened.

“It was just a prank!” Jacob said.

“You kicked Bruce!”

Bruce barked.

“What’s all this?”

Bill stood in the doorway.

“…I leave for butter… and come back to this.”

“…it’s you,” Sebastian said.

“You gave us a second chance.”

Blair smiled.

“John Merlin.”

“…what?” Mason whispered.

“Sebastian’s a vampire,” Blair said.

“…WHAT?”

“Relax. Usually.”

Sebastian handed over a paper.

“It’s the cleaning bill.”

“…seven hundred dollars?!”

Bill paid it.

Then—

“Why’d you kick the dog?”

“…bad day.”

“I remember those.”

Sebastian reached into his jacket again.

Everyone tensed.

He pulled out a squeaky bone.

“For the dog.”

Bruce lost his mind.

“I don’t know how to feel,” Mason said.

Then—

A massive man stepped in.

Smith.

Lee groaned.

“Not this guy.”

“Your grandpap,” Smith said, “…is a defender of humanity.”

“That sounds made up,” Mason said.

“That sounds real,” Jacob said.

“Vampire. Witch. Werewolf.”

“And him?” Mason asked.

Marlena leaned in.

“…he was Hercules.”

“I can hear you,” Smith said.

“…that confirms it,” Mason said.

“I’m retired,” Smith said.

“Forced,” Blair added.

Mason looked at Bill.

“How old are you?”

“Old enough.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“It’s the only one you’re getting.”

A pause.

“Dinosaurs were overrated.”

“…you met dinosaurs?” Mason whispered.

Bill didn’t answer.

Blair smiled faintly.

“You’ll find out… if you survive long enough.”

Silence filled the room.

Jacob stared ahead.

“…I liked it better when we were just bored