// OLD GALANTOME ESTATE //


Nearly two months have passed since Kevin Marscapone has given the stray comic books to Larry and Cassandra Goth. Supposedly they were gifts given many years ago, a kind presentation of diplomacy under the roof of the Magicademy. They still bore the marks of their giver and would help sway a scry from empty to successful, if only they could put together the rest of the constituent parts.

So far, they’ve sat in a neat pile on top of his dresser and waited through the holidays.

Perhaps he’d hear from Hermione and none of this would be necessary.

Perhaps.

LARRY

SO I GOT A REFERRAL FOR A NEW PSYCHIATRIST.

CASSANDRA

YOU SEE A PSYCHIATRIST? I WASN’T EVEN AWARE.

LARRY

YEAH, HE HELPS ME SORT OUT THE BAD DAYS.

CASSANDRA

AW, LARRY, I’M SORRY TO HEAR THAT.

LARRY

IT’S NOT A BIG DEAL.

I FELL INTO IT AFTER I LEFT THE MAGICADEMY.

IT WAS JUST SO HARD THERE FOR A WHILE TO KEEP EVERYTHING AFLOAT.

SCHIZOAFFECTIVE DISORDERS OFTEN HIT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE TWENTIES.


She looks up in empathy, trying to take her companion’s pain away.

LARRY

I’M NOT ASHAMED, IT’S JUST AN INCONVENIENCE, REALLY.

BUT IT HELPS.

CASSANDRA

COULD THE GHOSTS BE TALKING TO YOU?

LARRY

I DON’T KNOW.

I’VE THOUGHT ABOUT IT BUT I DON’T REALLY KNOW.

AT ANY RATE, WHATEVER THE CAUSE, I HAVE DIFFICULTY GETTING AROUND DAY-TO-DAY. LIFE JUST DOESN’T SEEM AS EASY AS IT DOES FOR OTHER PEOPLE, EVEN OTHER ORPHANS.

MY DOCTOR HELPS REMIND ME THAT DEEP DOWN, BEHIND ALL THE MAGIC AND ORPHAN BULLSHIT, THAT I’M SANE. THAT I’M ME, I’M SANE, AND EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY.

CASSANDRA

THAT’S WONDERFUL.

I’M SO GLAD IT HELPS.

LARRY

OR HELPED. I’M NOT REALLY SURE.

I GOT A REFERRAL FOR A NEW DOCTOR.

CASSANDRA

OH, THAT’S TOO BAD.

WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR OLD ONE?


Larry seems to smile, or stifle one, in pride.

LARRY

WELL, EVER SINCE I’VE BEEN OUT HERE, COMMUTING TO MY OLD PSYCH HAS BEEN A BIT OF A PAIN.

HE’S IN NASSAU COUNTY AND WHENEVER I TRY THERE’S TONS OF TRAFFIC.

THIS NEW GUY’S IN DOWNTOWN MANHATTAN SO AT LEAST I CAN TAKE THE TRAIN.

NO TRANSFERS, EVEN!

CASSANDRA

DO YOU TALK ABOUT…

YOU KNOW…MAGIC?

AT YOUR SESSIONS?

LARRY

THEY’RE BOUND BY DOCTOR-PATIENT CONFIDENTIALITY.

SO UNLESS I WAS TALKING ABOUT A KILLING CURSE, THEN I’M OKAY.

AND EVEN THEN, THEY PROBABLY WOULDN’T BELIEVE ME.

BUT I FIND MYSELF…NOT REALLY TALKING ABOUT MAGIC ALL THAT MUCH.

IT’S GOOD PRACTICE FOR GETTING ALONG IN THE REAL WORLD.

CASSANDRA

I’VE NEVER BEEN TO A PSYCHOLOGIST.

I’VE WONDERED IF IT MIGHT HELP, AFTER MY PARENTS PASSED…

LARRY

IT MIGHT AND IT MIGHT NOT.

SOMETIMES IT FEELS GREAT TO GET SHIT OFF MY CHEST, BUT OTHER TIMES IT’S JUST A PAIN IN THE ASS TO GET THERE AND THEN IT’S OVER.

CASSANDRA

I COULD SEE THAT.

SO WHO’S YOUR NEW DOCTOR?

LARRY

LET ME GET OUT HIS CARD…


Larry fishes around in his pocket for a small business card with a name, address, a phone number scrawled on the back in a ballpoint pen.

He reads the name aloud carefully.

LARRY

“DOCTOR ABRAHAM VAN HELSING”.


She pauses for a moment, considering the information and reaching into her stores of memory.

CASSANDRA

“VAN HELSING”? ISN’T THAT THE DOCTOR FROM ‘DRACULA’?

IS SOMEONE PLAYING A JOKE ON YOU?

LARRY

IS IT THE DOCTOR? I’VE NEVER READ THE BOOK.

MY DOCTOR DOESN’T SEEM THE TYPE TO PLAY PRACTICAL JOKES. DEFINITELY NOT WITH MY TREATMENT PLAN.

HE WAS GIVING THIS GUY A PRETTY GOOD RECOMMENDATION. COLLEGUE OF HIS OR SOMETHING.

CASSANDRA

WELL IT’S BEEN A NUMBER OF YEARS SINCE PREP SCHOOL BUT I’M PRETTY SURE THAT’S THE DOCTOR FROM ‘DRACULA’.

THE VAMPIRE HUNTER.

LARRY

WEIRD.

O.K.

WELL THERE’S NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT AN UNFORTUNATE NAME.