Transylvania
1896
A dark black cloud floated over the gray castle. Because of the clouds it seemed like there was going to be a storm but there was no rain, no lightning, not even thunder. Up the winding dirt path which eventually let to the entrance were five men with crossbows in their hands. In the lead was Abraham Van Helsing, who sported dirty blond hair with only a little bit of stubble on his jaw. To his right was his brother Ned Helsing and to his left was Petrich Osvonovich, a larger burly man with long hair. Directly behind him was Stephen Anderson a tall, thinner man with blond hair and a mustache and to the right of him was their old writer friend Bram Stoker.
About two years earlier, Bram followed Abraham during his final confrontation with Dracula, witnessing the destruction of the man-beast. The events inspired him to write his first novel of the same name. No one believed that his seemingly fantastic tales were based in truth. Bram had agreed to pay the men their share of the books profits afterward. Recently they had heard reports of another vampire terrorizing the villages yet again. They asked him to come along for the experience of hunting down Dracula’s brother Dragos and to write down the events in a new novel.
It was a full moon in the middle of September. Bats could be seen in front of the bright orb. Abe had drawn out a map and a plan of attack earlier back at his home, however planing and doing were two different things. Bram was excited at the story possibilities this adventure would bring. It was dangerous like the first time, but it would also cultivate the ideas for his sequel.
* * *
Abe entered this chamber through the drawbridge which was surprisingly open. Petrich and Ned kept their crossbows high into the air searching for any bizarre beasts that defied the natural world. As soon as they thought of the idea, unearthly bright eyes with a spinning orange glow peered from the darkness. A huge drooling wolf-like creature pranced out of the shadowy corridor under the left stairway. It growled, salivated and faced the five of them. The furry black beast must’ve weighed two-hundred and fifty pounds easily. It cast a large shadow crept towards them along the wooden floor. It stood in front of the large fireplace with hellish yellow and orange flames.
Abraham threw a wooden cross shaped dagger directly at the gray sneering wolf. The throw was lightning quick. It jumped into the air in an attempt to dodge the stake but as it did the stake lodged into the creatures shoulder. It gave off a large yipe. It was hurt but it would take much more to put the creature down.
“Je ziet Stephen? Je doet het gewoon!” He pounded his fist in his hand.
“Jullie beiden naar links en rechts. Come now, shut the doors!” Abe pointed with his hands right and left. “Up the stairs! Get the higher ground! He turned his head to Stephen and Bram. Come together and pound right down the middle. Flank the beast from the sides…” Abe pounded his fist on his open palm. “You just do it!”
As Petrich and Ned walked up the stairs aiming their crossbows as the wounded creature. Ned tripped on his way up. The bloody wolf curled up and hair seemed to shed all around it as it transformed into the body of a nude man. He slowly stood up holding the stake in his left shoulder. “You killed my brother, now you want to finish off my bloodline completely.”
“That’s the idea, yes…” Abe then took out a long wooden cross which was sharpened at each end. He ran up and swung the stake over his shoulder but Dragos was able to block in time preventing the stake from coming down all the way to its heart.
Before Abe’s two men were able to pull their triggers two female vampires, one with blonde hair and the other with red, shot out of the black hallways next to them. One grabbed Petrich’s right shooting arm and bit deep into it. Petrich yelled and tried to shake her off. The other pushed Ned down the stairs with its immense strength.
The creature put its hand around Abe’s neck and lifted him off the floor. The cross dropped to the ground.
“Now it’s my turn to survive and your turn to die.” Said a grinning Dragos.
The only crew members left in Helsing’s crew were Stephen and Bram.
“I don’t get paid enough for this. It’s not even my real job!” Stephen said and gave his crossbow to Bram and quickly left. As he ran down the drawbridge, another huge gray wolf chased and pounced onto his back ripping into his neck. Bram could hear his blood curdling scream.
“Ah, no matter! He was…only part time.” Abe managed to say.
Bram now stood, shaky crossbow pointed at Dragos.
The vampire turned its head to Bram
“Stay out of this and I promise you your life, but not his.” Dragos said.
“Bram! Stop observing and shoot!” Abraham yelled.
Bram continued to stare as his heart beat fast. The crossbow was unsteady.
The vampire glanced over to him as the two beautiful long haired vampires descended the stairs smiling.
Dragos’s eyes locked on Stokers. Its pupil’s turned in orange spirals. Bram heard its voice in his head. I can see into your soul…ah, fame, it’s what you lust for. Don’t worry, after this you’ll have a popular novel on your hands. I can help you with your career as well, give you eternal life. You’ll write the best novels for the rest of time that humanity has on this earth. Now tell me…do you think that’s worth it?…Do you want to die?
He continued to stare and shake as Dragos laughed louder and louder. The laughter echoed throughout the castle walls, through the forests and even into the small village nearby.
“Bram! Bram! Just do it!” Helsing yelled then managed to pull out a small hidden stake from under his jacket, hoisting it into the air but losing the strength to bring it down into the vampires heart.
* * *
A shiny metal hammer landed onto a small silver nail slamming it flush into the wood. “You juss do it!” Said Will Deirsing. He was frustrated by Steve Abott’s lack of initiative when pounding the 2x4 into the wall.
“I was going to but…”
“Ah, but nothin'. Stop thinking about what you’re gonna do and juss do it. If I stopped and thought about everything I did in life I’d get nowhere, now get it done so we can keep it movin on this house.”
With that, the tan, dirty blond haired carpenter walked off the deck and towards his van for a bottled water.
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