Chapter 1

Anna was sitting in her room. She felt so alone. Van Helsing was dead, her family was dead and she was left to live in this big mansion by herself, and there was nothing she could do about it. She was remembering how she met Gabriel. She had told him there was a brighter side to death. But now at this moment, she felt as though there was no side of death. Anna quickly wiped a tear away from her soft cheek. Anna got up from her bed and walked down to the library. She sat down and watch the fire consume the wood. She only wished to see Dracula burn. She slowly feel into a deep sleep.

Anna and Van Helsing were standing in front of the entrance of Castle Dracula that was hidden within the walls of the Valerious mansion. Van Helsing grabbed both Anna and Carl in each arm and jumped the bridge that was blocking them from getting inside. Van Helsing had gently put Anna down but threw Carl on the ground.

They had seen one of Dracula's helpers and threatened to cut off his fingers if he gave the wrong information or none at all. Anna smiled evilly when Van Helsing had given her permission to do that. Walking towards the crippled creature with the pliers scared him half to death. Anna was now starting to enjoy this. Finally he told Van Helsing where Dracula was. He lead Anna and Carl to the room with the antidote. One of Dracula's brides had tried to get in their way, but Anna was in no mood to deal with her.

After stabbing her, she went off with Carl to try to find Van Helsing and give him the antidote. When they finally found him, both Dracula and Van Helsing kept going into their beast forms. Dracula pleaded that he could make a deal with him, but Van Helsing still tried to kill him.

Anna watched in horror. She could tell Van Helsing was weakening by the second. Dracula was now easily beating him. Anna looked at Carl who had the silver stake in case something went wrong. Finally Dracula was weakening. Van Helsing was now trying to bite him. Dracula flew over to Anna. He grabbed her from behind and held her tight.

"What do you want Van Helsing? Do you want me to take Anna's precious life and let her never enter the gates of heaven, or will you take your life to save her family and herself? From what I hear, Transylvanians look on the brighter side of death." Dracula chuckled with delight that he had cornered Van Helsing. Van Helsing looked at Anna who was telling him not to take his life. Anna had tears running down her face.

"Please don't Gabriel! I love you too much to lose you! Please don't! I can't have another person I loved too much die for my life. Not again." Anna wanted to collapse but Dracula held her up. Dracula started to kiss her neck. Anna shivered at the touch of his lips. "You don't have all day to choose Gabriel. If I have to choose, you nor Anna won't like it." Dracula looked at Van Helsing with intensity.

Van Helsing looked at Anna one last time. She was more beautiful than he ever really noticed. He said, " Anna, I love you too much to risk your life here and in heaven. Remember me always. I will be with you where ever you go. No matter what." Gabriel took the stake from Carl's hand and stabbed himself in the heart. Slowly he died the death he had been wishing for so long. He only regretted not to be able to feel the warm touch of Anna's soft skin.

Anna tried to run over to Van Helsing to hear his last words, but Dracula held her back. She watched in horror. He love of her life was dying in front of her and she couldn't so a single thing because the true devil was holding her back. Dracula turned her around so that she was facing him. He leaned in for a kiss, but instead she spit in his face and was able to get out of the grasp of the monster. Running she went over to Van Helsing. She brushed away the hair that covered his chiseled face.

Anna cried more than she ever did in her life. She hugged Gabriel. She loved him so much and now he was gone. It was her fault. She would never be able to forgive herself. Anna turned around and saw that Dracula was no where to be seen, nor was Carl.

She got up slowly and looked around the place. Behind what seemed like a generator was Carl. Lying there dead. Blood was everywhere. He had a huge claw mark going across his face. He must have bled to death. Anna didn't know what to do. Why did these things have to happen to her. Wasn't she punished enough? She screamed as loud as she could, "DAMN YOU DRACULA!"

Anna woke up slowly just to find herself in tears. Even though it had been 6 months since that had happened, she dreamed of it every night. Anna got up and saw the sun was just rising. Slowly Anna got up and got into her riding gear.

Anna walked down to the stables to find the stable guy sitting on the horses hay passed out drunk. Getting a bucket of water, she pored the icy water onto the guy. " I do not pay your lazy ass to get drunk and starve my horses. Now get up and go home, your fired." The guy looked at her like he had just seen a witch. Anna thought he was still half drunk and was sure to have a hangover. Anna walked away and got onto her horse bareback so she could get away from that hell faster.

Anna stopped in the old field she and Velkan use to go to talk about what they thought about certain things. But now that he wasn't here, she tried to talk to him in the heavens above. "Velkan, I am so alone in this world. I feel like I can't go on. My heart is so empty I fear that I may never love again. I loved Van Helsing more than I loved myself. But he gave his life for mine. I just don't know what to do..." Anna kept talking until she finally realized that she was talking to the stars. Anna started to look around for her horse, but there was no sign of it anywhere. Anna let out a heavy breath of frustration. She was at least fifteen miles from home. Anna started to walk home but then stopped. She heard a noise. She was too scared to turn around to see who or what it was. All of the sudden, a cold hand placed itself on her shoulder. Then a soft voice in her ear said, " I'm back."