IMPORTANT NOTE: If you're not going to read anything else in the A/N section at least read this!

I have not updated my FF account ins ages. Please don't judge this piece based on my old works. Also, this chapter is purposely written in slight old English style. Other chapters will not be like this.

Also, this is a mystery, horror, suspense, romance, and eventually a bit of a adventure story (their is also a dabble of comedy and drama) story... Not just mystery and romance piece.

A/N: Anyways... Wow, its been so, so (TOO LONG) long since I updated... And I almost feel bad that I am updating with a new story that has nothing to do with "His Fangs" (please don't kill me long-awaited-readers). I started writing this about a year ago, though it was the first chapter (this is the prolog). Wasn't necessarily planning to write this but I am taking a Creative Writing class and was compelled to write something along these lines since I was obsessed with this new story idea at the time (don't you just love and hate that?).

Summary (will be changed eventually): Through some mysterious events, Dracula has returned after laying ash for many years and is back with a new goals. First and foremost: Revenge. Though to accomplish this sinister purpose Dracula travels to Rome in search for young sacrifices to bring back the dead princess and to draw the Left Hand of God back out again. And what better way to get innocent hearts than to be a seductive professor at an all girl's academy? Girl's hearts are so easily swayed, right? Or is there one stubborn soul that is willing to mess everything up and officially send him back to the grave!

NOTE: This summary is old... It only really summarizes the first half of the story. They're a ton more too it (not trying to sound convincing). I like "complex"/ mystery stories. Everyone in this story (for the most part) are very important for the lead up to the ultimate climax.

Any-who~ I'm a little worried about having to post this first... Not really much of a prologue (considering this type of story), but more of a character overview of the main star in this and a little side story of tea-time and her displeasure of new staff member at the academy (I wonder who it is~). PLEASE do not get the idea that this is a cheesy school life romance... It's not. Only the beginning of the story takes place in the academy. "Romance" does not run the story either (its a element of it that's laced into it; especially towards the end).

Why a Van Helsing fanfic? Ha ha... Long story, just... Just don't browse youtube videos. It can lead to a terrible Domino affect (like an unhealthy Roxula obsession).

Because this takes place some years after the happenings of the film, it will be around the late 1890's maybe (it will become more clear when the story progresses).

Just a special thanks to Remember (I'll post her link on my homepage when the construction is over) for ideas and her muse -grabs Dracula-MINE!

One other thing people... I used to be a very active writer back in the days, but it been a while and I am trying to work on coming back again, but life is... unfair. Nevertheless, I will try to start updating soon and work on this the best I can. Without further-ado-

~Enjoy~

The Irony of the Living Dead

Prologue: Diminished Wonderland

"It is her fury of fire that will burn his frozen heart to the limit!"

Her former lover, Jonathan, if he ever was one, would call her "Ace." But being peculiar, this girl was better known as just "Alice." Though a "girl" was something she had passed, for now she stood as a young fair woman of one and twenty, soon to age again this chilly spring. Unfortunately, her graduation from the small, yet famous St. Maria academy would not come on that day of birth but on a late spring morning instead. This boarding college, despite its size, was full, if not stuffed like an old man's rum-filled belly, with every race of female within its old walls. A gender only permitted to enter and attend its knowledge filled halls. That is... other than the strict staff. It is this "exception" that will bring us back to our extraordinary Alice, who, can only be best described as a walking contradiction.

Alice knew if a being had the ability to see past ones appearance and straight to the heart, or mind (for the more liberal viewer, as she), would think she was the most comical or maybe pitiful being ever to drink tea from a fine-china cup in hand and to dare hold a sword in the other. Where in appearance she was like a new morning, fresh and elegant, but her inner being was dark with unhealthy nerve and clouded with the unappetizing curse of insolence. Oh, how the world around her made the new, blonde strains on her neck rise with fury and irritation. Coming to this lovely academy was her buckets of cold water to somber her argumentative mind. She chose to come, not because her depressant mother insistent upon it. No, no. It was here she could focus on achieving the knowledge her society tried so desperately and constantly to rob from her. It was here she could be smitten with quietness in the far ail of the library in which she could drowned her senses in a good tale. It was here she could also smile a real genuine smile to the ones that passed her path down the long corridors of cherry oak floors. The safety of the female student body was an atmosphere she could humble herself despite her other flamboyant side. A "side" that raged to surface when exposed to the outside world beyond the silver gates, ahead of the bell tower to the Vatican city below.

Tis' was her last year she was upon and it was so unfairly ruined when a pompous like being decided to take up residents in the Far East hall, lecturing too many inexperience hearts that never knew what beating rapidly meant. Alice's perfect sabbatical from life was now polluted with a type of reality she had no patience for. He quickly became the talk of their gossiping lips and the curiosity of there locked up hearts. It was then, when Alice had finally sat in his overcrowded hall one new day, filled with gasping breaths from quickly rising bosoms, that her inner being started to stir from its slumber and, more than insisted, to ooze from her skin pores like acid wanting to burn.

Alice concluded that very day onward that she loathed him from the top of his shiny black mane down to his complimenting boots.

Her lady-like composure she modeled to the females became increasingly difficult to carry. Her hot fury bubbled below her white skin, her loud and rude mind scoffed, and her all so easily triggered nerved threaten to laugh and mock at any moment. Oh, how she wished (strange as is) she could return to her home to release her inner turmoil through a blade to a hay shaft. But her all too feminist-like mother wouldn't ever hear of it. So here she sat... Head of the club her mothered formed with her many funding's from her distant father. She sat straight and uncomfortable as her audience drank their hot cups with glee and gossiped all too much about him. It was times like this she used to enjoy, sitting in the slightly humid air of the green house behind the academy where they drank tea and learned the finer arts of a women from her... But now she had to endure such a conversational topic that held little interest to her outwardly, though inwardly, it truly worried her to no end.

"You can't be serious," Alice audited her thought aloud in a tone dripping with disgust one day.

All heads turned to her twisted face, which she quickly tried to make into a pleasant one. Their powered doll-like faces held a confused note in them at the rude remark she spouted. Alice could feel the warm air affect her cheeks with pink, or maybe it was her overdressed attire she wore, it was still late winter after all, she thought.

"I mean," Alice calmed herself, and directed her gaze downward to her petite cup resting in the ruffles of her skirt on her lap. She needed to stay focus! She was a role model, so act like one; she almost begged her darkened mind more than commanding it. Rotating the porcelain handle, she grasped it gingerly and lifted her gaze, which she hoped looked as warm as the contents in the cup she held. "What do you mean Lillian?" She asked gently, forming a act she lately had to take up to hide her displeased nature.

"Oh, dear me... How I should say this?" Lillian giggled, patting her rouse lip with the tip of her handkerchief.

"I just want to run my fingers through his hair," said a muffled voiced behind Lillian for her, making the listening audience flush and ripple with laughter and tears as Lillian reddening face formed a pout.

How respectively the laughter filled the air with the proper pitch, but the sound of porcelain cracking was still heard and seized the wave of giggles at once.

"My goodness, my hand must have had a mind of its own," Alice half heartily chuckled with a "ho ho," looking away from the shattered cup in her gloved hand and the now stained dress. The girls didn't seem very convinced at Alice's foreplay to lighten the mood, but even still, they smiled and offered their assistant as they should. The distasteful subject before now came to a close to Alice's relief. But only to the cost of her nerve getting the best of her hand, that was now in terrible pain.

Though, it was only for now... It would be back to be discussed again... and again.

A/N: A bit short compared to my past works, but I wanted to keep it this way. Just wetting your taste-bubs a bit~ For you new comers... I usually write really long chapters (so beware).

So I hope this "Alice" character doesn't seem too negative and bitter... On the flip-side, her personality will create some awesome dialogue and actions between her and him, plus other things (just to give a slight spoiler).

Just going to say this ahead of time; first, I don't own Van Helsing or any of the characters (I'm sure that is a given considering this is a "fan" site) except Alice and the many more characters to come~ Second, this story will develop into a T+ story if not potentially a M rated story. So if you have issues with gore and what not, please refrain from reading (flames with be used to burn one of dracula's brides). I'm going to try to keep it "T+" but just for safety (not only for guy) for myself. Gosh... I hope I didn't scare anyone away with this warning... Just keep in mind, this is a "Van-Helsing" fanfic... :)

OH, and PLEASE REVIEW! Always welcome (plus they encourage me A LOT). Many thanks!

-1/14/11-

Here's a preview for the next chapter (I usually never do this... so don't get too excited you lucky dogs):

Alice tried her best to stay calm when she went to face him, keeping the adrenaline urge to strike at a bare minimum. She could hear her heart pound in her ear from the sudden surprise, making it hard to keep her shocked face normal.

This was strange, not just because he was suddenly here but she never spoke to him in such a close and private proximity before. Managing to get a hold of her startled state, she pushed herself off the pillar and folded her hands together in front of her in a lady-like fashion, and stood before him.

"Yes, sir?"