A/N: All of the creatures in this story are taken from actual folklore, from the Croglin Grange vamp to the Nuckelavee. Every detail of the Croglin Grange scene is the same as the original story up until Van Helsing shows up. My sources are Short and Shivery and More Short and Shivery, both by Robert San Souci. Them's good readin'!
Croglin Grange, England
It had been a long day, and Lucy was eager to get to sleep. She put on her nightdress and slipped into her four-poster bed, closing her eyes. She felt herself drifting off when she heard a twig snap. Her emerald eyes snapped open. She cautiously pulled the velvet curtains aside and peered through the French window. She became vaguely aware of two lights moving from the churchyard near the Grange. The next few minutes were a blur. The next thing she knew, she saw a sight that made her want to scream out loud. Gazing at her through the window was a hideous, pale brown face, red eyes burning inside it. The head belonged to a tall figure, covered in a black cloak. She clutched the top of the covers, wanting to do something- anything- but finding herself incapable of moving. Suddenly, the creature held up a long, bony finger. It began to scrape at the panes of the window. Lucy realized it was scratching away the lead that held the panes in place. One of the panes fell to the floor, shattering. Its finger poked through the hole it had made, flicking open the latch. It pushed open the door and advanced on Lucy. Bending over Emma, it opened its mouth, revealing a putrid odor and needle-sharp eyeteeth. As the fangs neared her throat, she did what she had been meaning to do from the beginning: She screamed. Without warning, a man kicked open the bedroom door. The man was wearing a long black cloat, a wide-brimmed hat and a bandanna over his face. He had flowing dark hair and eyes that spoke of cold fury and tragic losses at the same time. He was carrying a wooden stake in each hand. Get back. he said. Lucy couldn't tell who he was talking to, but she acted quickly. She drew back her foot and kicked the creature in the face. The man lunged at the creature, a stake in his hand. The creature grabbed the man's arm, pushing it back. Its fangs extended, it leaned toward the man's throat. Lucy elbowed the monster between the shoulder blades. It fell forward, just as the man shoved one of the stakes through the beast's chest. Lucy gasped as the stake ripped through the monster's back just out of reach of her own chest. The creature uttered a shrill, hideous scream, as the flesh crumbled from its bones. The skeleton crumbled on the Oriental-rugged floor. The man looked up. He removed his hat and bowed. Evening, ma'am. he said, his voice muffled by the bandanna. Name's Gabriel Van Helsing.