VAN VLACK
Introducing…
Bardolph Van Vlack
Count Vladim Dracula
Gabriela Illovsky
1
THE WHISPERED TRUTH
Solca,
Suceava County, Romania, 1812
There it was. The cold, eerie atmosphere had engulfed the man's last pleasure of seeking warmth and comfort of his own home. However, the man was somewhere he did not know; a place where evil ruled – only the darkest of all arts and creations could be imagined. The man gave a last irresistible shiver before making any attempt to carry on his journey. Although a large, perceptible and prominent object stood before him, it was a creation of truthful obeisance. The divine, sleek features of pure beauty and grace were engraved on a large, elongated silver dagger, which shone obliquely into an abyss of deathly darkness…
The man lowered to pick up the prepossessing object, its weight merely of that of a feather in his bitterly cold, scabrous hands, as he gently lifted it from the floor. He felt the pleasure of caressed hotness as he held the dagger closer to his face, studying the inscriptions skilfully carved onto the base of the weapon. As he carefully studied the silver dagger, without realising, stepped down a small incline, into the entrance of a deep forest. As he lost his balance, the man quickly recovered his gate but lost grip of the dagger. It pained him having to watch such elegance fall into a cover of wilderness; not knowing where it would land.
Where could it have gone?, a voice in his mind interrupted. He looked for some sort of sign of a bright light, but nothing came except for the same blackness of moonless, dusky darkness.
Even though the man had been subject to seduction by a silver dagger, it didn't take long for him to notice that something was moving in the forest, moving swiftly. Very swiftly. It was though his whole body was on high alert, his senses in full swing.
From within his long black riding coat, he produced his trustworthy gun. Now feeling more protected, he slowly backed off, trying not to fall in between the rooks and crevices that the dark sod had provided. As he managed to find his feet back on horizontal ground he poised round, on full guard he caught a glimpse of a large, unnatural shadow run past behind him. Something was out there, something that was hunting him down…
There was no full moon that night, the sky just as dark as the earth. Hope boiled in the man's body; blood rushed through his veins as his heart pulsed faster and faster, as a faint, prolonged, growl came from behind a large pine tree, which scaled high up into the sky. Without a moment to spare, the man seized hold of his gun with both hands, as he foolishly decided to draw himself closer to the source. What am I doing? Where will I end up? Who but if no human ever finds me in time?
All these thoughts rushed through his mind – blocking his mind to be able control himself. He had always shown bravery as a young man but years of travelling and fighting in wars had taken its toll. Would this be the last few draws of breath he'd be able to take if the creature lurking in total silence, was to take his life? He brought his gun in front of him, making sure he had a good enough aim, if he had one at all. Then without a moment to spare, a large carnivorous creature leapt from behind him, tearing into his back like a wild dog. Pain shrieked through his whole body as he collapsed and fell to the ground. A large, vicious serpent-like animal had dug into his flesh, tearing into him as if he was its meal. The man, who lay victim to the animal, could taste his own blood as he lied there helplessly on the cold, harsh terrain, as blood seeped through his un-torn shirt. He could not think. He could not see. Then, a second later, he felt no more. He had been caught off guard…. If only he looked round in time…