this is just a trial run, people. this story is fan-made, and the characters belong to their respective owners. the only thing i own is the story and Ana.
now that that's out of the way, enjoy! ;D

Prelude, pt. I

A pair of bright crimson orbs glowed in the abyss.

Even though such a sight should have frightened her to the core of her very being, she felt no such emotion.
Instead those eyes were warm like the deepest depths of a hearth.

Those eyes… they reminded her of someone.

Those eyes…

"Ana…"

"Time to wake up, Mina!"

Her brow scrunched up into a scowl; she covered her eyes with a slender arm.
"Mina, come on!" Someone gently shook her by the shoulder.

Who was she confusing her with…?

"Who's 'Mina'?" She grumbled, opening her eyes stiffly, blearily seeing a head of auburn hair hovering to her right side.

Hang on, she didn't recall knowing anyone with auburn hair…

She scrambled away and hurriedly blinked sand from her eyes, baffling the intruder that was obviously confusing her with someone else; her hands formed into fists as they clung to the sheets, the pillow shams. "Who are you?" She demanded once her jaw muscles could move, bristling.

The Westenra girl looked at the strange sight of her best friend: her dark brown hair was mussed from sleep, even moreso now, her fair skin paled in what she saw as fear, her dark eyes wild with confusion. "Mina, it's me, Lucy, Lucy Westenra, your best friend." At seeing the crinkle in her brow as a sign she began to think, she continued, albeit carefully, "Mina, is everything all right? You're acting… odd."

That name… wait a second!

"Um, yes… I just, I had a strange dream… Sorry, Lucy." She briefly rolled the name with her tongue, straightening her posture from having backed into the corner between her bedpost and the wall, sitting forward a little.

The younger girl slowly allowed a smile to form on her pretty face, sitting back on her heels. "Was it that bad you had to scare me like that?" She half-joked.

"Mm kind of," she offered a weak smile, scratching the back of her head. "Lucy, tell me, what month is it?" If her math was correct, she had somehow wound up at least over a hundred years ago in England…

"Silly, it's July, eighteen-ninety-three." She chuckled.

Well fuck all kinds of duck!

If she weren't adept at keeping a poker-face, she would've looked horrified at the factoid that she had indeed awoken in 19th Century England; and if this was the Lucy Westenra she'd read of in that novel, then she wasn't just anywhere but in Whitby.

Damn it…

"Yes, that's right. I almost forgot… I suppose the dream did catch me by surprise after all," she chuckled sheepishly, beginning to think of how exactly she was going to get herself out of this mess and go home.

Did home even exist yet? Or had it even been established?

"Honestly, Mina, how will you look to Jonathan when he returns from his business trip? Waking up in a fright and scaring your best friend in the process…" Lucy was saying, stirring her from her thoughts.

"Jonathan?" Ah yes, him... The fiancé. "Yes, you have a point. I suppose I should freshen up, then, before he thinks I'm lazy." She mused with a wry chuckle, shuffling off the bed as her friend followed at a more nimble fashion.

Lucy sighed as she bounced to the door, "Do hurry up, Mina; dearest Arthur is coming over for lunch, and I don't wish to be the only one being gawked at by him!" She giggled, perking her ears.

Arthur… Arthur Holmwood, the noble; she had to re-read that damn book as soon as she got back to her allotted time period.

"I would imagine; I'll be there shortly, Lucy," she dismissed her with a small smile as the betrothed girl smiled over her shoulder at her before closing the door and disappearing down the corridor.

She looked out at the world through the bedroom window, widening her eyes slightly at the sprawling garden, the forest of green and variations of color that belonged to the bloomed and blossoming flowers, but most of all she focused her sights on the sunlight that illuminated the garden and the rest of the world.

Sunlight… God, it had been so long since she'd seen the brilliant Star.

She would've voiced a longing moan if it didn't cause further suspicion from the Westenra girl.

So she peeled herself away reluctantly, striding to examine her form in the tall vanity mirror by the chest of drawers that most likely had her clothing: the first thing she noticed was that her eyes were brown, caught somewhere between milk chocolate and blackish-brown, and it briefly pained her to see that they weren't silver like she was so accustomed to seeing; her hair was dark brown, almost black, and it fell to her mid-back, unlike her wild mane of ebony hair she had inherited from her Hungarian background…

Good God she was Mina Murray!

"Shit." She whispered, gingerly lifting a hand to pat her left cheek.

… Well, at least her skin tone was correct… almost.

::::::::d-b::::::::

It was a few days into her time spent in the Westenra house that she was slowly becoming accustomed to being human once again.

Of course she missed being a Nosferatu, a fierce and vicious Draculina born from night to crush any nuisance that stood in her way of what she wanted, of what her appointed goal had been.

She missed the silver and gunfire.

She missed the companions she had made while being one of the un-living.

But most of all, she missed him.

So where was he? Shouldn't he have arrived in England soon? If she remembered the novel correctly –that part was one of her favorites—he should have already purchased Carfax Abbey and be making the sea voyage to merry old England.

Why hadn't he come sooner?

Didn't he know she longed for him? Didn't he know she missed him dearly?
Alucard… No, Vlad.

Vlad…

::::::::d-b::::::::

"But Mina, aren't you the slightest bit worried over him?" Lucy asked as she shrugged on her small cape, adjusting it securely over her chest, following her as she trodded to the front of the house to meet the carriage that would take her to London.

She had to get used to being called that. "I am, that's why I am going to town, to get my mind off whatever is troubling Jonathan. I'm sure he'll come back. In fact, I believe he will, completely safe and whole." Like hell, she inwardly bit her lip and vainly hoped the carriage would hurry the hell up; the sooner she could get away from this place the better.

She knew what happened to that poor bastard, and she felt just the slightest bit of pity for him; but life goes on. Besides, she was more anxious to see her true beloved than that Harker bloke.

The carriage came to a halt short of infront of the two women as the driver hopped down to open the door for the Murray girl.

"Mina…" She said quietly as she watched her friend board the carriage, a frown forming on her pretty face.

She tilted her head back slightly to see the concern in her gaze; some small part of her had gotten accustomed to having Lucy bounce around and be the bubbly and sweet girl she had been in the novel, and even though it should've annoyed her, it didn't. Maybe that's what the real Mina admired most about her. "Don't fret, poppet; besides, frowning doesn't suit you, or I." She flashed a warm smile, turning her head to step into the cab and letting the driver close the door on her once she was settled.

Lucy watched the carriage leave until it disappeared around the corner of the gate before she trudged back inside the house.

She tucked a few strands of dark hair behind her left ear, sliding her eyes closed in a sigh.

"Vlad."

i reiterate, this was just a trial run. no flames whatsoever, please; all i ask is for some critique and comments regarding this, whether you think it sucks, if i need to drop it like a hot tamale, or if i should continue.

thanks again for reading and considering this story to be of interest (':