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Dying to Live
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Alfred awoke, gasping and kicking out at the musty old blankets. Still clutched in his hands were the garlic and crucifix. He dropped them in favor of reaching for his neck to check for any holes that shouldn't be there. He sighed in relief as he found everything to be normal and intact. 'Just a dream. A horrible, awful nightmare!'

He sat on the foot of the bed and leaned against the bedpost. He had dreamt of becoming a vampire. He had been seduced and turned, and then…he had led Sarah straight into His Excellency's arms! He clenched his eyes shut as he clung to the bedpost. He needed to put on a brave face. He needed to find Sarah before his nightmare came true.

He took a deep breath and opened his eyes. A quick look to the right, and he noticed something that hadn't been in the room the night before. A small tray of food and water sat upon a cart. Who could have possibly left it? The curtains were opened wide, letting bright sunlight stream into the room, so he highly doubted that any vampire had left it. Had it been Koukol? He didn't think the hunchback would voluntarily leave him and the professor any form of sustenance. That left one person.

'Sarah!' Alfred whispered. 'She must have left it for us! How sweet and thoughtful. She really is perfect…' He sighed happily and looked about the room, hoping that she had stuck around. He caught movement out of the corner of his eye and turned his head. 'Sar—'

His voice caught in his throat. Smiling up at him was a hideous face. Missing teeth, hair in disarray, a complexion that made him cringe inwardly… He let out a scream as he recognized Koukol. He jumped back, attempting to put as much distance between himself and the hunchback as possible. He whimpered as Koukol sneered at him.

Koukol lurched out of the room, pausing only to spit into one of the bowls on the tray.

Beside Alfred, Abronsius calmly stretched as he awoke, as if awakening to Alfred's horrified screams was perfectly normal.

Alfred was only half listening as Abronsius prattled on about finding the castle's crypt and exterminating the resident vampires. Killing the count and his son would be the quickest and easiest fix. They would be asleep during the day and of no threat to them. But could he really drive a stake into the heart of another being? He had failed with Chagal, but that must have been because he seemed so alive and unlike the monsters they were supposed to be hunting. It would be much easier to stake a corpse. At least, that was what he told himself as he helped the professor to dress.

Professor Abronsius straightened his sleeves and stood tall as he faced his young assistant. 'Now, my boy, we shall hunt for the crypt! Let's make haste and catch them off guard,' he declared before leading the way into the hall.

Alfred groaned as he grabbed the professor's bag from the bed and began packing everything he had removed the night before. In went a stake, the crucifix, the garlic, and…and Sarah's sponge. Alfred paused as he held it in his hand. 'Oh, Sarah… Don't worry, you'll be safe soon. I promise!' he said to the sponge, hoping the message would somehow get through to her.

His goal was now in sight. In order to save Sarah, he had to slay the vampires. There was no other way. It would be all right. If his fear took hold of him again, then the professor was there to take control of the situation. He smiled softly as he tucked the sponge safely away.

'What are you waiting for, boy? We must be quick!' Abronsius said in exasperation as he poked his head back into the room.

'Y-yes! I'm coming!' Alfred shouted before rushing after the spry, old man.

The deeper they delved into the castle, the more uneasy Alfred felt. He jumped at every shadow, and his insides twisted more and more with every step. He would have argued that everything was fine until they actually reached the crypt. The cold draft hit him first then the smell. In the upper pathways of the crypt, it smelled as if something had died. He figured that it made sense, considering there were vampires nearby.

His foot knocked against something firm, and he heard it roll along the stone floor. In the dim light, he could just make out the shape of a small, round shape. He gasped as something ran over his other foot, and it squeaked when he lept out of the way. So there were rats in crypt. Living and dead. Did the count feed off the rats when he couldn't find a human to sustain him? The thought of either von Krolock feasting on a large rat lightened his mood for a moment. He could just imagine Herbert daintily holding a rat, doing his best not to let his lips touch its fur.

He gasped when Abronsius called him over to the railing. He looked to where the professor was excitedly pointing, and stared fearfully at the two large, ornately carved coffins. They had reached their destination. Almost.

'Now, how do we…' Abronsius muttered to himself as he looked around. There were several passages leading away from where they were, and there was no telling which one would lead them to the vampires. Logically, the best path would be a straight one. So, down it was. 'We must climb down,' he declared and handed his umbrella to Alfred. He settled on the floor beneath the railing and looked down. Upon further inspection, the lower level was further away than he had originally thought. 'You go first.'

'W-what? Me?! But—'

'Bag,' Abronsius said, holding out his hands expectantly.

Alfred bit back an argument. He had to be brave, he reminded himself. For Sarah. He handed the professor the bag.

'Down,' Abronsius commanded. He repeated himself when Alfred made no move to obey. Out of all the assistants he could have been stuck with… Alfred was the only one that had volunteered. He sighed, reminded that his eccentricities had scared off all other potentials. Alfred wasn't so bad. A little odd and a bit of a coward. Nothing that couldn't be rectified with a good lecture or by pushing the boy head on into the fray.

Alfred shook as he began looking for the easiest way to climb down. He could go over the railing and… It looked like there was a sconce on the pillar beneath him. He could use that as a foothold. He climbed over the railing and was halfway down when a sudden noise spooked him, making him cry out in surprise.

'Shh! Do you want the hunchback to hear?' Abronsius whispered loudly.

Alfred was grateful that he hadn't lost his grip. He reached out with his foot, blindly searching for the sconce he had seen earlier. He found it and used it to help support him as he looked for another handhold to get him lower. He was about five feet above the floor when he felt it was safe enough to drop down without hurting himself. His landing echoed through the crypt, and he cringed as Abronsius chastised him.

He looked around at the two large coffins. Atop their stone platforms, they loomed over him.

'I'm coming down,' Abronsius declared as he scooted to the edge of the walkway. 'Be ready!'

Alfred's face contorted in confusion, and he slowly turned to look up at the professor. In slow motion, he watched in horror as the professor slipped over the edge. 'No!' he shouted, running forward to break the professor's fall. He felt as if time had stopped as he stared up at the dangling legs. 'P-professor?'

'Don't just stand there. Get me down, boy,' Abronsius commanded.

Alfred reached for the feet above him, and only managed to tug off a shoe as the professor wriggled about.

'No… No, no it's no use,' Abronsius said miserably. 'You'll have to do it yourself.'

'Myself?' Alfred said in disbelief, looking between the two coffins. 'Alone?'

'Yes. You must drive a stake into their hearts,' Abronsius replied.

Alfred could swear that his heart was beating so loudly in his chest that it was loud enough to wake the dead. 'T-their hearts… O-of course…' He stood frozen, still clutching the professor's shoe tightly to his chest. Herbert's smiling face jumped to the forefront of his mind. Now that he was there, in the crypt, he didn't think he could go through with it. He stared pleadingly up at Abronsius. 'Please, no!' he whispered.

'Oh, don't be such a coward!' Abronsius reprimanded. He pointed to the two coffins. 'Now, open the coffins.'

'Open them?'

Abronsius dropped his arms as he looked down at his assistant. What could he possibly use to bribe Alfred? 'Think of Chagal's daughter,' he said. He smiled as the boy finally moved.

Alfred swallowed and set the shoe on the floor next to the bag. His legs shook as he moved to the coffin on his right. He could do this. He could open a coffin. Maybe…maybe if he saw the vampires dead in their coffins, then he would be able to muster the courage to destroy them.

He gripped the edge of the lid and pulled with all his might. Slowly, it moved. He startled when the lid tipped onto the floor. He ducked and looked around, praying that Koukol hadn't heard the loud noise.

'Well?' Abronsius eagerly asked, craning his neck to get a better look. 'Who is it? Which one?'

Alfred shakily stood and peeked over the edge of the coffin. 'H-his… His Excellency,' he whispered frightfully. The vampire looked as if he could awaken at any moment.

Abronsius clapped in delight. They had really found the vampires' resting place! It was daylight, and they were incapacitated. This was going to be so easy! 'Now, quickly! Open the other one!'

Alfred hurried to the other, his stomach flipping as he drew closer. Logically, Herbert would be inside. He readied himself and pulled off the lid. He refused to look inside until the professor prompted him. He looked down, and his breath caught. Inside, surrounded by silken cushions, was Herbert. He looked so peaceful. Peaceful and beautiful. Just like an angel.

No! These were vampires! Monsters! Evil creatures set on destroying all that was innocent! Like his poor, sweet Sarah.

With that thought, he quickly followed Abronsius's orders to get the hammer and stake. Once they were in his hand, however… He hurried to the count's coffin and stared at the vampire's broad chest. The heart. It would do no good if he didn't stake the heart. It was between the sixth and the seventh… 'Sixth and seventh…'

'Rib!' Abronsius let out an annoyed sigh as Alfred held the stake upside down. 'No, you idiot… The other way! Turn it around!'

Alfred struggled to correct his hold. He held the hammer high above his head. All it would take was one swift downward motion. The professor counted to three, and Alfred brought the hammer down, his hand stalling just above the stake. He was about to kill someone. No, not someone. Something.

He raised the hammer again. He had to do this. For Sarah! For beautiful Sarah! He had to save her! He thought of her bright eyes, her red lips, her full bosom… He brought the hammer down and stalled again. Once he was done with the count, he'd have to move on to Herbert. Perhaps not as sweet and innocent as Sarah, but every bit as beautiful. Whereas Sarah would be inexperienced and naive, Herbert would be experienced and passionate.

He raised the hammer a third time. Could he do it? Could he really kill them? They had yet to bring harm to him and the professor. But…this was a preemptive strike. And they had stolen Sarah away! No…Sarah had run off on her own. But she had been seduced! Tricked! No, that wasn't right, either. It was her village. She knew the legends. She knew of the count. Had she truly feared for her life, she would have stayed locked in her room. She had made her choice. He had offered his love to her, offered to take her away with him, and she had already chosen the count.

The hammer clattered to the floor, and he pulled the stake away. 'I-I… I can't do it,' he whispered.

'What?!'

The outraged scream echoed throughout the crypt, and Alfred cowered against the base of the count's coffin until silence fell once more. He brought his head up and looked around to find the professor hanging limply from the ledge.

'You should be ashamed of yourself, you coward,' the professor chastised.

Alfred nodded as he set the hammer and stake back into the bag. 'I am… I'm sorry,' he said quietly. The silence behind him was deafening. He chanced a look over his shoulder and saw the professor shaking his head and staring at the floor. 'Professor?'

'It's no use. That's what I get for bringing a child with me,' Abronsius said. 'Very well. Get back up here and help me up.'

Alfred collected the bag and the professor's shoe. He hoisted them onto the walkway before clambering up a pillar. He couldn't fault Abronsius for berating him and his cowardice. He half-listened, all too familiar with the put upon tone being used.

He knew he wasn't the professor's first choice for an assistant, and following Professor Abronsius was far from his first choice for his first bout of real world experience, but no one else was willing to follow the eccentric professor around Europe. All of Alfred's top picks already had their own assistants, and his performance in school wasn't exactly stellar. Certainly not high enough to gain any respect or attention from his peers. He had a fair grasp for language, which had gained Abronsius's interest and kept him from outright dismissing Alfred.

The one thing that Abronsius had to offer that made following him even remotely appealing was the free travel and accommodations. He had shrugged off the prospect of vampires as preposterous. Now, he was left wondering if his adventure was really worth it.

'You understand the theories,' Abronsius continued, unaware that Alfred wasn't really listening, 'but when it comes to practice? You simply cannot follow through! Perhaps more practice on helpless pillows will help you.' Alfred pulled him to his feet, and he took a few steps forward, but the feeling had gone from his legs. Luckily, Alfred caught him, and he slumped against his assistant. At least he could say that Alfred was loyal and dependable.

'Today was a waste,' Abronsius said as they exited the crypt. 'But no matter. We will find a new tactic. Make new plans. We have not yet lost!'

Alfred looked out a window, wishing he had the professor's conviction. 'Maybe… Maybe we should just leave,' he said quietly. Outside, the sun was beginning its descent. It wouldn't be much longer until nightfall.

'Nonsense! We are here now, and we must succeed in our task, or else this infestation could spread,' Abronsius said as he quickly walked off.

Alfred sighed heavily, and his breath fogged over the window. If the so-called infestation hadn't already spread, then who was to say it would? For all they knew, there were vampires elsewhere in the world already. With only a small bit of planning, a vampire could easily travel the continent. How hard could it really be to avoid sunlight, garlic, and being impaled? Perhaps running water proved to be a valid obstacle. Or maybe scattered grains?

He moved away from the window and followed the sound of Abronsius's footsteps.