Nobody stopped Van Helsing as he hurried down to the basement. Not that there was anybody to stop him anyway. He found himself in the lowest corridor. A small window cut in the very top of the wall cast in grey light. There was a small cell here, and locked in the cell, was-
"Anna!"
She was sitting comfortably in the corner, dressed in her tight blouse and trousers and boots, her long curls falling around her serious face which was looking out of the window.
Gabriel froze a few feet from the cell.
"Gabriel Van Helsing," said Anna in her thick eastern accent. "I wondered when you would find me."
"It cannot be," he breathed, taking off his hat to stare at her.
"It obviously can be," she shrugged.
"But... you're dead, Anna. I killed you," he whispered.
She laughed grimly. "They sent me back. There are things which need done."
"Why have you been brought here?"
"They think I am mad. Claiming to be a woman they know to be dead. Claiming a demon they know to be dead is alive."
"You are real enough. Who is alive?" Van Helsing asked.
"Vladislaus Dragulia."
"No, no, no," breathed Gabriel. "We sent him to hell."
"You sent me to heaven, but look where I am now!"
She turned to face him. Her eyes were filled with sorrow.
"Anna. I will help you."
She scoffed. "That is why I was not supposed to come here. I am supposed to avoid you at all costs."
"Why?" he asked, hurt.
"Because they fear I will fall for you again, and that I will not return to heaven when this is over, or that you would leave to heaven with me when the earth so desperately needs you."
"I won't lose you again, Anna."
She grinned, shook her head in disbelief. "I don't believe it.... Are you going to let me out, then?"
Van Helsing pulled out Carl's machine. "I suggest you stand back; this is a Carl invention."
Anna smiled fondly. "Carl."
Gabriel shoved the machine into the lock and pressed the button. It whirred in his hand, and began to give off bright light. It was burning his fingers, but he didn't let go. Then the lock finally melted and clicked. He shoved the door open.
Anna climbed to her feet. "It burned your hand."
"It didn't."
"It did- I saw the pain in your eyes."
She stood close to him, looking deep into him, into his very soul.
"Are you real?" he whispered.
She stroked his face with her fingers. Then she raised her mouth to his, and kissed him. It was short yet passionate.
"Am I real?" she repeated.
"You are," he said, catching her in a tight embrace.
"Shall we go?" she asked.
He nodded, and they hurried upstairs.
"Anna!"
She was sitting comfortably in the corner, dressed in her tight blouse and trousers and boots, her long curls falling around her serious face which was looking out of the window.
Gabriel froze a few feet from the cell.
"Gabriel Van Helsing," said Anna in her thick eastern accent. "I wondered when you would find me."
"It cannot be," he breathed, taking off his hat to stare at her.
"It obviously can be," she shrugged.
"But... you're dead, Anna. I killed you," he whispered.
She laughed grimly. "They sent me back. There are things which need done."
"Why have you been brought here?"
"They think I am mad. Claiming to be a woman they know to be dead. Claiming a demon they know to be dead is alive."
"You are real enough. Who is alive?" Van Helsing asked.
"Vladislaus Dragulia."
"No, no, no," breathed Gabriel. "We sent him to hell."
"You sent me to heaven, but look where I am now!"
She turned to face him. Her eyes were filled with sorrow.
"Anna. I will help you."
She scoffed. "That is why I was not supposed to come here. I am supposed to avoid you at all costs."
"Why?" he asked, hurt.
"Because they fear I will fall for you again, and that I will not return to heaven when this is over, or that you would leave to heaven with me when the earth so desperately needs you."
"I won't lose you again, Anna."
She grinned, shook her head in disbelief. "I don't believe it.... Are you going to let me out, then?"
Van Helsing pulled out Carl's machine. "I suggest you stand back; this is a Carl invention."
Anna smiled fondly. "Carl."
Gabriel shoved the machine into the lock and pressed the button. It whirred in his hand, and began to give off bright light. It was burning his fingers, but he didn't let go. Then the lock finally melted and clicked. He shoved the door open.
Anna climbed to her feet. "It burned your hand."
"It didn't."
"It did- I saw the pain in your eyes."
She stood close to him, looking deep into him, into his very soul.
"Are you real?" he whispered.
She stroked his face with her fingers. Then she raised her mouth to his, and kissed him. It was short yet passionate.
"Am I real?" she repeated.
"You are," he said, catching her in a tight embrace.
"Shall we go?" she asked.
He nodded, and they hurried upstairs.
