Chapter 7: How do you to Reawaken this "Holy Power"?
Lana woke up suddenly from a large bang. She looked around expecting to see her room once again, but instead saw the interior of a helicopter. Did they land? She looked around again to see neither Helsing nor Charles beside her. I guess they had landed…then where were they? She opened the door to a colder, damper air.
"Alex? Charles?" She yelled out in the darkness, looking around to only see a few run-down very old buildings down the dirt road.
"Char-"
"Shh!" Suddenly someone had her hand over her mouth. "Mpmhhhh.."
"It's just me." Alex Van Helsing poked his head out from behind her. "Seriously be quiet. We are in their territory now."
"Jeez, sorry. You guys just left me alone in the helicopter, how was I supposed to know? God something could have happened to you!" She said in the best whisper she could.
"You were worried about me?" He asked with a cheesy grin.
"NO! More or less Charles than you." She crossed her arms and turned away. "Where is Charles anyway?"
"Back at the hideout. That old village ahead, it's been abandoned since vampires ever roamed the earth. The church basically put it in quarantine, and hasn't released it ever since. Superstitious little craps they are…they don't believe they exist but they wont let anyone live here. Anyway we have another hideout here too."
"Let me guess; under a church?"
"Yea a prehistoric church might I add."
"I thought that Dracula was supposed to live at Bran Castle?"
"That's what they want you to think. They preserved the whole area for textbook, theory and tourists, about who
Dracula was. Even gave a name to the person who "created" the character. It's a huge cover up."
"I'm not stupid you know! I've put some if it together!"
"Shhh…god these vampires aren't like that Twilight shit. You should know that."
" Sorry, and I know…you watched Twilight?"
"I have to watch all vampire movies incase there's any type or hint of the actual truth within it. Let's say that one was far from it."
"Yea but Jacob was sexy…are there actual werewolves anymore?"
He gave her an unimpressed look. "Like witches, most of that stuff is extinct because it's too hard for that to even work out in modern society. But out here? I wouldn't be surprised. But don't expect a shirtless celebrity to come prancing through the forest."
"I wont. Can we go now?" Lana said giving him a look in return.
"My pleasure."
She followed him to the village, and man was it run down. Walls of grey stone were the remains of buildings or houses, not to mention the moss. She looked and saw a few buildings standing, shingles barely holding on. It looked super creepy at night. She quickened her pace to get closer to Alex, only because he had his gun loaded, and belt packed with knives. All she had was her "holy power" that she didn't even know how to work it….seriously? She needed a weapon too, she could learn.
"Over here!" She heard him motion to take a left turn down an ally. Straight from the ally she could see the cross and steeple almost perfectly align with the moon, meaning that they were close to their hideout…thank God…literally.
They crept in the doors, and for a moment Lana felt a whole lot of déjà vu. Walking around, staring at stained glass windows…except for these ones had cracks and pieces missing unlike the other…but over all it was the same feeling… the I-don't-know-where-I-am-this-is-super-creepy kind of feeling. She watched as Alex pushed a back drop or curtain out of the way to a smaller room, and then lifted up a trap door to stairs. So it was an actual basement this time? Wow, that was actually a step up from back in the city.
She climbed down to see that Charles had set up to look similar to the other hideout. There were Televisions with cameras that must have been put up out in the church and just outside already, a laptop, a lamp, and a kettle all running from a battery powered generator. She was happy to see a small stove that looked extremely old but the pipe lifted through the roof, so it must have been usable. She ventured to see two benches in the other room, that had pillows and blankets on them; makeshift cots. She saw boxes of ammo and knives, crosses and other such vampire fighting gear. Then she spotted something. A picture frame was sitting on a box, one she didn't see before. She picked it up to see a young boy on the shoulders of a man. He was well built, had dark scruffy hair, and a scruffy trim beard, both of who were smiling.
"That was my dad."
She looked over at Alex, and realized she had a smile on her face. She dropped it quickly and looked back down to the picture. "I'm sorry…about your dad."
"There was nothing you could do about it."
"I know, but you both look so happy here." He watched her face light up a bit as she stared at him and his father.
"Uh so, you want to figure out how to get that power of yours into high gear?"
"That would be helpful!" She placed the photo onto one of the make shift cots. "Seriously I need something for out there."
"Well if we can figure out what causes your power to come out, you'll have the best weapon of all. So what happened exactly when your power was let out?"
"Uhm…well basically I was really not in a good mood. Alexis had left me, my mother made me go to my own party, and Brandon had been bugging me about the water I was drinking because he thought it was vodka." She rolled her eyes. "Then I went in the VIP room for some air, when Brandon followed and pinned me. He tried to kiss me, and honestly I didn't have the energy to stop him, my mind just really wanted him to stop, and bam; my mind goes blank, I open my eyes and Brandon's against the wall knocked over and a chairs on the floor."
"Hmm…so it went something like this?"
Suddenly Alex rushed forward and pinned her against the wall, and kissed her. She opened her eyes wide in confusion and surprise, before pushing him off of her.
"Holy crap, what the hell was that for?" She asked almost yelling.
"I was just trying to see if I could get you to release your power…" He shrugged as if nothing had happened.
"Like hell you were. God, what is your problem?"
"Hey, it didn't work…so that meant you didn't want me to stop kissing you?"
"Don't let it get to your head...you...you just took me by surprise that's all. Plus it didn't work so that was a fail times two."
"Hmm…then maybe it wasn't the kiss…maybe it was the feeling you had. You were desperate for him to stop and it was something you really wanted. Maybe it's your emotions that cue the power."
"Then why didn't it work with the vampires?"
"Well I saw the way you punched the one in the gut, Mel was it? You weren't exactly desperate, although if it hadn't been for me, you may have been."
"Yea, yea get off your high horse buddy. But you are right. So maybe it's when I need it most that it comes out…well that's reassuring…"
"Well at least we know that if you really are in trouble you should be okay. Plus I can fend off any demon animal or vampire for the most part."
"But all three of them?"
"Hey, I said I could…I just think that we should be careful. Actually I'm not sure we should even use my motorcycle the whole way…"
"Why?"
"Too loud. When we start off in the wood that's fine, but once we get within the boundaries of the castle, we can ditch it. It'll be foot from there on in. Plus Lilith has got a knack for knowing where a person is and when."
"One question?"
"Yea?"
"What happens when we get to the castle? I mean I can't even guarantee that my powers will work when we fight Dracula…or those other vampires…so…"
"Well I'm hoping that on the way we can figure it out…"
"That's it? That's the plan?"
"You won't have to!" Charles came busting in the room, almost knocking Alex over. "I was looking at the journal one last time; from your ancestor, and I think this has something to do with it." He held out a teardrop blood red crystal that was held on the chain by a small cross.
"Charles where did you get that?" Alex asked looking at it with curiosity.
"I was looking at the journal when I realized the crystal in the front cover was slightly loose, as if it could be taken out from behind. I also realized that when I was carrying it, something rattled. Maybe it was all the handling that we have done with the book in the last few days but I found a small compartment at the back and lo and behold this pendant jewel fell out."
He handed it to Lana, who cupped it in her hands. Somehow it felt warm to the touch…whether or not that meant anything she wasn't sure…but she then put it around her neck.
"Any changes?" Alex asked.
"No, not really. I mean it felt warm in my hands but I don't know if that says anything." She admitted.
"Hmm…not likely…but it must have some kind of relevance. Keep it close, and I'd recommend not having any vampire take it from you." Charles warned.
She then took the jewel and tucked it into the jacket and shirt so it couldn't be seen. She nodded.
"Good, then let's prepare for your journey. I might also read and look at that journal once again just to make sure. Oh and you must be famished…let's cook something up on the wood stove?"
Lana just nodded again and followed. Alex watched her leave the room, and then followed behind as if nothing had happened between the two.
