Nightmares from the past-Chapter 1
By Red Star
Note: I don't own any of these characters. They belong to people I don't know. Also, I realize that some of the more devoted fans might have found some things wrong with my story's setting, for example, where the Cardcaptors live. I confess I am not too familiar with facts like that. I must also warn readers that I am mixing names from the original anime with the English version. Specifically, the only original name from the series will be Syaeron Li. All others will have English names. Just bear with me as Dracula encounters the Cardcaptors for the first time.
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The young nurse sighed as she paged through the People's magazine on her desk. It was 7:30 and a slow night. Extremely slow. She glanced up at the door that led to the parking lot. Nothing. No one came rushing in with a pregnant wife like they showed so often on American television. The lot was dark, lit only by the occasional unbroken parking light that dotted the little islands among the turf. Then something caught her eye. A shadow, for only a second, slashed through the light closest to the door. Probably a bird she thought as she returned to the article on Tom Cruise's death due to a mixture of pneumonia and his Christian Scientist beliefs. Then the door swung open. She jerked her head up to see a pale man in a long black coat already across half the lobby. He stopped before her desk and asked in an accented voice, "Which room is Ms. Ami Dushito in?" The nurse stood up and answered, "I'm sorry sir, but visiting hours are over." "I've not come to visit, I've come to help. I am Dr. Victor Sulov. Now, which room?" She sighed and was about to tell him to come back later, when he looked her in the eye. His eyes were deep blue and intelligent. They reached out to her. Mists swirled within them. And a voice called, "Do as I say." Her right hand went down and clicked a few keys on her computer. She glanced down and murmured "Room 218, west wing." "Thank you," said Dr. Sulov. He turned and walked in the direction of the west wing.
The nurse shook her head and blinked. Must be dozing off she thought. She stood and began her way to the cafeteria for a cup of coffee. "I hate slow nights," she sighed, "nothing exciting happens around here."
Dr. Sulov strolled casually through the darkened hallways. He brooded on his current position and his weaknesses. He had no idea where his foe rested and without that knowledge he could strike effectively at her plans. He would have to gather allies in this country. Most of the local nosferatu were loyal to him, but he knew that a few would be lured away from his leadership by her methods of seduction. He banished these thoughts as he arrived at Ami's room. The young girl slept soundly in a white hospital bed, complete with the bag of medicines dripping into her arm. He picked up the clipboard at the end of her bed and examined it. It was somewhat amusing when he realized he was significantly older than most of the medical terms on her chart. Sulov placed the chart back on it's hook and stepped up to the head of the bed. He held his right hand a few inches over her face and passed the hand down, then up again. Sulov smiled as he saw after the last pass of his hand that the girl had awakened, at least physically. "Hello, Ami." "Hello," she answered, "who are you?" He leaned back a little and grinned in a friendly way. "I am here to help you." "How?" "I will find who did this and punish them. But you will have to tell me if you saw them first." Ami shook her head weakly. "No, I was trying to walk to school but I was too tired." Sulov brushed her cheek in a fatherly way. "That is all right, child. Have any of your friends been sick like this?" "No,"
Sulov was silent for a moment. It was just like the Countess Bathory to drink pints of blood and rush to collect more from other young girls. She was still a vain, pompous hag. This would be the last time she did it though. "Ami," he said as he pulled a black pen and notebook from his jacket, "can you tell me who your friends are, and where they live?" She nodded and began, "Sakura Avalon…"
"Germany invaded Russia in what year?" asked Li. Madison groaned, "Umm, 1939?" Li sighed, "No, they invaded Poland in 1939. Germany attacked Russia in 1941." Sakura defended her best friend, "Come on Li, that's really hard. How are we supposed to know all this? It's not like they have statues about it lying around in the park." Li rolled his eyes and continued. Madison, Li, and Meiling had gathered to study at Sakura's house. Unfortunately, World War II was not exactly their strongpoint. So much had happened around the young girl and the small but powerful Kero Beros that school had taken second place. The group were working in Sakura's living room. Kero dozed at Sakura's side, still not really trusting Li yet. Tory then descended the stairs. "Hey, Squirt," he called to his little sister, "where did you put those coke's?" "In the back of the fridge," called Sakura. It was then that Kero chose to wake up with a yalp. Sakura grabbed him and stuffed him back onto the couch. Tory peered suspiciously into the living room as he left the kitchen to see a nervous smiling Sakura. One of these days… he thought to himself as he went back to his room. Sakura quickly let Kero come up for air. "What's the matter with you?" she hissed, "Tory almost saw." Kero snarled back, "I sensed something!" "What?" "I don't know but it's close!" "Kero, you're acting…" the doorbell then rang. Sakura jumped up and ran to the door. "Yes?" she said as she opened the front door, expecting a salesman or something. She stepped back as she took in the tall, thin, dark-dressed man who held a walking stick with a gold carved wolf's head on it. The man smiled and said, "Ms. Sakura Avalon?" "Y-y-yes?" she stuttered, sensing something strange about this man. His right hand suddenly flashed out and seized her right hand. He then promptly bowed slightly at the hips and said, "A pleasure to meet you, Ms. Sakura. I am Dr. Victor Sulov. I'm here because of Ami…" Sakura's eyes opened wide. "Ami!? What happened!?" "Nothing, I assure you. I merely wish to ask you a few things, that's all." Sakura showed him to the living room and introduced her friends to the Doctor. He sat on the couch and began, "First of all, are there any strange women on your way to school? Are they watching you?" The group answered with all no's. Sulov leaned back and unbuttoned his long coat. " Have you noticed anything strange happening around your school? Like some sort of animals that wouldn't be around normally?" "No!" cried Sakura. Sulov's gaze fell upon her. "Uh...what I mean is…not really. There's been some weird looking cats and birds but nothing out of the ordinary!" Sulov leaned over to her and whispered, "I should tell you that you cannot lie to me. Your blood betrays your lies." She winced, at both the stench of rotting flesh on his breath and the words. What did they mean?
"What's the meaning of these questions?" asked Li, "How would they help Ami?" Sulov turned his penetrating eyes to Li. Li was about to say something else but stopped. Those eyes…
Sulov sighed. "If you have seen nothing, I suppose that you saw nothing." He stood up and walked to the door. He then turned and said, "But I warn you, you may yet see strange things in the days to come. It would be best to find ways to avoid them." And with that he turned and walked out the door. Sakura got up and went to the door. "Wait, Dr. Sulov, how is Ami…" she saw that he had vanished. "…doing?" was all she could say. She then looked up and shivered at the sight of a massive bat that was flapping it's way into the forest.