Van Helsing had pushed his black stallion, as well as Carl and the
stallion that carried him, to their limits riding to Transylvania. He was
determined to get there and see what had been going on at Anna's burial
site. His mind was all a rage, and he could not think clearly. His
thoughts resorted back to Anna and the connection that they both felt.
'There were feelings there.' Van Helsing mind told him. 'We would have made
a wonderful team, but better life partners. I had a future with Anna.'
Van Helsing's mind also told him, 'A future that you ruined.' Reason did
not make the honest truth any less painful for Van Helsing. There was
nothing he could have done to keep Anna alive; he was a werewolf that had
no objective but to kill. But, Van Helsing remembered the way Anna laid
there after she had died, with her eyes open staring off to nowhere in
particular. He remembered the instant pain he felt after he had control of
his actions again. Even as a werewolf, he howled out of his sorrow; a howl
that turned to a scream of anger and sadness as Van Helsing had returned to
his human form. 'She saved you from being that horrible creature, and you
killed her in return.'
Carl knew that Van Helsing was fighting with the voices in his head by the grim look upon his face. 'There is so much that he has faced, a large amount that he cannot recall. His past is foggy to him, but that is no longer his top concern. He battles with knowing he caused Anna's death, and he cannot move past that. Even as a scholar, I cannot aid Van Helsing in this matter. Anna meant more to him that I know. She was a special woman, and as stubborn as Van Helsing, but I still saw her as a friend and ally. I believe Van Helsing held her as much more than that, and I dare say he loved her.' Carl stared at his friend trying to see if he could understand more that Van Helsing gave off in his body language, but Van Helsing only showed signs of grief upon his stricken face.
Carl looked around and noticed they were drawing very close to their destination. He was happy to know that he could finally stop riding and walk. His legs had gone to sleep hours ago, and Carl did not like the horrible tingling accompanied with it. "Van Helsing, we are going to stop for a while up here, are we not?"
Van Helsing heard Carl speak, and he abruptly dropped the conversation he was having with himself in his thoughts. "Yes, Carl, we stop up here on this oncoming cliff. I want to make sure that Anna's burial site has not been tampered with."
Carl nodded in response as he stared upon the sun that was a little over a half an hour away from setting, leaving the sky a mix of colors. The sky was decorated with pastel pinks, blues, and purples. 'It's like a painting.' Carl noted. 'So perfectly crafted like the paint on an artist's canvas. Breath-taking.' Carl noticed that even Van Helsing saw the sun set.
"Carl, the last time I looked upon Anna's beautiful face was in a sunset a little like this." Van Helsing said rather quietly.
Carl nodded and said, "Yes, I saw it too. Perhaps she knows you're here, and this is her greeting to you."
Van Helsing turned to look at his friend, the stricken look was no longer present. Van Helsing quickly looked upon the sun set again, and Carl saw a hint of a smile. Van Helsing liked Carl's assumption, and he believed that Carl was correct; or at least he hoped Carl was correct. He wanted to see Anna again so badly that he ached inside to think about her. 'But, she had been in so much peace in her passing.' Van Helsing thought. 'I just can't stop thinking about what our future could have been had she lived.' But, Van Helsing resorted to what Carl had said. "Perhaps you are correct, Carl."
Van Helsing and Carl reached the cliff's edge and dismounted their horses. The pyre that held Anna still stood, it was mostly ash, but some wood still remained. Van Helsing took a deep breath before he could conjure up strength to walk over to the pyre. He found the pyre empty of Anna's corpse, and there was a young woman lying on the ground before him. The girl resembled Anna, mostly because of the curly hair, and was dead. Van Helsing could find no source of death for the girl. "Carl," he said shakily. "I fear something evil has taken place here."
Carl nodded nervously. "I do believe you are correct, Van Helsing. What happened to Anna's body?"
Van Helsing stared over at the empty prye then down at the girl. "Carl," he said slower and more calmly. "I think someone has sacrificed this girl for Anna."
Carl cursed and backed away towards his horse. "Van Helsing, this is evil work. We made sure Anna had peace and made it into Heaven with her family. If someone has pulled her soul from Heaven, then they have--"
"Disturbed more than Heaven, I'm sure." Van Helsing stated. He stood up and walked over to his horse. He gave the deceased girl one last glance then told Carl, "Come, Carl, we have to find where they took Anna." Then, Van Helsing mounted his horse, which began to trot.
Carl, clumsily more than quickly, mounted his horse to catch up with Van Helsing. "But, how do we find her?"
Van Helsing pondered the question for a moment. He exhaled and told his friar friend, "I'll know where she's near. Have no worries about that."
Anna dreamed of Van Helsing, and she could see him coming for her. He was with Carl, and she thought, 'Good, sweet Carl,' as she dreamed. She was in the carriage with Adam once again, and Van Helsing was catching up to them, and Anna could feel the joy of it. She would be free from the vampire and his evil, whatever that happened to be. There was a dark purpose that he had mentioned but not told Anna, and she feared that purpose. In her dream, Van Helsing reached her, and he jumped atop of the carriage. He stopped the carriage by pulling the reins of the steeds pulling the carriage. Adam hopped out of the carriage to stop Van Helsing from ruining his plans. But, Van Helsing leaped upon Adam, stabbing a silver stake straight through his heart. Adam turned to ash before her eyes, and Van Helsing looked up at her with a smile. Anna leapt into his arms and kissed him like she had kissed him the night she died. He pulled away and looked her in the eyes, his stare felt so real to Anna. He was about to speak when Anna was awakened from her dream.
Victoria had come to fetch Anna for breakfast. "Come, Anna, breakfast awaits you."
Anna scowled at the witch woman for waking her from a pleasant dream world. "I am not hungry," she lied. Anna was hungrier than she'd ever been in her life, but she would rather stay there and fall back asleep to her lovely dream world.
Victoria smirked. "I am afraid you do not lie well, and you have to come with me."
With a flick of the wrist, Victoria's power had pulled Anna off of her bed and over to where Victoria stood. Victoria grabbed Anna's arm tight and pulled her from the room. Anna struggled, but it was useless. Victoria's grip was as strong as Adam's had been. 'If I can't escape, then I will find out why they want me.' Anna thought to herself as she pushed dark curls out of her face with her free hand. "What do you want from me?"
Victoria smiled evilly. "You are dying to know, aren't you?" Victoria replied, avoiding the question.
But, Anna was not about to give up. "Why do you want Van Helsing?"
Victoria looked Anna in the eyes, sending a cold chill up Anna's spine. "He is strong," she told Anna.
The answer was too vague for Anna's liking. "That answers nothing."
Victoria glared at her. "You shall have to wonder why we need you, Anna. I am not about to ruin good planning just to shut you up. I could shut you up with just a small amount of magic."
Anna took Victoria's hint and stopped asking questions. She was stubborn, but she knew when to pick her battles. This was a battle would not end victorious for Anna, so she reserved her attack for a more convienent time. 'What are they planning?' Anna wondered. 'It has to be something that involves battling monsters, or why else would they need Van Helsing and myself?'
Anna was greeted by a team of witches in the kitchen. Victoria sat her down and bound her waist and legs to the chair with silk scarves that appeared from thin air. Anna still had no way to escape, but she did not intend to escape with so many witches present. She upon each of the witches, most were young but held the wear of many more years than the face showed. Only one witch truly looked young, and she seemed to be the friendliest.
The other witches left the young witch with Anna, who could not escape even if she wanted to. So, they saw no harm in leaving Mae, the young witch, alone with Anna. Mae quickly left and came back with a large plate for Anna. Anna looked down and saw many foods. There was bacon, sunny-side-up eggs, sausage, gravy, and biscuits. Anna had not seen all of those foods and was in a bit of shock, but Mae told her, "We used magic."
Anna looked up at the witch, who held out her hand. "I am Mae." Anna took Mae's hand wearily, but Mae did not use magic on Anna. "I'm sorry about all of this," she told Anna. "But, I do not hold the power to help you. But, please, eat, for you must be hungry."
Anna picked up a fork and began to eat, savoring the flavors of the foods. Mae left and brought back a large cup filled with milk. "I almost forgot it. You would have had a dry meal without it."
Anna smiled, and she realized she liked Mae. "You don't seem like the others." Anna told her.
Mae nodded. "Yes, I am the outcast of our coven," she admitted. "I am more normal. I have magic, of course, but I have more humane feelings. Feelings being that I am disappointed that you must be here against your will, and I find it monstrous that you are held captive in your own home. But, Adam has promised Victoria something for our part in holding you here."
Anna's eyes lit up at that. "So, you know why I'm being kept here?"
Mae shook her head. "Sorry, Anna, they did not tell me what the deal was. They never tell me much of anything because they know I'd tell."
Anna was disappointed once again that she still had no answer to why she was there. "I believe that it has to be to battle some type of monsters, or Van Helsing would not be part of this plan."
Mae laughed. "Anna, there are no monsters worse than the ones that hold you captive."
Anna let out a laugh from the truth. "But, that Madeline seems to be humane."
Mae nodded. "I like Maddy, that's what I call her. I have not talked with her, but her actions are far different from her father's. He plots while Maddy just wants what is good. But, I don't know if she sees this evil in her father."
Anna listened to Mae talk about many subjects as she ate. Soon, she was finished with her plate, and the rest of the witches returned without warning. Mae immediately grabbed Anna's empty dishes and headed to wash them. Victoria seized Anna once again and brought to a bathing room. Anna was pushed into the room and told by Victoria, "Clean up, Anna, company arrives soon." Victoria clapped and a dress was handed to her. Anna saw the dress was red and black velvet, red on the sleeves, and met forming an X upon the front of the dress, and black on the rest. Victoria hung the dress upon a chair. "And do dress in this. We want you to make an impression on the company that is arriving."
Anna continued to stare at the door even after Victoria shut and locked it. "Who does she think she is? I would love to kill her, but she has too many powers for me to do that." Anna found the bath filled with steaming hot water. 'More magic, I suppose.' Anna thought. But, Anna found that she didn't care if the water was all magic, she wanted a bath because she wanted to wash away all of the mess she was in. Anna quickly shed the clothes she wore and slipped into the hot water that was so hot it caused her skin to tingle. The water was relaxing, and Anna didn't want to be anywhere else at that moment. She cleared her mind of everything and just gave herself time to enjoy the peace she had.
Carl knew that Van Helsing was fighting with the voices in his head by the grim look upon his face. 'There is so much that he has faced, a large amount that he cannot recall. His past is foggy to him, but that is no longer his top concern. He battles with knowing he caused Anna's death, and he cannot move past that. Even as a scholar, I cannot aid Van Helsing in this matter. Anna meant more to him that I know. She was a special woman, and as stubborn as Van Helsing, but I still saw her as a friend and ally. I believe Van Helsing held her as much more than that, and I dare say he loved her.' Carl stared at his friend trying to see if he could understand more that Van Helsing gave off in his body language, but Van Helsing only showed signs of grief upon his stricken face.
Carl looked around and noticed they were drawing very close to their destination. He was happy to know that he could finally stop riding and walk. His legs had gone to sleep hours ago, and Carl did not like the horrible tingling accompanied with it. "Van Helsing, we are going to stop for a while up here, are we not?"
Van Helsing heard Carl speak, and he abruptly dropped the conversation he was having with himself in his thoughts. "Yes, Carl, we stop up here on this oncoming cliff. I want to make sure that Anna's burial site has not been tampered with."
Carl nodded in response as he stared upon the sun that was a little over a half an hour away from setting, leaving the sky a mix of colors. The sky was decorated with pastel pinks, blues, and purples. 'It's like a painting.' Carl noted. 'So perfectly crafted like the paint on an artist's canvas. Breath-taking.' Carl noticed that even Van Helsing saw the sun set.
"Carl, the last time I looked upon Anna's beautiful face was in a sunset a little like this." Van Helsing said rather quietly.
Carl nodded and said, "Yes, I saw it too. Perhaps she knows you're here, and this is her greeting to you."
Van Helsing turned to look at his friend, the stricken look was no longer present. Van Helsing quickly looked upon the sun set again, and Carl saw a hint of a smile. Van Helsing liked Carl's assumption, and he believed that Carl was correct; or at least he hoped Carl was correct. He wanted to see Anna again so badly that he ached inside to think about her. 'But, she had been in so much peace in her passing.' Van Helsing thought. 'I just can't stop thinking about what our future could have been had she lived.' But, Van Helsing resorted to what Carl had said. "Perhaps you are correct, Carl."
Van Helsing and Carl reached the cliff's edge and dismounted their horses. The pyre that held Anna still stood, it was mostly ash, but some wood still remained. Van Helsing took a deep breath before he could conjure up strength to walk over to the pyre. He found the pyre empty of Anna's corpse, and there was a young woman lying on the ground before him. The girl resembled Anna, mostly because of the curly hair, and was dead. Van Helsing could find no source of death for the girl. "Carl," he said shakily. "I fear something evil has taken place here."
Carl nodded nervously. "I do believe you are correct, Van Helsing. What happened to Anna's body?"
Van Helsing stared over at the empty prye then down at the girl. "Carl," he said slower and more calmly. "I think someone has sacrificed this girl for Anna."
Carl cursed and backed away towards his horse. "Van Helsing, this is evil work. We made sure Anna had peace and made it into Heaven with her family. If someone has pulled her soul from Heaven, then they have--"
"Disturbed more than Heaven, I'm sure." Van Helsing stated. He stood up and walked over to his horse. He gave the deceased girl one last glance then told Carl, "Come, Carl, we have to find where they took Anna." Then, Van Helsing mounted his horse, which began to trot.
Carl, clumsily more than quickly, mounted his horse to catch up with Van Helsing. "But, how do we find her?"
Van Helsing pondered the question for a moment. He exhaled and told his friar friend, "I'll know where she's near. Have no worries about that."
Anna dreamed of Van Helsing, and she could see him coming for her. He was with Carl, and she thought, 'Good, sweet Carl,' as she dreamed. She was in the carriage with Adam once again, and Van Helsing was catching up to them, and Anna could feel the joy of it. She would be free from the vampire and his evil, whatever that happened to be. There was a dark purpose that he had mentioned but not told Anna, and she feared that purpose. In her dream, Van Helsing reached her, and he jumped atop of the carriage. He stopped the carriage by pulling the reins of the steeds pulling the carriage. Adam hopped out of the carriage to stop Van Helsing from ruining his plans. But, Van Helsing leaped upon Adam, stabbing a silver stake straight through his heart. Adam turned to ash before her eyes, and Van Helsing looked up at her with a smile. Anna leapt into his arms and kissed him like she had kissed him the night she died. He pulled away and looked her in the eyes, his stare felt so real to Anna. He was about to speak when Anna was awakened from her dream.
Victoria had come to fetch Anna for breakfast. "Come, Anna, breakfast awaits you."
Anna scowled at the witch woman for waking her from a pleasant dream world. "I am not hungry," she lied. Anna was hungrier than she'd ever been in her life, but she would rather stay there and fall back asleep to her lovely dream world.
Victoria smirked. "I am afraid you do not lie well, and you have to come with me."
With a flick of the wrist, Victoria's power had pulled Anna off of her bed and over to where Victoria stood. Victoria grabbed Anna's arm tight and pulled her from the room. Anna struggled, but it was useless. Victoria's grip was as strong as Adam's had been. 'If I can't escape, then I will find out why they want me.' Anna thought to herself as she pushed dark curls out of her face with her free hand. "What do you want from me?"
Victoria smiled evilly. "You are dying to know, aren't you?" Victoria replied, avoiding the question.
But, Anna was not about to give up. "Why do you want Van Helsing?"
Victoria looked Anna in the eyes, sending a cold chill up Anna's spine. "He is strong," she told Anna.
The answer was too vague for Anna's liking. "That answers nothing."
Victoria glared at her. "You shall have to wonder why we need you, Anna. I am not about to ruin good planning just to shut you up. I could shut you up with just a small amount of magic."
Anna took Victoria's hint and stopped asking questions. She was stubborn, but she knew when to pick her battles. This was a battle would not end victorious for Anna, so she reserved her attack for a more convienent time. 'What are they planning?' Anna wondered. 'It has to be something that involves battling monsters, or why else would they need Van Helsing and myself?'
Anna was greeted by a team of witches in the kitchen. Victoria sat her down and bound her waist and legs to the chair with silk scarves that appeared from thin air. Anna still had no way to escape, but she did not intend to escape with so many witches present. She upon each of the witches, most were young but held the wear of many more years than the face showed. Only one witch truly looked young, and she seemed to be the friendliest.
The other witches left the young witch with Anna, who could not escape even if she wanted to. So, they saw no harm in leaving Mae, the young witch, alone with Anna. Mae quickly left and came back with a large plate for Anna. Anna looked down and saw many foods. There was bacon, sunny-side-up eggs, sausage, gravy, and biscuits. Anna had not seen all of those foods and was in a bit of shock, but Mae told her, "We used magic."
Anna looked up at the witch, who held out her hand. "I am Mae." Anna took Mae's hand wearily, but Mae did not use magic on Anna. "I'm sorry about all of this," she told Anna. "But, I do not hold the power to help you. But, please, eat, for you must be hungry."
Anna picked up a fork and began to eat, savoring the flavors of the foods. Mae left and brought back a large cup filled with milk. "I almost forgot it. You would have had a dry meal without it."
Anna smiled, and she realized she liked Mae. "You don't seem like the others." Anna told her.
Mae nodded. "Yes, I am the outcast of our coven," she admitted. "I am more normal. I have magic, of course, but I have more humane feelings. Feelings being that I am disappointed that you must be here against your will, and I find it monstrous that you are held captive in your own home. But, Adam has promised Victoria something for our part in holding you here."
Anna's eyes lit up at that. "So, you know why I'm being kept here?"
Mae shook her head. "Sorry, Anna, they did not tell me what the deal was. They never tell me much of anything because they know I'd tell."
Anna was disappointed once again that she still had no answer to why she was there. "I believe that it has to be to battle some type of monsters, or Van Helsing would not be part of this plan."
Mae laughed. "Anna, there are no monsters worse than the ones that hold you captive."
Anna let out a laugh from the truth. "But, that Madeline seems to be humane."
Mae nodded. "I like Maddy, that's what I call her. I have not talked with her, but her actions are far different from her father's. He plots while Maddy just wants what is good. But, I don't know if she sees this evil in her father."
Anna listened to Mae talk about many subjects as she ate. Soon, she was finished with her plate, and the rest of the witches returned without warning. Mae immediately grabbed Anna's empty dishes and headed to wash them. Victoria seized Anna once again and brought to a bathing room. Anna was pushed into the room and told by Victoria, "Clean up, Anna, company arrives soon." Victoria clapped and a dress was handed to her. Anna saw the dress was red and black velvet, red on the sleeves, and met forming an X upon the front of the dress, and black on the rest. Victoria hung the dress upon a chair. "And do dress in this. We want you to make an impression on the company that is arriving."
Anna continued to stare at the door even after Victoria shut and locked it. "Who does she think she is? I would love to kill her, but she has too many powers for me to do that." Anna found the bath filled with steaming hot water. 'More magic, I suppose.' Anna thought. But, Anna found that she didn't care if the water was all magic, she wanted a bath because she wanted to wash away all of the mess she was in. Anna quickly shed the clothes she wore and slipped into the hot water that was so hot it caused her skin to tingle. The water was relaxing, and Anna didn't want to be anywhere else at that moment. She cleared her mind of everything and just gave herself time to enjoy the peace she had.