Anna waited for about ten minutes after they left, then decided to make some dinner for when they returned. They would probably be hungry when they returned, and would need some nutrition before the night's hunt.
Taking the pistol, she went downstairs into the kitchen. She examined the contents of the pantry. It was pretty bare but then again most of the food in the house was stored in the cupboard at the back of the house.
She placed the pistol on the bench beside the big iron stove and found a large pan. She filled it with water and placed it on the stove to boil. She went back to the pantry and found a sack of an unidentified vegetable that vaguely resembled onions. Deciding to take her chances with them, she carried them back to the bench and began peeling and chopping them with a small knife. This, though a boring task, kept her busy, and soon she had a pan full of them cooking.
Humming quietly to herself, she went back to the pantry and found a joint of beef. She salted it and scrubbed it in butter mixed with herbs. She lit the fire and placed the beef above it to smoke.
She decided to find some carrots. She realised that they were in the back cupboard, and she set off, out of the kitchen, through the many corridors, down the small stone staircase at the back of the house and into the large, cool cupboard.
She heard something in the kitchen. She froze, realising with a jolt that she had left the pistol on the kitchen bench, and that the rest of her weapons were upstairs, including the only stake which could kill Dracula now.
She looked urgently around the cupboard, taking in the boxes of various vegetables and fruits, the cuts of meat hanging from the ceiling, the strings of garlic tied to the rafters-
Garlic.
She reached up and grabbed a string of three large cloves of garlic. Clutching them tightly, she walked quickly back to the kitchen. As she neared the door she braced herself for the fright of Dracula suddenly appearing from the shadows, or from around the door, or perhaps out of thin air itself.
He didn't do any of these things, and she entered the kitchen to find him leaning idly on the counter, his hair shining in the sun, his earring glittering. His expression was typically unreadable. He was dressed in a long black velvet tunic, black trousers and boots.
"Hello, Anna," he said.
She froze, staring at him, her grip on the garlic so strong that it was almost being crushed by her fingers.
"Vladislaus..." she whispered.
"I suggest you put the garlic down," he said sleekly. "It really doesn't bother me, as stakes and silver bullets through the heart do not."
"That's because you're weird," Anna snapped, dropping the garlic.
He smirked. "So are you."
She cocked her head. "Compared to you I'm normal. In fact, compared to you, a three-legged chicken called Boris would be normal."
"Such a heated temper," he smiled. "You're far too defensive, Anna Valerious."
"You aren't going to bother me by insulting my personality, Vladislaus," Anna shrugged.
He chuckled softly. "Maybe I don't want to bother you."
"I suggest you leave, before I call for Carl and Gabriel."
"Van Helsing and the little Friar are out looking for me," Dracula laughed. "I am no fool, Anna."
Her eyes darted around, looking for the pistol. It was gone.
"Looking for the pistol?" he smiled. "I have it. Not that it would work on me anyway, but I do rather like the idea of finding out how the little Friar killed Seriyah."
"Oh, your little whore?" mocked Anna, smiling.
"Seriyah was not a whore."
"What difference does it make to you?" Anna spat. "You cannot love anyway!"
"Oh, I can love," he said bluntly. "A quality which I often despise, love. I have been in love with someone for so long.... so long."
Anna arched an eyebrow. "So why don't you just go and get her then?"
"What do you think I've come to do?" he smiled.
Anna's blood ran cold. "W-what? M- no, that can't be... it isn't..."
She backed up against the wall as Dracula walked towards her. He stopped only a few inches from her. She felt cold and scared. He touched her cheek lightly.
"No," she whispered.
He whacked her suddenly across the face. She gave a soft gasp of surprise and fell unconscious into his arms.
Taking the pistol, she went downstairs into the kitchen. She examined the contents of the pantry. It was pretty bare but then again most of the food in the house was stored in the cupboard at the back of the house.
She placed the pistol on the bench beside the big iron stove and found a large pan. She filled it with water and placed it on the stove to boil. She went back to the pantry and found a sack of an unidentified vegetable that vaguely resembled onions. Deciding to take her chances with them, she carried them back to the bench and began peeling and chopping them with a small knife. This, though a boring task, kept her busy, and soon she had a pan full of them cooking.
Humming quietly to herself, she went back to the pantry and found a joint of beef. She salted it and scrubbed it in butter mixed with herbs. She lit the fire and placed the beef above it to smoke.
She decided to find some carrots. She realised that they were in the back cupboard, and she set off, out of the kitchen, through the many corridors, down the small stone staircase at the back of the house and into the large, cool cupboard.
She heard something in the kitchen. She froze, realising with a jolt that she had left the pistol on the kitchen bench, and that the rest of her weapons were upstairs, including the only stake which could kill Dracula now.
She looked urgently around the cupboard, taking in the boxes of various vegetables and fruits, the cuts of meat hanging from the ceiling, the strings of garlic tied to the rafters-
Garlic.
She reached up and grabbed a string of three large cloves of garlic. Clutching them tightly, she walked quickly back to the kitchen. As she neared the door she braced herself for the fright of Dracula suddenly appearing from the shadows, or from around the door, or perhaps out of thin air itself.
He didn't do any of these things, and she entered the kitchen to find him leaning idly on the counter, his hair shining in the sun, his earring glittering. His expression was typically unreadable. He was dressed in a long black velvet tunic, black trousers and boots.
"Hello, Anna," he said.
She froze, staring at him, her grip on the garlic so strong that it was almost being crushed by her fingers.
"Vladislaus..." she whispered.
"I suggest you put the garlic down," he said sleekly. "It really doesn't bother me, as stakes and silver bullets through the heart do not."
"That's because you're weird," Anna snapped, dropping the garlic.
He smirked. "So are you."
She cocked her head. "Compared to you I'm normal. In fact, compared to you, a three-legged chicken called Boris would be normal."
"Such a heated temper," he smiled. "You're far too defensive, Anna Valerious."
"You aren't going to bother me by insulting my personality, Vladislaus," Anna shrugged.
He chuckled softly. "Maybe I don't want to bother you."
"I suggest you leave, before I call for Carl and Gabriel."
"Van Helsing and the little Friar are out looking for me," Dracula laughed. "I am no fool, Anna."
Her eyes darted around, looking for the pistol. It was gone.
"Looking for the pistol?" he smiled. "I have it. Not that it would work on me anyway, but I do rather like the idea of finding out how the little Friar killed Seriyah."
"Oh, your little whore?" mocked Anna, smiling.
"Seriyah was not a whore."
"What difference does it make to you?" Anna spat. "You cannot love anyway!"
"Oh, I can love," he said bluntly. "A quality which I often despise, love. I have been in love with someone for so long.... so long."
Anna arched an eyebrow. "So why don't you just go and get her then?"
"What do you think I've come to do?" he smiled.
Anna's blood ran cold. "W-what? M- no, that can't be... it isn't..."
She backed up against the wall as Dracula walked towards her. He stopped only a few inches from her. She felt cold and scared. He touched her cheek lightly.
"No," she whispered.
He whacked her suddenly across the face. She gave a soft gasp of surprise and fell unconscious into his arms.