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By Robert B. Hazelton

Disclaimer: The characters within are used without permission for the sheer non profit enjoyment of fans of the Gabriel Knight genre.

Chapter 2

A figure garbed in a long trench coat slid along the side of the house, kneeling before the windows and examining each in turn. A harsh wind billowed through the trees, the rustling almost as loud as the fluttering of leaves upon the pavement.

Gabriel drew his trench coat about him and tensed his body against the chill. He wondered if the cold was typical of a Pacific Northwest autumn. A myriad of color exploded around him as the wind caught a pile of newly raked leaves and dispersed them in his direction. He turned his face until the last of them had passed and he looked back across the lawn toward the road.

The darkness was oppressive with no streetlights to fend it off and the clouds that obscured the moon only allowed a dull glow to illuminate the landscape-a futile effort with the bare limbs of the trees swaying about, casting their perverse shadows over everything beneath them. He was beginning to think he should fetch a flashlight when the light from the bathroom turned on, offering him a small sanctuary as the area he had wanted to examine was made lurid.

He looked over the final window for any sort of tampering, scoff marks for prying, missing paint but aside from the typical dilapidation inherent in the typical home, there was nothing. The ground beneath hadn't been disturbed by anything larger than a cat. He sighed and thought a moment. He had checked every other entrance with the same results. He turned and walked back around and knocked on the door-he had Claudia keep it locked while he was outside. He rocked on his heels a moment, looking around the quiet neighborhood. The pristine lawns and number of RV's indicated a large retired population. It explained why he hadn't seen anyone out as they had arrived to her house after dark.

Claudia opened the door and he hurried in, enjoying the sudden burst of warm air that stung his face, specifically his nose. Claudia! Is it always like this in September?"

"Sometimes." She replied. "Can I get you something to drink?"

He nodded. "Coffee please." He followed her into the kitchen, not removing his coat. "I've checked all the entrances and it doesn't seem like anyone's entered forcefully."

She frowned as she poured him a mug of hot coffee, which he took gratefully, cupping it with both hands. He continued. "So I can't say whether someone came in or not but there's nothing to indicate a break in. I'll check again in the morning, of course but I don't anticipate finding anything."

"What are you suggesting?"

"I'm hoping that you can tell me more about the night the person was in the house."

Claudia exhaled and shrugged. "I can't say much, Gabriel. I went into the bathroom after a bad dream. When I turned around, he was there." Her tone sounded flustered. "If I knew more, I'd certainly tell you."

He nodded, sipping from his mug as he contemplated. "And what makes you think that you were awake when you saw him?"

"Are you suggesting that I was sleep walking?"

Gabriel shrugged. "It's a distinct possibility. It explains your lack of memory."

"Does it explain the blood?"

He set the mug down and leaned back in his chair, regarding her through half closed eyes. "Claudia, I want to help you but in order for me to do that, you're going to have to help me. Anything you emit makes my job more difficult. What blood?"

Claudia stood from the table and looked out the window into the backyard, arms crossed. "When I woke up, there was blood all over my chest and neck."

"How much blood are we talking about here?"

"A lot."

"What time did you wake up?"

"Around six thirty."

"And was it dark when you got up?"

"Yes."

"Can you describe this guy again?"

"He was tall. Black hair... wearing a white shirt and a long black coat. I didn't see anything else before I passed out."

"And why did you pass out? Did he hit you?"

She shook her head. "No, I just... lost consciousness."

"And where's the wound that bled all over you? Is it on your head?"

"No. There was no wound."

"How do you account for the blood?"

"I don't know."

Gabriel looked down at his coffee. "Nothing on your chest, neck or head?" He asked softly as an idea began to materialize.

"Nothing Gabriel. There were no wounds."

"Can I use your phone?" He stood up and watched her for her response and when she nodded he walked into the living room. He flopped himself into the black leather sofa and took the receiver, dialing Grace's apartment. It had to be somewhere close to midnight back home and he figured she'd long be asleep.

"Hello?" Came a tired voice on the other line and he tried to chipper his voice.

"Gracie! It's me!"

"Gabriel?" A pause. "It's 12:30. What's going on?"

"I'm sorry for waking you. I need your help."

He heard her rustle about in the bed a moment before she replied. "Where are you? I thought you were going to visit that friend of yours in Oregon."

"That's where I'm at. Believe it or not but she called me out here for a case."

"What? What's it about?"

"I'm still collecting information but if I'm not mistaken, I read something about a vampire in one of the old journals... Can you check SIDNEY and see what you bring up? Specifically, I need information about the effects on the victims that live through a vampire attack."

"You think that you are dealing with a vampire?"

"Yeah. There's hardly another explanation and though I certainly don't want to jump to conclusions, I think we've both seen enough now to know that it's best to acknowledge possibilities."

"Fair enough. I'll get right on it. Do you want me to call you when I'm done?"

"No, I'll give you a call back tomorrow evening. If I'm correct about what's happening, I don't know how long I'll be at this number."

"Alright Gabriel. Try to be careful this time."

He chuckled. "Don't worry. It's me!" He hung up the receiver before she could reply. He could hear Claudia in the kitchen, dishes clinging together softly as she put them away. He leaned his head against the cushion and thought, mulling over what he knew of vampires-nothing very reliable. Movie magic, nothing more.

As the sound of running water ceased, he realized that Claudia would be going to bed soon. He reminded himself to make another pot of coffee. He was in for a long night.

Boredom. A yawn followed a stretch and a heavy sigh. He glanced down at his book and tried to comprehend the passage he was working on but realized he had lost the story at least ten pages ago. He slid the paperback on the small table next to the recliner he resided in and glanced over at the sleeping form of Claudia, her soft breathing rhythmic-- almost hypnotic in the near darkness of the room.

Gabriel rested his head in his hand and frowned, his thoughts preoccupied with a myriad of subjects and unable to focus on one for more than a moment. Emotionally, he felt secure about the situation. The feelings he still harbored for her had been subdued with time but something had emerged when he first saw her. Perhaps it was a fear born of his recent realization of his own mortality-- the lifestyle he had for so long indulged seemed ludicrous to even entertain any longer.

Here he was, a man who had achieved a dream of making himself wealthy through his writing, a man who had succeeded against countless levels of adversity. And yet, it was almost poetic that he would finally attain his goals only to have the greatest stress any could fathom thrust upon him-- one that he had no real choice than to pursue and excel with. So rather than be capable of funding his old lifestyle of entertaining himself, he was forced to invest in his 'responsibility'. Must've been God's way of pushing him over to the path most true...

Gabriel started as out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Claudia rising from her bed. Her movements were lethargic as the blankets fell aside her satin nightgown billowing out as she stood erect. Swathed in moonlight spilling in from the window, she looked unnatural, a specter against the night.

Her bare feet rustled against the carpet, the silence giving way only to her still rhythmic breathing... Gabriel watched curiously, wondering exactly where she'd try to go. As she approached the door, he saw that her eyes were wide open though her face was emotionless-- her unblinking gaze frightening against pale skin and drawn features. She pushed open the door and walked into the hall, turning left toward the living room. Gabriel stood to follow, making as little noise as possible to avoid disturbing her.

She made her way down the hall, a terrible phantom with the billowing white behind her, as though she were travelling through a sharp breeze. He caught up to her and reached a hand out and waved it in front of her face, keeping pace with her stride so he didn't accidentally touch her. There was no response. The blank expression remained motionless.

She turned sharply as she got into the living room, approaching the door with a strange sense of purpose. As she took the handle gently, Gabriel decided to intervene. He placed a hand on either shoulder to turn her gently around, intending to wake her. But before he could apply any effort to move her, she flung an arm back and caught him in the chest, sending him staggering back several steps. He brought a hand up to his chest instinctively, rubbing where he had been struck. Eyes wide with surprise, he glanced back at Claudia as she opened the door and proceeded outside.

He followed swiftly, keeping at her side as she walked... her expression never changing, her eyes glazed and dry. Gabriel rubbed his arms to fend off the cold and wondered how he might conceivably wake her without another violent display.

They rounded the block, her bare feet gently clapping on the chilled sidewalk echoed by Gabriel's boots thumping beside. He glanced up at the moon a moment marveling at how well he could pick out the details in the midst of a cities suburb. It seemed closer than ever he had acknowledged it, the angry face casting its dull light upon the eerie night. He returned his attention to Claudia.

After what seemed an eternity in the cold, they returned to the house and Claudia strode in what seemed some sort of designated path-- a pattern only her unconscious mind could conceive. She stopped abruptly in the kitchen and screamed, falling to the ground in a fit of hysterics.

Gabriel rushed to her side, lifting her gently to a sitting position. "Claudia, it's me..." As he tried to place his arms about her, she cried out.

"No! Don't touch me!" She pushed his hands away and he noticed that her skin was extremely hot. "The blood! Look at all the blood! Gabriel, what have I done? What have I done?"