I don't own Van Helsing

Chapter Six

Aleera, Verona, and Marishka were all in a room. On the floor of the room was a design. There was a triangle inside a circle. In the center of the triangle was a small circle with a small pile of dust on it. Lines from the points of the triangle ran into the small circle at the center. The brides took their places, each at one point of the circle. They each bit into their wrist and let the blood flow into the pattern till it was full except for the small circle in the middle.

Dev stepped forward with the vial filled with Liz's blood and poured it in the circle and the dust. Dev then mumbled something in Latin. A roar could suddenly be heard throughout the room. The dust built up into the silhouette of a human. The dust then fell away to show a man. Dev bowed before him.

"Welcome back, Lord Dracula."

Liz bolted upright in bed screaming. She whipped away the cold sweat and tears away from her face. She was shaking and breathing hard as if she had just run. After a moment, Liz got up and washed off her face in her bathroom. She was still shaking even after that. Liz looked in the mirror as straightened her shirt and then brushed her tangled hair. That did her appearance good but it didn't help her mood.

Something was wrong. She could sense it. She had had a million nightmares with Dracula in them, but not like this, not since their last adventure when he was alive. This one was far to real for her comfort.

Liz threw on her coat and put on her hat. Just before she walked out the front door, she grabbed her newly made pair of keys. The girl left, careful to make sure she locked the door after herself. She didn't want to take any risks. What she was doing now was a risk, but at least it wouldn't get anyone else killed.

The teenager walked through the dark streets of New York, the wind billowing out her coat as she walked. Liz put her collar up against the cold as the sky opened and snow began to fall. All too soon, Liz found herself in front of a condemned house. The windows and doors were boarded up and it looked like it had been burnt. This was her house. This is where she used to live before… That didn't matter now. The house belonged to her now.

Liz kicked in the door and walked into what used to be the living room. The floor and walls were charred from the fire so long ago and parts of the floor had already caved in. There were small piles of wood on the floor from some places that fell through the ceiling. Dust covered everything. But Liz didn't care. For a moment, it was if she was five again.

The few memories Liz had came flooding back to her as she carefully climbed the stairs and went into what used to be her parent's room. To her astonishment, there was a safe in the corner, open, safe and untouched.

Liz went over to it and looked in. There was a leather-bound book in it. Liz blew the dust off and carefully opened it. It was a photo album. Liz saw a picture. It was of her and a light brown haired woman. It was her mother. The girl quickly but carefully turned the crisp yellow pages of the book. There she was again with a man. He had Liz's hazel eyes but other than that looked exactly like Van Helsing. It was her father. Liz flipped through the pictures and then found something else in the safe.

It was a small silver box with silver flowered vines around the edge off the lid. Liz opened and a haunting melody began to play. There were words on a piece of paper inside the box.

"The sun has fallen and night has come

The moon shines down on you little one

Watch over you the stars shall keep

As you lay down to sleep

Tomorrow you shall run and play

For tomorrow is a new day"

Liz read the words and then listened to the song the box played and put them together. "It's a lullaby…the one my…my mother used to sing me to sleep." Liz whispered as memories flooded back to her.

Liz was in her room pretending to be asleep as her mother sang. She had just turned five a few weeks ago and was enjoying every minuet of it. Liz's mom closed the door to the girl's room. After listening to her mother's footsteps disappear down the hall, Liz jumped out of her bed and ran over to her drawing desk. She wasn't sleepy and didn't see why she had to go to bed yet. The young girl turned on the light and began to put the finishing touches on her drawing of angels.

Suddenly, the breaking of glass could be heard and people shouting. Liz ran out of her room and hid at the top of the stairs to see her mom and dad holding each other looking at the brick that had just been thrown through their window.

"Matt, get Lizzie." her mom said.

"No, Gloria. You get Lizzie. I'll stay here and fight them off if need me." she heard her dad reply. A strange smell came to Liz's nose. It was smoke. Liz turned to see a fire at the end of the hallway.

"Mama! Fire!" Liz shouted running down the stairs.

"Oh, baby." Liz's mom said picking her up. Her dad placed his torn up black hat on her head. It was plenty big and slid over her eyes. He smiled despite the situation.

"Listen to me Lizzie. Run out the back door and don't stop till you get to the nearest church. Run inside and the minister will help you. We will meet you there." he explained helping the girl put on her coat, pants and shoes.

"But I don't want to leave you and Mama. I'm to scared." Liz replied.

"Be brave little huntress." Her dad said and kissed her on the cheek and her mom lead her to the back door.

"Run, Lizzie. We will meet you as soon as we can." her mom said and then kissed her on the forehead. "I love you."

"Love you to mama."

"Now go. Run." her mother urged and Liz raced off into the night.

But they never did meet Liz at the church. The mob outside the house had trapped them and the died in the fire. Liz scanned her memory and then remembered one of the voices that rang out clearly from the mob

"Dev." she whispered, hatred filling her voice.

Just then, the floor below her creaked and broke. Liz screamed as she fell to the first floor and on through to the basement. The box, the book and timber fell with her and then all went black.

Chase entered the kitchen the next morning to find everyone worried.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Angel is missing." Ali replied.

"Where would she be?" Chase asked.

"How should we know?" Bri retorted.

"She didn't even leave a note." Anna said sounding worried sick.

"Probably because she thought she'd be back by now." Van Helsing said not really helping the situation.

"Does anyone have any idea why she left in the first place?" Carl asked.

"She left in the middle of the night. How should we know?" Ali said and began to pace.

"What if Dev got to her?" Bri asked.

"Don't even talk that way." Chase said sinking into one of the kitchen chairs next to Bri and Van Helsing.

"However it is a possibility." Carl said. Van Helsing glared at him.

"Thank you Carl." he said sarcastically.

"Just saying we shouldn't rule it out." the friar replied.

"Stop it, Carl." Anna said falling into the chair next to Van Helsing. Carl was determined to defend himself.

"But…"

"SHUT UP CARL!!" Ali roared at him. She had finally lost it.

"Where could she be?" Chase asked.

Liz groaned as she woke up in the basement. She pushed the timber off herself and found her hat. She dusted it off and put it on. It was day light, that she could tell from the light filling in from the floorboards and holes in the floor.

"Anyone down there?" came a voice. Liz looked up to see a handsome young man around the age of seventeen. He had wavy light brown hair and a go-tee. His eyes were a pale green color.

"Just the stupid teenager who fell through the floor." Liz replied.

"Need a hand?" the man asked.

"Maybe just a little one." Liz replied putting the photo book and the small silver box in her coat pockets. The man lowered down a rope and Liz grabbed it. She pulled herself up and out of the hole. "Thanks." Liz said taking off her hat.

"Liz? Is that really you?" he asked. Liz looked at him funny as if to asked 'Who are you and why do you know my name?'. "You don't remember me?"

The light went on. "Jack…Jack Crane? You…you were Chase's best friend."

"What are you doing here?" Jack asked.

"Well, I turned sixteen last week. I thought I might as well see what my parents left me." Liz said.

"This place is yours? It needs a little work." Jack said.

"Tell me about it." then something hit Liz.

"Crud!! I have to go." Liz said rushing past him out the door.

"Nice talking to you." he shouted as she ran down the street.

Liz was out all night and her friends were probably wondering where she was. Anna and Van Helsing would be furious.

"Where could she be?" Chase asked.

Just then Liz slid into the house. She was breathing hard because she ran the whole way.

"Where have you been?" Anna asked.

"I had some business to take care of." Liz replied still breathing hard.

"Like what?" Ali asked.

"Just some personal things. Sorry I didn't leave a note. I didn't plan on staying out that long. I…was delayed." Liz told Ali.

"Delayed by what?" Bri asked.

"Just delayed, okay? I didn't run into any vampires or werewolves or anything, so everything is fine." Liz told her taking the book and music box out of her coat.

"Why did you leave? It's not safe at night, especially for you." Van Helsing said.

"I had some personal business to take care of."

"At three in the morning?" Bri asked. Liz gave her the look of death. "Oops." Bri said looking down.

"Now, if you all excuse me, I'll be in my room." Liz said and then ran out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

"You guys shouldn't be so hard on her. Not today." Chase said.

"What's so special about today?" Ali asked.

"It's the day her parents died."

"But she has parents." Bri argued.

"Those are her step-parents. Don't you remember?" Chase asked them. Both girls looked confused. "Eleven years ago today, Liz's birth parents died. It was a mob of people and they burned her house down. Liz was the only survivor because her parents got her out before the house was surrounded. She lost most of her memory before that because of the fumes she breathed in before she got out. Every year, Liz feels terrible about it. She won't even go passed the street her old house used to be on." Chase told them.

"Oh how terrible." Bri said.

Ali was gone by now. She walked up the stairs to Liz's room. She gently knocked on the door.

"Liz, come out. Please." No answer. "I know you don't feel alright. But will you please come out." Ali said.

Liz opened the door. She looked miserable. "Hi Ali."

"What's wrong? You look like you died and came back to life." Ali said as the two walked into Liz's room.

"I don't feel alright Ali. I feel sick, like my skull is going to explode." Liz said starting to feel woozy. "It feels like something is in there that shouldn't be. It hasn't felt like this si…"

Liz closed her eyes and fell on the floor grasping her head. Someone doesn't want her telling anyone who she thinks has returned. A huge pain surged through her head as she screamed in pain.

"Oh my god." Ali whispered watching Liz.

"Ali…get…Gabe." Liz struggled to tell her before she blacked out.

"Van Helsing!!!" Ali shouted running out the room. "We have a huge problem!!!"

"What? What is it?" Van Helsing asked meeting Ali at the bottom of the stairs.

"It's Liz. I think someone is trying to control her. She just fainted up in her room." Ali barely had time to finish before Van Helsing had thrown open Liz's door and found her on the floor.

"Oh, God." he whispered. Gabriel picked the girl up in his arms and felt for a pulse. It was barely there and she was growing colder by the second. Liz slowly opened her eyes.

"Van Helsing?" she breathed. The monster hunter took her hand and held it tightly. "What's happening to me?" she asked, hardly in a whisper.

"Shhh, don't push yourself." Van Helsing tried to comfort her.

Liz closed her eyes and began to glow with a soft white light. After a few moments, the light faded and Liz sat up gasping and coughing.

"He's back. He tried to control me. He's gonna and try and kill us. He has allies now, lot of them…." Liz began to rant her voice full of fear.

"Liz, calm down. Who? Who is back?" Van Helsing asked.

"Dracula."

(A/N: Now it's starting to get good. Short note today. Thanks!!!)