Disclaimer: I don't own Van Helsing. Duh. Okay, now that that's over…moving on…
Hey, Lady Kathrin and Countess Alana! This chappie goes out to you guys cuz you were the only ones who reviewed! Thanks for your support; it's very appreciated! (Technically, Countess Alana, you didn't really review, but you begged me to update in your new chappie, which is great as usual, so I think it counts, lol) Thanks again you guys and I hope you like this chappie too! More Drac! (grins evilly)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That night, I was preparing for the ball and my hasty exit with Van Helsing if everything went according to plan. I had spent most of the day searching the castle (it was, in fact, a very large castle) and had finally found the antidote, high in a secluded tower. It couldn't have been farther away from where I started searching, but you know what they say: It's always in the last place you look. Anyway, I filled the vial Carl had given me, made my way back to my room, and began putting on the dress I was being forced to wear. I hid the vial under my pillow in my room, praying that there would be time to retrieve it later, as there was no place I could hide it on me. After that, it took me at least twenty minutes to figure out how the dress was supposed to go, what with all the ties, numerous skirt layers, and the corset, of course. Like I knew how that was going to work. As I said earlier, I'm not really a dress kinda girl, especially not in 1891. By the time I had the dress part-way on, night had fallen, and it was getting increasingly darker outside. I was trying to tie the corset up from behind, which is very hard to do when you can't see what you're doing, when the door suddenly swung open startling me. Dracula appeared in the doorway, walked in, and shut the door behind him.
"Well," I said, still frustrated from my fruitless efforts with the corset, "at least you used the door this time. Nothing like using the conventional way of entering a room." I turned back around and continued to fiddle with the laces of the corset.
"Andrea. Still as charming as ever I see. I'm glad your stay here hasn't caused you any lasting discomfort. You seem to be having some trouble. Here, let me help you." Dracula walked up behind me and took the laces.
"I haven't had much experience with these, being from the 21st Century and all. Corsets aren't really in fashion, you know." I breathed inward sharply as Dracula pulled the first few rows of laces tight. It wasn't too tight, but it was certainly tighter than anything I'd ever worn. With each row of lacing the corset became tighter around my rib cage, seriously diminishing my lung capacity. "Vladislaus," I whispered, unable to breathe too deeply, as Dracula tied the last row, "It's so tight I can barely breathe. Couldn't you loosen it a little?"
"Don't be silly, my dear. It's all part of the style. There," he said turning me around to face him, "you look stunning. Absolutely ravishing. But not quite finished." He walked me over to the armoire and opened the door so I could look in the mirror. I stood there, trying to find a comfortable way to breathe without passing out, and studied my reflection. The dress was very flattering, not too bad a color, it actually looked good with my dark curls. And the corset did make me look much thinner around my waist, just the way I'd so often wished I looked naturally, except now I couldn't get enough oxygen. Dracula left my side and went over to the dresser. I heard him open a drawer, and then he came back with a pair of white gloves, a necklace, and some earrings. He took my hands and slipped the gloves on. They were those fancy gloves that go all the way up to the elbow. Then he put on the necklace, still standing behind me. It was a gold chain Y-necklace, with rubies that sparkled when they caught the light. I stood there the whole time as if in a trance, barely moving, watching as the necklace seemed to put itself on in the reflection of the mirror. He added the earrings; they were also gold, and had small red feathers hanging down off them. Finally, he reached into a dark corner of the armoire and pulled out a gorgeous pair of red high-heeled shoes. He handed them to me, and I stepped into them, not even thinking about it. He looked at my reflection, then seemed to remember something and walked back to the dresser. He returned quickly with the brush I had used earlier and some gold combs. I could feel him behind me, deftly brushing my hair up and affixing it with the combs, leaving a ringlet down on either side of my face, but I couldn't see him in the mirror.
"There," he said softly, standing behind me, his hands on my bare shoulders, "Perfect." I could feel his eyes upon me, but only my eyes were visible as I stared at the mirror. I could sense the fact that he was looking into my eyes through the mirror, and I couldn't help but stare back, entranced by his cold, piercing gaze. His eyes held neither light nor warmth, but they had a strange, bottomless depth to them, a vast filled emptiness, like so much nothing. Dracula's hands slid down my back and rested around my waist, then moved to my stomach and pulled me gently back towards him. I'm leaning again, I thought to myself dully, and I closed my eyes, partly to block out the feeling of Dracula's chill stare, and partly because I was, I hate to admit it, comfortable there. The corset was making me slightly dizzy, and all I wanted to do was lie down and relax. With Dracula's arms wrapped protectively around me, I felt like I could've stood there forever. My eyes were still closed when I felt his head move next to mine. I reclined my head back into his chest, but my eyes flared open when I felt Dracula's mouth on my ear. He slowly moved down to my neck, coming so close but not actually biting. I gave a half-hearted attempt to pull away, but, with his arms and the corset tight around my waist and the effects of his spell still upon me, I gave up quickly. Both Dracula's spell and the tight corset left me clouded, dizzy, not as sharply aware of my surroundings. It was easier just to relax and close my eyes again, rather than fight to stay alert. I was suddenly tired, and Dracula's motions on my neck felt so good, soothing, and enthralling.
He stopped abruptly and my eyelids fluttered open. "Come," he whispered, taking me by the hand and leading me to the door, "all my other guests are waiting. We wouldn't want to disappoint them." Then he opened the door and led me down the stairs to the main hall.
At the end of the stairs, we stopped, just before the entrance to the hall. I could see the hall from where I stood; there were flags and colorful tapestries all about, and floating candles high above. The candles were black, and seemed to take away as much light as they gave off, leaving the room looking dim, yet bright enough to see clearly. There were gaily-dressed people everywhere, some dancing to the slow eerie music playing, some just standing around the perimeter of the room whispering. They seemed like normal people, but, as I looked into the eyes of the guests closest to me, I saw the same hollow and chill look as Dracula's. These people aren't quite human, I realized, but had no time for further thought. At that moment, Dracula and I walked into the hall, his arm around my waist. The music stopped, and all the other guests looked up at us and began applauding softly and politely. Dracula led me to the center of the dance floor, weaving in and around groups of people as if he were showing me off. When we arrived, he turned to face me and reached for my hand, his other hand still around my waist. Other couples gathered around us preparing to dance. Dracula looked at me and whispered, "Would you care to dance?"
Before I could open my mouth to reply that I didn't know how, whether I wanted to or not, the music began and I was whisked off. The dance was a slow, easy waltz, but I'd never been ballroom dancing before! Yet, I knew all the steps. When to turn, when to step, when to spin. With Dracula guiding me, I became less afraid that I would fall or trip. I relaxed a little, and tried to take a better look around. I couldn't see much because of all the whirling colors and couples dancing nearby, but I could tell that the huge front doors weren't locked or covered by anything. That's a relief, I thought, wondering when Van Helsing and Carl would make their appearance. Dracula pulled me closer, drawing my attention away from the door and back to him.
"You are a wonderful dancer, Andrea." Dracula said to me. The dance was slow enough to allow conversation while moving. "And so beautiful. You are perfect."
"Perfect for what?" I asked, becoming slowly entranced again by his voice and eyes. Dracula just smiled secretively. We continued dancing, then Dracula said, "I hope you're having a good time. You are, after all, the guest of honor. And I always celebrate when I take another–" Dracula was cut short by a loud banging as the front doors flew open. Both Dracula and I, as well as all the other guests, looked up in surprise to see Van Helsing, followed closely by Carl, enter the hall.
Dracula, however, didn't seem too surprised. "Van Helsing! How nice of you to join us. I had a feeling you would come here tonight."
Van Helsing ignored Dracula's comments. "Andrea!" he shouted when he saw me in Dracula's arms. "Let go of her, you vile–" he was stopped by Dracula's next words.
"Now, now, Gabriel, none of that. Besides, doesn't this look familiar? Here I am, with the woman you love once again, except this time, you're too late. You can't save her now, Gabriel. But at least she won't die by your hand, unlike our dearly departed Anna." Dracula laughed evilly at the pain on Van Helsing's face. Then his laugh turned into a frightening cry as he turned towards me, his teeth growing into huge fangs. Before I had time to react, I had been reclined in Dracula's arms, and he was drawing rapidly closer towards my neck.
With a sudden realization I knew what was happening, but by now, I was powerless to stop it. "NOOO!" I heard Van Helsing cry, and I could see him out of the corner of my eye, running towards Dracula and I, his revolver out and aimed at us. Just as Dracula's fangs pierced my neck, two shots rang out and Dracula was knocked away from me. Van Helsing was there in time to catch me from falling, and I looked over to see Dracula lying on the floor a few feet away, two bullet holes in his chest. As I watched, the holes closed up instantly, then he opened his eyes and started to stand. "Come on!" Van Helsing shouted, pulling me away down a hallway with Carl running close behind. We ducked into a room and locked the door behind us, barricading it with a bookshelf near the door. "Quick, Andrea, is there another way out of here?" Van Helsing asked, looking about. We could hear Dracula's piercing cry of rage echo down the hall, and then a huge tumult of shouts and screams as Dracula's vampire guests began to look for us. We were safe for the moment, but who knew how long that would last.
"Andrea?" Van Helsing asked again; I still hadn't answered his question.
"I–" I tried to reply, but collapsed onto my side on the floor with dizziness and fatigue. The corset was making it hard enough to breathe, and after running down the hall, I couldn't get enough oxygen to save my life, literally. There were also two small, steady streams of blood running down my neck from where Dracula had pierced my skin.
"My God, Andrea!" exclaimed Carl, who had seen me fall. "Van Helsing, come here!" Both he and Van Helsing crouched over me. I was barely breathing, trying to gasp for air, and little black spots began to cloud my vision. I was dimly aware of Carl and Van Helsing's movements and speech above me. "She's not breathing!" Carl said, worriedly. "I think it's her dress. Loosen it!" Van Helsing, who was facing the back of my dress, quickly undid all the ties and lacing. I gasped as I huge breath of air rushed into my lungs. I rolled onto my back and lay there panting as my vision slowly cleared. The combs in my hair had fallen out and my curls lay everywhere in a mess about my head. One of my hands was pressed against my neck and Carl noticed the blood leaking out through my fingers. He grabbed a cloth from inside his robes, moved my hand, and pressed the cloth to my neck, soaking up the blood. I took the cloth from Carl and held it in place.
"Thank you." I managed, then looked up at Van Helsing. The relief in his eyes was obvious and I smiled weakly.
"You have impeccable timing." I whispered, making Van Helsing smile. He put his hand in my hair behind my head and bent over like he was going to kiss me, when suddenly there was a banging at the door. We froze and listened as the banging and shouting outside the door became increasingly louder.
"Time to go." Van Helsing said, helping me stand. "Are you alright?" He stared at me anxiously.
"Yes, I'm okay," I replied, "The worst of the bleeding has stopped, and I can actually breathe now that this damn corset is looser." I reached behind me and tied the strings together to keep the dress from coming undone, but I made sure they weren't nearly as tight as before.
"Alright, we need to find a way out of here and back to the front doors. Andrea, do you know a way?"
"Wait!" I cried, "The antidote! It's up in my room. I need it if I'm to create the werewolf venom."
Van Helsing sighed. "That complicates things a bit. Can you lead us there, then?"
"Um, I think so......follow me!" We ran through another doorway and down a long curving hall, just as the vampires on the other side of the room broke through the door. "This way!" I shouted, and we ducked down another hall and up a flight of stairs. After a few more hallways and another two flights of stairs, we arrived at a hall with my room at the other end. We had lost the vampires for now, but I could still hear their shrieks echo throughout the cavernous castle. I ran into my room ahead of Van Helsing and Carl and grabbed the antidote out from under my pillow. Once that was safely tucked into a pocket of the pants I had kept on under my dress, I hurriedly grabbed my shirt, pulled it on over the corset, and slid the dress off underneath. I dropped the dress unceremoniously on the floor just as Carl and Van Helsing ran in. They shut the door behind them, but I could hear the mass of vampires gathering outside the door. Why aren't they coming in, I wondered, the door has no lock!
Before any of us could come up with our next move, or even catch our breath, I heard a chill voice behind me. "Going somewhere?"
I gasped in sudden recognition, but faster than I could turn around to look, Dracula had come up behind me and wrapped his arms around me, imprisoning me in his embrace. Van Helsing advanced towards us rapidly, a look of deep hatred on his face, while Carl backed further away.
"I wouldn't, if I were you." Dracula said, and Van Helsing stopped in his tracks when he noticed Dracula's growing fangs dangerously close to my neck. I stood rigid in sudden fear, my eyes wide and my heart racing. With me in front of Dracula, Van Helsing couldn't get a clear shot at him, and Dracula wasn't about to let go of me. We were at an impasse, stuck in this room, with vampires outside and the King of the Damned himself inside. Dracula smiled evilly in the knowledge that we were trapped. He walked backwards, pulling me with him, putting some distance between Van Helsing and us, all the while nuzzling my open neck but never taking his eyes off of Van Helsing. I could feel the slight pressure of his fangs against my skin. I closed my eyes and swallowed, trying but failing to keep a hold on my emotions. One part of me was scared stiff, while the other didn't ever want the Count to stop.
As my mixed emotions were warring inside, Van Helsing had begun speaking, so Dracula had momentarily ceased his motions on my neck. "Let her go." Van Helsing demanded, rage burning in his eyes.
"Why?" Dracula asked, "Does it bother you to see her in my arms? Why is it that you always make the mistake of loving someone, only to lose them? Like poor Anna, for instance. She loved you, but you killed her, didn't you?" The pain on Van Helsing's face was almost too much to bear. The rage in his eyes had turned to deep sorrow, and suddenly, he collapsed onto the floor, his head in his hands. Dracula laughed maliciously at the crumpled figure in front of him. I was torn, afraid to move, but aching to comfort Van Helsing. I looked up when I noticed movement across the room. Carl had opened all the curtains, and stood smiling smugly at Dracula. Dracula's laugh turned into a shriek when he saw through the windows that dawn was fast approaching. With one last hateful glance at Van Helsing, Dracula let go of me and vanished, his shriek echoing silently in my ears.
As soon as I was released I rushed over to Van Helsing, only to see him stand up, acting perfectly fine. "Gabriel?" I asked incredulously, "Are you alright?" I put my hand on his shoulder and looked worriedly up into his face.
"What? Oh, yes of course I'm alright." Van Helsing answered gruffly, hurriedly blinking his eyes.
"So....You mean.....you were just faking?" I asked doubtfully; his eyes seemed a little redder than usual.
"Um, yes, wasn't it obvious?" Van Helsing looked at me then quickly looked away. "We should get going. Come on."
"Sure," I said, removing my hand from his shoulder, still studying him. Van Helsing turned and walked out of the room, and Carl came up next to me. I was almost positive Van Helsing had been lying, but now wasn't the time to confront him about it. It really didn't matter anyway. I stopped thinking about it and turned to Carl instead.
"That was pretty quick thinking back there, with the curtains," I said, "Thanks." Carl smiled, brimming with pride, then frowned as he looked at Van Helsing's retreating figure.
"I think he was lying," Carl stated to me quietly.
"So do I," I replied, "But it doesn't matter now. The point is, we have the antidote, Dracula and his vampires are gone, and my neck has stopped gushing blood everywhere." I smiled weakly at my attempt to somehow lighten the situation and handed Carl's now bloody cloth back to him. "Now let's get out of here," I concluded, following Van Helsing, "I can't stay in this awful castle another minute." Carl nodded in agreement and hurried after me.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, there you go, Chapter 8, updated as promised. Sorry it took so long…I've been kinda busy lately. :) So what do you think? I know, the ball scene was a little, okay a lot, like the movie, but it's my favorite scene in the movie, so could ya' blame me?! Hope you enjoyed, and more to come ASAP!
Gem