Hello my friends! I return!

I am truly how long it has been since I've updated! I really didn't know where to take this fic after the last chapter. I had to watch the movie again, but I was in a huge hold line for it (hold number 17 out of 23!). I finally nabbed it about a week ago, and I'm happy to say I think I already have the fourth chapter formulating!

Enjoy!

Pax

London

The dreams had started about a week ago. Well, I suppose started wouldn't be the proper way to say it. They began reoccurring about a week ago, then. The exact same scenes that had plagued my nights five years ago. I had thought they would never come back; I had been wrong. Something still flickered in his ashes, and whatever it was wanted to be free. For what purpose I didn't know. I didn't want to know.

It was almost midnight. My body and brain were exhausted, but I didn't want to sleep. Gazing up at the cloudy night sky, I pulled the quilt tighter about my body. I was afraid. While I was awake, he couldn't touch me. Couldn't see me. Couldn't find me. With sleep came weakness, and he thrived on it.

What did I plan to do? Stay awake forever? Run away and cower from a pile of dust locked away behind ten feet of steel? Hide from a creature that was secured in a silver casket and bound by a cross? I shook my head, feeling braver. No; I would not. I would fight. He had been defeated once before, hadn't he? I knew how to kill him, if he should arise. Which he most certainly would not.

Moving beneath the covers, I settled into bed. I had to be brave. For my father. For Lucy. For Simon.

The darkness was stifling. I couldn't see, couldn't breathe, couldn't do anything but panic.

Mary.

No. No, no, no. I don't believe it. It's not real. He's not there.

Mary.

Leave me alone. Let me sleep.

Mary.

Please go away! What did I do to deserve this?

MARY.

Get out of my head! Leave now, and never come back!

MARY.

He was very strong. More so than ever before. Could I fight him? I was going to loose…

The shade lifted from my eyes, flashing images. Him. Everywhere.

MARY!

I couldn't win. I knew it, and he knew it. I felt cold, alone, helpless. I was at the mercy of a monster. And mercy was not something he showed his victims. The passage was long; I wrenched at the wooden doors, tearing the flesh of my hands.

I suddenly realized I was awake. I had been for a long time. I was standing before his coffin. He was in there, redeveloped and prepared to strike. I tasted salt; I was crying.

Mary.

I didn't want to fight anymore. I wanted it all to end. My bleeding hands rested on the cool silver. There were footsteps behind me.

"Mary?"

Open it.

I found the small cross.

"Mary! What are you doing?"

It revolved with my movement; my blood was being sucked through the gaps.

"Mary, NO!"

The coffin lid went back. I was gone.

"MARY!"

Baton Rouge

I flailed, sheets falling to the ground. What the hell?... I sat, confused and terrified. The dream was back. The dream with the horrible, dead-looking man. I trembled, closing my eyes. Part of me wanted to run down the hall to Aunt Margot's room, to snuggle in beside her and let her comfort me. She had always been so good about it; I always felt safe with her. When I'd been sent to live with her all those years ago, she'd always let me sleep in her bed. But I had a good reason back then: I was a little kid, scared of a big house in a new place. This was just a nightmare. A silly, abet creepy, bad dream. I could deal with it on my own.

Settling back into bed, I tried to sleep. 'It had been different this time.' I couldn't help the thought. It had.

There had been another person there, a woman with bloody fingers. As she moved to open his coffin I screamed for her to stop. She didn't hear me.

He had leapt the instant the lid went back. I covered my eyes, shrieking and crying at the same time. There was blood everywhere.

"Mary!"

A man had come forward, to meet the same fate. I had tried to run; floor was slippery and red. I felt him behind me, his hand on my arm. I struggled.

"Please let me go!" I had wailed, pitifully now I thought about it, "I don't want to die!"

His face was beside my ear.

"Than you never will."

I sat up again, eyes wide. His voice had echoed through my room. Was he here! I shrank beneath my blanket, willing myself to sleep. It was just a dream.

Police Report #7135

Case Number: DH 12/07/05/7135

Incident: Double Homicide Attempt

Reporting Officer: Constable Raymond Bentley

Date of Report: 12 July 2005

At about 2330 hours on the 12th of July a call was made by Mr. John Forester (London resident) regarding a disturbance within 165 Great Dover Street, SE1 4YB. (Note) The explanation given as to Mr. Forester's presence on the scene was that he had recently left work, and had proceeded to the train station when he heard the noise. (End Note)

At 2340 hours squad car #37 arrived with Officers: Philips, Welsh, and myself. There was no response to our initial knock, and due to the commotion continuing to occur inside, Off. Philips forced entry. There was no sign of disturbance within the foyer and no sign of occupants on the scene. There was a large high security vault, left open, from which a sound was detected by Off. Welsh.

Within the said vault, two bodies where discovered, one female and one male. The female was later identified as Ms. Mary Van Helsing (London resident, proprietor of Carfax Abbey); Ms. Van Helsing suffered severe lacerations to the throat and chest (internal jugular and common carotid artery ruptured) and deep slashes of the forearms. The male, later identified as Mr. Simon Sheppard (London resident, occupation unknown) suffered identical inflictions with the addition of four fractured vertebrae. (L3, T1, T2, T9)

I left the victims with Offs. Welsh and Philips and returned to the car to request backup and an ambulance. At 2353, Ms. Van Helsing and Mr. Sheppard were transferred to St. Thomas' Hospital (Lambeth Palace Road, London, Greater London, SE1 7EH.)

I have begun an investigation to find the assailant, but to the present moment no suspects have been identified (Note)Several colleagues being able to testify for the presence of Mr. Forester at his place of work at the time of the attack.(End Note) There were no prints left at the scene, and no other evidence has been yet discovered. I entered the case into the database as an attempted double homicide.

Constable Raymond Bentley

I rather like my police report... I worked really hard on making it sound legit. BTW, I nipped the address for Carfax Abbey from some website for a building in London, so if you recognize it as your home, or your cousin's hair salon, or something of the like, I'm sorry I ruined the magic for you...

Pax